《A Gift from the Goddess》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    ¡°It looks like everyone is here now,¡± Aleric said, projecting into the crowd. ¡°We are gathered here today


    to bear witness to the trial of Ariadne Chrysalis, former Luna to the Winter Mist pack.¡±


    His eyes scanned over the faces of everyone around before finallynding on me.


    ¡°Do you swear on the Goddess¡¯ name, Ariadne, that you will tell the whole truth during this trial?¡± Aleric


    asked.


    I met his piercing green eyes, a shiver going down my spine. How those eyes haunted me.


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied loudly and confidently.


    ¡°And how do you plead?¡±


    I held my breath, my heart racing in my chest.


    ¡°Not guilty.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant,¡± Aleric told me.


    I stared at him in shock, my face paling. My destined mate, the love of my life, was telling me that he


    had gotten a girl pregnant. A girl who was not me.


    It was like a kick to the gut. The mate bond made the weight of his words tortuous and my inner wolf


    howled out in pain. I had given everything to Aleric, suffered everything for him. And yet here he was,


    standing in front of me, telling me such excruciating news as if he were telling me the time of day.


    ¡°Why?¡± I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin myself to you,¡± Aleric said sharply. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even fulfil all your duties as my


    mate, as a Luna. Don¡¯t start acting as if this is a surprise. The pack needs an Alpha heir. Something


    you are incapable of, Ariadne.¡±


    His words stung, twisting deep into my flesh like a knife. We had been officially mated for six years now


    and it was true¡­ I had failed to bear him a child. It wasn¡¯t as though I hadn¡¯t wanted to though. For


    months after we had officially found out about the mate bond, I would try everything to be with him as


    much as possible. But he was never interested in me, I could see that clearly. I knew he was only with


    me because I was the rightful Luna.


    But there was something else I knew too. Something no mate should ever have to live with.


    And that was that I knew about his mistress; Thea.


    Aleric and Thea had known each other since before we were officially mated and I could inly see


    how he doted on her over me. Gave her the love that was rightfully mine, looking at her as if she were


    his sun. But every part of my being loved him even if he did not love me. And yet, by some futile dream,


    I remained hopeful that he would warm to me once I bore him a child. After all, I was the rightful Luna


    and his mate.


    I went to the pack doctor a year after failing to conceive and he confirmed my worst fears; I was unable


    to bear children. I didn¡¯t know what to do, how to keep going. This was the one thing that I had pinned


    all my hopes on for my fate to change, for Aleric to change. The news of my infertility was kept only


    within the high ranks of the pack thankfully, but I¡¯d never seen my father, the Beta, look so disappointed


    in me.


    I had tried everything to keep Aleric¡¯s attention despite the news. I lost weight, tried to make myself


    prettier, and dedicated myself to my Luna duties. We were the most sessful pack in the country and


    a part of that was due to me. I thought if I could make him sessful then he would pay me back in


    kind. However, the longer time went on, the colder and more aggressive he became.


    Whenever he hadid with me in the past, it had always been cold, clinical, as if he were performing a


    duty rather than enjoying himself. But then everything changed once he learned of my infertility, his


    visits soonpletely stopping. Those short moments he had once indulged me had been everything


    to me. They were the only times he had ever touched me with intimacy. My skin would send sparks


    wherever our bodies met, and his scent would intoxicate me.


    This was the curse of the mate bond.


    ¡°¡­But I love you, Aleric,¡± I said, my voice barely audible.


    I couldn¡¯t meet his cold green eyes as my legs began to shake. I could feel inside that my wolf was


    crushed, feeling her pain mixed in with mine.


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    It was suffocating.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be pathetic,¡± he scoffed. ¡°You should count yourself lucky I¡¯m not removing you of your Luna


    position for Thea. The Goddess still chose you to be Luna, even if she was wrong.¡±


    I flinched at his words.


    ¡°However,¡± he continued, ¡°I need to inform you that I will be making Thea¡¯s child my rightful heir. The


    elders have deemed this appropriate given the circumstances. They understand how important this


    baby is for the survival of the pack.¡±


    I bowed my head to him in submission, tears quietly streaming down my face. I needed to leave, to get


    away from him, but I was held in ce by his presence. Even after everything he had done to me, I still


    relished in him even talking to me. The bond between Luna and Alpha was strong, and it caused me to


    still love him even now. Even though every part of me wanted to scream at him, to hit him, to w his


    eyes out for hurting me.


    ¡°We have a pack meeting tomorrow morning at eight. Don¡¯t bete,¡± he said finally before walking out


    of the packhouse. He didn¡¯t even nce twice at me as he left.


    No apology, no sympathy. Aleric would rather see me suffer than give me even an ounce of love or


    affection. I was a Luna, his Luna, and a queen in the eyes of our pack, but he could not even spare me


    the decency of a nce. Hisck of respect for me was evident.


    Not being able to stand it any longer, I decided to do the only thing I could do in this situation; run from


    it all¡­ if only for a few hours.


    I ran outside into the forest as the cold fresh air hit my face immediately, something I breathed in


    greedily to help clear my head. It was nice, apart from the wind that bit at my cheeks where my tears


    had fallen, forcing a chill through my body. But it didn¡¯t end up stinging for long as I shifted into my wolf.


    Her pads hit the cold ground fast as she sprinted through the woods. I gave her full control as I knew


    she needed this. She needed to feel free and alive. We were both trapped by our position, our duty, our


    mate. We had sacrificed everything for our pack, everything for him, and it was all for nothing.


    Even if it were possible to bear him a child now, I knew they would be thrown aside ¨C just as how I had


    been discarded. I could see now that it had been for the best that I brought no children into this family.


    No child would make his feelings for me change; it was naive of me to think so before. This was the


    first time I¡¯d ever been thankful for my infertility.


    I was in an impossible situation. Every part of me wanted to run away, but I knew my pack needed me.


    In fact, I knew damn well that Thea would burn this pack to the ground if she became Luna. She hadn¡¯t


    had any training and I was yet to witness a single intelligent remark from the girl. Literally about


    anything.


    But what about my own mental health? Hadn¡¯t I suffered enough? Four years was way too long to wear


    my heart on my sleeve for Aleric. He had made a mockery of my love for him and couldn¡¯t even respect


    me out of duty anymore.


    My wolf continued to run as I mulled over my internal debate. She hunted rabbits and sniffed at the


    different scents, taking it all in so she could try and forget everything that had happened.


    Her white fur kept us warm against the wind, now bing colder as darkness crept up, and I knew


    we would need to head back soon. But I didn¡¯t want to subject her to that just yet. For just a little while


    longer, I wanted her to forget about everything waiting for us back at the house.


    Another hour passed and I epted it was finally time. I gently nudged her in my head to indicate we


    should head home but she let out a low growl to tell me she wasn¡¯t pleased with this idea. Not that I


    med her. Unfortunately, I had to remind her that we needed to get home for dinner or Sophie would


    begin to worry. With a final whimper of annoyance, she begrudgingly turned back towards the


    packhouse.


    However, as we went to leave, I noticed something in the trees. A woman with golden hair was


    standing there, wearing a white dress, watching me intently.


    My wolf instantly sent out a warning growl; neither of us recognising nor sensing her. Yet the most


    unnerving part was we couldn¡¯t smell her scent. We should have definitely been able to smell her from


    here.


    In response, the woman proceeded to neither reply nor even flinch, prompting us to do only one thing.


    The only thing we could do.


    ¡­We ran towards her.


    My wolf¡¯s paws sprinted faster and faster, our heartbeat racing in our chest, sensing something was off.


    How had she even managed to get past the border patrols? Something was wrong.


    We weren¡¯t very good fighters, but if it meant protecting the pack then, at the very lease, we would


    need to investigate.


    Or, at least, try to.


    ¡­Because, in the end, we were toote.


    Before we could evene close, the woman turned her back and hid behind the trees, leaving


    absolutely nothing behind. No woman, no lingering scent, nothing. It was as if no one had been there at


    all. Had we only imagined the whole thing?


    Admittedly, we had just gone through something extremely traumatic, making it entirely possible that


    we were just seeing things. Our mind had been pushed to the brink and I knew we were close to


    snapping.


    Quickly, I urged my wolf to return home, and was grateful when she didn¡¯t need to be told twice this


    time. Neither of us wanted another experience like what we had just seen.


    I did debate in my mind whether it was worth raising an rm with the border patrol to investigate, but


    ultimately, I decided against it. I knew the news of Thea¡¯s pregnancy would have spread by now,


    making people begin to look at me with pity. And whilst pity was one thing, I couldn¡¯t risk them looking


    at me like I was insane. I was a Luna, my position now hanging by a thread. I couldn¡¯t provide another


    reason for the pack to doubt me.


    But, after the already traumatic day I¡¯d had, I couldn¡¯t anticipate what was waiting for me at the


    packhouse.


    After I shifted back and dressed again, I headed into the house, seeing something that made me


    immediately stop dead in my tracks.


    Because it was as I walked inside that her scent immediately hit me, a sugary sweet smell that always


    made my nose wrinkle.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    She stood several inches taller than my five foot four, blonde hair and soft caramel brown eyes. Thea


    was stunning, anyone could tell. Her long slender legs were always visible, and her clothes always


    entuated her best features in whatever outfit she wore. It was easy to see why Aleric had fallen for


    her.


    ¡°Aria!¡± she yelled out to me.


    She was at the end of the hallway towards themunity living room, looking as if she were waiting


    for me. But I didn¡¯t stop to talk with her. No, instead I choose to pretend I didn¡¯t hear her at all, and left


    towards my room.


    ¡°Aria, wait!¡± she called out again. I could hear her begin to quickly chase after me.


    Thea was easily thest person I wanted to deal with right now. Why was she trying to pour salt into


    the wound before I¡¯d even had time to fully process what had happened?


    But before I could make it to the stairs, her hand grasped around my wrist, forcing me to spin around


    to face her. And instantly, I growled out sharply at her touch. How could she so carelessly touch me? I


    was still her Luna even if she was carrying the heir.


    Her brown eyes went wide in surprise over my reaction and immediately dropped my hand, now


    looking as if she was about to cry.


    ¡°Aria, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she whimpered. ¡°I didn¡¯t want it to be like this.¡±


    Thea was always the same. Acting as though we were sisters instead of a Luna and her mate¡¯s


    mistress.


    ¡°He¡¯s the Alpha, how could I deny him?¡± she said as tears began to fall from her eyes. ¡°You know I


    never wanted things to go this far, but I love him too. And I love this pack as much as you do. Please


    don¡¯t hate me or this child.¡± She rested a hand on her belly as if to emphasise her point.


    Suddenly, everything turned red. I could feel my pulse beating loudly, deafening my ears. Everything


    about her made me want to rip her to shreds. The audacity she had to say that to me as if she were the


    victim in this whole situation.


    Not I, who had suffered andboured for years, since even before we had been mated.


    Not I, who had sacrificed everything to stay with him, to be treated as coldly as he treated me.


    Somehow, she dared toe to me now with her tears for my sympathy.


    Being the Beta¡¯s daughter, naturally, everyone had assumed Aleric and I would be mated. I had trained


    for Luna duties long before we had even discovered we were mated officially. In fact, I had given up


    years of my life for him. Thea was nothing. She was a fling everyone said would end once I came of


    age to feel the mate bond¡­ Only it never ended.


    Ordinarily, I would have ignored her. I would have given her a faux smile and uttered a few small words


    before leaving to keep the peace. But not today. Not today when she had crawled her way in and


    diminished any hope I had left to stay with Aleric.


    ¡°Get a hold of yourself, you pathetic woman,¡± I snapped, my eyes narrowing. ¡°You are carrying the heir


    to this pack and yet you conduct yourself like a child? Did you honestly think I would have sympathy for


    you? That I would console you? What did you hope to achieve bying to me now? Did you want to


    rub in my face how you got pregnant by my mate?¡±


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    I could feel the stares of people around me as members of our pack gathered to watch the exchange.


    They all looked on with mixed expressions ranging from sadness, anger andpassion¡­ however, I


    couldn¡¯t tell if it was for me or for Thea.


    Thea broke down into heavy sobs before me, her legs giving out, but I simply looked down at her in


    disgust. She was mistaken if she thought I would console her. In fact, I was determined not to move


    even an inch to help her.


    ¡°Thea!¡± one of the onlookers shouted out, running to her aid.


    Brayden, the Gamma and third inmand of the pack, rushed to Thea¡¯s side tofort her. His


    eyes looked up at me with burning hatred to which I only responded back with uncaring eyes.


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, Luna! With the Alpha heir no less. How can you say such horrible things to her when


    she only wanted to make amends?¡± Brayden said angrily.


    I had a higher status than him and yet he still felt he could talk to me in that manner. To his Luna. I


    wanted tosh out at him as well, but it was enough. I had done enough already.


    ¡°I¡¯m retiring for this evening and don¡¯t want to be interrupted. See to it that my area of the packhouse is


    not disturbed,¡± I said, giving the order to Brayden. I decided to ignore his outburst given the


    circumstances and the eyes that were watching us.


    His jaw clenched in anger, but he bowed his head nheless.


    ¡®That¡¯s right,¡¯ I thought. ¡®At least someone is forced to show me the respect I deserve even when they


    do not want to.¡¯


    I normally conducted myself properly, as a Luna should, but this girl deserved no courtesies. She was


    just as vile as the treatment I received from my mate.


    I quickly left up the stairs to the top floor where my quarters were. I had my own private kitchen, dining


    area and bedroom all to myself where I would not be disturbed. The only people allowed ess to this


    area were Sophie, my attendant, and Aleric, if he so wished. Not that his presence was felt here


    anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± I called out, removing my shoes at the door.


    A sad-looking Sophie then appeared at the kitchen doorway, her eyes full of pity. She had obviously


    heard the news.


    I turned my face, not wanting to look at her expression, and my own tears welled to the surface.


    ¡°Oh, honey,¡± she soothed and rushed to me, embracing me in her warm arms. Instantly, I began to


    softly sob in her arms and grabbed onto her as if I was grabbing onto my own life.


    Sophie was an olderdy with greying dark hair who had acted as a mother to me ever since I¡¯d


    be Luna. My own mother had passed away not long after I had taken the rank and so I never had


    her presence to help me through all the heartaches I¡¯d endured. Over thest five years, Sophie had


    looked after me as if I were her own daughter and showed me so much love.


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay, my love,¡± Sophie whispered, stroking my silver hair. ¡°It¡¯s not the end of the world. You


    are still okay and healthy, and that¡¯s all that matters. You were chosen by the Goddess and they can¡¯t


    take that away from you.¡±


    She was right, of course. I felt like my world was ending but, in reality, it was just the pettiness I felt


    about dedicating my life to a man who did not love me.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about running away, Sophie,¡± I mumbled against her chest. ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore. I


    have nothing else to give.¡±


    My interaction with Thea just now had only solidified in my mind that running seemed like the best


    option.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± Sophie scolded. ¡°You feel terrible now, I know, but the pack still needs you. You are


    their Luna. They love you.¡±


    My mind wandered, remembering the faces that had surrounded me during my altercation with Thea. I


    was sure by now they were in sympathy towards Thea, not me; especially thinking back to Brayden


    and his look of hatred. They held no love for me anymore. I had helped raise this pack to the top but I


    knew their respect for me was dwindling. I was sure it would continue to diminish more as the days of


    Thea¡¯s pregnancy went by.


    I shook my head and pulled away from Sophie. ¡°Their love is for the one who can provide the most for


    this pack. I can see that clearly on their faces. They love Thea more than me because she has given


    them a gift that I can¡¯t give them.¡±


    Sophie looked at me with uncertainty. I knew it would be difficult for her to hear me say I wanted to


    leave, but I felt I needed to do this for me. I needed to do the one selfish thing I had ever done in my


    life. It was something I knew my father would be disappointed in me for doing, but I couldn¡¯t do this


    anymore.


    No, this was the final straw. I would finally run away for good.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind, Sophie, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I reached my hand out and gently sped hers in mine.


    ¡°This is for the best, I¡¯m sure you can see how miserable I am. I¡¯ve dedicated my life to the pack, to


    Aleric, I need to do this for me now. I¡¯m wasting away here, unwanted, discarded, humiliated in my own


    pack. Don¡¯t I deserve better? Don¡¯t I deserve a chance to be happy for once?¡±


    Sophie opened her mouth to reply but, before she could say anything, the door then suddenly burst


    open behind me.


    I gasped and turned my neck sharply towards the sudden intrusion but there wasn¡¯t any need to guess


    who it was.


    There was only one person I could think of who would dare to make such an entrance to my room¡­


    ¡­And their familiar cold green eyes met mine, filled with hatred.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    A shiver went down my spine. I knew this expression well.


    ¡­He was furious at me.


    I immediately tried to back away from him but I knew it was toote. He strode up and quickly grabbed


    my neck in his hand, pinning me against the wall behind me. And, instantly, the pain shot down from


    my shoulder where it hit the wall roughly.


    ¡°Aleric¡­ Please¡­,¡± I whimpered out against his choke, struggling to breathe.


    His hand loosened slightly but only to ensure I listened to him properly.


    It was crazy, but even in a moment like this, the mate bond was still making sparks erupt from where


    his hand touched my skin. It was sickening how a Goddess could do this to her child, make them feel


    these sensations even in a situation like this.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re so important that you can treat Thea that way?¡± he roared into my face.


    ¡°Aleric¡­ she came to me first and?.¡±


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    ¡°Enough!¡± he cut me off. ¡°I don¡¯t want your excuses. Thea isn¡¯t like you. She is a gentle, sweet girl!


    What if you had caused her enough stress to induce a miscarriage? Are you really so petty as to kill a


    child out of spite? A future Alpha no less?¡±


    Even in his distorted expression of rage, he still looked so handsome. A curl of his shaggy midnight


    hair had fallen out of ce and was framing his forehead, his green eyes gleaming. He stood a foot


    taller than me, broad shoulders, and built like a God. In times like this, I could feel the height difference


    so clearly when he stood close to me in this way. He was an imposing, scary man, but I had no choice


    but to find him irresistible.


    I cleared my thoughts, reminding myself it was only the mate bond making me feel these things for


    him. His touch and scent were intoxicating but it wasn¡¯t me who really felt this way about him anymore.


    It was just the curse.


    ¡°Aleric¡­ no, I would never. She came to me even though she knew?.¡±


    And suddenly, he pped me across the face. Hard.


    I blinked as my vision blurred and my cheek burned.


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing, Ariadne. You are only here because I let you be here, don¡¯t ever forget it. You may be


    chosen as Luna by the Goddess but I have the final say in this pack. If you dare to hurt Thea again, I


    will make sure you regret it.¡±


    And, with that, he let me go, my back sliding down the wall as my legs gave out.


    I was sure that he had contemted killing me in that moment. His anger wasn¡¯t anything new to me


    but this was the first time he had threatened to remove me from my positionpletely¡­ or worse.


    With one final look down at me in disgust, he then left just as abruptly as he¡¯d arrived. But as soon as


    the door closed behind him, I erupted in a fit of hystericalughter, tears flowing from my eyes once


    more.


    If he had just removed me from my position at the start then this would have never happened. If he


    had just rejected me immediately as his mate, instead of submitting me to this torture over thest six


    years, then maybe one day I could have learned to live a decent life without him.


    I was here only because of him. Because the pack and Aleric asked me to be their Luna. I could have


    tried to live a normal life and tried to forget about him if he¡¯d just freed me earlier.


    ¡­Maybe I could have even found someone to love me one day.


    ¡°Aria?¡± Sophie asked hesitantly, watching meugh with concern.


    She must have thought I had finally gone crazy, and she was probably right. Sophie watched what I


    had just suffered through, only to see meugh about it all.


    Perhaps I really had finally snapped. Who knew it would happen today?


    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, Sophie, don¡¯t you see?¡± I smiled widely, still giggling. ¡°It¡¯s all one big joke. My whole


    life! I bet the Goddess is looking down at me as a form of entertainment. Do you think Gods get bored?


    I wonder why else someone would make me Luna only to endure the things I have had to endure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Aria,¡± Sophie said, crouching down to engulf me in her arms once more. ¡°My poor baby. It¡¯s okay.


    You¡¯re going to be okay.¡±


    She stroked my hair as myughter then slowly turned into sobs against her chest.


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Sophie finally said once I had calmed down. ¡°We can leave together. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll


    have more sess at escaping if we work together.¡±


    Sophie¡­ woulde with me?


    I looked at the olderdy in shock. She would be risking a lot to be a rogue with me and escape.


    If we were ever caught, she would probably be executed.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll make you a cup of tea and we can talk about what we¡¯re going to do,¡± she said, pulling


    me to my feet.


    Hesitantly, I nodded my head and smiled at the olddy.


    Sophie cared for me. It would be okay. We would be okay.


    The next day I got ready for the meeting at eight o¡¯clock with the higher members of the pack council.


    My long silver hair was still messy but I had done my best to tame it as much as possible.


    Underneath my violet eyes, I could see the dark bags from the stress andck of sleep I had


    experienced the night before. Unfortunately, using makeup had shown little results at covering it up.


    My appearance was a clear representation of my family, Chrysalis. The silver hair and violet eyes were


    a dead giveaway to our ancient Beta lineage. It was an unusual sight for people who were not from our


    pack, but I was proud of my reflection. I was the first daughter born to our Beta family in over a century


    and the only child of my parents. I was also born two years after Aleric so it was almost guaranteed we


    would be mated, our families always having been so closely knit. The elders had even prophesied our


    union would bring great sess to the pack; they had been correct.


    Inside the meeting hall, I sat to Aleric¡¯s right. But unlike a normal day, today I could feel the gaze of the


    other ranked pack members and elders as they bore into me. There wasn¡¯t anything I could do about it


    though. No, all I could do in response was keep my eyes cast down. Always down.


    Everyone knew. They knew how humiliated I must feel, how scorned I am, and yet they looked at me


    as though I were a circus attraction. Like I wasn¡¯t just a girl tired of being used.


    The meeting was the usual items; border patrols, rogue sighting, territory alliances. But for once, no


    one dared to ask me any questions. They all acted as I wasn¡¯t even there. And to be honest, I wish I


    wasn¡¯t.


    I had told Sophie we would leave at the end of the week. There were still things I needed to organise,


    and I wanted to ensure the pack had enough prepared to keep it running for at least a little while in my


    absence. My hope was that no one would notice me missing for a few days and, with any luck, we


    could cover enough ground to stop them from finding us even if they tried; our tracks and scent


    hopefully disappearing by then.


    ¡° ¡ªWhat do you think, Luna?¡± Elder Luke suddenly asked me.


    I looked up sharply in surprise, breaking me from my deep thoughts. I hadn¡¯t expected anyone to


    address me during this meeting.


    I coughed, clearing my throat, and tried to think back on whatever they had just been discussing.


    Carelessly, I¡¯d let my mind wander too much.


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s umm¡­,¡± I started.


    But, thankfully, the door then burst open at that exact moment, sparing me from having to answer.


    However, what I didn¡¯t expect was for my father to be the one storming in. I hadn¡¯t even noticed he


    was absent in the meeting, having kept my eyes down the entire time.


    Well, he was here now, standing before us, and he looked¡­ furious. Something that caused me to


    internally whimper.


    Did he agree with Aleric? Was he angry at how I had treated Thea?


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± he demanded. And, instinctively, I flinched. Though it was a reaction


    that ended up being for nothing.


    Because, to my surprise, his eyes then turned not to me¡­ but to Aleric.


    I looked over sharply and saw Aleric staring back stoically, his facepletely unreadable. Or maybe


    he just genuinely didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°What seems to be the matter, Beta Jarred?¡± Aleric asked. ¡°You¡¯ve shown up not onlyte but now


    you¡¯ve also caused a huge disruption to our meeting.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me,¡± my father growled. ¡°You think you can humiliate my family like this and I¡¯d


    just continue to loyally serve you? She¡¯s my daughter! Our Luna, your mate! And yet you let some


    tramp bear your child and name them heir?¡±


    The breath instantly caught in my throat, almost making me choke. My father was¡­ defending me?


    Against Aleric, our Alpha? He had always been more loyal to the Alpha family than anything else.


    Though it was sad, we had never been particrly close because of that, his only show of emotion to


    me being disappointment over the years. Disappointment even though I continued to do my best


    despite this hellhole of a life I was given.


    Aleric¡¯s jaw quickly tightened at his words. ¡°I think you need to calm down,¡± he said slowly. Everyone


    could hear the warning in his words but my father seemed to either not notice or care.


    ¡°Calm down? Calm down?!¡± he roared. ¡°No, I have allowed you to disrespect her for too long, pup. She


    is a daughter of Chrysalis and deserves your respect, even if only purely for her Beta lineage. To think


    you would throw her aside as if she were trash and impregnate another woman. It¡¯s uneptable.¡±


    Aleric was clearly bing angrier by the second. Something the entire room could feel.


    ¡°Beta Jar?.¡± He attempted to speak but my father continued to rant, cutting him off.


    ¡°Your father would be disgusted if he were alive. If Aria cannot have a child then that is the Goddess


    cursing you, and your disdainful manner during this mate bond. Aria doesn¡¯t deserve this. You don¡¯t


    deserve her.¡±


    That was it. Aleric finally lost it.


    ¡°You dare to insinuate that I am the cause of your daughter¡¯s infertility as a message from the


    Goddess?! Do you realise you are saying treasonous things right now? The Goddess chose me above


    all else to be Alpha, and to continue this pack¡¯s leadership and lineage. If Aria cannot ept that, then


    that is on her. Thea will be having my child, and they will be named heir. That is final. Now I suggest


    you remove yourself from this meeting immediately and go calm down, Beta.¡±


    A murmur of agreement echoed in the room from everyone present. But despite Aleric having used his


    Alpha tone, it seemed to have little effect on my father.


    Instead, my father erupted in a cry of rage at thecent attitudes of everyone around him and,


    immediately, everyone became silent, bowing their heads. His eyes darkened to warn that his wolf was


    on the surface about to take control and the room became tense. He looked as if he was about to lose


    control at any second.


    Everyone could feel his power exuding off of him. He was the second strongest member in the whole


    pack, his authority and power enough to make anyone crumble; except, of course, Aleric and I.


    Moreover, given that we were the strongest pack in the country now, it could be argued that my father


    was stronger than even most pack Alphas.


    Yet somehow, even in the face of such anger, Aleric merely scoffed at his attitude¡­.


    ¡­And it was enough for all hell to break loose, almost as though you could see my father finally snap


    internally.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± he yelled, eyes manic as heunched himself across the table towards Aleric.


    ¡°Father! No!¡± I screamed, but it was toote.


    Because he shifted mid-air into his grey wolf and tackled Aleric to the ground.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    An all-out fight broke loose causing mass panic to ensue inside the meeting room.


    Everyone quickly jumped to their feet to make as much distance as possible between themselves and


    the fight, but there wasn¡¯t much space to work with. Before long, snarling and snapping were the only


    noises hearding from my father¡¯s wolf as Aleric fought him off in his human form.


    ¡°Brayden!¡± Aleric yelled finally, huffing from the exertion of the fight.


    My father was strong, almost as strong as Aleric. It was true that Aleric would win in the end during a


    one-on-one fight, but my father would give him severe wounds on the way out. He would not be taken


    down easily.


    Brayden didn¡¯t hesitate even for a second before he grabbed at my father from behind and pushed him


    to the ground. Together with Aleric, they used their weight to pin therge wolf down.


    ¡°Get me silver cuffs and have him taken down to the cells immediately!¡± Aleric ordered furiously to


    everyone in the room.


    They all scattered quickly to obey the Alpha, not wanting to upset him any further.


    ¡°And you,¡± he said, turning his cold eyes to me with disgust. ¡°Get the fuck out of my sight and stay in


    your room until I say you can leave. You will remain there and conduct all of your business from within


    those walls. Do I make myself clear, Ariadne?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t talk. Words wouldn¡¯te to me as I stared in fear at this man. I was sure he would send me


    down after my father or kill me if I misspoke at that moment. And so, I did the only thing I could do.


    I mutely nodded my head, hastily returning to my room in a daze.


    The days passed quickly after that as I organised the final touches of my escape. And soon,


    everything was ready. I had packed my bag, noted instructions for my Luna duties over the following


    few weeks, and had even left a letter for my father. I wasn¡¯t sure if he would receive it given his current


    incarceration, but I needed to tell him that I was thankful for what he had done for me. It was nice to


    know he had loved me after spending all these years believing otherwise.


    It pained me to even think of leaving him behind, but there was nothing I could do to save him now.


    The cells were the most heavily guarded ce in the whole territory. Even attempting to break him out


    would lead to me being instantly caught.


    The night of the escape I was having a final dinner with Sophie. We had decided to leave once dark so


    it would hopefully hide our presence better. Tonight, there would be arge celebration happening in


    the main square so the guard patrols would be at their lowest.


    So far, there hadn¡¯t been any issues or even any visitors since Aleric had banished me to my room. I


    was grateful for the peace and quiet, and happy I didn¡¯t have to see the stares of my pack members as


    I walked by. I was sure their opinions of me had only gotten worse now my father hadmitted one of


    the highest offences possible; attempted murder of the Alpha.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± I said nervously to Sophie.


    I was scared. I was scared that we would be caught, that I would be dragged back to this hell and


    possibly executed. But if we could pull this off, leave and finally be free, it would be worth everything.


    Sophie nodded her head as I grabbed my backpack, getting ready to leave.


    ¡°Where did you put your bag?¡± I asked, noticing she hadn¡¯t put anything by the front door yet.


    But before Sophie could answer, the door then suddenly crashed open and several pack warriors


    stormed in.


    They grabbed my arms and pushed me up against the wall, stripping me of my backpack before


    restraining me in silver handcuffs. Immediately, a few of them started searching the house and began


    sifting through all my belongings, as if looking for something in particr.


    I wanted to call out to Sophie to make sure she was okay, but then, out of the corner of my eyes, I was


    just able to witness as they forced Sophie outside. It happened so quickly there was nothing I could do.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± I screamed, my face still pressed against the wall. ¡°I am your Luna and


    I demand that you stand down and exin yourself.¡±


    I could tell the weight of my authority washed over them, making them hesitate¡­ but only for a


    moment. The one holding me loosened his grip slightly but they didn¡¯tpletely let go. This meant the


    order had to havee from Aleric himself. He was the only one who would have had enough


    authority to allow them to ignore me.


    Another minute passed before Brayden finally walked in the door, ncing only quickly towards me.


    ¡°You can ease your grip and turn her around,¡± he said to the one holding me.


    They spun me to face him but his face was unreadable. Were they doing all of this because they


    discovered my ns to escape? It seemed a little over the top for something like that. No, this felt like


    something bigger was happening.


    One of the warriors then suddenly walked up to Brayden, a few items in hand.


    ¡°We found these, Gamma,¡± he said, presenting them to Brayden. ¡°It also looks as though she was


    nning to run away before we caught her. She was wearing a backpack full of clothes and supplies


    when we arrived.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see what the second item was but the first one was the letter to my father I¡¯d left on the bed.


    And instantly, a sinking feeling hit my stomach. I knew that letter could be misconstrued as


    sympathising and thanking the man who had almost killed the Alpha. I had nned to leave before


    anyone read it.


    Brayden scanned the letter, his face stillpletely emotionless, before he sniffed at whatever else he


    had been given. His immediate reaction was to grimace and turn his face away.


    ¡°Is this yours?¡± he asked, showing me a small bunch of herbs. I didn¡¯t recognise them, but then again,


    I¡¯d never been great at herbalism.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that before in my life,¡± I replied, spitting the words back at him. ¡°I don¡¯t even know


    what it is.¡±


    ¡°They were found in her bedroom, Gamma. Hidden under the bed,¡± the warrior interjected.


    ¡°What?! You¡¯re insane! I don¡¯t keep herbs in here. I don¡¯t even know the first thing about identifying the


    different types!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mortwert,¡± Brayden answered calmly, his dark brown eyes piercing mine. ¡°It induces miscarriages


    during pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped.


    Why would something like that be in my room? Who could have even put it there?


    ¡°Ariadne Chrysalis, I hereby ce you under arrest for the murder of the unborn Alpha heir, and for the


    harm inflicted to another pack member, Thea Woods. You will be detained immediately pending trial in


    a week¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°What? Thea lost the baby?¡± I asked horrified, my body feeling paralysed.


    Of course, they would all think I had something to do with it. Why would anyone believe the Luna who


    had publicly made a scene about her pregnancy?


    ¡°Take her down to the cells,¡± Brayden said, his face finally showing the disgust I knew he had been


    trying to hide this whole time.


    They began to push me out of the door but I kicked and fought against them.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane! You¡¯re all insane!¡± I screamed. ¡°Where is Aleric?! Let me see Aleric and clear this


    whole thing up! I am your Luna! I demand you take me to the Alpha immediately!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± a deep, chilly voice then said behind me in the hall.


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    I craned my neck as much as possible to see the familiar eyes I dreaded so much. The hatred filled in


    them was more than I had ever seen before in another person.


    Fear quickly gripped me, my legs almost giving out from just the sight of him in such anger. Because


    whilst themon expression was ¡®if looks could kill¡¯, it wasn¡¯t remotely required here. He looked


    plenty ready to snap my neck with his bare hands himself.


    ¡°Aleric¡­,¡± I cried. ¡°I didn¡¯t do this, I swear. I didn¡¯t kill your baby. I didn¡¯t even want to be here anymore.


    I was giving up, letting you have Thea just like you always wanted.¡±


    ¡°So, you admit to trying to run away then,¡± he growled in a low voice. ¡°Your motive seems clear here.


    Don¡¯t worry though, you¡¯ll be getting your wish.¡±


    Several of the elders now made themselves present and a chill ran down my spine. I had a feeling I


    could guess what he was about to do. Even the admittance of wanting to escape was punishable,


    putting aside the false charges against me for Thea¡¯s miscarriage.


    ¡°I, Aleric Dumont, Alpha of the Winter Mist Pack, along with the majority agreement of the elders


    present, reject you, Ariadne Chrysalis, as my mate and Luna to this pack.¡±


    The bond snapped and the pain blinded me instantly, falling to my knees in the process. I had never


    experienced anything so excruciating before. I couldn¡¯t see, my vision was blurred, but I could faintly


    hear my own scream filling the air. Everything inside me burned as if it were purging something from


    deep inside my soul.


    Itsted for longer than I couldprehend, the seconds feeling like hours. Even once the burning


    faded and the worst of the pain was over, aplete hollow void was left pulsing inside my chest.


    There was nothing there anymore. No love, no desire, no lust. Arge part of my world had been Aleric.


    Without him and the influence of the mate bond, half of me now just felt¡­ empty.


    ¡­And the other half of me felt scared.


    My love for him had been the only thing blinding me to my true fear. Without it, his very presence felt


    like death itself was looming over me.


    The type of rejection he had done was rare; one where the majority vote of elders was required for


    completing the process. I¡¯d only read this happening in history a handful of times and it was virtually


    unheard of. It was only ever used for ranked members and was a rejection that needed no consent or


    agreement from the second party. The process was reserved for when crimes had beenmitted or


    for when there was a greater purpose as to why a forced bond-breaking must ur.


    When I finally regained some of my strength, I looked up to Aleric, expecting him to have felt what I


    had¡­ but he only stoodpletely emotionless as if nothing had happened.


    So, it was true then. He had never loved me. Not even a little bit. The rejection should have hurt him


    just as much, but instead he felt nothing. He just looked down at me with those icy cold eyes as if I¡¯d


    never been anyone remotely special to him.


    And so, without even so much as a flinch, I watched as Aleric then turned his back on me¡­ and


    walked away.


    ¡°Take her down to the cells,¡± he ordered over his shoulder, not even bothering to check hismand


    was carried out.


    Immediately, Brayden hauled me to my feet and began to drag me to the stairs. But I didn¡¯t fight back


    this time. There was no point anymore.


    I just let him move me towards the prison I would call home for the next seven days.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    The cells were cold, damp and dingy, with little amenities. Only a bed, toilet and basin were given to


    me, a single nket being the only thing to warm myself. There was minimal space, each cell having


    three stone walls and bars along the wall where the door was.


    Seven days had now passed and so today, finally, I was set to stand trial before the pack for my


    alleged murder. I knew the evidence was stacked against me. In fact, it would be almost impossible for


    me to win this. The only hope I had left was that Sophie was still alive. If she could testify saying she


    had witnessed firsthand how I¡¯d been inside my chambers all week, therefore making it impossible to


    have poisoned Thea, then they would be forced to open the floor to the possibility I was not the culprit.


    ¡°Get up,¡± a guard gruffly ordered from outside my cell.


    I recognised him. His name was James and I had visited his family on multiple asions on behalf of


    the ranked members over the years.


    Shakily, I stood up per his request, having not eaten properly the whole week from stress, and made


    my way to the side.


    James came in and pushed me up against the stone wall, forcing me to wince from the pain. But I


    knew the bruises would just blend in with the others I¡¯d received already. Due to anxiety andck of


    food, my injuries were not healing as quickly as a werewolf normally would.


    ¡°Will Sophie be at the trial?¡± I asked once he had shoved me out of the cell.


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    He didn¡¯t reply, instead choosing to remainpletely silent as he continued to push me towards the


    exit. I couldn¡¯t tell if he had been instructed not to talk to me, or if he just genuinely hated me now.


    We were walking past the other cells and, as we did so, my eyes checked each one through the bars,


    desperately searching for Sophie. I needed her to be there. I needed her to prove me innocent.


    However, once we passed the fifth cell, my eyes nced across a man with familiar silver hair.


    ¡°Father!¡± I cried out, struggling to move towards him against the strength of James.


    ¡°Aria?!¡± he gasped. ¡°What are you doing down here?¡±


    I struggled some more against James, but his grip was far stronger than mine. He kept trying to shove


    me towards the door and I realised that I was not going to be able to win this by strength alone.


    ¡°James! Please!¡± I begged, turning as best I could to face him. ¡°If I die today then please let me talk to


    my father onest time. I know you may not believe me but I truly didn¡¯t hurt anyone and I would


    especially never hurt a baby. If I am wrongly executed today then please don¡¯t deprive me of myst


    chance to say goodbye.¡±


    James¡¯ face was stern, trying to be unreadable, but I could see the uneasiness in his eyes. His jaw


    clenched as he stared down at me.


    ¡°Please¡­ James. I was there at your wedding¡­ I was with your mate when she gave birth to your


    child! Please just grant me five minutes to say goodbye. Please.¡± Tears began to well up in my eyes.


    ¡°Please¡­ Please¡­ Please just give me this one thing. I promise to cooperate fully on the way to the


    trial grounds after.¡±


    James still looked conflicted but he finally gave me a stiff nod in agreement. I sighed in relief, eternally


    grateful for hispassion. ¡°Thank you, James, thank you so much.¡±


    I rushed to my father¡¯s cell who was already waiting for me at the bars, his expression holding a


    mixture of horror and disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t get you out,¡± I cried to him. ¡°I wanted to, really I did, but I knew it would be


    impossible with the security measures in ce.¡±


    ¡°Shhh, don¡¯t be ridiculous. I knew that there wasn¡¯t anything you could do,¡± he soothed. ¡°I¡¯m grateful


    you didn¡¯t try to rescue me. I epted the consequences and knew what I was doing. But why are you


    down here anyway? Did you say that you¡¯re on the way to the trial grounds? What¡¯s happened?¡±


    I grimaced at the thought.


    ¡°It was Thea¡¯s baby,¡± I said. ¡°They all think I poisoned her with some sort of herb to induce a


    miscarriage.¡±


    ¡°What?! Thea lost the child? But that¡¯s insane! Why would they use you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± I smiled bitterly. ¡°Of course everyone is going to point fingers to the scorned mate of


    the Alpha. They searched my room too. They apparently found the herb in question under my bed,


    even though I¡¯d never seen it before in my life. I have no idea how it was nted there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Aria¡­ my baby girl¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡± His eyes were watering at the sight of my tears. I¡¯d never


    seen him show so much emotion before, so much sadness. Even when mother had died, he had


    confined himself away for a while to hide his emotion from others.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was such a disappointment to you, to our family,¡± I cried, looking up to the ceiling to try and


    stop my tears.


    I couldn¡¯t look at him. Everything I¡¯d done had brought shame to our family. I¡¯d seen it on his face all


    these years.


    ¡°Aria, no, never. You¡¯ve never disappointed me, nor could you ever.¡± His voice was so gentle, so quiet,


    yet filled with so much sorrow.


    I stared at him in shock. ¡°But you¡¯ve always looked at me as such. When my infertility was announced,


    I saw how you were. You looked as though I¡¯d brought shame to our house.¡±


    ¡°No! Of course not,¡± he said, almost offended. ¡°I was disappointed in how the Goddess had given you


    only more bad luck. I was disappointed in how a deity so great had chosen you for one of our highest


    ranks, only to let you suffer so much. I knew how Aleric treated you, and I didn¡¯t do anything. I should


    be the one apologising, not you. I should have taken you away sooner. I¡¯m so sorry, Aria.¡±


    My father cried, tears falling down his face heavily. My father, the Beta of the country¡¯srgest pack, so


    strong and powerful, was crying to me, apologising to me about how he didn¡¯tmit treason sooner


    by helping me escape. It was overwhelming to hear, causing my body to begin shaking.


    My arms were cuffed behind me but I pressed my forehead against the cold metal bars to be closer to


    him. As best as he could, though awkward given the bars between us, he then tried to wrap his arms


    around me and pressed his forehead against mine. It was a moment for us both to cry together.


    After another minute passed, James then cleared his throat behind us. ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± he said


    awkwardly.


    I knew this must have been a strange or maybe even difficult sight for him to watch. Not too long ago,


    he had served under both of us, looked up to us. Yet here we were, sobbing together between cell


    bars, saying our good-byes.


    I nodded my head and reluctantly moved away. This was one of the hardest things I¡¯d ever had to do


    in my life. Did I feel better knowing my father didn¡¯t hate me if I were to die today? Or would it have


    made it easier to leave this world knowing almost no one cared about me? It had been just Sophie but


    now there was my father. How could I ever let them go? They were almost definitely going to die


    because they had tried to help me. Loving me had brought them death.


    ¡°I love you, Aria,¡± my father said onest time before James grabbed me. ¡°I love you so much, I always


    have. Please don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, papa,¡± I cried.


    James moved me towards the door and I walked as best I could without him needing to push me this


    time. My eyes burned so much from the tears I had shed, my vision blurred, but I managed to walk


    somewhat steadily. I had agreed to not make it harder for James to take me to the trial grounds and I


    owed him as much for those short moments he had given me. I would walk the rest of the way in


    silence and without protest.


    Once outside, it took only a few minutes to walk through the forest to where the trial grounds were


    located. They were considered a sacred spot within a clearing of the woods, surrounded by a huge


    circle ofrge mossy stones that had been ced by our ancestors. The trials were always held at


    night when the moon was high in the sky; this being so the Goddess could witness the trial herself


    personally.


    When we arrived, it was immediately clear the entire pack was present. So many had attended that


    they had to crowd around even outside of the circle. Their eyes were all filled with malic as they parted


    to let us walk through the gathering, some spitting or cursing at me as we walked.


    When we entered the inner circle, we began to walk up to the centre. The clearing was on a slight


    mound so the closer to the middle we got, the higher up it became until the ground levelled out at the


    top. This was so everyone around could easily see.


    Inside, I could see a few key figures. Aleric stood behind a podium and was dressed smartly, exuding


    the presence you¡¯d expect from our fearless leader. But looking at him now felt weird. I remembered


    how not too long ago butterflies would have filled my tummy and my heart would have raced just over


    seeing him. But now there was nothing except fear; fear that he would end up executing me today.


    Fear he would hurt me one final time. Even with the bond broken, this man held my life in his hands to


    torment.


    Of course, Thea was present also, sitting in a chair to the right of Aleric; the ce typically reserved for


    the Luna. I wanted to feel angry about seeing her sit there¡­ but I couldn¡¯t. Truthfully, I couldn¡¯t care


    less about my former position anymore. I¡¯d never asked for it anyway. Clearly, it would take the pack


    descending in power to nothing before they realised their mistake. Thea was no Luna at heart.


    The Elders sat in a semi-circle around Aleric and Thea, and to their left I saw that Brayden and my


    cousin, Alexander, were also present. I wasn¡¯t surprised to see my cousin here since the pack required


    a Beta. With no direct children left to my father, they would have had to of turned to his younger


    brother¡¯s children.


    Alexander had been training to take the Beta position for a while now, so it was only fitting that he


    would finally take the position. He looked simr to me but his hair was more blonde than silver and he


    sported blue eyes, not violet. We had never really been close, but then again, I had never really had


    the opportunity to get close to anyone growing up. From the moment I was born, the pack had


    determined my destiny for me already.


    Arge oak stumpid before the podium. I knew what this was, of course, and my stomach felt


    queasy. I had seen it used only a handful of times but it was enough to still bring nightmares. This was


    where the guilty wouldy their heads to be executed, arge ceremonial broadsword doing the


    honours.


    I sat just in front of this stump on the cold ground, my body already shivering from the cold. I wore only


    a thin white dress, my previous clothes having been taken off me not long after I¡¯d been locked up.


    ¡°It looks like everyone is here now,¡± Aleric said, projecting into the crowd. His eyes scanned over the


    faces of everyone around before finallynding on me. ¡°We are gathered here today to bear witness to


    the trial of Ariadne Chrysalis, prior Luna to the Winter Mist pack.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    ¡°Ariadne stands used of murdering the named Alpha heir by use of poisonous herbs,¡± Aleric


    continued. ¡°In doing so, she also endangered the life of one of our fellow pack members, Thea Woods.


    The trial today will look at the evidence to determine whether she is guilty of these crimes.¡±


    A cold sweat formed at the back of my neck as I discreetly scanned my eyes around, trying to see if I


    could spot Sophie. But I couldn¡¯t find her familiar face anywhere. It made me more nervous as every


    second ticked by.


    ¡°Do you swear on the Goddess¡¯ name, Ariadne, that you will tell the whole truth during this trial?¡± Aleric


    asked, bringing my attention back to him.


    I met his piercing green eyes, a shiver going down my spine. How those eyes haunted me.


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied loudly and confidently.


    ¡°And how do you plead?¡±


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    I held my breath, my heart racing in my chest.


    ¡°Not guilty.¡±


    A murmur went through the pack in hushed voices but I ignored it. Surely, they hadn¡¯t actually


    expected me to admit guilt to such a heinous act?


    ¡°Very well,¡± Aleric replied. ¡°We¡¯ll start by hearing the witness testimonies of those involved and any


    other supporting evidence. Once done, the ranked members, elders, and I will then vote, and your


    sentence will be set.¡±


    I swallowed hard, my throat feeling so dry.


    ¡­And, with that, the trial began.


    The trial started with the pack doctor, being called forth first to give a medical opinion and overview of


    his involvement. I didn¡¯t know the doctor well, having only met him once the previous pack doctor


    passed away; my mother.


    ¡°The herb in question is Mortwert,¡± Doctor Andrews started. ¡°I believe Thea must have been giving this


    via means of ingestion. She lost the baby at three months but, given her bad fortitude, her health was


    also a concern. I did several tests and discovered she had ingested twice the required dosage amount


    needed to induce a miscarriage. Thea was presented to the pack hospital in critical condition. Her


    blood pressure had dropped to an rming rate and she was struggling to breathe. It took one day


    before she was stabilised, and several days after she remained bedridden before I allowed her to be


    discharged from the hospital. The evidence found inside Miss Chrysalis¡¯ room was brought to me in


    order to confirm its identity. I inspected the herbs and can confirm that it was, in fact, the same herb


    that Thea ingested.¡±


    Another murmur went through the crowd as they heard the Doctor¡¯s testimony. I gritted my teeth


    against their voices. How quickly they were ready to kill me from just one testimony.


    But, in the end, it wasn¡¯t just one testimony. Several came forward to discuss the evidence found.


    The warrior who had found the evidence was called upon next to recount his steps during the search


    of my quarters.


    ¡°I found the herbs the doctor mentioned under Miss Chrysalis¡¯ bed. They were well hidden and I


    believe had been ced in order to conceal their location. There was also a letter obtained from her


    bed. It was addressed to her father, former Beta Jarred Chrysalis. I believe this shows her true


    character, someone who would sympathise with a criminal that attempted to murder the Alpha.¡±


    But unfortunately, the testimony didn¡¯t stop there.


    To my dismay, he proceeded to read aloud the contents of the letter to the whole crowd, causing


    everyone present to begin chattering once more.


    ¡°Silence!¡± yelled Aleric to them all, instantly making them quieten down. He then turned to me. ¡°Is this


    your handwriting, Ariadne?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek. He would know if I was lying as he had seen my handwriting many times


    before.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I begrudgingly admitted.


    It was humiliating to have something so personal read out to the pack. A letter where I expressed my


    love and admiration for a man who I¡¯d believed to be disappointed by me my entire life.


    The warrior continued with his recount. ¡°In addition to the items recovered, we also found the former


    Luna by the door as we entered. She was in possession of a backpack with supplies and clothing. It is


    believed she had intended to run away that night. We also have several eyewitnesses who can attest


    to her admitting to trying to run when we took her into custody.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jonathan,¡± Aleric said, gesturing for him to step down. ¡°We¡¯ll hear from Brayden now, our


    Gamma.¡±


    Brayden took to the podium next, his face stern. I knew whatever he was going to say about me


    wouldn¡¯t be positive.


    ¡°The morning that Thea¡¯s pregnancy was announced, there was an incident inside the packhouse that


    several members witnessed. It was between Thea and the former Luna. I believe the conversation


    went that Thea was requesting forgiveness. However, the former Luna was unnecessarily cruel to her,


    saying horrible things. I witnessed Thea being so overwhelmed that her legs gave out. I believe this


    may have been a deliberate attempt to put stress on Thea and the baby, an act motivated by jealousy.¡±


    My mouth hung open. I couldn¡¯t believe they¡¯d actually brought that conversation into evidence. Did no


    one care to see things from perspective? I would like to see them act so calm when their mates


    impregnated other women. I was certain most of them would have ripped their throats out without


    hesitation, yet I was being chastised for only speaking to her harshly.


    It was true though, I couldn¡¯t deny what he was saying. I was angry and jealous of her. Who wouldn¡¯t


    be in my shoes? But to kill her child was unthinkable, an abomination. His testimony was painting me in


    a horrible light, fuelling the hostility in the air against me.


    ¡°Thank you, Gamma,¡± Aleric said. ¡°Now we have one final testimony for you all today, one I believe will


    determine the fate of this trial. Everyone, this is Sophie Forrester, Ariadne¡¯s main attendant.¡±


    I felt numb all over, my breath catching in my throat. They had Sophie. She was here and she would


    clear me. She knew me better than anyone else.


    Sophie walked up to the podium and looked physically fine, healthy even. I was d to see they had


    been keeping her safe during the time leading up to trial. I was worried they had roughed her up or


    treated her harshly for her part in helping me.


    However, whilst she did appear fine, I did notice how she looked nervous. Her hands were balled, her


    face showing a slight furrow. Something that made me wonder if they¡¯d been pressuring her to convict


    me during this witch hunt for my head.


    ¡°I am Sophie Forrester. I have been Ariadne¡¯s attendant for five years now,¡± she started, her voice


    shaking a little. ¡°Over these years, I believed Aria to be a sweet girl who had only been dealt misfortune


    in her life, making it easy for me to treat her as I would my own daughter. I was the one who personally


    cared for her and consoled her through the many difficult times she faced as our Luna. So, I can


    confirm that I know her better than anyone else.¡±


    I smiled at her, hoping to catch her eyes, but she wouldn¡¯t look at me.


    ¡°Therefore,¡± she continued, ¡°it is with a heavy heart that I stand before everyone today, bound by my


    oath to the Goddess, to inform you all of the atrocity she had me perform whilst under hermand.¡±


    My smile faltered and fell quickly. No, this wasn¡¯t right. Something was wrong. Atrocities? I¡¯d never


    committed anything of the sort. How could she say something like that? She knew I was with her all


    week, knew how upset I was.


    I felt sick watching Sophie stand at the podium, refusing to meet my eyes as a feeling of impending


    doom washed over me. It was clogging my thoughts, nothing was making sense. All I could hear was


    my short breaths of fear over the loud beating of my heart.


    ¡°An atrocity where Ariadne, the former Luna, ordered me to present Miss Thea Woods a herbal tea. A


    tea I believe caused her miscarriage.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Thest piece of hope I had inside me died at her words.


    Sophie had betrayed me, thrown me out and lied tantly to everyone. How could she do this to me


    after everything we¡¯d been through? I had loved her so much, trusted her implicitly, and yet she was


    now acting as if I meant nothing to her.


    Sophie¡¯s eyes began to fill with tears as her voice wavered into the crowd.


    ¡°Ariadne had been distraught by the news of Miss Woods¡¯ pregnancy and I saw how this began to


    erode at her sanity; something I¡¯d seen was already dwindling prior. Whilst in her employment, I saw


    her experience several fits of hysteria,ughing at the most horrible of things. And her mood swings


    were even worse. Sometimes she was so sweet, other times she would change like a light switch,


    be irritable and angry without warning.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. She was taking one small incident and magnifying it, warping it


    with more lies to suit the agenda. Had she really disliked me this much the whole time?


    ¡°She persuaded me to try and escape with her, but I know now she didn¡¯t tell me the whole story. I


    thought I was going to be helping a poor girl who needed someone to care for her. Instead, I ended up


    aiding a criminal with something so heinous.¡±


    She turned her teary eyes to Thea, crying during her words.


    ¡°Miss Woods¡­ I don¡¯t know how you could ever forgive me, but I truly did not mean you any harm. I


    believed that I was bringing you a peace offering from Ariadne that day, not dosing you with the death


    of your child. I thought she wanted to make amends one final time before we left. I was wrong¡­ so


    wrong¡­ I am so sorry¡­.¡±


    Her voice broke off into sobs as the crowd was whispering among themselves. They all believed her.


    They believed every lie she was telling.


    And there was nothing I could do.


    Thea suddenly stood up and everyone became silent to watch, anticipating a violent scene towards


    the woman who had poisoned her. Her walk was shaky and unsteady as she strode up to Sophie, as if


    to emphasise on her recent hospitalisation. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, when she finally reached


    Sophie, she engulfed her in a hug instead. They hugged as if they¡¯d known each other as good friends.


    When Thea eventually broke away, she smiled benevolently up at the older woman, grasping Sophie¡¯s


    hands in her own.


    ¡°¡­I forgive you, Sophie,¡± Thea said, making a show of her mercy. ¡°I can hear your words ring true


    under the light of the Goddess here tonight. I know you did not mean me or my baby any harm, and so


    I can¡¯t me you for the sins of your superior.¡±


    I looked out into the crowd to see they were enamoured by everything she was saying. They were


    hanging on her every word, their faces full of admiration for her.


    ¡°This may be too soon to announce, but¡­,¡± she looked towards Aleric who was just as enchanted at


    everything she was doing. He gave her a nod of approval for whatever she had been silently seeking


    permission for, and she smiled brilliantly back at him.


    ¡°¡­But Alec and I have been talking and he wishes for me to step up as Luna once all this


    unpleasantness is behind us. I see how pure and loyal your heart is, Sophie. I see how deeply you care


    for others. I know the Goddess must feel the same.¡±


    I could see what she was doing now. They had some sort of deal, I was sure of it. Sophie¡¯s co-


    operation and false testimony in exchange for her freedom post-trial. Calling her by Aleric¡¯s nickname


    ¡°Alec¡± was also another power move. It showed everyone how close they were. No one had called him


    by that name publicly since his father had died. This was all a charade to win the hearts of the pack, to


    make them look up to her as though she was a merciful saint.


    And I was the devil, a baby killer, a murderer.


    ¡°Sophie, I may not be this pack¡¯s Luna yet, but I would love it if you would attend to me, showing me


    the same loyalty and love you mistakenly entrusted to the wrong person.¡±


    Sophie bent her knee immediately and kissed her hand, bowing her head in respect.


    ¡°Miss Woods¡­ no, Luna¡­ it would be my greatest honour to serve you and spend the rest of my old


    life atoning for my mistakes.¡±


    Thea smiled and brought Sophie to her feet, hugging her once more. The crowd instantly erupted in


    apuse at the scene they had just witnessed. Their new soon-to-be Luna had shown great love and


    forgiveness to the person who admitted to poisoning her. She was beautiful, kind, and strong. I knew


    they had never felt those things about me. I had always held their respect, but never their adoration.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve seen enough,¡± Aleric said gently, standing back up.


    He walked up to Thea and wrapped an arm around her possessively. But it was then that I saw it.


    Something that made my blood boil.


    During their embrace, Thea flicked her hair back. It was strategic, I was sure. She wanted me to see.


    Wanted me to feel the pain it would cause onest time before my conviction.


    Because there, on her neck, was Aleric¡¯s mark. Something he had never given me. Something he had


    always refused me even after we¡¯d mated. He had marked Thea as his own, showing the world his


    favour for her. And it had only taken him a week, wasting no time to take her as a chosen mate.


    I was angry, furious. The mate bond was broken so I was no longer forced to love him, but to think I


    begged him to mark me for years without him wavering, only to see him mark her within a week.


    Disgusting.


    I hated him. I hated Thea. I hated this pack. I hated Sophie.


    Yes, Sophie, I hated her the most. I knew what wasing next, Aleric didn¡¯t even need to say it. It


    was all because of Sophie. Her false testimony was the final nail in my coffin.


    It was my mistake in loving them; her and Aleric both. I had given everything to them and it had turned


    to poison against me. Was this always my destiny? Was I fated to live and die as only a means to help


    the pack? They had their mighty leader now, their loving Luna, and a pack that became sessful off


    my own hard work and dedication. There was no room for me in the picture anymore. I wasn¡¯t needed.


    ¡°I think the evidence here has weighed in an obvious result. Do you have anything to say in your


    defence, Ariadne?¡± Aleric asked.


    I cleared my mind and took a deep breath to calm myself. There was no point in trying to dispute the


    allegations anymore. There was nothing I could do nor say that would change their minds.


    And so, I spoke the only words I could think of. The honest words I felt deep inside.


    ¡°¡­I sincerely hope the Goddess smites you all for the murder of an innocent you are about to carry


    out,¡± I said bitterly. ¡°There is nothing I can do anymore to prove myself not guilty against the stacks of


    false evidence you have brought forward, but deep down¡­ I hope you all suffer. When I am gone and


    you are alone, I hope I haunt you. I hope my face is what you see when you finally meet your demise.


    My only mistake was in loving someone.¡±


    There was only silence.


    No one spoke, no one moved. I don¡¯t think anyone had expected me to say something so intense.


    They had probably assumed I was going to cry and beg for forgiveness from Thea like Sophie had. But


    I refused to bow to that bitch. Take my head, but you¡¯d have to cut my legs off before I¡¯d ever be


    seen prostrated to her.


    I turned to look at her and, to my surprise, she looked straight back at me amused, a smirk on her


    face. She didn¡¯t look like the lost ditzy girl I¡¯d known over the years. No, there was a strange


    intelligence that showed through them now. She looked at me as if she knew all along this would be the


    oue.


    She looked at me as her true self for the first time.


    I realised then that she had nned all of this from the start. My istion, Aleric, Sophie¡­ who knew


    what else. She had pretended to be clueless so no one ever suspected her. And with a revolting


    realisation, I wondered if she¡¯d even killed her own unborn baby for the sake of my Luna position. Or


    was she never pregnant to start with? I prayed it was thetter.


    Aleric cleared his throat bringing everyone¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°Very well. In ordance with the


    correct procedure, the ranked members and elders will now vote.¡± He turned his attention to the


    members behind him. ¡°Will all who find Ariadne Chrysalis guilty of the murder of the alpha heir, and for


    the intended harm to Thea Woods, please stand up?¡±


    The result looked unanimous. I watched in horror as one after the other they all stood, their faces


    bearing down on me. I checked the rows of members and my eyes eventually caught one pair who


    were staring at me intently. Elder Luke. He was¡­ seated.


    ¡°Elder Luke?¡± Aleric asked, pointing out he was the only person not standing.


    He looked indifferent, uncaring as to whether he was singled out or not.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe she did it. It seems like a possible frame job to me and most of the evidence was


    circumstantial at best,¡± he said, his voice unwavering and confident. ¡°The former Luna is right. I don¡¯t


    wish to see her face haunt me by convicting her to this death. You might all becent but I will not


    sell my soul for the sake of poprity.¡±


    Whispers of shocked remarks scattered through the crowd as everyone couldn¡¯t believe someone


    didn¡¯t find me guilty. Aleric seemed angry that someone had voted against the majority, though he tried


    to hide it well.


    ¡°No matter,¡± Aleric said, his voice tight. ¡°We hold the majority vote here to proceed. Please bring me


    the broadsword.¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    He indicated towards a random attendant to the side and they quickly began to unbox the weapon.


    The sword was mostly ornate considering it wasn¡¯t used for properbat. The hiltprised of


    several blue and white jewels and carvings rted to the moon. I would have found it beautiful if it


    weren¡¯t for what it was about to do.


    Aleric grabbed the sword tightly and inspected it to ensure it was still sharp. The edge gleamed


    towards me as if begging toe closer, to greet it. And when he was satisfied with its condition he


    turned to me, his eyes as sharp as the sword.


    This was it. This was the end. Everything had been for nothing. What a bitter, sad life I had led. So


    empty¡­ so lonely.


    ¡°You have been found guilty of the charges against you. The murder of the Alpha heir and harm to


    another pack member carry the harshest sentence,¡± Aleric started. ¡°Therefore, with the power held


    within me, I, Aleric Dumont, Alpha of the Winter Mist Pack, sentence you, Ariadne Chrysalis, former


    Luna of the Winter Mist Pack, to death. Your sentence is to be carried out immediately.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to be scared but I was. As every step closer Aleric took towards me, the more I wanted to


    run. I wanted it more than anything.


    Why had I waited so long before trying to escape? This man had been my death sentence long before


    now but I had been too blind to see it.


    With shaky legs, I then knelt before the wooden stump. I didn¡¯t need to be pushed or shoved, instead I


    willingly ced my head on the block and closed my eyes, waiting.


    I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe, tears beginning to fall down my cheeks. How naive I¡¯d been. How stupid.


    I¡¯d built myself to be one of the smartest people in the country, but in the end, it seemed I was the


    densest.


    I felt the air then shift, the faintest sound of the sword swinging¡­


    ¡­And then there was darkness.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    It was cold. There was no light. Only darkness surrounded me.


    I wasn¡®t sure what I had expected for when I died, werewolves didn¡®t seem to have any real lore hypoth


    esising about what came after death. I¡®m sure humans would think we should be cast into hell, our entir


    e self being a creature opposed to the ways of their naturalws. But


    we didn¡®t have any thoughts or values on that.


    Did I expect the Goddess to embrace me and lead me into some pearly gates? She had


    abandoned me in life, I could only assume she would abandon me in death also.


    I stayed curled up in the darkness for longer than I could say. It felt like days, or even years, but time di


    dn¡®t seem to move the same way here. Hell, for all I knew, it could have been only seconds that had pa


    ssed in this eternal abyss.


    But suddenly, without warning, light surrounded me and I began to fall.


    Around me were images from my memories, floating past me as I dropped. I saw my childhood, my mo


    ther tenderly caring for me. My father with his always stoic attitude. I saw Aleric, how attractive


    he looked when I saw him for the very first time aftering of age. I saw Thea, her air¨C


    headed facade as she always smiled at me. I saw Sophie¡­ betraying me.


    And I saw my death. It was reyed over and over, and over again as if trying to make me go insane. I


    would see Aleric lift the de, the sound of the sharp edge eating into my flesh, and then the darkness


    ¡­ the silent cold darkness. It continued to repeat like a broken record.


    ¡°Please¡­ stop¡­,¡± I begged to the empty.


    I didn¡®t know if anyone could hear me but I couldn¡®t handle this anymore. If this wasn¡®t hell then it was d


    amn near close. I shut my eyes tightly, pressing my balled¨C


    up fists against my ears to block out the images and sounds, but they continued to drill themselves into


    my brain.


    Why¡­


    why was I being punished? I had never done anything wrong. I had done exactly what was asked of me


    the entire time. I had died for that very reason.


    ¡°My child,¡± a melodic voice then called out to me, bringing the peace and silence with it


    that I had craved.


    I quickly opened my eyes and saw a woman with brilliant gold hair and silver glowing


    eyes. I recognised her immediately. She was the woman I¡®d witnessed in the woods whilst I was shifted


    . But who was she?


    I asked the question in my mind but, deep down, I already knew the answer.


    She was the Moon Goddess, Selene.


    Her presence was overwhelming, making me feel so strange inside. I was warm but I was cold, I was e


    mpty but I was full. Just looking at her made me want to break down into tears before her but I held bac


    k.


    I couldn¡®t help but wonder


    though, why was she finally showing herself now? Where was she when I was alive?


    ¡°I can sense your turmoil inside, even your disdain for me,¡± she said. ¡°I know you have many questions


    but I also know some of these answers will not satisfy your anguish.¡±


    I felt instantly embarrassed. We were taught from birth to worship her loyally, yet I was conflicted inside


    . How could I worship someone who had allowed me to suffer for so long?


    ¡°Why¡­,¡± I said, my voice wavering and betraying my emotions. ¡°¡­


    Why did you do this to me? You made m


    e Aleric¡®s mate when he couldn¡®t love me. Didn¡®t that mean you wanted me to be Luna? If so, why


    would you abandon me to endure that horrific fate?¡±


    ¡°My child, I never left you,¡± she said gently. ¡°I have watched over you since


    the beginning but there are some things I cannot interfere with. I never wished for you to experience su


    ch hardships.¡± 1


    ¡°Then what¡®s the point in worshipping you?¡± I said a little too harshly. I


    was letting my anger get the better of me. ¡°I prayed every night to you for years untill eventually had co


    nvinced myself you either didn¡®t exist or didn¡®t care.¡±


    ¡°I do not ask my children to worship me. I am merely a mother to you all. I give you all the tools


    to bring you immense happiness in your lives, but if something interferes with that then I cannot interve


    ne.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that this all happened because something changed your divine n?¡±


    If that was the truth, then what had happened to change the course of destiny? I felt


    she wasn¡®t telling me everything.


    ¡°You look at things too simplistically, trying to apply your earthly knowledge and logic to something that


    cannot possibly be understood so easily. You are one of my favourite children, so intelligent and strong,


    but I cannot change the future in the ways you might think.¡±


    She gently grabbed my palm and, with her other hand, caressed my cheek. I wanted to flinch from her t


    ouch but her presence instinctively made me want to give myself to her entirely.


    ¡°If you care and nurture a child, give them the


    best education and family, only for them to grow up andmit grave crimes, would you me the mot


    her? I wished for you to have the best life, full of love and happiness. However, if things change from m


    y original n, then there is nothing I can do until it has run its course.¡±


    ¡®¡®Run its course? You mean until I die?¡±


    She nodded


    her head. ¡°I cannot change the future but I cannot deny that the interference that urred was not entir


    ely natural. Your death in this instance would have triggered something far bigger,


    something that cannot be allowed to ur. ...And so, I intend to send you back.¡±


    Her silver eyes were boring into mine, making it hard to disagree with anything she was saying.


    ¡°...And if I refuse?¡± | asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Then you will remain in the Abyss, forever reliving your earthly memories.¡±


    My mind recalled the images that had just tormented me, showing me my death over and over again. I


    knew now she must have shown me that strategically so I had a taste of what my refusal would look lik


    e.


    ¡°Then I don¡®t want to be Luna


    again¡­ and I don¡®t want to be Aleric¡®s mate,¡± I said, surprising even myself that I was bargaining


    with a Goddess. But I couldn¡®t shake the feeling something seemed off.


    ¡°That is the fate I have chosen for you.¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡®t ept,¡± I argued, removing my hand from hers. ¡°I think there is something you¡®re not tellin


    g me. A reason why you need me to go back so badly.¡±


    She was silent, her eyes regarding me wearily.


    ¡°¡­So, I am correct,¡± I said, taking her silence as confirmation.


    ¡°I cannot rewrite a fate that was established during your birth. The ramifications of such a thing could po


    and identity. Your mate will be Aleric, just as it always has been. But I will give you a gift. I will gift you th


    battles,¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Chapter Eight


    I watched as she then gently kissed my forehead, tingles erupting from where her lips met my skin. It wa


    Once she moved back, I needed to take a second to steady myself, trying hard to clear my mind to focu


    ¡°What battles? You haven¡®t even told me what I need to change yet.¡±


    All she¡®d told me was I needed to stop my death. But how could I possibly know exactly what I needed to


    in order to reach that goal?


    ¡°I have given you a part of myself,¡± she said, her voice sounding oddly strained now. ¡°With this, you can


    She was beginning to flicker, like a candle struggling to stay ame.


    ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡±


    I tried to grab her hand but it went straight through her.


    ¡°The piece I have gifted you has made me weak, I must rest. But I will be with you and I will be watching


    She vanished then, before my eyes. Gone into thin air


    And with that, I woke up in bed.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    There was an rm ringing in my head.


    It was so loud, aggressively thrashing against my already sore brain. However, it wasn¡®t until I turned


    towards the source and opened my eyes that I realised it was an rm clock. An rm clock


    I hadn¡®t seen in years.


    I instantly sat upright in bed and took in my surroundings. This was the bedroom of my family home, th


    e bedroom I had lived in up until mying of age. Everything looked exactly the same. Was it all a dr


    eam? Had I really died?


    I jumped out


    of bed, running towards my mirror, and instantly, I could feel the difference when I moved. I was shorter


    , lighter. My limbs didn¡®t feel as muscled.


    ...And I felt strange. Like something was missing.


    As I looked at my reflection, I quickly realised that I was young. Very much so. My cheeks were plumpe


    r and my eyes rounder. The stress lines I¡®d umted over my years of mistreatment werepletel


    y gone. I looked almost¡­ pretty. Had I ever thought that before? I¡®d been so focused on changing mys


    elf to suit Aleric that I¡®d never noticed.


    But that¡®s when I realised what was missing.


    My wolf.


    I remembered the feeling ofpanionship one felt


    after aing of age. The feeling of something else inside you with their own emotions and needs. Thi


    s body had never felt that before. In fact, it had never felt much of anything, not even heartache. She h


    adn¡®t yet fallen prey to the mate bond.


    But she was me now, and I was her. A twenty four year old trapped inside the body of a small girl.


    As I looked to the left, where I used to keep my daily calendar, I finally saw


    the date¡­ and my stomach instantly dropped.


    I was fourteen.


    The Goddess had sent me back ten years. What was so entwined with my future that sending me back


    this far in time was necessary?


    ¡°Aria!¡± a voice then suddenly called from downstairs.


    And memories of Sophie shed in my mind, making me shiver. How many times had she called for me


    like that? But, no, that was impossible. I hadn¡®t met Sophie yet.


    I frowned for another few moments, trying to ce the voice, but then it finally hit me. I realised who it


    was.


    How could I have been so stupid? I was fourteen. There was only one person that could be.


    I threw my door wide open and ran down the stairs as quickly as I could


    not caring if I tripped on the way. Because this was more important. I needed to see. I needed to make


    sure it was real.


    By


    the time I reached the kitchen, I was already a sobbing mess. It had been so long and yet I still felt their


    loss every day they had been gone.


    ¡°Aria?¡± they asked concerned, taking in my crying mess of a face.


    ¡°Mama!¡±


    And Iunched myself into her arms, crying into her chest.


    Chapter Nine


    She was actually here, this wasn¡®t a dream. I couldn¡®t believe it. This alone had made the whole ordeal


    with the Goddess worth it. If I¡®d known I was going to be able to see my mother again I would have agr


    eed sooner,


    ¡°Aria...? What¡®s wrong? Are you hurt?¡±


    I shook my head. No, I wasn¡®t hurt. I couldn¡®t be better.


    But I could tell she was confused and concerned. I¡®d just ran downstairs and had thrown myself at her.


    She turned her head towards one of the attendants, who I only just realised was in the room


    also, and they looked back at her just as confused. I¡®d forgotten we¡®d had attendants back then as well.


    We were, after all, a prestigious Beta household.


    ¡°This isn¡®t like you, something must be wrong,¡± she said gently and ran her fingers lovingly through my l


    ong hair. ¡°You¡®ve nevere crying to me like this before and you¡®re still in your pyjamas. Are you sick


    ?¡±


    I shook my head again. She was right though. I¡¯d always conducted myself in the ways of someone wh


    o would be Luna one day. Never expressing unpleasant emotions, always being organised and prepare


    d. Yet here I was, in my pink PJs, hair a tangled mess and a red snotty face.


    ¡°I¡®m not sick¡­ I just missed you,¡± I said sniffling.


    I was cautious about my choice of words since I wouldn¡®t be able to exin what had happened. At lea


    st, not without sounding insane. This way I wasn¡®t necessarily lying either.


    ¡°But you saw me yesterday¡­.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ but you¡®re just so busy with the umm¡­ hospital that I don¡®t get to see you often.¡±


    She pulled away from the hug just enough to be able to look down at my face properly. I could see her


    blue eyes clinically inspecting me as if she were examining one of her patients.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I think you should stay home from school today. I¡®ll have one of the nurses from work check in on you


    at midday to see how you are.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± 1 hastily said, though a little too loudly. I quickly cleared my throat and continued more calmly. ¡°N


    o, really, I¡®m fine. I¡®m sorry to worry you.¡±


    | stepped back and sped my hands together, smiling politely at her. This was the usual way I had act


    ed around her; respectful and polite.


    I couldn¡®t be stuck at home because I needed to start figuring out what I had to do to change


    the future. I didn¡®t remember much from my high school years but now I had to pay close attention. The


    re needed to b e a reason why I was sent back to this specific time.


    She sighed, thinking internally for a few seconds before reluctantly nodding her head.


    ¡°Well, you¡®re going to bete if you don¡®t get ready soon.¡± She then turned to the attendant again. ¡°Lucy


    , can you please help Aria get ready for school?¡±


    Lucy? That name sounded familiar.


    A young girl with a cute, short bob stepped forward and came to


    lead me upstairs. She couldn¡®t have been much older than I had been when I died.


    ¡°Come along, Miss,¡± she said, smiling warmly to me.


    It was her voice that made me suddenly remember.


    Lucy. She had been employed with us up until I was around eighteen, having worked for our family for s


    . Chapter Nine


    finding him during mying¨Cof¨Cage party.


    I followed behind her up the stairs and back to my room, watching quietly as she picked


    out some clothes for me andid them out neatly on the bed. This had always


    been the way back then. I¡®d never argued with anything that was chosen for me.


    I nkly stared at what she had picked out. It was


    a bright frilly dress, to which I cringed inside. Had I always worn such childish clothes at this age? Now,


    I walked straight past Lucy to the wardrobe behind her and began to sift through all


    my clothes. Much of i t was the same; cute girly clothes that would have looked more suited to a nine ye


    old. Everyone had always expected me


    to look cute and pretty as a child. I realised now that it was more like they were dressing a doll. 1


    I continued to look through the wardrobe until I finally came to my formal wear. Most of it would have bee


    out the simple ck re dress and began to get changed.


    ¡°Miss¡­?¡± Lucy asked, confused.


    I didn¡®t turn


    back to look at her though and instead continued getting changed. ¡°You can throw away most of this,¡± I r


    year old in can be donated, or thrown out if it¡®s too old.¡±


    Lucy looked startled but eventually nodded her head anyway.


    Once I was dressed and ready, I was greeted


    outside by the driver who would take me to school. All the ranked members were driven to school as


    a security measure. The rest of


    the pack children usually took the bus or walked. I got in the backseat quietly with my backpack and wat


    It was a short drive from home to school. Our house was located in a prime


    location so we were close to a lot of the important buildings in town. It was


    strange to see how different everything waspared to ten years from now. Not just some of the build


    I had felt in my previous life like everything had always been so serious, so life or death, and a struggle


    Deep inside, I had always felt guilty for my contribution to most of those


    battles; I¡®d personally strategised the


    victory for so many of them in an effort to earn Aleric¡®s attention. But here, in this time...? Everything see


    As we rounded the street corner, an old building came into view. Greying white stone walls covered in iv


    It had been seven years since I¡®dst been here


    and yet, today, my school¡®s gates were open to wee me back as if nothing had changed.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡®re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting!

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    It was exactly as I remembered it. But I suppose that was to be expected since, in my memories,


    Ist saw this ce only three years from now.


    The school


    consisted of only werewolves since our pack had that luxury. In fact, our whole territory was unknown t


    o the humans so we hadplete secrecy and safety.


    I walked past the crowds of kids


    who were all chatting away in their groups, ignoring that I was even there, but it didn¡®t bother me. That


    was how school had always been. Everyone either hated me or was too scared to talk to me because o


    f the assumption I would be the future Luna. This was fine though. I was always too busy with study to


    pay much attention to the whole social part.


    I¡®d walked straight into the


    main building, full of confidence, before I realised that I didn¡®t even know where I was going. I couldn¡®t e


    ven remember where my locker was, let alone what my sses were meant to be for the day. I don¡¯t thi


    nk it was feasible for anyone to remember that sort of thing from ten years ago.


    Awkwardly, I pulled out my school diary from my backpack and referred


    to my daily schedule, finding! had four subjects today, History, Math, Lore and English. Easy enough. K


    nowing my past self, I would have already handed in all


    my assignments and homework early so I didn¡®t need to worry about any


    surprises there.


    Suddenly, the first bell then rang out for


    ss, breaking me from my thoughts, and I headed off towards the room my first ss


    would take ce. Thankfully, I only got lost once along the way.


    However, it definitely felt as though I was getting more stares than I remembered. Not that I particrly


    cared about what they thought of me. I wasn¡®t able to


    forget the fact that they had all abandoned me so easily, even cheering on my death. So, it wasn¡®t like I


    was trying to impress them any time soon¡­ even if their stares were making me ufortable.


    T headed straight into the ss, walking past the rows of students until I reached an empty seat at the


    back by the window. There was nothing they could possibly teach me that I didn¡®t already


    know and I had too much on my mind to focus on the menial subject. However, this only seemed to war


    rant more nces from everyone.


    I guess it


    would be considered strange if the girl who always diligently sat at the front suddenly sat at the back wit


    h the kids who weren¡®t trying.


    But before I could consider it further, a voice then broke me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Who died?¡± someone asked, questioning the remark towards myself.


    My heart stopped as the question triggered a trauma inside


    me, and I looked up startled to see Brayden. Except I didn¡®t just see him.


    For just a moment, my vision flickered and I saw the trial grounds, the cold moonlit night. I saw Brayden


    standing at the podium, condemning me with his bullshit evidence about Thea. I saw my death.


    ¡®This isn¡®t real¡­this isn¡®t real¡­


    this isn¡¯t real¡®. My mind kept repeating it like a mantra to snap myself out of i


    But within a blink


    of my eye, instantly I was back in a ssroom seated before just a teenage boy. Just a stupid teenager,


    not a


    man who had testified in my murder trial, advocating for my death. And though only a second had pass


    ed, it somehow had felt like an eternity.


    I looked down towards what he was staring at


    and noticed he was gazing at my dress. Just my attire alone was enough to warrant this reaction?


    Chap?ci len


    I breathed out a sigh of relief, realising he was just being sarcastic about my choice in all ck clothing


    today. But it was an odd feeling to


    think he might have actually remembered my death for a second there.


    Truthfully, I¡®dpletely forgotten that Brayden and I were even in


    the same grade, but I especially didn¡®t remember him ever having spoken to me in the past outside of a


    professional setting. Was this an attempt at¡­ bullying me? Was a change in clothes all it took?


    He was known as the popr boy in school given his


    rank but it seemed like an odd choice for him to target me suddenly. My family


    ranked higher than his, not to mention I was basically considered mated to Aleric already at this age.


    Though despite his age, I couldn¡®t help but feel bitter at him. It was a wave of unspoken anger towards


    him for an act of injustice he hadn¡®t evenmitted yet, but I was angry nheless.


    And so, I took a deep breath to calm myself, turning to face Brayden head¨Con.


    ¡°Yes, Brayden, I was in


    mourning. But I now know there was no need,¡± I replied, staring at him dead in the eye. ¡°You see, I thou


    ght that unoriginal joke of yours had already died a while ago but, lo¡® and behold, here it is! Truly a mira


    cle from the Goddess.¡±


    There was silence from the entire ss as Brayden looked as if I¡®d just told him he had a third ear. Eno


    ugh for everyone to be too shocked to move, unsure of how to respond. However, it didn¡®t take lo


    ng before someone up the front burst intoughter, quickly prompting the whole ss to join in.


    The teacher came in after that and swiftly had everyone quietly working in no time. But I stared out the


    window for the lesson, barely paying attention as the ss went by in a blur.


    Once the bell for the end of the period had rung, I immediately stood up and grabbed


    my backpack, leaving quickly to avoid further conversation. Though, I couldn¡®t help but notice the weary


    look Brayden gave as I walked by his desk.


    I found out not long afterwards that I was suddenly the


    talk of the school, making this discovery as I was standing in the lunch line. Normally, there was no nee


    d to go to the cafeteria since I usually had a lunch bag prepared for me, but I realised toote that I¡®d le


    ft it at home today, forgetting we even needed that sort of thing. I was so used to doing business in my


    office with someone delivering me meals every day.


    I¡®d need to be more careful from now on. There was a lot of smaller details to remember.


    It was as I was almost at the front of the queue


    that I picked up a conversation several people back between two girls. My name was spoken, instantly


    drawing my attention.


    ¡°Did you see Ariadne today?¡± the first girl asked in a hushed voice.


    ¡°No, why?¡± the other replied.


    ¡°Shhh, she¡®s a few people ahead so be careful, don¡®t be so loud. She¡®s wearing all ck today. Doesn¡®t


    she normally wear those really girly dresses every day?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, you¡®re right. You know what¡®s crazy though? This isn¡®t even the first time I¡®ve heard people ta


    lking about her today,¡± the second girl added. ¡°Get this¡­my friend is in her History ss and


    they said she spoke today. It wasn¡®t even for like a


    question from the teacher. She was talking to Brayden before the ss had even started.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡®re kidding?¡±


    ¡°No! And get this¡­ she made a joke.¡±


    I didn¡®t want to hear anymore as I got to the front


    of the queue. Grateful for the excuse to leave, I quickly grabbed an apple and left directly to the library.


    Somehow, I didn¡®t feel so hungry anymore.


    I¡®d never realised that people paid so much attention to my behaviour. I knew I kept to myself but that


    Chapter Ten


    was mostly due to my studies, and it


    wasn¡®t like anyone had really made an effort to talk to me either. Today had definitely felt different thoug


    h. It felt like people were noticing me more all of a sudden when I was used to being ignored. Had I


    changed something in the past already by doing such simple things? A change of clothes


    and a sarcastic remark in ss?


    I remembered the library well. There was a desk in the back corner that was always free, that being be


    cause I always upied it every day.


    I walked directly to the seat and pulled out a notebook and pen, taking several bites of my apple on the


    way. I had a lot to go over and needed privacy in order to organise my thoughts.


    Okay¡­ What did I know?


    I knew that something terrible happens after I die but that there were no specific details


    of what that was. The Goddess did mention before she left that all werewolves would fall when I did. So


    , what was something strong enough to wipe out an entire species?


    I shook my head. No, I needed to focus on the things that I did know. Like what causes my death? Of wh


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The Goddess said that she couldn¡®t change my mate because it could have potentially rewritten my enti


    that rtionship or be Luna, just that it was the fate that she had chosen for me.


    ¡­But, she had also told me that I could choose my own destiny now. Did that mean I could just¡­


    reject Aleric and the Luna position? But how would I even begin to exin why I didn¡®t want to be Luna?


    Or why I didn¡®t want to be with my mate?


    I had four years until mying of age where it would be publicly revealed that Aleric is my mate, and th


    happened.


    The good news was that at the age of sixteen, Aleric would be currently on an exchange trip to an ally p


    ranked positions to spend a year or so learning from allies to be more independent. It was also use


    But it did mean that I only had one year or so before I would have toe face¨Cto¨C


    face with Aleric again. And to be honest, I didn¡®t think I was emotionally ready to face him any time soon


    echoing inside my brain, never leaving me alone.


    Right now, the biggest threat was Thea. She would be the hardest one to figure out


    because she managed to hide her true self from me the entire time I knew her. I also knew basically not


    I was pretty sure I met her for the first


    time when I was sixteen or seventeen, but given theplexities o f her schemes, I was pretty sure she


    So, what was my n to ultimately stop my death? Secretly kill Thea? Run away? Find another pack?


    All of these options seemed wrong or not possible yet. Killing Thea would be reckless


    and really risky, and finding another pack would be impossible since I was now a fourteen year old girl w


    the best option, but I would definitely not survive alone out there in the wild as a rogue. Not until my


    put my parents in a difficult position so I needed to be careful.


    The bell for ss then chimed and I realised I still needed more time to think about my ns. At least I


    knew I had two things to work


    on in the meantime though; sniff out anyone spying on me for Thea, and collect as much independent in


    Luckily for me, I literally knew the future. Saving up some funds wouldn¡®t be too difficult.


    Ah, but then again, the detail I keep forgetting¡­


    I was only fourteen. I would need an adult to conduct the business on my behalf until I was older, legally


    finances.


    My mind went to Lucy first but the thought of trusting another attendant made me feel


    sick. Thinking of Sophie still made my heart ache. However¡­ however, it may just be my only chance w


    I decided I would need to test her, making sure this time their loyalty could be relied upon. I refused to m


    the same mistake asst time.


    But all the while, as I was still thinking everything out in the library, I hadpletely forgotten that the be


    | quickly gathered up my bag and ran out.


    I ran out


    into the hallway¡­ and straight into the shoulder of someoneing from the opposite direction.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Chapter Eleven


    I fell to the ground, my backpack sliding across the polished hallway floor.


    I could feel a shooting wave of pain from my wrist, having roughly hit the ground, and I immediately cradl


    ed it to my chest. At least it wasn¡®t the worst pain I¡®d ever felt.


    ¡°Ah shoot, I¡®m so sorry,¡± a worried, husky voice said.


    I looked up and


    saw a boy, maybe sixteen, staring down at me with a hand outstretched. But it wasn¡®t the fall that now sh


    ocked me into silence, but rather his eyes. 1


    They were like molten golden orbs, catching me off


    guard. I¡®d never seen anything like it before. They stood out in contrast with his dark brown hair, making i


    t impossible to miss.


    I could tell that he was strong, his body being well¨C


    built to indicate he was a good fighter; a future warrior captain strength or higher, maybe even a ranked f


    amily member. But without my wolf and without him trying to throw authority at me, it would be impossibl


    e for me to tell for sure what exact status he held.


    He stared back at me just as quizzically and I instantly knew then that he wasn¡®t from around here. Anyo


    ne from the pack was used to my silver hair and violet eyes, but the foreign wolves were always shocked


    at first.


    For a few moments, both of us were just staring at each other, confused at the other¡®s appearance, until


    suddenly the second bell rang. A reminder that I had ces to be and an entire species to save.


    I was the one to break eye contact first and looked around, trying to find where my backpack had slid to.


    ¡°¡­Can I help you get up?¡± he asked, though a little awkwardly.


    It was then that I realised he was still holding his hand out to me, of which I had been rudely ignoring.


    Quickly, I sped my uninjured one with his, and allowed him to lift me to my feet.


    ¡°We should probably go to the school infirmary and get that looked at,¡± he said, nodding towards my wris


    t.


    I looked down and saw it was red, but it honestly didn¡®t feel that bad. It would probably heal in a day even


    without my full wolf abilities.


    ¡°I think it should be okay,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you anyway.¡±


    I was about to retrieve my backpack and leave, but he then spoke again, pausing me.


    ¡°Well, it¡®s that or you¡®re going to have to exin to the teacher why you¡®re sote for ss.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek.


    ¡°¡­I think we should go to the infirmary and get this looked at,¡± I agreed.


    He smiled and grabbed my backpack, doing so before I could take another step or protest. It was an attr


    active smile that reallyplimented his face. Somehow, it felt like his eyes burned more when he did it.


    ¡°It¡®s the least I can do,¡± he said, seeing my uneasy stare at him throwing my bag over his shoulder. ¡°The l


    ast thing I need is a rumour going around saying that I beat up twelve year olds.¡±


    I could feel my cheeks begin to heat up in embarrassment. ¡°I¡®m fourteen, actually.¡±


    But he simplyughed off my correction. ¡°Ah, sorry, sorry. That¡®s my bad.¡±


    There was something


    weirdly humiliating in how he called out our age difference. Internally, I was twenty four and much older t


    han him.


    Chapter Eleven


    I trailed


    behind after that, following him to the infirmary in silence. Luckily, we didn¡®t have very far to go and arrive


    d just as we rounded the corner. He politely knocked on


    the door before opening it wide for us t o both enter.


    ¡°Hello, sweet Amelia,¡± he said, shing a dazzling smile.


    The nurse, Miss


    Williams, looked up and smiled brightly at the boy. I couldn¡®t help but wonder if he was this


    friendly with all the staff.


    ¡°Oh! Cai! What are you doing here?¡± she asked.


    She seemed almost flustered by his presence as she fixed her hair and clothes.


    Miss Williams was on the younger side of staff working at school, probably since she was just a nurse. I


    would have guessed that she was no older than neen or twenty. However, over watching her


    obvious attempts at trying to look good for him, I couldn¡®t help but roll my eyes.


    She¡®d called him Cai, though I didn¡®t recognise the name. This told me he wasn¡®t from a pack


    I was overly familiar with.


    He gestured back towards the door where I was standing, waiting a little awkwardly.


    ¡°This little one bumped into me on the way to ss and fell pretty badly. She¡®s hurt her wrist.¡±


    Her face fell when she finally noticed I was there. I was not a little one¡® and I certainly was never referred


    t oso casually by anyone in this school.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, clearing


    her throat. ¡°Ok, sure, let¡®s take a look. Come on in and take a seat on the bench.¡±


    I walked over and sat down where she had instructed.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Well, I¡®ll leave you two lovelydies be,¡± Caithen said. ¡°I¡®m sure I¡®ll get my ass kicked by Mr Green if I¡®m


    anyter to ss.¡±


    He dropped my backpack by the bench and shed me another smile. It didn¡®t seem as impactful now ! k


    new he handed them out by the dozens. I was


    also still irritated at being referred to as ¡®little one¡¯ just moments before.


    ¡°Oh, don¡®t you worry about that grumpy old


    man,¡± Miss Williams said and handed him a note. ¡°Just give him this and exin. He


    can deal with me directly if he has any issues.¡±


    He put a hand over his heart as he


    walked backwards towards the door. ¡°You are too kind to me, Amelia.¡±


    And she giggled while she watched him leave.


    It was like an instant switch as soon as he left, her face no longer all smiley and happy. She


    inspected my wrist and wrapped it up without saying too much, sending me on my way to ss before to


    o long had passed.


    The rest of the school day from there went surprisingly quickly and, thankfully, without any further hup


    s. The teachers had definitely caught on


    to the fact I wasn¡®t paying as much attention as normal but they mercifully let me be. Instead, I used the c


    lass time to prepare a few things in my head so I could immediately implement my first steps.


    When I did finally arrive back home, I went straight upstairs to my


    room. But to my surprise, there were small boxes and bags everywhere.


    Lucy was stood at the wardrobe and sharply looked up as I walked in.


    ¡°Oh, Miss!¡± Lucy said, startled. ¡°I didn¡®t think you¡®d be home so quickly. I wanted to surprise


    you. Come and have a look.¡±


    I walked over to her and saw she had been hanging up new clothes,


    *I hope you like it!¡±


    All of them were far more mature and to my taste; all sensible colours and up with


    thetest trends. No longer was everything pink and covered in frills and bows.


    It made my chest swell to see how much effort she had put into it, far surpassing my initial request for her


    to just throw away my old clothes.


    *Lucy¡­,¡± I said, at a loss for words. ¡°Thank you for putting the time into doing this.¡±


    ¡°Well, I


    realised you weren¡®t going to have many clothes left after I went through and bagged up the old ones. I ag


    on you.¡± She smiled at me which I reciprocated.


    I bit my lip in thought. Would it be too soon to start my n? She looked like she really did want


    to help and was genuine about it.


    ¡°Lucy¡­can I trust you?¡±


    Her eyes rounded, surprised by the sudden question. ¡°Of course! The young Miss can tell me anything.¡±


    She smiled brightly again.


    I walked over to my desk and began to write a letter.


    ¡°What did you want to tell me? Is it a secret? ¡­


    Is it a boy?¡± She was yfully making guesses thinking! probably had something trivial to tell her. If only s


    I quickly sealed the envelope shut and handed it to her.


    ¡°I need you to deliver this. It¡®s really important that tomorrow


    morning this letter is brought to the abandoned lot on Main Street. There is arge boulder on the property


    Lucy was taken aback at the strange request. ¡°Uhh¡­,¡± she said, unsure how to reply.


    ¡°This is really important, Lucy. It¡®s life or death.¡±


    I looked at her dead in the eye so she knew I was serious. I needed her to take me seriously in order for m


    ¡°Of course, Miss,¡± Lucy finally said, tucking the letter away. ¡°I¡®d be happy to help you with that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lucy. I appreciate it.¡± I sighed, relieved she¡®d agreed. ¡°Well, I have some school work to do no


    ¡°Not a problem, Miss. I¡®ll leave you to it.¡±


    She then walked to the door and was about to leave, but not before I remembered something else. I¡®d alm


    instructions.


    ¡°Oh! And Lucy?¡± I called out, stopping her in her tracks.


    ¡°Yes, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you do¡­don¡®t open it.¡±


    And I simply smiled at her.


    A slightly worried frown knitted on her face, but she nodded nheless, closing the door behind her.


    I had gone over the different ns in my head during the day but all


    of them had led me back to this one. Unfortunately, there was no way around it. It needed to be done.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Chapter Twelve


    The next day started like normal. I had breakfast in the kitchen with my mother before Lucy helped me g


    et ready for school. Lucy didn¡®t mention the letter and acted as if everything was normal which I was grat


    eful for.


    My father was away on business but would be returning today and I was internally very excited to see


    him again. I didn¡®t want our rtionship to turn out like how it had in my previous life. I knew now that de


    ep down he loved me, even if he didn¡®t show it outwardly. It wouldn¡®t be like how it was before where I wo


    uld always try to avoid him out of fear of disappointing him.


    The school day seemed pretty average too. People were still staring but most had already forgotten abou


    t the day before. I was also thankful that there had been no strange encounters. 1


    However, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that, in my attempt to be more aware


    of the people around me, I¡®d caught sight of Cai kissing a random girl a grade or two above me. They we


    re giggling and sneaking off into an empty ssroom to do Goddess knew what.


    I sighed internally and rolled my eyes. He was one of those guys.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I headed to the library, ignoring the scene I¡®d witnessed, and walked directly to my spot in the back corne


    r. Immediately, I began making a list of things that would need to


    be set up. Things like new bank ounts, investments, etc.


    Though somehow, I became so invested in my work, that I didn¡®t even notice someone approach until a s


    mall timid voice piped up.


    ¡°Um, h¨Chi¡­ Ariadne,¡± the voice stuttered.


    I looked up and saw a girl about my age with mousey brown hair and blue eyes. She was small and held


    herself with an air of social awkwardness.


    ¡°¡­Hello,¡± I said cautiously, unsure as to what she wanted.


    I didn¡®t immediately recognise her but she did seem vaguely familiar. As if it were


    on the tip of my tongue and I should have known who she was.


    ¡°Um, I see you in the library every day. I usually sit just further down a bit. B¨C


    but it¡®s okay if you don¡®t know me!¡± I could tell she felt extremely nervous to be talking to me. ¡°¡­


    I just wanted to say I heard you stood u p to Brayden yesterday, and I wanted to say thank you.¡±


    She nervously tugged on the sleeves of her sweater.


    ¡°He¡®s never been very kind to me,¡± she continued, ¡°but no one in the school has the rank to be able to st


    and up to him. And I¨CI know you didn¡®t do it for me! But I just wanted to say thank you anyway.¡±


    I wasn¡®t surprised to hear Brayden was a bully to the weaker wolves. He always gave off that sort of air a


    bout him, but I had luckily never needed to worry about him in high school. I¡®d only gotten involved yester


    day because he had crossed that line first.


    ¡°Anyway! S¨Csorry for bothering you. I¡®ll leave you to your work,¡± she said and went to leave.


    She¡®d noticed how I hadn¡®t said anything and took my silence as a confirmation I wasn¡®t interested in talki


    ng to her. Truthfully though, I was silent in thought over how she reminded me a little of myself in the past


    . I could feel a simr loneliness inside her that I could rte to. In a way, we were also both victims


    o f Brayden, but that was something I wouldn¡®t be able to exin to her.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said to her, and pointed to the book in her hands. ¡°¡­ What are you reading?¡±


    Chapte! Twelve


    She looked down at her book and then smiled fondly, ¡°Oh, this? It¡®s


    my favourite. I¡®m rereading it for the fourth time. You¡®d probably think it¡®s just a dumb kids book though. It¡®


    s a fantasy novel.¡±


    I smiled gently at her. ¡°May I take a look?¡± I asked, and held out my hand.


    ¡°S¨Csure!¡±


    She handed me the book excitedly and I examined it. I¡®d never really read many fiction


    books in the past, choosing more for academic reads. The idea seemed interesting though.


    ¡°You can borrow it if you like!¡±


    I looked up at her, surprised. ¡°Didn¡®t you say you were reading it?¡±


    U we


    ¡°No, it¡®s fine! I have so many other books I can read.¡±


    I thought about it for a minute but felt bad if I turned her offer down. Especially after seeing how excited s


    he was at just the thought of me borrowing it.


    ¡°Ok, I will have a read. Thank you, ahh¡­,¡± I trailed off, realising I didn¡®t even know her name.


    ¡°Myra! I¡®m Myra,¡± she smiled brightly.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Myra. I¡®m Aria,¡± I said, returning her smile softly.


    Her name was bothering me now too. I still felt like I should have known who she was but couldn¡®t ce i


    The bell for ss then rang and I gently ced the novel inside my backpack along with my notebook.


    ¡°Well, I better get going, but I¡®ll return it when I can,¡± I said, standing up.


    ¡°Oh, no rush! I know you must be pretty busy.¡±


    It was a little sad but it was true. I was even busier now than I had been in the past and knew it would be


    hard for me to find the time to read for leisure. However, I felt like I had


    done something good regardless, particrly after seeing her be more confident from just a small c


    onversation.


    We said our goodbyes after that and left for our sses.


    When I got home that day from school, I was excited to see my father had returned just as my mother ha


    d said. Just as I had reacted with her, I ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. And whilst I did try my b


    est not to be a full crying mess this time, as I had done with my


    mother, I couldn¡®t stop the few tears that did escape me.


    Peeking up, I managed to catch a


    glimpse of him looking confused at my mother, who mimicked his reaction with a shrug. But nevertheless


    , it felt nice when he finally wrapped an arm around my shoulder to reciprocate the hug. It was a we


    e feeling being able to finally do it without cell bars between us.


    Not long afterwards, I was in the kitchen


    when Lucy walked in. Given it was just the two of us, I took the opportunity to talk to her privately.


    ¡°Did you deliver that letter this morning, Lucy?¡± I asked.


    She smiled at me, seeming as if nothing was off. ¡°Of course, Miss.¡±


    I appreciated how she didn¡®t ask


    any questions about it or wonder why I had sent her to an abandoned lot to deliver it.


    Slowly, I got out of my chair and began to make some tea, heating up the water to start the process.


    ¡°Oh, are you making some tea?¡± she asked.


    Chapter Twelve


    ¡°Yes, I thought it would be nice to surprise mother and father with it.¡±


    .


    I studied her features carefully to see if I could detect anything off about her, but she just smiled


    back at me.


    When the water was heated, I started to mix in some herbs and allowed them to settle into the water.


    ¡°Oh, is that a new tea? What herbs are those?¡± 1


    ¡°Just a special blend I picked up. It helps rx the body.¡±


    She watched as I then served it into two teacups.


    ¡°Can you please give these to my parents?¡± I asked.


    She looked down at them confused. ¡°Wouldn¡®t you prefer to surprise them with your own hard work?¡± I sh


    She smiled and agreed to help, leaving the room with the two teacups in hand.


    I could feel my hands shaking with nerves


    the entire time she was gone, anxiously waiting to see if my n would be carried out. Any second


    now Lucy was either going to return, or a warrior was going to burst in here arrest me for murder.


    I could feel every second passing slowly. Had I made a mistake? Should I have waited a bit longer before


    But my fear was alleviated slightly when I saw Lucy return to the kitchen, a smile on her face still.


    ¡°Did you give it to them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes! They enjoyed it very much.¡±


    | studied her every movement and facial expression, waiting for any sign that she


    was lying or was ufortable. But when I didn¡®t see anything out of the ordinary, I decided to push the p


    ¡°That¡®s wonderful! They should start to feel the herbal effects shortly,¡± I said enthusiastically. ¡°Here, I made


    think.¡±


    I gently pushed the teacup towards her and she looked at it.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.


    She wasn¡®t touching the drink and instead was staring at the teacup a little strangely.


    Immediately, my heart sank. Had she only been pretending to not know what I¡¯d just done?

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Chapter Thirteen


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.


    She wasn¡®t touching the


    drink and instead was staring at the teacup a little strangely. My heart sank. Had she only been pretendin


    g to not know what I¡®d just done?


    But her eyes then began to water, a timid smile twitching at her lips.


    ¡°No, it¡®s just¡­ this is really nice of you, Miss. Thank you for being so considerate,¡± she said, softly. ¡°I kno


    w I¡®m just an attendant, but you¡®ve really made me feel like a part of the family by doing this.¡±


    I watched as


    she took a sip and instantly my heart leapt. She¡®d drunk the tea and hadn¡®t hesitated when asked to serv


    e it to my parents.


    A bright smile instantly broke out on my face and I ran to her, grabbing her hands in mine excitedly.


    ¡°Thank you¡­,¡± I said sincerely.


    ¡°Miss?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°What¡®s wrong? Why are you thanking me?¡±


    ¡°Because the letter I gave you yesterday was to say that I would poison my parent¡®s tea tonight, and you


    happily served it to them and even willingly drank it too. This means you didn¡®t read the letter,¡± I said,


    calmly exining.


    She jolted away from me and frantically turned to the tea she had just drunk in disbelief.


    ¡°It¡®s okay! Rx! It was just some lemon and green tea leaves. I¡®m terrible at herbology anyway.¡±


    ¡°Miss, why would you y such a nasty prank on me like that?¡± she asked furiously, raising her voice.


    I hadn¡®t intended to make her angry, but I suppose I did just admit to trying to poison her.


    ¡°Please lower your voice. It wasn¡®t a prank. I did it to make sure I could trust you,¡± I exined. ¡°There is s


    omeone after me, Lucy. They¡®re going to kill me. I can¡®t give you


    all the details and you absolutely cannot tell my parents. If you do, then I won¡®t be able to protect myself.


    I can¡®t do this without your help.¡±


    She looked at me warily like I was insane, unable to find any words to respond.


    ¡°I¡®m not crazy, Lucy,¡± I said adamantly. ¡°If you help me, I¡®ll even pay you double your yearly sry for you


    r time and discretion. So please¡­ help me.¡±


    It took a few moments but, finally, her eyes softened and she nodded her head in agreement.


    I think she could feel now that this wasn¡®t a prank but actually a very real threat that I was begging her to


    help me with. Not just a child¡®s silly fear, but something far more substantial.


    I sighed heavily, a weight lifted off


    my shoulder as I was finally able to tell someone about my very real problems. Or, at least, some of them


    ¡­ in a vague way.


    I closed my eyes, feeling my body rx. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I whispered.


    She came over and engulfed me in a hug, something which quickly triggered old memories of myst att


    endant, Sophie. But I allowed her to embrace me nevertheless, despite that pain inside. I needed


    to push those thoughts out if I was going to survive. I needed to learn to trust and rely on others this time.


    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± she asked after pulling away.


    And I didn¡®t waste any time, jumping in immediately to exin the first steps.


    ¡°To begin with, I need a separate bank ount set up under an alias


    in order to amass some funds independently. I also require some investment ounts¡­ but that will co


    meter. Oh! And I need you to


    Chapter Thirteen


    find a private investigator for me. The best one you can get,¡± I said, listing everything off. ¡°I will have a fe


    w more instructions but if you can help me with these things to start off with, it would really help me so m


    uch. Being fourteen I, unfortunately, can¡®t do any of these things myself. You¡®ll be acting as my represent


    ative for all of my business matters going forward until I¡®m of age.¡±


    She seemed a little shocked at first, hearing all of my requests. I think these were probably the


    last words she ever expected a child to be asking for.


    ¡°I know I look like a kid, Lucy, but I really need you to trust me. Can you do that?¡±


    She looked hesitant but eventually nodded her head.


    ¡°Oh¡­


    and one more thing¡­,¡± I said, and looked her dead in the eye. ¡°If someone approaches you and offers s


    omething in exchange for betraying me¡­ I¡®ll double whatever they¡¯re proposing.¡±


    Her eyes widened a little. ¡°How do you n to make so much money?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry about that yet,¡± I said. ¡°I¡®ll being into some wealth within the next few weeks that I nt


    o invest.¡±


    She nodded her head again before, suddenly, my mother walked into the kitchen, oblivious to the serious


    conversation that had just been taking ce.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± she asked with yful curiosity, putting her teacup in the sink.


    I looked up towards her, breaking the tense air that had just been between Lucy and I only moments befo


    re.


    ¡°Oh, you know¡­ boys and stuff¡­,¡± I said slyly and turned to smile up at Lucy knowingly.


    She gave me a reluctant smile back.


    ¡°Oooooh! Having a girl talk about Aleric, are we?¡± my mother said with a wink.


    Thad to stifle the urge to cringe and, instead, forced my smile in ce to remainposed.


    ¡°¡­Something like that!¡±


    After the conversation had died down, I quickly excused myself by saying I needed to finish schoolwork,


    and left before any more awkward topics came up. By the time I was safely back in my room, I was imme


    nsely relieved to be alone with my thoughts again. Because whilst stage one of my n had gone se


    ssfully, there was still a lot more to organise.


    The next day I was extremely distracted in my thoughts. I was excited that things had


    gone so wellst night and was eager to move on to the next part, but unfortunately, I had to wait. There


    were things that needed to happen first before I could orchestrate stage two.


    On the way to school, I had the driver stop by Main Street where I collected the unopened letter from the


    abandoned lot. I


    was pleased to see that the seal still was intact and the driver didn¡®t question the odd detour; both of whi


    ch I was thankful for.


    At school, I found I was


    just as distracted but I did see Myra in passing who gave me a small smile and wave. I returned the senti


    ment which made her even more excited. 1


    She seemed like a very sweet girl. However, seeing her still nagged at me over where I could possibly kn


    ow


    her from. I felt like there was something important I really needed to remember. Like some sort of¡­ majo


    r event? I had to shake it off though. Whatever it was woulde back to


    me eventually and I had more important things to figure out.


    The day was going by painfully slow. So much so that I found myself looking out the window


    during Modern History, in my own world. I could hear the teacher in the background but nothing was reall


    y registering.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Chapter Thirteen


    ¡°Aria?¡± a voice then suddenly called from the front of the room.


    I looked up and saw Mrs Newman staring at me expectantly. Had she wanted something?


    When I only replied with silence, the ss quickly all turned their eyes towards me in surprise.


    ¡°Sorry, I missed thatst part. What was the question?¡± I asked politely.


    Immediately, the ss quietly snickered at my unpreparedness which I ignored.


    ¡°I said, ¡®what were the three main factors that contributed to the loss at Triad River?¡± she repeated. ¡°If you


    | stared at her, irritated. How naive she was to think I had time to waste on trivial history.


    ¡°Now,¡± she continued. ¡°If you¡®ll pay attention, I will exin¨C.¡±


    ¡°The three main factors that equated to the loss at Triad River,¡± I started, cutting her off,


    ¡°were thendscape, the resources and the warriors.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at me in response. ¡°That¡®s fairlymon knowledge, barely worth praising you fo


    I gritted my teeth. She obviously was trying to make me look like a fool. A game she probably didn¡®t want t


    And so, whilst I definitely should have just let it go, I couldn¡®t help but continue.


    ¡°The Ruby Night pack were surrounded by the rogues who were familiar with the territory far better, having


    means to cover themselves. The Ruby Night pack lost


    all morale and the soldiers surrendered not long after. The rogues became known as the Howling Wind pa


    The teacher¡®s face flushed, clearly annoyed that I was fighting back instead of just taking the humiliation s


    ¡°And their first Alpha¡®s name?¡± she asked smartly, thinking she was


    asking a question I wouldn¡®t be prepared for.


    ¡°Patrick Lux.¡±


    ¡°Incorrect!¡± she snapped triumphantly. ¡°It was Wilson James. Moving on¡­ ¨C.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± I said, cutting her off again, ¡°if you do your research, Wilson James was just


    the leader who helped manoeuvre the rogues during the battle. He died before the pack was officially esta


    legally recognised Alpha of the Howling Wind pack. I can understand the confusion though. It¡®s amon


    misconception.¡± I smiled calmly back at her.


    ¡°Get out!¡± she yelled, her face now fully red in colour.


    Her eyes were red in anger and I knew I¡®d taken it too far.


    Sighing, I collected my books and walked to the door, acknowledging that this was probably deserved.


    ¡°I¡®ll see you at detention, Miss Chrysalis,¡± she huffed out after me. ¡°Here. Four o¡®clock. Sharp.¡±


    Back in the day, I could have had her sent to the cells just for talking down to me like that. But I wasn¡®t


    a Luna anymore. No, instead, all I could do was just roll my eyes and leave, thankful that at that moment s


    Chapter Thirteen


    And so, that¡®s how I found myself in detention for the very first time in my two lives.


    Well, shit.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡®re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting!

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Chapter Fourteen


    Detention was just as boring as I had always imagined it would be. Mrs Newman kept a close


    eye on met o make sure I sat in silence doing nothing as she marked reports.


    ¡°I honestly don¡®t know what¡®s gotten into youtely, Aria,¡± she said. ¡°You¡®re my best student. Why have yo


    u been acting out so much?¡±


    I looked at her and shrugged my shoulder. I wouldn¡®t be able to exin that I¡®d literally learnt all of this alr


    eady and was busy trying to stop my death. But I sighed, knowing inside I really had gone too far.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry I was rude to you,¡± I said sincerely.


    It


    was true. I hadn¡¯t meant to embarrass her in front of the entire ss, but she had challenged me and trie


    d to make me look like an idiot. It had set off a wave of anger inside me, a strong new emotion I was still l


    earning to handle.


    Before the events leading to my death, I would get frustrated, but never this passionately angry. It was an


    incredibly selfish and negative emotion that I had been trained growing up to avoid. It wasn¡®t until Thea¡®s


    pregnancy announcement that I¡®d started giving in to it, realising there was no point holding


    back anymore. Now, along with the emotional body of a teenager, I was finding it harder


    than ever to stifle my emotions. 2


    The teacher took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes.


    ¡°You¡®re forgiven,¡± she said, sounding exhausted. ¡°Just try and pay a little more attention, please? You mi


    ght not have noticed but the kids in ss look up to you more than you realise. You¡®re a role model. If yo


    u start acting thoughtlessly, they will follow suit.¡±


    I¡®d never even considered that before. Was it even true? Why would they care what I did?


    ¡°You¡®ll most likely be our Luna one day,¡± she exined, seeing


    my confused face. ¡°You will be a mother to the entire pack and be responsible for them. It¡®s true some m


    ay be scared of you or even hate you right now, but they still respect and look up to you regardless.¡±


    When she put it into perspective like that, I could see how she could be right. If Aleric was here and start


    ed skipping sses, I was sure most of the school would start doing it too. I may not want to be a Luna a


    gain, but I couldn¡®t deny that as of right now I still held that uncertain influence over them.


    I nodded, agreeing with what she¡®d said. ¡°You¡®re right¡­ and I¡¯m sorry. I¡®ll do better.¡±


    She waved it off and went back to her papers. However, she only managed to make a few more notes be


    fore her pen gave out.


    ¡°Ah, shoot,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I¡®ll be right back. Stay here and don¡®t move.¡±


    Without waiting for a reply, I watched as she left, leaving the door open behind her.


    Since she would be gone for a little while to retrieve another pen from the stationery


    room, I took up the opportunity to work on my ns some more. I reached my hand down into my bag, s


    earching for my notebook, but the feeling of a thick hardcover book touched my fingers instead.


    It was Myra¡®s book that I¡¯d basically forgotten about. After thinking about it for a moment, I realised that it


    would be as good a time as any to read it. Even if I didn¡®t get very far, I was sure it would still make


    Myra happy to know I¡®d picked it up.


    I grabbed it from my bag to rest it on the desk, taking


    in the worn edges and faded colours; something indicative of the number of times Myra had reread it ove


    r many years. I traced my fingers along the outside and was about to open it when something then stopp


    ed me.


    Chapter Fourteen


    Before I could lift even a single page, my vision then blurred¡­ and suddenly I wasn¡®t in the ssroom an


    ymore.


    I was in a clearing to the north that I vaguely


    recognised. I¡®d gone running here a few times as my wolf and remembered the small dirt path and nearb


    yke. And


    though I looked around desperately, trying to make sense of my situation, I was still confused over how I¡®


    d gotten there.


    But as I was about to search the area further, a small figure then came into


    view, making me pause to observe. They were walking along the dirt trail into the clearing and started to


    pick at some of the flowers along the trees. I recognised her immediately, of course.


    It was Myra.


    ¡°Myra!¡± I called out to her.


    Only she didn¡®t hear me. She continued to collect the flowers,pletely oblivious to my presence.


    ¡°Myra?¡± I called again.


    I tried to walk to her but it felt like my legs were bound and stuck in one ce.


    She continued to walk towards theke¡­ and that¡®s when I saw it. Four wolves appeared from the bushe


    s and surrounded her, snarling. Their faces were full of malice with intent to attack.


    ¡°Myra!¡± I screamed. ¡°You need to leave! Now!¡±


    But it was no use, she couldn¡®t hear me. By the time she did finally look up¡­ it was toote.


    Therger brown wolf lunged at her and attacked so quickly that


    there was no chance of saving her. She bled out instantly


    I could hear myself screaming but none of the wolves paid attention to me. It


    was as if I wasn¡®t even there. I screamed at them to leave, to beg them to save her, but it wasn¡®t any use.


    I started to feel like I was drowning, my brain not focusing after witnessing the murder of the poor girl. I n


    eeded to leave, to get out¡­ anything. Anything to make this all stop.


    Before too long had passed, everything started to go ck. I scrunched my eyes up and


    willed my body to regain control¡­.


    ...And then my vision flickered¡­ and I was back in the ssroom, the book having fallen to the ground.


    | gasped at the air, frantically trying to consume as much oxygen as possible which my body had just bee


    n so deprived of. What was that? Had they really killed Myra?


    But then it all clicked. I knew why Myra looked so familiar now. She was the girl who had died in our grad


    e years ago. A neighbouring pack called Jade Moon had tried to dere war due to unfair taxes, breakin


    g the alliance previously held.


    The tax system was a constant thorn in the


    side of the neighbouring territories. Our pack was sorge that, as an incentive to not take over theirnd


    , the smaller packs would need to pay a fee in protection. The Jade Moon pack had


    recently had a new Alpha take over and they were young and ambitious. They carelessly tried to


    start something that they would never be able to finish.


    But Myra was the first victim, I remember now. They didn¡®t find her body until the next day and they held


    a memorial for her at the school. Her picture was stered everywhere in remembrance for months. Ho


    w could I have possibly forgotten that?


    Was this vision something that had already


    happened, or was it yet toe? I knew it wasn¡®t a memory because I hadn¡®t been present during the att


    ack in the past. This was something new, something I was being shown by a higher power for a reason.


    tirouricen


    Think, Aria¡­ what do I remember?


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    I cleared my mind and pushed aside the sickness I felt at seeing Myra¡®s death, trying to think it out logical


    ly. In the vision, the sky was darker¡­ perhaps just past sunset. That gave me only about an hour to get t


    here. One hour to try and save her. Even if she was already dead, I still had to try.


    Standing up quickly, I then ran out of the room. There


    was no time to wait for Mrs Newman toe back, I would need


    to start the journey and hope I passed by someone on the way there.


    | sprinted down the hallway going as fast as I could. This would have been so much easier had I been a


    shifted wolf, but I didn¡®t have time to feel frustrated. I just needed to move as swiftly as possible.


    Faster and faster, I ran through the school. Running until I turned the corner¡­ and instantly hit somethin


    g solid in my path.


    Instinctively, I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact against the hard


    polished floor, however, much to my relief, strong arms reached out and grabbed me


    before I hit the ground.


    ¡°Woah, kiddo,¡± said a familiar voice. ¡°Where are you running to in such a hurry?¡±


    I opened my eyes and saw Cai. He had an amused expression with a cocky smile to match, finding my fr


    azzled appearance hrious.


    He gently steadied me on my feet before letting go, but my legs were still shaky with adrenaline.


    ¡°I need to go,¡± I said frantically between my gasps for air. ¡°I need to leave right now. Someone is


    in danger.


    ¡°Woah, calm


    down and talk to me,¡± he said, now realising the situation was serious. His attitude changed immediately.


    ¡°Who¡®s in danger?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No time. Need to leave. Now.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡®ming with you,¡± he said. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°No, you should tell one of the teachers. Get them to alert the Alpha and send warriors to the north near th


    He scoffed. ¡°I doubt letting you go alone is a good idea, not to mention I¡®m stronger than your teachers he


    Thesitated, pausing to consider. He wasn¡®t wrong. I had felt his strength from the first time I¡®d met him. If h


    ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± a voice then abruptly called out behind us.


    | spun around startled and saw Mrs Newman returning from the stationery room.


    ¡°I thought I told you to stay in the room, Aria,¡± she said, irritated.


    ¡°Not now, Mrs Newman!¡± I yelled, increasingly getting angrier as every minute wasted went by. ¡°I need yo


    to tell the Alpha. I¡­ I saw something yesterday in the north near theke clearing. We¡®re under attack. I ju


    She looked at me as if I were making up a story just to get out of detention. Which was partially correct. S


    ¡°Nice try, Aria, but back to ss,¡± she snapped.


    I screamed out in frustration and Cai looked at me, startled by my outburst. Clearly, he hadn¡®t expected m


    Chapter Fourteen


    e to react so strongly.


    Sensing how urgent this really was, he quickly turned to Mrs Newman to diffuse the situation.


    ¡°Mrs Newman¡­ Lucinda, if I may?¡± Cai said charmingly, taking a step towards her. ¡°I just bumped into po


    The teacher hesitated, thinking.


    ¡°I¡®m sure you can give her detention for a month if she¡®s lying,¡± he bargained. ¡°I stake my rank and reputat


    She stared me up and down, examining my dishevelled appearance and wild eyes. Something that thankf


    After a few more seconds had passed, she finally nodded and conceded to going to get help whilst we ran


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Cai said to me once Mrs Newman had left.


    And I didn¡®t waste even a single second longer as I began sprinting towards the north clearing, praying tha


    until we arrived.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Chapter Fifteen


    We ran outside into the parking lot, knowing we had a lot of ground to cover, and I was pleased


    to see that Cai had no issue keeping up. If anything, it was me that was slowing us down.


    I turned to yell out


    some more directions of where we were headed next, but to my surprise, he was running in the opposite


    direction to where we were needing to go.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I yelled out after him. ¡°It¡®s this way!¡±


    He spun around to face me as he continued to move backwards.


    ¡°Were you actually nning to run the whole way?¡± he shouted back, amused.


    He was right. Even if I could run the whole way, I would be way too exhausted to fight by the time we got


    there.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, running to catch up with him. ¡°Hand me the car keys and let¡®s go.¡±


    ¡°Woah, I¡®m not giving you the keys.¡± He looked at me incredulously.


    ¡°Don¡®t be ridiculous, you don¡®t even know the way!¡±


    He stopped walking at that to look down at me seriously.


    ¡°One,¡± he said, holding up a finger, ¡°you are literally fourteen. I¡®m not giving the keys to a child.¡±


    I felt my cheeks burn, realising how stupid I must have sounded. I wasn¡®t supposed to know how to drive


    a car yet. It would be another few years before I¡®d get my license again.


    ¡°And two¡­,¡± he pointed to a motorcycle parked by the curb. ¡°It¡®s not a car.¡±


    | stared at the two¨Cwheeled death trap.


    ¡°You¡®ve got to be joking.¡±


    He gave me an entertained smirk. ¡°You were


    willing to run into dangerpletely unprepared and alone just five minutes ago, but now a motorcycle is


    too far?¡±


    I bit my lip. He had a point.


    I sighed. ¡°Fine. Let¡®s just go. It¡®s getting dark and we¡®re wasting time.¡±


    His


    smirk widened into a genuine smile and I looked away before I¡®d get caught up in those feelings he gives


    off when he does that. I remembered the first time he smiled like that, it had felt like my insides were mel


    ting in those molten gold orbs. He had this weird charismatic energy about him. It was no wonder the tea


    chers were so enchanted by him.


    He straddled the bike and handed me the helmet.


    ¡°Get on, little wolf,¡± he said. ¡°Make sure to hold on tight. You¡®re so tiny you¡¯ll fly off with the wind.¡±


    I pouted at his word choice which, once again, made fun of my external age. But nevertheless, I got on th


    e bike behind him.


    I¡®d never been on a bike before and found the movement clumsy, especially


    since I wasn¡®t sure where to ce my hands or legs.


    ¡°You¡®re going to fall off like that,¡± he said over his shoulder.


    He then reached his arms backward to grab behind my knees, and pulled me towards him


    so my body was up flush against his back. I was about to protest the proximity but he grabbed at my


    hands before !


    Chapter Fifteen


    could, promptly wrapping them tightly around his torso.


    It was an extremely embarrassing position to find myself in; so close to this stranger who was now seate


    d between my legs. I could feel the heat emanating from his body and found it


    difficult to distract myself from the fact I waspletely wrapped around him. At that moment, I was imm


    ensely d that Cai couldn¡®t see my face behind him because I was sure it had gonepletely bright r


    ed.


    ¡°Alright, here we go,¡± he said and quickly kicked the bike into ignition.


    Instantly, the


    rumble of the bike purred under me, growling out as he tested the gas a few times. When he was finally s


    atisfied, he kicked off and we began flying down the road towards the clearing.


    It was an awkward experience trying to direct him but I found that, between my yelling over the wind and


    some very shaky finger pointing, we did finally manage to figure out the way there. I had to admit though,


    the feeling of flying out in the open without car walls to protect me was exhrating. The freezing wind w


    as biting aggressively at my body, but it reminded me of when I used to run in the woods as my wolf,


    feeling so free in those moments.


    To my relief, we arrived fairly quickly,ing to a stop by the side of the road. In fact, thinking on it now, I


    realised there was no way I could have made it in time by running alone. If Cai hadn¡®t brought


    the bike, then it was very likely I would have been toote.


    We swiftly dismounted and I searched the tree line, looking for


    anything suspicious or out of ce. But when I couldn¡®t see anything, I rxed a little. I suspected they w


    ere going to approach from the North but beingcent was a quick death I wanted to avoid.


    I nodded at Cai and saw he had done the same thing. He would probably be able to sense more than me


    and would know


    better about what to look out for. I motioned quietly for him to follow me and we began our hike through t


    he forest.


    We travelled up the small dirt path into the trees, being sure to be as quiet as possible to listen out for da


    nger. Cai was far more prepared than I was as he made sure to cover our tracks as best as possible whil


    e we walked. A definite testament to his training.


    By the time I finally caught sight of the clearing, my heart began to race. It took all my self¨C


    control to not just immediately run to it, but I knew that it would be far too dangerous to go exposing mys


    elfpletely unprepared. We would be outnumbered four to two against fully shifted adult wolves, so s


    urprising them was definitely our best strategy.


    I pulled Cai down behind a bush just outside the edge of the clearing and sneaked a quick peek through t


    he brush. To


    my relief, I didn¡®t spot any sign that Myra or the wolves arrived yet. We needed to stay sharp though and


    keep a lookout for her. With any luck, we could pull her out of dangers way before any of the fighting took


    ce. We just had to distract them long enough for the warriors to show up.


    ¡°Okay, I¡®ve got it from here,¡± Cai said, still discreetly scoping the area. ¡°You should head back to safety.¡±


    I turned to look back at him, disagreeing with every part of that sentence.


    ¡°No way,¡± I argued. ¡°I¡®m not leaving you here to defend against a bunch of wolves alone.¡±


    He met my eyes as an air of annoyance sparked between us.


    ¡°You¡®re only going to get in my way,¡± he said, moving his face closer to speak in a low angry whisper.


    ¡°Stop treating me like a child!¡± I hissed. ¡°I know how to fight a little. I can cover your back at least.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said, adamant in his decision. ¡°I won¡®t allow it. You¡®re just going to get hurt. There¡®s plenty of time


    ¡°Won¡®t allow it? Won¡®t allow it?!¡± I repeated in disbelief. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡±


    Chapter Fifteen


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I¡®m an Alpha¡®s


    son. I get you¡®re from a different pack, but you need to respect me and my decisions here. Leave. Now. I w


    Anger swept through me, making my pulse run faster.


    He¡®d done it. He¡®d finally done it. He had tried to use an Alpha tone on me. I could feel his attempt at throw


    Even though I was just a Beta¡®s daughter, I could still


    feel the weight he had intended hismand to have, but he obviously didn¡®t realise that his foreign Alph


    I grabbed his shirt and pulled his face so close we were just inches apart.


    ¡°I don¡®t think you realise that I¡®m the future Luna of this fucking pack. You don¡®t get to give me orders.¡±


    His eyes widened as he jerked out of my grip backwards. I could see his face visibly be paler as it al


    ¡°Wait, what¡­? Don¡®t tell me you¡®re Ariadne Chr¨C¡±


    His voice was then abruptly cut off by the shrilling scream of a young girl, crying out only meters away.


    Oh, Goddess¡­.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Chapter Sixteen


    Panic swept through me.


    What had I just done? I¡®d been so caught up in a stupid argument that I hadn¡®t even noticed


    Myra arriving. My emotional reaction was possibly going to cause the death of an innocent girl.


    Cai and I both immediately jumped to our feet and scanned the area. Straight away, we saw


    the four wolves surrounding her, just like they had in my vision. And though I was relieved to see


    her alive, inside, I was tormented, reliving the horrific sight I¡®d seen in the ssroom all over again.


    I knew that at any minute now the brown wolf was going to jump and kill her within seconds; her blood be


    ing spilled for no good reason. Truthfully, I wanted to run, to break down, to give up¡­


    anything other than having to witness her die again.


    But I had to keep going.


    ¡°Take down the brown one first!¡® I yelled to Cai, snapping myself out of my fear.


    He didn¡®t even hesitate as he jumped from the bushes quickly, beelining towards thergest wolf.


    The four wolves looked up, surprised to see that someone was charging at them, but they were too slow


    t o react.


    Cai immediately tackled the brown wolf to the ground and they began a rolling dance for the upper hand.


    The other three immediately began to circle around the fight, waiting for an opportunity to take cai down.


    They snapped and growled at him as they paced, but he was too quick. He evaded them easily and was


    n¡®t giving them any openings.


    I took this opportunity to run to Myra whilst they were distracted. She was on the ground, clearly traumati


    sed by the situation. Her whole body was shaking, trembling to the point I


    was worried whether I¡®d be able to get her to walk. This was probably thest


    thing she had expected when she came into the woods today.


    ¡°Myra,¡± I whispered, gently shaking her shoulder.


    She looked up as if I¡®d just shocked her with electricity and immediately jolted back from my touch.


    ¡°Myra, shhh,¡± I said, putting a finger up to my lips.


    Recognition finally crossed over her face as she realised who I was. Immediately, tears started to stream


    down as she grabbed at my clothes, pulling me into a hug.


    ¡°No, not here,¡± I whispered, gently pulling away. ¡°We need to get to safety first.¡±


    Myra nodded her head shakily and I began to support her weight as she got to her feet. I could feel her b


    ody quivering against mine as a cold sweat formed on her skin. She was going into shock, her legs strug


    gling to walk with each step, but I needed to get her to safety as quickly as possible. I needed


    to get back to help Cai. He was stalling for time but I knew there was no way he would be able to handle


    all four by himself for long.


    We¡®d almost made it out of the clearing when suddenly her foot caught


    on a rock under her. It was such a surreal moment, something like out of a movie. One of those scenes


    where something awful is happening and you just see it all unfolding


    right in front of you in slow motion. I watched as Myra fell to the ground, crumbling in front of me¡­ and m


    y body froze in ce with the anticipation of what I knew would happen next.


    Because behind me, the wolves went silent.


    Legnili JIRILEN


    I quickly grabbed Myra¡®s arm and pulled her back onto her feet, holding her face in my hands so she¡®d fo


    cus only on me.


    ¡°Myra,¡± I whispered, trying to sound calm. ¡°¡­Run.¡±


    Whether it was a shot of adrenaline or that she¡®d finallye to her senses, Myra started sprinting throu


    gh the woods. I was relieved to see her go, knowing her chances of survival had just increased.


    But behind me, I could hear the paws of at least one of the wolvesing towards me. They were close.


    Too close.


    I knew it was toote to fight back in the current


    situation, and so I did the only thing I could. I dropped myself to the ground quickly, roughly falling t ag


    ainst the dirt.


    Barely even a second after my chest had hit the ground, the shadow of a sandy coloured wolf soared ov


    er my head as it missed hitting my body by inches.


    They


    spun around to face me, their snout curled into a snarl. Seeing them up close now, I realised how very un


    prepared I was for the situation, but it seemed a little toote by this point to admit that maybe Cai had b


    een right.


    However, there wasn¡®t much time to assess the situation further as they lunged for me again. Swiftly, I rol


    led away and managed to bring my leg up, side sweeping their face with a sickening crunch on impact.


    A loud, satisfying whimper escaped them and they limped off to the side to recover. I took the opportunity


    to get back onto my feet and ran further into the clearing to create some distance.


    To my right, Cai was


    still fighting thergest wolf, Neither looked to have gained any advantage over the other yet, but Cai¡®s m


    ovements did seem a little slower. He was fighting off the brown wolf, all the while evading the other two.


    I wasn¡®t sure how much longer he was going to be able to hold out.


    The sandy wolf then growled, bringing my attention back to him. He was angry and I could tell he wanted


    payback for the cheap kick I¡®dnded on him. Quickly, I braced my legs and prepared myself to move¡­


    only for him to do exactly as I thought he would. He attempted to lunge at me once more.


    I was ready this time and managed to dodge smoothly out the way. But, unfortunately for me, he didn¡®t gi


    ve any opening to attack, instantly flipping around to go on the defensive instead. He was now ready for


    any move I could try against him.


    This went on


    for a while, soon bing a repetitive battle of the sandy wolf lunging, and me dodging. The more I avoi


    ded every move with a surprising amount of agility, the more he would be increasingly more aggres


    sive.


    The issue was that neither of


    us were making any ground in terms of offensive attacks against the other. Before long, it was just a dan


    ce of lunging and spinning inside the clearing, simr to the situation Cai himself was in


    ¡°You need to run!¡± I heard Cai yell out after a few minutes had gone by.


    ¡°And leave you here to die?¡± I called back. ¡°Yeah sure, why not?¡±


    Sandy wolf¡®s jaw came awfully close, taking advantage of the fact I¡®d been distracted. I could feel his teet


    h sh through my clothes, almost grazing my skin.


    Luckily, I jumped back several feet just in time, and created a safe distance between us again.


    ¡°Do you even realise what will happen if you get killed here?!¡± he yelled again. ¡°And not just what will hap


    pen to me for letting the Beta¡®s daughter get killed, but you could literally start a war because of Aleric.


    I wanted to scream that Aleric wouldn¡®t give a crap if I got killed, but it really wasn¡®t the time.


    unapie Sixteen


    ¡°Stop worrying about me and just focus on yourself!¡± I shouted back irritated, the sandy wolf¡®s attack


    ing dangerously close once more.


    I could feel I was running out of stamina fast but I kept going nevertheless. At this point, I¡®d basically give


    n up on any hope of attacking and was just trying my best to not get killed. It felt like


    my lungs were burning inside as every muscle in my body ached. And whilst I could tell my opponent¡®s m


    ovements were getting slower too, I knew he could oust me twice over easily with his full wolf abilities.


    ¡°Don¡®t be stupid, Aria! You don¡®t want to be treated like a child and yet you¡®re acting incredibly selfish!¡±


    ¡°Selfish?! I¡®m trying to help save your life, you idiot! Do you want to make it all four wolves on you?! Beca


    use you¡®re not looking too good, budd¡ª,¡±


    But I couldn¡®t finish my sentence as I began screaming out from a sudden pain to my shoulder.


    Fangs were imbedded deep into my flesh, pulling me down to the ground. My natural reaction


    was to turn my head to see the new wolf that had grabbed me but I didn¡®t have time.


    Sandy wolf started to jump towards me again from the front and I instinctively did my best to calmly asses


    He lunged and went to strike at my neck but I intercepted him, lifting my lower body up to catch his head b


    But I still had the upper hand over him.


    Without hesitation, I took advantage of


    his position and wound my legs around him as much as possible t o pin him to the ground.


    It was then that sandy wolf looked up at me with wide eyes, realising the situation he was in. He started t o


    Behind me, I could feel as the second wolf realised what was going on and began to bite down harder, ev


    make me let go. I cried out at the pain, tears streaming down m y face, but I still held on. Though only just


    I knew I needed to end this. Now. Before it was toote.


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    With one swift movement, I mustered up all the remaining strength I had left and grabbed sandy


    wolf¡®s face tightly.


    I grabbed his face, looking him in the eye onest time¡­ and then snapped his neck, killing him instantly.


    The wolf behind me let my shoulder go immediately, howling out a piercing wail as he saw his pack memb


    | quickly rolled out of the wolf¡®s attack radius and tried to get up, but


    my legs weren¡®t responding. Every time I tried to get up, they would just shake before making me fall back


    I cursed internally. It seemed I really had used all my remaining strength to take out the


    sandy wolf, my body now feeling useless.


    Whilst the exhausted limbs were bad enough, the most concerning part was the blood. The bite into my sh


    stop it, I covered m y neck with my hands and applied as much pressure as possible to the wound.


    But this ended up being the


    least of my worries as something far more worrisome was then brought to my attention. Something that fil


    Chapter Sixteen


    Because I could hear footstepsing closer. Closer and closer the steps came until I was looking up


    into the eyes of a dark grey wolf, his murderous blue eyes boring into mine. There


    was no mercy in them, no chance ofpassion.


    This was it. There was no way for me to escape this time. 2


    I closed my eyes and awaited his fatal blow.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Chapter Seventeen


    The sound of flesh being torn apart filled my ears and I instinctively tried to curl away from the pain.


    ¡­Except it wasn¡®t contact with my skin that made the noise.


    | quickly opened my eyes and saw an exhausted Cai standing over me, the limp body of the dark grey w


    olf falling to the ground next to him. I could see the wolf¡®s throat had been ripped, which was further supp


    orted by the new red glove Cai was sporting.


    He looked like a war god standing in the darkening sky, covered in dust and blood all over his body. And


    yet his golden eyes shined out in contrast to the red


    that had marred his face. I realised then that he must have killed the two wolves that were on him in orde


    r to save me in time from the third. He truly was an unnatural force to be reckoned with. I just prayed that


    all the blood that was on him wasn¡®t his.


    He fell to his knees next to me, heaving for air, and tried to inspect my wound. I could tell he was at his li


    mit just as I was, and yet he was still dedicated to trying to ensure I was okay.


    ¡°¡­I¡®m sorry,¡± I whispered, my voice weak and croaky.


    He didn¡®t reply but I could see he was more focused on my injury than anything else.


    He tore at his shirt and started turning it into strips of bandage.


    ¡­ That¡®s when I noticed therge w marks that mangled his lower abdomen. They were ugly and blee


    ding.


    ¡°No¡­ bandage yourself first,¡± I croaked out.


    But he just shook his head and pushed my hands out of the way; the ones that had been holding pressur


    e t o my wound. The bandages were uneven and awkwardly sized in some areas, but all things consider


    ed, h e did manage to wrap it up tight enough that it would hold until we hopefully reached the hospital.


    Initially, I thought the n was for us to wait until the warriors arrived. They hadn¡®t shown up during the b


    attle but that surely then meant that they would be arriving


    soon, right? Had Mrs Newman managed to convince them I was telling the truth?


    A horrible sinking feeling hit my stomach as I realised that, if they didn¡¯t believe her, then we were likely s


    tuck out here until Myra managed to alert others for help. Would we both live that long without medical at


    tention? I was already feeling myself weakening, struggling to stay awake, but I fought against it.


    Then, to my utter horror, Cai scooped me up into his arms and stood up on his shaky legs.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± | asked rmed, as loudly as I could manage.


    ¡°I¡®m not¡­ Jetting you¡­ die here¡­,¡± he gasped out as he began to walk.


    Was this because of what he¡®d said during the battle? Because of Aleric? If so, he was risking his life for


    nothing. Aleric wouldn¡®t start a war over someone he hated.


    However, it did raise questions about the Goddess¡® words. She said I needed to stop my death. I had ima


    gined she was referring to when I became Luna, after going to trial for false usations. If I died again s


    o soon, would it be the same oue? Would I be putting the lives of all werewolves at risk just like she


    had said?


    Cai was walking down the


    dirt path as best he could but, every few steps or so, I could feel him almost fall. He


    was pushing himself further than I¡®d thought possible for any person. I wanted to stand


    up, to free him of my burden, but I was as limp as the dead grey wolf now. I waspletely at his mercy


    and I knew there was nothing I could do.


    ¡°Over there!¡± suddenly a voice shouted ahead of us.


    I turned my head and, through blurry eyes, I could just make out a few figures running towards us.


    ...Warriors,¡± Cai affirmed, and relief overcame me.


    We were safe. We were going to be okay.


    As I started to rx, my vision was bing foggier and foggier. I just needed to sleep for a bit and then


    I¡®d be okay.


    ¡°Aria¡­ stay awake,¡± Cai managed to huff out.


    His legs then gave out and the two of us fell to the ground. Somehow, he had managed to keep me secu


    rely in his arms during the fall so I wouldn¡®t hit the ground.


    It was okay though, he didn¡®t need to worry. I was just going to take a quick nap.


    ¡­Just a few minutes tops.


    ¡°Aria¡­¡±


    And then the world went ck


    Everything was cold and dark around me¡­ and weirdly familiar,


    Had I been here before?


    And with a startling realisation, I realised I was in the Abyss.


    I was¡­ dead?


    Four days was all it had taken to get myself killed again. Would I be made to go back again likest time


    ?


    I had so many questions going through my mind. I knew from previous experience that there was no esc


    aping the Abyss, not until it was ready to release me. I would need to wait in the empty, the darkness, the


    nothing¡­ alone.


    Suddenly, a light suddenly then me, and I somehow found myself at the trial grounds, staring up at the co


    uncil who would decide my fate.


    It was just like before but there were small changes. Aleric was facing the elders, his back to me as he a


    ddressed them, and Thea had


    wrapped herself around him like the snake she was, smiling at me with her true face. The face of a derno


    n.


    The sky was dark


    and contained two full moons; one red, one bright silver. It offset the scene before me a Sthe light had ca


    st itself down, creating a double shadow to everyone present. I stared down at my own shadows before


    me and found they were irregr and oddly different. The smaller one was lighter in silver tones and rou


    nder, however, therger one was red and much taller,


    Suddenly Aleric spoke, bringing my attention back to him.


    ¡°You have been found guilty of the charges against you. The murder of the Alpha heir, in addition to the ha


    He turned around and Thea finally stepped back, her smile never faltering as she fed on the anticipation o


    ¡°Therefore, with the power held within me, I, Aleric Dumont, Alpha of the Winter Mist Pack, sentence you,


    Winter Mist Pack, to death.¡±


    Chapter Seventeen


    I looked up to meet his eyes and, to my surprise, it wasn¡¯t Aleric I was looking at. It was Cai. He carried


    the broadsword in his hand as if


    it was entirely natural for him, as if he¡®d held it many times before. I looked into


    his golden eyes and saw the same cold look I was so familiar with from Aleric. A look of ¨C hatred.


    ¡°Cai¡­ what are you doing?¡± I managed to say, finally finding my voice.


    He ignored mepletely as the scene continued like a script of the original memory. It was like I was un


    ¡°Your sentence is to be carried out immediately.¡±


    ¡°Cai¡­ please stop. This isn¡®t you. You¡®re not Aleric.¡±


    He continued to walk towards me


    with the sword in hand, unstopping and uncaring about anything I had t o say. I wanted to cream at him th


    I was being suffocated, and every time I tried to get up to run my body would refuse to listen.


    There was no waiting for me to ce my head on the block. No, he immediately stepped forward and swu


    I looked behind him for one final moment and saw Thea to his left staring at me with such greed, almost s


    at the final blow about to be struck. But she wasn¡®t the only one there.


    To my utter shock and horror, to his right, I also saw the Goddess herself watching on. She was a silent by


    me I wouldn¡®t be alone this time, and yet she showed no regret at seeing me killed.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I met Cai¡®s eyes as he brought the sword down. I wanted to watch this time, not die


    in the darkness as I had thest time.


    The impact was quick, finishing the job swiftly in one movement.


    And finally, I felt at peace.


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 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Chapter Eighteen


    I woke up to the feeling of someone lightly shaking my shoulder.


    I wanted to protest against the touch, refuse to open my eyes, but the shaking was insistent.


    ¡°Aria?¡± a voice called to me.


    It was familiar and warm. It sounded like home.


    I managed to open my eyes a bit, fighting against the bright artificial light that assaulted me as I did so. B


    ut after several seconds of adjusting, I managed to make out the face of my mother.


    ¡°Aria?¡± she called again.


    ¡°I¡®m alive¡­?¡± I said, my throat dry and sore.


    She quickly brought some water to my lips and I began to sip on it, enjoying the refreshing feeling


    that came with it.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked


    as she began to look over my body, making several notes in a chart by the bed.


    How was I feeling? I was sure I had died again. I was in the Abyss, I saw the memory. It was just like how


    i t had feltst time.


    ¡­So, how was I feeling?


    I felt confused by the entire situation right now.


    ¡°I should be dead,¡± I replied.


    She instantly turned to look at me, a little shocked by my blunt response.


    ¡°Don¡®t say such an awful thing,¡± my mother said, her eyes full of concern. ¡°You¡®ve fully recovered, there¡®s


    n o need to say something like that.¡±


    Did this mean I was never in the Abyss? Had it just been a nightmare the entire time?


    My mother looked like she wanted to say something else, but she was debating internally.


    ¡°You know¡­as a doctor, I¡®m happy to see that you¡®ve healed so well, but¡­


    as a mother, I want to scold you for stupidly running into danger like you did. What were you thinking, Ari


    a?¡±


    | already realised it was dumb the second I came face¨Cto¨C


    face with the sandy wolf. She didn¡®t really need


    t o scold me further. On the other hand though, if I hadn¡®t been there then


    there was a good chance Cai would have died fighting off all four wolves, or Myra would have been killed


    .


    Towed my life to him for saving me. I was sure I was only still alive because of the effort he had put into


    stopping the bleeding, not to mention how he¡®d carried me through the forest.


    And with a horrible realisation, I remembered then that Cai had been seriously injured too.


    ¡°Is Cai okay?¡± I asked.


    Her face changed to one of concern and my heart sank.


    ¡°He


    was in very bad shape¡­ but after a day he was able to walk around again. I¡®ve instructed for him to take


    it easy over the next week or so.¡±


    I was d to hear he was going to be fine but I was confused at her words.


    Chapter Eighteet


    ¡°¡­Did you say ¡®day¡®? How long have I been out?¡±


    ¡°You¡®ve been unconscious for three days now.¡±


    Three days?! I couldn¡®t believe it had been so long already. Time really was uncertain when inside the Ab


    yss. Even if it was only a dreamed up, fever version.


    ¡°Aria¡­ there¡®s something else that we need to discuss,¡± she said. ¡°I¡®ve been trying hard toe up with


    other exnations for it but I¡®m at a loss. The entire upper¨Crank council is demanding answers too.¡±


    I frowned. What could be so serious that it would make the council be so agitated?


    ¡°...What is it?¡±


    ¡°We found something on your body¡­ It looks like you¡®ve been marked.¡±


    If my jaw could have hit the floor, then I¡®m sure it would have. What she was saying was impossible


    ¡°What?! How is that possible? I haven¡®t even been close to any men.¡±


    ¡°No, no, not that sort of marking,¡± she exined.


    I was definitely relieved to hear her say that. I was way too young to be going around with a mate¡®s mark


    o n me. Not only that, but sure Aleric would have had a


    field day using it against me for his future torment.


    ¡°You seem to have been marked on your back¡­ with a double moon crescent.¡±


    And, internally, I cringed.


    I wanted to curse the Goddess. So much for letting me choose my own fate. She seemed to


    have ns o f forcing me to stick around regardless


    If what my mother was telling me was true, then it would appear the Goddess had now marked me as he


    r own. Any ns to run away in the future were now nearly impossible.


    ¡°Do you know what that means, Aria?¡±


    I knew what it meant, of course. She was asking me because it was virtually unheard of and wouldn¡®t exp


    ect a fourteen year old to know. No one had seen the Goddess¡® mark in over a millennium and even then


    , the ounts were iffy at best. I learnt


    about it very vaguely during my Luna studies and knew the ramifications it held. However, it was basicall


    y considered a myth these days.


    I nodded my head at her. My life was about to be infinitely more difficult now.


    ¡°Do you know why you were marked?¡±


    I could hear the worry


    in her voice and couldn¡®t imagine what she must have gone through finding this out. All the


    ranked members and elders would be pressuring my parents for information whilst trying to figure out wh


    at this meant for the pack.


    I didn¡®t want to lie to her, but I also didn¡®t want to break her heart by telling her my story either. I wanted t


    hings to be normal between us. I wanted her to care for me in the same way she had in the past. If she k


    new I was actually twenty¨Cfour, would she be frightened by me?


    I bit the inside of my cheek and shrugged my shoulder, not knowing what to say.


    She hesitated at the reaction but, thankfully, didn¡®t push the topic any further.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Well, the Alpha has requested your presence as soon as possible to urgently


    discuss the attack,¡± she said. ¡°You¡®ve physically healed fine, but I was worried about your mental state gi


    ven thea you were in. Do you feel up for meeting with him?¡±


    I thought about it for a few moments. Did I want to meet with him? Not particrly. But I knew it was


    Chapter Eighteen


    something unavoidable


    that I would need to do eventually. I feltpletely fine other than the shock and stress that came from t


    he recent mark revtion.


    ¡°I can meet with him,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Okay,


    I¡®ll have someonee help you get ready. They¡®ll probably want to meet with you within the next hour or


    So soon. But I knew why they needed me on such short notice. They would want to know how I knew the


    essence when i t came to possible war.


    I managed to get ready very quickly but took a few moments to look at the mark for myself. It was silver a


    in the shape of two crescent moons facing outwards, the symbol of Selene, the Goddess. The nurse that w


    It wasn¡®t long after that I found myself entering the meeting hall. It was a familiar ce given that I had be


    to the right of where the Alpha sat. However, I knew that the seat reserved for the Luna would be empty th


    When I entered, I immediately spotted Cai standing in the centre before the council. I was so grateful to se


    ¡°Cai! I¡®m so d to see you¡®re safe!¡± | greeted him in a hushed voice.


    | smiled up at him, but he wasn¡®t meeting my eyes. Was he¡­ ignoring me?


    ¡°Cai?¡± I pressed again.


    My father then caught my attention as he gave


    me a concerned nod. I smiled back politely and held my hand up in a small wave to reassure him I was ok


    ¡°You should have told me,¡± Cai finally said, his tone harsh and emotionless.


    Oh¡­ he was still mad at me for fighting when I was possibly Aleric¡®s future mate.


    ¡°I don¡®t think you understand how little Aleric cares for me. You really had nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°You don¡®t get to decide what may or may not impact my pack,¡± he snapped, finally turning to look at me.


    His eyes were angry and reminded me of the


    vision in the Abyss. A thought bad enough to send a shiver down my spine.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    But it had just been a fever nightmare, there was nothing to worry about. It wasn¡®t even a true memory.


    ¡°Even if Aleric didn¡®t care,¡± he said continuing, ¡°are you telling me that your father, the


    Beta, wouldn¡®t? Are you telling me your pack wouldn¡®t care that the ¡°Saintess¡® of the Winter Mist


    was killed because I stupidly let a child go into battle?¡±


    Saintess¡®. I recoiled at the word. Only an hour after finding out about the mark myself, the word was alread


    it was a low blow by him.


    He was right about my father though. I hadn¡®t considered it at the time because my only thought had been


    Cai and demanded retribution. I needed to have epted that I was weak, that I wasn¡®t as good of a fight


    furious.


    ¡°Cai¡­I¡®m sorry¡­,¡± I said sincerely. ¡°I want you to know I really th¨C.¡±


    Chapter Eighteen


    However, I didn¡®t get to finish my sentence as, suddenly, the door behind us opened and the Alpha entere


    Alpha Tytus, Aleric¡®s father.


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 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Chapter Neen


    Everyone in the room bowed their head in respect, the exception being Cai who was not from the pack a


    nd therefore was not required to show submission. We all waited as Alpha Tytus took his seat in the midd


    le on thergest chair.


    ¡°You may raise your heads,¡± Tytus said.


    Everyone in the room lifted their gaze.


    Alpha Tytus was a kind man whenpared to his son. He was stern and intelligent but he could be ver


    y personable despite his sometimes tough demeanour. He had the same ck hair as Aleric, though gre


    ying now in his old age, however, his eyes were dark brown, not green.


    Tytus had a fearsome reputation throughout the country and was undefeated in every battle he had parta


    ken in. Because of this, many refused to cross him. This allowed for the Winter Mist to remain almost unt


    ouched over the years since he would reward and respect people immensely if they remained o n his go


    od side. I had always tread carefully to stay on that side of him, all the way up until the ident that had


    imed his life several years from now.


    ¡°Aria, it¡®s very nice


    to see you again. I only wish this was under better circumstances,¡± he started, his tone friendly


    ¡°Alpha, I am honoured to be in your presence,¡± I said and quickly bowed respectfully again.


    ¡°I knew our Aria was incredibly bright for her age, but I am happy to see that she has grown to be a brave


    fighter also. And you too, Cai. I feel our pack is now indebted to you and Aria both for your courageous a


    cts in saving Myra.¡±


    ¡°Our pack is your pack,¡± Cai replied using the traditional saying amongst allied territories.


    ¡°Now,¡± Tytus said, ¡°I need to hear the details of how this has alle about since we are short on time.


    W e have one of the four that attacked you in custody, but he is still refusing to talk.¡±


    I was surprised to hear that any were still alive given the amount of blood that had been Cai. However, if


    I were to guess which one was in custody, I would think it would be therge brown


    wolf that Cai had struggled with the most. He seemed like


    the type to not be taken down easily and possibly may even be a . ranked member.


    ¡°I understand that Myra was ambushed in the woods. Aria, you knew this ambush was to ur and you


    enlisted the help of Cai to save her at very short notice. From what I¡®ve been


    told, you both fought valiantly.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, it was due to Cai that we are both still alive right now. Please give him the credit.¡±


    ¡°Humble, are we? I had heard you still managed to snap the neck of a wolf whilst being savagely pinned


    down from a bite to the shoulder. That is still worthy of praise.¡±


    It had been pure luck that I¡®d managed to aplish that feat but I didn¡®t correct him.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Now, please, tell me the details,¡± Tytus said, trying to bring the conversation back to the important parts.¡±


    Aria, how did you learn of the ambush?¡±


    I knew this question woulde up and yet I still didn¡®t have a clear answer to reply with. I needed to sa


    y something believable that would hopefully not lead to more questions.


    ¡°I was in the woods the day prior to the ambush and had felt the presence


    of others watching. It bothered me enough that I continued to think about it into the next day. It wasn¡¯t unt


    il the afternoon that I realised that, if they had been


    warriors from our pack, they would have made themselves known. The only other


    Chapter Neen


    solution I could think of was a possible threat iing. Cai offered to help


    knowing I wouldn¡®t be strong enough to fight off danger alone. It was lucky we investigated the area whe


    n we did since Myra appeared not long after we arrived and was attacked.¡±


    I could see my father was confused at what I was saying. He probably realised I was home with the famil


    y the night I was iming to have been in the woods, therefore making my


    story seem odd. But I was silently grateful he didn¡®t mention any of his suspicions aloud. With the news o


    f the mark, he probably knew that it was not the time to draw further attention to myself.


    ¡°Very lucky indeed! I see we were very fortunate that you realised in time,¡± Tytus said.


    He then turned to the ranked members next to him. ¡°Have we had any progress in discovering who was


    behind the attack?¡±


    ¡°None so far, Alpha,¡± said Gamma Oliver, Brayden¡®s father. ¡°But we¡®re continuing the


    interrogation on the surviving wolf.¡±


    Tytus made a sound of thoughtful thinking.


    The truth was I knew exactly who the wolves belong to, and even knew how they were eventually dealt w


    ith. Yearster, after being


    curious about the death of a girl in my junior year, I had decided to briefly read the details in a


    war book. This was back when I was studying modern battle strategy.


    ¡°Cai and Aria, did you see anything during


    the fight that would shed any insight into who was responsible?¡±


    ¡°No, Alpha Tytus,¡± Cai responded immediately.


    ¡­But I hesitated. I didn¡®t see anything of course, but I knew the answer.


    ¡°Aria?¡± Tytus pushed, sensing my reluctance.


    Iconsidered the implication of telling him and didn¡®t see any harm in revealing the


    pack that was responsible. But though I wanted to change the future, I needed to think of the implications


    when it came t o things like this. There was always the possibility it would make things worse, not better.


    Especially given my current new status.


    ¡°¡­ I did not see anything, Alpha,¡± I started. ¡°¡­However, I do have a theory if you would like to hear it?¡±


    Theories were better than facts. Whether they chose to believe me, it would be their own decision


    to make.


    ¡°Please, go ahead,¡± he said eagerly.


    ¡°¡­I believe the Jade Moon pack are responsible.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t be ridiculous!¡± shouted Gamma Oliver suddenly. ¡°Alpha, why are you listening to theories from a c


    hild?¡±


    Like father, like son I guess; too stubborn to look past their own views. I could see why he might be angry


    though, I was calling out an allied pack ofmitting a grave crime.


    The Alpha raised his hand in order to silence Oliver.


    ¡°Please exin further, Aria,¡± he said with a gentle smile.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°As we all know, the Jade Moon pack has recently had their


    Alpha heir ascend to power after his father passed away. It¡®s no secret he is young with bold ideas for his


    theirnd itself not being able to provide adequately for all of their members. You would need to confirm


    with the man you have captured, but I believe if you start questioning him about the Jade


    Moon pack, you will soon have your answers.¡±


    Chapter Neen


    ¡°Ho¨C


    oh! That is indeed a brilliant theory, Aria! I can¡®t deny that I, too, have heard rumours of their pack bin


    increasingly agitated,¡± Tytus said, his eyes holding a glint of excitement. He then


    turned to the elders and ranked members next to him. ¡°If this is indeed the Jade Moon pack, then how do


    There was silence from the council as everyone spected what would be the best course of action.


    ¡°I have an idea, Alpha,¡± Oliver finally spoke up.


    ¡°Let¡®s hear it then.¡±


    ¡°I propose a full¨C


    frontal attack. They are a small territory and do not have the resources to defend. It would be a very simpl


    other packs who may be thinking of rebelling.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm, yes, I can see how that might work¡­,¡± Tytus mused. ¡°¡­But I think I¡®d also like


    to hear from the youngdy and know her thoughts on the matter.¡±


    The Alpha then turned his eyes to me. I could see the curiosity they held, mixed with anticipation.


    ¡°What do you think, Aria?¡± Tytus asked. ¡°What do you propose would be our best course of action if this is


    I knew exactly what he was doing. This was a test. With the recent talks of


    my new mark, he was now sizing up my abilities for leadership. To see whether I would be a threat o


    The truth though was that the question put me in a difficult position, one where I would need to make a ch


    back and allow for history to take its course naturally. In doing so though, some pack members would be k


    by implementing the reckless n Oliver proposed. It wasn¡®t until halfway into carrying out his idea that E


    Moon pack. However, by the time his effective strategy was implemented, many had already died. Oliver¡®s


    1. n.


    The


    second option was I could tell them how this war could be resolved immediately, sparing the lives of our p


    warrior and even the lives of some innocents on both sides.


    The main issue I was now facing was that, if I went with the second option, I would be drawing immediate


    my Goddess mark. That could be potentially dangerous very quickly if he felt threatened.


    The way I saw it, the choice was either to protect myself¡­ or to save others.


    And as I looked up into the Alpha¡®s dark calcting eyes, eyes that I knew were hiding a secret intent beh


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡®re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting!

 Chapter 20

    I sighed internally. There was only one option.


    As much as I wanted to hate my pack and condemn them for turning on me in my past life, a part of me would always see myself as their caretaker, as their Luna. By remaining silent, I would be forcing them into a fate where some would lose their loved ones. I wouldn¡¯t be able to remain silent, living with that knowledge.


    ¡°With all due respect, I believe the Gamma¡¯s n may backfire tremendously,¡± I started.


    I could see Oliver¡¯s face frown, looking as if he wanted to have another outburst, but he contained himself.


    ¡°The tactic could hold us in a very precarious position if others wished to join the Jade Moon pack. Alone, they may be a weak and insignificant pack, but we would be underestimating their ability to rally forces if we were to go about this wrong. We could be looking at an uprising from several of our allied territories. Why else would they start by picking off just an unranked girl? They wanted us to retaliate savagely for the injustice.¡±


    Oliver scoffed and everyone looked at him expectantly.


    ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± he said,ughing. ¡°I¡¯d like to remind you all that you¡¯re listening to a fourteen-year-old right now.¡±


    ¡°Gamma, you will be quiet and listen respectfully,¡± Tytus ordered.


    We could all hear the Alpha tone in his voice and I did my best not to smirk at the look of submission Oliver gave.


    ¡°Please continue, Aria.¡±


    I nodded my head to the Alpha.


    ¡°I believe that our best course of action is one of peace as much as possible. By going in and attacking without mercy, we will risk identally killing innocents as well as losing some of our own pack members in the process. This brutal force strategy will only turn their pack into a martyr for others to follow. No, a quiet approach is definitely required here.¡±


    Tytus raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you propose then?¡±


    ¡°For starters, we cut off their supply routes and box them in, using the mountainous terrain surrounding them to our advantage. Thendscape would make for a difficult battle head-on since they know the area well, but sealing off their exits would be very easy.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this have the same negative reputational effects as meeting them in battle head-on?¡± Tytus asked.


    ¡°No, Alpha, because we will be allowing them a chance to do the right thing. We will cut off their supply temporarily on the condition they hand over the perpetrators of the attack. By showing them mercy, we will demonstrate that we are inherently trying to do right by them at least.¡±


    Tytusughed, amused by my idea. ¡°And were you counting on their Alpha to hand themselves over willingly?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said and smiled. ¡°But if he wants to avoid a direct war with one of thergest packs in the country, he would need to at least hand someone of value over to take the me. If it¡¯s therge brown wolf you have in your custody currently, I¡¯d wager he is either the Gamma or Beta of their pack. The young Alpha will most likely say they moved of their own volition in an act of independent treason. By giving him an out to end things peacefully, he would have no other choice but to take the deal or risk looking like the viin.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ your n is certainly extremely attractive,¡± Tytus said, deep in thought. ¡°But what¡¯s to stop them from trying to attack again in the future?¡±


    ¡°We establish a conste from our pack inside their territory to oversee their future dealings. It may also be worth investigating how close the Alpha is to the ranked member we have in custody. We could be looking at a potential chance to utilize a hostage situation regardless of whether he ns to use them to take the fall or not.¡±


    I then gave a small shrug. ¡°Either way, we have given them a way to spare their people from unnecessary war. The other territories will not rally behind someone who would sacrifice their own pack members needlessly when we will be showing them nothing but our benevolence in return. If they try to make any ns to attack us again, then at least we have our conste representative with them to notify us immediately.¡±


    ¡°You are indeed extremely intelligent, young Aria,¡± Tytus praised, thoroughly pleased with my responses. ¡°I cannot fault your logic in this matter. Your father must be very proud.¡±


    ¡°I am, Alpha,¡± my father said.


    I smiled and bowed my head to Tytus. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That being said,¡± he continued, his tone bing more serious, ¡°I must admit I¡¯m a little surprised you gave such a detailed and well-thought-out strategy given your current circumstances. I¡¯m sure you must know what I¡¯m referring to.¡±


    I did know. I knew too well. I was hoping we weren¡¯t going to have to address this topic today, but it seemed there was no avoiding it.


    ¡°I only thought of the well-being of our pack before my own security,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It would seem so¡­. Truly an act that would be extremely fitting for a¡­ future Luna.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. He was trying to emphasize cing me into a Luna role in order to establish control.


    ¡°You are a smart girl, as we have all inly witnessed here today. I assume you know what a Goddess mark means, Aria?¡±


    His eyes were back to their spective sharpness. ¡®Friend or foe?¡¯ I was sure he was thinking. I wanted to curl away from his gaze, but I held my own. I knew what he really wanted to know was what the Goddess mark meant to me and what I nned to do with it.


    The reality was that the mark was not just a symbol of favor; it was a sign of higher authority. I now possessed the potential to hold as much control over the pack as the Alpha. I was a living threat to Aleric¡¯s very future position unless I submitted to him. This was why Tytus was pushing for me to be his son¡¯s Luna; possibly even if we weren¡¯t destined mates. He wanted assurance I would not call upon my new authority and disrupt his bloodline one day.


    It was a double-edged sword, to say the least. On one side, it meant that it would be almost impossible for Aleric to publicly disgrace me to the extreme degree he had once before. Someone blessed by the Goddess herself could not be convicted of a crime so easily once our mark was confirmed by the Elders, this being due to the fact that we be known as a ¡°Saint¡± or ¡°Saintess.¡± Therefore, it was far more likely now that I would not stand trial for Thea¡¯s poisoning in the future as those marked were considered to hold a piece of Selene herself. It was incredibly reassuring in that regard, but it didn¡¯tpletely guarantee my safety.


    On the flip side, it opened me up to greater danger. I was now a very big target for assassination if the Alpha felt I was a threat. I would probably be found dead by mysterious causes and the case would eventually go cold. Wherever I went, no matter how far, I was now the only current living werewolf marked by the Goddess.


    ¡°I do not wish to be Luna, nor do I harbor any desire to be mated to Aleric,¡± I stated clearly, keeping my gaze forward and expressionless.


    ¡°Then what of our prophecy?¡± shouted one of the Elders. ¡°We believed you to be the fated mate of Aleric, and your union is foretold to bring great blessings to the Winter Mist pack.¡±


    ¡°The Winter Mist pack will always have my love and support regardless of my position. I don¡¯t need to be Luna to show my dedication.¡±


    More murmurs spread throughout the hall as they discussed the implications of my words.


    But suddenly, they were all silenced as the Alpha began tough loudly. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to feelforted or worried by his reaction.


    ¡°It looks as if our young Aria here is still capable of showing her true age on asion,¡± he said, still chuckling. ¡°We will chalk this up to discuss at ater date. I can see now that maybe discussing future romantic prospects with the youngdy is perhaps too soon. For now, I will just take your request into consideration.¡±


    ¡°But Alpha! She is destined to be our Luna!¡± said another Elder.


    ¡°That will be all!¡± Tytus said, holding his hand up. ¡°We are lucky to have such a blessed and intellectual young wolf amongst our pack. We would be wise to listen to her advice.¡±


    Everyone was unsure how to take the news, but they bowed respectfully nheless.


    ¡°Aria, thank you very much for your contributions to the pack. I will see to it you are greatly rewarded,¡± Tytus said.


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha,¡± we both replied.


    ¡°This meeting is adjourned. Council, please follow me.¡±


    Everyone began to move and leave via the hall¡¯s back entrance, which led to a smaller meeting room. They had other confidential matters to discuss. My father gave me a final look of concern before following the others out.


    Before too long, only Cai and I remained in the meeting hall.


    ¡°Cai, I really did want to thank you for saving me,¡± I said.


    He waved off my thanks. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I heard you speak during the meeting, and I understand where you¡¯reing from. But this changes nothing. We are going our separate ways.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡­ Separate ways?


    My cheeks flushed.


    He was politely telling me that he wanted nothing to do with me. I suppose that was to be expected given the pain I had caused him. I¡¯d wanted to do something to make it up to him, but it sounded as though the best thing I could do was leave him alone.


    ¡°Oh¡­yeah, of course,¡± I said, a little awkwardly.


    We both walked to the


    door, and I reached my hand out to the handle, turning to speak to Cai onest time as I did so. Only, I never got the chance to talk.


    Abruptly, before I could move away, the door was then pulled open from the other side.


    I fell forward, tripping from being dragged along with the opening movement...


    ...And suddenly, I found myself face-to-face with Aleric.


    I tried topose myself quickly, stepping back and clearing my throat. Aleric''s eyes were cold and calcting as they always were, and it took everything in me not to shiver under his gaze.


    "Aria," he greeted me curtly, his voice devoid of warmth.


    "Aleric," I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral.


    There was an awkward silence between us as Cai stood off to the side, looking ufortable.


    "I need to speak with you," Aleric said, his eyes never leaving mine.


    "Of course," I replied, nodding.


    Cai gave me a small, sad smile before turning and walking away. I watched him go, feeling a pang of regret.


    Once Cai was out of sight, Aleric stepped closer to me, his expression hardening.


    "I heard about your n," he said, his voice low. "It''s bold."


    "Bold, but necessary," I replied, meeting his gaze.


    He studied me for a moment, his eyes searching mine.


    "You''re not the same Aria I remember," he said finally. "You''ve changed."


    "I had to," I replied, my voice steady. "We all have to change to survive."


    He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.


    "We''ll discuss the detailster," he said, turning to leave. "For now, just know that I''m watching you, Aria. Don''t disappoint me."


    With that, he walked away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart.


    I knew that my n was risky, but it was the best chance we had to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. And I couldn''t let Aleric''s cold demeanor shake me. I had to stay strong, not just for myself, but for the entire pack.


    I turned and walked back to my room, my mind racing with thoughts of the uing battle and the challenges thaty ahead. I knew that I had a long road ahead of me, but I was ready to face whatever came my way.


    4o

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    In future chapters, I will also be using single quotes¡¯ for just things Aria says to herself internally. An


    author note reminder will be added to the next chapter it¡¯s used, which hopefully assists in


    reading/understanding what¡¯s happening. No¡­


    He couldn¡¯t be here. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be here yet.


    1*¡±You are nothing, Ariadne,¡¯*¡¯I heard his voice speak in my head, an old memory reying from my


    past life. ¡®*¡±You are only here because I let you be here.¡±*¡¯


    No, please, no¡­ I¡¯m not ready¡­ ¡®*¡±You have been found guilty of the charges against you.¡°*


    Cold, familiar green eyes stared down at me.


    Piercing. Like a tiger watching its prey with curiosity. ¡°*¡±Therefore, with the power held


    within me, I, Aleric Dumont, Alpha of the Winter Mist Pack...¡±


    I took two steps back slowly, unable to take my eyes off the man in front of me. ¡®*¡±¡­Sentence you,


    Ariadne Chrysalis, former Luna of the Winter Mist Pack...¡±*) ¡°Aria?¡± a familiar friendly voice called out


    beside me. However, I couldn¡¯t register their words.


    1*¡±¡­To death.¡±*¡¯


    I fell backwards to the floor in front of the man who had been my death.


    ¡­Who will be my death.


    ¡°*¡±Your sentence is to be carried out immediately.¡°*¡®


    No, please, make it stop.


    I covered my ears feebly as the rational side of my brain tried to convince me this wasn¡¯t real, that the


    voice was just a memory inside my head and nothing more.


    Stop¡­ stop¡­ stop¡­ STOP¡­ STOP¡­.STOP¡­ STOP...


    My body began to rock, trying to force the memories to leave me alone.


    ¡°Ariadne?¡±


    That was his voice. It broke through my mental turmoil enough to make me freeze. It was


    exactly the same. Nothing was different. Nothing had changed. ¡°... Why are you here?¡± I managed to


    whisper. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was asking the question to him or asking myself.


    ¡°You realise this is my pack and I¡¯m allowed to be here, right? They called me back home due t o an


    emergency with that girl who was attacked. I¡¯ve only just arrived.¡± But when I didn¡¯t reply he frowned.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s rude to present yourself in this manner to your future Alpha,¡± he said, a tone o


    fannoyance in his voice. The way he spoke wasn¡¯t filled with the same level of hatred that I had


    be ustomed to hearing, but it still sent chills down my spine nheless.


    ¡°Ariadne, please get up. You¡¯re embarrassing me in front of a future Alpha within our alliance.


    I could hear what he was saying but all I could see was the swing of the broadsword before it hit my


    neck Over¡­ and over¡­ and over¡­ and over again.... ¡°Are you honestly just going topletely


    ignore what I¡¯m saying to you?¡± he said, increasingly bing angrier. I couldn¡¯t get my body to


    respond. Nothing I did would let me take control. I was helpless to him, just as I had been in the past.


    ...So helpless.


    I wasn¡¯t different. I hadn¡¯t changed. He was fated to control my life no matter how many times I came


    back


    ¡°Stop it! Get up right now!¡± I could feel the tone of his Alpha authority trying tomand m e, but even


    that wasn¡¯t able to get through to me.


    When he saw me still refusing to move, he eventually lost patience and reached his hand out towards


    me. And at that, my body finally did react.


    I flinched, turning my face away as I held my hands up in defence against the p I expected was


    about tond.


    ¡­Only it never came.


    I dared to peek up at him and saw he held a look of shock at my response, the hand he had stretched


    out having stopped midway before making contact. I looked at his arm and, to my surprise, I saw how it


    was positioned as if he had been nning to pull me to my feet rather than p me. I¡¯d acted on


    impulse when there had been no real danger of physical pain.


    ¡°I think it might be best not to touch her and leave her be,¡± Cai said, stepping in. Cai was here. This


    was real. This wasn¡¯t the trial grounds. Aleric wouldn¡¯t be able to kill me without a valid reason in front


    of a witness. ¡°What are you on about? I haven¡¯t even done anything to her and she¡¯s acting like a


    complete


    fool.¡± He gestured down at me however, I found I was unable to stop the involuntary flinch that shook


    me once again; the sight of his quick movement towards me having triggered the muscle memory.


    ¡°I¡¯d say by the looks of things that she really doesn¡¯t feel like being around you right now. Probably best


    to also keep in mind she¡¯s been in aa for thest three days and was released only about two


    hours ago.¡±


    Cai bent down and gently touched my trembling shoulder. I wanted to look at him, to look into his kind


    eyes for reassurance, but I couldn¡¯t make myself lose sight of Aleric. My body¡¯s natural reaction was to


    fear the pain he could inflict at any second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± Aleric growled. ¡°She doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    ¡°Guess you didn¡¯t hear the news yet, but she doesn¡¯t ¡®belong¡¯ to anyone anymore,¡± Cai replied in a


    casual tone,pletely unphased by Aleric¡®s attitude. ¡°Besides, I don¡®t think I need to remind you, but


    you do realise that you¡¯re not actually officially confirmed as mates yet, right?


    ¡°¡®Doesn¡¯t belong to anyone¡®? What¡®s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Probably best to have a chat with your


    old man about that one. For now though,¡± Cai said scooping my tiny body up into his arms with


    ease, ¡°I think you¡®re giving the poor girl a panic attack¡±


    My eyes widened in fear as Cai picked me up. Aleric was going to kill him. He was going to kill me. He


    wasn¡¯t allowed to touch me like this.


    I watched in horror as Aleric then stepped forward, blocking Cai from exiting. He puffed up his chest as


    if he was about to challenge Cai right then and there for daring to touch what he believed was his.


    Aleric had never loved me but I knew he had loved to possess me in our past life. He had kept m e


    caged the entire time we were together, cutting off all ties of friendships I had tried to make with anyone


    of worthy status.


    So now, seeing someone else holding me like this right in front of him? Well, if Cai wasn¡¯t from an allied


    pack, I was sure he would have been dead or down in the cells already by now. Or at least, the Aleric


    from my past would have done that. I never knew him well at this age but I could only imagine he was


    much the same.


    Seeing the two of them standing together was almost surreal. Even though they were both still only


    teenagers, both of them stood tall and were as well-built as you would expect an Alpha to be. I was


    terrified to think of what a fight between them would look like.


    I knew from previous experience that Aleric was like nothing else when it came to the


    battlefield. Just like his father before him, he had bepletely undefeated once he had


    ascended to power. But I couldn¡®t deny that I had seen what Cai was capable of even without his


    fully shifted abilities. He was frighteningly dangerous with all of his training. ¡°Do you really want to start


    something with a kid having a mental breakdown in my arms?¡± Cai queried, tilting his head slightly to


    scrutinise Aleric with his eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t we both agree that the best thing for her right now is to take her


    back to the hospital to recover? She was dragged out of bed prematurely due to your Alpha requesting


    an audience with us urgently. Or


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    should I go and ask your Alpha why the Beta¡¯s daughter is being prevented from receiving medical


    attention?¡±


    Aleric stared at him coldly for a few more seconds before finally deting, having thought better of the


    situation. Begrudgingly, he stepped aside to allow Cai to carry me outside. The two locked eyes as they


    walked by; Aleric¡¯s fiery and furious gaze, and Cai¡¯s collected and unreadable one.


    It wasn¡¯t until the door to the meeting hall finally clicked shut behind us that I felt my body begin to


    rx. I was still on edge, knowing that Aleric was nearby and at any minute coulde for me, but


    having Cai by me was reassuring. Aleric wouldn¡¯t be able to risk starting anything publicly that could be


    tantly detrimental to the pack¡¯s political ties. He wasn¡¯t an Alpha yet. ¡°So much for ¡®I¡¯m the fucking


    future Luna of this pack¡®, aye?¡± Cai said jokingly, trying to quote what I¡¯d said to him before Myra was


    attacked. I knew he was trying to help lighten the mood and distract me, but inside I felt destroyed and


    utterly defeated. I¡¯d been working so hard to be a different person this time around and yet I was


    still weak, haunted by memories that would likely never leave me.


    I waspletely defenceless to anything Aleric wanted to do to me, eternally trapped by his every


    whim. The Goddess mark may stop him publicly disgracing me so easily now but I knew that, if he truly


    was the same as he was in the future, this news may trigger an anger inside him I¡¯d rather prefer to


    avoid. And the worst part was that, other than the fact that he had sincerely loved Thea, I never actually


    found out the initial reason for why Aleric hated me so much. How was I meant to diffuse his hostility


    towards me when I didn¡¯t even know what I¡¯d done wrong to begin with?


    I looked up at Cai and, as much as I wanted to return his joke with a snarky reply, I did the only thing I


    was physically capable of doing in that moment. I broke down and cried.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Chapter Twenty-Two


    Chapter Twenty-Two ¡°Woah, little wolf,¡± Cai said, looking stressed that he¡¯d identally upset me further.


    We had walked into amunal gathering area outside of the hall by this point and I was grateful that no


    one was around to see me in this state.


    He strode up to one of the couches and gently put me down, crouching in front of me so we were eye


    level. ¡°Do you want me to tell me what that was all about?¡± Cai asked. When I only continued to cry, he


    gently touched my shoulder, his tone then bing darker, more serious. ¡°¡­Has he hurt you?¡± It was a


    question that had a ridiculous answer. Had he hurt me? Yes¡­ and no. Not yet¡­ but at the same time, he


    had already hurt me far more than a flesh wound could, ruining me to a state that I may never recover


    from.


    I shook my head at him. It wasn¡¯t to say ¡®no¡¯ to his question, but rather to show I couldn¡¯t give him the


    answer he wanted to know.


    I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to calm myself. ¡°I¡¯m too weak, Cai. You had said so yourself as


    well. I¡¯m always going to be begging for just the right to live.¡±


    Seeing Aleric again and having the same feeling of being powerless made me realise that, if he ever did


    decide to raise a hand against me again, I would still never be strong enough to stop him. Being book


    smart in my past hadn¡¯t been enough when he had held my life in his hands every day. ¡°I think you


    misunderstood,¡± Cai said. ¡°My words were that you had plenty of time to be stronger. I saw how you


    handled yourself with those wolves. You have more potential than many to be incredibly strong¡­ if


    that¡¯s what you truly wanted. I¡¯m sure if it was almost any other kid in that battle, we would have both


    died.¡±


    I looked up into his eyes and saw he was being serious. ¡°But I saw you in that meeting hall with your


    Alpha just now,¡± he continued. ¡°You may not be physically strong, but your intellect is like none I have


    ever seen before. That¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, especially at your age.¡± ¡°Brains aren¡¯t going to stop


    me from getting murdered,¡± I mumbled quietly to myself. He moved back a little, shocked at hearing what


    I¡¯d said.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Is this about the marking?¡±


    Yes¡­ and no. So many of the questions he was asking me had too manyplex answers.


    ¡°Somewhat¡­,¡± I said, looking down at myp where I had balled up my fists. ¡°You¡¯re a Beta¡¯s daughter,


    right? Can¡¯t you just¡­ ask your dad to train you?¡± It seemed like sound logic on the surface. The reality


    was that I was sure I¡¯d be letting down m y parents if I told them I wanted to pursue training instead of


    Luna duties. Already I was unsure about what storm awaited me at home after having announced to the


    entire council I did not wish to be their Luna. Without any notice or inclination, they were most likely


    going to be incredibly shocked by my public announcement.


    Father had said in my past life that nothing I could have done would have disappointed him. But that was


    the old Aria. The perfect daughter Aria who had worked diligently every day to be the very best she


    could be for the pack. He would think I was too young to make a final decision, just as the Alpha had.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯d approve of me wasting time training when I could be inside studying¡­, ¡± I said


    with dismay.


    Currently, my schedule was made up of school during the day and Luna sses on weekends. Any


    spare time after school was for self-study and homework. There would be no time for met o dedicate to


    training without stopping one of those. I didn¡¯t see any way they¡¯d let me drop something they were


    confident I would probably change my mind on one day. They most likely thought I was going through a


    phase and would fall head-over-heels for Aleric once I came of age and shifted.


    ¡°But haven¡¯t you already announced that you don¡¯t n on bing Luna?¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s not


    that simple. They will still prioritise something that they think I may change my mind about one day, over


    something they don¡¯t believe is necessary for me to learn.¡±


    ¡°¡­And will you?¡± he asked. ¡°Will I what?¡±


    ¡°Change your mind about being Aleric¡¯s mate? About being Luna?¡± I smiled bitterly. ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m


    going to fall in love with him any time soon?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen someone look so scared of their


    mate before they¡¯ve even been confirmed as mates before.¡± He chuckled darkly. ¡°But are you going to


    tell me why you reacted like that? I know you said you felt weak, but it honestly doesn¡¯t exin what I


    saw back there.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell him, I couldn¡¯t tell anyone. It was better this way. ¡°It¡¯s too difficult to


    exin¡­ I-I just¡­.¡± I was trying to find the right words so I wouldn¡¯t sound too strange but I really wasn¡¯t


    sure what I could possibly tell him.¡±¡­He can be very intimidating¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie but I hoped it would be


    enough for Cai to stop asking about it. ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯ll tell me the real reason one day,¡± he said, and


    put his hand on my head, petting it gently. I couldn¡¯t help but pout a little at the treatment. Always treating


    me like a child. ¡°But, if I were you,¡± he said, standing back up and stretching, ¡°I¡¯d be finding a way to train


    regardless of what others expect of you. You¡¯re a Saintess now, do whatever you want.¡± I wish it really


    were that simple. ¡­But it did make me pause in thought.


    After that, Cai agreed to let me walk myself back to the hospital instead of carrying me, but stayed close


    by my side just in case I felt like having another mental breakdown. I tried to exin that I was feeling


    better but he insisted.


    It wasn¡¯t until we finally arrived that I saw a small figure was pacing nervously in the foyer.


    ¡°Myra?¡± I asked, confused. The girl turned around and a look of relief spread across her face. ¡°Aria!¡± she


    yelled, running towards me. She threw her arms around me as if we were best friends and I thought I


    could feel her crying a little against my shoulder. She stepped back but held onto my hands, looking at


    me with eyes so red and puffy. ¡°I came to check up on you and was told you were summoned by the


    Alpha,¡± she said. ¡°I was s o worried! You were so sick and then suddenly you were missing from your


    bed.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ um¡­ sorry,¡± I said, awkwardly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve beening by every day and was waiting for you to wake up so I could say thank you. I heard


    what you did and I owe you my life.¡±


    She then looked to my side and realised Cai was present with me also. Her cheeks burned bright red.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I owe you my life too, Alpha heir,¡± she said and bowed her head a little. She didn¡¯t have a


    legitimate reason for needing to bow to him but I could take a guess over why she was acting that way.


    Judging from her blush and theck of eye contact with him, it was easy to see that she, too, had been


    charmed over by Cai¡¯s presence.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little at seeing the girl having a small crush. She was such a nervous and quiet


    girl that I found it funny she was attracted to someone as confident and extroverted as Cai.


    Cai waved off her thanks. ¡°Not necessary. I was just trying to help wherever possible whilst making sure


    this one didn¡¯t get herself killed.¡± He ced his hand on my head again.


    ¡°O-of course,¡± she stuttered, her eyes full of admiration.


    I wondered if in her mind Cai was some overly cool older guy, like a male lead in a novel. If she realised


    that he was actually just a cheeky yboy type, would she lose interest?


    I wouldn¡¯t ruin the illusion for her. Goddess knew how much I wished I could feel that kind of pure and


    innocent kind of love. It hadn¡¯t worked out for me in the past, and it wouldn¡¯t in the future either, knowing


    my mate would always be Aleric, but at least it was worth keeping an open mind to how love could exist


    for some. Even possibly between a yboy and a dorky schoolgirl¡­ or, at the very least, Myra could


    hope it would. ¡°With that said,¡± Cai said, gently pushing me forward. ¡°Time for Aria to get a check up by


    the doctor.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Myra gushed. ¡°I¡¯m keeping you here when you should be in


    bed. Please get better soon!¡±


    I smiled at her and began walking towards the admin desk where the nurse was.


    ¡°Oh! I almost forgot!¡± Myra yelled out after me. She then ran up to us, digging around in her bag as she


    did so. ¡°I made you something.¡± ¡°Made me something?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°I wanted to say thank you


    and this was all I could think of at short notice. I-It¡¯s not nearly enough considering what you did for me!


    But I hope you like it¡­.¡± She pulled out a small pendant with a sparkly white stone attached. ¡°It¡¯s a


    moonstone. It supposedly has a range of uses like healing, inner strength and aiding you through new


    beginnings. Some other weird ones too. I don¡¯t know whether it works or not but I thought it would suit


    your hair. If it helps heal you then even better!¡± I looked at the shimmering gem and could appreciate it


    was indeed very pretty.


    Not wanting to disappoint Myra, I ced the ne around my neck and tied it at the back. ¡°How does


    it look, Cai?¡± I asked, pushing him to praise Myra¡¯s hard work ¡°Ah, I think it looks lovely,¡± he replied


    politely. I sneaked a peek and saw Myra blushing brighter. It was so easy to tease her. We soon said our


    goodbyes to her, and Cai followed not long after my mother arrived. She was worried after hearing the


    details from Cai about what happened. And though I had tried to y the whole thing off as no big deal,


    she was frantic once she found out. She fussed over me and asked a lot of questions which I obediently


    answered, but inside my head I was elsewhere.


    Because all I could think about was my new mission. The mission where I¡¯d learn how to fight without my


    parent¡¯s knowledge.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Chapter Twenty-Three Once I managed to convince my mother to let me go home, I began to think


    through my options. There was a lot of risk involved and I didn¡®t exactly have much knowledge in the


    area.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t end up having much time to myself though as my father came home and


    immediately told my mother what had happened in the meeting.


    ¡­Naturally, she was furious.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was anger directed at my desire to not be Luna, or maybe just due to the fact I had


    completely kept them in the dark about the whole thing, but they were frustrated over the entire ordeal.


    By the end of the argument, I realised that the only thing I took away from the conversation was that it


    had cemented my decision to not tell them my n. The n to take up new training. They also tried to


    ask me about my Goddess mark, but I remained purposely vague and uncertain with them about it all


    until they eventually dropped it. It was something I would need to keep closely guarded and would likely


    be something I¡¯d never be able to tell them. I loved my parents deeply and were so thankful for them, but


    there were some things they wouldn¡¯t be able to understand if I told them.


    School resumed as normal with the exception of my new social interactions, or in some casesck of.


    Myra had now taken it upon herself to be my new number one fan and sat with m e in the library


    every day. Having her around me all the time was ufortable at first, but I knew she didn¡¯t mean any


    harm. After a while, I even began to get used to having her around. She came off as a genuinely sweet


    girl and so her positivity was sometimes just what I needed i n my day.


    That being said, as much as I liked her as a person, a part of me was still refusing to open up to her. I


    attributed it to my friendship with Sophie in my past life. It felt like I always going to have some sort of a


    wall now and never truly be able to open up to someone again. Luckily, my guarded nature was


    something that didn¡¯t seem to phase Myra in the slightest.


    Cai, on the other hand, was someone I found myself going out of my way to avoid as much as possible. I


    caught his eye now and then in the hall, to which he waved at me, but inside I was struggling with being


    able to face him. I couldn¡®t shake the words he¡®d said to me after the meeting with the Alpha. He¡®d


    wanted nothing to do with me and wanted for us to go our separate ways. I was sure he¡¯d only acted so


    nice to me afterwards because of the whole Aleric interaction; possibly was only still acting in a friendly


    manner due to it.


    Every time I saw his face, I was overwhelmed with guilt and shame. He was only taking pity on me


    because he¡¯d seen me in such a mentally fragile state. If he¡®d never witnessed that then I was sure he


    wouldn¡¯t even be acknowledging me at school. I was doing my best to respect his wishes, even if he was


    too polite to outwardly say it. Apart from Myra and Cai, I also noticed many at the school were starting to


    treat me differently; even some of the teachers. I heard whispers now and then as they tried to discreetly


    stare at me, their expressions varying from that of worry to irritation. Words such a s ¡°Saintess¡±,


    ¡°Goddess¡±, and even Aleric¡¯s name were thrown about frequently. As a result, I found no one ever dared


    toe close to me as they feared me too much over my new mark. It was evenical at times to see


    the lengths people were going to in order to stay away. For example, I¡¯d decided to wait in line to buy


    something from the cafeteria one day and there was easily a two metre radius of empty space around


    me as if I were in a bubble. I had to remind myself that they were still children and their opinions didn¡¯t


    really matter. And whilst the teachers were at least more tactful, I could still sense their uneasiness. My


    n for training had also begun almost immediately after I¡¯d returned to my normal schedule. I¡®d told my


    parents that I was going to be studying in the library after school from now on but instead I was using the


    time to sneak into one of the old school gyms that were rarely used anymore. I mostly hit and kicked at a


    punching bag, did push¨Cups and asionally lifted weights, but I didn¡®t really know what I was doing.


    And so, before long, I attempted to push myself beyond my physical limits. I assumed that if I was having


    to work harder to move, then my muscles would grow quickly topensate. In the end, the results were


    slight, but I could feel I was easily fatigued. Having to push myself to train all afternoon and finish


    schoolwork untilte at night, I could definitely begin to feel the tax it was taking on my body. Another two


    weeks passed since I started my extreme training and school had just finished for the day. I was excited


    as today I was going to attempt to add more weight to my weightlifting. Per normal, I gathered up my


    things and headed straight to the gym.


    The gym was tiny which was part of the reason why no one used it anymore. There was also basically no


    equipment so many chose to use one of the newer facilities on the school grounds instead. This suited


    me perfectly as I preferred to not have an audience. I could definitely see how the little area had seen


    better days though, several cracks lining the walls and dust collecting in most areas. As I arrived at the


    gym, I could feel that my head was feeling especially dizzy already but I knew that results didn¡¯te


    cheap. I strapped on my boxing gloves and began to punch at the bag with all my strength to warm up.


    However, after only five minutes of training, I was beginning to feel faint, my vision bing obscured


    by ck dots. But I pushed through it, forcing myself to keep going. Every time I felt like I was going to


    stop I would just picture Aleric and all the times he¡¯d hurt me, all the pain I¡¯d endured, and a small burst


    of energy would push me to keep going.


    But then, suddenly, my hand missed the punching bag... and I could feel myself falling forward.


    It was only at thest moment that I managed to throw my hands out, grabbing onto the bag t o prevent


    my body from hitting the ground. I¡®d been merely seconds away from hurting myself.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± a voice then yelled out from the entrance. I tried to look up but my vision


    was so blurred that it was hard to make out. ¡°...Cai?¡± I asked wearily. ¡°You stupid girl,¡± he said, running


    up to my side to support my weight before I fell. ¡°You¡®re


    going to kill yourself if you keep that up.¡± He helped me walk to a nearby chair and sat me down,


    crouching in front of me.


    ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I followed you. It¡¯s not often that I cross paths with you, but I saw you walking to one of your sses


    today. You look sick, Aria.¡±


    I looked sick¡­? But I¡¯d been training so much, I was getting stronger. Shouldn¡¯t I be looking healthier?


    ¡°You can¡¯t just ignore me for over a month and expect me not to notice you slowly destroying yourself.


    You¡¯ve lost so much weight and be so pale. Honestly, I¡¯m not even surprised you didn¡¯t see me


    today, you looked about ready to pass out in the hall. It seems it was a good idea to follow you. You need


    to stop this.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m training. I¡®m getting stronger,¡± I argued feebly. ¡°By pushing yourself this hard?


    You¡¯re going to hurt your body to the point of permanent damage if you keep that up.¡±


    I looked at him and saw his expression was furious. He was angry at me for doing something h e thought


    was detrimental to myself. Just another thing to add to the ¡®feeling bad for me¡¯ friendliness,


    But if Cai was saying that what I was doing was wrong, then didn¡¯t that mean it had to be true? Alpha


    heirs were trained from the moment they could walk. You wouldn¡®t be able to find anyone else that would


    know what they¡¯re doing more than an Alpha. So, had I really been hurting myself that badly? He handed


    me a bottle of water and I drank from it, allowing myself to rest and clear my vision.


    ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡®m doing...,¡± I admitted with defeat, unable to look him in the eye. ¡°I couldn¡¯t


    ask my father and there was no one else to go to.¡±


    ¡°No one else?¡± he asked, sounding a little offended. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been so busy avoiding me, you could


    have asked me to help, you silly girl.¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡­Asked Cai? The thought hadn¡¯t even crossed my mind. Someone like him would be way too busy to


    waste time training me.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he said sternly so I¡¯d look up at him. ¡°Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something to upset


    you?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± I said immediately. ¡°No, you didn¡®t do anything. Of course not. It¡®s just... I thought you were


    only being friendly because you pitied me over the whole Aleric thing.¡± ¡°What...? Why...?¡±


    ¡°Because before any of that happened, you told me that you wanted us to go our separate ways. It was


    the conversation we had just after the meeting with my Alpha. I just thought you were being too polite to


    tell me you didn¡¯t want to see me.¡± ¡°Arrghh,¡± he said, rubbing his face with his hand. ¡°No, I¡®m sorry. I was


    just momentarily


    angry and said some dumb shit. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t meant it? Then that meant I¡¯d been worrying over nothing the entire time. ¡°Oh¡­ okay¡­,¡± I


    replied. ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry for avoiding you.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what to do with this confession from him since, for


    over a month now, I¡¯d been acting ording to what I thought he wanted.


    He smiled gently at me and stood up.


    ¡°Well, if I¡¯m going to be training you then I think we need a fresh start, don¡¯t you think? Something to


    clear up the previous misconceptions and start anew.¡± He held out his hand for me to shake it.


    ¡°Hello, Ariadne Chrysalis, daughter of the Beta from the Winter Mist, my name is Caius Knight, Alpha


    heir of the Silver Lake pack. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± And, instantly, I could feel my entire body freeze over


    as I stared at his outstretched hand, unable to move. I couldn¡¯t believe the words he¡¯d just spoken. There


    was no way this was real. Because it turns out that I actually knew who Cai was. In fact, I knew him


    extremely well. I knew him because in my past life¡­ I¡¯d killed him.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡¯re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting!

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Chapter Twenty-Four ¡°Caius¡­ Knight...?¡± I could hear myself ask in a strained voice. I hadn¡¯t heard that


    name in an incredibly long time.


    I¡¯d tried so hard to forget it.


    ¡°Are you okay? You suddenly look really pale again. Are you still too weak from before?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hear him. Emotions were oveing me. Guilt, shame, disbelief¡­ regret.


    Caius Knight, future Alpha of the Silver Lake pack, had risen to power after his father had been killed; or,


    more urately, once he had been killed by Aleric. It was debatably one of the craziest political moves


    Aleric had ever done during his Alpha reign. It started with Caius¡¯ father, Tobias, who had managed to


    lead his pack up the ranks until their power was arguably on par with the Winter Mist. As such,


    negotiations were required to amend the terms of the alliance. Tobias came to our territory for a meeting


    with the intention of continuing the friendship between us¡­ and he returned home without a head inside


    a body bag instead. I still never found out why Aleri? had decided to act independently and without good


    reason to incite a war, but a war is what he indeed started. The only possible reasoning for his actions,


    that I ever managed toe up with, was that it had only been a few months since Aleric had be


    Alpha. He was wild with his newfound power and even the Elders were struggling to reign him in at that


    time. He seemed to be on a warpath and was determined to be the strongest pack in the country,


    refusing to listen to anyone who tried to stop him. So, when Caius inevitably rose to power in ce of his


    father, it became a battle between two new bloodthirsty Alphas, of which had two of thergest packs


    under theirmand. Both of them half-crazed for their own reasons, and both of them fighting for what


    they believed in.


    The battle went on for many months without any one side gaining the upper hand over the other. Both of


    the packs appeared to be evenly matched and the morale of the people was waning. It looked as though


    the two would kill each other from exhaustion before any would emerge victorious.


    The Elders, in particr, were bing more concerned as they weren¡¯t able to think of any new ideas


    to win the war. They could clearly see the questionable ws in what Aleric was doing but were helpless


    to stop him.


    ¡­Which is where I came in.


    Aleric and I had been officially mated for just over a year by this point and I was madly in love with him. I


    would have done anything for him. One of the Elders called on me during a strategy meeting to give my


    opinion on the matter, feeling as though they were finally at rock bottom. I remember how Aleric had


    stared me down with an intense burning hatred the entire time I was in that room. I had thought it was


    just because he didn¡¯t think I was good enough. ¡­And so, I told them. I gave them a detailed y-by-


    y on exactly how they could win the war with minimal


    casualties. It was that day I started my journey to be the country¡¯s best strategist. And it was the


    day I sold my soul just in the hopes Aleric would begin to love me. He gave me a single nod of


    acknowledgement once the war had been won and the Silver Lake pack were no more; including the


    death of their Alpha, Caius Knight. It was the first time Aleric had ever publicly acknowledged me, even


    though it was such a simple and insignificant gesture. I didn¡¯t care though.


    From then on, the two of us won every battle we ever encountered. We were both high on the victories


    we earned; Aleric for the power we gained, myself for the small acknowledgements h e would grant me. I


    kept telling myself that if we won the next battle then maybe, just maybe, he¡¯d smile at me for once, or


    maybe even affectionately touch my shoulder if I was lucky. However, the next battle woulde and go,


    and I would repeat the words in my head as if they were a mantra in my mind to justify why I should keep


    going. Three yearster, when there was finally no more opposition left that posed as a threat, we stood


    atop the bodies of all we¡¯d conquered. We were undefeated with our talentsbined; Aleric for his


    unrivalled strength, and me for my unparalleled strategies. I turned to him for m y normal small gesture of


    acknowledgement¡­ only it never came. He swooped up Thea into his arms and shared the victory with


    her instead.


    It all came quickly crashing down after that. I realised I¡¯d been strung along the entire time when there


    hadn¡¯t been any real hope of us being together. I was young and naive. Brilliant when it came to ns


    and war, but terrible when it hade to my judgment of Aleric. The weight of what I¡¯d just done hit me


    very quickly after that.


    It took a year before the names of the people I¡¯d killed stopped haunting me every day. In reality, the


    names were only a fraction of the true number of lives that died because of me, I just never had the


    chance to learn the names of the innocent unranked who were caught up in the crossfire. And whether it


    was a blessing or a curse, I never saw the faces of those names that woulde to mete at night. I


    had always worked from the confines of the packhouse, never having to venture out to the battlefield


    myself. Never having to see the real damage I was capable of causing.


    It was a memory I never wanted to relive, buried under years of trying to suppress the sins I¡¯dmitted


    by ignorance. Caius had been the first in a long journey of horrible mistakes. A name that I had long


    since hidden away. And by some messed up fate, he had now been brought to me in the form of an ally,


    of someone who had shown mepassion.


    How could he be so kind to someone like me? If this wasn¡¯t divine intervention to punish me for my


    previous blind faith, then I didn¡®t know what else to call it.


    ¡°Aria?¡± he called out to me, worried.


    It snapped me back to reality as I looked up at him. However, as soon as I met his pure golden eyes, I


    had to look away. I couldn¡®t bear to face him for what I¡®d done. He¡®d only retaliated due t o an injustice


    that had been started by Aleric¡­ and one that I had ended with his death. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± I whispered.


    ¡°What...? ¡®Sorry? What for?¡± he asked confused. ¡°For not feeling well? You don¡¯t need to apologise for


    that.¡±


    He came closer and was about to touch my shoulder but I flinched away. ¡°Aria? Talk to me. Are you


    about to pass out or something?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just¡­ I-I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he said and moved towards me. ¡°I¡®m taking you to the hospital right


    now.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t touch me.¡± I moved my body but I was too slow. He grabbed me and tried to lift me up.


    And that¡¯s when it happened.


    Just like what had happened with Myra, my vision suddenly blurred and I was transported away. No


    longer was I in the gym¡­ but somewherepletely new.


    I looked around at the empty in in front of me and tried toe to terms with what had just happened.


    In the distance, I could see a treeline of a forest that surrounded the open space, making it almost feel


    like an arena. However, unlikest time, I found I was able to move. And so, I began to walk around.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Before I could get very far though, a loud growl suddenly ripped through the air behind me and I turned


    immediately towards the source. There, several feet away from me, I could see that arge ck wolf


    was bent over a figure lying on the ground. A cold sense of dread quickly hit my heart as I realised what I


    might be seeing. I approached slowly, having to force myself to keep moving. Because I needed to see,


    to confirm that it was what I thought it was, but every part of me wanted to turn back with every step I


    took, I could feel my legs bing more numb.


    The ck wolf then turned around and began to walk away in my direction, its snout covered i n a thick


    liquid I instinctively knew was blood. But I did my best to not inspect too closely as w


    ssed paths, thankful that he never turned in my direction as I moved by.


    I recognised the same feeling of being invisible to the people inside the vision, just as I had beenst


    time. I knew I was a spectator, not a participant. I wasn¡¯t meant to be seeing this, I wasn¡¯t meant to be


    here when this had happened. And yet, I was being forced to see it anyway.


    I was being made to witness the oue of my handiwork.


    ¡®Please don¡¯t make me watch this. Please...,¡®I whimpered inside my head. ¡®I¡®m already sorry for what I


    did.¡¯


    With tears in my eyes, I stared down at the body of Cai, his hands feebly trying to apply pressure to a


    wound at his neck. There was no hope though. I didn¡®t need to be a doctor to see that the injury he had


    would be fatal. I knelt beside him, watching as he spluttered blood out i n an attempt to breathe, and I


    began to gently stroke his hair. I knew this wasn¡¯t real but I found the movement helped my sorrow


    somehow.


    He looked older, more mature. He had the same incredibly strange coloured irises but his hair was


    shorter, and now more dishevelled. Under his eyes, I could see dark circles that looked to have been


    built up over a long period of time. I was sure it was brought on by the immense amount of pressure he¡¯d


    been under during the many months of war.


    This is what I had done to him. This was his fate. To die alone in a field, struggling to breathe, while the


    world carried on without him. A face I¡¯d never met, but one I would now never be able to forget.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I cried, my tears falling on to him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry....¡±


    He coughed once more and I could feel he was bing weaker. He didn¡¯t have long left. I grabbed one


    of his hands in both of mine and brought it up to my face, sobbing into it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t


    understand. I¡¯m here now though. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Suddenly, I felt his hand move out of my mine as he


    cupped my cheek, my eyes instantly snapping towards his face in response. But, to my utter shock¡­ ¡­I


    found him staring right at me.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Chapter Twenty-Five


    His shining eyes stared directly at me and I had to fight the urge to look behind to see if someone else


    was standing there. But no, I could feel the touch of his hand against my cheek, even the warmth


    emanating off his skin. This was real, he could see me.


    ¡°Aria¡­,¡± he said weakly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I replied.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to react. I was still unnerved by the whole situation. All I could do was stare down at


    him confused and uncertain. Was this part of the vision or had something changed? ¡°¡­Aria,¡± he called


    again. ¡°Cai? Can you see me?¡±


    I wrapped my fingers around the hand he was using to touch my cheek Maybe he was too weak to see


    me.


    ¡°.Aria.¡±


    I frowned at him. It was starting to feel more than just being unable to see me as he persisted i n trying to


    call out for me.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? I¡¯m right here.¡±


    His eyes continued to bore into mine intensely before, finally, it was like he saw me. I watched as his


    expression changed to one of worry.


    How could he be worried about me? He was the one who was dying.


    ¡°Aria¡­ wake up.¡± ¡°What....?¡±


    Wake¡­ up?


    Suddenly my vision evaporated, and I was looking up at Cai, his concerned face close to mine a s he


    was bent over my body. It was just like in my vision, I could feel his hand was on my cheek as a few tears


    had escaped my eyes. Had he actually not seen me as heldid dying then? Was it just a mesh of the


    two realities as they transitioned? It had already been a frightening ordeal having to confront him like that


    without the added fourth wall breaking.


    ¡°Aria?¡± he asked, seeing that I was bing more alert. It was too much. All of it it. My already weak


    body, the news of a ghosting back to haunt m e¡­ and then having to witness it for myself. I couldn¡¯t


    do this anymore. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his torso, pulling him down towards me. He


    had to act quickly to use his arms to support himself so he didn¡®tpletely crush me during the sudden


    embrace. I didn¡¯t care though. He couldn¡®t have broken every bone in my body and it still wouldn¡¯t have


    been enough. I cried into his chest, unable to process everything that had just happened. This gift was


    bing more like a curse every day. Had it really been necessary to be shown all of that? Caius Knight


    would die at the age of twenty¨Cone with no Luna, mate or child. I already knew that was his fate if


    nothing were to change, I didn¡®t need to be reminded. This wasn¡¯t like Myra where being able to see it


    happen in a vision had a real benefit. This felt more like I was being reprimanded.


    When I¡¯d finally calmed down, I released my grip on him, allowing for us both to sit up. My eyes were


    painfully sore and puffy, my body ached still from the training.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Yeah, you might have mentioned that already once or twice¡­ or ten times,¡± he joked.


    I couldn¡¯t reciprocate the joking half¨Csmile he gave me though.


    ¡°Aria, you need to tell me what the hell I just saw because I¡¯m really confused.¡± He sat down with his


    back against the wall and drank from my water bottle. I could see a small frown on his face as he was


    trying to process the situation. ¡°Is this like a medical condition you have? It was if you were asleep¡­


    except your eyes were open the whole time.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine now, really. I¡¯m sorry for worrying


    you.¡± I did my best to give him the best reassuring smile I could manage. ¡°Aria! Enough,¡± he suddenly


    said loudly, a tone of annoyance in his words. ¡°You¡¯re clearly not fine. Stop feeding me that same bullshit


    line. You weren¡¯t fine with Aleric and you¡¯re not fine with whatever hell that was. If you don¡®t tell me then


    I¡®m marching you to your mum right now and telling her exactly what I saw.¡±


    My face paled. If he took me to my mother then she would lock me up in the hospital for a few days in


    order to conduct extensive tests. And I could see I¡¯d upset Cai, my chest tightening with the guilt of


    seeing him like that. He was worried and wanted to know what was wrong. I owed him at least some sort


    of exnation.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s the Goddess mark,¡± I said slowly. ¡°It shows me¡­ nightmares sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Nightmares¡­? Like what?¡± ¡°L¡­ I see¡­,¡± my voice trailed off. A sh of Cai¡®s dying face came to mind


    and I shuddered. I couldn¡®t tell him. If I told them then I would need to exin my rebirth and it was


    something I wasn¡¯t ready to talk about with anyone.


    But even if I did tell him about my past life, how could I even begin to exin what I¡¯d seen? ¡®O h, by the


    way, Cai, I saw your death. Sorry about that. It was my bad? I¡®d either soundpletely insane or, if he


    did somehow believe me, he would probably not want to be around me anymore.


    ¡°...I¡®m not ready to talk about it,¡± I said finally. ¡°I really am sorry. I hope that this will be enough


    exnation for now.¡±


    He looked uneasy and I could tell he wanted to ask me more questions. ¡°Just¡­ believe me when I tell


    you¡­ I feel like this Goddess mark is shaping up to be more pain potem than it¡¯s worth.¡±


    It had only made things more difficult. I was living with visions of graphic murders and was now having to


    fight harder for my right to be left alone. Not to mention that, if I somehow didn¡¯t get assassinated by


    someone before mying of age, then it would need to be ssed as a miracle. This mark prevented


    me from ever being able to run away or even to live a peaceful life.


    Cai was reluctant but he finally agreed to leave it at that for now, having realised that I wasn¡¯t medically ill


    at least.


    After we had finished talking, Cai helped me get back home and we agreed on a new training schedule.


    He had banned me from any physical exercise for at least a week to allow my body to recover some of


    the damage I¡¯d already done, and he had even given me a new strict diet n. I gave it to the cook at my


    house and told them to keep it quiet from my parents in exchange for a pay rise. Finally, a few days into


    my mandatory bed rest week, I was upstairs in my room when a small knock came from the door. ¡°Come


    in!¡± I called out.


    The door opened slowly and an uneasy looking Lucy came walking in. I was confused about what she


    needed at first before I finally realised the date. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d almost forgotten.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry for the interruption, Miss. I¡¯ve finished organising most of the things you¡¯ve asked for, ¡± she said


    and handed me a mani folder.


    I opened it up and had a look Inside contained an array of information from a fake alias, bank ount


    details, financial estimates, to even the details for a private investigator. The PI looked to be qualified and


    came at the rmendation of a neighbouring pack who had used them in severalrge cases with a


    huge sess rate.


    I smiled at Lucy and was genuinely really pleased with all the work she¡¯d done. She only returned my


    smile with a look of concern. ¡°The PI is expecting half payment upfront¡­,¡± she said nervously, unsure if


    this news would upset me.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine!¡± I said cheerily and could see her rx a little. ¡°I actually have an errand for you t o run so


    he can expect payment within the next two weeks or so.¡±


    I turned to the side and started sifting through a few documents in my drawer until I found an envelope


    I¡¯d carefully prepared earlier. I handed it to Lucy. ¡°You¡¯ll need to use a third party you can trust for this


    task. Also, make sure they hold no tiest o the Winter Mist that can be traced back to you or me.¡±


    ¡°Miss?¡± she asked, tensing up again.


    I ignored her distress and kept going with the details. ¡°This letter needs to be delivered to Alpha


    Raymond Sullivan of the Hidden Moon pack directly. It is for his eyes only. Please ensure it is sent


    urgently as this is a time crucial errand.¡±


    ¡°Who is that? I¡¯ve never even heard of them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re arge pack to the far east so I wouldn¡¯t expect you to know them,¡± I exined.¡± They¡¯re


    actually quite wealthy.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°So, are you nning on asking them for money, Miss?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. As if they¡¯d just hand over free money.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Then what¡­.¡± Her words trailed off in thought.


    I smiled brightly at her, which only seemed to worry her more. ¡°I¡¯m going to ckmail them of course.¡±

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Chapter Twenty-Six ¡°M-miss, please don¡¯t make me do something illegal,¡± Lucy stuttered, taking a step


    back.


    I held up my hands to calm her down. ¡°Rx! Rx, jeez,¡± I said and ran a hand through my hair,


    sighing at her dramatics. ¡°I¡®m doing them a favour really.¡±


    She still looked incredibly ufortable. ¡°Do you trust me, Lucy?¡± I asked. She was silent, hesitating


    over how to reply back. Probably trying to figure out how to not offend me.


    ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t answer that,¡± Iughed. ¡°Do you want to get paid while saving a young girl¡®s life?¡±


    She took a few seconds to consider before nodding. ¡°See? It¡¯s not that bad. I promise nothing will go


    wrong. Just please ensure this gets to Alpha Raymond as soon as possible.¡± She shakily took the letter


    from my hands. ¡°Just don¡¯t think of it as ckmailing...,¡± I said, trying to reassure her. ¡°Just look at it


    more a S¡­. exploiting a situation for the benefit of both parties¡­ and then maybe some ckmailter.


    And it really was the truth. Everything I¡®d told Lucy was correct, but I tried not to tell her too much to


    protect her from bing liable should anything go wrong. Alpha Raymond was indeed the leader of an


    incredibly wealthy pack to the east. However, he didn¡¯t have many dealings on our side of the country so


    not many knew about him here. But I knew about him. In fact, in my past life, I¡®d had dealings with


    Raymond personally. He was an incredibly miserable old man who didn¡®t even put up a fight when it


    came time to have him pledge allegiance to the Winter Mist. It was like he had no fight left in him as he


    offered u p the tax payment without any issue whatsoever.


    I¡¯d found it a little unnerving how the whole takeover had been so easy and so I¡¯d sent some of the


    Winter Mist spies out to enter their pack. My hope was to uncover if it was all just an borate trap. I was


    surprised when they came back to tell me that the old man really didn¡®t care and was tormented by a


    tragic event that had happened several years earlier.


    An event where his only daughter had been kidnapped and was eventually killed. I was told they didn¡®t


    find her body until a yearter when someone discovered the old abandoned house they had holed her


    up in. The spies had also included a graphic condition report but I decided to leave that be, not wanting


    to hear the exact details of what had happened to the poor girl.


    The most tragic part about the entire thing was that it had been a ransom situation¡­ but the demand


    letter had never reached its destination to Raymond. I could picture the girl tied up


    and alone, waiting for her father toplete the payoff and save her, only to end up being killed. Had her


    final moments been of wondering whether her father valued his wealth more than her? Evidently, the


    kidnappers had believed that to be the case as they cut off all their loose ends very quickly and made a


    run for it. But things didn¡¯t need to turn out that way this time. My letter was asking for double the original


    ransom price in exchange for not only his daughter, but also her exact location where they could catch


    the culprits responsible. This would give them the advantage to hopefully take the kidnapperspletely


    by surprise. And sure, it wasn¡¯t the most altruistic thing I¡¯d ever done... but it by far wasn¡¯t the worse thing


    either. Having been given Raymond¡¯s financial statements in my previous life, I knew that double the


    ransom would still not evene close to making a dent in his wealth, and it would allow me to have a


    nice hefty sum to begin my personal investments.


    And if he didn¡¯t believe me or didn¡¯t want to pay up¡­ well, I knew a few of his dirty secrets, including


    some of the less legal means of how he was amassing money. I was hoping to keep this to just a case of


    exploitation, but I really would ckmail him for real if need be.


    The next couple of months went by incredibly quickly after that.


    My mary ploy with Alpha Raymond Sullivan had resulted in a huge sess. In fact, it only took two


    weeks from the time I¡¯d sent the letter. As an added bonus, I also found out from Lucy that his daughter


    had been rescued safely and waspletely unharmed. Hopefully, the old man wouldn¡¯t be so


    miserable now in the future, and I now had a very sizeable nest egg for my future endeavours.


    Lucy also met with the private investigator on my behalf. I gave her a letter that included all the details I


    knew about Thea Woods which, admittedly, really wasn¡®t all that much at all. It did feel a little odd to not


    know anything about her, but I chalked it up to avidly trying to avoid her all the time in the past. I knew at


    the very least she didn¡¯t originate from the Winter Mist since that would entail her being enrolled at my


    school, which she was not. I was assured that, i f she was out there, that the PI would be able to find her


    However, several months then passed and, during that time, I was yet to hear an encouraging update


    even once. But, despite his failures, I remained hopeful he would find her. He had to.


    As for Cai, we had well and truly started training and the progress already was obvious, even in just the


    short amount of time we¡¯d worked together. I quickly saw how the errors I¡¯d made during my solo attempt


    were very stupid inparison.


    And Cai actually ended up being a really great teacher. During our one-on-onebat practice, he was


    careful to teach me the correct technique whilst avoiding my blows skillfully. Though every now and then


    I would manage tond a hit and I¡®d immediately be incredibly conceited, overjoyed at the fact I had


    managed to do some damage. In hindsight, it was always a very short-lived victory as it was constantly


    followed up by being thrown t on my ass again before even five seconds had passed. But my progress


    in training was definitely evident. I looked healthier, stronger, and I was far more agile on my feet than


    before. In fact, that was the only advantage I ever managed to hold over Cai; he was a lot stronger with


    amazing skill, but my speed and agility were far better.


    We had set up a clear schedule where I¡¯d train with him Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and then on


    Tuesday and Thursday I was expected to work alone to build muscle and recover from whatever injuries


    I¡¯dst sustained. It worked extremely well¡­ even though Cai would show up ten to fifteen minuteste


    most days. I attributed this to the othermitments he had that required his attention. Sure, it irritated


    me how he wasn¡¯t punctual, but I tried my best to let it go knowing that he was doing me a favour at the


    end of the day.


    During the four months that had passed, I was feeling content with how everything in my life was tracking


    ..Things were finally going smoothly.


    Today, I was sitting in the school library with Myra during lunch and assisting with her homework. Her


    questions were always ridiculously easy but I enjoyed seeing her face light up with excitement as soon


    as she understood the topic. I always felt this weird warm feeling whenever I looked at her. Maybe


    because I¡¯d saved her life? Did that equate to one less name I would need to atone for killing in my past


    life? ¡°Um¡­ Aria?¡± Myra asked hesitantly.


    I had been lost in my thoughts whilst eating my apple that I hadn¡¯t even realised she¡¯d stopped to look at


    me.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Are you stuck?¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    I looked down at her homework but saw she had finished the question already.


    ¡°No! No¡­ I was just wondering¡­ if maybe you¡¯d like to hang out on the weekend? ¡­With me?¡± Hang


    out? Like... go to a clothes shop or something? With someone else? It seemed like such a foreign


    concept to me. Wasn¡¯t that something young girls usually did with their friends? ¡°Hang... out?¡± I repeated


    slowly. ¡°I¡®m sorry if it seems like a dumb idea! You can just forget I said anything.¡± She quickly turned her


    head back to her book.


    I didn¡¯t really have time on the weekends¡­ but I felt a pang of guilt seeing her look so disappointed.


    Suddenly, Cai entered the library before I could reply, a sight shocking in itself. I had assumed he spent


    most of his lunches ying sports with the other guys at school.


    ¡°Hello, lovelydies,¡± he suavely greeted us, throwing a wink in our direction.


    I rolled my eyes at his cheesy attempt of charm. He really was incessant ¡°What are you doing here,


    Cai?¡± I asked, mildly irritated that he was bothering our study session.


    ¡°Just checking up on my two favourite gals,¡± he replied and walked over to us. I watched in horror as he


    then grabbed the apple from out of my hand and took a massive bite out of it.


    ¡°What the hell, Cai? Are you really that bored?¡± I snatched my apple back and eyed the bite he¡¯d taken


    with distaste. ¡°Don¡¯t you have someone else you can annoy?¡±


    Not wanting to waste my only snack, I decided to continue to eat my apple despite his unsavoury action.


    ¡°So cruel to me, Aria,¡± he joked, cing a hand over his heart in mock pain. I turned to Myra to see if she


    was finding his crap just as annoying as me, but instead saw her staring at my apple with burning red


    cheeks. When she noticed I¡®d caught her looking she instantly blushed and turned her face away.


    If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say that look was almost as bad as if she¡¯d just caught us making out on


    the table. I wondered what she would think if she saw how close we got duringbat fighting, seeing


    that she was getting this worked up over just a shared apple. ¡°Alright, leave us alone, you¡¯re making


    Myra ufortable.¡± I shoved his shoulder to try and get him to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at training this


    afternoon. Please try and not bete this time.¡±


    However, it definitely turned out to be a case of famousst words.


    Because that afternoon, I stood in the gym waiting for him¡­ but he never arrived.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t arrive even after an hour had passed. I had sat by the door with nothing to do the entire


    time¡­ and had just waited. Had my life really resulted in being forgotten so easily?


    Frustrated, I grabbed my bag and walked out of the gym, not wanting to spend another minute waiting for


    that jerk. If he did end up showing up then I hoped he felt bad when he noticed I¡¯d left already.


    But as I walked through a few of the halls, I suddenly thought I could hear his voice. Had he really been


    here the whole time and didn¡¯t even give me the courtesy of cancelling?


    I was so angry I felt my blood suddenly rush through my veins. Ten or fifteen minuteste was


    excusable, but over an entire hour? And to not even let me know when he was just down a few halls? I


    was livid.


    I stormed up to the ssroom and threw the door open. ¡°Cai, you absolute asshole. How could you do


    tha¡ª.¡± But I never got to finish my sentence. I never got to finish my sentence because I waspletely


    taken off guard by the half-naked Cai who was clearly having his way with one of the female senior


    grade students.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Chapter Twenty-Seven ¡°Aria!?¡±


    He had understandably been surprised to see me, so had the girl under him who was also missing her


    shirt


    She wasying down on a school desk, legs wrapped around him, and I quickly averted my gaze before I


    saw anything else. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± he yelled. I could hear the sound of him zipping


    his pants back up and tugging a shirt on. ¡°What am I doing here?¡± I repeated incredulously. ¡°You mean


    why am I here after you made m e wait for over an hour?!¡±


    I turned back around to face him having assumed it was safe to do so now. ¡°Oh shit, was that today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? You don¡¯t recall even though I literally reminded you only a few hours ago?!¡± He rubbed at


    the back of his neck staring at the ground. At least he looked a little guilty. But it didn¡¯t matter because I


    was furious. Nothing he was going to be able to say would make me calm down. It was like something


    inside me had been triggered and I could feel myself losing control.


    ¡°...I¡®m sorry, Aria.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sorry?! You were so preupied screwing this girl that you couldn¡®t even let


    me know you wanted to cancel?¡±


    He looked up to face me then and I felt that same familiar feeling of wanting so badly to buckle under the


    weight of those eyes. But not today. Today, I refused to back down as it fuelled my rage.


    ¡°Woah, hey,¡± the girl interjected. ¡°Let¡¯s leave me out of this, okay? I don¡®t need to be caught u p in your


    weird¡­ Goddess mark shit.¡±


    If I¡®d still had my wolf, I would have ripped her throat out right then and there. It was probably her lucky


    day that I was still underage. ¡°Kira,¡± Cai warned, making it clear that he didn¡®t think what she¡¯d said was


    appropriate. ¡°I think it¡¯s best that you leave if you truly don¡¯t want to get involved.¡± ¡°Alright, fine. Enjoy


    your kiddie after school ytime,¡± she said with a huff. I scrutinised her u p and down, watching as she


    fixed her skirt until, finally, she walked towards the door. I was d to see her hightail it out of here, but


    the feelingsted only a few seconds.


    ¡°Freak,¡± she whispered as she walked past me.


    I raised my hand so quick, seconds away from grabbing her, but suddenly Cai was there, restraining me


    in his grip. I conceded to just stare venomously at her until she left.


    ¡°Aria, calm down already.¡± ¡°Is that how you see me?¡± I asked, ignoring his request. I turned towards him,


    feeling a wave of angry tears bubbling to the surface. I gritted my teeth i n an attempt to stop them from


    falling but it didn¡®t work. ¡°See you¡¯?¡± he asked, confused. ¡°Like a child! A charity case! ¡­A freak.¡± He let


    go of my arm in surprise. ¡°What? No, of course not.¡± 1 ¡°But you¡¯d rather spend your time here in her


    skirt? Because I¡¯m not as entertaining, right? Because you think I¡®m just a kid?¡±


    He sighed and shuffled ufortably. ¡°...You¡®ll understand when you¡¯re older.¡±


    I burst intoughter. Was that really all he could say? I was mentally eight years older than


    nerve to think I didn¡®t understand exactly what he had been doing and why.


    I advanced on him quickly, striding towards him with an absolute conviction. With every step I took, he


    paced backwards in response, unsettled by my sudden approach. But I kept walking all the way until his


    back was up against the wall and finally trapped. And I stared up into his eyes with extreme seriousness.


    ¡°Do you truly believe I don¡¯t know anything, Cai?¡±


    He was still trying to press himself further up against the wall, but it was a futile attempt. The only thing


    creating distance between us now was our height difference. When he eventually came to the same


    conclusion that there was no point in trying to move, he finally looked down at me, his eyes searching


    mine as if he was looking for something. I waited for his reply as he opened and closed his mouth


    several times, almost as if trying to find the right words to say but nothing woulde out. Then, finally, I


    lost patience. I angrily sighed and turned away, heading towards the door. ¡°You want to know which of us


    is the child? Go take a good, hard look at yourself, Cai.¡± ¡°Aria, wait,¡± he called after me. ¡°I¡®ll make it up to


    you. We can do some extra lessons and I¡¯ll even teach you a special fighting technique only taught at my


    pack¡± I disregarded what he was saying and kept walking, choosing to reply without even turning to look


    at him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Cai. I¡®d rather not spend my time with someone who can¡¯t even take me seriously.¡±


    ¡°Well, then you¡®ll get your wish anyway,¡± he called out. ¡°I¡®m not going to be here for much longer.¡±


    I paused in my tracks and finally looked back at him.


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean my exchange is up in a week or so. I¡¯m going to be forced to head home soon.¡±


    Whatever feeling of calm I had managed to hold a few moments ago was abruptly thrown out the


    window, my fury being reignited. I wasn¡¯t sure what made me angrier; the fact he¡¯d ditched me for over


    an hour to get into a girl¡¯s pants, or the fact he had been nning to leave so soon and hadn¡¯t even


    brought it up until now. ¡°Are you actually telling me right now that you were nning to go back home in


    a week, and you weren¡¯t even going to tell me?!¡± ¡°No! I was going to tell you! Of course, I was.¡± ¡°When?!


    via a letter when you¡¯d already returned?! I thought we were friends, Cai. What the fuck is wrong with


    you?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t be stupid!¡±


    I stormed back towards him, quickly making up the ground I¡¯d previously made between us. ¡°You want to


    make it up to me, Cai?¡± I asked rhetorically. ¡°Fine then.¡± I threw a punch towards his face that he dodged


    effortlessly, moving his head to the side to avoid the blow.


    ¡°Aria¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    He took a step back to make some distance, but I didn¡¯t let him get away. I swept my leg up at him in an


    attempt to hit his side, but he quickly blocked it with his arm. ¡°What do you mean? You thought this was


    going to be fixable by just a simple make up training session, right? Well then, hit me, Cai!¡± I shifted my


    weight to my other leg and tried to surprise him with a kick from my other foot. The movement was fast


    enough that he did almost miss it, but at thest second, he grabbed my ankle, holding me in ce.


    ¡°Stop this,¡± he growled. I refused to listen to him, his request only making me want to hit him more for


    trying to tell m e what to do.


    He still hadn¡¯t let go of my leg, so I took the opportunity to grab onto one of the desks behind me, using it


    as leverage to support my weight. Lifting myself into the air, I then kicked him square in the chest, forcing


    him to release my ankle and stumble several feet backwards.


    ¡°Hit me, Cai,¡± I said trying to goad him, covering the space I¡¯d just made again.


    ¡°No.¡±


    I went to punch him in the jaw, and, to my surprise, he didn¡¯t even try to defend himself this time. My hit


    landed perfectly against the side of his face and I was left staring at my hand in disbelief.


    ¡°What are you doing..?¡± I asked inplete shock.


    But he didn¡¯t answer me. Unsure about what else to do, I then tried to hit him again; a right hook straight


    into his stomach. He coughed and stumbled back but, still, he didn¡¯t try to defend himself.


    I screamed out in anger at his refusal to engage and ran up to him, hitting him again and again several


    more times, all of which he endured and never once raised a hand against me.


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    ¡°I said fucking hit me, Cai!¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t!¡± he finally yelled back. ¡°This isn¡®t the gym, this isn¡®t training. I¡¯m


    not going to hurt you.¡± The weight of his words slowly started to wear me down as I continued to attack


    him, my punches against him slowly bing weaker. ¡°¡­Please¡­ hit me¡­.¡± I could feel my tears


    coming back and I swallowed hard to keep them at bay. He refused to answer and continued to let me


    come at him. When I finally admitted that he wasn¡¯t going to react, I slumped to my knees in front of him,


    defeated. It had only taken a few more hits before I had finally stopped, my tears having fallen enough by


    that point to obscure my vision.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± he asked after several moments had passed. I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. I couldn¡¯t stand


    this feeling of being insignificant once again. Was it actually impossible to hope someone would put me


    first for once? That I would be someone¡¯s priority? 1


    Because I realised that was the real reason as to why I was so angry. It wasn¡¯t about the girl, or about


    him beingte¡­ it was because I thought Cai had actually cared about me, that we were friends. But I


    knew there was no real reason for him to have felt that way. He was an incredibly charismatic and


    friendly guy to every person he met. The truth was he probably had a tonne of friends, maybe even a


    best friend waiting for him at home. And yet I¡®d had the audacity to assume that maybe I was equally that


    important to him. ¡­ That maybe I mattered. ¡°...Go,¡± I whispered quietly. ¡°What did you just say?¡± he


    asked, sounding unsure as to whether he¡¯d heard right.


    ¡°I said go, Cai!¡± I yelled, shooting my head up to meet his gaze. ¡°Leave already! Go back to your territory


    and have a great life!¡± He didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second longer. He just turned around and left straight


    out the door, not needing to be told a third time.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Chapter Twenty-Eight I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. My mind kept trying to justify


    his actions, justify how he¡¯d treated me. Really, it was probably my fault for thinking we were closer than


    he felt we were. I¡¯d realised toote that I¡®d built up some sort of reliance on him without even knowing. It


    was such a bittersweet feeling to have had something I craved so close, only for it to be taken away


    having never realised it was there. And the worst part was that the entire time I¡¯d been back, I¡¯d been


    telling myself not to get close to anyone again¡­ and yet here I was, crying over a stupid teenager of all


    people.


    It had been self-indulgent of me to begin with given the circumstances. I didn¡¯t know why I felt I deserved


    to feel validated by him. Did I think that, if we became friends, then what I did i n my past life to him


    would be forgiven? I still carried that burden around with me, one which still weighed heavily on my


    shoulders. It was something I¡¯dpletely buried within myself, had forced myself to forget, only for it to


    be dredged back up again once I¡¯d found out who Cai really was. I stayed in the ssroom for at least


    another half an hour. It was silly but, even though I knew Cai would have well and truly left already, I


    couldn¡¯t make myself move for fear I¡¯d see him whilst trying to get home.


    When I did eventually manage to pick myself up to leave, I could feel my muscles were sore and ached


    all over. I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but my body had been shaking the entire time I¡¯d stayed slumped on


    the cold ground. It had been too much stress, too much emotion to handle all at once, and my tiny young


    body had struggled topensate.


    I now wanted nothing more than to be left alone and to be allowed to think over everything that had just


    happened, everything I¡¯d just done. And so, I arrived back at my house and entered silently, being


    greeted by an attendant at the front door as I walked past.


    ¡°Wee home, Saintess,¡± she said, bowing slightly. Ordinarily, I probably would have just ignored it but


    having the fresh reminder irritated me after everything I¡¯d just been through.


    ¡°I¡®m not a Saintess yet,¡± I snapped, narrowing my eyes at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said a voice behind me. ¡°You¡®re not. And do you know why?¡±


    I turned around and saw my mother leaning against the doorway to the living room with a stern look on


    her face. Her arms were folded as she looked down at me.


    ¡°Because you still haven¡¯t fulfilled the Elders¡¯ summons for you to have your confirmationpleted,¡±


    she continued, not waiting for me to reply. ¡°They sent yet another letter today¡­


    -wait, have you been crying?¡± ¡°No,¡± I answered tly, hinting at her to drop it. ¡°And I don¡¯t want the


    confirmation. Just the mere possibility of having the mark is already terrifying enough to most of the


    pack, why would I want to make that worse?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to agree that you¡¯re safer without the official formalities, you can¡¯t just


    ignore them and expect that they¡®ll stop asking you.¡±


    ¡°Screw the Elders,¡± I said flippantly and tried to keep walking to my room.


    ¡°Aria.¡±


    Her voice was one of warning that I¡¯d gone too far, stopping me in my tracks. I wanted to scream at her


    that I didn¡¯t want to deal with this right now, but I didn¡®t want to take my frustration out on her.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, forfeiting. ¡°Do you have one of their letters I can look at?¡±


    She handed me a silver envelope with a wolf insignia on it and I read through it carefully, looking for


    anything that might help me. ¡°It doesn¡¯t specify how many Elders are actually required for the


    confirmation.¡± ¡°Well¡­ no, why would it?¡± she asked confused. ¡°Does it need to be all of them or is only


    one technically required for the inspection process?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d need to check¡­ but I¡¯d assume just one would be sufficient¡­,¡± she said slowly.


    ¡°Fine then. Set a date. But I have one condition.¡± I handed her the envelope back and started walking to


    my room again. ¡°I¡®ll only go if it¡®s conducted by Elder Luke, and only Elder Luke.¡± ¡°Aria, wait. Do you want


    to talk about what¡¯s going on? I can clearly see you¡¯re upset,¡± she called up the stairs after me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a long day. I need to rest.¡±


    I locked myself in my room after that and fell asleep quickly.


    All night I was gued with nightmares of Cai¡®s death and the names of those I¡¯d hurt before. The ordeal


    with him at school must have been prevalent enough inside my mind for my inner guilty conscience to


    drag up the unpleasant memories. I eventually awoke in the morning feeling more exhausted than when I


    had gone to sleep. It was a Saturday and so I, unfortunately, wouldn¡®t be able to stay in bed for long; I


    would be expected to show up for Luna studies. The sses usually covered topics such as etiquette,


    event organisation, names of important figures and more. I had been trying to y along thest few


    months, pretending I didn¡¯t know the material she was teaching, but it was beginning to feel tiresome at


    this point and the tutor could probably tell.


    Normally, the lessons should have been taught by a dowager Luna but, since my session was still not


    confirmed via an official mate bond, I was given just an experienced tutor instead. She was an olderdy


    named Helen Stewart who I think stemmed originally from a Beta family in a neighbouring territory. Her


    mate had been no one of importance, having been born the youngest in a family of five, but she had


    been close friends with the Luna of her pack before their passing, hence her vast amount of knowledge


    on the subject. And so, I found myself sitting at the dining room table across from the olddy, wishing I


    was anywhere else. She was going through and listing off all the influential houses of the northern packs


    in excruciating detail.


    Eventually, I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    ¡°And that brings us to the next family,¡± she said. ¡°There is the Lycroft family with their Alpha


    ¡°David.¡±


    I¡¯d interjected so we both said the name at the same time.


    She gave me a side-eye look of caution but continued anyway. ¡°¡­And his three sons¡ª.¡±


    ¡°Jeremy, Thomas and Peter.¡±


    She stopped talking and looked at me face-on, a little annoyed that I¡¯d interrupted with the answers. I


    sighed, finally too tired to keep up the charade.


    ¡°Look, Helen,¡± I said, addressing her by her actual name for the first time. Typically, I would have had to


    address her as ¡®Mrs Stewart¡¯. ¡°I know you¡¯re a smart woman and so I know you¡¯ve probably figured out


    by now that I¡¯ve been feigning ignorance over everything you¡¯ve been teaching me thesest few


    months. I¡¯m not even mad. In fact, I admire yourmitment to not telling my parents in order to keep


    getting paid.¡± ¡°...Pardon...?¡±


    ¡°So, what I¡®m going to do is,¡± I said, pulling out my cheque book. ¡°I¡®m going to give you your full days pay


    right now, and then when my parentse home tonight, you¡¯re going to tell them that I¡¯ming along


    nicely with all my studies. They will then proceed to also hand you your full days pay and you will get to


    walk out of here with double your wage. All you have to do is tell them I was here the whole day whilst I


    go out. How does that sound?¡±


    Her eyes went as wide as saucers having been takenpletely aback by my very sudden change in


    attitude.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Won¡¯t they notice when two debits for my paye out of their ount?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean because of this?¡± I asked, pointing to the small booklet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. This is


    my own personal ount. My parents have no control over these funds.¡±


    She looked as if she didn¡¯t know how to reply. It was almost as if I could see her brain turning, trying to


    figure out exactly what was actually happening. ¡°I really feel like we cane to a mutual understanding


    that will benefit both of us here, Helen.¡±


    She took a few moments to consider further before mutely nodding her head in agreement.


    ¡°Brilliant. I¡¯ve always thought you were a very, very intelligent woman, Helen. One of the many things I


    admire about you,¡± I said as I started writing out her cheque. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before my parents get home


    tonight.¡±


    I stood up and walked past her towards the front door, cing the cheque in front of her as I went without


    even looking back. Even when I had left the house entirely, she still never managed to say a single word


    to me. t


    I stepped outside into the fresh air that smelt like freedom and wondered what to do. This would be the


    very first Saturday off to myself out of both of the lives I¡¯d lived.


    So¡­ what did young girls do when they had too much time on their hands and an abundance of wealth?


    And then suddenly I had an amazing idea.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Chapter Twenty-Nine


    Chapter Twenty-Nine Within the hour, I found myself at a clothing store in town with one very over


    excited Myra by my side.


    The look of herplete unabridged joy when I¡¯d shown up at her door to ask if she wanted to hang out,


    had been worth the bribe to skip out on Luna studies. I didn¡¯t particrly need clothes, nor have any


    desire to impress anyone, but spending time with the one positive presence I could always count on was


    refreshing. Seeing her flutter around looking at the different outfits while gushing about how good they¡¯d


    look on was so simplistic and easy. I was able to rx and shut my mind off to everything that had gone


    wrong the day before.


    However, after we¡¯d gone to several shops, I started to notice a trend with Myra. She seemed t o love so


    many of the clothes she would try on, which was a fair amount of them, but every time she would leave


    the store without buying anything. When we had reached the fifth shop, I watched hering out of the


    changing room with a


    gorgeous red dress on. Itplimented her hair and figure perfectly.


    ¡°Wow, Myra, I really love that one,¡± I said encouragingly.


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s so pretty!¡± she did a spin in the mirror, checking it from all angles. When she was finally


    satisfied with how it looked, she went back into the changing room to return to her normal clothes.


    ¡°Ready to go to the next store?¡± she asked once she¡¯d finished dressing. I watched and saw how, once


    again, she returned the dress back to the clothing rack without purchasing it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to buy it?


    It really did look amazing on you.¡± She smiled a little timidly. ¡°No, that¡¯s ok.¡±


    I frowned, confused as to why she wouldn¡¯t want to buy something when I was under the impression the


    whole point of the shopping trip was to¡­ Well, shop.


    ¡°No seriously, I think you should get it! It will be great for semi-formal events!¡±


    Her cheeks suddenly became red and she looked away a little awkwardly.


    ¡°Ah¡­ the truth is,¡± she said hesitantly, ¡°the stores around here are a little out of my price range.¡±


    I stared down at the price tag on the dress but only got more confused. I¡¯d chosen this strip of stores in


    town because they always looked to have a lower price range. And it wasn¡¯t even an expensive dress by


    any means. I knew I had been born into a wealthy family, but I still had an understanding of what would


    constitute as expensive. And this dress definitely wasn¡¯t that pricey. ¡°Where do you normally shop then?¡±


    ¡°Oh, downtown. There are some really nice second-hand shops there that usually have some amazing


    finds.¡±


    I stared at her, seeing her now in apletely new light. Of course, that perspective wasn¡¯t due to the


    fact she had minimal spare funds, but rather because she had always acted so kind and cheery to


    people regardless of her home situation. She had never let on that things were any different from the


    other kids at school. ¡°¡­ You never told me,¡± I said finally. ¡°Because it¡¯s not a big deal!¡± she said with a


    smile. ¡°I¡¯m actually really fine with how things in my life are. My family owns the local orphanage and so


    we donate a lot of what we have to help support the children in our care.¡±


    It was probably the most goodwill life story I¡¯d ever heard. It only made me want to protect Myra even


    more and never let anything ever hurt her. She was too precious for this world. ¡°That¡¯s really incredible of


    you and your family to do that,¡± I said. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine! But, oh, actually¡­,¡± she said, touching a finger to her


    lip in thought, ¡°if you¡¯re interested, it would really mean a lot if you¡¯de to our big annual charity event


    that we¡¯ll b e hosting soon. I¡¯m sure the children would love to meet you in person. A few of them look up


    t o you already.¡±


    Look up¡­ to me? Like a role model? I¡¯d never aspired to call myself that, or even ever considered that it


    could be possible. I didn¡¯t understand why anyone would want to be like me If they ever truly found out


    who I was then they would probably all be terrified of me.


    Myra saw my conflicted expression and immediately backtracked. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want t oe! It


    wasn¡¯t meant to pressure you into doing something you didn¡¯t want to do.¡± ¡°No! No¡­ it¡¯s fine,¡± I replied


    with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d love toe. Let me know all the details and I¡¯ll definitely be there.¡±


    Her face lit up with excitement and immediately squealed, pulling me into a hug. I was takenpletely


    off guard by her sudden embrace and it took a few seconds before I finally put an arm around her in


    return.


    She must have felt my uneasiness because she pulled away almost immediately.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry!¡± she stammered. I shook my head, a small smile of my own to show her I was okay. ¡°Don¡¯t


    be.¡±


    Truthfully, I didn¡¯t mind. I wasn¡¯t exactly the most affectionate of people by any means, given my past


    history, but I was pretty sure Myra was by far one of the most pure-hearted people I¡¯d ever met.


    I think a part of me had always known that though. Every day, subconsciously, I had been putting on the


    moonstone ne she¡¯d given me and I felt a slight glimmer of peace whenever I touched it. It


    reminded me that I was capable of doing good and that there were good people out there, even when I


    refused to acknowledge it. Maybe I had been relying on Myra this entire time too, just like I had been Cai.


    My eyes wandered to the red dress again behind her, a small nagging in my head ensuing. And


    so, I reached for the dress, folding it over my arm. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked, surprised. ¡°If you¡¯re


    going to be hosting a big annual charity event then you need to look the part.¡± Her jaw dropped. She


    looked as if I¡¯d just told her she was expelled from school. 1


    ¡°No, Aria, you can¡¯t! It¡¯s too much.¡± She tried to tug the dress out of my arms but I pulled it away from her.


    ¡°Myra, it¡¯s fine! Seriously.¡± Iughed at her overreaction to something so small.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll try and pay you back! I promise!¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to have to point this out


    because I¡¯m not trying to show off¡­ but this dress¡¯ price is literally pocket change for me, Myra.¡±


    She paused and stopped protesting for a second to think.


    ¡°Seriously, if I can¡¯t spoil my¡­ friend, then what¡¯s the point?¡± It was such a difficult thing to say. ¡®Friend¡¯.


    Just one word and yet I was terrified of it; terrified of the vulnerability it might open me up to. And whilst it


    was true that I still held my reservations about the whole thing, I had to admit that Myra was probably just


    a genuinely nice girl through and through.


    I couldn¡¯t see myself ever truly opening up to anyone, not even Myra, but I needed to realise that having


    her in my life had been nice. And at a basic level, that¡¯s what friendship was; a mutual want to be around


    another person because they made you happy.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She had never given me any indication that I was anything less than someone she just enjoyed being


    around. In fact, her original invitation to hang out with me had been her decision. She hadn¡¯t seen me


    have a meltdown in front of Aleric or cry in front of Cai. I knew she wasn¡¯t hanging out with me being she


    felt bad for me. Her motive had been pure, as evident when she spoke to me first even before I¡¯d saved


    her life. It took a few seconds for her to register exactly what I¡¯d just said, but as soon as it clicked her


    whole face lit back up, realising I¡¯d just called her my friend. ¡°Aria, oh my gosh, thank you!¡± She threw her


    arms back around me but I was still carrying the dress, stopping me from being able to hug her back. Her


    excitement almost made me lose bnce and fall to the ground. ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    Iughed and pulled away from the overly enthusiastic Myra before shepletely toppled m e over. ¡°It¡¯s


    fine, don¡¯t even mention it.¡±


    The reality was that I could have bought her every dress in the store and it wouldn¡¯t have even made a


    dent in the funds I¡¯d umted so far. The investments I¡¯d made were already


    ridiculously sessful since I knew from my past life exactly which businesses would spike in profit


    quickly. A part of me wanted to offer to buy Myra whatever her heart desired, no matter the cost, but I


    didn¡¯t want her to feel as if I was unting my wealth at her. I would need to just subtly spoil her from time


    to time without being too obvious.


    I bought the dress, and we were leaving to go to the next store, when suddenly she pointed at something


    she saw outside.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Cai?¡±


    And I swore my heart stopped. Every part of my body tensed up immediately at the sound of his name. I


    followed her finger to where she was looking and, sure enough, Cai was there. It looked as though he


    had been grabbing some supplies from the shop across the street. ¡°We should go say hi,¡± Myra said,


    about to drag me over to where he was. ¡°No!¡± I said a little too loudly. She looked at me strangely and I


    had topose myself before continuing again. ¡°No, he¡¯s probably busy. Let¡¯s not bother him.¡± ¡°Why?


    He¡¯s leaving tomorrow. This will be ourst chance to see him.¡± I shot my head back to look at her,


    shocked. ¡°¡­What do you mean? I thought he wasn¡¯t leaving for another week?¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t he tell


    you?¡± she asked, surprised to hear Cai hadn¡¯t spoken to me. She probably thought it was odd given how


    close we seemed. ¡°He stopped by my house after schoolst night to say he had somethinge up


    and was having to head home sooner than expect.¡±


    My chest tightened. Had I been that ¡®something¡¯ that hade up? I quickly shook the thought off


    though as I realised I was doing it again. I was assuming that I was more important to him than I really


    was. He probably had a home emergencye up and was needing to leave sooner than expected. ¡°¡­


    Right, okay,¡± I said absent-mindedly, turning back to stare at him through the window. So, this really


    would be thest chance I¡¯d have to see Cai before he left then. It seemed like such a strange concept


    given how much of my new life he¡¯d taken up. Did I really want to leave things the way we had? I knew


    that at his age and being an Alpha heir, he would now be extremely busy undertaking new duties


    upon arriving home. Because of this, it was very likely we would never see each other again. It had


    already been a strange fate for us to have met the way we had in this life and so the chances of meeting


    again seemed very improbable.


    And then another horrible thought hit me. If I never saw him again, what would happen to his future?


    Would his father stille to the Winter Mist and be killed by Aleric if nothing changed? Would Cai still


    end up bleeding out on that battlefield? I felt like I wanted to throw u p just thinking about it. Maybe I


    should have told him the truth, told him to keep his father as far away from here as possible. Was it


    selfish to have kept it from him in order to protect myself instead? Who was I to put his life in my hands


    once again? I was lost in my head, debating over what I should do, when suddenly his golden eyes


    looked u p towards the store. ¡­And he caught me staring right at him.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Chapter Thirty


    Chapter Thirty A million thoughts and feelings swept through me as I scrambled to figure out what to do.


    Should I wave? Smile? Walk over to him? ¡­Pretend that I¡¯m actually looking at the shop behind him? It


    was a sort of nervous energy that made my legs shuffle under me and my heart race.


    I had so much to say to him, yet so much I shouldn¡¯t have said to begin with.


    And yet the most important thing, at the forefront of my mind, was still the debate as to whether I should


    tell him about the future. Because I knew he had a right to know, even if I ended up sounding insane.


    I took a step towards him and began to hold up my hand to wave.


    ¡°Cai¡­¡±


    But I didn¡¯t get to finish my sentence as he instantly looked away, turning back down to pack his bag. All I


    could do was watch mutely as he got onto his motorbike and kick it into ignition, not even bothering to


    look at me again before he rode off. It was as if he¡¯d just mmed a door in my face. I stood there


    shocked with my hand still partially raised, embarrassment creeping up on me. My cheeks burned at


    being left looking stupid on the side of the street. ¡°¡­Aria?¡± Myra asked, sounding unsure over whether


    she should ask about what just happened. I balled my hand up into a loose fist and brought it down to


    hold against my chest. It was fine. I deserved that. Cai may not realise how much danger he would be in


    one day, but I did. And I still had a chance to make a change for the better. Even if I never saw him


    again, even if he never thought of me ever again, I would still do my best to keep him safe. Whatever it


    took. I vowed to never let Aleric start that war which would be the beginning of the end. It was a


    horrifying reminder that I¡¯d been procrastinating figuring out just whatid ahead for my future. If I


    embraced my Sainthood and dered ultimate authority, then I would need to b e amassing allies right


    now for the eventual political takeover within the pack. It was something I didn¡¯t want to initiate if possible


    as it put my entire family at risk and would only serve to create a civil war. But then that didn¡¯t leave me


    with many options.


    I hated to admit it but, when the time came, I knew I may need to prepare myself for the worst -case


    scenario in order to save the people I cared about, including Cai. If there really were no options left after


    exhausting all possibilities, then maybe, one day¡­ I would need to take up m y Luna position once more.


    ¡°Aria?¡± Myra asked again, having be worried over my extended silence. It pulled me out of the deep


    thoughts I¡¯d been trapped in. A rabbit hole of grim reminders I didn¡¯t want to think about just yet. I had to


    forcefully push them aside inside my mind. There was no reason to get caught up thinking about it yet.


    There were still so many years before I¡¯d be hard-pressed to make a


    decision. ¡°¡­Sorry,¡± I said, still a little out of it. She frowned, pursing her lip a little. ¡°What was that? Cai


    definitely saw you right?¡± I rubbed at my forearm feeling a little awkward still. ¡°¡­I guess not.¡± She was


    silent in thought but let it go. Myra knew me well enough by now to know that, if I didn¡¯t feel like talking


    about something, then I wouldn¡¯t. She was used to my normally reserved attitude.


    ¡°¡­Did you want to get something to eat?¡± she finally asked. And I forced a smile on my face. ¡°That¡¯s a


    great idea.¡±


    A few minutester, we¡¯d walked down to the food district and were checking out all the different cafes


    and restaurants. There was a pretty great variety and I was excited to try something different. Normally


    all the special meals I had were either prepared at the house of someone important, or we¡¯d attend one


    of the upscale restaurants reserved for the upper ranked only. It was refreshing to not feel pressured to


    act so carefully with my words and actions for once.


    As we rounded the corner, a small cottage style cafe then caught my eye suddenly, almost obscured


    completely by trees and nts. It would be easy for someone to walk by without seeing it. There was a


    sort of beauty about it and I knew this was the ce I wanted to eat at for my very first average citizen


    meal. ¡°Let¡¯s got here, Myra,¡± I said, pointing to the little cafe. We both walked up to it and inspected the


    menu outside on a little podium. ¡°Oh, Aria, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a little expensive. Maybe we can try


    somewhere else?¡± But I was adamant about wanting to eat here. I didn¡¯t care what it meant in order to


    persuade her. I had told myself I wasn¡¯t going to try and buy her things often, knowing it may make her


    feel awkward, but I really did have my heart set on this little ce. It was so beautiful yet private. ¡°It¡¯s


    fine, I¡¯ll pay for your meal.¡± ¡°Aria, you can¡¯t pay for everything in my life,¡± she said. ¡°I can do things myself


    too.¡± ¡°But this is my first time going to a normal cafe. Please, can we go?¡± I looked at her with hopeful


    eyes and finally her frown softened. ¡°¡­Okay, fine,¡± she said, yielding. I smiled brightly at her and was


    about to tell her how excited I was but she cut me off before I could. ¡°¡­On one condition.¡± ¡°Condition?¡±


    ¡°You have to tell me what happened between you and Cai,¡± she said with a serious face. ¡°And don¡¯t even


    try to tell me nothing happened because I¡¯ve gotten to know both of you pretty


    well over thesest few months. Something is off.¡±


    I bit at the inside of my cheek and debated over whether it was really worth telling her. I didn¡¯t know how


    to talk about the things that had happened or why they had affected me so much. T o give her the full


    picture it would require me to tell her about my previous life, of which I couldn¡¯t do.


    ¡°Does it really matter? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re ever going to see him again.¡±


    She flinched at my overly harsh words and I instantly felt bad about it. ¡°You know, I normally don¡¯t push


    you on things like this,¡± she said, ¡°but I care about both you and Cai. Can you please tell me just this


    once?¡± I sighed. I could probably give her a basic rundown of the events without going into too much


    detail. She might think I overreacted, and to an extent I probably did, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell her why


    it hurt me so badly. ¡°¡­Okay,¡± I agreed reluctantly. She smiled and grabbed my hand to pull me into the


    little cafe. Inside it waspletely stunning. There was a small patio that wrapped around the back


    which had vines creeping along the walls and fencing. Though it looked like it may have been a bit older


    on the outside, the interior was heavily renovated and modern in a homey kind of way.


    A waitress greeted us by the door and her eyes went wide when she realised who I was, my silver hair


    and violet eyes being something I couldn¡¯t exactly hide from other pack members i n public. But it was


    easy to ignore her reaction since I had also been getting the same expression from the store vendors all


    day.


    She quickly led us to a spot on the patio that overlooked a forest below us and, much to my delight, we


    could even see some of the mountains in the distance. It was obviously the best seat in the house and I


    was definitely impressed. It acted as a nice reminder of howrge and diverse, not only our pack was,


    but also the territory we lived on.


    ¡°What are you thinking of ordering?¡± I asked after we¡¯d settled down. Myra had spent some time studying


    the menu in front of me with great focus.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ but they¡¯re still serving breakfast thiste, so maybe an eggs benedict or omelette?¡±


    Both of those seemed like pretty standard choices¡­ but I had my eye on something far better.


    ¡°What about you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m getting the chicken nuggets and fries.¡± She stared at me nkly. ¡°What...? You mean the


    kid¡¯s menu item?¡± ¡°Oh, was it only on the kid¡¯s menu? Do you think they¡¯ll make a full te if I ask them?¡±


    ¡°Aria, why do you want nuggets?¡± she asked confused. ¡°There are so many other nicer options.


    I thought about it and realised that perhaps my choice might have seemed odd to her. But she


    homoea ERITREA


    didn¡¯t really understand where I wasing from, what my upbringing had been like. ¡°This is my first


    time being able to choose what I want to eat without being pressured and I¡¯ve never had junk food


    before. I think my parents would have a heart attack if I told them I was thinking of eating it.¡± Her frown


    eased, finally understanding. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t question me further on it. It was true that I¡¯d never


    eaten a proper unhealthy meal before. In my past life, my diet had always been strict even after I


    became Luna. I¡¯d never touched anything greasy once I hade of age for fear it would make Aleric


    think I was unrefined. But I was living a new life now and was so much healthier than I had ever been. I


    wasn¡¯t trying to impress anyone anymore and I¡¯d already lived one life of little to no luxury. In my head, I


    didn¡¯t need to justify it any further. I was getting the damn nuggets. It took some persuasion but the


    waitress eventually agreed to give me arger serving of the kid¡¯s meal after several strange looks. I


    didn¡¯t care though. When it finally came out and I took my first bite, I swear I could have died again right


    then and there a happy girl. Myra watched on while I ate, her face curious over my reaction, but I didn¡¯t


    let her stare interrupt me. I was having a whole new experience that was so good it must have been a


    blessing from a higher power. ¡°So¡­ are you going to tell me?¡± she finally asked after I¡¯d finished having


    an intimate moment with my food. I knew what she meant of course. She was asking me to uphold my


    end of the deal.


    And so, I started to tell her what had happened; how Cai hadn¡¯t shown up and hadn¡¯t bothered to cancel


    when he was so close by, how I¡®d found him and how he¡¯d acted at first like I was in the one in the


    wrong. And finally, I told her how he didn¡¯t even tell me he was leaving.


    She took it all in and listened silently, nodding asionally. When I was finally done, she sat i n thought


    for a few moments. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re both in the wrong,¡± she concluded.


    I sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t disagree with that statement. I was going to apologise but it looks as though I¡¯ve run out


    of time. He made it pretty clear today he doesn¡¯t want to talk to me.¡± Myra shifted and rested her head


    against her hand on the table, a small crease forming between her brows as looked to be thinking.


    ¡°One thing doesn¡¯t make sense to me though,¡± she said. ¡°At the time, you seemed to get really upset


    over the situation quite quickly.¡±


    I suddenly felt really nervous and wasn¡¯t sure how to reply. ¡°Oh¡­ well¡­.¡±


    ¡°Aria¡­,¡± she started, ¡°umm, don¡¯t take this wrong way but¡­ seeing Cai like that suddenly¡­.¡±


    Myra adjusted in her chair to sit up, looking unsure as to whether she should ask what she was about to.


    And I could say with absolute certainty that I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting the next words out of her mouth.


    ¡°Aria¡­ could you have maybe been¡­ jealous?¡± It probably seemed a little harsh given how serious she


    was about the question, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I burst out intoughter. ¡°Me¡­? Jealous¡­?¡± I asked whilst


    still chuckling. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking you that, Myra?


    Her cheeks blushed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I leaned in closer, raising a brow at her questioningly.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t see how you always stare at him with those big eyes? How you always blush whenever


    he was near?¡± ¡°I do not!¡± she protested.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°Your cheeks are literally turning red just talking about it,¡± I pointed out.


    She covered her hands over her face in an attempt to hide it. ¡°Stop teasing me, Aria,¡± she whined. I


    couldn¡¯t help butugh harder. ¡°Ok, ok, I¡¯ll stop. I¡¯m sorry.¡± It seemed like such a ridiculous idea to have


    been jealous. Cai was renowned for his yboy antics, I knew that already.


    ¡°Besides,¡± I said, taking a sip of my water. I¡¯d beenughing so hard my throat had gonepletely dry.


    ¡°I already have enough boy troubles as it is. Or have you forgotten who I am, Myra?¡±


    She was confused for a second before realisation spread across her face. ¡°Oh, right. We never really talk


    about the other side of your life so I¡¯d forgotten. Aleric, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Unfortunately.¡± ¡°¡­


    Unfortunately? I thought being mated to the Alpha was every girl¡¯s dream? They¡¯re so strong, handsome,


    and¡­¡± ¡°Arrogant,¡± I finished for her. Not to mention insane, emotionally unstable and murderous, but I


    didn¡¯t add that part aloud for her to hear.


    ¡°Is he?¡± she asked, curious now. ¡°I¡¯ve never met him so I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I guess most of the pack just


    sees the poster boy they make him out to be. They have to talk him up since he¡¯s going to be our leader


    one day.¡± I internally cringed thinking back to how at one point I¡¯d felt naively the same way as Myra. As


    a young girl, they really had liked to talk about how amazing it would be if you were mated to a n Alpha.


    Or rather, more specifically, mated to Aleric since he was the young, handsome heir o four pack. All the


    non-ranked girls were basically drooling at the idea of bing Luna. However, their dreams had been


    dashed pretty quickly for the Winter Mist position when the prophecy about Aleric and I was announced


    by the Elders.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re so against it then, who knows? Maybe you won¡¯t even turn out to be mates. It was just


    what the Elder¡¯s said would happen, right?


    I had to hold in another bout ofughter trying to escape my lips. She would ask what was so funny but it


    would be hard to exin the universal joke of me being stuck with Aleric, lest my entire being be torn


    apart and remade from scratch. No, I had already tried and failed at that negotiation once, and with a


    Goddess no less. I just smiled at her. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    We ended up spending the rest of the day together shopping. Myra was adamant about forcing me to try


    on and even buy a few clothes, which I obliged out of wanting to make her happy rather than any


    particr interest I had in the garments myself. It ended up being an extremely pleasant day, for the


    most part, which felt like it ended too soon.


    I managed to get home with ample time to spare after dropping Myra off at home in a taxi. Helen was


    extremely happy and relieved to see me return safely too. Though, inparison, the happiness she felt


    when my parents handed her the second cheque of the day obviously had a greater impact on her good


    mood. School resumed just as it always had over the weeks that followed. I couldn¡¯t deny I felt a little


    empty inside, having lost something that used to be arge part of my life. I continued to train every day,


    working harder using the techniques Cai had taught me, but I noticed my skill improvement didn¡¯t


    increase as quickly as I¡¯d hoped it would without him. There was nothing I could change about that and


    knew I would need to make do with what I had.


    Without consciously doing it, I realised I would still look out into the halls at school to see if I¡¯d find his


    friendly face waving at me. And every time a part of me felt disappointed when there was nothing there.


    Cai was gone, and I needed to ept that. And so, after another month of procrastinating, the day finally


    arrived.


    The day I would be going to receive my Goddess mark confirmation, thereby earning the official title of


    ¡®Saintess¡¯. From now on, nothing would be the same.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Chapter Thirty One


    Chapter Thirty-One I stood outside the Elder¡¯s housing estate, staring up at therge ck iron gates in


    front of m e. They were intricate yet terrifying at the same time, but I knew whatid behind them would


    be even more nerve-wracking.


    The doorman saw me and recognised who I was immediately, opening the gates without needing to


    identify myself or even speak. I entered quietly, heading towards the fate I knew would be waiting for me


    just inside thevishlyrge building. The Elders were a group hand-selected and were only seven in


    total. A majority vote of both ranked and existing Elders was required to initiate any new members into


    the council and the process was quite strict. They all had to be over a certain age and bring some sort of


    credibility or merit to contribute to the betterment of the pack¡¯s future. The only exception to this rigorous


    selection process was the retired ranked members who were almost always guaranteed a position if one


    was avable¡­ and if they were able to live to the minimum age requirement.


    I stepped inside and couldn¡¯t help but gasp a little at how extravagant the interior was. A better


    description for this ce would have been a mansion, not a house. Everywhere I could see was filled


    with expensive furniture and decorations. I¡¯d never had a reason toe here in the past and so seeing


    it for the first time was startling. I had no idea they were living in such luxury. ¡°Ariadne,¡± a deep voice


    called beside me. I turned my head and saw that Elder Luke was waiting for me, standing by the door for


    when I would arrive.


    Inparison to the other Elders, Elder Luke was by far the youngest member with dark greying hair


    and light stubble across his jaw; he was never one for keeping a tidy appearance. His intellect had been


    a shoo-in for the council position, one which had be avable not long after his minimum age


    requirement had been met.


    He was always considered a pioneer for innovation and a change in how we looked at things. I n fact, he


    was one of the first Elders to ever rmend me to join the table for strategy meetings. However, thisContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ended up bing one of the things the other Elders disliked about him. His modern approach to issues


    sometimes interfered with the more traditional ideas of the older members.


    I bowed my head to show my respect. ¡°Hello, Elder Luke,¡± I greeted.


    In this instance, Elder Luke held a status higher than my own now I was no longer a Luna. But I knew


    inside that I would have shown him the correct revere he deserved regardless. I always admired his


    ability to logically find solutions, even before I¡¯d be Luna. He had been one o f the people I had


    studied the work of in-depth during my years of strategy research. Ik that a part of who I was today was


    owed to him.


    When I had started my journey of bing the pack¡¯s leading strategist, Elder Luke had actually been


    the one who had previously held the title. I always wondered if inside he was mildly bitter about it, but he


    never indicated he felt that like that in the slightest. I respected


    him deeply though. If there was one person in the past who could have been considered close t o being


    my equal on this subject, it was him.


    He waved off my formality, smiling, and motioned for me to follow him down a hallway.


    Every room we passed was just as fancy as thest. I found that, of the rooms which had their doors


    open, all of the spaces were taken up for personal offices and meeting rooms. It made m e wonder just


    how big the ce was if we hadn¡¯t even seen the personal living quarters on this route.


    After a few more twists and turns, we eventually ended up in arge but tidy looking office. Unlike the


    others, there were minimal personal items and more of a focus on the papers and books that lined the


    walls and desk.


    ¡°My office,¡± he announced and gestured for me to enter. I stepped inside, taking in the sheer amount of


    books that surrounded me. I thought I had read every academic book in the pack¡¯s library collection, but


    my eyes caught titles in here that I¡¯d never seen before. It had been so long since I¡¯d felt that rush of


    excitement that came with wanting to learn. If I could have even one afternoon alone in this office, I


    would be ecstatic.


    ¡°It¡¯s arge collection,¡± I praised. ¡°How did you manage to find some of these? I see several limited


    edition copies of books I thought were lost to our kind many years ago.¡± ¡°You have a good eye.¡± He


    noted before smiling slyly. ¡°I havee to find ways of acquiring books that would otherwise seem


    impossible.¡±


    I wanted to press him further for details, mostly so I could attempt to do the same, but I felt h e probably


    wouldn¡¯t go around telling his secrets to a young teenager. Maybe one day I¡¯d be able to persuade him to


    tell me.


    ¡°Please take a seat.¡±


    I walked over to a wide fabric stool where normally a visitor chair would have been ced. I knew this


    one would have been arranged so that Elder Luke would be able to inspect my mark with ease, removing


    the obstacle of a backrest interfering with the process. ¡°So, Ariadne,¡± he started. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    The question caught me off guard a little. I hadn¡¯t expected him to dy with idle chit-chat.


    ¡°Oh, um, please call me Aria. I¡¯m doing well thanks. Yourself?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m doing well too. I¡¯m also feeling incredibly honoured. I hear you specifically requested that


    I assist you with this confirmation today.¡± His dark eyes had been watching me carefully since we¡¯d


    entered the office, always holding this glint of careful questioning in them. I knew he would be studying


    me closely to figure out who I was and why I had this mark, because I would have been doing the same


    thing in his position. I had already prepared myself to be examined like a test subject for this process.


    After all, no one had held this mark for over a millennium.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± I replied.


    ¡°May I ask what made youe to this decision? You don¡¯t have to answer if you do not wish t o though.


    This is a question stemming from pure curiosity, not anything to do with why we


    are here today.¡± I took several moments to think about how best to reply. ¡®Because you proved in my past


    lifet o not be an asshole like most of the others¡¯? ¡®Because you¡¯re the only one who didn¡¯t try to kill me¡¯? I


    didn¡¯t end up saying any of those options, of course. ¡°Ah¡­ I heard you are a logical thinker like myself. I


    trust you to be unbiased during our procedure today.¡± He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that I


    had a reputation already given I¡¯ve only been an Elder for a year now.¡± I silently cursed in my head. I¡¯d


    forgotten to calcte in that I wasn¡¯t supposed to know anything about him yet. The cases he worked on


    wouldn¡¯t be published for at least another two years.


    ¡°But,¡± he said continuing, ¡°I am d you feel at ease with me. It will make things easier today. I admit,


    I¡¯ve also been meaning to talk to you, Aria, so I¡¯m grateful we now have this opportunity.¡± Talk to me?


    What would he need to talk to me about? ¡°I was obviously present during your Alpha summons a few


    months ago. I heard your rmendation for handling the Jade Moon pack predicament.¡± I tensed up


    immediately. I¡¯d been so focused during that meeting on trying to help that I¡¯d forgotten that the person


    who would think of the strategy one day was in that very room. ¡°We seem to think very simrly. I wanted


    to praise you for your outstanding advice and maturity shown.¡± I exhaled quietly in relief. Of course, I had


    nothing to worry about. There was no way he could have known it was originally his idea¡­ because he,


    himself, hadn¡¯t even thought of it yet. I did feel a bit guilty though. In a roundabout way, I had taken credit


    for something he had achieved. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if anyone told you,¡± he said, ¡°but you ended up being


    correct about it all. It was, i n fact, the Jade Moon pack, and the wolf in custody had been a ranked


    member. Alpha Tytus ended up carrying out your n exactly as you had said. The entire negotiation


    with the other pack went smoothly and without a single casualty. If no one has thanked you yet, then let


    me b e the first to extend our thanks on behalf of the pack.¡± I realised then that I¡¯dpletely forgotten to


    follow up on what happened with the Jade Moon pack. There had been no reason for me to feel stressed


    or uncertain since I already knew it would work. Though, hearing now that it had been sessful still


    gave me a sense offort. Everyone who had died previously during the Jade Moon debacle would


    still be alive right now. ¡°But, I feel we¡¯ve digressed enough¡­ shall we begin with the confirmation?¡± I


    swallowed nervously and nodded my head. Elder Luke stood up and walked behind me,ying a book


    down beside me that surprisingly seemed to consist of information on Goddess marks. It was far more


    detailed than any of the books I¡¯d vaguely seen on the subject in the past.


    Knowing he would require to see my back today, I had purposely worn a dress with a back zipper. He


    waited patiently as I brushed my hair to the side, unzipping the back of the dress just enough for him to


    see but not enough for me to feelpletely exposed. I was thankful that he allowed me to keep my


    dignity while I did everything and didn¡¯t handle me more than was necessary


    With gentle hands, he then tucked the dress into itself a little in order to have a clear view of the mark. I


    hadn¡¯t thought of it before, but was this situation awkward for him? He was alone with a fourteen year old


    girl, one who was exposing her back to him. However, if he did feel ufortable, he didn¡¯t show it. He


    just diligently went aboutparing the silver double crescent mark to the book next to me without any


    hesitation. After several minutes had passed, he finally stepped back and exhaled a little in surprise.


    ¡°You know, I had my doubts that this was authentic,¡± he said, walking back around to face me. I zipped


    my dress back up as he spoke and adjusted my hair to fall around my shoulders once more. ¡°You


    seemed so reluctant to get the confirmation done that I thought maybe your family was making the entire


    thing up.¡± I frowned. Was this what all the Elders had thought? ¡°But I can see this is clearly the real deal,¡±


    he concluded. ¡°You have been marked by the Goddess herself. I must confess, I¡¯ve always been partially


    sceptical she was even real. But seeing you here now, with that mark¡­ well it¡¯s a bit hard to deny it.¡±


    I was surprised to hear that an Elder of all people doubted the legitimacy of the deity our kind had


    worshipped since the beginning of our existence. Though Elder Luke had always been a little different


    and put his trust in knowledge rather than faith.


    ¡°So, what do you n to do about this?¡± he asked finally.


    ¡°¡®Do¡¯ about it?¡± I repeated, confused. ¡°Well, since it¡¯s authentic, I can now only assume you


    procrastinated having this confirmation done because you knew the ramifications involved with it.¡± I


    debated over whether I should confide in him. Being an Elder he would disagree over my ns to


    abandon my future Luna position¡­ but at the same time, I knew he¡¯d proven to put bias aside time and


    time again. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m unsure,¡± I started, choosing to trust him. ¡°I have no intention of taking over the


    pack to rece Aleric¡¯s authority. But I also know that I cannot be Luna, or rather I don¡¯t want to


    be Luna more than anything. I¡¯m aware that this doesn¡¯t leave me with many choices though. I will


    be hunted down from the shadows if I prove a threat, but I¡¯m sure no one will believe me when I say I


    have no desire to be Luna, even if I promise to serve without that title.¡±


    He leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest in thought. ¡°I find it a little strange to hear that you


    don¡¯t wish to take up the offer of bing Luna. You would easily be granted the position regardless of


    whether you and Aleric be fated mates, ¡± he said. ¡°However, I can see in your eyes that this


    decision of yours is deeply personal and final as of right now. I won¡¯t push you further on it.¡±


    And this was why I had chosen Elder Luke. He wouldn¡¯t push an agenda on me and was even speaking


    to me like an equal despite my age. ¡°Elder Luke¡­,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°I want you to know I respect you


    immensely and so¡­ if you were me¡­ what would you do?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at me once more, the question sparking his appetite for solving difficult problems, I


    was sure. ¡°Such an interesting question to ask. What would I do¡­?¡± He mused. ¡°Well¡­ as an Elder, it is


    m y duty to always speak in the best interest for the future of this pack. And that best interest is for you to


    be our Luna.¡± My heart sank. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help me. It would be against his


    position as an Elder to not stand by the prophecy his colleagues had predicted. ¡°However,¡± he continued,


    ¡°if we are speaking casually, from one academic to another, there is an answer that I¡¯m surprised you


    haven¡¯t thought of yourself yet.¡± Was there really an answer so obvious the whole time? I quickly tried to


    wrack my brain to see whatever he saw, something that was apparently so clear to him.


    ¡°What. ?¡±


    He leaned in closer, looking at me with all seriousness.


    ¡°Well¡­ you are the Beta¡¯s daughter, are you not?¡±


    I stared at him, not understanding where he was going with this. ¡°¡­So just pledge your allegiance to


    Aleric¡­ and be his Beta.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Chapter Thirty-Two ¡°Beta? No¡­ that¡¯s impossible.¡± I sat staring at Elder Luke in disbelief, unsure if he


    really had just suggested that. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± Elder Luke argued. ¡°Because I¡¯m a female,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°There is no such thing as a female Beta. It¡¯s not a rank we can hold.¡±


    ¡°And neither is an Alpha female, but we both know you could im that authority if you really wanted it.¡±


    He was referring to my new title of ¡®Saintess¡¯. With it came the perk of overthrowing Aleric and bing


    essentially an Alpha in the process. But Beta...? I paused in thought. No, it really wasn¡¯t possible. Being


    a leader was one thing. I knew I would be capable of making the correct choices for the pack as an


    ¡®Alpha¡¯, however, as a Beta, there would be more reliance on being able to carry out whatever those


    orders entailed; sometimes b y means of fighting. I had never even managed to win in a fight against


    Cai, there was no way I would be able to hold my own in a real battle


    ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough. The Winter Mist would need someone more like my father to rece him one


    day. I know already that I would make an incredibly weak Beta.¡±


    He half-smiled knowingly. ¡°A little birdie told me that you were training with a certain Alpha heir from the


    Silver Lake pack. They mentioned that you showed quite good potential too.¡±


    My jaw opened in surprise. How could someone have found out about that? Only Cai, Myra and I knew


    about it. Not only that but, whoever this person was that told him, they must have seen me in action at


    the gym. Otherwise, how else were they able to provide any sort of assessment of my skill?


    ¡°How...?¡± I finally managed to ask. He chuckled softly. ¡°I didn¡®t get to where I am today without help. Not


    all of us are born into ranked families.¡±


    I had never thought much about it before, but it was true. I could vaguely remember hearing that Elder


    Luke hade from apletely average house with humble beginnings. He had gotten to where he


    was now due to his own dedication and hard work


    ¡°Even if I can fight a little, there is no way I would be epted as a Beta,¡± I said, bringing the


    conversation back to the topic at hand. ¡°I don¡¯t see any way the Elders or Aleric would allow it. The


    Elders are adamant about me fulfilling the prophecy and bing Aleric¡®s Luna. And Aleric¡­ well there


    is no way he would tolerate a female Beta, let alone being stuck with me of all people.¡±


    ¡°You talk as if you already know exactly what will happen,¡± he said, making me be instantly tense. I


    had to remind myself that it was just a figure of speech to rx again. ¡°I feel that you need to think about


    this more objectively. Out of all the options you have before you, which one seems the hardest to


    achieve your goal? Starting a political takeover and


    overthrowing an existing hierarchy...? Or convincing a bunch of old coots and a teenager to give you a


    chance at a role that already has a current vacancy for an heir? I think you¡®d be surprised by how many


    Elders would be in favour of you bing Beta just to ensure you remainedpliant. It seems to me


    like it is the bestpromise to keep both parties happy. Otherwise, there isn¡¯t much to stop you from


    starting a rebellion or running away. Both of which would only cause more damage to the pack. They


    need your cooperation given your status.¡±


    I bit at my lip, trying to think through the options properly. It still felt so unattainable even though he had


    laid it out nicely before me.


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    ¡°Or you can just take the easy route¡­ suck it up and be Luna.¡±


    I shivered. No. To hold that title again would be ast resort, though I wasn¡¯t sure I could even call it that.


    To be stuck in that house at the mercy of Aleric once more was a fate that guaranteed my death. A death


    that I needed to remember was not just the end of me now, but possibly everyone.


    So, would it be so impossible¡­? I had already been training and there were no males in my direct family


    line topete with for the rank. Only Alexander, my cousin, could possibly stand in my way. In the past,


    he had begun his training around my current age and had ended u p bing Beta right before my


    death. If I was, by some miracle, epted as a Beta heir then things between us may get ufortable.


    I was essentially robbing him of something he must have thought was a sure thing. How could he have


    anticipated that a female Beta may be possible? But if I were a male then he would have had no right to


    the session anyway.


    And then I took a moment to realise the real benefits of this. Bing Beta basically guaranteed me


    almost absolute immunity in every way. By pledging myself as a Beta to Aleric, i t would be impossible to


    be forced to be Luna by anyone. Once the oath is taken, another rank cannot be granted within that


    pack. It also gave me a legitimate reason to officially reject him without questions being asked, since


    dating what is effectively your boss would be frowned upon. If we went into battle against another pack,


    then we would need to be unbiased towards each other, therefore a rtionship was definitely out of the


    question.


    But the best perk of all? It meant that he couldn¡®ty a finger on me. Being both a Saintess and a Beta


    would make mepletely untouchable. If he tried anything, then he¡¯d risk the pack rising up against


    him since it would be seen as a direct attack against the Goddess herself. Then add in the fact that I was


    already second inmand? He could forget keeping his position for long¡­ and guess who would


    rece him as next in line? Me. It was effectively check-mate, unable to move or he¡¯d be overthrown.


    And maybe, for once in his life, he would have to respect me. Not just a ridiculous nod of


    acknowledgement, but actually value my input. He would be unable to outrightly contest the decisions I¡¯d


    suggest, without good reason, and would be forced to have a real discussion with me as a valued ranked


    member. ¡°No¡­ you¡¯re right. Thank you, Elder Luke,¡± I said, still a bit lost in my thoughts. ¡°You¡®ve given


    me a lot to think about.¡± Soon after we¡¯d spoken, I ended up returning home. I didn¡®t talk to my parents


    about what had happened in great detail but I did let them know that the mark was officially confirmed


    now. They looked worried for me, but I didn¡¯t let on how I was feeling inside. If they knew just how


    conflicted and anxious I was, they would only be more concerned. I didn¡¯t want to say anything to


    them yet until I¡¯d had time to process everything that had happened with Elder Luke.


    Several weekster and it was finally the day of Myra¡¯s big annual charity event. I¡¯d chosen to wear a


    navy blue semi-formal dress and Lucy had done my hair up in a beautiful half-up style braid. It was


    probably the most i¡¯d dressed up for any asion sinceing back, but I knew the event meant a lot to


    Myra. I wanted to show her I¡®d put the effort in. The function was being held at the orphanage itself so


    the children could participate. Whilst it was used mostly as a fundraiser, it was also a great opportunity


    for some of the guests to meet the children in a less pressured environment, and maybe even consider


    adopting. I had already nned to donate arge cheque under my alias name, and another smaller one


    o n behalf of the Chrysalis family, with my parent¡¯s permission for that one, of course. Knowing Myra, she


    would have made me take the money back if she knew if I was donating a veryrge sum, hence the


    need for my personal ount donation. When I arrived, I was instantly greeted by the usual overly


    enthusiastic Myra. She pulled me into a hug and expressed how happy she was to see me. Much to my


    delight, I saw she was wearing the red dress I had bought her. But I had to admit, I was a little surprised


    to have found her so quickly given the number of people congregating around the outside. ¡°Come with


    me, I have some people I¡¯d like you to meet,¡± she said smiling, grabbing my hand so I¡¯d follow her


    through the crowds.


    We walked behind therge building until we came to a less busy area. I could see this ce must have


    been used primarily as a yground or backyard for the kids.


    I had been looking around to take it all in, lost in my thoughts over how pretty the grounds were, when I


    was suddenly tackled around my waist. I swayed, throwing my feet out to keep m y bnce and looked


    down.


    There, I found a small child hadunched themself at me.


    ¡°Billy!¡± Myra scolded, gently pulling him off me. ¡°You need to ask permission first to touch someone.


    Apologise to Miss Aria right now.¡± I felt awkward given I had no experience with children, and I definitely


    hadn¡¯t anticipated for one totch themself onto me so quickly. But I did my best to act the way one


    would expect to treat a child.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Aria,¡± the small blonde boy said, looking sad. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Thank you for apologising.¡± I


    smiled at him to let him know it was okay.


    Suddenly more children appeared and before long, I had a small group of six kids surrounding me, their


    faces filled with so much excitement over just meeting me. Myra went through and introduced them all to


    me one-by-one. The eldest in the group was nine, the youngest was six. Myra mentioned there were


    more around somewhere and that they would probably be disappointed to find outter they hadn¡¯t


    gotten the chance to meet me personally.


    ¡°Umm, Miss Aria?¡± a little girl named Lily spoke up.


    I crouched down to talk to her at eye level. ¡°Yes, Miss Lily?¡± ¡°My name is just Lily, not Miss,¡± she


    corrected. ¡°I was wondering if you¡®d... if um...if you¡®d like to y with us.¡± ¡°Miss Aria is not here to y


    today, Lily,¡± Myra replied. I smiled at them both. ¡°No, it¡®s okay. What would you like to y?¡± ¡°I want to


    y tag,¡± said one of the boys, Trevor. The children all began to cheer in agreement at that idea. And so,


    we did. We yed tag. I couldn¡¯t deny that it definitely wasn¡¯t the easiest game I¡¯d ever yed, given my


    attire, but luckily they found it more fun when I was too slow to catch them. Or rather pretended I was too


    slow. By the end of the game, they were all huddled together in the middle of the field,pletely out of


    breath. Taking advantage of their exhausted states, I decided to take a seat under one of the nearby


    trees that had a bench.


    ¡°Looks like you had fun,¡± Myra said. She had spent the time looking on fondly at us ying together over


    by the sidelines. I had been watching the kids chatting away happily that I hadn¡®t even seen Myra


    approach.


    ¡°You should join in next time.¡±


    I looked up to her but then, to my surprise, I saw her expression change from a smile to suddenly one of


    worry very quickly. ¡°Are you okay, Aria?¡± she asked. Her voice was thick with concern. I frowned. ¡°Of


    course, why?¡± ¡°...You¡®re crying.¡± Confused, I gently brought a hand up to my face and, sure enough,


    there were tears on my cheek


    ¡°What...?¡± ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± she asked. Was I feeling okay? I had been having a nice time with the


    kids, I wasn¡¯t sure what could have


    possibly upset me so much. And then I realised what my body had been trying to tell me. I looked down


    and saw I had subconsciously ced a hand over my belly without even realising it. I must have done it


    when I had been watching over them. I knew then what had upset me. A part of me was remembering


    the fact that I would never be able to have a child of my own. I was crying over the baby I had never


    been able to conceive in my past life.


    ¡°Oh...,¡± was all I managed to say.


    But I didn¡¯t get a chance to talk my way out of it as suddenly all the children were in a frenzy again,


    someone else having arrived. I pushed all my negative thoughts to the side and forced a small smile on


    my face at seeing how they were able to be energetic again so quickly. However, the expression


    died on my face just as quickly as it had arrived as I looked over to see who they were running towards.


    Because it was Aleric who had arrived.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡¯re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting!

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Chapter Thirty-Three (AUTHOR NOTE: Just a reminder that single quotes¡¯ are things only said in Aria¡¯s


    head when they appear like speech.)


    ¡®Stop them,¡¯ my mind hissed at me as I watched the childrenugh and jump all over Aleric. He had


    scooped a few up and was ying happily with them. They ran around him, tugging at his clothes while


    he pretended to be a scary monster. Every time he would roar, they would all squeal and run a few steps


    away, having the time of their life.


    ¡°He is a murderer,¡¯ my mind reminded me. ¡®He is dangerous. Don¡¯t let him touch them.¡¯ But the scene in


    front of me was baffling, freezing me in ce. I had never seen Aleric around children before and so his


    affectionate behaviour towards them was shocking, to say the least. Would he have been like this in the


    past had he been given a child of his own? ¡­If my body had been capable of such a thing?


    As the thoughts urging me to protect the children continued to hound at me, I did my best to push them


    away. I had to remind myself that a sixteen year old Aleric was not yet the man he would be one day. He


    didn¡¯t have blood on his hands¡­ yet. Myra could sense I was suddenly extremely ufortable at his


    arrival and gently touched m y hand. She probably didn¡¯t understand but it was nice of her to try and


    comfort me regardless.


    Finally, Aleric looked up towards the tree and saw us sitting there. I flinched as his eyes caught my own,


    hoping more than anything he would leave. 1 But, to my dismay, he immediately put down the kid that


    was thrown over his shoulder and started to walk to where we were. My heart started to race but I told


    myself I was more mentally prepared this time. I wouldn¡®t let the trial ground memories haunt me like the


    last time.


    I took several deep breaths, calming my mind, but with every step he made towards us, the more I began


    to doubt my ability to handle it. Would I actually be able to keep it together this time? It had been so


    many months now since I¡¯d seen him¡­ so many months since I had died. Would the memories still be as


    fresh?


    But standing in front of me, I realised just how weak and insignificant I still was. As he towered over my


    small frame, I knew that, even with all of the training I¡®d done over thest few months, it would still not


    even be remotely good enough to defend myself against him.


    ¡°Ariadne, Myra,¡± he greeted. His voice made my stomach drop and I instantly felt sick and weak. My


    name on his lips felt more like a curse.


    Myra and I were both already on our feet by this point and we bowed our heads in respect upon his


    greeting.


    ¡°Alpha heir,¡± Myra said, weing him. ¡°We are honoured to receive you at our event today. Thank you


    foring.¡± I couldn¡¯t get the words out of my mouth to return his greeting, my head pounding at the


    internal conflict happening within. I was sure he had noticed my silence though. He had to have. Aleric


    smiled. ¡°It is a pleasure to be here and to finally meet you, Myra. My father extends his regards for the


    invitation and wishes to thank you for your family¡¯s continued hard work at the facility.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at his face, choosing to keep my eyes cast down. It was taking all of my


    concentration just to not visibly shake from just being so close to him.


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha heir.¡± Myra bowed again quickly.


    ¡°However, unfortunately, it seems I will need to find youter to talk further. I have some matters to


    discuss with Ariadne right now. But I look forward to catching up properly and please let your parents


    know that I have arrived.¡± My breath stopped mid-exhale from surprise. Why would he need to talk to me


    of all people? I could feel Myra hesitate for a second, but we both knew there was nothing she could do


    to help me here. With onest final bow, she left, looking back several times with a worried expression.


    Soon, I was suddenly facing the man who still haunted my nightmares.


    Alone.


    And an icy silence hung between us.


    ¡°Are you going to at least talk to me this time?¡± he asked, finally breaking the quiet. ¡°Or should I call for


    Caius toe back and whisk you away again?¡±


    It was like his facade of being polite in front of Myra had instantly fallen like a curtain. Now that it was


    only the two of us, he became closer to the Aleric I knew. Unnecessarily cruel, and asionally sarcastic


    to the point of trying to put me down.


    I grabbed at my wrist to stop it from trembling. I needed to be stronger than this. I needed to b e able to


    least speak to him. He sighed in mild frustration, his tone suddenly changing. ¡°Look¡­ I¡®m sorry. I didn¡®t


    ask to talk with you so I could start an argument.¡±


    I could see him cross his arms together and shuffle on his feet. It was as if he were ufortable with


    how to say whatever it was he needed to say.


    ¡°The truth is,¡± he continued, ¡°my father informed me of what happened with Myra and the Jade Moon


    pack. I realise now that I need to apologise for how I acted after you met with the council. So¡­ I am


    sorry, Ariadne. You had been badly injured and it was no way for me to have spoken to you.¡± This caught


    me off guard. Aleric was¡­ apologising to me? For something he had said? I couldn¡¯t ever recall a


    moment in our past he¡¯d done such a thing.


    ¡°But, all of that aside¡­ I¡¯m here to request that you have tea with me.¡± My eyes then snapped t o his


    face, wide in disbelief.


    Why would he, of all people, want to willingly have tea with me? I didn¡¯t have to wait long for my answer


    though.


    ¡°Or rather, my father suggested that we have tea together,¡± he rified. ¡°There are still a few hours


    before the main event for the fundraiser and he¡¯s asked if you could lend me some of your time.¡±


    I needed to speak, to say something. Anything. ¡°Um,¡± I feebly said, before clearing my throat. ¡°I¡®m sure


    you have far more important things that require your attention today, Alpha heir. I would hate to keep you


    from those.¡± His green eyes narrowed at me and I instantly looked back down again. ¡°Sorry if I didn¡¯t


    make it clear enough before,¡± he said, ¡°but this wasn¡¯t really a.. suggestion.. from my father. He¡¯s actually


    insisted on this.¡± I then understood the meaning behind his words. This wasn¡¯t an innocent request. This


    had been an order from his father. We were both now bound to abide by the Alpha¡¯s wish. And so, that¡¯s


    how I suddenly found myself sitting for some tea¡­ opposite the man who murdered me.


    It was a bit of a surreal experience. Thest time we had sat together, as just the two of us for a meal,


    was not long after our rise to Alpha and Luna... Though, back then, he had stared daggers at me the


    entire time and left after twenty minutes to go see Thea. A small area in the adjacent garden had been


    set up specifically to enable us to have a private gathering. The outdoor table and chairs had already


    been a part of the decor, however, some attendants had gone out of their way to make the area look


    more ¡®suitable¡¯.


    Flowers had been picked and arranged in a vase on the table, and a trolley next to this showed off a


    large array of tea and snacks that had been prepared. Surrounding us was also a mixture o f colourful


    flowers and fauna growing in the garden, all perfectly maintained. It really would have been beautiful, if it


    weren¡¯t for thepany I would be keeping. But after several minutes had passed, still neither of us had


    spoken a single word to each other.


    I knew what this setup was, of course. Alpha Tytus was forcing Aleric and I to spend time together so


    we¡¯d hopefully ¡®y nice¡® and be close. This was probably some weird version of a surprise date in


    the hopes I¡¯d concede to bing Aleric¡¯s Luna one day. Tytus probably assumed, and correctly so,


    that I would decline to a real meetup, and so chose to force us to participate during a time we would both


    already be dressed up and nearby. I wondered how many more of these ¡®dates¡¯ I was going to have to


    endure before he finally respected my choice not to be with his son.


    Aleric then cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him. ¡°So, my father wanted me to thank you


    for your rmendation over handling the Jade Moon pack,¡± he started, breaking the silence finally. ¡°It


    turned out to be sessful in the end. He said your actions during the fight and your solutions for


    handling the aftermath were


    Scanned with CamScanner


    hanter Thirty Threpemendable.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Thank you, Alpha heir.¡±


    Silence again. All I could think about was the seconds as they slowly ticked by. I wanted nothing more


    than t o run far, far away from here.


    ¡°Is the food not to your liking?¡± he asked, noticing my te. ¡°You¡¯ve barely touched anything.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    I looked down at the small piece of cake that sat in front of me with only two tiny bites taken out of it. The


    entire time we¡¯d been sitting together, I had been so nervous that I¡¯d barely been able to eat or drink from


    the spread provided. I wouldn¡®t have been able to even tell him the vour of anything I¡¯d consumed so


    far; I hadn¡¯t been able to taste a single thing from the stress of being in this situation. ¡°The food is


    delicious,¡± I lied, having no idea. ¡°Thank you, Alpha heir.¡± It was clear his father had ordered him to talk


    nicely to me. They both probably realised they needed me on their side and Tytus would have known


    how his son¡¯s usual behaviours would have been perceived by me. Aleric wasn¡¯t exactly known for his


    patience. But, if I was honest, the forced attempt at trying to talk politely to me was by far one of the most


    unnerving experiences I¡¯d ever had. Never had I received any courtesy from Aleric before and so this


    new persona of his was unpredictable to me. I found Aleric far less frightening when I could tell exactly


    what he may do next. Abruptly, he then sighed and brought his hand up so fast my body couldn¡¯t help but


    react. I flinched at his sudden movement. He frowned at me for a second, but continued to brush the hair


    out of his face, finding my reaction strange. The teacup in my hand had almostpletely spilled all over


    myself in my fright. ¡°Are you sick?¡± he asked. He could see how much my hands were trembling now.


    ¡°N-no,¡± I stuttered out, cursing internally at my body for betraying how I felt. ¡°Thank you for your concern,


    Alpha heir.¡±


    ¡°Ariadne, I can see you¡¯re shaking,¡± he said. He stood up and went to reach for me. ¡°Here just put this


    down for a¨C.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hear whatever he was about to say though because I recoiled so quick from him that the te in


    front of me smashed against the trolley, falling to the ground in pieces. My arm had swept across the


    table so fast that there hadn¡¯t been any time to stop it from falling. I turned and stared up at him in a


    panic, petrified of what he would do to me for my show of carelessness. I wanted to apologise, to beg


    him to forgive me, but I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe. Nothing would pass my lips as a coherent sentence.


    ¡°Ariadne,¡± he said in an annoyed tone. And then he reached towards me again and I turned my face to


    the side, shutting my eyes as tightly as they would go to anticipate whatever he was about to do to me.


    ¡­But nothing ever came. It felt like an eternity waiting before I finally heard him sigh again. I carefully


    opened my eyes to look at him, but not fast enough to anger him further. He was rubbing his face in


    frustration, clearly irritated over everything I¡®d just done. ¡°Okay, I tried,¡± I thought I heard him whisper


    under his breath. He looked back up at me, forcing a smile on his face, and stood up. A chill went down


    my spine at seeing that familiar smile. I knew it so well; the kind that said h e was hiding his true emotion


    from me.


    ¡°Thank you for your time today, Ariadne,¡± he said, going back to being overly polite. ¡°It was a n absolute


    pleasure. I hope we can do this again some time.¡±


    It was all a lie and we both knew it. He was following formality to not incur the wrath of his father when he


    returned home.


    He waited several seconds for me to reply, but I couldn¡®t bring myself to speak. It was only after I


    eventually managed to give him a half bow of my head in acknowledgement that he took it as good


    enough confirmation to take his leave.


    I sat staring into space for a long time after he left, unsure how to process everything that had just


    happened. I felt just like the broken te thatid shattered next to me; both of us having no idea how


    we became like this, but both feeling like only minutes ago everything had been just fine.


    I¡¯d thought I was ready, that I was stronger now. But I was wrong. It was clear that Aleric was still so very


    much in control of me.


    And there was only one way I was going to be able to change it. There was no other option. I needed to


    be untouchable.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Chapter Thirty-Four Despite my resolve, it still took another two months before I finally worked up the


    courage to begin the difficult journey of bing Beta. The rest of Myra¡¯s charity event had gone well


    that day and I didn¡¯t see Aleric for the remainder of the fundraiser, which was perfectly fine by me. I could


    tell Myra was a bit worried about me though and I had to palm it off as no big deal. I didn¡®t want to worry


    her. It was her first time seeing me so scared by anything and I could only imagine what might have been


    going through her mind. In the two months that had passed, I somehow had reached my fifteenth


    birthday. I requested that it be kept a quiet affair and so we ended up celebrating it with just my parents


    and Myra. There were minimal gifts, also per my request, and we all sat and had a nice dinner at my


    house. Really, I was just happy to be amongst all the people who genuinely cared about me. I¡¯d spent


    too many birthdays in the past being almostpletely alone and forgotten. And so finally, today, I stood


    at the door of my father¡¯s office, peering in nervously. He was concentrating on reports in front of him and


    I was scared of disturbing him. From here, I could see his silver hair and violet eyes, and I thought about


    how simr we really did look. If it weren¡¯t for me having mostly my mother¡¯s face shape, I would have


    looked like a cut and pasted female version of him. ¡°I can feel you staring at me from here,¡± he called out


    without even looking up from his work.


    I jumped at the sound of his voice, having not expected him to know I was here. He looked up and finally


    met my eyes. ¡°What can I help you with, Aria?¡± I stepped inside the door cautiously, clearing my throat. ¡°I


    need to talk to you, Father. Do you have a moment?¡± I could hear the slight quaver in my voice as I


    spoke. I needed to get a hold of myself though. I wouldn¡®t be able to convince him I was suitable for this


    if I didn¡®t sound like I believed it myself. But it was a bit strange how nervous I was. Exploiting a foreign


    government for money? No issues. Asking my father to hear me out while I exined why I wanted to be


    a Beta? Terrifying. His opinion mattered to me and I didn¡®t want his perception of me to change because


    of this. It didn¡®t help that I was also having to constantly remind myself that this version of my father was


    different from the one I had been with before my death. He was almost ten years younger than the father


    who had cried with me inside the jail cells. At this point in our lives right now, our rtionship was very


    formal. I remembered how scared I¡¯d been of ever disappointing or annoying him¡­ a feeling that didn¡®t


    change up until he had himself arrested for defending my honour. He looked at me closely, a curiosity in


    his eyes. ¡°Sure, take a seat on the couch.¡± I followed his instruction and he walked over to join me.


    Sitting like this together, casually on the settee, I honestly couldn¡¯t tell if it made me feel


    tea?¡±


    I shook my head, knowing I wouldn¡®t be able to drink at a time like this. I couldn¡¯t even recall thest time


    I had dared to disturb his work but I knew I¡¯d procrastinated this conversation long enough. Time was


    running out if I wanted to be given a chance to earn my spot as Beta heir. I also knew that I would need


    help in training if I had any hope of improving my skill in a fight. I¡¯d reached a teau and hadn¡¯t seen


    any real difference in my strength for over a month now. I realised the only way I was going to get better


    from here would be to have someone show me how to improve and, with Cai gone, it meant there really


    was only one person in my life that could help. My father.


    I watched as he poured himself a tea and settled back into the couch. ¡°So, what did you want to talk


    about?¡± I hesitated, unsure where to start. I¡¯d practised what I had wanted to say in the mirror almost


    every day but, now it was actually happening, it was like my mind had gone nk


    ¡°Um,¡± I started.


    ¡®Brilliant, Aria. So intelligent,¡¯I scolded myself internally.


    Quickly, I pushed my thoughts away, trying to refocus. ¡°...I¡®ve been thinking a lot about the future,¡± I said.


    ¡°We haven¡®t really had a conversation about it since the night after the Alpha¡¯s summons, back when


    Myra was attacked.¡± He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Did you want to finally discuss why you told the Alpha


    you didn¡¯t want to be Luna? Why you kept your mother and I in the dark about your intentions?¡±


    I paused. It sounded like he was still irritated about the whole thing. I could recall the argument we got


    into vividly and remembered how they had been so furious at my decision. It had scared me off enough


    to start keeping more secrets from them. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention to hide it from you,¡± I said. ¡°I hadn¡®t


    nned to tell the Alpha anything of the sort, but this mark on me changed everything. I needed to


    establish that I wasn¡¯t a threat to Tytus or Aleric.¡± I then took a deep breath. ¡°But, Father...I need you to


    know that, from the bottom of my heart¡­ I really don¡¯t want to be Luna. What I said to them that day was


    the truth. I really am sorry I kept it from you and Mother.¡±


    I almost said ¡®don¡¯t want to be Luna *again*¡¯ but managed to stop myself right before I spoke. What a


    disaster that would have been. ¡°...Why?¡± he finally asked, after he¡¯d taken some time to think. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t


    have any desire for the position.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°I doubt you would havee all the way in here to tell me this without a reason.


    on pyritysten


    There is obviously something else you wanted.¡± I bit my lip, my nerves threatening to take over. ¡°The


    truth is¡­ I¡¯d like to take over for you one day¡­ and be Beta,¡± I said slowly. To his credit, he didn¡¯t


    outwardly refuse me immediately. Instead, he just nodded his head, cing his teacup back on the table,


    and reclined into the couch in thought. I was too scared to say anything in case it just made his rejection


    quicker. After some time, he looked over to me and stared down at my hands, narrowing his eyes. ¡°So,


    for how long now?¡± he asked.


    I didn¡¯t know what he was referring to.¡°¡®How long¡®...?¡± I repeated. ¡°Your hands,¡± he said, nodding towards


    them. ¡°I¡®ve just realised how calloused they look How long have you been training in secret?¡± It was a


    question that would have been answered eventually, but nevertheless, I wished it had been something


    he found out about only if he had agreed to support me. I tightened my hands into fists on myp, staring


    at them. ¡°Maybe¡­ eight months now? Nine? I started not long after the Alpha summons.¡±


    He was silent again. I wished he would just talk inly to me instead of making me guess whatever he


    was thinking inside. It was excruciating.


    ¡°So, this is something you¡¯ve taken a few months in deciding to pursue then?¡± That wasn¡¯t exactly


    correct. I had started training with the original intent of defending myself from Aleric, not for the purpose


    of bing Beta. But it was true I had spent thest two months thinking through my options


    thoroughly. This was something I wanted to do. Something that I *needed* to do. ¡°I¡®ve weighed all of my


    options with great care, Father¡± I replied. ¡°This is the only choice I have that allows me to both refuse the


    Luna position and protect myself from those threatened by my mark¡± He was silent once again. ¡°I can


    see why you may think I might not be worthy,¡± I finally said after he hadn¡¯t said anything for an extended


    period of time. ¡°I understand that you would want to see me seed, and bing Luna would be


    viewed as the highest honour for your daughter to achieve. I also realise that being a female, you may


    think I¡®m not up to the task.¡±


    I looked up to meet his eyes and saw he was looking at me, a crease between his brows. ¡°Aria, you don¡¯t


    need to be a Luna for your mother and I to be proud of you,¡± he said. ¡°I also don¡¯t care whether


    you¡¯re a male or female. To me, any child of mine naturally has a right to seed me as Beta.¡± My heart


    leapt at hearing his words. I was pleased to know his stance on my position hadn¡¯t changed in ten years.


    He really did care. Had the wall between us been only something I created in my mind the entire time?


    ¡°Thank you, Father,¡± I said, wholeheartedly.


    I felt out of breath. It was a relief to finally hear the words from him, to know that he supported me.


    ¡°But, Aria,¡± he continued, his tone serious. ¡°I¡®m disappointed that you kept this from me ¨C from us. I


    thought you understood how much we didn¡®t appreciate you cutting us out afterst time. Keeping


    secrets from me was not the way to gain my support in this.¡±


    I froze. Had I really made a mistake in how I¡¯d handled it? This entire time I thought I was doing the right


    thing, scared of what they might think of me if were to tell them of my real desires and worries. ¡°A Beta is


    someone trustworthy, someone who can be relied upon,¡± he said. ¡°Someone who is able to fight and


    support those around them as a team. Your actions have shown me that you prefer to work alone without


    the support of your fellow pack. I don¡¯t see how others will respect or follow you when you refuse to be


    transparent in your motives. You need more than intelligence to be a leader, Aria.¡±


    If I felt like I was out of breath before, then it really felt like I was drowning now. I had always worked


    alone, always from the shadows forgotten. But having him say it outright like this made it extremely clear;


    the barriers I¡¯d made around myself were inplete contrast to the person I needed to be in order to


    be Beta. I hadn¡®t opened myself up enough to others, wanting to avoid putting myself in a


    vulnerable position to be hurt or rejected again. I could see now how my attempts at protecting myself


    could actually hold me back in my pursuit of bing Beta.


    I red down at my hands, unable to look at him, and could feel the start of angry tears begint o bubble


    at my eyes. I was furious at myself for not realising earlier how my father would view the decisions I¡¯d


    made. There was no way for him to have known why I was the way I was. ¡°So, Aria,¡± he said, breaking


    me from my thoughts. ¡°Are you going to tell me the truth now?¡± I quickly looked back up at him confused.


    ¡°If you want my support then it¡¯s about time you start being honest with me.¡±


    ¡°...But I¡®ve been truthful. I¡®ve finally told you what I¡®ve been doing and how I don¡¯t want to be Luna,¡± I


    replied.


    He exhaled slowly, obviously disappointed in my answer.


    ¡°Well¡­ to start with, you could tell me about what happened to you ten months ago, when I suddenly


    found out my daughter had been marked by the Goddess. Something that, for generations now, we had


    all grown up thinking was just a myth.¡± And then I realised what truth he wanted. He wanted to know


    what had happened to me. Why I had changed so much in such a short period of time. Why I was no


    longer acting like the quiet diligent daughter I had been my entire life.


    In order to be Beta, he was asking that I tell him about my past.... ¡­A past that was also my


    future.  I could feel the tears begin to fall down my face and I shook my head. ¡°No... I can¡®t,¡± I said,


    gritting my teeth. I could see it all again so clearly. The cells, my father, the trial ground, the sword¡­ and


    Aleric. I realised then that, a part of the reason I hadn¡¯t told anyone about my past before now, wasn¡¯t


    only because I needed to keep myself safe, but because I physically couldn¡¯t talk about it before. It was


    too painful. It felt like if I said the words aloud then it would be making it real....


    ¡­And if it was real, then there would be no way I could even remotely say that maybe, just maybe, my


    past life had been just a bad dream.


    ¡°Aria, you need to be honest and upfront with me now if I¡¯m going to be backing you here. The journey


    for you to be a Beta will be hard enough as it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± I said, still shaking my head in denial. ¡°You need to trust me when I say I can¡¯t


    be Luna, that bing Beta is the only way forward.¡± ¡°Aria! No,¡± he said sharply and began to


    raise his voice, irritated that I was still deliberately being difficult. ¡°Enough is enough. I will not help you


    until you tell me the truth! So, what the hell happened? Why won¡¯t you tell me,¡±


    ¡°Because I died, Father!¡± I yelled, cutting him off. ¡°...I died.¡± The words had fallen out of my mouth before


    I could stop them. But once they were finally out, they hung in the open between us, never to be taken


    back again. As soon as I¡¯d said them though, I gasped at the air; a weight lifting from me as I told the


    truth, finally allowing me to breathe again.


    ¡°¡­What?


    His face was beyond confused, having been taken aback by what I¡®d just told him.


    ¡°I¡®ve lived this before already. All of this,¡± I said through my tears and heaving breaths. ¡°I became Aleric¡¯s


    mate. I became the Luna. I even helped lead us all to be the country¡¯s most powerful pack there


    ever was, just as the Elders predicted. I did everything that was ever asked of me! But it wasn¡¯t enough,


    Father¡­ I wasn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°...I don¡®t understand...¡± His eyes were wide. This probably wasn¡¯t the sort of


    confession he had been expecting. ¡°How could...?¡±


    I wanted to exin further, to give him the kind of exnation he could understand, but instead, all I


    could do was break down in front of him, my body crumbling intoplete heart -wrenching sobs.


    ¡°¡­Because he didn¡¯t love me, papa,¡± was all I could choke out. ¡°¡­He didn¡¯t love me.¡±


    It was the words that been ingrained in my mind for far too long. Sinceing back, I had told myself


    multiple times that my past feelings for Aleric didn¡¯t bother me anymore, that I didn¡¯t care. But the truth


    was, even though this body didn¡¯t know yet of the void left by Aleric¡¯s physical rejection, I still


    remembered.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Chapter Thirty Five


    INEN


    I still remembered the excruciating pain of being hurt every single day I lived in that hell, years before he


    even rejected me officially. The kind of pain that could only arise from loving someone with your entire


    being.


    I was no longer able to stop the flood of emotionsing up all at once and I was sure my father had no


    idea what was going on. But he must have understood enough to see that, whatever it was I was trying


    to tell him, it was enough to cause me to be in this much emotional distress just from talking about it.


    He pulled me into his arms and held tightly onto me as I cried against him. Everything had spilled out of


    me all at once. Things I had sworn to never tell anyone, things I didn¡¯t think I would ever be able to share


    with someone. But I didn¡¯t care anymore if he thought I was insane. I couldn¡¯t live like this.


    ¡°Shhh, Aria,¡± he soothed. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I just clung to him tighter, burying my sobbing face further into his


    chest. ¡°Please¡­ help me, papa.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else after that, he just held me in his arms until


    I¡¯d exhausted myself.


    I was grateful that he didn¡¯t push the topic again for that night. By the time I had finished shedding every


    last tear in my body, he just picked me up and took me to bed. It was a moment that I was d to still be


    small enough for him to carry me as he did, knowing that there was n o way I would have been able to


    rely on my legs again for that day.


    And when we finally got to my bedroom, he stayed with me as I continued to cling to him for dear life. He


    stayed with me until finally, I drifted to sleep.


    It was a blessing I was too exhausted to dream that night.


    As expected, the next morning my father was obviously wanting an exnation for what had happened


    the night before.


    And so, I told him. I told him everything. And the more I spoke, the more that poured out of m e, and


    soon I found that I couldn¡¯t stop myself from giving every little detail.


    I told him how I had ended up as Luna and how I¡¯d be Aleric¡¯s de in his war against the world for


    power. How I had so desperately fought for his love¡­ only for it to have been given t o another. And


    lastly, I told him about the trial, how we¡¯d said our final goodbyes in the cells¡­ and how Aleric had finally


    killed me.


    He was silent the entire time, taking in every word I said and never interrupting.


    But by the time I finally finished, I looked up to my father and saw a few tears had escaped his eyes.


    Something I had only seen him do once before¡­ right before I had died.


    Having confessed about my prior life to my father, I felt liberated atst. I now had someone I knew I


    could rely onpletely and who would help me with what I needed to achieve in order to avoid the


    same fate.


    He¡¯d had a lot of questions, many of which I couldn¡¯t answer, but he was content with the answers I could


    provide him. We spoke about Aleric, how I felt about him now and how I¡¯d been sinceing back. And


    we agreed that, in order to move forward, I needed to stop US


    looking back¡­ that the only way I was going to be able to truly find a new fate was if I stopped being


    haunted around every corner This included working on letting my feelings for Aleric go eventually. I knew


    it would be tough, and wouldn¡¯t happen overnight, but we both knew I wasn¡¯t going to be able to be


    Beta if I was terrified of the very Alpha I was pledged to. I could see this would be the hardest part of my


    journey; learning to ept what had happened to me and trying to move forward. The next day, my


    father went to Alpha Tytus to propose a meeting be held in order to discuss the current Beta heir


    position, mentioning also that I would be present. I was told he was extremely intrigued by the idea of me


    attending and immediately agreed for it to be scheduled


    In the meantime, whilst we were waiting for the big day to ur, my father and I had begun training after


    school and on weekends. I wasn¡¯t sure what he had ended up telling but he had somehow managed to


    convince her to let me drop Luna studies. Father and I both now knew that I didn¡¯t need the extra lessons


    and it allowed me to spend my time preparing myself physically for the difficult road ahead of me. The


    only person who probably ended up unhappy with the new arrangements was my former Luna studies


    tutor, Helen, who had been enjoying the easy paycheques up until recently. I also found my father


    definitely lived up to his reputation when it came to fighting. His lessons were informative and I saw


    myself making the progress I¡¯d so badly beencking thest few months without Cai. And though their


    fighting styles werepletely different, I eventually was able to adjust to my father¡¯s techniques with


    ease. He pushed me further than Cai ever had and I appreciated that he didn¡¯t go easy on me. One of


    the most vital ways I was going to seed in this crazy endeavour to be Beta was if I could, by


    some miracle, prove my merit in battle. That I was just as good as a male heir.


    Before long, the day of the meeting then arrived. It had taken over a month to find a time in the Alpha¡¯s


    schedule where he was free for smaller matters, and I found myself incredibly nervous to be facing him.


    I stood outside the meeting hall doors with my father, staring at the wood as if it could somehow show


    me what was waiting for me on the other side. We both knew how much would be riding on this


    discussion today. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so anxious,¡± my father said to me. ¡°You¡¯ve done things far more


    nerve wracking and crazy than this before.¡± I knew he was right but somehow it still felt like one of the


    biggest moments I¡¯d had in either o fmy lives. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sick. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, making me look


    up to meet his eyes. ¡°Just show them who you are and what you¡¯re capable of. You have nothing to


    worry about.¡± I clenched my jaw and nodded at him. I could do this. He pushed open the doors and


    inside I was surprised at what I saw. It looked as if this meeting wasn¡¯t just going to be a small chat with


    my father and the Alpha. No, there were several key figures here, leading me to believe this was a far


    more serious affair than I had anticipated earlier.


    In their usual seats sat the Elders, including Elder Luke who gave me a small nod when our eyes met.


    However, standing before the council to the left was my Uncle William and cousin, Alexander.


    My Uncle William looked so simr to my father that it was almost uncanny. The only difference being his


    usually very sour personality. He¡¯d made almost no attempts at being a part of my life growing up and so


    I wasn¡¯t surprised to see that it took potentially robbing his son of a rank for him to get up and meet with


    me. I honestly felt bad for Alexander.


    Suddenly, the doors behind us then opened, and Alpha Tytus walked in¡­ followed by Aleric.


    The usual fear that tightened in my chest constricted me per normal when I saw him, but I could feel it


    wasn¡¯t as bad today. It looked as if talking to my father had helped somewhat; even if it was just to help


    stop me from wanting to run away immediately at the sight of him.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    We all bowed our heads in respect at their approach and waited until they were seated. ¡°Alright,¡± Tytus


    said in an oddly excited tone. ¡°Shall we get started then?¡±.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Chapter Thirty-Six Alpha Tytus smiled between Alexander and I, clearly eager for whatever was about


    to ensue. In response, I couldn¡®t help but squirm a little under his gaze.


    Naturally, my father had to leave me to sit by Tytus given his rank. I watched him go and tried to not


    outwardly express just how nervous I was about him leaving me. But he needed to show that he was


    unbiased in this decision, and I needed to show that I didn¡¯t require my father to fight my battles for me.


    ¡°Okay, Aria,¡± Tytus started. ¡°Why don¡®t you begin by telling us why you¡¯re here today?¡±


    It was clear by those selected to attend that they all knew already what I was about to say, and yet he


    wanted to hear it from me anyway. Once again, I found myself having to tread carefully, stuck in the


    game I knew Tytus wasying out for me. I knew he wanted me to be Luna but I didn¡¯t know yet


    what he thought of my desire to be Beta. Would it be enough for him to feel I was contained and not a


    threat? Or did he see through my n to make myself immune, trapping his son should he ever cross


    me? ¡°Alpha, I¡¯m here today to appeal a process that has for too long been an outdated tradition of our


    kind,¡± I spoke out confidently. I knew if he sensed any weakness in me that it would be game over. ¡°I am


    here today to request you hear out my petition to seed my father in his role as Beta when the time


    comes.¡±


    There was a small murmur amongst the Elders but it wasn¡¯t their whispers that worried me; it was the


    feeling of a cold stare on me, something I was too familiar with. I spared a nce to the Alpha¡¯s right for


    only a moment and caught Aleric¡¯s eye. As I¡®d thought, he wasn¡®t happy with my announcement and was


    staring daggers at me.


    My natural instinct was to shy away and submit to his icy gaze, but I held my own, only breaking eye


    contact to return my attention to the Alpha.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ definitely an intriguing prospecting from you, young Aria,¡± he mused. ¡°And Alexander?


    What say you about all of this?¡±


    ¡°My son is the most qualified person in this pack to seed my older brother upon his retirement,¡± my


    Uncle William replied.


    ¡°I believe I was asking Alexander, not you, William.¡±


    Tytus stared down sharply at my uncle enough to make him bow his head apologetically. The awkward


    silence that fell was only broken momentster by Alexander clearing his throat, clearly nervous over


    how badly this had already started.


    ¡°Alpha, it would be my greatest honour to support our pack by bing Beta one day. I am at the


    service of you, Aleric and our fellow pack members.¡± Tytus inhaled deeply in thought having listened to


    the replies on both sides. His eyes then turned back to me.


    ¡°Aria, tell me something¡­,¡± he said, reclining into his chair. ¡°Thest time we spoke you mentioned


    having no desire for the Luna position¡­ or any other role of substantial authority


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    for that matter. What has finally changed your mind?¡±


    I looked to my father and saw him nod at me in encouragement. ¡°¡­My father has, Alpha,¡± I said after a


    pause in thought. ¡°He has shown me the kind of strength I am capable of possessing and how my body


    doesn¡¯t need to define who I am allowed to be.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie but it wasn¡¯t the entire truth. If it hadn¡¯t been for my father epting who I was, who I am,


    and who I could be, there would have been no possible way I would be standing here now before Tytus.


    His training over thisst month had proven to me that I was capable o f changing who I was if I worked


    hard enough. That there was no reason to let others choose m y fate for me; not even a Goddess. ¡°I am


    the only direct descendant of the house of Chrysalis,¡± I continued. ¡°As you know, we have been the only


    family for hundreds of generations now to produce Betas time and time again. Our family¡¯s wits and


    strength have guaranteed our position, never failing in any challenge issued for our rank. It is our family¡®s


    right to hand over this title to the next in line.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Uncle William called out. ¡°By your logic then, there should be no issue if my son takes over.


    We are your family too, after all.¡±


    ¡°Your son is not the direct descendant of this house,¡± I reminded him. ¡°...I am.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, you¡¯re not actually listening to this are you?¡± heughed. ¡°There has never been a female Beta,


    and for good reason too. They do not have the strength required to defend the pack againstrger male


    wolves. By extension, my Alexander is still of Beta blood and already started his training over a year ago.


    To jeopardize our pack¡¯s safety for the sake of taking a chance on her is ridiculous. We have a perfectly


    good heir right here.¡±


    He patted his son on the back who looked embarrassed that his father was still speaking on his behalf.


    But I could barely pay attention to anything he was doing as my blood began to boil. His arrogance and


    tant disrespect for me was evident. Without even knowing what I was capable of, he had already


    written me off for the sake of his own greed. He most likely only wanted his son to be Beta to better


    his own chances of being epted as an Elder one day. Anything to feel important, for once.


    I stepped towards him, a fire now burning within me, and spoke of the one thing I knew he would not be


    able to refute. It was something I had never wanted to use, something I had refused to invoke before


    now, but I knew that it was my best hope. When it came to breaking old habits of stubborn fools,


    sometimes you needed to take extreme measures. ¡°Need I remind you who I am, uncle?¡± I yelled out, a


    chill in my words. Instantly, the room became dead silent.


    My sudden stride towards Uncle William had also been enough to scare him backwards, even though I


    was still several feet away. His face was no longerughing. ¡°I am not some silly girl with hopeless


    ambitions as you may think,¡± I snapped. ¡°I am Ariadne the Saintess, the marked. The chosen. I was


    selected by the Goddess herself and a piece of her lives within me. I embody her will, her desires¡­ and


    yet you are here, merely an insignificant unranked member of our pack, trying to tell me that my


    session is not possible because of


    the genitals i possess?¡± His face had paled considerably as he stared at me, unable to make even a


    single reply.


    Iughed cynically at his pathetic appearance. ¡°I didn¡®t realise our deity¡¯s decrees would be met with


    such exclusive prerequisites these days. Since when have we held more faith in outdated procedures


    over the word of our great mother, Selene?¡±


    I was obviously embellishing the truth a little. The Goddess, Selene, had made it clear her chosen fate


    for me was actually to be by Aleric¡¯s side as Luna. But it wasn¡¯t as if she was going t oe down here


    and fact check me herself, nor would there be anyone in this room qualified to disagree with me. At the


    end of the day, she gave me the power to choose my own destiny, and this is what I had decided to do


    with it. I knew too well how she wouldn¡¯t interfere with the choices her children made, having lived


    through that abandoned hell myself. Finally, I was able to exploit that system for myself. 1 ¡°Aria,¡± Tytus


    said with a tone of warning. ¡°You¡¯ve made your point.¡± I peeled my eyes off William¡¯s pitiful face only to


    turn back to the Alpha. ¡°So, it would seem we have an interesting predicament here,¡± Tytus continued,


    deep in thought.


    He then turned to my father who had been watching me tear into William, a mild amusement i n his eyes


    the entire time. ¡°Jarred, I imagine you wouldn¡¯t have let here in here today without having at least


    some trust in her capability to handle the job. So, tell us, what is your personal experience with Aria that


    would persuade us to put our faith in her?¡± My father turned toward me as he spoke. ¡°Her ability is


    commendable in almost all aspects, Alpha,¡± he started. ¡°She has already proven to me in a short amount


    of time that, not only does she hold an acute mind for all traits a leader should possess, but her talent in


    fighting has already far surpassed any expectations I could have possibly had for her age.¡±


    ¡°What good is your expectations when she will be knocked t on her back the minute she is i n a real


    battle, possibly even with a ranked male warrior?¡± my Uncle William chimed in, finally having found his


    voice again.


    Unlike me, my father managed to keep his emotions mostly in check at his younger brother¡¯s tasteless


    remark, choosing to only narrow his eyes just enough that most would have missed i


    ¡°She may not be as physically strong as your male fighters, sure,¡± he replied, ¡°but I think you¡®ll find that


    they will be lucky to justnd a hit on her. Her agility and speed are like no other warrior I¡¯ve ever seen.


    With continued training, I believe she may even be one of the best fighters in our pack.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great


    to hear she takes after her old man,¡± Tytus said kindly. ¡°...But before we get to making a decision on this,


    let¡¯s not forget to address one of thergest obstacles still here in


    this room.¡±


    His tone and mannerism then suddenly changed almost instantly, scrutinising me where I stood.


    ¡°Aria has been prophesied to, not only be my son¡¯s mate, but has also been foretold to bring u


    s great sess should she ept that union. If we all choose to grant Aria her wish in this ambition of


    hers, then we must ept that we may lose that advantage as a possible side effect.¡±


    ¡°Alpha,¡± I interrupted, ¡°with all due respect, I have already given you my word that I will act only in the


    interest of the pack to see us seed. There is no reason to force any romantic union between Aleric


    and I when I am fully capable of fulfilling my duties ¨C regardless of whether that be ranked or unranked.


    However, I feel bing Beta would be the bestpromise for us both, would it not?¡± I turned to look


    at Aleric and almost immediately regretted it. He was frowning in confusion, his eyes ring at me. I


    wasn¡¯t able to stop the slight tremor that went down my spine. But I didn¡¯t have time to mull on his


    behaviour for long as the Alpha spoke once more. ¡°Very well, Aria,¡± he conceded. ¡°I will entertain the


    possibility that perhaps there is no real reason for you to be joined via mate bond. Perhaps the prophecy


    was misunderstood and it was merely pointing at the fact you both would hold positions of power to lead


    us forward.¡±


    Another murmur went out amongst the Elders. I knew they didn¡¯t agree with this interpretation at all,


    some of them having been actually present at the time when they allegedly came to this revtion of my


    future. ¡°I think I¡®d like to take this to a vote,¡± Tytus finally concluded. ¡°Aria, William, Alexander¡­ please


    step outside for a moment whilst we converse. Both the discussion and the votes made from here on out


    will remain confidential from all involved parties.¡±


    The three of us bowed and made our way out of the room.


    The entire time we stood outside the door, Uncle William regarded me warily. I could tell he wanted to


    start an argument with me, his mouth opening and closing several times, but every time he was about to


    speak, he would just dete again. A part of me wanted to smirk at how cowardly his true colours were.


    Alexander on the other hand was silent, looking almost tired. I could only assume he was exhausted by


    his father¡¯s continued attempts at pushing something onto him that he seemed t o not particrly care


    about either way. I assumed he was happy enough to ept the role, but he wascking the same drive


    of ambition that I held. In a twisted way, it could be perceived as my uncle attempting to live through his


    son; wanting something for him that he had always been denied. I wondered if Alexander was ever able


    to free himself of his father over the years I became Luna


    It felt like an eternity waiting for the council to decide. As every second ticked past, the more nervous I


    became. I ended up leaning against the wall, eyes closed in thought, while I reviewed everything that


    had just happened in my mind. However, next to me, my uncle had begun pacing nervously, something I


    was finding increasingly more annoying by the minute.


    Some may say it was a good sign though, I told myself. If there had been a strong majority either way,


    then the voting would have been over already. The fact that it had dragged out, for what felt like an hour


    now, could only mean that they were having trouble reaching a final decision.


    And then, suddenly, the doors opened behind us.


    We all looked up towards the Elder who stood there, their facepletely unreadable. ¡°Thank you all for


    your patience,¡± they said. ¡°You cane in now¡­¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯ve reached a verdict.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Chapter Thirty-Seven We stood in front of the Alpha in silence as he nced between Alexander and I.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting, Alexander¡­ Aria,¡± he started. I still couldn¡¯t read his face, his expression not


    giving me any hints to the results.


    ¡°The council and I have discussed this at long length and the result was¡­ a tie.¡±


    My mouth opened in shock as I stared at Tytus. A tie? What did that even mean for us then?


    ¡°It appears we werepletely split in half, five to five. And so, Alexander....¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha?¡± my cousin


    replied, straightening his back as his name was called. ¡°You may continue with your training for Beta....¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± my uncle yelled out, ecstatic with the victory. I almost couldn¡®t believe he had spoken s o childishly


    in front of the entire council.


    But my heart sank at Tytus¡¯ words. Had I really failed? In my head, I instantly began to think o f ways I


    could overturn the decision and have someone change their deciding vote.


    ¡°And if William would have let me finish...,¡± the Alpha continued, breaking my thoughts.¡°... Aria, you are


    to take up training also.¡± Tytus red my uncle down as he spoke. ¡°We intend to have you both train for


    the position until Ariaes of age. Upon that time, both parties will undertake an exam¡­ and will also


    duel for the right to seed as Beta.¡±


    I couldn¡®t help the small tug of a smile that yed on my lips at this announcement.


    Whilst no one could disagree that the exam would be easy for me, I knew most here would think I was at


    a clear disadvantage with the proposal for a duel. My cousin, being one year older than me, would be


    seen to have the upper hand having had at least a year to learn how to fight in his wolf form by then;


    something that takes time to master.


    Unbeknownst to almost everyone in this room though, I was already well acquainted with my wolf. It was


    true I wasn¡¯t a fighter in the past, but I had mastered moving in her body wlessly over the six years I


    had been able to shift. I knew when she eventually came back to me that it would be like greeting an old


    friend. I had missed her dearly already.


    Of course, I would have preferred to have been given the title straight up, but this didn¡®t seem like the


    worsepromise either. The exam would be a piece of cake, and a battle wouldn¡¯t be that difficult if I


    kept up with my training. If it meant working hard for another three years, then so be it. I would defeat my


    cousin, avoid bing Luna, and get to see the heartbroken look on my uncle¡¯s face as I reigned


    victorious, all at once. Everyone in the room was a little unnerved by my mildly pleased reaction but I


    didn¡¯t care. ¡°I ept,¡± I said calmly. I locked eyes with Tytus as I said this and saw he had that same look


    of curiosity in them that I¡¯d gotten to know so well now. The look that said he was eager to see what I¡¯d


    do next, almost as if I was his favourite pet to watch. Well, I wasn¡¯t one to divulge the old man, but I


    certainly found his idea of resolving the dispute creative.


    And so that¡¯s how I became a probationary Beta heir¡­ subject to approval.


    My life definitely became busy after that.


    Much to my disappointment, I still wasn¡¯t allowed to drop school to focus on more important matters. The


    only benefit of this was that it allowed me to still see Myra, someone who I¡¯d otherwise be too busy to


    see regrly anymore. Every day after school, and several hours over the weekend, I now spent with my


    father either training or learning about the new role requirements. Many of the duties for the Beta


    seemed not too dissimr from the things I¡¯d been looking after as a Luna. Because of this, I was picking


    up the differences very quickly.


    The rest of the time that I wasn¡¯t in training or school, I was either attending council meetings or


    completing small errands. Some of which were with Aleric.


    Typically, the Alpha and Beta heir were meant to start working together from around the age o f sixteen


    onwards. Since I was still short of this age, most of his time was therefore spent with Alexander instead.


    I, of course, didn¡¯t mind this in the slightest.


    But the times we did spend together, I found it was bing slightly easier with every meeting. I did my


    best to ignore how nervous I was around him by throwing myself into my work And whilst I still jumped


    and flinched whenever he came too close, it was definitely a lot better than it had been several months


    ago. But, that being said, as much as I¡¯d managed to improve, it still didn¡®t stop me from leaving the very


    second we were done with whatever our task was for that day.


    By the time five months had passed, I felt like I was finally in a good ce and had a clear path to


    achieving my goals.


    And so, today, I found myself with a day off, much to my surprise given my normally very busy schedule.


    My father was out of town on a Beta errand and there were no meetings to be held for the day. I


    considered helping Lucy with managing some of the investments we¡¯d recently looked into, but I¡¯d


    forgotten she was seeing the private investigator today and wouldn¡¯t be back until tonight.


    It was only the second time I¡®d ever had so much free time to myself and, once again, I felt a little at a


    loss for what to do. But, if it was true what people said and good things came in threes, I was hoping it


    wouldn¡®t be thest time I¡®d get some of the much¨Cneeded downtime. With having nothing better to do


    and with no one to tell me otherwise, I did the only thing I could think of; I went to see Myra.


    Sure, I probably should have taken the extra time to do some training alone, but it was such a rare


    opportunity that I didn¡¯t even care. I¡¯d been working so hard thest few months and felt that I deserved


    to treat myself.


    And what better way to treat myself than with junk food from a certain cottage cafe?


    Within two hours, I was seated across from Myra with a te full of fries in front of me. She stared at me


    with a fascination as I ate, her head resting against her hand as she watched.


    ¡°You know¡­ they have other options to eat,¡± she said. I didn¡¯t even reply as I was too absorbed in the


    food before me. Having experienced it for myself now, I could see how junk food could quickly be


    addictive.


    She sighed. ¡°You are a marvel, Aria.¡±


    Myra then began eating her own food, a sad-looking chicken sd. It probably was actually delicious but


    it was the sort of food I was eating basically every day now. I still had a love and appreciation for it¡­ but


    it wasn¡¯t enough to make me want to order it of my own volition.


    ¡°So, what have you been up to?¡± I asked, sipping at some sort of vani milkshake thing. It had random


    pieces of cookie in it and I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. Regardless of the weird addition, it still tasted


    nice, albeit a bit strange. ¡°Not much,¡± she replied. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve mostly been busy helping my


    parents out¡­ but, o h! ¡­Actually....¡±


    Her face changed, a small crease forming between her brows.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I should tell you¡­,¡± she said slowly, ¡°but I heard from Cai the other day. He sent me a


    letter.¡±


    I tensed up at hearing his name.


    ¡°Oh...?¡± was all I could say, now staring intensely at the milkshake in front of me.


    I hadn¡¯t prepared myself for her to say it and so I wasn¡¯t sure how to react. I didn¡¯t want to sound too


    interested but I couldn¡®t lie that I had been curious over how he¡¯d been going. We hadn¡¯t spoken about


    Cai since thest time we were here as Myra knew it was a sensitive topic. But it wasn¡¯t as fresh for me


    anymore and I reminded myself there wasn¡¯t any reason to get upset. I¡¯d been doing great over thest


    few months, having much more important things happening in my life.


    But I still thought of him now and then. In fact, I had made several attempts at writing him a letter over


    the months he¡¯d been gone¡­ but every time I ended up throwing it out, having thought better of it. Based


    on thest time I saw him, I knew that if he wanted to talk to me he would reach out himself.


    ¡°And how is Cai?¡± I finally asked.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    She pursed her lips a bit to the side, trying to gauge my reaction. ¡°He¡¯s going well. Busy, he said. He¡¯s


    begun his full training for Alpha heir now. He asked how I¡¯ve been and wanted to check in to see if


    everything was still going well here in the Winter Mist.¡± I nodded my head, absentmindedly. ¡°That¡®s


    good.¡± I could feel her eyes on me as she spoke and I tried to act as casual as I could. But after what felt


    like at least a minute she finally continued reluctantly.¡±¡­And he asked how you were.¡±


    I snapped my eyes up to her then, unable to now hide my interest. Cai asked¡­ about me? ¡°¡­And what


    did you reply back with?¡± I said cautiously.


    ¡°¡­ haven¡¯t replied yet,¡± she admitted. ¡°I was sort of procrastinating talking to you first.¡± I inhaled deeply,


    thinking it through. Cai asked how I was¡­ Did that mean he wasn¡¯t angry at m e anymore? But if he


    wasn¡¯t angry, then why didn¡®t he just send me a letter directly himself? Why would he go through Myra to


    find out how I was going? ¡­Was he just asking her to sound polite since he knew Myra and I were good


    friends? ¡°You can tell him that I¡¯m fine and leave it at that,¡± I finally concluded.


    ¡°Aria¡­,¡± she said, disappointed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to tell him what you¡¯ve been up to? Maybe it¡¯ll help


    fix things between you two.¡± ¡°No,¡± I said, a tone of finality in my voice. ¡°If Cai wants to know how I¡¯m


    going then he can reach out to me himself. And I mean to me, not via a third party.¡± She sighed. ¡°You¡¯re


    too stubborn sometimes.¡±


    I ignored her, concentrating on the small cookie pieces inside my drink as if it were suddenly the most


    interesting thing at the table. Myra ended up having ns for the afternoon and so we finished up our


    breakfast earlier than I would have liked. The absence of having any ns left me with too much time


    inside my own head, mulling over things I would have rather moved on from. Or at least, I thought that


    would be the case. Instead, I arrived back home only to find an attendant I didn¡¯t recognise in my house.


    ¡°Saintess,¡± they greeted me, bowing. I groaned internally at the title. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I have been sent today to


    inform you that you are to prepare yourself for dinner with the Alpha heir,¡± they said. ¡°He will be arriving


    tonight at around seven o¡®clock.¡± My face paled. ¡°Arriving¡­ where?¡± ¡°Here,¡± they confirmed. ¡°You will be


    hosting the Alpha heir here, tonight, at your residence for dinner.¡± Ah¡­ well, fuck.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Chapter Thirty-Eight It had Alpha Tytus written all over it. He had ¡®coincidentally¡¯ chosen a night my


    father was out of town and my mother was shifted t o work at the hospital. This meant it would be just


    me¡­ and Aleric. It seemed I had assumed incorrectly that Tytus was done trying to y matchmaker


    with us. When I had been epted as a probationary Beta heir, naturally I had thought the surprise


    dates woulde to an end. Did he think I was going to fail in my endeavour to best Alexander? Or was


    his idea that I could be persuaded to drop out of the running for the title if I fell for Aleric?


    Putting all of that aside, I now found myself with less than seven hours to get the entire house ready.


    To have the Alpha or Alpha heire for dinner was considered a high enough honour already, but


    hosting Aleric would just make things more difficult. I¡®d never found him an easy person to please in my


    past.


    I worked tirelessly, from the moment I found out he wasing, to organise everything down to the most


    minute detail. From briefing the attendants on behaviours to avoid around him, to creating a menu for the


    cooks so they could prepare Aleric¡¯s preferred foods, nothing was left to chance.


    By the time I was finally finished organising, I found I only had an hour for myself to get ready and


    dressed.


    And then, finally, the time came.


    As Aleric entered the house, I saw him pause a moment to take it all in. I wondered what was going


    through his mind and couldn¡¯t recall if he¡®d evere here before. But judging from his face, he didn¡¯t


    remember either.


    ¡°Greetings, Alpha heir,¡± I said, bowing my head.


    ¡°Evening, Ariadne,¡± he replied.


    I looked up and saw him staring at me strangely already. Had I done something off? I wracked my brain


    but couldn¡®t think of anything.


    ¡°It¡®s an honour to receive you tonight,¡± I continued. ¡°If you¡®ll follow me to the parlour, we can sit there


    while we wait for our meals to be ready....¡±


    We walked into therge sitting area with two couches. I stood at the doorway, allowing him t o move first


    to choose where he would sit. When he¡®d made himselffortable, I purposely sat on the opposite


    couch with just enough distance. Close enough to not be rude, but far away enough that I didn¡¯t have to


    worry about flinching at any of his sudden movements.


    ¡°So, how have you been, Ariadne?¡± he asked finally, after several moments of silence had passed. ¡°It¡¯s


    been¡­ a week since ourst meeting?¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha heir,¡± I said. ¡°I¡®ve been well. Yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ve been good...,¡± he said, his face turning that same odd frown again. ¡°You can call me Aleric, you


    realise? You¡¯re a Beta heir now. The formalities aren¡®t required.¡± Oh¡­ so this was why he¡¯d given me


    that look at the door. I¡¯d found it easier to call him Alpha heir thesest few months, the sound of his real


    name on my lips always leaving a bitter taste.


    I clenched my jaw, preparing myself to force to words out. ¡°Apologies¡­ Aleric.¡± He regarded me warily.


    Obviously, something else was still bothering him that he hadn¡¯t mentioned.


    But he didn¡¯t end up bringing it up as, not long afterwards, one of the attendants came in to announce


    dinner was ready. I breathed out a sigh of relief. At least having food in front of me would give me an


    excuse to not keep the conversation going. We sat down in the dining room, Aleric at the head of the


    table, myself to his right; just as it always had been. I could feel the anxiety begin to creep into my chest


    at his proximity, knowing I was within arms reach of him at any given moment. But I pushed it aside. I


    was stronger than that now.


    The food started toe out then and I was grateful everything had been prepared exactly the way I had


    instructed. The spread was diverse enough for even four people, but I hadn¡¯t wanted to leave anything to


    chance. I looked up to check on Aleric, to gauge his reaction, but he seemedpletely fine; this being


    at least onefort to my anxiety. I knew I¡¯d never know for sure though since he was impossible to


    read.


    ¡°Is everything to your liking¡­ Aleric?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡®s all great,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you.¡± That didn¡¯t tell me much but at the very least he hadn¡¯t hated it


    right away.


    And with that, we both began to eat.


    However, several minutes in, I realised he still hadn¡¯t said anything¡­ and I was beginning to worry I¡¯d


    done something wrong. I cleared my throat. ¡°So¡­ how was your exchange?¡± He looked directly up at me


    as he spoke, and I tried not to jump at the sudden eye contact. ¡°It was good. I went to a northern territory


    called the Opal Tide. It¡®s the central pack for the region up there.¡± I wasn¡¯t overly familiar with them but I


    knew they were a fairly powerful pack. Aleric had spared them during his tyrant years. I guess now I


    knew why. ¡°That¡®s... good,¡± I said before taking another bite of my food.


    ¡°Ariadne¡­,¡± he said, trailing off. ¡°Yes?¡±


    He looked confused, as if he wanted to talk about something but wasn¡¯t sure if he should.


    ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    to the airport


    He clenched his jaw and went back to eating his food. A part of me was curious and wanted to know


    what he¡¯d wanted to say, but I thought better of pushing him for answers.


    We ended up eating the rest of our meal in silence after that. I wasn¡¯t sure what to talk about o r whether


    I should even try to start a conversation or not, and so I let him be.


    When he was finally done, he ced his utensils on the table. ¡°That was delicious, thank you. Please tell


    the cook they did a great job.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that,¡± I said, genuinely relieved everything had gone as


    nned. ¡°Do you think I could trouble you for a cup of tea?¡± Oh, he wanted tea? I suppose I could make


    him some. I stood up and began walking to the kitchen. ¡°Ariadne, what are you....¡±


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    I stared at him confused. He said he wanted tea? I was getting him tea....


    ¡°¡­Nevermind,¡± he said again, leaning back into his chair. I paused another moment, still unsure over


    whatever that was, but proceeded on my way to the kitchen anyway. I asked the attendant there to boil


    me some water as I prepared the tea leaves. They, too, gave me an odd look that I still couldn¡®t decipher.


    Several momentster, I was on my way back with his tea in hand, walking straight up to him.


    I was about to ce it on the table in front of him when suddenly his arm shot out towards me.


    I jumped, not expecting him to have moved so quickly, and dropped the teacup...


    ¡­Right onto his leg.


    He stood up immediately and cursed in pain. I realised toote that he had actually just been reaching


    for the cup in my hand, but I hadn¡®t expected it. I hadn¡®t thought he would move so abruptly. ¡°Oh,


    Goddess, no...,¡± was all I could say. Instinctively, I had already begun pacing backward until I found


    myself up against the wall. ¡°Please¡­ no, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He was patting at his leg with a napkin, wincing


    from the pain, when suddenly his eyes looked up to meet mine. I had messed up. I had messed up so


    badly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I kept repeating, my body beginning to shake. ¡°It¡®s fine,¡± he said.


    But I could barely hear him as I was so scared over whatever he would do to me.


    He saw how I was, how my face hadpletely paled. ¡°I said it¡¯s fine, Ariadne,¡± he repeated with a tone


    of irritation now. And then he started walking towards me, looking unsettled by my reaction as I continued


    to


    apologise over and over again. ¡°Are you not listening to me? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I recoiled away


    but there was nowhere to move. I was already trapped by the wall. And then finally he¡¯d had enough.


    ¡°Why do you always have this reaction to me, Ariadne?¡± he snapped, frustrated. ¡°I don¡¯t get i t! What


    have I done to you? What could I possibly have done to always make you fear me this much?¡±


    I stared at him mutely, unable to find my voice.


    ¡°Before you became Beta heir, we literally had only spoken maybe five times growing up. So, what the


    hell did I do?¡±


    And then I saw him. Really saw him for the first time sinceing back.


    This wasn¡¯t the adult man who had gone on a killing spree. This wasn¡¯t the man who had trapped and


    used me. This was a teenage boy who was probably still learning who he was himself. He had the same


    midnight curls and green eyes, but his face didn¡¯t have the same lines from battle he¡¯d acquired over the


    years. He was younger, purer. I¡¯d been so caught up in the past that I¡¯d been unable to look at him in the


    present.


    ¡°Help me understand, Ariadne, because I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    He looked at me then with a sad desperation, as if this had been something piling up inside him for a


    long time now. ¡°Because whenever I look into your eyes, all I see is a reflection of myself, seen in the


    form of some kind of monster. And it makes me feel sick. Like I need to be apologising for something


    when I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯ve done wrong.¡±


    I wanted to say something, to give a usible exnation for why I was so scared of him. But there was


    no good reason I could think of that didn¡®t involve mentioning my past life. What could I possibly tell him?


    Because he res at me in meetings? Because he was sarcastic at me that one time? Because he gets


    angry when other men carry me off?


    ¡°Ariadne! Please, talk to me,¡± he said and grabbed at my arms gently. ¡°Help me understand what it is I¡¯ve


    done. I¡¯m sick of having to feel so disgusted by myself whenever I¡¯m near you. What did I do, Ariadne?¡± I


    couldn¡¯t focus, I couldn¡¯t think anymore. My head was spinning... and my vision was beginning to blur.


    And I realised then what was happening¡­ but it was toote. This wasn¡¯t trauma anymore.


    No¡­ now, I was having a vision.


    I clenched my teeth to hold it off as long as possible. I knew I couldn¡®t let him see me when I eventually


    appeared to pass out. Too many questions I didn¡¯t want to share answers to. ¡°Ariadne?¡± he called again,


    still waiting for me to reply. He didn¡¯t even realise anything was off about me. Aleric probably just


    assumed I was ignoring him. so


    many great But I could barely see him now, struggling against whatever it was that caused the visions. It


    was pushing at me, trying to overpower my body, but I held on as much as I could. I shook my head. It


    was the only thing I could muster as there was no way I could reply with actual words. Not now anyway.


    He sighed in annoyance, finally letting me go.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I even tried to organise dinner,¡± he said before I heard his footsteps begint o leave


    Aleric¡­ organised the dinner? Not Tytus? I didn¡¯t get time to think on it further though, as suddenly I felt


    myself falling, and my eyesight evaporated. ¡­And then¡­ there was blood.


    So much blood. All over me.


    I couldn¡¯t see it but I could feel it. The hot sticky sensation on my hands I knew could only be one thing. I


    was sure that if I looked down that I would find it everywhere.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. I was standing with the weight of someone leaning against me, their neck against my


    shoulder. I couldn¡¯t see their face, or even their head, but I could feel they were heavy.


    And then I realised this wasn¡¯t like any other vision I¡¯d had previously. No, I wasn¡¯t watching i t happen to


    someone else this time. I was here, present at that moment. This was happening in my future.


    But it was strange though¡­ it was like my vision was frozen, a snapshot in time, allowing me a moment


    to get a grasp on what was happening. I couldn¡®t move or speak and everything around me was eerily


    paused in motion.


    I tried to keep calm and looked around, hoping to figure out where I was, but I didn¡®t recognise the area


    at all in the dark. I could only see the tree line of a forest and a pathway leading from a dimly lit area at


    night. None of this was helpful. Suddenly, the person against me groaned out in pain and everything


    began to move again; time resuming.


    They grabbed at my shoulder and pushed themself off me, falling to the ground in front of m e. And it


    was then that I realised what was happening. What my vision was showing me.


    Because in my hand was a knife. A hot, sticky knife that had caused the source of all the blood.


    ¡­And in front of meid a dying Aleric, slowly bleeding out.


    I understood why I was here this time, why I was a participant and not a spectator. ¡­Because I was


    going to kill Aleric.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Chapter Thirty-Nine ¡°Miss?¡± a voice called out to me. My vision had slowly faded after the shocking


    realisation of what was happening, and I looked up to see Lucy leaning over me. ¡°Aria?¡± she called


    again, worried enough to drop the honorifics. I blinked several times,ing back to reality, but I could


    still feel my entire body shaking. ¡®I was going to kill Aleric.¡¯ The thought kept repeating itself in my head


    and I didn¡¯t know what to do. In the past, my visions had shown me things caused by others that I


    needed to stop. But this time¡­ this time it was me causing harm. How could things be so bad


    between us¡­ that I ended up wanting t o kill him?


    ¡°Aria?¡± Lucy called again.


    ¡°Lucy¡­ sorry,¡± was all I could say, letting her know I was fine.


    ¡°Miss, you scared me!¡±


    She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly. It was nice to know that even after all the hell and


    extra duties I gave her, she still seemed to care about me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said and wrapped an arm around


    her in return, still in shock.


    After a few moments of hugging, she finally pulled away.


    ¡°What happened to you? It was like you were passed out¡­ but your eyes were open.¡±


    ¡°Oh...,¡± I said. I had forgotten how freaky it looked to onlookers. I knew that if I told her the truth, it would


    be too difficult and emotional for me to go into detail right then. But at the same time, I couldn¡®t tell her it


    was nothing. Because obviously, it wasn¡¯t nothing. It was the same predicament I¡¯d found myself in with


    Caist year. To give too little detail and I¡¯d be sent to the hospital for a full check¨Cup, yet to say too


    much would only b e more trouble.


    ¡°...It¡®s a side effect of the mark,¡± I finally said. ¡°It gives me nightmares sometimes when I be


    stressed.¡±


    I told her the same line I¡¯d once fed Cai and hoped it would satisfy her enough to leave me be.


    But she only looked at me as if she had so many questions, like nothing I¡®d said was making sense, and


    in all honesty, I couldn¡®t disagree with that reaction. But I couldn¡®t give her any more answers for now.


    Not yet anyway. ¡°Come on, Miss,¡± she said finally, helping me to my feet. ¡°Let¡¯s get you into bed so you


    can lie


    down.¡±


    She must have known me well enough by now to realise I had secrets I couldn¡¯t tell her. After everything


    she¡¯d helped me with sinceing back, how could she not? By pushing aside her


    doubts and questions, I was eternally grateful that she was able to leave the topic be for now. ¡°... Thank


    you, Lucy.¡± She held me by the hand and helped me up the stairs to my room, my body still trembling


    slightly at the graphic scene I¡¯d just lived through. So, when my head finally hit the pillow, allowing me to


    rx, I was happy for just the small amount of peace it gave me. ¡°Stay here a moment, Miss,¡± Lucy said


    once she was satisfied I wasfortable. ¡°I¡®ll be back i na minute.¡± I frowned. ¡°Where are you going,


    Lucy?¡± ¡°Oh, I need to inform the Alpha heir you¡¯re okay,¡± she said. ¡°He was the one who came and found


    me. He said something was wrong with you and that he thought it would be best to leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Where is he?¡± I asked, hesitant about whether I actually wanted to know the answer. ¡°He¡¯s been


    waiting in the parlour,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡®m just going to go down and let him know you¡¯re fine so he can


    head home¡­ maybe make you a cup of tea whilst I¡®m there.¡± I tensed up immediately. I could have


    sworn he¡®d left but, after thinking it through, I realised I never actually saw him leave. It was just the


    sound of his footsteps walking away I¡¯d heard right before the vision. ¡­So¡­ he had gone to Lucy to ask


    her to help me? And was waiting in the parlour this whole time?


    Why...?


    And then I realised what may have been going through his head. Did he think it was like thest time


    with Cai? He saw me breaking down again before him and, thest time that happened, he knew it was


    because of him. Cai had rescued me then... did that mean Aleric left because he thought he was the


    cause of my stress? It wasn¡¯t necessarily incorrect, but the real reason I¡¯d been unable to get a hold of


    myself to answer him wasn¡¯t because of his presence. It was because of the vision that was slowly about


    t o make me pass out. ¡°Okay...,¡± I finally managed to say, allowing her to go. The minute Lucy left though,


    I realised that I was now alone in my own thoughts... and it wasn¡¯t a pleasant ce. So much had


    happened tonight, so many mixed emotions. Aleric had shown me a side of him I¡®d never seen before,


    someone who felt vulnerable. It was something I was struggling toe to terms with since, the image


    of him inside my head, was one that had been cemented over years of suffering. But could I have been


    making that image a reality by projecting my fears onto him so early? It wasn¡¯t until hourster that I


    finally managed to push all my thoughts away, trying my best to shut my mind off, until, finally, I fell


    asleep. And from then on, things between Aleric and I¡­ were weird.


    Not weird in a bad way, just¡­ weird. Or, at least, I was.


    I found I didn¡¯t know how to act around him anymore. Was I changing him further by being so afraid? But


    then when I did talk to him, I wondered what could possibly happen in the future t o make me finally snap


    and kill him.


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    Though, to his credit, Aleric waspletely professional despite my awkwardness, and that was


    something I hadn¡®t expected in the slightest. To be honest, I hadpletely anticipated that he would be


    angry or even annoyed at how I had behaved at dinner. But he didn¡¯t show any signs of that at all. In fact,


    he always spoke to me calmly and politely as we worked alongside each other, and I was beyond


    grateful for that.


    It allowed me to continue to throw myself into our work and get my mind off everything. Over time, I even


    found the small doses of being around him in a work environment were slowly allowing me to heal, and


    that was far more valuable than anything else. However, it was still a bit strange though. It was a version


    of Aleric I had only ever witnessed asionally from afar with others, someone who had never shown


    their face to me in the past. Was this what it was like to not feel terrified of being around him? Had things


    really changed so much that I didn¡¯t need to be scared of him losing his temper at any given minute?


    Though, whenever I thought about it all, the only thing I achieved was in giving myself a headache. I had


    more questions than I knew what to do with at this point, and knew that only time would be able to give


    me the answers.


    By the time a couple of months had passed since the dinner, I still didn¡®t have any better idea o f what


    was going on. To my dismay though, I found that I was going to be hard-pressed to figure it out soon.


    ¡­ Because the Alpha had summoned me.


    A dayter, I found myself standing before Alpha Tytus in the meeting hall, Aleric to my left.


    ¡°Alec, Aria,¡± he greeted. ¡°Thank you foring to see me.¡±


    We both bowed our heads.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked you both toe here today because of an interesting predicament I found myself in,¡± he


    started. ¡°You see, we¡¯ve been in negotiations with another pack for a few months now and they haven¡¯t


    exactly been making our lives easy.¡± I frowned. I wasn¡¯t sure what this would have to do with me. At


    most, my errands consisted of paperwork based tasks or checking in with warriors for status reports.


    Negotiation input was definitely above my current job requirement. ¡°It seems the Golden de pack


    believe our conditions for the alliance are unsuitable, and are even underestimating the threat we pose.¡±


    I could feel Tytus watching me carefully as he spoke, almost as if he was trying to see what was going on


    inside my brain. ¡°Well... I told them, of course, that our pack was currently revered by the Goddess


    herself, so therefore the price of the alliance was more than fair. Unsurprisingly, they didn¡®t believe me.¡±


    And finally I understood where this was going.


    ¡°So I said ¡®we have a living Saintess amongst us¡®,¡± Tytus continued. ¡°And, well¡­ they still


    didn¡®t believe me. So, in conclusion, you will both be going to the Golden de pack to act as


    ambassadors in the negotiations. This treaty is imperative to the Winter Mist so failure is not a n option.¡±


    I had expected this to be the case, but hearing it said aloud still made me shocked,


    ¡°Alpha, I¡®m not sure that it would be suitable for me to apany Aleric. I¡®m not yet sixteen and I haven¡¯t


    undertaken my full duties yet,¡± I argued.


    I was sure he was purely doing this to show off and avoid paying more for negotiations, rather than for


    any real concern he had about the treaty itself. He easily could have just increased the trade agreement


    benefits without the need to involve me.


    But, of course, that wouldn¡¯t have been as fun for him.


    ¡°Ah, well, I think we both know you¡¯re perfectly mature enough to handle this,¡± he replied.¡± And besides,


    wouldn¡¯t this be a great first mission for the two of you to undertake?¡±


    Oh, so that¡¯s how it was. He was also using it as a way for Aleric and I to be closer. I had only just


    gotten somewhat used to talking to Aleric, and now I was supposed to be going on a long-distance trip


    away with him? I felt sick from the stress of just thinking about it.


    ¡°Both of us are not yet of age,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Do you really think it would be wise to send us alone? Two


    unshifted ranked heirs would be an easy target for other packs wishing to start a war.¡± I had posed the


    question even though I knew nothing would probably change his mind.


    Heughed. ¡°Of course, of course, young Aria. You are quite correct. That¡®s why I will be sending a few


    warriors to apany you.¡± I internally sighed in defeat. There was no use in trying to persuade him.


    ¡°Oh, don¡®t look so gloomy you two, it¡®s going to be fun!¡± Tytus chuckled. ¡°You¡®re going to have a great


    time, trust me. Just show them the mark, negotiate us a great deal with that intelligent little head of


    yours, Aria, and you¡®ll both be back in no time.¡± I looked over and, sure enough, Aleric seemed just as


    unenthusiastic as I did. But it wasn¡¯t the same look as me who was irritated at being used as a pawn for


    Tytus. No, his face looked almost¡­ sad.


    I tried not to think too hard on it for the time being though. If there was one thing thesest few months


    had made me realise, it was that I was spending too much time worrying about what was going on inside


    Aleric¡®s head.


    And I had more pressing things to deal with right now. Like how I was going to exin to my parents that


    their fifteen year old daughter was going o na road trip to a foreignnd¡­ with an older teenage boy.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Chapter Forty The conversation with my parents hadn¡¯t really ended up being much of a conversation.


    There wasn¡¯t much they could do when the Alpha was personally ordering it. My father did give me a


    look of concern though, which I reciprocated with a nod of encouragement. I didn¡®t like it either, but I¡¯d


    told myself I was going to be okay. Within the week, I was packed and waiting outside for when my lift


    would arrive. I had been told to be ready by six in the morning because it would take all day to arrive at


    the Golden de pack. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the long drive but I was outside waiting in the cold


    moming nheless.


    Finally, a ck car pulled up and I opened the boot, throwing my suitcase in. Normally someone would


    havee out to do it for me, but it wasn¡¯t exactly like I needed anyone to do i t. I was perfectly capable


    of doing it¡­ it was just odd.


    I walked over to get in but, when I went to sit in the back seat, suddenly the door to the passenger side


    opened from the inside. I peered in slowly and saw Aleric leaning over to unlock it from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Morning,¡± he said groggily as he straightened back up again ¡°...Good morning.¡± I was surprised to see


    him in the same car as me, let alone driving it. He looked tired, as if he didn¡®t like having to be up so


    early, and was dressed infortable clothes. His wavy ck hair was even curlier in ces than


    normal, not having been brushed a t all today. It was the first time seeing him looking so dishevelled yet


    casual.


    ¡°¡­Where are the warriors?¡± I asked. I thought for sure they would be the ones driving us.


    ¡°They¡¯re taking a car behind us. Get in.¡±


    I didn¡¯t question it further and followed his instruction, sitting in the seat next to him. I didn¡¯t know what to


    do though, and so I ended up staring ahead awkwardly as he began driving. It was a silent drive, neither


    of us having said anything since I¡¯d sat down, and I wondered about what I could do.


    My eyes then spotted the music console and I naturally reached out to turn it on, thinking music would


    break the awkward air. But right as I was about to touch it, I thought better of the idea. I didn¡¯t want to


    annoy him so early in the day if he didn¡¯t want to listen to anything. Especially when he looked so tired. I


    put my hand back into myp and decided to just stare out the window instead. Ten secondster


    though, the music was suddenly ying. I quickly looked over and saw Aleric adjusting the settings,


    looking for something to listen to. ¡°Anything in particr?¡± he asked. I stared at him in surprise.¡°...No.¡±


    years old


    He ended up ying some random song I¡®d never heard before but it really made me wonder. I realised


    I¡¯d never gotten to know Aleric¡¯s interests in the past. What he had liked, what he¡¯d enjoyed doing.


    Everything had always been about the pack with us or nothing at all. The rest of the drive was spent


    listening to different songs, only small talk very asionally. And by the time we finally arrived, I was


    thoroughly exhausted from the long journey. We both got out of the car in zombie-like states and


    stretched. Already, the sun was going down and I wondered how Aleric had managed to make the whole


    trip with only minimal breaks along the way.


    A representative greeted us not long after our car drove in and escorted us to the lodgings we would be


    staying in. Luckily the housing looked to be close by to the main meeting hall so we wouldn¡¯t need to


    worry about driving anywhere tomorrow. And so, both being exhausted, we said our goodnights and


    quickly went to sleep in our separate rooms. The next day, the negotiations began. Much to my dismay,


    and humiliation, the Golden de insisted that I get my mark reconfirmed by their own pack Elders. I


    had to remind myself that I was acting as an ambassador today just so I didn¡®t cause a scene in front of


    them all.


    I ended up conceding on the condition that it would be done by their sole female Elder to which they


    agreed. It was a much quicker process thanst time and I attributed it to theirck of resources


    compared to the Winter Mist. The Elder was using a book that looked to have barely any details, and itN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    really made me appreciate and miss Elder Luke¡¯s amazing study. I reminded myself to go back one day


    and beg until he allowed me to read everything his study had to offer.


    With the confirmation out of the way, the hard part began. Unsurprisingly, it wasn¡¯t convincing them of my


    legitimacy that was hard, but it was the fact that none of them wanted to deal directly with a fifteen year


    old. Which was fair, all things considered. ¡°Listen to me,¡± I stressed through my clenched jaw for the


    hundredth time that day. ¡°You¡®re clearly getting a good deal here. To associate yourself with our pack,


    plus the added trade benefits, your economy is obviously going to be getting the most value out of this.¡±


    ¡°Tell me again why she¡®s discussing business with us?¡± one of them spoke up. I think it was their Beta


    but couldn¡®t recall his name. ¡°I thought they were bringing the girl to show proof, not because we¡¯d be


    dealing with her directly.¡±


    I was internally at the point of wanting to just jump across the table and rip his throat out, but I didn¡®t think


    that would be an effective negotiation tactic. Behind me, Aleric had been sitting back in his chair,


    watching the entire thing take ce. I could tell he was just as unhappy with how they were treating me,


    his eyes narrowing every time one of them tried to dismiss me. ¡°I agree,¡± spoke one of the Elders. ¡°We


    should be discussing this with someone who at least has a bit more experience.¡±


    I had six years of experience conquering an entire country, but sure, I was the one without any


    experience.


    And so, finally, I snapped. Fed up with the entire process that had already taken us well into the night.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said loudly, making everyone go silent and stare at me. ¡°Either take the fucking deal or I swear,


    by the Goddess who lives in me, that I will personally smite every single one of you. You¡¯ve all shown an


    extremeck of professionalism here today and I am at the end of my rope showing you a courtesy


    sorelycking towards myself.¡± It wasn¡¯t like I had any God powers that could actually smite anyone... but


    they didn¡®t know that. And judging from their terrible book collection, they had no way of figuring it out


    either. Instantly, they all paled, unsure what to say next. That is until finally, their Alpha chimed in.


    ¡°Alpha heir Aleric, are you really so low as to let the girl speak to us like that during such an important


    meeting?¡± he spat out, flustering over his words. ¡°Reel her in right now if you have even a shred of hope


    remaining that we¡¯ll agree to your terms set here today.¡±


    It was like I could see the instant switch go off in Aleric¡®s head, and I mentally shied away, recognising


    the look that came over his face. If they thought that I was bad, they had no idea who they were actually


    dealing with. He didn¡¯t even have to stand up, he merely leaned forward in his chair closer. But it was


    enough. It was enough for everyone in their entire council to instantly flinch backwards, the sharpness in


    Aleric¡¯s eyes a threat within itself.


    And for a split second, I saw it. I saw the old Aleric inside him.


    And not just him¡­ but myself also.


    Here we were, once again standing in a council room, attempting to force an alliance by means of tricks


    and violent threats.


    I wanted to throw up.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± Aleric said in a cold voice. That one word was enough to make a shiver go down my spine and it


    wasn¡¯t even directed at me. ¡°I think you¡®ll find the terms set by our pack¡¯s Beta heir here today are


    actually incredibly reasonable. She has given you a very fair deal in my opinion and I believe we have


    also allowed you ample time to consider it in depth over thest several hours.¡±


    I could see the instant regret in all of their eyes. They realised quickly they had messed up by getting him


    involved.


    ¡°But, if the terms aren¡¯t to your liking...,¡± he continued, his voice bing dangerously low.¡± Then I can


    assure you that if our Saintess here doesn¡¯t smite you, that I, personally, will ensure toe back here


    with the entire Winter Mist¡¯s army. And I, personally, will endeavour to track down every single one of you


    and tear you apart¡­ piece by piece.¡±


    It was safe to say we came to an agreement very quickly after that.


    Scanned with CamScanner


    But after the meeting was done, I was still upset. Furious even. We had both stooped so low in


    something that could have been handled peacefully.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± I called, getting his attention.


    I found him by the wall away from the others, watching over everyone as theypleted thest bits of


    paperwork.


    He looked at me confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I hissed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?! What was


    that?¡°:


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to threaten them like that!¡± He looked at me incredulously. ¡°You mean I didn¡¯t need to


    threaten them¡­ just like you did?¡± I clenched my jaw. ¡°That¡®s not the point. I¡®m not in the right here either


    but you took it too far.


    I looked around and saw too many people were watching us now, having spoken too loudly.


    I grabbed him by the arm and started leading him away from the main building so others wouldn¡¯t see us.


    But after walking for a minute or two, Aleric finally pulled away and brought u sto a stop. ¡°I don¡¯t get why


    you¡¯re so angry,¡± he argued. ¡°I tried to let you handle it yourself but they weren¡¯t going to listen. Surely


    you saw that too. All I did was try to help you.¡± ¡°I didn¡®t need your help! I could handle it! And since when


    do you care about what people say about me anyway?¡± I yelled.


    ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± he spat back. ¡°There you go again, talking about me like I¡¯m a


    fucking criminal. We¡¯ve been over this! I still don¡®t know what I could have possibly done to give you that


    impression! Before recently, we had barely even spent any time together growing up. But suddenly


    you¡®re terrified of me one day? And then every time you see me, you look about ready to cry or run away.


    Neither leaves a good impression for a mate or a Beta, by the way. Both of those would require you


    being able to stomach being in the same room as me!


    We stared at each other, both of us out of breath from the yelling we¡¯d just done. Both of us with intense


    fury in our eyes.


    I could feel the blood rushing through my veins and heart pulsing hard in my chest. I needed t o calm


    down.


    I turned around away from him, taking a second to breathe without us being in each other¡®s faces.


    Obviously, I knew I was being unreasonable. The only reason I had been so mad at him for what he¡¯d


    done in that meeting room¡­ was because it had scared me. Because over thesest few months, I had


    seen a glimmer of hope that he could be a different person, and now suddenly seeing a sh of the


    old Aleric was a cold reminder. And he was right. In this life we had barely known each other before I


    came back. And yet I¡¯d changed the future so much, that it was now debatable that we¡¯d spoken more in


    this life than


    the entirety of the previous one. So, from his perspective, I could see how all of my actions sinceing


    back would have warranted the reactions he¡¯d had.... When we first met again, I had broken down and


    had a full panic attack just because he had entered a room; and then needed to be picked up by another


    man just to escape him. I recoiled away every single time he moved anywhere near me, enough that I¡¯d


    even broken a te in m y attempt to flee and identally hurt him with hot tea. I¡¯d told the entire Winter


    Mist council that I didn¡¯t want anything to do with Aleric or to ever be his Luna, and even


    orchestrated the overturn of a tradition dating back thousands of years¡­ just to avoid being with him.


    If Aleric had done this to me in my past life, without me having any knowledge of the future, I would have


    been devastated. I had been devastated. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same or even close to being as bad, but to


    an extent, Aleric had put me through something simr. I didn¡¯t begin to discover Aleric¡¯s true nature until


    I was eighteen and we were mated. Was it possible that maybe he had been a different person before?


    Had meing back actually made an impact? Because if I was able to admit that I was capable of


    bing a different person now, didn¡¯t that mean that it was possible that people from my original


    timeline could change also?


    Only¡­ I couldn¡¯t forget what was yet to happen. His attempt at showing he cared now was probably


    nothing more than the result of being told I was his mate his entire life. He didn¡®t have real feelings for


    me, he was just angry I was rejecting him for what seemed like no reason. But I knew better.


    I knew that, when Thea arrived, he would forget about me. Just like he had in the past.


    I was about to turn back and apologise for at least my part in overreacting¡­ but I didn¡¯t get the chance.


    Because suddenly several people emerged from the trees and surrounded us. And I realised very quickly


    that we were under attack.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Chapter Forty-One ¡°What do you want?¡± Aleric yelled out to them. They either didn¡¯t hear or had no


    desire to answer because they approached us slowly without hesitation.


    It was clear what their intention was. ¡°Aleric?¡± I called out nervously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± I could


    see from here that something was off. Wrong. Their clothes were dishevelled and they looked like they


    hadn¡¯t seen a proper bath in years. But not just that, they were also giving off some sort of weird vibe.


    Like they were sick¡­


    ¡­And dangerous.


    ¡°They look like rogues,¡± Aleric said, moving closer to my side to get into a defensive position. ¡°You need


    to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± I snapped. ¡°I can handle myself in a fight, Aleric. What do you think I¡¯ve been doing


    all these months?¡±


    But his exnation made sense given their appearance. Normally, anyone who left a pack could be


    epted into another after due process and screening. So, this meant that the remainder of those not


    epted, those who had failed that process, were usually criminals banished. They became rogues. But


    rogues were actually pretty hard toe by these days since territories had expanded so much. There


    wasn¡¯t really any one ce they could stay for long without being driven out by the pack in charge.


    Something that made me wonder how they¡¯d managed to make it so far into the Golden de territory,


    especially without being seen¡­ and why they hade out of hiding to target us. ¡°Why aren¡®t they


    shifted?¡± I asked, warily eyeing them off as they paced around us.


    There were four of them in total, each a fully grown male, and yet not one of them was in their wolf form.


    I could also see that one was far more muscr than the others and noted he was the one to be most


    careful of.


    They were sizing us up, watching what we were doing carefully, and we were doing the same. Each side


    waiting for the other to move first.


    ¡°If I were to take a guess¡­,¡± Aleric said, looking around. ¡°I would say it¡¯s to help hide their scent in


    getting this far. Running past the boundary in wolf form would be picked up faster by the patrols. The fur


    leaves a stronger scent.¡± I hadn¡¯t realised that was a real thing, but then again, I¡®d never dealt with


    rogues before, nor had I taken the time to notice the difference in potency back when I¡¯d had my stronger


    sense o f smell.


    fanmathing naging in my brain rnar


    The whole situation seemed wrong though. I could feel something there was something obvious I wasn¡¯t


    realising. But I had to push it aside, knowing I needed to


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    focus on what was in front of me if I didn¡®t want to get killed. ¡°You need to leave the minute there is an


    opening,¡± Aleric said. ¡°Aleric!¡± I yelled angrily. ¡°Enough!¡± And then one of them finally came forward,


    charging towards me. I moved to face him, ready for when he got closer, but Aleric was quicker. He


    lunged forward and had him on the ground within seconds with a powerful hit to the rogue¡¯s head


    There was no hesitation in Aleric¡®s movements. Everything he did was confident and fluid. So much


    power disyed as tackled the rogue down, the man¡®s head hitting the ground with such impact that


    there was no hope he had survived. He had died immediately.


    This enraged the others, seeing the death of theirrade ur so fast. They advanced quickly on us


    before we¡¯d even had a moment to get our bearings. Two went for Aleric, thergest of the bunch being


    one of them. The third ran towards me, but I was ready.


    He swung his arm out to catch me in the face, but I moved back and dodged it effortlessly. His


    movements were sluggishpared to my father and Cai, but his body was more built, more muscled. I


    knew getting an effective hit on him would be hard and would need to focus on his weak points.


    Next to me, Aleric was fighting off the other two. His main focus was on therger one but he was having


    to keep his defence up against the second rogue as well. He didn¡®t look to be in any trouble, or at least


    he didn¡®t show it, but I could also see he wasn¡¯t making much progress against either of them in terms of


    offensive attack.


    Before me, the man was still continuing his aggressive approach. But I wasn¡®t letting him anywhere near


    me. I abruptly leapt backwards, catching him off guard as he tilted off¨Cbnce; the momentum of his


    flying fist having sent him forwards. I took the opportunity and managed to get my leg up with enough


    force to kick him back the way he came, my foot connecting with his face with enough power to hear a


    crunch. I assumed it was his nose.


    He fell t to the ground behind him and I quickly jumped on him, not wanting to miss the chance to


    finish him off. But blow after blow against him, I found I wasn¡¯t having any sess. He was neither


    staying still nor passing out.


    ¡­But then I saw it.


    His hand twitching towards something at his side, and for a brief second, I swore I saw a sh of the


    moonlight catch on a metal surface. Immediately, I realised what he was nning.


    Still straddling him, I quickly moved my hand to where he was reaching. However, he had a firm grip on it


    now and was refusing to let go. I didn¡®t let this sway my determination though.


    I let go for only a second. Just enough to punch him as hard as I could in the nose, allowing for his hand


    to loosen, and quickly I unsheathed the dagger he had concealed there.


    I didn¡¯t even hesitate or pause.


    No, I immediately embedded it directly into his chest¡­


    ¡­And finally, he stopped moving. I sighed out in relief, knowing I¡®d stopped at least one of them and


    could help Aleric fight now. But then everything happened so quickly. Too fast for me to have done


    anything about it. I stood up, inspecting the body below me for movement, when suddenly I heard a


    panicked voice behind me. ¡°Aria!¡± Aleric yelled.


    I instantly spun to where I¡¯d heard his voice but found he was closer than I¡¯d thought. In fact, his back


    was now directly in front of me, obscuring my viewpletely of whatever was happening¡­ ¡­And all I


    proceeded to hear was a grunt, the sound of flesh being sliced open¡­ followed by Aleric moving his


    arms in a forceful movement that created a sickening snapping noise. I realised what had happened


    straight away. I moved quickly, desperate to see for myself, and pushed my way forward to witness the


    scene before me.


    Aleric stood there frozen, a knife in his stomach, with the body of a dead rogue before him; their head


    turned to an unnatural angle.


    ¡­And I screamed.


    I screamed out over what I was seeing. Because I realised what had been nagging me this whole time.


    It wasn¡¯t because of the rogues, or why they were here. It was because this was my vision. This was


    where it took ce. The tree line, the dimly lit pathway. All of it.


    This was where Aleric died.


    I turned and looked at thest remaining rogue who was staring at me expectantly; thergest one of the


    bunch. But he couldn¡®t have known what was waiting for him. It was like my body lost control and I


    moved faster than I had ever before, faster than I had ever thought possible. And before he could even


    register where I was, I had climbed my way up him, swinging myself around his torso until I sat upon his


    shoulders. He didn¡¯t even get a chance toy a finger on me before I had snapped his neck, his body


    crumpling to the ground under me. I didn¡®t turn to inspect my handiwork this time though. Instead, I


    immediately left him and ran to Aleric.


    His face was so pale as he looked down at the knife below him in surprise. I could see him start to go


    into shock over what had happened, his hand feebly reaching towards the knife but not touching it.


    And then he began to sway, his legs starting to give out. I rushed forward to catch him before he fell to


    the ground, his head managing tond against my shoulder. My legs had almost buckled under the


    weight of him but somehow I kept standing


    I wanted to be sick, the sound of my heart beating so loudly in my ears that I felt like I was going to go


    insane. Everything was happening just as the vision had told me, but I had gotten i t wrong. So wrong. It


    hadn¡¯t shown me the rogues. It hadn¡¯t shown me the battle. All it had given me was the way he died. I


    could feel the tip of the knife in his stomach as he rested against me and knew what would happen next.


    He would push himself off me just as I grabbed at the hilt, making himself bleed out slowly to his death


    But it was strange though. A knife like this shouldn¡®t have hurt Aleric so badly. His elerated healing


    should have meant that, whilst he would be wounded badly, he shouldn¡®t bleed to death from it. So, what


    could have possibly caused what happened in my vision?


    And then I realised it only left one possibility.


    Before I could test anything though, Aleric suddenly groaned and I felt him begin to shift his weight. He


    was just about to push himself off me, but I quickly held onto him, preventing the vision from bing


    reality. ¡°Woah, wait, wait, wait,¡± I quickly instructed, stopping him. ¡°Just slowly. I¡®m going to helpy you


    down.¡± As gently as I could, I lowered Aleric to the ground until he was finallyying t. ¡°Aria¡­,¡± he


    mumbled, his hand reaching towards the stab wound. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it,¡± I ordered, though I wasn¡¯t sure if


    he could hear me. I firmly ced his hand b y his side just in case. I didn¡¯t waste any more time after that


    and knew I needed to confirm my theory. Quickly, I began to inspect him. I pushed his skin down the


    de just enough that I could squeeze my fingertip onto the surface, and immediately I felt the mild burn


    upon contact. As I had suspected, the knife was made of special silver. My heart sank. On a surface


    level against our skin, the silver would only cause mild irritation. But embedded into someone like this...?


    Well, there was no way he¡¯d be able to heal himself. Even though he was not of age to shift yet, the


    silver would still stop his wolf DNA from elerating the little healing ability he did have, keeping the


    wound open. And even if I removed the knife now, it would still take several hours before his skin would


    start to recover. This meant the best option was to leave the knife inside him¡­ but even then, if it¡¯s left in


    too long, it could also poison him. I could only assume this was why I had seen the vision; so I knew not


    to take the knife out yet. Removing it now would just cause him to bleed out quickly, but leaving it in for a


    bit longer may buy him some time It was clear Aleric would need serious medical attention to survive.


    Something that I wasn¡¯tpletely sure how to go about getting for him.


    And then something came to me. Something familiar yet foreign.


    ¡­Something dark.


    It was a voiceing from a small part of my mind. The voice of someone I¡¯d been working to bury deep


    inside me sinceing back.


    And it spoke to me, convincing me to do something I would have never considered. ... You could just pull


    the knife out,¡® the voice said quietly. I looked down at Aleric¡¯s body, shocked that a part of me had even


    thought of doing that. How could I willingly kill him after everything that had just happened? ¡®You would


    be saving the lives of thousands if you did it,¡®it continued. ¡®No one would even know it was you. They¡¯d


    say it was the rogues.¡¯


    ¡­And I realised it was true.


    If I pulled the knife out this very second and let him die, no one would even know, and it would guarantee


    avoiding a future where he would tyrannically reign over the entire country. S o many people would live.


    Countless families would never have to learn the heartbreak of losing a loved one from a needless war


    for power. 1 My hand twitched at my side over the thought of doing it. It would be so easy. I could


    redeem myself for those I¡¯d hurt in my past because of him.


    But as I looked up at his face, oddly peaceful now he¡®d fallen unconscious, I wondered over whatid


    ahead for him. Wasn¡¯t it possible to change his future just as I was now changing mine?


    ¡®You saw him in that council room,¡® the voice said. ¡°You saw he is still the same man deep inside.¡¯


    But the more I thought about it, the more I became conflicted.


    ¡­And I realised that, no, what I had thought was wrong.


    I mentally shook off the thoughts inside me. I knew that wasn¡¯t the same. Back in that room, he¡¯d acted


    out of a just cause of trying to defend me, not out of lust for power. He showed me he was capable of


    good even if he went about it the wrong way.


    And so, I knew what I had to do.


    I stood up, running a few steps towards the main building, and screamed. I screamed as loud a s I


    possibly could, over and over again, pleading for someone toe help. And even when my throat


    burned, I still didn¡®t stop. Thankfully, help arrived fairly quickly. The warriors rushed to his side and began


    inspecting the wound, but their faces didn¡®t look hopeful. I tried to tune them out but it was hard not to


    listen when they were talking about his low chances of survival. And as I continued to watch over him,


    terrified that Aleric wasn¡¯t going to make it, I scolded


    myself for having even considered something so abominable. Because in my head, I knew he was


    capable of changing. He had been willing to die for me, to shield me from having a knife plunged into my


    back. How could I even begin to doubt that he couldn¡¯t be a better man?


    ¡­But I couldn¡¯t help but think of one other reason also. Though whilst it was not nearly as important,


    there was one other thing that had been stuck in my mind the entire time the warriors worked over him.


    And that was that he had called me Aria for the very first time.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡¯re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting!

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Chapter Forty-Two I sat by Aleric¡¯s bed in the Golden de¡¯s hospital, having waited a few hours now


    for him to wake up Much to my relief, the doctors said he would make a full recovery despite everything


    that had happened. They sessfully managed to remove the knife and seal him up until his body¡¯s


    natural healing ability could kick in.


    Any minute now he would be waking up¡­ and that ended up being exactly the case. He opened his


    eyes slowly, looking around the room with eyelids still heavy, until he finally saw me.


    ¡°Aria¡­?¡± he mumbled weakly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I replied, moving a bit closer. I guess the nickname was staying and I still wasn¡®t sure how to


    feel about it. ¡°What happened...?¡± I realised he must have had some drugs left in his system as he


    sounded a bit out of it all still. ¡°It was a silver knife,¡± I exined. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be alive.¡±


    He just nodded drowsily, settling back into the bed again.


    ¡°You realise you shouldn¡¯t have done that, right?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡®re the future of this pack. You can¡¯t go


    around tanking knives for the sake of a Beta. And need I also remind you that you actually have two


    Betas currently? There¡¯s no reason to risk your life.¡± He groaned out a bit, but I didn¡®t think it was from


    the pain. More so because I was nagging him.


    ¡°Contrary to what you may believe, Aria,¡± he said quietly, closing his eyes again. ¡°¡­I would actually care


    if you got killed.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to reply to that. Instead, I sort of just... stared at him.


    Did he realise how close I came to killing him?


    I felt sick just thinking about it now.


    His face then became calm as if he were drifting back to sleep, and so I wasn¡¯t sure if he heard what I


    said next. But I did end up managing to reply to him ever so quietly. ¡°If you got killed¡­ I¡¯d care too,¡± I


    whispered finally, though I wasn¡¯t sure if I was telling him o r myself.


    Regardless of who I¡¯d once known, this boy in front of me deserved the benefit of the doubt. I had to


    have faith that he could change. That there was a better future ahead of us this time. Shortly after he fell


    asleep again, I finally got up to leave, satisfied that he was going to be okay. I had instructions to head


    home without him and knew whoever wasing to pick me u p would be waiting.


    ADRESSEN PRYWATAISYTISTA EN ESTE POSITIONS


    te


    I gathered up my things and left the hospital, however, I was surprised by who I found by the car. Waiting


    for me outside was my father, staring off to the side with a look on his face that told me he was extremely


    unimpressed.


    ¡°¡­Father? What are you doing here?¡± I asked. He looked up as soon as he heard my voice and instantly


    his body rxed. He even made up thest few feet between us quickly and pulled me into a hug. ¡°You


    scared me,¡± he said, relief flooded in his voice. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Even though I was fine, it felt nice to be


    hugged by him. I still felt safe being with him, regardless of the fact that I had spent so long toughening


    up thesest few months. His presence brought me an immeasurablefort.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    After a few seconds, he finally pulled away, shaking his head.


    ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for. If those damn warriors had done their fucking jobs, none of this would


    have happened.¡± I was surprised to hear my father swear for the first time. He really must have been


    furious. I could only imagine the punishment waiting for those poor warriors once they returned home.


    Not that it was their fault. Aleric and I had been the ones to wander off without telling them, after all.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine,¡± I assured him. ¡°Weirdly enough¡­ Aleric saved my life.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­. I heard.¡±


    His face then became conflicted like he wanted to say something. ¡°What is it...?¡± I asked. I found his


    reaction odd since it was unusual these days for him to hide anything from me, especially after what we¡¯d


    shared. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that strange to hear he saved you...,¡± he finally said. ¡°I¡®ve been wanting to tell you


    this for months now but I couldn¡¯t. In fact, I still shouldn¡®t. But I think it¡®s important so you can get the full


    picture given your history.¡± I frowned, worried over whatever he was about to say.


    ¡°The day of the meeting for your admittance to be trained as a Beta heir,¡± he started. ¡°The confidential


    discussion didn¡®t y out the way you probably thought. The way it was standing was a four to five


    sway¡­ and Aleric held thest vote to decide. If he didn¡®t vote in your favour, Aria, you would have lost.¡±


    I stood shocked, unsure what to make of that. If that were true, then he knowingly agreed to, not only


    work alongside me as a team, but also supported what would inevitably mean rejecting him as my mate


    one day. Multiple different theories started going through my mind as to why he would give me a chance


    to be Beta, but none of them really made sense. Not really, anyway.


    live in wilderna


    If anything, all I felt now was more confused. I agreed to keep the information my father told me to


    myself. After all, none of the participants were meant to know what went on during that meeting room


    whilst we stood outside. If I told anyone then my father would end up with pretty severe consequences.


    A lot of time passed after the events at the Golden de. For starters, I turned sixteen finally.


    It was something I had been waiting to happen for so long, and I was already extremely excited to start


    my full responsibilities as Beta heir. With it also came the added bonus of finally being able to drop high


    school and begin full-time training for the future ranked position


    The rtionship between Aleric and I became much better also. We now spent a lot of our days in the


    gym sparring and practising, even doing closebat. It didn¡¯t feel as weird anymore and, on a certain


    level, we had even built up a level of trust with each other; as most would expect after he had saved my


    life. Some might even say we were friendly now. However, neither of us had brought up what he¡¯d said in


    the hospital sinceing home, and I didn¡¯t dare ask if he¡¯d heard myst words either¡­ but I was


    getting used to him calling me Aria now at the very least. It seemed like such a small insignificant thing


    and yet¡­ it had been something that held a lot of weight for me in my past life. My full name had always


    been something that seemed to create more distance between us, like a wall he used to keep me out.


    But there were more changes too.


    Ever since that day with the rogues, there had been a shift within myself too. A split. I felt like there were


    two Arias now. There was the ¡®me¡¯ now, who was strong, determined and constantly fighting for


    change¡­ and the old ¡®me¡¯, who was broken, anxious and constantly terrified at any given moment she


    would be hurt. That she would be rejected again¡­ or worse.


    Seeing Aleric dying with his life in my hands that day had only seemed to cause something inside my


    brain to crack, and now it was bing painfully obvious just how different we were. It had been her


    voice I¡¯d heard inside my head. The voice of a girl who would sumb to murder as a means of survival,


    both present and past.


    And I saw her, the old Aria, every time I caught my own reflection in the mirror. It was like she was


    constantly there, scared and insecure, peering out from behind my eyes. Because of that, I found it


    difficult at times to assure myself that I was on the right path. I knew she was always s o close by, just


    hiding behind the surface. ...Whispering every now and then my worst fears. But there was something


    else that bothered me too. Something that had been disturbing me for a few months now. And yet, every


    time I went to remember what it was, it would escape m e instantly. I found my memory would begin to


    havepses like this every now and then, slowly bing more frequent the more time that went by in


    my new life.


    Then, finally, after all these monthster, it came time for Aleric¡¯sing of age ceremony. He had


    turned eighteen and the event being thrown tonight was considered no light matter.


    stately as a parte year your


    NEROZAT Spray


    Tonight, he would shift for the very first time and learn to be one with his wolf. The Alpha heir¡¯s


    eighteenth was considered the biggest event of the entire generation and took literally months of


    nning.


    And so, of course, I was expected to attend also.


    I debated wearing attire more fitting for a Beta heir; maybe some pants and a shirt. Something that would


    tell others I took my role seriously. But it didn¡®t take long for me to realise how dumb that was. I hadn¡¯t


    spent all this time arguing for my right to be taken seriously as a female Beta just to try and impress


    anyone now by dressing more masculine. If they were going to doubt me over just the clothes I wore


    then they weren¡¯t worth my time anyway. I had a right to feel both pretty and pretty badass at the same


    time without their judgment. And so I went with a violet dress that matched my eyes. It was definitely


    more embellished and delicate than what I would have chosen normally, but given the event, I felt it was


    necessary. Lucy also had a ridiculous amount of fun styling my hair, something I¡®d normally tell her not to


    fuss over. But she took it to the next level and the results were, admittedly, actually very stunning.


    An hourter I finally arrived at the event. Arge and very swanky looking building in town had been


    rented out for the asion. It was double story and had a balcony surrounding it that overlooked the


    forest down below. Later tonight, Aleric and a few other selected pack members would go down to that


    forest and witness his first shift. I wouldn¡®t be there for that part though; it was tradition for those


    witnessing to be already of age so they could go running in the woods after. Looking around inside, there


    were a lot of faces I did recognise, and many I did not. But everyone was impably well dressed in


    their formal attire for the evening. A few I assumed were representatives from alliances in a show of


    good faith for Aleric¡¯s future, others I assumed were here in the hopes of finding their mates. It was


    common to travel to other packs if they had no luck in finding their other half within their own territories. I


    was grateful to not have to worry about any of that tonight myself. Whilst Aleric would being of age,


    he would still need to wait until I was eighteen for the mate bond to be formed. Until then, neither of us


    would feel it. Not that it mattered though. I nned on bing Beta and doing what was necessary to


    fulfil that. It wasn¡¯t long after everyone arrived that Alpha Tytus gathered a crowd for a few speeches and


    announcements. All of which were thankfully fairly short.


    I looked up at Aleric from within the crowd and saw a slight happiness in his eyes that I couldn¡¯t recall


    having seen thest time I¡®d gone to this party. He wore the same expensive and nicely fitted suit, his


    ck wavy hair still perfectly tamed, and yet it was his expression that stood out the most. He seemed


    happier, if that was even possible for his usually very stoic face.


    In the past, I had been paraded next to him for this entire event, the assumed future Luna. It was one of


    the first times we¡¯d ever really spent an extended amount of time together. I could remember being in


    silent awe of him, wondering if he would really be mine one day. In true Aleric fashion though, he had


    barely even looked at me the whole night. I was grateful this time that no one was pressuring me to fulfil


    a role based on that


    assumption; the one where we¡¯d be romantically involved one day. Though I doubted many would even


    dare to insinuate it now. These days, I¡¯d spent so long asserting my position to be treated as a Beta heir,


    that i knew they¡¯d be too scared to mention it. And so, I looked on at Aleric from the crowd only, our eyes


    only meeting once the speeches had finally ended. He walked over to me when everyone started to


    disperse and I dramatically bowed in jest at his approach, smiling


    ¡°Happy birthday, Alpha heir. May the Goddess smile upon you.¡±


    His lip tugged ever so slightly in a smile, narrowing his eyes at the scene I was making. ¡°Cut that out,


    Aria.¡± Iughed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you look to be enjoying yourself at least.¡± But before he could reply,


    suddenly Tytus shouted back over the crowd and everyone went silent.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot, everyone!¡± he yelled, getting the room¡¯s attention again. ¡°To kick off the event, Aleric


    will need to partake in the first dance.¡±


    I tensed up. I remembered that dance too well. They couldn¡¯t actually make me do it again this time¡­


    could they? But to my dismay, Tytus¡¯ eyes moved to me and I realised he had thought of this already.


    ¡°Aria, you are the highest-ranked female in our pack who is of simr age to Aleric. Would you mind


    joining him in starting tonight¡®s festivities?¡± I sighed internally. I shouldn¡®t have expected anything less


    from him. ¡°It would be my honour, Alpha,¡± I replied, a forced smile on my face. I turned to Aleric, bowing


    my head, before curtsying to signify my invitation. Even though I knew he wouldn¡¯t decline, I was still


    relieved when he held his hand out towards me.


    And without any further dy, we started to dance. The music was ssical and somewhat upbeat, but I


    managed to keep up. I had spent hours practising this type of dance in the past and yet, despite it being


    a very long time, I still remembered the steps perfectly


    Aleric¡¯s hand was at my waist, my own against his shoulder, and it was a nice feeling to be so close to


    him without being afraid. We had spent so many months training together now that it had oddly brought


    us closer. We moved together effortlessly, everyone standing around to watch us. I expected to feel


    nervous by the crowd¡¯s stares, scared of making a mistake at any minute, but instead I feltfortable


    enough to keep my head up. I had to remind myself I wasn¡¯t *her*. The old Aria. I was stronger than that.


    Before long, the song came to an end and we stepped back to bow to one another, the entire crowd


    pping. I smiled at him and was thankful the entire thing had gone by without a hitch. Very quickly after


    that did everyone around us begin to talk loudly as they walked off or went t o dance themselves; the


    music for the next song already having started up.


    har


    ¡°You look really¡­,¡± Aleric started to say, but his voice was cut off by the noise of the crowd and music.


    I frowned, having not heard anything he said. ¡°What did you say?¡± I yelled back. But I didn¡¯t get the


    chance to hear whatever it was because suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, the voice of someone by


    my ear. ¡°Do you mind if I cut in for the next dance?¡± they asked.


    I could feel my heart race and legs be weak. Because that voice was so familiar.


    But it couldn¡¯t be. Could it...?


    I sharply turned around and there, standing right before me¡­ Was Cai.


    Cai.


    In the flesh. He was here. Really here.


    He smiled at me, his golden eyes striking and somehow even brighter than how I had remembered them.


    ¡°Hey, little one,¡± he said in a casual tone. ¡°Been a long time, aye?¡±

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Chapter Forty-Three I stared at him in disbelief.


    I never thought I was going to see him again, and yet here he was. ¡°...Cai?¡± was all I managed to say.


    And then a flood of different emotions hit me all at once, overwhelming me.


    ¡­ But there was one that ended up prevailing above any other.


    I moved so quickly that I almost didn¡¯t even realise I did it... and pped him across the cheek.


    Immediately, I stared down at my own hand in astonishment, bewildered at myself as he covered his


    face. ¡°¡­I probably deserved that,¡± he said, and halfughed the whole thing off. ¡°Wow, you really pack a


    punch these days, Aria.¡± ¡­Did I actually just hit him?


    I thought I was happy to see him? That I wanted his forgiveness?


    But I realised something else, something that had triggered me in the way he spoke.


    ¡°You don¡¯t write to me, you don¡®t visit, and you left making me think you hated me,¡± I snapped. ¡°You can¡¯t


    just show up here, talking like you¡¯re greeting an old friend! You made that fact painfully obvious when


    you left, Cai.¡±


    This whole time I thought he¡®d hated me. I thought he didn¡®t want anything to do with me. And yet he had


    walked right up, asking me to dance with him, and blurting out some ridiculous old nickname. As if


    nothing had happened. As if thest two years I¡¯d spent feeling guilty had been for nothing. What had


    been the point in agonising over what had happened between us when it apparently had meant nothing


    to him? 1 I could see several people had stopped to stare but I ignored it. I felt too tense to care at that


    very second.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡®re right... can we please go somewhere and talk?¡± he asked, his eyes pleading with me.


    I wanted to tell him to get lost, that I didn¡®t want to see him, but I knew that would be a lie. I couldn¡®t deny


    that a part of me had missed him and that I had wanted to see him again so badly.


    ¡°...Fine,¡± I agreed after a pause.


    But, before I could move an inch, a cold voice then spoke behind me.


    ¡°Caius,¡± I heard Aleric greet.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± came the reply.


    The sentiment seemed mutual as the two regarded each other warily. You could feel the tension in the air


    between them. elementos


    Considering that one of the main reasons I¡®d pursued bing a Beta, rather than just running away,


    was to ensure a war didn¡®t break out between the two of them, it seemed as though my interference was


    already setting up their political rtions on a *great* note¡­.


    I turned to Aleric and found he was staring at Cal, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He only looked


    away to give me his attention after I spoke.


    ¡°I¡®m sure I¡®ll catch youter,¡± I said with a smile, trying to rx any uneasiness. ¡°But if I¡®m not back before


    your shift, I really do hope it goes well. And make sure you try and rx. It¡¯ll make it easier.¡±


    I realised then that giving him advice on shifting would seem odding from me and had to quickly


    backpedal. ¡°¡­Or, at least, that¡®s what Father told me.¡± He looked like he wanted to say something else


    but he didn¡®t, just giving me a nod instead. And so, I followed behind Cai as he led us out onto the


    balcony. There wasn¡¯t anyone else around luckily, given the event had only just started. It was probably


    for the best that we had some privacy to talk ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much since Ist saw you,¡± he said lightly.


    ¡°Guess I¡®ll have to find a new nickname for you now.¡±


    But I found even this irritating. It was like he was trying to avoid exining himself.


    ¡°Why are you here, Cai?¡± I asked, ignoring hisment. He leaned against the balcony rail, the night


    sky and forest behind him. He looked taller, more toned, if that was even possible. ¡°My father thought


    that it would be best for me toe back and reconnect given it¡¯s been a while,¡± he said, crossing his


    arms over his chest. ¡°I had mying of age about six months ago, so I¡¯m technically here on official


    ambassador business for a little while... but I knew I had other things to take care of whilst here.¡± It


    exined why he looked a bit different. He had his wolf now. His body would have developed more


    during the process.


    ¡°...What other things?¡± ¡°Like apologising to you,¡± he said, his eyes staring into mine. ¡°In person, face to


    face. Not via a dumb letter or just asking about you from Myra.¡± ¡°...I thought you hated me.¡± I couldn¡®t


    hide the pain in my own voice as I spoke and I cursed myself for letting him hear it. ¡°You made me think


    that you didn¡®t even consider us friends when you left. I spent years ming myself for you leaving the


    way you did.¡± He looked away from me, seeming guilty at what I was telling him. ¡°So, was I wrong back


    then?¡± I asked when he didn¡®t answer me. I could feel the tears start to bubble at my eyes. ¡°...Weren¡®t we


    friends, Cai?¡± My words must have gotten to him as he inhaled sharply and still couldn¡®t look at me. It


    took several moments before he was finally able to reply.


    ¡°We were friends¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Aria.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°So, why..? Why did you do that to me? I deserve an exnation for what happened because I don¡¯t


    understand at all, Cai.¡±


    ¡°¡­Because I was stupid and not good at handling things,¡± he admitted, his speech quick as if h e was


    confessing something that had been weighing him down. ¡°1 reacted in a way that hurt you, that I knew


    would hurt you, and I still did it anyway.¡± I wiped at the tear on my cheek angrily. So, it had been on


    purpose the entire time? He thought that little of me? ¡°The truth is,¡± he started, trying to calm himself, ¡°I


    found out only that day I was going to be sent back home¡­ and I was devastated. I was devastated


    because I didn¡¯t know how to break the news to you, Aria. And so instead of justing clean¡­ I went


    and found literally anything else to do other than tell you.¡±


    I almost wanted tough at how messed up that was. His idea of finding anything to do had been finding


    anyone to do.


    ¡°I was destructive in my procrastination and it hurt you,¡± he continued. ¡°A part of me wanted i t to hurt you


    because, if you hated me, then it would make saying goodbye easier¡­ and I got m y wish, Aria. To the


    point I¡¯ve been feeling guilty all these years, unsure how to fix it.¡± ¡°A fucking apology two years ago


    would have been a good start,¡± I said bitterly through gritted teeth. ¡°¡­How could you do that to me after


    everything we went through?¡±


    ¡°I really am sorry, Aria,¡± he said, stepping towards me. ¡°¡­You have no idea how badly I regret


    it.¡±


    He looked so miserable and sincere in what he was telling me. I wanted nothing more than to believe


    him, to forgive him, but I felt like I¡®d be giving in too easy after the hell I went through.


    ¡­But then his words hit a part of me I¡¯d been walling off behind my anger.


    ¡°¡­I missed you, Aria,¡± he said quietly, looking at me with his sad eyes. And even though I promised


    myself not to readily give in to him, I found I was helpless to stop myself frompletely crumbling


    inside at those words, at those eyes, and that miserable


    face of his. I ran to cover the distance between us and threw my arms around him. ¡°Screw you, Cai,¡± I


    mumbled against him. ¡°...I missed you, too.¡± I could feel him wrap his arms around me in turn and inside I


    knew I¡®d made the right choice. Maybe Myra¡¯s assessment had been correct and I had been acting too


    stubborn.


    It was strange but, even though I knew I had grown since I¡®dst seen him, I found I became very aware


    of the fact that Cai stood over a foot taller than me as we hugged. I felt so tiny against him. And his


    scent... it seemed stronger and had almost something a little sweeter to it underneath the more earthy


    tones. I wouldn¡®t have been able to tell unshifted had I not been s o close to him right now. Had he


    always smelt so nice?


    Behind me, the music for the next song began to start up; something slower.


    Cai pulled away to look down at me. ¡°Dance with me.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Chapter Forty-Four ¡°...What?¡± I dropped my hands instantly and moved backwards out of his arms.


    ¡°Feelings for me? Like friendship? Because we had always been friends in my mind, Cai. It was you who


    denied it, remember?¡± My chest was beating so hard that I felt like I was about to faint. He walked


    towards me, immediately closing the space I¡®d just made between us, and cupped m y face in his hand


    to make me look up at him. I felt frozen in ce staring up into his eyes that appeared to bepletely


    serious. ¡°You know what I meant, Aria,¡± was all he said to rify.


    I felt my mind gopletely nk as he held my gaze, having been takenpletely off guard by his


    sudden confession. But finally, after a few moments, reality kicked in.


    I pushed my way backwards again, confusion slowly registering over everything he¡¯d just said.


    How could that even be possible? If that was true, then why would he have waited so long to tell me?


    Why keep it from me for two years? And then a sickening realisation came to me. A reason why he might


    have waited so long before making a move on me.


    ¡°¡­How many times have you used that line on girls before?¡± I finally asked. ¡°...You think that now,


    because I¡®m older, that I¡®m fair game? That I¡®m just like the girls you would take to empty ssrooms on


    your lunch breaks to screw?¡±


    His face fell and he looked taken aback. ¡°What? Aria, no¨C.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would have grown up at least a little bit whilst you were gone,¡± I said, my voice


    increasingly bing more agitated the more I thought about it. ¡°Is that actually all you wanted? Did you


    even care about fixing things between us? Or was it just that you¡®re in town for a party and you¡¯re looking


    for a quicky before you go back home again?¡± ¡°Aria, no, you¡®ve got it all ¡ª.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been back in my


    life for not even twenty minutes, Cai, and already you¡¯re trying to pick me up after ignoring me for two


    years?¡±


    He¡¯d gone from admitting he¡®d hurt me... to trying to hit on me. Which part of that did he think I would


    ever consider okay? I was willing to forgive him, to move on and mend something that had been


    weighing me down for so long... but this...? I could feel angry tears beginning to fall down my face again


    as I furiously swatted them away. ¡°You know what? No. Fuck you, Cai. I¡®m not going to be some name on


    your yboy to-do list. Fucked a Saintess? Better tick that one off, aye? Bet you won¡¯t find another one


    of those in the country, right?¡± ¡°Aria! Will you please just¡ª.¡±


    ¡°I never cared that you went around doing it. It was never my ce to judge. It still isn¡¯t. But don¡¯t go


    dragging me into some sick game to tease me, Cai. I¡®m not the same vulnerable girl I used to be years


    ago. And I don¡¯t need you to pour fake pleasantries over me just to feel validated.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck, Aria¨C.¡±


    ¡°No! Enough. There are plenty of girls who will be interested inside¡­ but not here.¡± He looked hurt as he


    went to leave but I told myself it was just because I hadn¡¯t given in to his ridiculous attempt of getting into


    my pants. ¡­ Because it was better than the alternative. The alternative where he was actually being


    sincere and had real genuine feelings for me, not just the typical Cai feelings about women. Because


    that was something I didn¡®t want to consider, something I couldn¡¯t consider. The implications of being


    with someone like Cai were extremely messy for myself and my current position


    Not to mention I had been reborn with the purpose of surviving to stop the future from happening again.


    There was no room for romantic feelings or more heartbreak. I¡¯d already lived through that once¡­ I¡¯d


    already been killed for that. I turned around to hide my face so I wouldn¡¯t have to watch him walk out. It


    was already too difficult to deal with without having to see those goddamn sad eyes of his.


    He knew just as well as I did that us being together would only cause problems, so why would h e even


    try? Or why not just be honest and say he only wanted a one night stand? At least then I could have


    turned down the offer without him making me feel so emotionally confused.


    All I had wanted was for us to be friends and mend what had gone wrong. It made him seem as if he had


    no respect for me or our friendship if he would even attempt this. As if I were going t o just fall at his feet,


    grateful he was even talking to me again. Is that how all the other girls reacted?


    I didn¡¯t know how long I stayed out on the balcony, but it felt like an eternity. I didn¡¯t want to go back in


    and identally have to make awkward eye contact with Cai. Nor did I want to see him taking me up on


    my advice for him to find another girl. I¡®d already seen enough of Cai hitting on women for one lifetime.


    And yet I felt conflicted inside. A lot of thoughts and feelings I wasn¡¯t sure how to process, or know


    whether or not I even wanted to process them. ....You did the right thing,¡®I heard her whisper inside; the


    old me. ¡®Either way, this is the best thing for us.¡® ¡°I know that!¡± I hissed angrily to myself. ¡°Fuck... give me


    a break, you cynical bitch.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± a voice then said behind me, making me jump in surprise. I


    quickly turned around and saw a girl. She was young, maybe not much older than myself, with ck


    wavy hair and bright blue eyes. I didn¡¯t recognise her from the Winter Mist but, for theck of a better


    word, she was actually very beautiful. She handed me a handkerchief and I wiped my eyes with it,


    clearing my throat. ¡°Oh! I¡®m fine,


    EPRESSED


    really. Just¡­ the cold breeze caught my eyes. Thank you though.¡± She smiled reassuringly, seeing


    through my obvious lie, but ultimately decided to keep walking. She must have been able to tell from my


    tone that I didn¡¯t want to talk about it or wantpany. But as she left, I couldn¡¯t help but notice her


    looking around.


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to find someone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh¡­ sort of,¡± she said, turning back around to smile timidly at me. ¡°Well¡­ not really. It¡¯splicated.¡±


    Her cheeks blushed slightly. ¡°Maybe I can help? I¡¯m from this pack.¡±


    ¡°Oh, could you? That would be amazing.¡± Her eyes lit up instantly with my offer and she walked back


    over to me eagerly. ¡°Their name is Alistair Carter, have you heard of them before?


    I frowned. Yes, I knew who they were. ¡°Why are you looking for them?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ well¡­,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t


    know... it¡®s silly.¡± She awkwardly shuffled on their feet and tucked her hair behind her ear, embarrassed.


    ¡°They sort of¡­ saved my life.¡±


    This only made me more confused, something she noticed and quickly continued. ¡°I was in terrible


    danger about two years ago and their information ended up saving my life. I¡¯d actually be dead right now


    if it weren¡¯t for them,¡± she said, talking excitedly as if retelling a fairytale. ¡°I managed to track the letter


    trail. It brought me to the name of someone in a pack around this region¡­ but I¡¯m starting to think that


    maybe my search has gone cold.¡± Yes, I knew who Alistair Carter was.


    I knew who they were because they were me. It was my alias name.


    This meant that this girl was likely Iris Sullivan, Alpha Raymond Sullivan¡®s daughter from the eastern


    Hidden Moon pack. The same Alpha I had amassed my original fortune from. Funds acquired by¡­ less


    than noble means. ¡°¡­So, you want to find them to... thank them?¡± Her cheeks blushed even deeper.


    ¡°Ah... It might sound crazy but... I thought that maybe they could be my mate.¡±


    I stared at the girl in front of me,pletely taken aback. I definitely hadn¡¯t been expecting that.


    ¡°...Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ they knew information about me that should have been impossible. I¡¯ve been wracking my mind


    on how they could have possibly known what they did in order to save me¡­ and all I coulde up with


    was that maybe we were connected and it was divine intervention.¡± ¡®Or maybe they were working with


    the kidnappers.¡¯ The thought came to me but I didn¡®t say it aloud.


    But as she looked at me with her big, eager blue eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but do my best not tough. It was


    horrible, I knew that, but something about the whole situation urring was insane. I also made a mental


    note to ensure Lucy did a better job of hiding her tracks in the future. I was genuinely happy to see her


    alive and well though. Through all the upsetting things that had urred this night, it was nice to see a


    product of something good that could happen. I got that same fuzzy feeling inside looking at her, just like


    when I looked at Myra. She shouldn¡¯t be alive right now¡­ and yet, here she was. Because of me.


    The problem now was that I couldn¡¯t tell her Alistair was actually me because it would ruin my anonymity


    and start a line of questions I wouldn¡¯t be able to answer. So, should I tell her that I didn¡¯t know him? I


    considered it for a moment but the thought of this girl spending more time travelling the country in search


    of someone who didn¡¯t exist made me feel guilty. She was hopeful that the love of her life was some


    foreign man who saved her via their deep connection. Would anyone ever be able to live up to that


    standard? Hell, even I could see how that would be stupidly romantic. ¡°¡­I knew Alistair,¡± I said slowly. I


    could feel the excitement wash over her as I said it. ¡°But he died of old agest year, I¡¯m sorry to say.¡±


    And just like that, I forced her journey toe to an end. By iming he had passed, it left no room for


    hope that he might be her mate.


    I could see the light in her eyes die at my words and I really did feel terrible. But it was for the best.


    ¡°Oh! ...Oh,¡± she said, disappointment thick in her voice. It took a few moments before she was able to


    force a smile and try tough the whole thing off. ¡°That¡®s okay, I guess. It was just a stupid fantasy


    anyway.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ I¡¯m sure they would be d to see you doing well though if they helped save your life,


    right?¡±


    I was trying to think of things to make her feel better but I honestly was at a bit of a loss for what to say.


    She smiled a little brighter. ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Aria Chrysalis, by the way,¡± I said and held my hand out to her.


    She shook it and I could see her rx with the topic change, a more genuine smile spreading o n her


    face. ¡°Iris Sullivan. You said ¡®Aria¡®, right? I¡®ve heard so much about you.¡±


    I cringed internally. I hoped this wasn¡¯t going to turn into a conversation about my mark


    ¡°You¡¯re a bit of an inspiration for girls like me. What with being a Beta heir and all.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I said. I didn¡®t realise that would be the reputation that would precede me.


    ¡°Well, I¡®m the only child of an Alpha... Growing up I was forced to ept that my fate would consist of


    being mated off so I didn¡®t interfere with the ranked roles.¡±


    Oh¡­ of course. She was a ranked daughter. Naturally, she would be denied any im to the


    ¨CFouraged married the


    position. Though I knew it would be even worse for her. Beta was one thing¡­ but an Alpha? It was


    basically the same boat I was in with my marking; she would potentially be starting political unrest within


    her own pack if she went for the top spot. ¡°Not to say I¡¯d actually pursue it but¡­ any advice?¡± she asked.


    I frowned apologetically. ¡°I wish I had any¡­ but if I can be of any help, let me know.¡± My situation


    unfortunately was different since she didn¡¯t have a mark. I had taken a huge gamble when I invoked that


    lie about the Goddess guiding me and it had luckily paid off, something she wouldn¡¯t be able to do. I


    hoped, at the very least, that once I became Beta it would show others that females were just as capable


    of doing the job. ¡°Well, if I need a Saintess, I know where to look, right?¡± she said with a wink


    With moves like that, I knew she wouldn¡¯t have any trouble finding a mate, that¡¯s for sure. For someone


    who was as attractive as her, I was surprised she wasn¡¯t seeing anyone already; whether that be a


    destined or a chosen mate.


    ¡°But, with that said, I should probably head inside. It was nice meeting you though.¡± She looked up at


    me, starting to move towards the door. ¡°And I hope you feel better soon...you know, with the breeze and


    stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, of course.¡± I smiled, halfughing at myself while I wiped my face again. ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯m


    actually meeting someone else here¡­ I suppose you could call them a hot date. Someone alive this time


    though, I swear,¡± sheughed. ¡°But I hope we can meet again one day.¡± ¡°I¡®d like that. Good luck with the


    hot date, Iris.¡± She smiled at me onest time as I watched her walk back inside. When she finally


    rejoined the crowd of people, I turned back around in thought over everything that had happened. It felt


    like such a bittersweet night. I felt so¡­ messy inside. Caiing back just to y with me¡­ but then


    seeing Iris alive was something I could have never anticipated. After several moments had passed, I


    finally sighed in defeat and stared down at my hands¡­ only to realise I still had Iris¡¯ handkerchief.


    Internally cursing, I quickly ran inside following the direction I thought I saw her go. But when I finally saw


    her in the corner, I stopped dead in my tracks. Because Cai was there greeting her, a big smile on his


    face as he brought her into a close hug, his arms wrapping around her waist intimately. But it was when


    they parted that I got the real kicker. Because I saw Iris kiss his cheek as they pulled away. I instantly


    spun on my heels and walked straight back outside without interrupting. Yes. This was exactly why I had


    stayed on the balcony. What was the term Iris had used? ¡®Hot date¡¯?


    Well, that figured. I was angry at myself for even remotely thinking Cai had been serious. I really should


    have


    known better than to think for a second it might have been true given bis history.


    I mulled in my own frustration for some time before, finally, the howl of a wolf carried out into the night,


    breaking me away from my thoughts. And I realised that it must havee time for Aleric¡¯s first shift.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    But when I looked out, below the balcony, it wasn¡¯t Aleric by the forest that caught my eye. N o, it was


    something much closer.


    And I finally realised what I had been forgetting thest few months during my busy new schedule. I


    finally realised what had been nagging me inside my head so badly.


    Because it was standing just below the balcony staring directly up at me. V Thea.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Chapter Forty-Five There she was.


    Two years I¡¯d been looking for her and yet it was like she had just fallen out of the sky, having been


    completely untraceable this entire time.


    And the nagging I¡¯d been feeling inside my head? I should have met Thea months ago. Aleric first


    introduced us before hising of age, so they should have already been dating at this point. I


    remembered that she hadn¡¯t been allowed to attend tonight¡¯s event however I couldn¡¯t recall why exactly.


    But she hadn¡¯t shown herself even once this entire time I¡¯de back. And, as far as I knew, she hadn¡¯t


    even shown herself to Aleric yet. And yet, here she was¡­ Staring right up at me. Like she knew who I


    was. My body immediately tensed up as I realised she must have found out I¡¯d hired someone to track


    her down. That would exin how she had been able to avoid being found this entire time. Well, I¡¯d


    already worked out she had begun orchestrating my death from possibly years before it had happened.


    Her whole sweet, naive persona had been a charade from the beginning that I¡¯d been too blinded by my


    jealousy to see. So, needless to say, I knew she had it in her to be smart enough and figure out I was


    trying to find her.


    But why would that stop her from meeting Aleric? No one knew why I wanted to find her except me. Was


    it because Aleric and I were closer this time? Did she feel threatened?


    I could feel my heart racing just looking at her. Neither of us moved, just standing frozen in ce with


    eyes locked knowingly. The tension between us was thick.


    Aleric may have been the one to swing the sword and break me emotionally beyond repair, but at the


    end of the day, my journey to death had started because of her. Because she had wanted Aleric for


    herself¡­ because she had wanted to be Luna.


    Suddenly, Thea was the first to break eye contact. She turned around and started walking towards the


    exit, blending in with the crowds of people below.


    But if this was my only chance to catch her then I couldn¡®t let it go to waste. I needed to follow her.


    Maybe find out where she was living.


    I quickly kicked my heels off, cursing my choice in footwear, and ran through the mass amounts of


    people, down the stairs, until I stood just below the balcony where I¡¯d first seen her.


    I had scanned every face I ran past, scrutinising them for any simrity to Thea¡­ But none of them were


    her.


    ¡­She was gone.


    I couldn¡¯t see her anywhere and, without any decent sense of smell, I wasn¡¯t going to be able t o track


    her either. She hadpletely managed to avoid passing me and maybe had even left


    the party already by the time I¡¯d gotten downstairs. Too many people had slowed me down as I had tried


    to catch up to her quickly. ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed, punching the tree next to me out of frustration. I¡¯d been so


    close. She had really been here. Should I have just let her go, watching where she went before I ran


    downstairs? Should I have yelled out to her? What would I have even said? ¡®Hey, I think you killed me in


    my past life, stay there while I ask you some questions in case you¡¯re going to try that again¡¯? I ended up


    waiting below that balcony for an hour, scanning the crowds for any sign of Thea, but she never returned.


    And the more time that passed, the angrier I became at myself. Everything that had happened this night


    had been a disaster and I had allowed myself to be invested in the wrong things.


    When I finally conceded she wasn¡¯ting back, I headed straight home. I waspletely shaken by


    the entire encounter and knew there was nothing good waiting for me if I went back inside. It seemed like


    an obvious choice that I should give the rest of the event a miss.


    However, even once I returned home, I could still feel myself shaking.


    But I didn¡¯t feel scared like when I had seen Aleric for the first time. I didn¡¯t feel like breaking down and


    crying, or even wanting to run away.


    No¡­ this time?


    I felt pissed.


    The next day I went to the gym before work to get my mind off everything that had happened. It was a


    public gym that had private rooms on the second floor, of which ranked members could use. I usually


    had the room booked permanently out every day in the event I needed it; which normally was exactly the


    case whenever I had free time.


    I was grateful for the space as usually the public area was overly upied. Not that it was a major issue,


    just that having constant stares and whispers from other people always made a workout less pleasant.


    ¡°Knock, knock,¡± a voice suddenly came from the door. I had been hitting a punching bag for thest thirty


    minutes, imagining in my head that it was alternating between one of two people; one of those two being


    the very person now standing a t the door.


    ¡°Cai,¡± I greeted, hitting the bag again but this time with excessive force. Just in case he didn¡¯t get the hint


    from my tone.


    I continued to train but hisck of a response was unnerving.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I finally asked after he hadn¡®t said anything. I straightened up to face him and wiped


    at the sweat on my forehead,pletely out of breath. ¡°Uhh...,¡± was all he said when I turned to him. He


    shook his head as if trying to remember why he was here himself. ¡°Right. I was hoping we could talk


    aboutst night.¡±


    harter Forty rivers


    ¡°Why the fuck...,¡± I said between breaths, ¡°¡­do you think I¡®d want to talk to you?¡±


    ¡°Because I brought you a gift,¡± he said with that stupid charismatic smile, holding up a stic bag with


    something inside.


    I warily regarded it. ¡°Come on, Aria. Just give me some time, please?¡± I exhaled, annoyed. ¡°Fine.¡± I¡¯d left


    my clothes and towel over by the door, and so I walked over to begin throwing it on over my work out


    skins.


    ¡°But for the record...,¡± I said, grabbing the stic bag from his hand after I¡¯d changed, ¡°this is the shittiest


    gift wrapping I¡¯ve ever received.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Apologies, it was ast minute gift.¡±


    I threw my backpack and towel over my shoulder, brushing past him to leave the gym, and walked


    across the road to where a small park was; all without even looking back once. There was arge tree


    that was further in and mostly private. I sat myself down there under its shade and waited for Cai to take


    a seat on the grass next to me.


    ¡°So¡­ what could you have possibly gotten me to make up for that bullshit move you pulledst night?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I asked Myra what you like these days and she suggested this.¡± I pulled out a small foam box


    from inside the bag that felt warm to touch. So, of course, inside contained the one thing Myra knew I


    was weak for; nuggets and fries. ¡°You brought me fried food to the gym?¡± I asked. ¡°Are you telling me


    you don¡®t want it?¡± He tilted his head slightly as he looked at me, almost as if he knew what my answer


    was


    already.


    I sighed.


    Just because I was angry at him, it didn¡®t mean I had to take it out on the food. And so, I started eating it,


    noticing the taste was even simr to the one from the cottage cafe. He either found a ce just like it or


    went the extra mile to get it from the usual spot.


    ¡°Is that the ne Myra gave you?¡± he asked, after watching me eat for a while.


    I looked down, seeing that I¡¯d thrown it on with the rest of my clothes like normal. It was more of a habit


    than anything to wear it these days and typically I didn¡®t even notice it.


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± I answered. Was this his attempt at trying to get me to remember the ¡®good ol¡® days¡®?


    ¡°So, are you going to apologise to me then?¡± I asked, pushing past the small talk before he managed to


    make me forget why I was upset. ¡°I assume that¡¯s why you¡¯re here since you¡¯vee all this way,


    seeking me out with a peace offering.¡± ¡°Depends,¡± he said, lying down t on the grass behind him, using


    his arms to support his be head.


    The sun was shining through the trees and creating a shadow pattern across his face. Somehow the little


    bits of sunshine made his eyes burn brighter. But I was more mesmerised b y the way the shadows


    moved every time the wind picked up ever so slightly.


    ¡°On...?¡± I prompted, trying to refocus back on the issue at hand. He closed his eyes, his expression


    bingpletely rxed. ¡°On whether or not you¡¯re going to actually listen to me today.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I felt a pang of guilt for a split second when I realised it was true that I had continuously cut him offst


    night. Maybe he really did have a good exnation? But it was a short lived sensation once I reminded


    myself about why I was angry in the first ce. If anything, it was another reminder that Cai had that way


    about him; that presence that always made me want to give in and forgive him, even if I didn¡®t want to.


    He was so stupidly charismatic with an energy that made me want to be around him. ¡°How about you


    apologise first, and I¡¯ll decide if I want to listen to you?¡± I asked, increasingly bing warier at my own


    resolve the more we spoke. He smirked at mypromise before deciding to ept.


    ¡°Okay, sure¡­ I am sorry, Aria,¡± he started. ¡°I¡®m sorry that I told you I had feelings for you.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the exact wording I¡®d been looking for but I suppose it was the same point.


    I opened my mouth and was about to ept his apology, but he kept talking before I could speak


    ¡°...I¡®m sorry that I told you I had feelings for you when I thought you felt the same way.¡± He suddenly


    opened his eyes again and met mine directly, making me freeze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡®t just keep it to


    myself, or at least wait to tell you, so I didn¡®t upset you.¡±


    I felt my chest going fast. Was he just ying more cruel jokes on me?


    ¡°What are you...,¡± I started, unable to find any words to aptly describe what I wanted to say.¡± Why are you


    doing this? Is sleeping with me really that important to you?¡± He pushed himself up onto his side, using


    his arm to prop himself up. ¡°Do you honestly think that¡¯s what I¡®m trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t see why not? What you¡®re proposing is insane. It just feels like you haven¡®t changed at


    all.¡±


    ¡°How would you even know, Aria?¡± he asked, getting annoyed. ¡°I stopped all that crap as soon as I


    realised how I felt about you. When I left the Winter Mist, it didn¡®t take long for me to figure out nothing


    felt the same anymore. I still went around with girls, sure, but it was just... sex. And then eventually that


    wasn¡®t enough either and I just stoppedpletely.¡± ¡°So why wait so long to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve spent thest six months trying to find my mate,¡± he said, still sounding annoyed. ¡°I figured


    if I found her then I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about my feelings for you anymore. But I didn¡®t find her, Aria,


    and instead, the first glimpse of you I had in two years


    was watching you dance with another man. And I realised in that moment that it wouldn¡¯t even matter if I


    found her¡­ because I just wanted you.¡±


    I stared at him, caught up in what felt like real sincerity, and a part of me even almost believed him for a


    second But it didn¡¯tst long.


    ¡­And I couldn¡¯t stop myself from snorting in my failed attempt to contain myughter.


    ¡°Aria! Seriously?¡± he asked, sounding hurt. I stood up and grabbed my bag, rifling through it for


    something. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get to work now¡­ but here,¡± I said, handing him a handkerchief. ¡°I borrowed this


    from a girl I metst night. I believe, in her words, you were her ¡®hot date¡¯ for the evening? You two sure


    seemed close.¡±


    He looked surprised yet confused, but he grabbed it from my hand to look at it anyway. ¡°Try harder next


    time, Cai,¡± I said, still smiling. ¡°Oh and... return that to Iris for me.¡± I started walking to my car, thankful


    that I¡¯d managed to get my license so I wasn¡¯t stuck waiting around for a cab or driver anymore. ¡°Aria,


    wait!¡± Cai said, yelling after me. But I didn¡¯t stop.


    I didn¡¯t stop when my forced smile faltered immediately.


    I didn¡¯t stop when I threw my bag into the back seat and turned the car ignition. And I didn¡¯t stop when I


    felt my eyes begin to tear up as I drove off.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Chapter Forty-Six Ever since Aleric and I had been attacked by rogues at the Golden de pack, we


    had been assisting with the investigation into what had actually happened.


    The whole thing had seemed so weirdly targeted. Why did they decide toe out of hiding? Was it a


    purposeful attack on Aleric and I? And, most importantly, had someone leaked information since they


    knew we would be there? Needless to say, the entire Winter Mist was furious about the whole thing and


    had demanded answers that the Golden de didn¡¯t have. They were just as confused by the entire


    ordeal as w e were. Because of that, they were forced to cooperate with us during our investigation;


    much t o their displeasure, I was sure. It had been months since we¡¯d had any leads though. There also


    hadn¡¯t been any trace of a camp on their territory, making us believe they probably had no intention of


    staying in the area for long when they attacked. This was news that only made the whole thing even


    more worrisome.


    The incident had severely shaken me as well. Not just because of Aleric, but because it made m e


    realise just how quickly I could feel unprepared in battle. My advantage in a fight had always been


    defence tactics, but the rogues gave me a shocking awakening to how sometimes survival meant being


    able toplete a finishing blow... something my current strength seemed to be


    Because of this, I had started carrying one of their silver daggers on me to give myself the upper hand if I


    was ever in that situation again. Specifically... the knife they¡®d pulled out of Aleric. The other one had


    already been locked up in evidence before I could get my hands on it and they were pretty hard toe


    by without prior approval. But more importantly, I found the whole thing weirdly symbolic to look at


    whenever I strapped the sheath around my leg. It was something that could kill our kind so easily¡­ yet it


    had been a moment in my life I¡¯d chosen a path to save a life instead.


    However, the fact that rogues had two of these in their possession was crazy in itself. The silver that was


    used to easily poison, restrain and kill our kind was no ordinary thing and was referred to as silver ¡®kissed


    by moonlight¡¯. Its properties included being able to stop the inflicted from being able to use their abilities;


    whether that be silver handcuffs to stop shifting and strength, or a knife to stop healing. The way the ore


    was handled before being crafted was a closely guarded secret and I¡¯d heard was also very difficult to


    execute; knowledge reserved strictly to Elders and a select few only.


    And so, whilst handcuffs were a staple within most packs, a knife was far harder toe by since many


    refused to forge them; this being due to their incredibly deadly potential. Of course, I took advantage of


    the situation to acquire one for myself because of that. But it did raise several questions about how the


    rogues managed to get their hands on them to begin with.


    ¡°You alright?¡± a voice yelled out. I felt that I could have died of a heart attack, almost falling over from


    shock


    I¡¯d been stuck in my own thoughts so deeply that I hadn¡®t even realised Aleric had arrived at work before


    me.


    I couldn¡¯t deny that seeing him after I saw Theast night felt kind of strange. Like I knew things were


    wrong. I¡¯d now changed the timeline so much to something new and unpredictable that I was blind in


    many areas to what would happen next. Something I wasn¡¯t used to feeling after having a literal ability to


    see the future sometimes. But it did tell me one thing; that Thea knew I was after her. I could only


    imagine she showed herselfst night to send me a message that she was aware I had been looking for


    her. 1 wondered why she might have thought I was doing that. Did she maybe have the n to take over


    as Luna already when she discovered I was tracking her? Did she even realise that I didn¡®t want the


    Luna position? That I¡®m not even a threat other than the fact I¡¯m technically Aleric¡¯s fated mate? Not that


    she could prove that either.


    This posed an interesting line of questions to go through my head though. If she hadn¡¯t discovered I was


    looking for her, would she have evene after me this time around? or could she have be Luna,


    and I a Beta, without all the drama? Had there been a chance that Thea could have changed for the


    better, just like Aleric seemed to have? ¡­Or, more troubling, a part of me wondered if it was irrelevant


    who she was this time. That maybe it was actually revenge I was after¡­ not self-preservation. I looked at


    Aleric and he seemed¡­ the same. He looked tired. Most likely from the big event the night before. But


    he didn¡®t look like someone who had just met a girl he was romantically interested in and he wasn¡¯t


    treating me any differently. Thetter being something I had to remind myself. Especially since that old


    instinct to stay away from him was building itself up inside my chest again. Thea was a painful reminder


    of the past, something I¡¯d been doing so well to oveetely.


    I took a deep breath and forced a smile on my face.


    ¡°Hey, yeah! I¡®m fine!¡± I said, probably a little too cheerily. I knew I needed to quickly change the topic


    away from me. ¡°You look like you had a long night.¡±


    To be honest, I was surprised he even made it in today. I remembered my first shift; I was exhausted to


    the point of not wanting to leave my bed.


    ¡­Or maybe that was because I¡¯d been depressed, not wanting to see Aleric again after the disaster that


    was my shifting ceremony. ¡°Yeah. But it was good,¡± he said with a yawn. He was leaning over some files


    on the table and looked about ready for a nap. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was. How are the new ws?¡± He just raised


    an eyebrow at me. ¡°I¡®m itching to try them out properly.¡± Iughed and walked past him to put my bag


    down in the little office area we had. ¡°We might have a lead by the way.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± I


    asked.  senast ARANYA TETAP


    ENUETTE DE VITE V PRESTO I went to Aleric¡¯s side to look at whatever he was examining and found a


    few field reports from border patrol.


    But next to me, I noticed him then sniff at the air.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. I came straight from the gym and didn¡¯t have time for a shower,¡± I apologised,ughing as I


    quickly stepped away. ¡°That¡¯s probably an assault on your new senses.¡± Only he looked confused. ¡°It¡®s


    not that.¡±


    I smiled and went to retrieve my bag again. ¡°It¡¯s all good. I was going to take a shower when I got here


    anyway but I didn¡¯t expect you to be in so early. Let me go do that real quick and I¡¯ll meet you outside in


    ten?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Aria¡­ did you see Cai today?¡± he asked, making me stop dead in my tracks at the doorway. I was


    startled that he could tell. I was pretty sure I¡¯d only lightly brushed past Cai to leave the gym and


    otherwise hadn¡¯t touched him. ¡°Briefly... why?¡± ¡°¡­No reason, just surprised. Last I saw of you two, you


    were pping him in the face.¡± I felt my cheeks burn. ¡°Oh. Right.¡± What could I say? We didn¡®t exactly


    make up but it felt weird to be discussing what happened with Cai to Aleric. ¡°He stopped by the gym and


    tried to apologise again for being an ass. I took the free food and left it at that.¡±


    He looked like he wanted to ask something else but decided to remain silent, just nodding instead.


    Very quickly, the room was then filled with a weird awkward air as neither of us knew how to navigate this


    conversation topic further. We just stared at one another ufortably. ¡°...Okay,¡± I started, breaking the


    silence. ¡°Wel... I¡¯m going to go have a shower. I¡¯ll meet you outside?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± he replied instantly and


    quickly turned back to the papers on the table, grateful for the topic change. ¡°Yep.¡± I repeated the word to


    myself and left immediately. Ten minutester, we were in Aleric¡¯s car on our way to the southside of the


    Winter Mist¡¯s territory. Apparently, there had been a rogue sighting on our very ownnd and we were


    going to aid in the search to see if we could find anything.


    ¡°Do we know anything else about the sighting?¡± I asked as we pulled up on the side of the road.


    The journey had only taken about twenty minutes to arrive but we would need to go on foot from here.


    The rogue was spotted by a patrolling wolf in the woods nearby. ¡°Not really. They said it was probably


    just one¡­ but they couldn¡¯t tell for sure how many.¡± Side


    I frowned as I grabbed my backpack from the car. ¡°Seems sort of strange given how dishevelled the


    ones we saw looked. You¡®d think they would stink and be easy to track.¡±


    Aleric just shrugged. ¡°They managed to get into the Golden de just fine. We¡®ll go have a look anyway.


    Most of the patrols have alreadybed through here but we¡¯re just going to give it a quick once over.¡±


    Though ¡®quick¡¯ turned out to be an inurate statement in the end.


    We ended up being in the woods for over two hours searching but hadn¡¯t managed to find anything. Not


    a single track or scent.


    I was thankful that at least one of us was able to shift now though. Aleric remained in his human form


    since mastering a wolf in a day was almost impossible, but the stronger senses were definitelying in


    handy for the job at hand. I was pretty sure I would have gone in a circle by now had he not been


    keeping track of where we¡¯d been.


    ¡°I¡¯m not seeing anything, Aleric,¡± I finally sighed in defeat. He frowned. ¡°I just don¡¯t see how that¡¯s


    possible. We have to be missing something.¡± I went and sat down by a stream that was running by us,


    sshing some of the cold water against my face. It felt nice after all the walking we¡¯d been doing. ¡°I


    don¡¯t know¡­ maybe they have a way of sneaking in or masking their scent?¡± But just as I spoke the


    words aloud, something then caught my eye.


    ¡°Like what?¡± he asked. ¡°Like¡­,¡± I said slowly, moving to inspect the rock closer. ¡°Symbols carved along


    the water to tell them where to go?¡±


    The stream here was a part of a muchrgerwork of multiple rivers that connected our territory to the


    neighbouring ones. It was incredibly vast and veined out in all sorts of directions.


    Aleric moved to my side and crouched down to see what I was looking at. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to trace


    their scent easily¡­ and it would be like a maze trying to follow anyone without knowing the way¡­ that¡®s


    fucking brilliant, Aria.¡± I smiled in excitement and turned to look up at Aleric... only to find him much


    closer than I had expected, him already looking directly at me. He appeared to be just as genuinely


    excited a s me¡­ and, for a split second, I almost forgot how those green eyes used to terrify me so


    much.


    ¡­But the eye contact proceeded tost a little *too* long. ¡°¡­Follow the stones?¡± I asked, breaking the


    weird air again.


    ¡°Yep,¡± he replied quickly and stood up. ¡°...Yep,¡± I whispered to myself, following after him.


    We walked downstream for some time, following the trail of symbols carved into the rocks. It was pretty


    smart of them to have figured this out. They must have ended up being seen by patrol as they went out


    to hunt for food. Because of that, it was impossible to know how long Mason


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ETENKOWE 3597


    they¡¯d actually been hanging out around here. We ended up walking for another ten minutes or so before


    we could finally see what looked to be a small cave nestled just out of the way. If we hadn¡®t been


    following the symbols, it was likely we would havepletely missed it. ¡°Can you tell if anyone might be


    inside?¡± I asked as we peered cautiously into the entrance, Aleric sniffed at the air, trying to focus. ¡°It¡®s


    still too hard with all the water.¡± I nodded in thought. This meant that we were going to need to go in blind


    and alone. If we left now to get help, then we¡¯d be taking the risk of them discovering our scents and


    moving before we returned. This was our only chance at getting real answers. I looked around, searching


    for anything odd, but nothing seemed out of ce, at least. I suppose that was all part of the point in


    throwing people off though. Aleric looked to me and we both silently acknowledged it was time to enter.


    Inside was deceptivelyrger than it had appeared outside¡­ and it was damp. But surprisingly, i t wasn¡¯t


    the smell of mould or moisture that was the most off¨Cputting. There was definitely something far more


    pungent in the air that I didn¡¯t need a stronger sense of smell for. I almost felt bad for Aleric as he was


    probably already overwhelmed enough for one day without this.


    We continued to walk for some time in the dimly lit system. Only bits of natural light and the dying mes


    of a few torches further in were lighting the way. ¡°Up ahead,¡± Aleric then suddenly warned quietly. I could


    only just make out something bright ahead where the cave opened up to arger space.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Looks like¡­ a camp,¡± he whispered, squinting his eyes. ¡°Don¡®t let your guard down.¡± I nodded and we


    kept walking. When we got to therge area it definitely looked like multiple people had been living there.


    Maybe even for months. It was a full¨Con settlement forck of a better word, equipped with basic beds


    and furniture. Articles of clothing and even a few books were scattered around too.


    ¡°No wonder I can¡¯t smell anything,¡± Aleric said after a few minutes, kicking over a bin full of putrid meat.


    There looked to be several others scattered around too which I could only imagine held the same


    contents. ¡°Fucking disgusting.¡±


    I wrinkled my nose as I continued to look around the room. It was obviously the source of the


    overbearing smell we¡¯d been experiencing the entire time we¡¯d been in here. How desperate were the


    rogues that they were having to rely on spoiled meat at times to survive? ¡­But why would they even


    bother when they were in a forest with a river so close? Surely, they had other options to try first if they


    were that hungry? And then I realised exactly why one might keep rancid spoiled meat around.


    ¡­To hide a scent.


    ¡°Aleric!¡± I screamed. He looked up surprised at my abrupt outburst¡­ but it was toote.


    Because suddenly a wolf came flying out of nowhere and tackled Aleric to the ground. It was an ambush.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Chapter Forty-Seven An intense fight ensued as we were quickly engaged by a group of wolves.


    To my surprise, Aleric had already taken two down and was on to his third before even a few minutes


    had passed


    But there were so many more to go.


    The bottom line was that we weren¡¯t going to win this, and we both knew it.


    I had two wolves on me and I had so far been holding my own against them well. Neither of them had


    expected me to be able to fight so well underage and it showed. They moved as if assuming I wouldn¡¯t


    be able to keep up, but they were wrong.


    ¡°Aria!¡± Aleric yelled. ¡°I can hear there¡¯s moreing. We need to go.¡±


    I knew he was right. We¡¯d vastly underestimated howrge this cave system was. With the number of


    wolves here, it seemed usible that it expanded out more than what we could see here. Most likely,


    there were hidden tunnels somewhere which would exin how th appeared to being out of


    nowhere. Our best option was to run. Suddenly, Aleric screamed out in pain. I wanted to turn and check


    what had happened but the two on me weren¡¯t letting me take my eyes off them for even a second. They


    were determined t o finally get a hit on me as their frustration had only been growing the entire time I¡¯d


    been dodging them.


    But I didn¡¯t need to wait long in order to find out if Aleric was okay.


    Because I soon heard the sound of someone shifting, followed by an encore of whimpers, howls,


    growls¡­ and flesh tearing. A lot of flesh tearing. I quickly unsheathed my knife, waiting for the moment I


    knew would being, and was pleased he didn¡¯t keep me waiting long.


    Thergest ck wolf I ever saw then came bounding out of nowhere and tackled one of the two away


    from me, snapping towards his throat for a final blow. I¡¯d only ever seen Aleric¡¯s wolf a handful of times


    but it was always an impressive sight, as with any other Alpha wolf.


    The second rogue naturally tried to turn his attention to Aleric in order to help hisrade, but that was


    a mistake. I moved lightning fast to kick him to the ground, pinning him in ce with my legs... and


    instantly embedded the silver knife into his chest.


    Finally exhausted, I leaned back and looked around me. It seemed like Aleric had killed off the entire


    room as the corpses around us began to shift back into their human bodies.


    But it had been aplete massacre. I heard Aleric then whimper, drawing my attention back, and I


    knew what he was trying to say. He¡¯d mentioned there were moreing and it was a reminder that we


    didn¡¯t have long to leave. I nodded that I understood and looked down to retrieve my knife¡­ only to find


    the wolf had reverted back to his human self underneath me.


    Instantly, I felt my entire body freeze up at the sight of whoid there. But it was impossible, wasn¡¯t it?


    Surely it was someone who just looked simr...


    Because under meid the body of someone I could have sworn was Doctor Andrews, the future head


    pack doctor that would rece my mother one day. Aleric barked out loudly next to me but I was barely


    able to register him with what I was seeing. It literally didn¡¯t make any sense. He couldn¡¯t be a rogue


    because in two years he would be a doctor in our pack. It had to be someone else. Maybe his brother or


    another rtive. Or maybe not anyone rted at all and I just couldn¡¯t see clearly in the dim light or with


    the dirto


    n his face.


    Aleric suddenly grabbed my shirt in his mouth and started to drag me away from the body before I even


    had a chance to retrieve my dagger. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± I finally said as I started to get a hold of myself.


    He had managed to drag me a couple of feet before the hard, stony ground cutting into my legs had


    been enough to snap me out of it.


    I stood up as quickly as I could, still shaken, but managed to make the rest of the way outside and sprint


    back into the woods.


    It was unlikely that they would waste time chasing us but we continued to run regardless. I followed


    Aleric the entire time, trusting him to know the way back even though it all looked the same to me.


    It was amazing to see him in so much control though¡­ or maybe it was just that Aleric and his wolf were


    both on the same page anyway in that moment. Nevertheless, it was still impressive given most people


    took at least a month to begin moving so fluidly in that form. But as I inspected him, I couldn¡®t help but


    notice he was limping ever so slightly on one of his back legs. I assumed this was why he¡¯d cried out


    earlier. It didn¡¯t take us long to get back to the car and I immediately doubled over panting, now out o f


    breath from having ran the entire way. I looked up towards Aleric, only to find him staring at me by the


    car, almost expectantly.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked between breaths. He just pointed his nose towards the car boot and back to me. Oh. He


    must have had a spare change of clothes in there. ...And he didn¡®t want to shift in front of me because it


    would mean I¡¯d see him naked. Out of all the crazy shit I had just seen¡­ Aleric¡¯s naked body was by far


    the least of concerns¡­ and it wasn¡¯t even a new thing for me. It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t seen his entire body


    unclothed before in my past life. But I suppose he didn¡®t know that. I exhaled quickly onest time in mild


    frustration before going to open the boot for him. He just continued to stare at me until I walked around to


    the front of the car to give him the privacy he wanted.


    It only took a few moments to shift back but I could see his mood had turned just as dark as


    his wolf¡¯s fur coat. Probably directed at me because of what had happened in the cave.


    ¡°We need to hurry,¡± he said, jumping back into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°They will be clearing the entire ce out


    before we get back.¡± Well, we could both agree on that at least. Aleric sped the entire way until we made


    it to the closest patrol tower, but he had been right. B y the time they did manage to get back to the cave,


    all the rogues had left and managed to take most of their belongings with them. Even all the bodies


    Aleric amassed had incredibly been


    removed already. Only therger furniture items remained.


    It was an impressive effort given only the hour they probably had to pull it off. But this only told us that


    they must have had another shelter nearby. There was no other possible way they could have moved


    that many people and dead bodies over an extended distance, without leaving a single trace or track.


    The search continued for the rest of the day and ended up expanding out to the entire woods nearby


    But they didn¡¯t end up finding anyone. For now, the trail had gone.


    ¡°It was incredibly stupid to go in there alone,¡± my mother scolded as she examined me.


    Per protocol, I had been sent to the hospital for a check-up as soon as Aleric and I had finished giving


    our report to the patrol team. This was regardless of whether or not I¡¯d actually been hurt and was more


    of a paperwork formality.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    I turned my head away defiantly. ¡°You can¡¯t keep saying that forever, you know? I have a job and a


    responsibility to the pack now. If Aleric and I hadn¡¯t gone in, we might have missed our


    ce at getting answers. Besides, the report only said one rogue was sighted, not thirty. I didn¡¯t even know


    rogues could band together in numbers like that.¡±


    She grabbed at my chin and forced me to look at her. ¡°Being responsible for the pack due to a job,


    doesn¡¯t mean dying for them.¡± Her words hit hard considering I¡¯d literally done that once already. Did she


    know? Had my father ended up disclosing my past? I¡®d personally been avoiding telling her to not upset


    her; after all, she had been killed in that prior timeline.


    I didn¡®t mind if she knew the truth but her expression seemed to be one of only a concerned mother, not


    of someone who knew my history.


    Her worry did make me realise though that things could have been different in the past. Would I have


    tried to run away sooner if my mother had still been alive? Would she have tried to rescue me?


    I sighed, pulling my face away. ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± But as her words made me recount the past, it also reminded


    me of what I¡¯d seen in the cave. ¡°By the way...,¡± I said, thinking. ¡°Do you know where I can find Doctor


    Andrews?¡± She frowned. ¡°Doctor Andrews¡­? I don¡¯t think we have a doctor by that name.¡± anderen en


    de mort


    mereka


    My chest tightened as I heard the words I hadn¡¯t wanted to hear.


    So, it was true then. He wasn¡¯t employed here. And yet, to be the head doctor, he would have


    already needed to be well into his career at the Winter Mist. It would be impossible to achieve that


    position within the next two years without that experience.


    Something was definitely wrong and I needed more answers.


    That night, I went to Lucy and asked her to touch base with the private investigator. I needed t o know


    how Thea had shown up within our own territory without him realising, how she had managed to find


    me¡­ and now I also needed any information he could find out about a Doctor Clive Andrews.


    I needed to know if he was alive and living in another territory right now¡­ and, if not, then maybe it


    would help mee to terms with what I thought I saw in that cave; that maybe him being a rogue was


    possibly true. Had I changed something so drastically in this life that he¡¯d be a rogue¡­? Or was it


    that he had always been a rogue, even in the past, and no one knew? By that logic, it probably wasn¡¯t


    even his real name.


    This would probably be the PI¡¯sst chance though since, given their abysmal results, I considered it was


    time to find a different investigator. This one had let Thea stroll right across the border and hadn¡¯t even


    realised. What had I been paying him thest two years for?


    And though I tried not to think about it, I did wonder if maybe Thea had somehow managed to


    manipte him into betraying me. Had he actually been ying me as a double agent this entire time?


    Perhaps it was time to meet with him in person and get the answers from him myself.


    In the meantime though, as I waited the few days it would take for Lucy to report back to me, I decided to


    just do my best to push it all out of my head. Well¡­ everything except one thing. ¡°He said what to you?!¡±


    Myra said, her mouthpletely ajar. I could hear the sound of her fork dropping onto her te in


    surprise.


    I had decided to meet with Myra a couple of days after the cave incident to hopefully clear at least some


    of my more... conflicted thoughts. I needed someone else to agree with me that Cai was acting immature


    and that what he was saying was actually ridiculous. And so, I told her everything that had happened


    over the first two days Cai hade back.


    ¡°He said that he had stopped messing around and tried to tell me again that he... had feelings for me.


    Like real ones. Allegedly.¡± I looked back down at my food, not wanting to look her in the eyes during the


    embarrassing conversation topic.


    ¡°... And what did you say?!¡± she almost yelled.


    I looked around and saw several people were now gawking our way. 1 ¡°Shhh, Myra, people are staring,¡±


    I pointed out. She blinked a few times and tried to calm herself. ¡°Sorry... I¡®m justpletely surprised.


    Aren¡¯t you happy though?¡±


    ¡°Happy...?¡± I looked at her confused, but it didn¡¯tpare to the absolute shock at what she said next.


    ¡°Well¡­ I mean, you obviously had feelings for Cai back when we used to all hang out together. I figured


    you¡¯d be happy he confessed finally.¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Chapter Forty-Eight Now it was my turn to drop my cutlery, almost choking on my food. ¡°I¡®m sorry? No. I


    did not have feelings for Cai,¡± I said, still coughing a little. I took a sip of water to clear my throat. ¡°It was


    you who had feelings for Cai, remember? And Cai doesn¡¯t have feelings for me either¡­ unless you¡®re


    talking about the kind of feelings that find him inside a girl¡¯s skirt for a day.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, Aria!¡±


    I quickly looked up to meet Myra¡¯s fiery eyes. It was the first time I¡¯d ever heard her swear or even sound


    so angry. I waspletely taken aback. ¡°Myra...?¡± She closed her eyes andposed herself for a


    second. ¡°Sorry, sometimes I think you¡¯ve rubbed off on me a little too much.¡±


    My lip twitched in a smile. It was nice to see Myra standing up for herself so confidently for once¡­ even


    if she was passionate about the wrong thing in this case.


    ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t have feelings for Cai,¡± she stressed. ¡°You need to realise our lives aren¡¯t the same, Aria.


    I¡¯m not anyone special. I don¡¯t have a rank, my parents aren¡¯t famous, and I don¡¯t have any cool marks or


    prophecies about my future mate¡­ I¡¯m just an average pack member, trying to contribute where I can.¡±


    ¡°Myra-.¡±


    I went to disagree with her about not being anyone special, but she just held up her hand to indicate she


    wanted me to let her finish.


    ¡°I¡®m not anyone special, Aria,¡± she insisted. ¡°Without intervention, I most likely would have lived and died


    without ever having met a ranked member my entire life. I would have be o f age, be mated to


    an average joe just like myself, had a few children, and then died. But then one day I saw you in the


    library at school, just like I had every other day prior, except this time you seemed different. You had


    stood up to Braydon that day, something so o character for your reputation back then¡­ but it was more


    than that. Truthfully, when I saw you that day, you looked almost... sad. And so, despite all my better


    judgment, I still went and spoke to you for the first time.¡± It was hard to hear her say these things about


    herself, especially since I cared for her so deeply. But I didn¡®t dare to interrupt her. It felt like something


    that had been weighing on her for a while and she needed to speak.


    ¡°Honestly, talking to you that day in the library was the most nerve¨Cwracking thing I¡®d ever done. And


    then, by some miracle, you, the Beta¡®s only child, and Cai, an alpha heir, saved me... and suddenly I¡®m in


    a new world where, not only are two incredibly important people talking t o me, but they want to be my


    friend?! I didn¡®t understand why. Like... why me...?¡±


    She looked up to me finally and I could see her eyes had gone watery. And it hurt me to see her like that.


    She didn¡¯t understand how important she was to me. How much I had needed her


    over these years. It was because of her I had started to trust others again. ¡°So, no, Aria,¡± she said, ¡°I


    don¡®t have feelings for Cai in the way you may think. I don¡®t have feelings stronger than any of the other


    non-ranked girls in this entire pack¡­ or any other pack for that matter. An Alpha heir speaks to me, is


    kind to me, and you think I¡®m in love with him? Hell yes, I am! I would probably act the same if it were


    Aleric, too. You¡¯re all goddamn celebrities in our eyes! But I know my ce, and that¡®s not with an Alpha.


    I¡®m not meant to be a Luna or any other ranked member¡¯s mate.¡±


    I felt guilty for bringing it up now, for unting something without realising. It was easy form e to forget my


    privilege having lived two incredibly important lives around influential people. And yet i¡¯d done nothing to


    deserve it. I knew someone like Myra would be far more suited to a Luna position with her ability to


    identify the struggles of others easily and help them. She cared about everyone around her, regardless


    of who they were. ¡°Myra, you¡¯repletely wrong,¡± I said sadly. ¡°You have no idea how important you


    are.¡± She shook her head but still gave me a small smile. ¡°Cai is a really good guy at heart...,¡± she said,


    bringing the conversation back. She was trying to take the attention off herself. ¡°But I think you already


    know that. I also saw how you used to look at him, how you were around him, and I know you don¡¯t have


    the same excuse as me as to why you acted that way. So, I think we both know he¡¯s not the issue here.


    No, I think your real problem is with yourself, Aria ¡­ not Cai.¡± I frowned. ¡°No... but I told you, remember?


    He was with that girl, Iris, the other night. And it¡®s so much moreplicated than that, Myra. My position


    complicates it.¡± ¡°...But did you see them actually go home together? Or even properly kiss?¡± No... I


    hadn¡®t. I hadn¡®t technically seen anything other than them hugging and Iris pecking his cheek Technically,


    both of those things could be considered normal actions between two people who were close.


    ¡°I¡®m not stupid,¡± she said, resting her head on an arm she¡®d propped up on the table. ¡°I realise there¡¯s a


    lot about yourself you¡¯ve never told me and that¡®s fine. It¡®s not for me to pry into your private life and I¡¯ve


    always just been grateful to spend time with you. But if there is one thing that I¡®vee to realise over


    thesest few years, it¡®s that, whatever it is you¡¯ve kept hidden, it hurt you bad. Badly enough that you¡®ve


    completely rejected the idea of bing Luna, of bing Aleric¡¯s mate, or of even getting close to


    anyone. And it¡®s not healthy.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s not true! I¡¯m close with you, Myra,¡± I argued.


    ¡°More than others? Sure, I can see that. But even I don¡®t know much about you, Aria. Not on a deeper


    level. From what I can tell, it looks to me as if you¡¯ve rejected the idea of being with Cai for the same


    reason you were so sad in the library that day. Because of whatever this pain is you¡¯re trying so hard to


    hide.¡±


    I felt sick. I had never expected our conversation to turn out like this. I¡®d thought I had been keeping that


    part of myself hidden from her well since she had never mentioned it, but this entire time it was actually


    just because she didn¡®t think she was worthy enough to know? And if that were true, then did Myra think


    all these years that I didn¡¯t trust her? Am I part of the reason for why she thinks so low of herself? I


    wondered if I¡¯d just been upfront and honest


    with her from the beginning, whether or not she would have realised just how important she was. That


    there wasn¡¯t actually any reason to feel so distant from me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve let it get to this point,¡± I said


    finally after some time. I could hear the waver in my voice as I struggled to not be too overwhelmed


    by my own emotions. ¡°I should have told you the truth sooner.¡±


    She smiled a little. ¡°I didn¡®t say all of this to guilt you into telling me. I¡¯m just trying to give you my


    perspective on this whole situation. I know you care about me, even if you¡®ve had to hide things.¡±


    ¡°No, I get what you¡¯re saying¡­ but you don¡¯t fully understand and that¡¯s entirely my fault,¡± I said and


    stood up, digging around in my wallet for some money to leave on the cafe table.¡± You need to hear this


    from my point of view, and you need to know why I haven¡¯t told you. But not here¡­ there are too many


    people.¡±


    Maybe then she would stop putting herself down because of me.


    I held my hand out to her and she grabbed it, her face still looking a little sad. And together we walked


    outside, making our way up the street to where I¡¯d parked my car. I needed to tell her. It was time. Myra


    had been the one thing in my life I could depend on and yet I had failed to do the same for her. How long


    had she been hurting because of me? I had been so selfish in my own world, relying on her whenever it


    suited me, and hadn¡¯t even realised the damage I¡¯d been doing to someone I cared about.


    ¡­But what was she going to think once I told her? I knew I didn¡®t need to worry about whether she would


    believe me, but the issue was how she would react. Would she be afraid of Aleric just as I had


    been? Would she finally understand why a future with Cai wouldn¡¯t lead to anything better?


    Because right now it must have seemed like everything was so ck and white for her. That any feelings


    I may have would actually be of consideration when it came to being romantically involved with someone


    like Cai.


    Because at the end of the day, being with a different Alpha heir was actually just the same. Maybe


    worse. Aleric or Cai, it didn¡®t matter. Both of them would mean I¡¯d be forced to be Luna one day and


    face different but simr difficulties. And that was only if I managed to live long enough to get that far. I¡¯d


    worked so hard to be a Beta heir and was nning to use i t as my reason for rejecting Aleric; even


    if that meant invoking the Elders to enforce it. No one was going to be able to question it since it was so I


    could be Beta.


    But if I then went on to reject my pack¡¯s future Alpha, forsaking the prophecy that said our union would


    bring sess to the Winter Mist, before ultimately running off with a different Alpha? I had no doubt that


    I¡¯d be marked as a traitor and would ignite a war in the process. A war that would maybe end with Cai


    dead on that battlefield again. Or maybe even Aleric this time too. It was possible that they would just


    both end up killing each other if I refused to intervene like in the past.


    My mind pictured the two of them dead in that field and I shivered. No feelings I may or may not have


    was worth that. Not to mention the countless lives that would be lost due to war. Hadn¡¯t I just seen with


    my own eyes how my selfish actions could plete your eyes more hurt innocent people around me?


    Thousands of people out there, just like Myra, who would be caught up in the whims of people who were


    considered more important. ¡°Aria, you¡¯re digging into my hand,¡± Myra said quietly, breaking me from my


    thoughts. I looked down to see my nails wing into her skin and quickly let go. It had beenpletely


    unintentional and now made me feel so much worse. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Myra. Are you okay?¡± She nodded,


    smiling a little, but still rubbed at her hand.


    I realised then that I¡¯d been so lost in my thoughts that I¡®dpletely forgotten where I¡¯d parked. I had to


    scan the area around me to get my bearings.


    And it was then that I saw it. Or, more urately, I saw her. Immediately, I moved fast to hide behind a


    large tree we had stopped next to. Large enough to stop anyone from seeing us.


    ¡­Because Thea was here.


    Out in the open, across the street and¡­ appearing to be doing shopping, of all things. ¡°Aria?¡± Myra


    asked confused.


    ¡°Shhh,¡± I said, peeking around the side to see if Thea had noticed me before I hid.


    Thankfully, it seemed she hadn¡¯t. She was standing by a store that had racks of clothing in a garden area


    outside. It looked like she had been too focused on sifting through the garments hanging up to realise I


    was even there.


    ¡­I knew this could be a good opportunity for me... but I just needed to think of a n.


    ¡°Who are you hiding from?¡± Myra asked as she came to lean against the tree too, trying to help obscure


    me. She must have sensed my urgency and realised that this was important to me.


    I bit my lip. I had no issue exining who she was to Myra since I had already nned to tell her, but I


    didn¡®t have time to exin everything in detail here right now in public. Not when Thea was so close by


    and could disappear again at any second. ¡°She¡¯s someone I used to know,¡± I said finally. ¡°Someone I¡®ve


    been trying to find for thest two years. But it¡®s all... wrong. It¡®s like she suddenly appeared out of thin


    air and I don¡®t know why.¡±


    Myra frowned. ¡°If you¡®ve been trying to find her then why aren¡®t you going to talk to her?¡±


    ¡°...It¡®splicated,¡± I said, scrunching my face up. Inside, I continued to quickly try and think about what


    to do. ¡°Basically, when I saw her again for the first time, she knew I had been looking for her. She


    shouldn¡®t have known I was looking. And yet she saw me and ran before I could talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Wait... so you know her, and you were trying to find her... but she shouldn¡¯t know you were trying to find


    her... but she does? And it¡®s so important that you¡¯re now hiding behind a tree¡­?


    I could tell my words were only making Myra more confused and I cursed internally over the entire


    situation I was now in.


    ¡°Yes¡­,¡± was all I could say, even though I knew that didn¡¯t help her. ¡°But I need answers and I¡¯m afraid


    that I won¡¯t be able to get them if I approach her directly.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ so, I¡¯ll just go and talk to her instead?¡±


    Myra offered. ¡°I can just casually pretend to bump into her and introduce myself.¡±


    I stared at her in surprise. She was right. If Myra spoke with her instead of me then Thea wouldn¡¯t


    suspect anything. Though, as much as I¡¯d like to know Thea¡¯s future ns, I knew with this idea came


    the downside that the questions asked would need to be kept very basic; such as where she was from,


    what pack she belonged to, and why she was in town, etc.


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    But any information was better than no information. And the best part? Myra wasn¡¯t even ranked so it


    was unlikely that Thea had ever seen her face before. She was also the type of person who was just


    genuinely friendly to everyone so it wouldn¡¯t be that odd for her to approach a stranger. ¡°Myra¡­ you¡¯re


    so smart,¡± I whispered as I stared at her with adoration. She giggled at thepliment. ¡°I try!¡± And so,


    with that, Myra and I quickly devised a n. A n to find out where the hell Thea had been for thest


    two years.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Chapter Forty-Nine With everything set and being put into action, I went home to wait. It was now up to


    Myra to pull off the next part.


    The idea was that she would pretend to notice Thea was new in town and politely ask about her, even try


    to befriend her. With the two of them getting closer, I was hopeful that Thea would divulge a little about


    herself; information I¡®d literally been paying a private investigator to obtain for years now.


    In order for this to work though, I couldn¡¯t be anywhere in sight or else I¡¯d risk Thea catching on.


    We agreed to meet again in an hour at a park down the street. It was rarely used at this time of the day


    and bordered on the forest. This meant we didn¡¯t need to worry about being seen together. If everything


    went perfect then Myra would get the information I needed before I came to pick her up, and Thea would


    be none the wiser to the entire plot.


    The time passed quickly and, with every second that passed, I could feel my own anxiety building. I¡¯d


    waited so long for this and needed Myra to be sessful so badly. I knew even the tiniest bit of


    information was going to help me stop Thea... and possibly even help me stop my own death.


    And so, before I knew it, it was finally about that time.


    I headed downstairs, moving towards the car but spotted Lucy along the way down. ¡°Lucy,¡± I called out.


    She looked up sharply at my voice, surprised to see me.


    But then her face turned into a frown almost immediately.


    ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t know you were home,¡± she said. I walked over to her, taking the small detour since I knew I


    still had a little bit of time before I needed to leave.


    ¡°I¡®m just heading out now. Any luck with the private investigator?¡±


    ¡°Not really...,¡± she said, her brow only creasing further. ¡°To be honest, I was going to wait a little longer


    before I spoke to you, but I think something might be amiss. He normally doesn¡¯t take this long to get


    back to me.¡± I hesitated. ¡°You think he might have run off with the money as I thought?¡± She nodded. ¡°I


    do. It would confirm your theory too. However, I¡®m still waiting to hear back from a few different leads so I


    can¡¯t be certain yet.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I hissed, and gently hit my fist against the wall next to me. I had known this was a possibility and


    it was a risk I¡®d been willing to take when I first hired him. Some people¡®s loyalty cost more than what


    could be bought with money. It looked as if his greed had gotten the better of him.


    Though there was one other possibility.... ¡­ That they¡¯d been working together from the beginning.


    ¡°Find him,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t care what resources you need, 1¡¯ll pay whatever the price. If he¡¯s run off then


    he at least knows something about Thea. Even if that¡¯s only because he made a deal with her.¡±


    Lucy bowed her head. ¡°Of course, Miss.¡±


    It was just like it was in the past; Thea had her hand in manipting the people around me. Some things


    really didn¡¯t change.


    But as I continued to mull on it, another thought hit me. One where I realised I¡¯d just introduced my best


    friend¡­ to my worst enemy.


    But Myra wouldn¡¯t¡­ would she? That echo of pain from whenever I thought of my old attendant, Sophie,


    came to me. I had loved her like a mother and yet she had resorted to taking a deal from Thea in the


    end, sending me to my death regardless. It proved that sometimes a person wasn¡¯t who you thought they


    were. I had to quickly push those thoughts from my head. I could trust Myra, I knew that. And besides,


    there were more important things to worry about right now. Like meeting up with her and discussing what


    she¡¯d learnt about Thea. Without any further dy, I got into my car and drove back into town, heading


    straight to the park


    The trip didn¡¯t take very long to arrive and I immediately scanned the area without getting out. The entire


    space seemedpletely clear of any people though; Myra included.


    I didn¡¯t want to rush anything, making me decide to wait another half an hour. I wanted to give her all the


    time she needed. But once that period came and went, I found Myra still hadn¡¯t shown up. It was then


    that I couldn¡®t help but start to feel a little worried. It was a veryrge area and so, naturally, I figured she


    probably hadn¡®t realised I¡¯d arrived yet, possibly waiting for me somewhere that I couldn¡¯t see. I quickly


    slipped out of the driver¡¯s seat, having already made sure that the coast was clear, and made my way


    into the park.


    It seemed quiet. There was no y equipment for children here as this area was mostly just a collection


    of trees and nature. Not that I wasining. It made for some great privacy when needed.


    I continued to search for a few minutes until, finally, I found Myra in the distance by a tree. As I expected,


    she was facing the opposite direction to where I¡®d parked so she must not have seen me.


    ¡°Myra!¡± I called out and started walking over to see her. She didn¡¯t hear me and so I quickened my pace


    to reach her. ¡°Hey! Myra! I¡¯ve been waiting for you on the other side. How did it go?¡±


    But she didn¡¯t reply. I couldn¡¯t have been more than a few meters away from her now. She should have


    heard me.


    ¡°Myra..?¡± I walked over slowly until I stood in front of her, as If a part of me knew something wasn¡¯t quite


    right


    ¡­But it was fine.


    I could see she waspletely fine. I had been worried about nothing.


    And yet her blue eyes continued to stare out towards the forest, refusing to look at me. ¡°Myra, I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡­She was acting so immature by not replying. I didn¡¯t know why she would do that, it wasn¡¯t even funny.


    I reached out and touched her hand gently. She felt a little cold but that was just the weather moving into


    winter soon. I knew she should have brought a jacket. When I hade to pick her up earlier I had even


    told her that she was going to regret not bringing one.


    ¡®I can¡¯t look¡¯


    ¡°Come on. We need to go,¡± I said. ¡°We have so much to talk about.¡±


    I could feel tears start to fall down my cheeks and I blinked them away. Couldn¡¯t she see how her


    behaviour was so incredibly frustrating right now? She was wasting time.


    ¡°Myra, stop this. Please.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to look¡¯


    I tugged at her hand to get her to follow me, but instead, her upper body only lurched sideways in the


    direction I¡®d pulled her. It was as if her centre was stuck in one ce,pletely unable to be moved. ¡°¡­


    Please.¡± ¡®Don¡®t make me look¡¯


    I pulled again and shook my head as the tears began to increase.


    ¡°Myra¡­ please¡­.¡±


    ¡®I¡®m not going to look.¡® ¡°It¡¯s time to go home, Myra. Your parents are waiting for you.¡±


    ¡®Please don¡¯t make me look.¡¯


    ¡°The kids at the orphanage need you. You can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    ¡­Please.¡¯


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    ¡°...I need you, Myra.¡± I fell to my knees before her and instantly felt as the moisture hidden within the


    grass started t o seep into my clothes,pletely covering my hands and legs.


    That damn rain we had a few weeks ago had made the groundpletely soggy.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped though. That was just the season it was. That damn red rain will get you.


    Red rain


    ¡­Goddess, please, don¡¯t make me look.¡¯ Red like the colour parts of my clothes were. I stared at it


    oddly, my head starting to spin. I didn¡¯t realise I¡¯d worn such a strange pattern today. It¡¯d been so long


    since I¡¯d picked such a vibrant colour for myself. ¡­Please, no.¡¯


    And then I snapped¡­ ¡­The veil of deniability inside me breaking¡­


    ¡­And I did the one thing I¡¯d been refusing to do since arriving. I looked up


    I looked up to where my best friend stood.


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    I looked up to where a familiar silver dagger was piercedpletely through her chest.


    I looked up to the note that was forcefully pushed onto the hilt, intended for me to find it.


    I looked up at the words.


    The three words.


    The three simple words. Words I wish I could forget.


    ...¡°You forgot this.¡±


    I immediately threw my body to the side and purged up all the contents of my stomach.


    I could see it all so clearly now. My clothes... my hands... my legs... it was all blood. It was all blood.


    It was all Myra¡¯s blood. What was I doing? Why was I wasting time? I moved quickly and put my hand to


    the stab wound, trying to close off where the blood hade from. Blood that had already stopped


    flowing long ago. I could see the knife had been twisted, skewed enough to make the entrancerger.


    It would be okay though. I just needed to apply pressure. Pressure helps stop the flow and aids i n


    sealing it. I¡¯d learnt that from my mother.


    ¡°Someone! Please! Help!¡± I yelled out over and over again. ¡°Anyone! Please!¡±


    I needed someone to get a doctor while I applied pressure.


    I had to stay and apply pressure. If I let go, she was going to bleed out.


    ¡­I had to apply pressure. ¡­I had to apply pressure. ¡­ I had to apply pressure. ¡­I had to apply


    pressure.


    ¡­But then my cries for help eventually turned into screams.


    I screamed for what felt like hours. I screamed until my voice waspletely hoarse. I screamed until I


    physically couldn¡¯t anymore. And when I was done and could go on no more, I slumped back to the


    ground in defeat, staring at my hands. Because a part of me had known the reality of the situation the


    very second I¡¯d seen her in the distance.


    ¡­Myra was dead. And there was no bringing her back Inside, I could also feel a part of me had just died


    too. The part of me that Myra held. *Had* held. The part that had allowed me to see the good in others


    when I¡¯d felt the world against m e. The only pure and good thing that had never hurt me.


    It took a long time before I was able to move again¡­ but eventually, I could feel myself stand u p calmly.


    I wasn¡¯t really there though. Not really. I was just staring out, feeling like a passenger within m y own


    body, as I started to walk back to the car. It didn¡¯t take long; just a few minutes walk. It had only taken a


    few minutes to find her and so i t made sense that it would only take a few minutes to walk back.


    A few minutes seemed to be such a short amount of time for something to happen. I opened the door


    and slid into the driver¡®s seat, immediately starting the five minute drive in the opposite direction to town.


    I drove until I finally came to a house I hadn¡¯t seen in a very long time.


    I came to the Alpha¡®s packhouse. My old home. Was it intentional? Had it been pure muscle memory?


    ...Or had it been because I knew Aleric would probably be there? The only other person I felt


    could not judge me for my sins¡­ because my memories of their sins were no better. But it didn¡¯t matter. I


    didn¡¯t care about any of that right now. I stood at the front door and knocked politely, stepping back to


    wait patiently for someone to answer. I could see the bright red spots my hand left on the pristine white


    door as I touched it.


    How easily things were ruined by things I touched.


    Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t an attendant that opened the door to greet me. It was Aleric himself. He looked as


    if he was about to go out somewhere.


    ¡°¡­Aria?¡± he asked, startled to see me show up at the packhouse of all ces. ¡°What are you doing


    here¡­? What¡¯s that smell¡­? It smells like... ¨C.¡±


    It only took a moment before his eyes finally registered what he was actually seeing before him; my


    dishevelled appearance being a sight he probably wasn¡¯t expecting with the copious amounts of red


    blood quickly drying all over me. ¡°Aria?! What the fuck? Are you hurt?!¡±


    He rushed towards me and started inspecting me for the wounds I knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to find.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t my blood.


    I just stood there, shaking my head, and felt the familiar moisture of tears start to fall down m y face once


    more. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d had any more left in my body.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead, Aleric.¡±


    His eyes only became wider in utter confusion over the whole situation. ¡°What? Dead? Who¡®s dead?


    Come inside, I can alert the patrols. Do you know who did it?¡± He pulled at my hand, trying to get me to


    follow him into the house, but I ripped it away. ¡°Me, Aleric,¡± I said between my clenched jaw, my body


    beginning to shake again. I could feel the paining back now; the numb calm I¡®d experienced only


    havingsted long enough to make it here. But now I could feel it begin to rot at me inside once more,


    building its way to the surface. I stared at him with wild, desperate eyes, unable to physically do anything


    else. ¡°....... I killed her.¡±


    Aleric stepped back in shock, only further confusion being added by my words. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I killed her,


    Aleric,¡± I repeated, my breath now bingboured. ¡°It¡®s my fault... I killed Myra.¡±


    But I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I couldn¡®t breathe.


    ..And I felt myself fainting to the ground, giving myself over to the darkness that had been threatening to


    ovee me. And I knew that, deep down, even this temporary peace was a luxury I hadn¡¯t deserved.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡¯re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting!

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Chapter Fifty She was dead. Myra was dead.


    The words kept repeating themselves in my head but I was struggling toe to terms with it being real


    Unfortunately, I had only remained unconscious for a few minutes before Aleric had managed t o wake


    me up. I found myself on the couch inside and answered all of his questions as best I could, though


    albeit very robotically. By the time I had finished describing where Myra was and her current state, Aleric


    had quickly left to go get the patrol team scouring the area for rogues. I told him about my dagger that


    was used, the one from the cave I¡¯d left behind, and even about Thea. What she looked like, where the


    two of them had been, and that I¡¯d told Myra to talk to her. No one really listened to me after I¡¯d


    mentioned the rogue knife though. They all immediately went on to high alert mainly looking for them, not


    Thea. Everyone had thought since my missing dagger was used, that it was the rogues trying to retaliate


    for killing theirrades. And so, I sat on the couch, just watching the chaos ensue around me for


    hours.


    People running in and out of the house, giving status reports and confirmations about Myra¡¯s body.


    People bing frantic as they tried to find leads. An argument between officials over who was going to


    inform Myra¡¯s family. I felt sick just listening to it all.


    But I couldn¡¯t move, let alone function enough to be of any help.


    I just sat on that couch¡­ and watched. Silently. The entire time just feeling dead inside. As dead as Myra


    now was because of me. And I knew it had been my fault. Everything. She¡¯d said so herself; it was


    because of me that her life had be so abnormal. Maybe she might have lived long enough to have


    that average life she¡¯d mentioned. She might have had that ordinary mate¡­ those children¡­ and died of


    old age. Died naturally.


    Not dead now because of me.


    But I hadn¡®t known. I hadn¡¯t known asking her to talk to Thea would lead to this. I hadn¡¯t known her life


    would be in danger.


    ¡°¡­Miss,¡± a voice suddenly said in front of me. I realised then that I¡¯d been staring at the torso of


    someone standing in front of me for Goddess knew how long.


    I looked up slowly, blinking several times as my eyes came into focus, and saw Lucy there.


    ¡°¡­Miss, I¡¯m here to take you home,¡± she said gently.


    She looked worried and I didn¡¯t need to guess why. It didn¡®t make me feel any better though. ¡°¡­I saw


    Thea,¡± I answered quietly, ignoring whatever she¡¯d said. My voice sounded far away and still very


    hoarse. She flinched in surprise, almost in disbelief at what I¡¯d just told her. ¡°What...? Thea?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°That might exin a few things then.¡± ¡°¡­ Like what?¡±


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    She paused, unsure if she should answer that, but she did eventually speak.


    ¡°I found out about an hour ago what happened to our private investigator,¡± she said. ¡°He was killed a


    couple of months back in a neighbouring territory. The pack there have been trying to contact us so they


    could ask about hisst case, but we kept our identity so well hidden that they didn¡¯t know how to reach


    us.¡±


    I closed my eyes, feeling the wave of exhaustion this new development brought. ¡°¡­So it actually was


    Thea¡¯s doing then.¡± ¡°Miss.. ?¡±


    I had already suspected as much, but hearing this news now only made me more certain.


    Thea had been the one to kill Myra.


    ¡°She must have realised someone was tracking her down and kept her distance until the investigator met


    up with youst time. It exins how she was able to find me. She just had to follow your trail all the way


    back here. The investigator¡¯s death was most likely just so he couldn¡¯t alert us when she crossed over


    into the Winter Mist¡¯s territory.¡±


    How much did she know about me then? She must have been watching me since even before the


    Golden de attack. If that was the case then she probably knew all about me¡­ about Myra, and


    possibly even about Aleric and Cai too. And that silver knife? Was she working with the rogues as well


    then? Was Thea herself a rogue? It might exin why we never found any information about her


    belonging to a pack.


    But I never would have taken her for someone who could do this though. A cunning, power hungry bitch?


    Sure. Physically murderous and violent? ...Not so much.


    In my past life, she had been conniving, maniptive, and had brought about my death like a snake


    behind the scenes. As far as I knew, she¡¯d never done the dirty work herself. In fact, I hadn¡¯t even


    realised she¡¯d had an active role in my death until I saw her smirking right before my conviction. Her style


    had always been to act the innocent and win the hearts of the people. It made me wonder what her n


    was now and whether she was still looking to be Luna. Didn¡¯t she realise I could pin part of the


    me on her for Myra¡®s death? That I could tie her into the whole mess and use her of working with


    the rogues? It seemed unlikely that anyone would let her into the pack one day with an usation like


    that against her. But¡­ then there was my silver dagger. I needed to realise that the entire thing could


    now be passed off as only a rogue attack. Maybe she had staged it intentionally like that. Coupled with


    gelen the sightings we had not long ago in the woods, it seemed very likely that no one would believe me


    if I said it was Thea without proof. The only real evidence I could provide was that Myra had been with


    herst¡­ and that the Pl I¡¯d hired to find her from two years ago was now dead.


    Not that this option was any better though. Revealing to the pack I¡¯d hired someone to find her would


    only lead to questions that I couldn¡®t answer. It would mean telling the truth about my true past and


    future.


    A future that I apparently couldn¡¯t see anymore. A future that I was suddenly so blind to. And it urred


    to me that I¡¯d beenpletely helpless this time to save Myra. I hadn¡¯t seen it i na vision like I had two


    years ago. So why hadn¡¯t I seen it? What had I done wrong this time that this stupid ability had let me


    down during a moment I needed it most?


    ¡­ But then a thought came to me. Maybe instead of focusing on getting physically stronger to fight this


    whole time, I should have been spending some time learning about my mark and how it worked. I had


    always acted as if I never wanted any free handouts from the Goddess and had been trying to reach my


    goal without her wherever possible to prove a point.


    ¡­Was this Selene¡¯s way of making me regret that? To prove to me that she was all-powerful and that I


    needed her in some way to survive? ¡°Aria?¡±


    I looked up and saw Lucy had been watching me the whole time I¡®d been silently lost in my own


    thoughts.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not entirely at fault here,¡± I said, realising I¡¯dst left herst thinking she was to me for not


    knowing about the PI. It was true that Thea most likely followed her to me, but I knew I was to me just


    as much. ¡°We should have been checking in more regrly to avoid this. Please ensure a year¡¯s worth


    of sry is sent to his family with my condolences. It won¡¯t make up for him losing his life, but at least


    maybe it will give them somefort until they¡®re able to move past this tragedy.¡±


    Lucy pursed her lips slightly. ¡°And you?¡± I frowned a little, my face too puffy and sore to give any real


    expression. ¡°Me..?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ how are you going to move past this?¡± she asked. I could tell she was


    genuinely concerned for me, but I didn¡®t have an answer for her.


    ¡°I¡®m not,¡± I finally replied after a small hesitation. ¡°I don¡®t deserve any sce for what I did.¡±


    ¡°Aria¡ª.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± I said, cutting her off before she could disagree with me. I could hear my voice


    holding a mild tone of rank authority over her which she couldn¡®t dispute. ¡°That will be all, Lucy. I will


    drive myself home so your assistance won¡¯t be necessary tonight.¡± She reluctantly bowed her head and I


    shakily got to my feet. It had been hours since I¡¯d moved and my entire body was sore, stiff and itchy


    from the dried blood scratching against my skin. I didn¡®t let it stop me though as I walked outside, now


    seeing how the sky had already darkenedpletely into thete night, and headed directly towards my


    car.


    ¡°Aria! Where are you going?¡± a voice called out to me suddenly.


    It was Aleric¡¯s voice. I recognised it too well, of course.


    I hadn¡¯t seen him since he left to contact the patrol teams and hadn¡¯t expected to speak to him again


    before leaving. He was helping to orchestrate the entire search party so I knew he was incredibly busy.


    ¡°¡­Home,¡± I said quietly as I kept walking. ¡°Like that? At least stay and clean up first. You¡¯re still... ah.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re still covered in Myra¡¯s blood, ¡®I said in my head, finishing his sentence. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll clean up at


    home.¡±


    I went to turn away but he quickly covered the distance between us until he stood next to me. I couldn¡¯t


    meet his eyes though, choosing to focus on anything else around me. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be alone


    right now,¡± he objected gently. ¡°Please... just stay a bit longer. You can wash up and I¡¯ll organise some


    fresh clothes for you.¡±


    He was worried about me. Just like Lucy had been. Just like everyone else who had been staring at me


    over thest few hours, all while they walked through the lounge room I had satatose in


    But no, I knew I needed to be alone. I thought it would be best if I stayed like that from now on. ¡°Really,


    it¡¯s fine, Aleric,¡± I said, shutting down his suggestion almost instantly. He paused for a moment, possibly


    thinking of what else he could say to convince me, but finally he sighed in defeat.


    ¡°..Okay,¡± he said, an almost awkward tone to it. He shuffled in his ce a bit as if he had something else


    to say, but instead, he did something I wasn¡¯t expecting


    ¡­He pulled me into his arms¡­ and hugged me.


    Into an actual embrace.


    From Aleric.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry this happened,¡± he said softly, talking close to my ear. ¡°She didn¡®t deserve that. And neither do


    you.¡±


    My entire body tensed up instantly at his contact, bingpletely unmoving and rigid. I t was the


    first time I¡¯d been so close to him that I could smell his familiar scent. And yet, even after all this time, I


    still found it odd to be able to smell his crisp forest smell without the mate bond. For six years this scent


    had been heaven to me. And then, upon his forced rejection, it had be my hell.


    But the embrace was thest thing I¡®d expected him to do; thest thing I¡¯d ever thought he was even


    capable of doing. And given that I¡¯d just suffered the cruellest of reminders about Thea and my past on


    this day, it only made me feel more ufortable.


    This was the man who had loved that disgusting woman. Who had chosen her. Who had given her his


    mark.


    ¡­And she had killed my best friend. She had killed someone who had held no threat to her at


    all.


    She had killed Myra only because she was someone I cared about. Over thesest few years, I¡¯d


    adapted and learnt to be able to disassociate between the two Alerics; the one who had abused and


    tormented me, and the one who was younger and seemingly different, kinder even. The one I felt I could


    help change. But tonight, it was hard for me to do that in light of everything that had happened. Because


    tonight I was no longer the ¡®me¡¯ I had be ustomed to. I wasn¡¯t the brave, strong, willing to


    ovee any issues ¡®Aria¡¯. No, given the state I was in, I felt closer to being the old Aria.


    And I now felt scared. Alone. Worried.


    I felt afraid that at any moment I could lose someone else I cared about.


    And Aleric only stood as a reminder of those very emotions I was too familiar with. He finally let go of me


    after several seconds, but I still feltpletely frozen in ce, struggling toprehend everything that


    was happening inside my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...,¡± he said quietly after I hadn¡®t said anything.


    A part of me might have felt guilty on a normal day. Maybe I would have even been strong enough to


    finally hug him back. But I couldn¡¯t feel anything for him at that moment. There was physically no more


    room inside of me to be able to feel anything else. ¡°... Thank you for all your help, Aleric,¡± I finally said


    tly. I could feel his eyes staring into me but I still refused to look at him. Instead, I chose to look down


    at the keys in my hand before walking the remainder of the way to my car.


    And as I sat in the driver¡¯s seat, looking ahead, all I could focus on was the steering wheel in front of me.


    The steering wheel where bloody handprints had wrapped around it, reminding me once more that this


    was all real. That today had actually happened; that, unlike a car, there was no turning back


    Not for Myra anyway; the girl who had considered herself to bepletely average. ¡­ The girl who had


    died without me being able to tell her just how important she was.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Chapter Fifty¨COne


    Three days.


    It had been three days since Myra had died... and I felt suspended in time, unsure over what to do next.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    After that night, I had arrived home and walked straight into the shower. The process had taken a while


    since I had needed to peel off all the clothes that had stuck to me; their condition no longer salvageable


    a tall and would need to be thrown out.


    I¡®d stood under the showerhead and watched as the hot water turned red all around me, washing away


    all the evidence of what I¡®d done. But it wasn¡®t enough. Even when the water had begun to turn clear, I


    started to scrub at my body. I scrubbed¡­ and scrubbed¡­ and scrubbed¡­ until my flesh was almost as


    red as the water had been.


    But even then, I could still see it. I could still feel it.


    It hadn¡®t been enough.


    *I* hadn¡®t been enough.


    For three days, I¡®d done nothing buty in bed, barely eating or moving. It was all I could do.


    My parents had tried to talk to me, but I didn¡®t know what to say. I didn¡®t even have it in me to lie and


    make them feel reassured like I might have done normally. Inside, I had now lost all sense of motivation t


    o keep going.


    Sinceing back, I¡®d been working so hard to keep myself alive, to stop whatever impending doom


    was yet to unfold, but I¡®d been so focused on saving myself that I¡®d now sacrificed someone else for that


    cause.


    And Thea? Well, if this was a game of chess, then I felt I¡®d just lost one of my most important pieces.


    This whole time I¡¯d thought Thea was ying as a king, ruling from behind the scenes and keeping safe.


    But I was wrong. Just like her ambitions in life, it seemed Thea was actually ying as a queen; able to


    adjust and change depending on the situation... and able to go the extra mile to strike or kill if necessary


    herself.


    I shook the thoughts off instantly, feeling sick at myself. There I had been going again... thinking of others


    as pieces in my game of survival. This was exactly how I¡®d gotten Myra killed. She¡®d even pointed out to


    m e how I¡®d been acting so selfish and yet, not even ten minutester, I¡®d sent her out to die for me. And


    she did so with a smile on her face, happy to be helping me.


    Around my neck, I could distinctly feel the weight of Myra¡®s ne, now heavy with the guilt I carried. A


    t times I felt like it stopped me from breathing as if it would slowly crush me, but it was always just in my


    head. I was sometimes disappointed once I realised that fact.


    And so, for the thousandth time that day, I traced my fingers along the stone embedded on the chain,


    consumed in my own thoughts, just as I had been every single day that had passed since her death.


    So focused in my head that I almost didn¡®t even notice the sound of knockinging from the bedroom


    door.


    But I didn¡®t turn to see who it was. There was no point. It was either my parents or Lucy since everyone


    else had been told I wasn¡®t taking visitors.


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    Lucy.


    I stayed still, staring up at the ceiling, and waited for her to tell me whatever it was she hade to say.


    Chapter Foily One


    ¡°Miss, you had another visitor today.¡±


    That wasn¡®t unusual. Apparently, Aleric had shown up yesterday to check in but my mother had


    exined that I still wasn¡®t well. Several other people had alsoe by over thest few days, either out


    of concern or to ask more questions, but all of them were asked to kindly give me some space.


    I wasn¡®t sure why Lucy was still bothering to tell me.


    ¡°It was a boy,¡± she continued. ¡°His name was... Caius? That Alpha heir from the Silver Lake pack.¡±


    I froze up at the sound of his name.


    Cai.


    I¡®d been deliberately avoiding him this entire time because I didn¡®t know how to face him.


    Did he know what I¡®d done? Had he heard about Myra¡®s death?


    ¡°...What did he say?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°Oh... um,¡± Lucy started, probably taken aback that I was actually sounding interested for once. ¡°He said


    h e wanted to check in on you. Apologies, there was no real message other than that.¡±


    We¡®d worked so hard to save Myra, almost dying ourselves in that process, and yet I¡®d somehow


    managed to get her killed anyway. Did he hate me now?


    But no, I knew that probably wasn¡®t the case. I highly doubted anyone had told him that it was my fault


    yet since everyone was still under the impression that this was the rogues. There was no concrete


    evidence t o suggest that Thea was involved... and no one knew that Thea and I were connected.


    I forced myself into a sitting position, my head pounding with the sudden movement.


    ¡°Miss...?¡± Lucy asked, surprised. ¡°Are you getting up? Did you want anything?¡±


    But I ignored her, throwing my legs over the side of the bed, and pinched at the bridge of my nose. I was


    needing to take a second to concentrate on calming the disarray inside my mind.


    ¡°Please get me something to wear, Lucy... I¡®m going out.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment in shock before quickly rushing to the wardrobe to do what I¡®d asked.


    I knew someone needed to tell Cai the truth. He was her friend too, after all. If it were me, I¡®d want to


    know.


    After only an hourter, I found myself outside the door of where Cai was staying. I¡®d enquired about


    which house he was currently upying from the managing office that oversaw the guest residences.


    Given my rank, they thankfully gave the information over quickly.


    However, I¡®d been staring at his front door now for five minutes and still hadn¡®t worked up the courage to


    knock. Was I making a mistake? Should I just leave and pretend I was never there?


    No, he¡®d be able to smell that I¡®d been here. I¡®d been standing outside for so long now that I was sure


    that he¡®d know I¡®de to see him, regardless of what I decided to do next.


    I took a deep breath and went to knock... but the door then opened before I could make contact.


    Cai stood on the other side, looking stunned to see me. I could see his eyes had faint traces of dark


    circles under them and could only assume this was due to the news of Myra¡®s death.


    ¡°I thought that was you,¡± he said. ¡°It was that or I¡®d gone insane being able to smell your scent for thest


    few minutes. Have you actually been standing there the whole time?¡±


    Always trying to make light of a situation. Even at a time like this.


    Chapter Fifty¨COne


    But as I met his eyes, I could only feel that I¡®d made a mistake ining here.


    I felt I wasn¡®t ready to face him yet and my body began to shake, tears starting to water at my eyes.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry, Cai,¡± I whispered, turning my face away when I couldn¡®t look at him anymore. ¡°I¡®m sorry. It was


    my fault.¡±


    ¡°Aria?¡±


    He instantly realised that I wasn¡®t okay and rushed forwards, trying tofort me. It took a few moments


    before he finally spoke again.


    ¡°Come on. Come inside and sit down,¡± he said, gently grabbing my hand to lead me through the door.¡±


    Then we can talk about whatever it is you¡®re on about.¡±


    I walked into the little house that consisted of a bedroom, living room, bathroom and small kitchen area.


    The guest houses were purposely self¨Ccontained since we had the means and budget to offer that within


    the Winter Mist.


    He walked down the hallway and sat me down on the couch, throwing a nket around my shoulders


    ash e misinterpreted my shaking.


    ¡°Alright, talk to me,¡± he said, sitting down next to me.


    It took a while before I could trust my voice enough to notpletely waver.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry... I¡®m sorry about Myra,¡± I said, tears falling down my face. ¡°I couldn¡®t save her this time. I


    couldn¡®t... I sent her to do something and she was killed because of that. Because of me. Because I¡®d


    stupidly let her go near her.¡±


    He was silent for a few seconds, trying to process what I¡®d just said, before finally speaking.


    ¡°...You¡®re saying Myra wasn¡®t killed by the rogues?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No... maybe¡­ I don¡®t know. It was a girl named Thea. Probably working with the


    rogues, for all i know. But no one believes me. No one believes me that it was definitely her. And I knew


    Thea was shady and I still let Myra go talk to her. It¡®s all my fault, Cai... I¡®m so sorry.¡±


    He paused again, clearly still very confused. ¡°... Did you know she was that dangerous? That she might


    physically harm Myra?¡±


    Thesitated. ¡°No... but 1¨C,¡±


    ¡°Then it¡®s not your fault,¡± he said inly. As if that was enough to make it all better.


    ¡°But, Cai, I was¨C,¡±


    ¡°Aria,¡± he said in a now serious tone, interrupting me once more. He rested his hand on my cheek to


    make me meet his eyes. ¡°It¡®s. Not. Your. Fault.¡±


    I could feel as a part of me broke down at his words, sobs oveing me as I gave in to my grief. He


    pulled me into his side and held me as I cried against his chest. I could feel as hisforting presence


    tried to soothe me inside while allowing me to get it out of my system.


    I wasn¡®t sure how long we stayed like that, but soon I could feel myself begin to calm down inside once


    more; the numbness starting to freeze itself back over as the seconds ticked by. It was a now familiar


    feeling I was bing ustomed to. Something that felt better than the pain at least.


    But, as my mind began to clear, I became painfully aware of the fact Cai and I were still touching.


    He felt warm...warmer than anything I¡®d felt in thest three days. Three days where inside I¡®d been


    devoid of anything that felt living. And so, as I looked up into his incredible golden eyes that always


    burned like


    Chapter Fifty One


    molten ore, a part of me started to wonder if there was an alternative to this torpid state.


    Because he was close. So close. Close enough that I could see every line and detail on his face... his


    eyes... his cheek... his lips.


    Close enough that I was able to feel his breath as my own body gravitated up towards him, being lured in


    with the promise of feeling something other than this frozen internal nightmare. That if I just reached out


    and grabbed it, I would be filled with something impossible to breathe life back into me.


    I paused right as our faces were just an inch apart, right on the cusp of being able to stop right there


    without consequence... and right before I decidedly went against my better judgment... and hesitantly


    brought my lips up to softly meet his anyway.


    Inside, I could feel the immediate relief of tingles upon contact, rushing through my stomach towards my


    core. It was something different. Something new. Something I¡®d never experienced before yet was


    something I could feel myself beginning to crave.


    I knew he could feel my uncertainty as let me lead; my own unsteady conflict within me having to take a


    moment to drink in the new sensation, of learning how he felt against me. How his lips were just as warm


    as his hands were... hands that were beginning to press ever so gently into my back and waist as he


    brought me closer.


    I responded in kind, deepening the kiss, now needing more. I needed those sparks... that me¡­ that


    raging fire that could maybe make me feel alive again.


    And as I gently reached out towards him, I could feel how I could get addicted to this so easily. How,


    when I moved my hand slowly up against his chest, I could eventually feel his heart racing under my


    palm. A reaction that made me realise my own was reciprocating the same way.


    He immediately felt the change in my body, taking my more confident movement as confirmation that I


    wanted this too, and cupped my face in one of his hands, bringing his warmth closer to my body as he


    drew me near.


    It was so different to everything else I¡®d experienced before. In the past with Aleric, his touch had never


    been loving and our alone time had always been extremely clinical. There had been no need for real


    intimacy since, after all, he was just performing a duty to produce an heir. My needs had nevere into


    i


    But back then, my only pleasure during those moments with Aleric had been the artificial sparks forced


    by a mate bond. And yet this was somethingpletely different. It didn¡®t feel involuntary or pressured¡­


    it felt real.


    With shaky hands, I then weaved my fingers through his dark brown hair, needing more of whatever this


    was. Needing more of him. And, as I did so, I wondered... if I gave myself over to himpletely right


    then, would he devour me in that heat of his... or save me instead?


    ¡®Neither,¡® the old me whispered quietly inside. ¡®You are poison to him. We are poison.¡®


    The shock of the sudden words in my head forced me to pull away, leaving me to stare wide¨Ceyed at Cai


    i n front of me.


    ¡®Every time that we¡®ve given our love to someone, it has only left suffering in its wake,¡® she continued.


    ¡°...Aria?¡± Cai asked quietly, sensing my abrupt change.


    ¡®We made a vow,¡® she said. ¡®When our head was about toy on that stump before the sword, we


    dered that the only mistake we¡®d ever made was loving anyone. Myra¡®s death was a result of making


    that same mistake once more.¡®


    I instantly felt sick and realised that I was now endangering Cai next for my own needs.


    Chapter Fifty One


    ¡°I can¡®t...,¡± I started to say aloud but wasn¡®t sure how to form the words.


    ¡°...Are you okay? What¡®s wrong?¡±


    Cai¡®s expression had changed. He looked over me with distress but it barely registered in my mind.


    I shook my head, shakily trying to stand back up. He tried to reach out to me but I flinched away and


    moved my hands up in a defensive gesture to say he should keep his distance,


    ¡°I shouldn¡®t be here. I can¡®t be here,¡± I said, ¡°I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Aria, wait, talk to me. Is it something I did?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ I just. This¡­ this isn¡®t right. I made a mistake,¡± I managed to say disjointedly.


    I started walking towards the front door, not really seeing anything in front of me, but his words stopped


    m e as I reached out to the handle.


    ¡°...Is this because of Myra? Because you¡®re still ming yourself for her death? Because you don¡®t feel


    like you deserve to be okay?¡±


    I felt my heart jolt inside my chest.


    ¡°...Because that wasn¡®t your fault, Aria,¡± he continued. ¡°You need to stop thinking that it was. Myra¡®s


    death i s not on your hands.¡±


    I wanted to turn back and look at him, but I knew if I did, that I would find it too difficult to leave. And so I


    spoke lowly to the door instead, almost as if I was jusi saying it to myself


    ¡°... You don¡®t know anything about me, Cai.¡± And I left without waiting for even a second longer.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Chapter Fifty¨CTwo It was another two days before Myra¡®s funeral was held.


    The event was held outdoors and, though I tried my best to hide my more distinguishable features to not


    stand out, I still took precautions by keeping a distance from those attending anyway. I didn¡®t want to face


    anyone, let alone speak to anyone on this day.


    Something easier said than done with therge turnout.


    So many people here had cared for and loved Myra; so many people that she had touched with her


    gentle nature. It ranged from family, teachers and even some of the older children who lived at the


    orphanage. And whilst I couldn¡®t see them from where I stood at the back, I knew Aleric and Cai were in


    attendance somewhere too.


    So many people were grieving now just as I was... It was a difficult thing toe to terms with given I felt


    so responsible for taking her away from them. Was this how the families cried when I had killed


    innocents in my past life too?


    As the sun began to set, the funeral began.


    Werewolf ceremonies took ce at night or as close to that as possible. This being so the Goddess,


    Selene, could witness. Not that she really cared or did anything to intervene anyway.


    In terms of funerals though, the time of day usually was set for when the final light would soon die. This


    was both for symbolic reasons, but also for the practical side that would allow us to bury our dead.


    without the need for torches.


    I went and took a seat in the back corner. However, in doing so, I made one mistake. As I spared a


    nce out towards the people around me, my eyes fell on a pair of golden ones staring right back. Eyes


    that I hadn¡®t wanted to see. It had been just for a second, but that had been all that was needed. In just


    that one moment, I felt overwhelmed over how such a small, insignificant nce could say so much


    between two people.


    I quickly averted my eyes away in the hopes that it would be enough. Enough that he wouldn¡®t want to


    come over and talk to me. Because I couldn¡®t deal with that today. I couldn¡®t handle anything else.


    Whatever had happened with Cai had been a mistake and I definitely wouldn¡®t be addressing that now.


    Thankfully, it seemed as though Cai got the message as he didn¡®t approach me.


    I kept my head down after that, trying to listen to the nominated Elder conducting the funeral. It was hardt


    o hear what they were saying though. I knew I needed to be here but it was increasingly bing more


    difficult. Every breath was feeling harder to take than thest as the anxiety and pain inside me festered.


    Finally, once everything was over, I couldn¡®t help but exhale sharply from relief. I stayed until almost


    everyone had left before I took the opportunity I needed, walking up to approach the coffin.


    I was grateful it was a closed casket since I didn¡®t know what I would do had I¡®d been forced to look upon


    her face once more, reliving the memories of when I¡®d found her in the park.


    I ced a hand gently on the lid and closed my eyes.


    ¡°I¡®m so sorry, Myra,¡± I said quietly.


    Suddenly, I could feel the hand of someone touch my shoulder and I looked up quickly to see Myra¡®s


    parents there.


    *Thank you foring,¡® her mother told me. ¡®We know our daughter loved you very much. It would mean


    a lot to her knowing that you came today.¡±


    i gulped, clenching my jaw for a second, and could feel a wave of nausea hit my stomach as I listened to


    them naively praise me.


    *I¡®m sorry...,¡± I said weakly.


    They both smiled at me, clearly misunderstanding and thinking I was apologising for their loss in a


    general way.


    ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± her mother said, gently grabbing my hands in hers tenderly.


    She hesitated for a second before looking to Myra¡®s father and nodding; both silently agreeing on


    something


    ¡°We were wondering, if it¡®s okay with you...,¡± she started slowly, unsure of herself. ¡°Ah... Well, it would


    really mean a lot if you could bless her on behalf of the Goddess.¡±


    They both looked at me withrge, hopeful eyes, full of such sadness and belief that I could maybe give


    their daughter onest final gift to be at peace. It was a childish notion in believing the Goddess actually


    cared about any of us.


    But this was what they thought to be true, what they had been raised to think, just as I had once stupidly


    believed myself in the past life. And I knew I had already robbed them of their only daughter, so was!


    about to rob them of their faith too?


    I pushed down the queasiness that told me not to do this and gently ced my hand back on Myra¡®s


    coffin. It was all bullshit, I knew that... but if the show made them think that maybe Myra was in a better


    ce, then so be it.


    | cleared my throat before proceeding.


    ¡°O¡® Great Mother, Selene, our Goddess who gave us life and strength. We ask you today to please guide


    your child, Myra, to eternal peace. Her pure soul has been... Wrongfully taken¡­ ¡±


    This was wrong. I shouldn¡®t be doing this.


    ¡°Ariadne?¡± I heard her mother say.


    I shook my head, frowning. ¡°Ah... Um, whose soul was wrongfully... ¨C.¡±


    Her hand reached to my shoulder once more infort but I couldn¡®t take it anymore.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry, l¨CI can¡®t,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I¡®m so sorry.¡±


    | shakily stepped back from the coffin and started to walk quickly away from everyone remaining at the


    funeral, feeling a sensation overwhelming me that I knew I¡®d be helpless to stop soon.


    I spotted somewhere private in the distance, a ce obscured by some trees and bushes. It was perfect


    for what I was looking for. Without stopping, I immediately beelined towards it, throwing myself over the


    public trash bin as I purged the little contents from my stomach into it.


    But as I did so, I could feel I wasn¡®t alone. The familiar presence of someone else was nearby as they


    leaned against a tree, spectating the scene urring before them quietly. They must have followed me


    here from the proceedings.


    ¡°You look like shit, Aria,¡± they finally said bluntly, after I had appeared to calm down.


    ¡°Good to see you too, Aleric,¡± I replied feebly, turning my face towards him.


    He walked over until he was standing next to me but I could tell he was leaving a distance between us


    Perhaps he¡®d noticed how his sudden show of affection the other day had only made me feel worse, not


    comforted.


    You know what I mean,¡± he said. ¡°You look like you haven¡®t slept in days. And, to be honest, if I hadn¡®t


    just seen you throw up for myself, I would have been severely doubting your eating habits too.¡±


    I wiped at my mouth with the back of my hand before straightening up.


    ¡°I¡®m fine.¡±


    ¡°Aria,¡± he said with a tone of disapproval. ¡°I was there that night, don¡®t lie. I heard what you said. It¡®s


    obvious what¡®s going on when you put two and two together.¡±


    ¡°If you understand that much then you should be focusing the search to find the girl, Thea, not a bunch of


    rogues.¡±


    I¡®m not talking about that,¡± he argued. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you ming yourself for something you didn¡®t


    do.


    ¡°You don¡®t know what I did!¡± I yelled.


    He took a step towards me, our conversation bing more heated. ¡°I know enough. I know that you¡®re


    feeling responsible for leaving her alone with someone you¡®re convinced killed her. But we don¡®t have


    any evidence yet, Aria, so I don¡®t know why you¡®re acting like this.¡±


    ¡°Because I am responsible, Aleric!¡± I hissed.


    We stared at each other, both of us with an intensity in our eyes from the argument.


    Something that was only broken by the sound of someone clearing their throat, alerting us to another¡®s


    presence.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Ah, excuse me, Alpha heir, Beta heir,¡± they said awkwardly, probably having caught thest part of our


    argument. ¡°I¡®m sorry to bother you but I havee to report an urgent matter that is requiring your


    attention.¡±


    We both turned our attention to the young warrior who stood before us. He looked terrified at having to b


    e the one to interrupt us mid¨Cargument.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Aleric asked, taking a deep breath to calm himself.


    ¡°Ahh, we¡®ve found someone. A girl. She matches the description the Beta heir gave us. The girl Myra


    wasst seen with.¡±


    I felt my breath catch in my throat. ¡°Thea? You¡®ve found Thea?¡±


    He turned to look at me. ¡°I believe so. A patrol team spotted her at the edge of the woods.¡±


    I walked right up to him and grabbed his jacket in my hands, my body moving on its own from disbelief.¡±


    Where? Where is she?!¡±


    He became nervous, ufortable by my sudden grasp on him. ¡°Oh.. um... South. She¡®s south of town.


    Not far from the patrol tower there.¡±


    I immediately let go of the warrior and started walking towards the car park without waiting.


    She was here. We had her within our reach and I wouldn¡®t let her get away this time.


    The audacity she had to show up today of all days was making the blood pulse through my veins quickly.


    She had either royally messed up or perhaps just had a new death wish. Both of which were fine by me


    so long as she would pay for what she did.


    I got into my car and was turning the ignition when Aleric got into the passenger side next to me. I barely


    Chapler Fifty Two


    paid him any mind though as I started to leave.


    ¡°I don¡®t think you should go,¡± he finally said after a few minutes of driving. ¡°Not today at least. There¡®ll be


    plenty of time to question her over the next few days.¡±


    But I just ignored him. He would have to tie me to a tree to stop me from being there. And even then, I


    wasn¡®t sure that would be enough to keep me away for long with how driven I was at that moment.


    It didn¡®t take much longer to arrive and I instantly caught sight of the small group of warriors, crowding in


    arge circle around something. Or rather, around someone.


    I pushed my way through the group, into the centre... and there she was.


    Sitting on the ground, nursing what looked to be a badly injured foot¡­ Was Thea. 1


    To bepletely honest, she looked to be in pretty bad shape all over. Several cuts and bruises covered


    her body from head to toe and she was even wearing the same clothes I¡®d seen her inst time.


    But it didn¡®t matter though. I didn¡®t care. I knew what I needed to do.


    It was like the numbing ice inside of me was finally melting, being reced with a fire all on my own.


    Because there was only one person I med for Myra¡®s death more than me, and it was staring right up


    at me pathetically with her big caramel brown eyes.


    ¡®Kill her,¡¯ my old self whispered in my head. ¡®Kill her now. Strangle her until the light dies from her eyes.¡®


    For once we were in perfect agreement and I didn¡®t need to be told twice.


    I strode right up to her without hesitation and was about tounch myself at her when Aleric then


    suddenly grabbed at me around my waist, hoisting me away from the crowd and back towards the car. H


    e must have realised immediately what I¡®d nned to do.


    ¡°Aleric! Let me go!¡± I screamed, thrashing in his arms. ¡°I¡®m going to fucking kill her! I¡®m going to kill her!¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± he yelled, setting me down to grab my face in his hands. It was all he could do so I¡®d finally tear m


    y eyes off of Thea long enough to look at him. ¡°Get a hold of yourself! You¡®re a Beta heir, for fucks sake.


    You can¡®t just attack her like that. You don¡®t have any evidence she¡®s maliciously involved yet and she


    could have vital information.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no, no, no,¡± I said, pushing him away. ¡°No, I¡®m going to kill her. Fuck you. Fuck her. I should have


    done this a long, long time ago.¡±


    I went to storm back over but he grabbed at my arm, pulling me towards him again. And he moved until h


    e was speaking directly into my ear in a low, quiet voice.


    ¡°If you can¡®t control yourself then I¡®ll have no choice but topletely remove you, Aria. You¡®ll be banned


    from seeing her again until after the investigation is finalised.¡±


    I stared up at him incredulously with wide eyes. ¡°You can¡®t do that. You can¡®t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I fucking can,¡± he growled back.


    It was a stare off as neither of us wanted to budge... but, finally, I exhaled in defeat, pulling my arm away


    from him aggressively.


    I knew that being able to talk to her was at least better than nothing, even if it pained me to hold back.


    ¡°Fuck! Fine, okay. Whatever. We¡®ll listen to what she has to say. But as soon as she starts lying, I¡®m


    killing her.¡± ...And so the interrogation began.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Chapter Fifty-Three Aleric didn¡¯t look reassured by the answer I¡¯d given but he let me go anyway, the


    two of us walking back over to where Thea wasughably pretending to act scared.


    I scoffed at her appearance, much to the curiosity of the warriors standing around.


    Aleric ignored me and walked up to her, crouching so they were eye level. And even though I felt the


    urge to murder Thea more than anything in that moment, I couldn¡®t help but feel a pang of distress echo


    inside me seeing the two of them so close together again. I knew it wasn¡¯t remotely the same as in the


    past and I shouldn¡¯t care anymore, but the reaction was involuntary. It was just more fuel for the pain I


    was nurturing inside. ¡°Your name is Thea, correct?¡± Aleric asked.


    She just nodded, her eyes wide with fear as she looked around at everyone surrounding her.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to locate you for almost a week now. Where have you been?¡±


    Her voice was exactly the same as how I remembered it. I couldn¡®t help but wonder just how good it


    would feel once I stopped her from being able to speak ever again. ¡°I was attacked. Me and another girl,¡±


    she started, sounding nervous. ¡°I think her name was Myra? She introduced herself at the shops and


    offered to show me around town. But that¡®s when we were attacked¡­ It was at a park down the street¡­


    a group of men came out of nowhere and¡­ and killed the girl in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Why did they spare you then?¡±


    Her eyes watered up as she began to cry. ¡°I don¡®t know... but they took me to a camp somewhere. A


    cave. Tied me up and beat me. But I didn¡®t want to die there in the dark. I waited until they went out for


    food and twisted my way out of the ropes by shifting. I¨CI think I¡®ve dislocated my ankle. It was so dark


    though... I didn¡®t know where I was¡­ I¡¯ve been walking aimlessly in the woods for days now, trying to


    find help.¡±


    I snorted. It was all so rehearsed, even the tears. As if the numerous patrols wouldn¡¯t have found her in


    that time she was allegedly alone in the woods. The entire pack was on high alert scouring the area for


    rogues and didn¡®t see her? And what was that about shifting? I swore Thea had only been a year older


    than me. Was she lying about that too?


    ¡°I was so scared,¡± she sobbed. ¡°I thought I was going to die. I was only meant to be here a few days and


    should have been home by now. Please... help me.¡± ¡°And where might ¡®home¡® be, Thea? Which pack?¡± I


    asked smugly, unphased by her charade unlike the others around me. This was the Thea I remembered;


    the maniptor. I could see how her words were making the warriors look mildly sympathetic to her


    situation. It was infuriating.


    But I knew she would have toe clean though. There were only two answers to my question; she was


    either a rogue or she would be caught in a lie when no pack would be able to verify her identity.


    ¡°I don¡®t belong to any pack...,¡± she said, turning her eyes to me. ¡°I was mistakenly adopted and raised by


    humans. I¡¯ve been trying to navigate how this all works and have only just stumbled into this world


    recently. I¡®m sorry, I still don¡®t really understand much. Did I do something wrong? Was I not meant to


    come here? I was only trying to find my birth family.¡±


    I clenched my jaw, livid at everything that sugary-sweet sounding voice was saying.


    ¡°Lies! Tell them the truth!¡± If that were true, then there was no way she could have avoided the private


    investigator for as long as she did.


    Thea¡¯s eyes widened more as she flinched away from me. ¡°I¨CI¡®m sorry?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m going to let you get away with killing Myra and waltz into this pack? I know what you are.


    You can¡¯t use those tricks on me.¡±


    The story she was suggesting wasn¡¯t necessarily an impossible urrence, but it was incredibly rare


    and almost unheard of. And she knew it. She purposely chose that background because it meant we


    wouldn¡¯t be able to verify withplete certainty who she was¡­ and it meant I couldn¡¯t pin her for being


    a rogue in the criminal sense.


    It was all so bullshit. It sounded more like the plot to one of Myra¡¯s old fantasy books than anything real.


    As if she were a poor, average girl who just woke up one day to discover she wasn¡¯t like all the other


    humans. Was this the same storyline she had fed Aleric in the previous timeline? Did he take pity on her


    initially? ¡°Aria!¡± Aleric yelled at me. ¡°Enough!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡®re taking her side?¡± Iughed, turning my glower to him. ¡°What a surprise there.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not taking anyone¡®s side! I¡®m just trying to do my job and understand what¡¯s happened. Something


    that you¡¯re making incredibly difficult to do!¡± He got up and the two of us stood in each other¡¯s faces once


    more, a furious silence between us creating tension.


    ¡°...Fuck you, Aleric,¡± I finally spat out slowly, ring up at him dead in the eye.


    But that was the final straw for him.


    ¡°Leave! Now!¡± he roared. ¡°You¡®re off this case. Go home and cool your head.¡± I wanted to dispute it, to


    scream back at him, but I could feel this wasn¡®t an ordinary demand. He¡®d actually had the audacity to


    Alpha order me away. I could feel the wave of authority wash over me as it tried tomand my


    movements. I didn¡®t try to fight it though... I knew well enough that I would need to obey or it would only


    cause pain until I conformed. ¡°Oh, and Aria?¡± he called just as I¡®d turned my back. I didn¡¯t turn around,


    choosing to remain still until he spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t think for a second I¡¯m letting you anywhere near her while


    you¡¯re like this. You¡¯re banned from seeing Thea until advised otherwise from upper ranks.¡±


    I didn¡¯t acknowledge his order and immediately walked off instead.


    ¡°Asshole,¡± I angrily whispered to myself as I left. ¡°Sympathising with the murderous bitch¡­ I guess some


    things haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    But with every step I took, the anxiety of leaving her behind started to make it harder to keep going; the


    prospect of her escaping once more terrifying me. I needed to find a way around the Alpha order to get


    my hands on her. There had to be a way.


    I didn¡¯t manage to make it to my car though before my father caught my attention. I was extremely


    relieved to see him. He was the only other person who could possibly understand how messed up this


    situation all was and I knew I could trust him.


    ¡°Father!¡± I yelled out, running to him.


    ¡°Aria?¡± he greeted, confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡®s happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Thea. They¡¯ve found her,¡± I said,


    grasping onto his arm desperately. ¡°But Aleric has banned me from seeing her. You can¡¯t let her get


    away. Please. Please¡­ She¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    His eyes regarded me warily as he was silent in thought. He knew who she was and I¡¯d briefly already


    exined to him in private my conclusion about her hand in Myra¡¯s death a day or so earlier. Surely, he


    would realise just how important this was? Not just for avenging Myra¡¯s death, but to possibly save me in


    the future too. Possibly to save countless others.


    ¡°Please!¡± I said louder when he still hadn¡®t replied.


    He clenched his jaw before finally giving me a small nod. ¡°I¡®ll do everything I can. Don¡¯t worry.


    I exhaled in relief. At least one person would help. I felt like I was going insane being the only person


    who understood just how dire our situation was. Especially if she was working with the rogues. Who


    knew what she was actually capable o


    I shakily nodded my head and let go of his arm reluctantly. ¡°You look tired, Aria. Go home and rest for a


    bit,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know what happens once I¡¯m done here.¡±


    ¡°Right. Yeah. Okay...,¡± I mumbled.


    There was nothing else I could do here and I was still under orders to return home. Maybe it would be


    okay to rest for just a little bit?


    But when I returned home, I found I was only more restless; unable to stay still as I waited for my father


    to inform me of what had happened. I paced by the stairs, looking out towards the front door constantly.


    It was almost as if by some miracle my stares would somehow speed up time until he¡¯de home. I felt


    I should be doing something. Anything. Not just standing around waiting. Not just standing around until


    Thea made her next move. Was it going to be the Aleric y next? Was this the part where she finally


    tries and wins him over to ultimately turn him against me?


    ¡­But would Aleric really do that again in this timeline? We¡®de so far that I¡®d thought things could be


    different this time. That we could be equals in our contribution to the pack, not enemies. He¡®d shown so


    much respect to me since I¡®d be Beta heir that I was now finding it difficult to believe he wouldn¡®t


    trust me when I said Thea was dangerous.


    However, if the worst -case scenario came to fruition, I knew that if he tried to revert back to the Aleric of


    the past, I wouldn¡®t stand by and ept it this time. All the training, all the hard work, it hadn¡¯t been for


    nothing. I wasn¡¯t afraid of standing up to him anymore. I wasn¡¯t afraid to fight back


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Aria,¡± a voice suddenly came from the door.


    I¡¯d somehow been concentrating so hard that I hadn¡¯t heard the front door open. My father stood there, a


    serious expression on his face that I couldn¡®t decipher.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± I asked without even a greeting. I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest over


    whatever it was he had to say.


    ¡°Ah¡­,¡± he started, clearing his throat. ¡°Well, she is being taken to the hospital for her injuries to be


    looked over.¡± Iughed. ¡°Why would a prisoner be allowed ess to the pack hospital? Couldn¡®t they


    just treat her sore foot from inside her cell?¡±


    But he didn¡¯t reciprocate my humour, averting his eyes.


    ¡°Father?¡± I pressed. I could feel something was wrong here. ¡°It¡®s just until they take her to the cells, right?


    For further interrogation?¡± He sighed. ¡°Aria... ¡ª.¡±


    I recognised that tone. It was the tone he used when he was about to say something difficult. ¡°No,¡± I cut


    him off, almost in disbelief. I took a step away from him. ¡°No, do not tell me they¡¯re treating her as a


    victim of the rogues.¡± ¡°Aria, there was no evide¡ª.¡± ¡°No!¡± I yelled. ¡°No, she killed Myra. Hell, she killed


    me, and you couldn¡®t even get her in handcuffs? Do you really not give a shit?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± he snapped at my attitude. ¡°There is no evidence she¡®s involved, Aria, and you know it! Unless


    you want toe forward and tell the entire council your past, then we¡®ll need to figure something else


    out.¡± ¡°You know I can¡®t do that! They¡¯ll think I¡®m insane and lock me up!¡± ¡°Then this is the best you¡®re


    going to get!¡± he concluded, rubbing his face out of frustration. ¡°So, that¡®s it? We¡®re just going to let her


    wander into the pack and do what she wants?¡± ¡°No, no, of course not,¡± he said, his voice almost scolding


    me. ¡°Don¡®t be stupid. She¡®ll be under the watch of a warrior whilst she undergoes treatment.¡± ¡°Stupid?


    You¡®re calling *me* stupid?¡± I scoffed. ¡°I¡®m not the one who let a murderer get first ss medical


    treatment in our own pack. At least take some ownership that you messed up


    here!¡±


    ¡°What did you want me to do, Aria?¡± he snapped back, taking several steps towards me. ¡°Huh? If you


    think they¡®ll lock you up for saying you were brought back to life, what do you think they¡¯ll do to me when


    I start going against the logical line of thinking here? What do you think they¡¯ll do to me when I imprison


    the girl whose public image is currently that of a victim? And not just to me, but to your mother?¡±


    ¡°What¡­


    ¡±


    ¡°From what I can tell, you¡®re not in any immediate danger so long as she is under watch. But w e, your


    family, do not have that luxury if I act out, Aria.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually think I¡®m not in danger so long as she draws breath, regardless of wherever


    she is. It¡¯s like you didn¡¯t even listen when I told you what happened in the past. She¡¯s a goddamn


    murderer. Her influence stretches further than doing the deed herself. She didn¡¯t need the sword in her


    handst time to kill me with her words.¡±


    ¡°Did you even hear what I just said? My behaviour and actions affect more than just you, Aria. Do you


    not care what happens to your mother and I? We can figure this out but you need to cool down first. Stop


    thinking about yourself and look at this problem constructively.¡± ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re calling me selfish?¡± I


    summed up slowly, a sarcastic tone to my voice. ¡°Fine. Sure. *I¡¯m* being selfish. I¡®m *so* sorry. I¡®m sorry


    for acting out passionately¡­ so the rest of u s don¡¯t die!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this now,¡± he finally said, defeated. ¡°You¡®ve had a traumatic day and had to bury someone


    you loved; something I really am sorry you had to experience. I¡¯m going to ignore all the hurtful things


    you¡®ve said to me and pass off your irrational behaviour right now as dealing with your grief.¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak but he held his hand up to stop me.


    ¡°I have to go meet with Tytus now. He¡®s expecting me and I¡®m alreadyte. Just... pull yourself together,


    Aria. You¡¯re smarter than this.¡±


    He left me angrily ring at the closed door where he had just stood, staring daggers at it as if my father


    could somehow feel it on the other side.


    Ipletely understood how sometimes I¡®d done things in my own best interest. I could even understand


    how those wrong decisions had led to fatal mistakes; like in Myra¡®s case. But pushing for Thea¡®s death


    wasn¡®t one of the things I¡¯d consider myself selfish for. I was doing i t not only for me, but for all of us. I


    didn¡®t know for sure what would cause theplete annihtion of our kind, but I knew that if it urs


    only once I die, then it¡®s logical to believe that stopping Thea is imperative to that n. And I knew that if


    I was being truly selfish, I wouldn¡®t have stayed with Aleric for as long as I did in the past, just to help the


    pack. 1


    I knew that if I was being truly selfish, I wouldn¡®t have chosen toe back to life, putting myself at risk


    of reliving that nightmare, just to save everyone.


    I knew that if I was being truly selfish, I wouldn¡®t have worked tirelessly every day since being brought


    back, changing the people around me and their old traditions wherever possible, just to prevent the


    future.


    I knew that if I was being truly selfish, I wouldn¡¯t have¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have¡­


    And then a thought came to me. If I was going to bebelled as selfish anyway, then why did it really


    matter? And I walked out the door, knowing exactly what I wanted to do.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    Chapter Fifty¨CFour


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± I said.


    ¡°...What...?¡±


    After leaving home, I¡®d headed straight to where I knew they would be. Somewhere I knew that I


    definitely shouldn¡®t be.


    But there was no hesitation as I¡®d confidently walked up and knocked on their door. And when Cai had


    answered, I¡®d ignored his confusion and demanded the one thing I knew could make me feel better.


    Because if it felt anywhere near as good as the first time, then maybe it would be enough to make me


    forget for a moment that everything was falling to pieces around me.


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± I repeated.


    His eyes were wide, stunned at my request, but he wasn¡®t moving. I could see he was still in the same


    attire he¡®d been in earlier; the formal clothes making his body somehow look even more fitted.


    I quietly sighed impatiently whilst his head tried toprehend exactly what was happening.


    ¡°Aria¨C.¡±


    However, I didn¡®t wait for him to finish his sentence. It wasn¡®t words I wanted right now... it was him.


    I walked up and pulled on the cor of his shirt until his face was within reach of my own.


    ¡°Please, Cai...,¡± I whispered, as I looked up slowly from his lips to his eyes.


    He was so close now that it caused a shiver of anticipation to run through my body. I needed this, I


    needed him, and I could see in his eyes that he wanted me too. The tension between us was bing


    so intense that it felt tangible. 1


    The cold night breeze swept around us and it only made the warmthing from him even more inviting.


    I loosened the hand I had hooked onto his shirt and ran it all the way along his chest, feeling him under


    m y touch, until it rested on his broad shoulder. I wanted him closer, his body still feeling too far away.


    My heart jumped a little when I saw him finally lean in closer and ce his hand on the side of my head,


    his thumb resting against my cheek tenderly. And instinctively, I closed my eyes as I moved towards him,


    preparing myself for what would happen next.


    But instead of feeling him against my lips, I felt him shift away... and kiss my cheek instead.


    ¡°No,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Not like this.¡±


    I snapped my eyes open to look at him.


    ¡°No¡­ no, please, I need this,¡± I said and grabbed onto him tighter. ¡°Please, Cai... I want you.¡±


    He closed his eyes and looked pained, almost as if he was internally having a battle within himself.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Aria¨C¡±


    ¡°No, you said you wanted me,¡± I said, my voice bing more frantic. ¡°Why are you doing this now?¡±


    ¡°Because I honestly don¡®t know if it¡®s me you want right now, or if it¡®s just you finding an outlet for your


    grief.¡±


    I could feel as my cheeks began to burn in humiliation, my eyes tearing up, and instantly I dropped my


    side as if he¡®d just stung me. His words left me embarrassed and hurt over his rejection, and... angry.


    Angry that everyone was choosing to disappoint me today of all days.


    Chaptei Hity Out


    ¡°Don¡®t give me that crap... I¡®m sick of hearing people saying that to me today. I¡®m fine! This isn¡®t about


    §®§å§ä§Ñ.¡±


    ¡®Aria,¡± he said sternly. ¡°You couldn¡®t even stand to look at me today and yet somehow you¡®re now on my


    doorstep begging for me. Excuse me if I¡®m a little sceptical of the sincerity here.¡±


    ¡°Why do you even care? This is what you wanted, right? You just wanted to sleep with me?¡± I argued.¡±


    Well, here I am, Cai!¡±


    I tried to grab at his hands but he took a step away, creating a small distance between us. I couldn¡®t help


    but flinch at his movement to get away from me.


    ¡°I said I wanted you, Aria. You as a whole. Not... whoever the hell this is right now. And I honestly think


    that maybe, deep down, you do actually want me too... but the way you¡®re acting right now just tells me


    that you¡®re in too much pain to think clearly.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°There¡®s nothing wrong with me...,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°The fact you can¡®t even see it is part of the issue here.¡±


    He sighed, calming himself down.


    ¡°Look,¡± he said. ¡°I promise I¡®ll be there for you, even if that¡¯s just as a friend. But I have more self¨Crespect


    than to sit back and let you use me because of the feelings I have for you. Because I do want you... and I


    honestly want nothing more than for you to tell me right now that I¡®m wrong about all of this. But from


    what I can see, you need help, Aria, and I¡®m happy to oblige... but not like that. Not if it¡®s just temporary


    to help you deal with what¡®s happened.¡±


    I was silent. I wanted to speak, to tell him he was wrong, but I couldn¡®t find the words.


    ¡°Aria?¡± he pressed. ¡°Tell me that I¡®m wrong and it¡®s me you actually want. Or tell me that you want my


    help, and I¡®ll help you.¡±


    I could feel my heart racing as I tried to think... but ultimately shook my head. This wasn¡®t the sort of on


    the spot decision I had expected to deal with whening here. I wasn¡®t ready for that sort of pressure


    right now.


    ¡°...I thought so,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°I can¡®t deal with this right now. I¡­ I need to go.¡±


    I took several steps away but Cai called out to me. His expression changed to one of worry and I could


    feel he was about to chase after me, but I held up a hand to warn him to stay away.


    ¡°Aria, wait, where are you going?¡±


    I didn¡®t reply and instead spun around, walking off into the night away from him. There was no point in


    staying any longer. I was already at the point of feeling humiliated and confused enough.


    ¡°Aria, promise me you¡®re going home?¡±


    But I didn¡®t stop. I kept walking. I kept walking not really knowing where I was going but I knew I needed


    to keep moving.


    However, after several minutes, I couldn¡®t help it anymore, unable to hold it in. I screamed out into the


    sky; my frustration finally getting the better of me.


    Aleric, my father, Cai... everyone that I had hoped would act one way, had ended up doing the opposite


    when I¡®d needed them most. I had needed Aleric to believe me, to take my side. I¡®d needed my father to


    push for Thea¡®s arrest, or at least confinement until it was safe to find more evidence. And I¡®d needed


    Cai... I¡®d needed... 1


    I shook the thoughts out of my head.


    No, this was all Thea¡®s fault. Everything had been fine before she¡®d shown up. Myra would still be alive


    and I wouldn¡®t be fighting with Aleric and my father. I wouldn¡®t have to feel so messed up inside.


    Everything was beginning to crumble around me, signs of the past starting to repeat.


    And I realised then that if Aleric and my father weren¡®t willing to do what needed to be done, then maybe


    would just do it myself. 1


    Fuck it.


    I started moving again, walking with purpose towards the one ce I could get my hands on somethingt


    o inflict as much pain to someone as I was currently in.


    Because I was going to make Thea pay... and I would do it slowly, piece by piece, with the silver de


    she used to kill Myra. I would make it agonising for her and ensure that she¡®d suffer an even worse death


    poor Myra.


    But I felt it the very second I thought of my n to go see Thea; the Alphamand Aleric had ced


    on me. It wasn¡®t happy with my intention to defy the order given to me. I winced, crying out in pain as it


    constricted itself around me, forcing my movements to stop.1


    The ground then suddenly came rushing towards me as I fell, and I began to crawl even as the pain got


    worse; I was determined to keep going no matter the cost. It was as if a car was thrown on top of my


    body, crushing me slowly the more I fought against it


    But it was toote to stop me.


    In my head, I repeated the words I needed to tell myself; that I was marked by the Goddess, chosen, a


    Saintess, and no order should be able to contain me. If I wanted to go kill Thea, then goddammit, I would


    go kill her.


    And so, I violently shoved at the restraints in my head, screaming against the unbearable pain it caused,


    until they finally broke off me like chains... and, instantly, I gasped with relief when the weight was lifted.


    It was as if an immediate sense of liberation filled me and I felt like I could suddenly do anything.


    ...I was free.


    Without wasting any time, I picked myself back up and continued on my journey, my new freedom only


    coercing me onwards faster. I kept going until, finally, I came to the building where the evidence was kept


    locked up. The silver knife would be in there I knew, guarded by at least one warrior, but I wasn¡®t


    concerned. Given how little time had passed since Aleric¡®s decision, I was fairly sure that, as far they


    probably knew, I was still a part of the ongoing investigation.


    Upon entering the building, I looked around. I¡®d been here many times before during my Beta heir rounds


    but it felt like I was seeing it in apletely new light given how dark it already was outside. The entire


    ce felt too empty and quiet but I knew there would be someone around.


    I weaved through the hallways, remembering the way easily until I saw the room up ahead. A room


    guarded by only one warrior named Ray. Unfortunately, I didn¡®t know him that well.


    ¡°Evening, Ray.¡± I greeted cautiously in a t voice, approaching him slowly to gauge his response.


    He looked confused as he saw me enter. ¡°Beta heir? Why are you here sote?¡±


    ¡°Aleric asked me to pick something up. It¡®s for the ongoing investigation.¡±


    This wasn¡®t necessarily a lie. It was definitely going to help with solving the issue of Myra¡®s murderer on


    the loose.


    Chesterbrity Fou!


    He hesitated, looking ufortable, and probably realised that something wasn¡®t right here.


    ¡°He most likely meant in the morning, Ma¡®am. The evidence locker is kept shut until daylight hours. The


    warriors are Alpha ordered to stand guard for the duration of the night duty so I can¡®t bypass that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I understand, but this orderes from Aleric himself. I need to get in at his request, you see...


    which would be considered the same level of authority as your orders. It really is important, so if I can


    just


    I tried to sidestep him to get closer to the door but he took a step in front of me, blocking my path.


    ¡°You should know as well as I do that I can¡®t just let you in, Ma¡®am. You¡®ll need to leave ande back


    with the Alpha heir if the matter can¡®t wait until the morning.¡±


    ¡°Ray,¡± I said, gritting my teeth. ¡°I need to get in there. Just... move aside, please. Don¡®t make me hurt


    you.¡±


    His eyes narrowed. ¡°Is that a threat?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡®t need to be.¡±


    The words escaped my lips quickly before I could stop them and I knew right away it was a mistake. He


    could act out in defence is verbally threatened and a physical altercation with him would only make the


    situation worse. But the anger of being stopped for something so ridiculous was only fuelling my


    frustration more. Frustration caused by everything that had happened recently.


    I needed to act quick before he could do anything and so I lunged towards the keys on his waist. He was


    faster than I expected though as his hand shot out, quickly encircling my wrist to stop me.


    ¡°Ray! Let go of me! Now!¡± I demanded, trying to pull my hand out of his grasp.


    ¡°I¡®m keeping you detained here until I can call for assistance or get ahold of the Alpha heir himself.


    Threatening a member of the pack without just cause is punishable.¡±


    I tried to pull my wrist away again but he held on tighter, his body now shuffling topensate for the


    increasingly more aggressive attempts I was trying to do in order to escape.


    But no, I wouldn¡®t be taken down like this.


    I hadn¡®t just broken out of excruciating Alpha orders to be stopped like this. I¡®de too far already to


    back out now.


    ...And then it was like something overcame me.


    My whole body went still andpletely silent; an energy bursting itself inside me as if the pressure had


    finally snapped. It was like nothing I¡®d ever experienced before as my body moved on its own.


    I quickly wrenched back the arm he was holding with enough strength that his face was suddenly right in


    front of my own... and I spoke...


    ...However, the voice didn¡®t feel like mine.


    ¡°I said¡­ Let me go. NOW.¡°.


    Instantly, his hand ckened and I watched as his eyes zed over. The authority level in themand


    I¡®d just thrown at him had hit him hard. Harder than anything I thought was physically possible.


    ...And yet it hade from me.


    I stood frozen for a few seconds until the shock of what I¡®d just done finally hit me and was enough for


    reality to kick in. But it wasn¡®t without consequence. With it came intense vertigo; one that required me to


    brace myself against the wall stop myself from falling. The whole room spun as I tried to gain control, my


    heart racing quickly.


    Chapier Filly¨CFour


    Was this the ¡®ultimate authority¡® I¡®d read about when someone marked by the Goddess had higher power


    than an Alpha? This entire time I¡®d thought it was a ranked title honoured out of respect for a deity, not


    something actually enforceable with real ability. But then why did it make me feel so sick? Was it


    because I wasn¡®t shifted yet? Perhaps my younger body couldn¡®tpensate for the level of power


    required to control it.


    Ray was naturally bewildered by mymand that prevented him from doing his duty. He started to take


    several shaky steps backwards away from me... but I realised toote to help him when his foot suddenly


    caught under him. With a sickening thud on impact, I watched in mute horror as his body fell backwards


    against the door behind him... and stop moving.


    My head had luckily cleared enough to be able to run and check on him. He was alive, thankfully, but


    he¡®d taken a pretty bad hit to the head.


    Being as strong as he was, I knew he would be okay in a few hours after healing and so I proceeded to


    drag him out of the way to gain ess to the door.


    After acquiring the keys from his waist, I quickly ran into the evidence room, not wanting to waste any


    more time. I searched everywhere until, finally, I found my old silver dagger ring at me from a shelving


    unit to the left.


    Seeing it again made me feel queasy, but I¡®d already made up my mind to kill Thea with it. When the light


    was about to fade from her eyes, I¡®d make sure it thest thing she¡®d see. Right next to me, smiling down


    a ther. It¡®d be poetic in a way.


    I stomached any remaining uneasiness I had as I quickly grabbed the dagger, leaving before anyone


    else showed up to check on the evidence lock¨Cup or find Ray.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Chapter Fifty¨CFive


    On my way to the hospital, I had time to process some of what had just happened.


    I could still feel it; that hum of energy deep inside me I¡®d never known was there. It was as if it was


    suddenly awakened, brought forward by my desperation and pain. This was true authority, I knew.


    Something I¡®d never realised existed, nor did I think anyone else had either. If they¡®d known I had this


    control, I was sure they would have tried to lock me up sooner. There was a huge difference between


    following me by choice due to being chosen by the Goddess, and me being someone with an ultimate


    authority to control others by force. I was now an evenrger threat to the traditional hierarchy.


    Upon arriving, I could see the hospital was quiet. There would only be skeleton staff around at this time


    of night so it wouldn¡®t be hard to navigate my way without being seen. This was particrly important


    since I didn¡®t need further cause to jeopardise my current position.


    It only took a couple of close calls of nearly being spotted, and going down one or two wrong wings,


    before I finally found the door Thea must have been behind.


    I knew because it was guarded by a warrior.


    I¡®d forgotten that my father had mentioned her being put under watch. And to make matters worse, I


    recognised his face as being one of the few that had been present when Thea was found. It was unlikely


    h e would allow me to see her knowing that I was taken off the case and expressly asked not to see her.


    This left me with only one option... I¡®d need to order him to stand down.


    But I wasn¡®t sure I could pull it off again. The first time had been a fluke and I still wasn¡®t sure how


    dangerous it was for me to invoke that ability given my body¡®s reaction the first time.


    I nervously gulped, closing my eyes to try and calm myself.


    I needed to do this. Once I was inside those doors, I would have ess to Thea. I could end this once


    and for all and hopefully get the answers I needed in the process.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± I whispered to myself.


    And with that, I strode down the hallway towards the warrior.


    They saw me immediately and looked just as confused as Ray had been at the evidence locker.


    But I didn¡®t stop for chit¨Cchat this time. I kept walking directly at him, trying to pull at that energy deep


    inside and bring it forward once more.


    ¡°Beta heir?¡± he asked confused. ¡°I thought you weren¡®t a part of this case anymore. Wait... didn¡®t Aleric


    Alpha order¨C¡±


    I grabbed at his shirt so he was forced to stare directly at me.


    ¡°You¡®re going to leave. Now,¡± Imanded in that same voice that didn¡®t feel like my own. ¡°Go to the


    bathroom. Stay there for thirty minutes. Do not talk to anyone. Do not be seen by anyone. After thirty


    minutes, you may resume your post but you will not remember I was ever here.¡±


    Just like before, I watched as his eyes zed over from the order, but this time the side effects hit me a


    lot quicker.


    As he walked off to carry out mymand, I felt the vertigo once more, my legs giving out from under m


    e. It was so much worse thanst time and I wondered if it was increasingly taxing my body given


    everything I¡®d already aplished; first breaking Aleric¡®s orders, thenmanding Ray, and now the


    one guarding Thea too. There had barely been any breaks in between for me to recover.


    Thad to give myself a moment to rest but, the second my head cleared enough, I didn¡®t waste any more


    time.


    This was it.


    I threw open the door and strode quickly towards her bed.


    Somehow I managed to move faster than I thought I¡®d be able to. So fast that she hadn¡®t even opened


    her eyes yet.


    Or, at least, I¡®d thought that was the case.


    I jumped onto the bed, straddling her under me, and immediately drew the dagger to her throat.


    ¡°Any willing confessions before I begin?¡± I asked calmly in a low voice.


    I¡®d expected her to be scared by the sudden pinch of the knife against her, but instead, she only slowly


    opened her eyes to meet mine, not an ounce of fear in them. Her sheerck of any self-preservation was


    enough to make me flinch. Didn¡®t she realise I was about to kill her?


    She remained silent as she stared at me coldly, almost seeming unimpressed.


    I shook it off though. If she wasn¡®t afraid to die then at least she wouldn¡®t fight back.


    ¡°Fine then. This is how the next few minutes are going to go,¡± I said slowly. ¡°You¡®re going to tell me what I


    want to know and, in doing so, maybe I¡®ll let you die with all your appendages still attached. But, if you


    want to make things more difficult... ¨C.¡±


    I swiftly shifted my dagger down to her hand where her fingers were, nicking the skin at a joint so it bled.


    Her eyes narrowed slightly but she weirdly didn¡®t even wince, something that only made me more


    unnerved.


    She must have caught my slight hesitation at her reaction though as her lips tilted into a small smirk.


    That same look on her face that made me want to punch her. How the hell could she be smiling in a


    situation like this?


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± I asked, my anger starting to seep into my words. ¡°Are you actually


    this much of a goddamn psycho?¡±


    At least she wasn¡®t bothering to put on her sad victim facade this time. But even though I could feel she


    was showing me her true colours, all of it still felt wrong. Even her voice didn¡®t sound as sugary as


    normal.


    ¡°Bit riching from the girl who paid someone to stalk me for two years. Not to mention attempting to


    attack me in front of your future Alpha.¡±


    ¡°At least I¡®m not a murderous piece of shit like you,¡± I spat back.


    She simply raised an eyebrow at me and looked down towards where my dagger was hovering over her


    hand, ready to cut her at any second.


    ¡°Don¡®t start that crap,¡± I hissed, quickly moving the knife back to her throat; my patience beginning to


    dwindle. ¡°We both know what you did to Myra. Admit it. Admit that you killed her and had some plot to


    overthrow the pack. Admit that you¡®re a filthy rogue.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ...But instead of answering, she just startedughing at me instead. Loudly.


    It was so sudden that it made me jump a little too aggressively. Her reaction felt as though she was


    mocking me.


    ¡°Stop it! What the hell is so funny?!¡±


    She tried to quieten herself down but I could see her eyes had watered with tears from the sheer


    amount


    Chapter Fifty Five


    ofughing


    ¡°You don¡®t actually know anything, do you?¡± she said, still giggling. ¡°Here I had been worried that you¡®d


    somehow figured it all out two years ago, but in reality, you just think I¡®m a rogue.¡±


    She startedughing again, even harder this time, and I swore I could see red with how angry I was


    getting.


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    I pressed the dagger to her throat slightly deeper but it did little to deter Thea from her moment of


    humour.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± she said, trying to stifle herughter. ¡°I¡®m just¡­ you were meant to be the smart one. I


    can¡®t believe I was worried about nothing.¡±


    I frowned, confused over what she¡®d said. ¡®Smart one¡®? That implied that there were more people


    involved than just me. Who else was she referring to? Was she talking about Aleric?


    I needed answers. Genuine ones. Not this crappy beating around the bush while she looked down at me.


    I was the one holding the knife and yet I didn¡¯t feel like I had any of the control in this situation. She¡®d


    completely shaken my confidence in everything I was doing.


    ¡°Who else do you mean? Are you talking about your ns to seduce Aleric for the Luna position?¡±


    Genuine confusion crossed her face a split second, as if she was trying to gauge if I was actually being


    serious, but it didn¡®tst long as she erupted intoughter again.


    ¡°Where the hell do youe up with this stuff? I swear I haven¡®tughed this much in years. Why would


    I waste my time seducing your shitty Alpha heir?¡±


    I froze. How could that be possible? Was this just a mind game so I¡®d let my guard down? That had been


    her whole scheme in my past life, her whole reason for killing me. If her goal wasn¡®t bing Luna or


    taking Aleric for herself, then what was she really after?


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± I finally yelled with my marked authority, my patience nowpletely gone. ¡°Tell me the


    truth. Now. Tell me what you¡®re actually nning!¡±


    The order effects hit me like a tonne of bricks as I held onto the bed rail to stop myself from falling on top


    of her. This time a coughing fit overcame me too, feeling as though pins of pain stabbed into my brain. If I


    didn¡®t know better, it honestly felt as if I was dying. Had I even managed to use enough energy to pull off


    themand correctly? It hadn¡®t felt right.


    Thea¡®s eyes zed for a split second... but it wasn¡®t like the other times. She snapped out of it instantly.


    almost as if it had done nothing at all. My order hadn¡®t been strong enough to force her toply.


    ¡°What was that?¡± she asked. ¡°Did you just try to Alpha order me?¡±


    ¡°... Tell me,¡± I said weakly, my vision bing blurred.


    Even with the intense pain, I could still see the smirk on Thea¡®s face as she looked back at me.


    ¡°Oh¡­ sweetie, no,¡± she said condescendingly. ¡°Oh, and you¡®ve also, uhh... you¡®ve got a little


    something... ¨C


    She pulled her arm out from under me easily and tapped her nose to indicate something was on my face


    there.


    I frowned, but gently touched with a finger to the ce she¡®d shown me. Sure enough, my nose was


    bleeding as I pulled my hand away to inspect it.


    ¡°Seems as though you¡®re just a puppy wiih a bark too big for your paws,¡± she said, still mocking me.


    ¡°You


    know, I was nning to keep you alive for a little longer, but maybe if I just killed you now it would save


    m e some time.¡±


    And with that, the heel of her palm suddenly shot out directly into my chest, throwing me across the room


    and sliding along the floor.


    I could feel where she had hit me and it was a lot stronger than I¡®d expected. It probably didn¡®t help that I


    was feeling so incredibly weak still at that moment either. In my current condition, I knew there was a


    good chance she¡®d actually be able to kill me here.


    gripped the dagger tighter in my hands and watched her get out of the bed. To my surprise though, she


    winced slightly when she started walking towards me. Was her injury actually legitimate? I couldn¡®t


    believe she¡®d really gone the extra mile to dislocate her own ankle for the sake of infiltrating the pack.


    I needed to think and focus though if I had any hope of escaping. Because that¡®s what this was really


    coming down to now. Even with her foot injury, I knew I wasn¡®t a match for Thea in my current state


    anymore; especially if she could just shift and rip my throat out as her wolf,


    ¡°It¡®s been fun, Aria,¡± she said casually.


    She reached down to grab me but I somehow managed to dodge her hand at thest second, skewing m


    y body around her. I knew too well that this would be one of my only openings and quickly grabbed onto


    her leg, impaling my dagger through her already injured ankle.


    Thea screamed out in pain, something I was beginning to wonder if she was even physically capable of


    doing, and I retracted the knife back out immediately. With any luck, hopefully the injury would make her


    bleed out.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± she hissed as she tried to reach for me again.


    I didn¡®t allow her a chance to get a hold of me though as I quickly brought my leg up and kicked at her


    with as much force as I could muster.


    Without a wolf and already weak, my attack certainly didn¡®t throw her across the room as hers had me,


    but it did do enough. She fell backwards hitting the floor, her injury preventing her from keeping bnce


    o n her feet.


    This was the best opportunity I was going to get, I knew. I picked myself up and left the room as fast as!


    she was going to try and chase me but stopped as she saw me leave through the doorway, having


    thought better of it.


    aw


    I could only assume this meant she had the patience to wait before carrying out my death. Her pause


    told me that, whatever she was nning, it had to be something not worth chasing me through the


    hospital for. Even her attack on me had felt half¨Chearted, as if she was morezily ying with me than


    actually trying to kill me.


    I wasn¡®t sure if that made me feel better or worse.


    The whole ordeal made me realise just how unprepared I¡®d been going in though. I¡®d thought I knew at


    least some of what Thea was nning, having lived through it already once. But from what she¡®d told


    me, had I been wrong? What else could there possibly be that I didn¡®t know about? Herughter from


    over assumptions were evidence enough that there had to be some big secret I waspletely unaware


    of. Something that may or may not have to do with the rogues. Because even though she¡¯dughed at


    the usation, she hadn¡®t actually denied her affiliation with them. I


    And Aleric... was she lying about that? I couldn¡®t imagine a future where she wasn¡®t trying to constantly


    steal him from me. Even in this life, where I¡®d made choices purposely to avoid that future again, I was


    pretty sure nothing I¡®d done could have dramatically changed Thea¡®s ns that much. If anything, I¡®d


    made it even easier for her to take him this time.


    Chapier Filty¨CFive


    All of this was way too confusing.


    Confusing enough that, without realising, I¡®d walked into the forest and wound up somewhere I hadn¡®t


    intended to go. I knew I hadn¡®t been looking where I was going when I¡®d run into the night, but surely


    should have realised the direction I was going well enough to avoid this ce.


    ...So why had Ie here?


    | stared at the mossy stone circle before me, at the hill... and at the stump.


    The stump that my head hadid upon during the moment of my death; my blood having once seeped


    into the soil around it. Because, to my utter horror, somehow... I¡®d arrived at the trial grounds.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Chapter Fifty¨CSix


    I walked up and approached the stump slowly, unsure if I even wanted to proceed.


    Just being here made me feel sick. Ever sinceing back, I¡¯d always purposely avoided this ce,


    knowing it would dredge up memories that already haunted me more than enough.


    And that¡®s exactly what was happening.


    I could see shes of it all happening before me again as if it were real. An alternate reality where I was


    convicted of a wrongful death.


    I saw the faces of the pack members as they stared at me with such malice, parting the crowd to let me


    walk up. I saw the Elders sitting in the chairs assembled in a semicircle¡­ and, of course, Aleric and


    Thea. Thea who was seated in the Luna¡®s seat.


    In a daze, I continued to walk forwards, therge oak stump beckoning me on like an old friend. Hadi


    be delirious? When was thest time I had even slept? Thebination with my weakened state


    probably wasn¡®t doing me any favours as it all felt so real.


    But nevertheless, I kept walking forwards until I stood before that stump and, immediately, I sank to my


    knees, just as I had in the past. The ground felt just as cold as I remembered and that same shiver went


    down my spine.


    This was it. This was the ce it had all ended. I could hear as the voices around me recited the words


    of the trial as if I were there once more. Usually, I did everything I could to block out the memories, to


    repress it, but this time I sat and listened quietly, letting it all y out just as it had.


    ¡®*¡°I think the evidence here has weighed in an obvious result. Do you have anything to say in your


    defence, Ariadne?¡°*¡® | heard Aleric¡®s voice ask.


    It was my line next. I still remembered the words perfectly.


    ¡®*¡± sincerely hope the Goddess smites you all for the murder of an innocent you are about to carry out,¡°+¡®


    || said quietly to the panel of ghosts trialling me. My voice only held sadness now, not the bitterness I¡®d


    felt when I¡®d first spoken these words. ¡®*¡°There is nothing I can do anymore to prove myself not guilty


    against the stacks of false evidence you have brought forward, but deep down... I hope you all suffer.


    When I am gone and you are alone, I hope I haunt you. I hope my face is what you see when you finally


    meet your demise. My only mistake was in loving someone.¡±*¡®


    It was strangely true that I hade back to haunt them, just not in the way they would expect. I


    suppose they should consider themselves lucky I didn¡®t make it my goal to kill them all as soon as I


    returned.


    A small smile tugged at my lips humourlessly over that thought as I gently reached out, cing a hand


    on top of the stump that had held myst moments. So much pain I¡®d felt at that time, so much betrayal


    and hurt¡­ so much emptiness.


    And I realised it was simr to how I felt now. It was as if I¡®d gone full circle having be someone I


    was finally proud of... only to revert back. I¡®d reverted back and be someone so much worse.


    But this didn¡®t need to be me. Whoever this was now.. it was dark. It was someone... unpredictable,


    scared, and seeing enemies in even those I cared about. So terrified of the past reurring that I¡®d


    pushed everyone away and tried to kill Thea myself.


    I was acting insane in my desperation to prevent the same future.


    In a weird way, Thea had been right. I was meant to be smarter than this, a logical thinker, and yet I¡®d


    done several stupid things tonight without a second thought. I¡®d always felt my strengths were aligned in


    my ability to think out a strategy but it was clear I was still weak when it came to my own emotions and


    other people.


    Sighing, I calmed myself in my mind, letting go of the things I¡®d been holding onto. This wasn¡®t the past


    anymore and I needed to focus on the future.


    ...Including learning to ept Myra was dead... and move past it.


    ¡®*¡°Therefore,¡°*¡®I heard Aleric¡®s voice once more, the trial having continued the duration I was in thought,


    ¡®*¡± with the power held within me, I, Aleric Dumont, Alpha of the Winter Mist Pack, sentence you, Ariadne


    Chrysalis, former Luna of the Winter Mist Pack, to death. Your sentence is to be carried out immediately.


    ¡°*


    I didn¡®t feel scared though. This trial wasn¡®t real and it didn¡®t need to hold power over me anymore.


    Instead, I turned around and rested my head on the stump as I stared up into the sky. It was a cathartic


    experience, one that left me feeling... peaceful.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I knew this darkness was something I¡®d need to be careful about from now on. It was clear just how


    quickly I could negatively impact everything around me and lose my ability to think logically.


    ...And it was clear just how quickly I could be dangerous. To both myself and others.


    At some point, I must have fallen asleep as Iid on the ground by the stump. Because the next thing!


    remembered was a voice calling out to me.


    ¡°Aria?¡±


    | stirred but didn¡®t wake up. I still felt so exhausted from the night before, my body feeling too heavy to


    move.


    ¡°Aria, are you okay?¡± they called again.


    I begrudgingly opened my groggy eyes finally and saw Cai standing near me.


    He sighed in relief when he saw I was okay.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how worried I¡®ve been?¡± he stressed. ¡°I went to your house a few hours after you


    left and the attendants told me you still hadn¡®t made it home yet. With how you were acting, I freaked out


    thinking the worst. I¡®ve been searching all night for you, tracking your scent, terrified something had


    happened to you.¡±


    I could see that behind me the sunrise was starting to dimly light the area around us. It lit up his features


    enough that I could see how angry he looked but I knew it was just out of fear for me. I couldn¡®t help but


    find my breath catching slightly at the sight of him though. The warm orange tones of the light made him


    look almost otherworldly.


    I smiled at him a little, something that only deepened his frown, but I couldn¡®t help it. His concern only


    heightened how I was feeling.


    I sat up and reached my hand out towards him silently, indicating for him toe closer and take it. He


    hesitated for a second, regarding me warily, before finally giving in.


    Immediately, I could feel how warm his hand felt in mine as I pulled him towards me, drawing him in until


    he was next to me on the ground.


    ¡°What the hell, Aria, you¡®re freezing,¡± he said and quickly wrapped me up in his arms, rubbing them


    downt o warm me up. ¡°Were you here all night?¡±


    I sighed contently and nestled my head into the crook of his neck sleepily, gently grabbing onto his


    shoulder. I could feel him begin to rx at my touch, just the same as how his presence made me feel


    calmer too.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered quietly.


    ¡°...Why?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulder slightly. ¡°I did some stupid shit and fell asleep here.¡±


    He pulled away slightly in surprise, trying to look down at me to see if I was being serious. A part of me


    whined inside as he moved away and I grabbed onto him a little tighter.


    ¡°Are you in danger? Do you need help?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head and smiled. ¡°I¡®m fine. Genuinely, this time. Believe it or not, my camping adventure was


    very therapeutic. Maybe it can be a new hobby. I¡®ve never really had one of those.¡±


    He looked at me incredulously as he gauged my seriousness and I could see how it might be hard for


    him to trust anything I was saying based on ourst conversation. But to my relief, he finally cracked, his


    lip twitching at the side into a small smile at my joke.


    ¡°I¡®ll have to give it a try sometime,¡± he said. ¡°Though, if I¡®m being honest, the trial grounds in my opinion


    would be like camping in a haunted house. Why would youe here of all ces?¡±


    A quiet half¨Cheartedugh escaped me and I reluctantly pulled away to rest my head back on the stump.


    The stars above were starting to fade as the sun rose higher and I gently entwined my fingers with his,


    hoping some of his strength would pass to me.


    ¡°Because I¡®m connected to this ce. A piece of me lives here, reliving the same memories. I guess you


    could say that I¡®m one of the ghosts haunting this ce,¡± I said softly, feeling too exhausted for more


    excuses. ¡°... This is where I died, Cai.¡±


    I didn¡®t turn to look at him but I felt him tense up, his fingers pressing harder against my own.


    It was time. Even if he thought I was insane, even if he never wanted to see me again, telling Cai was


    well overdue. If he knew then at least he could understand what was actually happening and what I was


    currently going through. Or maybe he¡®d just call me crazy and that would be that.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°I died here,¡± I repeated. ¡°Eight years from now I get wrongfully convicted of poisoning Aleric¡®s mistress


    and causing a miscarriage. The pack condemns me and in my final moments, I die here alone, scared


    and in pain¡­ and at the hands of my own mate.¡±


    ¡°Who...?¡±


    I knew what he was asking.


    I turned to look at him, meeting his gaze so he could feel how genuine I was being about this. But it


    wasn¡®t an unpleasant moment. It was the first time I¡®d been able to talk, or even think of the past, without


    immediately bawling my eyes out.


    Seems as thoughst night really had allowed me to make peace with it.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± I answered. ¡°Just as the Elders predicted.¡±


    I could see a sh of pain in his eyes momentarily at the confirmation of who my mate was and I quickly


    squeezed his hand in mine forfort. His reaction made it seem as though a part of him had still been


    hanging on to hope that maybe I was his. My heart ached for him.


    He cleared his throat, pausing before saying anything else. I knew how difficult this was to believe but I


    was relieved he was at least notpletely dismissing me yet.


    ¡°And the mistress...?¡± he finally asked.


    Chapter Fifty Sex


    ...Thea. The girl who killed Myra. The one they¡®re allowing to be treated as a patient in the hospital right


    now. She manipted those around me for years until it eventually ended in my death sentence.¡±


    He understandably looked incredibly confused as he frowned, trying toprehend exactly what I was


    telling him.


    ¡°Aleric... didn¡®t love me,¡± I finally exined after he hadn¡®t spoken for a while. ¡°The different person he


    was in the past is someone I hope you¡®ll never have to meet, or anyone else meet for that matter. I


    dedicated my life as a Luna to him, thinking that because he was my mate, that one day he would finally


    love me. Instead, he used and hurt me for years only for his pursuit of bing the country¡®s most


    powerful pack. Something that, once we had aplished that feat, I was discarded.¡±


    ¡°... That¡®s why you were so scared of him.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That day we bumped into Aleric after the Jade Moon attack was the first time I¡®d seen him


    since being executed. It had barely even been a week at that point since I¡®d been brought back.¡±


    There was a pause in conversation as I turned my eyes away. What was he thinking? He¡®d told me he


    would be there for me even as a friend and it was something I¡®d been willing to ept as a risk once


    opened my mouth. But even friendship was more than I had a right to ask for right now after pushing


    everyone away in my life.


    He tugged at my arm gently until I finally met his eyes, and slowly, I moved towards him as he pulled me


    closer.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he said and propped me into hisp facing him. ¡°You should have told me sooner, little


    wolf.


    Tears stung at my eyes over hearing him say that. He believed me. He actually believed what I was


    telling him. ¡°I know,¡± I whispered.


    There was another moment of silence, both of us having too much to say and not knowing where to start,


    before he finally spoke again.


    ¡°...Should I be worried you¡®re taking advantage of me?¡± he eventually said lightly. He leaned away and


    used his arms to support himself as he regarded me.


    I frowned, unsure what he meant, and worried whether he felt used by me keeping my secret for so


    long.


    ¡°I don¡®t...,¡± I started, tilting my head.


    ¡°Well, you¡®re¡­ what? Twenty¡­ six now?¡± he said, his lip curling in one corner as he failed to hide his


    smile. ¡°Aren¡®t I a bit young for you?¡±


    | stared at him inplete disbelief for a second before bursting out intoughter. Of all the things he


    could have been freaked out by, he was making jokes about my goddamn mental age.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡®re an immature pest, that¡®s for sure,¡± I said, stillughing. ¡°Especially when you talk down tom


    e. I conquered an entire country, was a renowned and feared strategist, and yet you kept petting my


    head like a damn ten year old.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re right,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°I really should respect my elders more, my mistake.¡±


    Igently hit his shoulder only causing him tough harder. His entire body was shaking under me as I sat


    against his legs and I could feel my body warming up even without his arms around me. 1


    When theughing had died a little he sat upright, his face suddenly inches from mine, and stared at me


    with all seriousness. ¡°I guess it would be really inappropriate if I wanted to kiss you then.¡±


    His eyes burned into me and I felt my cheeks redden. Everything around me felt unreal as my heart


    started pounding quickly in my chest.


    ¡°Would you still want to...? Even after everything I¡®ve told you...?¡± I whispered, unable to stop myself from


    staring at his lips. His face was so close I couldn¡®t help but feel a buzz of energy drawing me near.


    ¡°It¡®s fine,¡± he quietly replied as he leaned in. ¡°I¡®m not opposed to dating olderdies.¡±


    I couldn¡®t help butugh at his joke, breaking the trance as I looked away. ¡°I swear I¡®m going to actually


    hit you in a second for a real.¡± 1


    He wasn¡®t deterred though and quickly grabbed my chin to make me look back at him again. The sudden


    movement forced a small sharp breath to escape me out of surprise.


    ¡°Kinky,¡± he was all he whispered before finally bringing his lips to meet mine.


    Instantly, mes ignited inside me, overwhelming me to the point of stopping any other thoughts or


    laughing at hisst remark. It was stronger than any of the previous times, something that I couldn¡®t help


    but wonder whether it was because I¡®d finally opened myself up to him.


    I felt as though I would melt away at that very second if it weren¡®t for his strong grip on me still. With one


    hand on my waist, his other hand had weaved itself through my hair and was preventing me from even


    thinking of pushing away, not that I could have convinced myself in a thousand years to do so in that


    moment anyway.


    ¡°Cai,¡± I breathed against his lips as I pressed myself against him more, my hands already greedily


    grabbing at his body to feel him closer.


    His lips suddenly broke into a smile and he pulled awayughing lightly.


    ¡°I said a kiss, Aria,¡± he joked. ¡°You realise that we¡®re sitting two feet away from where people get


    executed, right?...Unless you¡®re into that sort of thing... little freak.¡±


    I sighed in mild annoyance, a small embarrassed smile spreading across my face, and felt my cheeks


    burn deeper. ¡°I¡®m already regretting everything and it¡®s only been five minutes.¡±


    He mustn¡®t have liked that answer as he grabbed at my thighs and dragged my body flush up against


    him, his lips suddenly right at my ear. My mind went nk and any grievances from me were quickly


    wiped away with just his touch.


    ¡°No, you¡®re not,¡± he quietly growled as he nipped softly at my sensitive skin there. A noise somewhere


    between a gasp and a sigh escaped me before I could stop it, instantly making me forget where we were


    again.


    I would have been happy to resume where we¡®d left off but he chuckled again and gently tapped my legs


    t o say we should get up.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, gently helping me back to my feet. ¡°This ce is fucking dismal and cold. I don¡®t


    wanna hang around here any longer.¡±


    I wasn¡®t even sure I was ready for walking yet after feeling like a melted puddle only a minute prior, but


    somehow I managed. He had a point though. I needed real rest and this ce really was horrible.


    After finding my bnce and retrieving my dagger, we started walking back in the direction of civilisation.


    Immediately, he grabbed my hand in his, something I couldn¡®t help but smile over. I wouldn¡®t tell him how


    happy it made me though; I had a feeling it would only go to his head right now.


    ¡°I obviously have a million questions,¡± he said as we walked. ¡°But there¡®s one that¡®s sort of burning in my


    mind more than the others right now.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That seems fair.¡±


    He stopped and turned to look at me, his expression bing serious.


    Chapter Fifty¨CSix


    ¡°Did we know each other in that previous life? Were we at least friends?¡±


    And all the blood that had been blushing my cheeks immediately drained from my face, feeling myself


    freeze. It was insane how quickly a moment of feeling on cloud nine could easily be dragged down,


    kicking and screaming, back to reality.


    Because I¡®d neglected to divulge one of the most crucial details of all. ... That i¡®d killed him.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    Chapter Fifty¨CSeven ¨C Pt# 1


    ¡®I killed you,¡® I whispered in my head. ¡®You did nothing wrong and I killed you.¡®


    ¡°Ahh...,¡± was the only sound that left me.


    I was fairly certain that telling him that information didn¡®t exactly scream that he could trust me; a vital


    part of any possible rtionship to start. Would it be wrong of me to keep it a secret? It seemed like such


    an unnecessary gamble to ruin something that didn¡®t need to be tarnished so quickly.


    ¡°...Aria?¡± he prompted.


    ¡°I¡®m trying to remember,¡± I lied.


    I could see it now... his eyes changing to be wary, unsure of who I was. His death was just the start


    o fa list of names whose lives I had ended up iming. Would he see me as a murderer?


    | swallowed back my hesitance and cleared my throat. If I was willing to finally put the past behind me


    then there was no reason to ruin my future because of it.


    ¡°No,¡± I eventually answered. ¡°I¡­ can¡®t recall ever having met you. I was never runningte in the library


    that day since there was no reason for me to be so distracted. And because I wasn¡®t runningte, I never


    identally collided with you in the hallway¡­ therefore we never met to my knowledge.¡± 1


    It wasn¡®t necessarily a lie. We technically had never met, it¡®s just that I¡®d managed to orchestrate his


    entire demise from thefort of my own home.


    ¡°Ah, I see...,¡± he said in thought before smiling. ¡°Man, your life really was tragic, aye?¡±


    Texhaled in relief disguised as augh. ¡°I¡®m sure your ego kept youpany adequately enough.¡±


    We continued to chat whilst we walked and I did my best to exin everything as best I could; though


    purposely remained vague in regards to any of my less pleasant actions or his death. I told him about my


    life from where it diverted; about the Goddess, Myra, my visions, and about Thea... or what I thought


    knew about Thea at least. 1


    ¡°It all weirdly exins a lot of the things that used to confuse me about you¡­,¡± he said as we walked


    across the threshold of where he was staying.


    Both of us had instinctively walked back to his ce without needing to confirm where we wanted to go. I


    certainly didn¡®t feel up to facing my parents right now.


    ¡°...And why you were ming yourself about Myra,¡± he continued, closing the door behind us.


    A pit of guilt churned in my stomach. ¡°I couldn¡®t save her the second time. I don¡®t know why I didn¡®t see it


    i na vision like before.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡®s not your fault,¡± he said as he stepped closer, ¡°You can¡®t me yourself for not knowing... and


    you especially can¡®t me yourself for some random power thing you¡®ve don¡®t have control over.¡±


    I sighed, closing my eyes a little in relier. It felt nice to hear those words from someone who knew the full


    picture. It made me feel like I wasn¡®t alone. Here was someone who wasn¡®t required by my birth to care


    for me, and they were telling me i wasn¡®t to me. And I loved my father, don¡®t get me wrong, but


    nothing he could¡®ve said would have made me feel quite the same since Cai had no real obligation to


    me.


    After a few moments passed though, I became painfully aware that both of us were standing silently at


    his door, neither of us moving.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I finally said, breaking the silence. ¡°I should probably get some sleep since it¡®s been a rough


    night. I sit okay if I crash on your couch¨C¨C,¡±


    I didn¡®t get to finish my request though because his lips were then suddenly on line, hungrily drinking me


    i


    ...And miraculously, I wasn¡®t so tired anymore.


    I instantly dropped the dagger from my hand, letting it fall to the ground with a clunk, and reached up to


    grab his shoulders, pulling him towards me


    A low growl in approval sounded from his throat that did all kinds of inexplicable things to my insides, and


    he quickly hoisted me up against the wall, my legs wrapping around his waist as if they¡®d always


    belonged there. His hands were gripped firmly around my thighs as he¡®d positioned himself perfectly


    between them and I could feel his desire as he pressed himself against me.


    ¡°Fuck, Aria,¡± he groaned as he kissed me along my neck. ¡°Do you have any idea how crazy you make


    me? How long I¡®ve wanted to do this?¡®


    Thad every mind to reply but honestly, at that point, I wanted nothing more than for him to just continue


    touching me everywhere, to continue making me feel more of him against me.


    The only reply I managed in the end was more of a whimpering of his narne as my back arched inwards


    to meet his body. Something that was met with only more kissing and a grunt of his own.


    I felt his hand travel under the hem of my dress and try to work its way up but my clothes were too tight


    around the chest area, restricting any more ess.


    ¡°Too many clothes,¡± he grumbled, feeling around my back until he touched the zipper.


    He didn¡®t pull it down though, his hand pausing for a moment as if in thought, and instead he threw me


    over his shoulder in a fireman¡®s carry, making it seem as though I weighed absolutely nothing


    Cai!¡± | Squealed in surprise, unable to stop my giggling. ¡°Put me down! I can walk!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied as he began walking towards what was probably the bedroom. ¡°You have a habit of


    storming away whenever I finally get to kiss you. This is just insurance.¡±


    I keptughing even though I did feel a little bad. But I couldn¡®t help it. Something about being carried like


    this was too exciting to mull in guilt.


    He kicked the door wider so we could enter and immediately he ced me down on the bed. Everything


    around me in the room smelt like him and it was intoxicating, only driving my want for him higher. A part


    o ¨ª me even wondered what it would be like once I was shifted and became open to senses far more


    sensitive. We weren¡®t destined mates, and I knew that there was nothing I could do about that, but even


    without a mate bond he always managed to have an effect on me.


    The best¨Ccase scenario with Cai would be to be chosen mates, something that wouldn¡®t give me


    the artificial yet intense feelings of a destined mate, but it would be nice nheless. If it was between


    purely a fake emotional attachment induced by the Goddess¡® choice, and someone who genuinely cared


    about me but wouldn¡®t give me destined mate sparks, I knew which I would choose.


    And then realised all this talk of mates was me getting a little ahead of myself. I hadn¡®t even spoken to


    Cal yet about us.. about how it would even be possible for us to be together long¨Cterm... and worse, I


    hadn¡®t even spoken to him about his questionable exclusivity.


    But there wasn¡®t enough time to go into all of that yet.. for now, I would be happy with just one answer.


    Cai was on me, continuing to kiss me as his hand already started to unzip the back of my dress. His


    touch was a fire that made me want to forget all my worries, but I managed to clear my head enough to


    speak.


    ¡°Cai,¡± I whispered.


    I cursed internally at myself though when i realised that it didn¡®t even sound remotely like I was trying to


    get him to stop what he was doing.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Cai,¡± I repeated, trying again. ¡°Hang on a second. I need to ask you something first


    before we do this.¡±


    He pulled back to look at me and it was almost like I¡®d wrenched him out of a daze. My heart swelled a


    little at seeing him like that, seeing the effect I had on him, knowing that it was me that had done that. It


    was identical to how my mind became lost in the moment because of him.


    ¡°Right now?¡± he asked, his breath heavy.


    ...It can wait,¡® I heard myself say in my head as I gazed at his perfect features.


    ¡°... Yes,¡± I said reluctantly. ¡°I need to know... I need to know what your rtionship with Iris is. Iris Sullivan


    from the Hidden Moon pack.¡±


    He stared at me in disbelief almost as if he couldn¡®t believe I was asking this now of all times.


    ¡°... Did you ever sleep with Iris?¡±


    Iris was incredibly beautiful, even I could tell. If there was someone who would be a good match for Cai, I


    could see how someone like Iris would be a perfect fit. She was of Alpha blood too, attractive, smart,


    funny... kind even to strangers. Clearly, she was into Cai since she¡®d called him her ¡®hot date¡®. If they


    were or had been together though, then it meant that the words Cai had told me the night of Aleric¡®s


    coming of age might not have beenpletely genuine.


    ¡°No, Aria...,¡± he said slowly, almost mildly annoyed. ¡°I did not sleep with Iris or have any sort of intimate


    rtionship with her.¡±


    Relief flooded through me and instantly I felt so much better, more assured. But I still needed more


    answers.


    ¡°So when she called you her ¡®hot date¡®... what was going on?¡± I pressed further.


    He sighed, sitting up and rubbed at his face.


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing was going on,¡± he said. ¡°Tris and I are friends, she was probably joking. I stayed with


    her pack briefly whilst I was travelling and got to know her. Things were good, we got along great, we still


    do, but I ended up leaving after only a month or so. Her father propositioned me to take Iris as a chosen


    mate in the event neither of us found our destined ones. Given our families lineage and the affiliation it


    could create, it seemed like a good deal for both our packs. Iris even came to me and confessed she


    was attracted to me.¡±


    Oh. That didn¡®t sound like nothing but I could see how the proposal would have been extremely


    beneficial to both parties. They really would be a good pair from what I could tell.


    ¡°...And what did you say?¡± I asked hesitantly, now unsure if I even wanted to know about this anymore.


    ¡°No!¡± he said as if it was obvious. ¡°Of course I said no, you dork. I¡®d much rather be with this one very


    stubborn, very annoying olddy who always makes me constantly question my sanity... I want to be with


    you, Aria, and I meant that.¡±


    I felt a warm happiness rush inside me and I wanted to give in to it immediately... but I knew that, as nice


    as being with Cai was, the reality was that it was most likely temporary.


    I realised that in an ideal world, being his chosen mate would be the best¨Ccase scenario...however, this


    wasn¡®t an ideal world. Our rtionship would possibly ignite a war, something that I¡®d been trying to push


    out of my mind to just enjoy the euphoric moment of being with him thest hour or so.


    ...And then, of course, there was whether he¡®d meet his destined mate. Something I would be helpless to


    stand in the way of once he experienced it. I knew how good it felt to feel the mate bond of someone


    Chapter Fifty Seven ¨C Pt#1


    destined for you, how easy it would be to forget everything else; anyone else.


    As someone who had already experienced it once, I was far better prepared to deal with it and see it for


    what it truly was; an unwilling decision decreed by a deity that, ording to Selene herself, wasn¡®t able


    to be changed. However, I couldn¡®t say the same for how Cai would react. The first time would be...


    intense.


    A thought came to me then... something whispering a reminder I¡®d forgotten. Cai didn¡®t have a mate,


    Luna, or child prior to his death. A death at the age of twenty¨Cone... three years from now.


    This meant I had at least three years to confidently be with Cai before the risk of him finding his destined


    mate became higher. A risk I¡®d have to be willing to ept and step back from, no matter how much it


    might hurt me. Was he worth that gamble?


    Chapter Filly¨CSeven¨CPt# 2


    Chapter Fifty¨CSeven ¨C Pt#2 ¡°Aria?¡± Cai asked, pulling me from my thoughts.


    He gently reached out and poked a finger between my brows, making me realise I was frowning.


    ¡°You¡®ve got that look on your face,¡± he said. ¡°The one that usually tells me you¡®re overthinking


    something... Should I be locking the bedroom door to prevent your escape?¡±


    Instantly I rxed, smiling a bit at his joke. I hadn¡®t realised he¡®d learnt my expressions so well.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry,¡± I said, as I stared into his pure golden eyes that had always made me want to melt. ¡°...I¡®m not


    going anywhere, I promise. I... I want to be with you too, Cai.¡±


    ¡®Even if it¡®s just temporary,¡® I finished in my head.


    Cai had been there at the beginning of my return, witnessing my worst moments and helping me even


    when my ns were insane or not his concern. He¡®d been there for me when I¡®d cried and broken down,


    unsure of who I was or who I could lean on. And it was true he¡®d ended up hurting me, but I¡®d hurt him


    too. Yet somehow, he¡®d realised sooner than me that we were undeniably drawn to each other. It was just


    me who refused to acknowledge it.


    Being with him was probably still a terrible idea, I knew that, but even if it was temporary, wasn¡®t it better


    than nothing? Being around him made me feel safe,fortable, and... wanted. Things I¡®d never felt in


    my past. Was it so wrong of me to desire that for myself, even if it could end disastrously?


    He didn¡®t waste any more time though as his lips were then on me again, and goddamn did he know how


    t o kiss. I felt like I was going to burn everywhere he touched me; along my thighs, around my waist, up


    my back. He¡®d managed to unzip my dress already and so it was then just a matter of sliding my arms


    out as he pulled it up over my head. And suddenly I was before him in only my underwear... that I


    couldn¡®t help but look away, embarrassed.


    He must have guessed my thoughts exactly though as he grabbed at my arms before I couldpletely


    cover my torso with them.


    ¡°Hey, don¡®t do that,¡± he said gently. ¡°You¡®re so beautiful.¡±


    Had anyone ever called me that before? I couldn¡®t ever recall. I knew I wasn¡®t unattractive but I¡®d never


    seen myself as anything overly special. How could I given my history? I¡®d tried to make myself prettier in


    the past to impress Aleric and it had only made me look unhealthy with a sickly thin figure and dark


    circles under my eyes.


    He nted a small kiss on my wrist and delicately made his way up along my arm, making a trail of


    pecks as he went. And when he finally reached my shoulder, I shivered under his touch. Everything he


    did was driving me crazy, especially as he then began lightly tracing the outlines of my body; starting with


    my chest, around my bra, and moving lower to around my stomach, dangerously close to the hem of my


    underwear. All the while leaving a path of goosebumps wherever his fingers touched.


    He stared down at me while he teased me, looking just about ready to devour me at any second, but


    instead he restrained himself, wanting to make the momentst as long as he could. I could barely take it


    any longer though as a little whimper escaped me involuntarily.


    I sat up impatiently so our eyes were level and kissed him deeply, grabbing the hem of his shirt in one


    hand. However, instead of letting me lift it off, he sped my wrist gently and kissed it, leading me to lie


    back down again. I would have found it odd but my mind became quickly upied again.


    ¡°Have you ever done this before?¡± he suddenly asked,


    ¡°Not in this life,¡± I answered before I paused in thought, considering his question further. ¡°...And never


    with someone who cared about me.¡±


    He kissed me passionately, as if he know exactly what I was saying and was trying to make up for my


    past. Already I had felt more in thesest few minutes than any prior experience and I didn¡®t want to


    stop.


    He gripped my arm above my head whilst his other hond started to venture lower... and lower.. and


    lower... untill gasped out, squirming under him.


    Thadn¡®t realised how sensitive I was there until now, hor had I realised just how amazing this could feel.


    H e kissed me gently around my neck... my chest.. my stomach, all the while his fingers continued to


    build a


    sure up inside me, unlike anything I¡®d felt before. It was making me dizzy, exhrated, and I wanted more


    of it.


    IM


    Suddenly his lips brushed against my bra, biting softly against the thin fabric there, and it sent an electric


    shock through me thatpletely made mee undone, arching my back upwards into the sensation


    that rode through me.


    Iid under him afterwards,pletely out of breath as I let the intense waves of pleasure continue to


    wash over me.


    ¡°...Your face was so cute,¡± he said. His words were light but his voice sounded thick. ¡°I wish I could have


    taken a picture.¡±


    Topened my eyes to meet Cai¡®s, a mixture of lust and entertainment in his as he watched me, and my


    lips twitched at the side into a smile.


    ¡°...Only if you have a death wish,¡± I answered.


    He smirked yfully as if I were actually challenging him, ¡°That might be worth it.¡±


    I sighed jokingly, rolling my eyes, and slowly picked myself up until I was kneeling in front of him at


    almost eye level. He was stunning to look at, by far one of the most attractive people I had ever met, and


    yet somehow he was interested in me. That fact wasn¡®t lost on me and my desire to see him, all of him,


    was steadily increasing.


    I went to grab his shirt hem again however, just like before, he stopped me, trying to distract me instead


    with more kisses.


    ¡°...Show me,¡± I said softly, giving him pause. ¡°I know you¡®re not shy of your body since I¡®ve seen your


    bare back in that ssroom years ago. So this is something you¡®re not wanting me to see. Me,


    personally.¡±


    He looked unsure, hesitating for several moments before finally closing his eyes in eptance. And,


    slowly, he lifted his shirt off.


    As I caught the first glimpse of his body, there was a moment where I felt I forgot how to breathe. He was


    gorgeous, perfectly muscled in all the right ways, and I gently reached a hand out to feel his warm skin


    under my fingertips. But as my eyes trailed down, I finally saw what he was hiding and froze.


    There, on his lower abdomen, were the scars of ragged w marks. Scars I knew he¡®d acquired from


    when we¡®d saved Myra¡®s life.


    ¡°I didn¡®t want you to be reminded of that right now,¡± he said quietly. ¡°You looked... happy. Something i


    was starting to worry about.¡±


    I swallowed at the lump in my throat which had formed, my mind beginning to race over the memories of


    her. I missed her so much.


    ...But she was gone and I¡®d already made my peace. Myra wouldn¡®t want me to shy away on her


    ount.


    Ilighily traced over the scars with my fingertip, following the jagged lines carefully, before slowly bringing


    pier l¡®uty Seven ¨C PI: 2


    my face in closer to kiss it. Underneath my touch, I felt him shiver.


    ¡°It¡®s okay,¡± I said, straightening back up to meet his gaze. ¡°It¡®s a permanent reminder of her as it should


    be. She¡®s a part of you now. She¡®s a part of both of us.¡±


    I reached up and brought his lips down to meet mine, pressing my body against him. His skin on mine fel


    amazing, a warmth encircling my whole body as his arms wrapped around me.


    Impatiently, I quickly removed my remaining underwear, no longer wanting anything else between us,


    and hungrily, I watched over him as he did the same. There was a moment once it was done that we


    paused i o stare at each other, both of us needing a second to take in the other person during silent


    appreciation.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    After several seconds had passed though, he finallyid me down, hovering himself over me, and I softly


    bit my lower lip.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± he asked, giving me onest chance to back out.


    I knew there was more meaning to his question than just seeing if I was stillfortable. There was a


    werewolf stigma around destined mates and the virginity of the woman involved; an archaic view that


    should have been abolished a long time ago. By giving myself to Cai, it was basically going against that


    ridiculous ideology since we both knew I had a mate. But I wasn¡®t one for old traditions or values


    anymore. If someone didn¡®t want me due to a reason like that, then they weren¡®t worth my time


    I swallowed nervously and nodded my head.


    He kissed my forehead as he proceeded to press himself in, and I cried out in a mixture of pain and


    pleasure. I heard him groan in unison with me, sending more excited tingles throughout as I clung to his


    shoulders. 1


    Given this was my body¡®s first time, I knew that this mild pain was to be expected but the sensations


    were overwhelming nheless,


    He waited patiently for me though, allowing me a chance to adapt and rx against him, before finally


    proceeding. Whatever pain had been there luckily diminished quickly and it was immediately overtaken


    by something far better.


    I felt full andpletely absorbed against his body as he moved, each thrust stealing a moan from my


    lips. I wasn¡®t alone though as Cai¡®s own grunts were close behind, filling my ears and narrating my


    thoughts. My mind was devoted, there was only him now, only the way he was able to consume my


    entire being.


    That same pressure from before was beginning to build itself inside me again, rapidly increasing in line


    with his quickening movements. I desperately wanted to feel those waves of pleasure once more, that


    intense relief I knew was waiting for me on the other side.


    Everything then suddenly became fervid as my moans became cries. It was a crescendo of heated


    energy that was close to boiling. Harder and faster, his hands touching and grabbing me at every


    sensitive area, i t was an extremity of sensations I didn¡®t know possible.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he groaned out one final time.


    It was enough to send mepletely over the edge as I came undone against him, that same electricity


    sparking throughout my body to leave me buzzing. He wasn¡®t far behind though as he shared in his own


    release, the two of us left panting andpletely exhausted.


    Iid in his arms when it was over, nestled up against his body as neither of us wanted to move. There


    was nowhere else I¡®d rather be than right there.


    And it became abundantly clear to me that, o

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Chapter Fifty¨CEight


    ¡®So handsome,¡® I thought to myself as I watched Cai sleeping next to me.


    I wasn¡®t sure how long I¡®d slept for but I¡®d woken up to find him by my side. He looked so peaceful; his


    hair had tousled into a mess as his chest softly rose and fell. I could have watched him for hours.


    I lost track of time as I recounted the events that had transpired the evening prior but soon Cai stirred


    next to me. In his slumber, a strand of hair fell across his face and I couldn¡®t help but reach out and


    gently brush it away back into ce. It was so silky to touch.


    As my eyes drifted back to his face though I froze, realising he was now awake and watching me.


    ¡°Morning,¡± he mumbled sleepily, reaching out to pull me close to him.


    Thad fallen asleep in one of his t¨Cshirts but could still feel his warmth through the fabric. If not for the


    confusion of his words, I would have melted myself into his touch willingly. But the nagging in my mind


    prevented me, forcing me to pick up on the oddity. How could it still be morning when I knew I¡®d slept for


    a t least a few hours?


    ¡°...Morning?¡± I asked slowly. ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡±


    ¡°Just over a day. You were dead to the world,pletelyatose.¡±


    I tensed up immediately realising that, if that were true, then I¡®d disappeared without notice for over an


    entire day. Were my parents freaked out? I knew I was exhausted from using that newfound authority but


    I hadn¡®t realised I¡®d be out cold for so long. The tax it took on my body must have been far more severe


    than I thought.


    I sat up and knew I needed to leave as soon as possible. If they already had people out looking for me


    then this was thest ce they should find me.


    ¡°Why didn¡®t you wake me?!¡±


    I tried to squirm off the bed but he held me back, his arm around my waist.


    ¡°Rx! I already handled it all. I told your attendant you were safe but had a rough night and were


    staying with a friend.¡±


    I turned back to look at him. ¡°...No one can know I¡®m here, Cai.¡±


    With a sleepy sigh andpletely unphased by my stress, he shifted into a sitting position to tighten his


    grip on me. ¡°I already figured you¡®d say that so I told her to be discreet with the information.¡±


    It took a few seconds to fully process his words but finally, I exhaled in relief knowing that Lucy would


    make up an adequate excuse to appease my parents. At least there was no search party out looking for


    m


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, guiding me to lie back down again.


    He pulled me up against his chest once more so we were face¨Cto¨Cface and softly kissed my forehead


    between my knitted brows. I could already guess what he was thinking.


    ¡°You worry too much,¡± he grumbled, confirming my suspicion.


    ¡°You need to take this seriously, Cai,¡± I said quietly. ¡®Do you realise what would happen if word got out?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m aware,¡± he replied, much to my surprise.


    ¡°...If you know then why did you pursue me in the first ce? ...Whye back to the Winter Mist?¡±


    wanity Light


    His eyes were serious, a sharpness to them I rarely saw. He was like a different person when he was this


    focused, so contrasted to his normally yful manner.


    ¡°Because it¡®s avoidable,¡± he said. ¡°The issues are surrounding our positions and Aleric, right? There are


    ways around it.¡±


    I looked at him incredulously. If he knew the ramifications of this so well then he was just as insane as m


    e for trying to pull this off.


    ¡°...Is being with me really worth starting a war, Cai?¡±


    He avoided my eyes as he remained deep in thought. ¡°...Maybe,¡± he said distantly.


    His gaze then softened, his normal demeanour returning. ¡°Maybe... Well, since one of the issues is


    because of my future status, then maybe I¡®ll just... let it go. Personally, I think I¡®ve missed my calling in life


    t o be a trophy husband. You can be the breadwinner Beta if you really want.¡±


    Even if he was joking, I still stared at him in disbelief. He really was mental.


    ¡°Cai, you can¡®t just abandon your pack like that.¡±


    ¡°Being an Alpha seems overrated but okay, sure,¡± he said, not even trying to hide his smirk anymore.


    ¡°But who said I¡®d want you as my Luna anyway? You¡®d probably be terrible at it. Only those with *seven


    years o f Luna experience need apply for the future entry¨Clevel job offered at the Silver Lake pack.


    Unfortunately, you¡®re one year short of the minimum application requirement, ma¡®am.¡±


    I hit his shoulder and started to y fight him much to his amusement. He quickly restrained me within


    his arms though,ughing the entire time.


    ¡°But in all seriousness,¡± he said, finally continuing, ¡°it doesn¡®t bother me. If it means being with you then


    I¡®m happy to do whatever, Aria.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡®re just as crazy as me,¡± I replied. ¡°This is literally the worst decision I¡®ve ever made and I¡®ve


    done a lot of dumb shit recently.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Possibly, possibly.¡±


    ¡°... really don¡®t see a way where we can ever be public¨C.¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± he said, silencing my lips with a kiss. ¡°Let¡®s just enjoy the moment for a second. We have plenty


    of time to argue about whether we go public or not. And besides, it¡®s not really much of an argument


    when I could just....¡± He started kissing his way up from my chest, along my shoulder... up until I could


    feel his warm breath on my neck. ¡°...Do this.¡±


    He licked the side of my neck, the exact spot where a mate mark would go, and a shiver of pleasure


    spread throughout my whole body. I could picture it so clearly and knew how amazing it would feel to


    wear that mark. It would bring us together in ways no one else would ever be able topare again.


    That mark was how matespleted their bond, a requirement for showing fullmitment and


    bing one. But a mark had its ownplicated downsides; one of which was that if we were to go


    through a mate rejection post¨Cmarking, the process would potentially kill us. Our wolves were unlikely to


    survive the intense heartache associated with rejection from a mate already fully bonded; a rejection


    considered more painful than the death itself.


    However, aside from rejection, a mark meant that there could be no other mate until one of the bonded


    died. It was unquestionable, final. And whilst the normal death of a mate was painful, it did not mean the


    surviving party would die also like during the rejection process.


    It meant that my life would be fully tied to Cai and, by extension, his pack; something that Tytus would


    want to prevent at all costs... And yet a part of me wanted him to do it. To quell any doubts in my mind


    over whether being with Cai was okay because by that point it would be toote. By taking the choice


    away, it would free me in a way.


    ¡°...Cai,¡± I moaned out, the internal battle inside me raging as he continued to kiss me along that area of


    m y neck. ¡°... Stop that.¡± It was a weak request.


    ¡°Make me,¡± he replied.


    I knew he wouldn¡®t actually do it, not here and definitely not today, but the excitement it caused was


    involuntary. That feeling of knowing it was so wrong that it made it feel even better; as if tempting fate.


    I felt his hand creep up under the fabric of his shirt I wore, working its way along my waist and upwards


    towards my chest. These feelings he gave me, this... intense¡­ desire to be close to him, as if he were a


    force of nature pulling me in via gravity... It was intoxicating. The more he was near me, the more he


    touched me, the more I felt my addiction to him increasing.


    And so, when he proceeded to take me just as he had the morning prior, forcing my body to feel


    unimaginable highs, I knew I was only falling down a rabbit hole I should have walked away from.


    ...And yet, when we werepletely exhausted once more, wrapped in each other¡®s arms, I couldn¡®t


    help but want more.


    ¡°If you could be anywhere...,¡± Cai asked softly afterwards, holding me against him, ¡°doing anything at all


    right now in a perfect world, where would you be? What would you be doing?¡±


    It was such a strange question. There was no such thing as a perfect world, just one where death was


    lurking around every corner.


    ¡°...I¡®ve never thought about it...,¡± I said slowly.


    ¡°Isn¡®t there anything you¡®ve always wished you could do but couldn¡®t? You¡®ve lived two lives but it feels


    like you¡®ve barely lived for yourself from what you¡®ve told me.¡±


    I paused to think. What would I want to be doing...?


    And, after another few moments, I knew.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°... Nothing,¡± I finally answered. ¡°I would be doing absolutely nothing and have nothing I needed to do. I


    would be living as far away as possible from the pack and all associated responsibilities. I would be living


    a quiet life where no one knew me or was looking for me... and where I wouldn¡®t need to worry about


    abandoning the people I care for because there would be no impending doom or warrant over my head


    for treason.¡±


    He nodded his head thoughtfully as he took it all in. ¡°Living in a house? Whereabouts?¡±


    I could picture it clearly now, a small smile forming on my lips as I envisioned it. ¡°In the woods. A small


    house just big enough for me that no one would find. I¡®d be sure to spread rumours of a witch living


    theret o scare off any wandering strays who might think toe looking.¡±


    ¡°Just big enough for you? No partner?¡± he asked, hinting at the fact I hadn¡®t included him.


    Iughed. ¡°You want to join me in my little cottage? I thought you¡®d be too busy in this alternate reality,


    living up a more exciting life. Why bother entertaining a forest witch?¡±


    ¡°I could maybe get behind the idea if it meant I got you to myself. In this world maybe no one wille


    looking for me too. I don¡®t exactly enjoy the responsibilities involved with this life either.¡±


    ¡°...I should probably tell the house nner to build some extra rooms then. I¡®ll definitely need the extra


    space if it means putting up with you twenty¨Cfour seven.¡±


    ¡°If we ever ended up having kids then the extra space is probably a good idea.¡±


    Instantly I felt sick, the unwee reminder assaulting me over something I¡®d be uncertain about.


    ¡°Cai...,¡± I started hesitantly, unable to meet his eyes. ¡°I need to tell you... I¡®m not sure... ... -¡± 1


    His arms tightened around me and he quickly kissed my forehead to interrupt me. ¡°It¡®s okay, you don¡®t


    need to exin. I already had a feeling based on the things you told me about Thea. There are other


    options though if we really wanted... or maybe I¡®ll decide not to share you with a bunch of ungrateful


    pups.¡±


    I swallowed back at the tears stinging in my eyes before nodding my head, grateful he was so


    understanding. But I didn¡®t have the heart to tell him yet about my suspicions. Suspicions I¡®d been


    thinking for a while now regarding a certain dead rogue doctor in a cave. However, if it turned out to be


    irrelevant then I didn¡®t want to give him false hope prematurely... and besides, it was way too soon to be


    thinking of anything like that. We shouldn¡®t even be together right now, let alone thinking of possibly


    having a family one day.


    ¡°What about you¡­?¡± I finally asked after a few moments of silence. ¡°If you could be doing anything right


    now in a perfect world, what would you be doing?¡±


    ¡°What would I be doing...?¡± he repeated as he thought. ¡°...You. I¡®d be doing you in your little forest


    cottage.¡±


    I sighed, tsk¨Cing at his response. ¡°Not allowed. I want to hear your own answer.¡±


    Heughed for a bit before finally replying. ¡°Hmmm... maybe lounging around on the couch at home


    without constantly being interrupted for work. My mum would be cooking one of her amazing meals


    whilst my father talked to me about something mundane.¡±


    ¡°Your mum cooks?¡± I asked, surprised that a Luna would be doing something like that.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, chuckling at my reaction. ¡°She enjoys it as a hobby when she¡®s not too busy.¡±


    It was smart of her to find an outlet like that given how busy a Luna¡®s life could be. My time had always


    been spent reading strategies, working, or doing something for Aleric.


    ¡°...Sounds like you¡®re all really close.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Extremely. Not just me though, but the entire Silver Lake. We¡®re all family there.¡±


    It gave me more understanding as to why Cai retaliated so relentlessly after Aleric killed his father in the


    past. He loved him more than just out of respect for being his Alpha. I highly doubted Aleric would have


    cared as much if Tytus was killed; their rtionship had alwayse across as very¡­ formal.


    But it was information that helped give a good holistic view of the war between Cai and Aleric. Aleric¡®s


    strength and power had always been his edge in the war, capable of incredible feats that still impressed


    m e to this day. And then there was Cai, still pretty strong, but his edge had been in his numbers with the


    unwavering support of his pack. The Silver Lake moved as one lethal unit withplete loyalty. With


    Cai¡®s exnation, it sounded as though Tobias, Cai¡®s father, was greatly beloved, aligning that idea of


    unquestionable support.


    It was Cai¡®s greatest weakness in the end though. I had researched their previous battles with the


    Winter


    d that most of the stalemates urred when the Silver Lake had enough time to prepare and organise


    warriors. It was then just a matter of making a n to separate the bulk of the pack from Cai, allowing for


    Aleric to finish the job.


    I worked out theirmunication route quickly enough and had their encrypted messages intercepted


    and decoded within the week. So when they finally had their full attention on a battle we¡®d set up as a


    diversion, I created a fake letter informing them of an ambush to the west and made sure to give key


    information regarding Aleric¡®s absence. It forced him to head out with minimal supporting warriors and a


    sense of false security... only to be met face¨Cto¨Cface with Aleric waiting for him there, thirsty for victory.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Cai suddenly asked, snapping me out of my deep thoughts with a jump.


    Chapter Fifty¨CEight


    I stared up with wide eyes to meet his, willing my heart to stop racing from the small scare. ¡®Nothing! just


    uhh... was just thinking about how easily things change.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You look like


    He didn¡®t finish his sentence though as he abruptly froze up instead, turning his head to the side as it


    listening to something.


    ¡°What is it¨C¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± he hushed, continuing to focus. He sat up as he intently listened, poised as if ready to more


    It was silent for the longest few seconds of my life before he finally reacted.


    ¡°...Fuck,¡± he hissed as he started looking around the room frantically, searching for something ¡®Fuck fuck,


    fuck... Aria....¡±


    He turned as if to tell me something but when his eyes finally rested back to meet mine they just


    softened instead.


    It wasn¡®t out of rxation though. No, it felt more like defeat


    ¡°...I¡®m so sorry, Aria,¡± was all he said quietly.


    ¡°¡°Sorry¡® ¨C? But I didn¡®t get to ask him what was happening as the bedroom door then suddenly burst


    open and Aleric stood at the doorway.


    In the background, I could hear as several other footsteps busily upied the wooden floorboards within


    the rest of the house, but it was Aleric who I was most concerned with


    He stared at me inplete shock as none of us moved. It was as if time itself was frozen


    All until Aleric¡®s voice finally spoke out, breaking us all from the spell.


    ¡°...Aria?¡± he asked softly, confused. His words were so quiet it was almost a whisper And instantly, a


    waking nightmare ensued.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Chapter Fifty¨CNine


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± Aleric frantically whispered. ¡°Do you have any idea how much shit


    you¡®ll get into for this?¡±


    In an involuntary reaction, I quickly pulled the nket up over my chest to hide myself even though I


    wasn¡®t naked. And yet at the same time, I¡®d never felt more exposed.


    There had been no time to react, no time to hide. I knew what Cai had been desperately looking for now;


    a nescape. But it would have been futile. There wasn¡®t enough time to cover my scent and the window


    had outside privacy panels preventing me from squeezing through. Cai must have realised the same


    thing. All he could do was apologise for the fact that we were now in this situation.


    ¡°We¡®ve found it!¡± I heard a voice yell from somewhere in the house.


    Aleric¡®s eyes suddenly showed signs of worry as he looked at me. Already he looked pale, confused,


    both of which I¡®d never seen on him before, but it was his worry that unnerved me the most. Aleric was


    confident in everything he did, never showing weakness, and yet he looked now as if he was about to be


    sick.


    He stuck his head back out the door as he tried topose himself, replying to what I assumed were


    warriors inside the house. ¡°Bag it and take it back to evidence,¡± he ordered. ¡°I¡®ve got Caius here detained


    and will handle the bedroom search. Everyone is to await further instructions back at the packhouse.


    Anthony, stay behind and wait for me in the car.¡±


    ¡°Detained?¡± I asked, finally finding my voice again. ¡°Aleric, what the hell is going on? Why are you


    here?¡±


    ¡°Caius is being detained for questioning,¡± he said quietly. Neither of us were raising our voices too loud


    for fear we¡®d be overheard. ¡°I¡®ve got orders to take him in immediately.¡±


    ¡°On what grounds!?¡± I hissed back. ¡°What has he done?¡±


    ¡°The warrior in charge of watching the evidence locker was attacked two nights ago and something was


    stolen,¡± he answered. ¡°He can¡®t recall much but remembers being given an Alpha order to stand down.


    Only neither I nor my father set thatmand. Since there is currently no record of any other Alpha


    bloods staying with us right now, naturally Caius is under suspicion.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t be ridiculous! That¡®s not enough evidence to bring him in! How could an allied pack¡®s Alpha heir


    possibly overrule an order given to one of our warriors? That¡®s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Aria,¡± he said sternly. ¡°We just found the missing item inside this house... a silver dagger by the front


    door. It doesn¡®t matter if it doesn¡®t make sense, we just acquired the proof. He¡®s technically under arrest


    now.¡±


    The silver dagger ** stole. The dagger *I* dropped. I¡®d just left breadcrumbs of clues leading back to


    here, back to Cai.


    ¡°Aleric, please, it¡®s not him,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said to Cai, ignoring my words. ¡°Get up. We¡®ve got to go before they decide toe back


    here and check why I¡®m taking so long. I hope I don¡®t need to remind you to not make this difficult or


    cause a scene here, do I? We both know what will happen if anyone finds her here with you.¡±


    Cai had been silently regarding the exchange the entire time, knowing that his hands were tied being in


    foreign territory, but he nodded his head inpliance. Anything he said, or did, could be used against


    him in a trial from the moment Aleric had confirmed he was being taken in.


    True to Aleric¡®s words, he didn¡®t put up a fight or argue. Instead, he just tugged on some clothes over his


    whaterstone


    boxers before walking over to Aleric without fuss.


    I ran to Cai though as soon as I saw the handcuffs he was restrained in, no longer caring if Aleric was


    there, and grabbed on to him.


    *Please, don¡®t do this, please¡­,¡± I cried.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Aleric instructed. ¡°I¡®lle to get you when the area is clear.¡®


    But I refused to let go of Cai, my grip only tightening. ¡°No...please.¡±


    ¡°Aria!¡± Aleric hissed. ¡°Seriously, you need to let him go. Do you want others to see you right now? If my


    father finds out that you were here with him, this whole thing will get so much worse. Are you


    intentionally being naive right now?¡±


    ¡°Aria...,¡± Cai said calmly to me, cutting through the panic. ¡°It¡®s okay. Let me go.¡±


    I could barely see through the tears blurring my vision. ¡°No, I don¡®t want to....¡±


    ¡°Aria. Let me go,¡± he repeated.


    I knew he was right. There was nothing I could do. Not here and not now anyway.


    ¡°I¡®m going to get your name cleared, I promise,¡± I said. ¡°You¡®ll be out in no time.¡±


    He gave me a half¨Csmile in an attempt to reassure me but it only made me feel worse. It should have


    been meforting him right now, not the reverse.


    Aleric shoved Cai towards the door but abruptly stopped walking, sniffing towards him. And though my


    senses weren¡®t strong enough, Aleric must have picked up on my obvious scent all over Cai.


    ¡°Do I have time for a shower?¡± Cai asked, almost amused.


    Aleric¡®s response was to shove him forward again so they resumed towards the exit once more.


    ¡°You¡®ll be lucky if I don¡®t drown you in ake on our way to the cells,¡± Aleric replied, his voice getting


    further away until I couldn¡®t hear them anymore. ¡°Fucking idiot....¡±


    I was then leftpletely alone in the room, shaking and in disbelief this had actually happened. O¨ª all


    the things that could have urred, Cai was being pinned for my own crimes and it was Aleric who


    came to find us in bed together. I wanted to throw up.


    I looked down and saw I was only dressed in the baggy t¨Cshirt Cai had given me, my bare legs showing


    from the mid¨Cthigh down, and my cheeks burned red. The Aleric from the past would have killed me, I


    had no doubt in my mind. There wouldn¡®t have been any exnation needed, only my throat ripped out


    before I¡®d even had a chance to open my mouth. But he¡®d done theplete opposite. Not only did he


    not hurt m e, but he also didn¡®t even hand me over to the warriors for sentencing. It was difficult to wrap


    my head around, but... Aleric had just saved me.


    | stiffly got changed into the dress from the other night before sitting in a daze on the side of the bed...


    waiting for when Aleric would return. My mind was thinking of everything and nothing all at once, unable t


    o pinpoint just one thing to focus on.


    After not too long, I could finally hear footstepsing back. I poised myself for battle in the event it was


    anyone other than Aleric, but thankfully it was him.


    His green eyes were sharpened like daggers as they met mine, ready for an argument. ¡°Give me one


    good reason why I shouldn¡®t¨C¡±


    I didn¡®t let him finish though as Iunched myself at him, grabbing onto his clothes, my tears resuming.


    ¡°Please, Aleric, listen to me,¡± I cried. ¡°He¡®s not involved. Please.¡±


    ¡°How could you possibly know that, Aria? We literally found the dagger here,¡± he argued, backing up


    against a wall in his attempt to free himself from my grip. ¡°Why are you being so blind to all of this?¡±


    ¡°Because it was me!¡± I yelled, ¡°I was the one who stole the dagger from the evidence locker and attacked


    the warrior, not Cai. I¨CI wanted it to kill Thea. I wanted revenge for what she did to Myra. And you and my


    father acted like you didn¡®t even believe me¡­ So I took matters into my own hands.¡±


    He was avoiding my gaze as he tried to gently pry my hands off without much sess. ¡°Stop making shit


    up just to spare him. And I never said that I didn¡®t believe you. I stopped you frommitting murder


    without evidence in front of an entire crowd of warriors. You¡®d be on trial right now if you¡®d actually gone


    through with it. You should be thanking me.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not making this up!¡± | insisted, a tone of frustration in my words. ¡°It was me. I attacked Ray and


    ordered him to stand down so I could steal the dagger. How else would I know who it was when you


    never said the warrior¡®s name?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re not even remotely high enough in rank for that,¡± he argued, ¡°You¡®re a Beta heir, a half one at


    that.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m a goddamn Saintess first and foremosi, Aleric, or have you forgotten?¡± I spat back, his eyes finally


    meeting mine. ¡°My authority is whatever the fuck I want it to be, including higher than yours if I was ever


    s o inclined one day.¡±


    We stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before finally, the tension between us started to


    ease. I could see as Aleric was trying to process everything I was saying.


    ¡°So Cai is... ¨C¡±


    ¡°He¡®s innocent,¡± I finished. ¡°It¡®s my fault. All of it.¡±


    I sighed, bowing my head towards him inplete defeat as I clung to him, ¡°Please, you have to help


    him. I¡®ll confess to the whole thing if need be Just... don¡®t let anything happen to him.¡±


    I felt him shift ufortably as he thought, rubbing at his face in irritation. ¡°If you confess that it was you,


    my father will have you stripped of all your titles and you¡®ll probably be imprisoned, you know that, right?


    Maybe worse... And then coupled with if he ever found out that you were here in bed with Cai? Fuck,


    Aria, are you trying to start a war?¡±


    My heart was racing as he pointed out just how messed up things had be due to putting myself


    above duty. He was right. I¡®d known he was right and yet I thought I was going to get away with it.


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, ¡°I messed up. I messed up bad. But I¡®ve just lost Myra, I can¡®t lose Caitoo. Please... help


    m e Aleric.¡±


    I looked up at him through my eyes full of tears, begging him for this one thing. Just this one thing that


    maybe I could make better and fix. Whatever it took, so long as Cai would be okay.


    He stared down at me, his face full of confliction and... pain? It was yet more new expressions I¡®d never


    seen him ever show before, expressions I was unfamiliar with. It was making it impossible to know what


    h e was actually thinking with this sudden unpredictability


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°...Fine, I¡®ll help,¡± he finally said with a long exhale. ¡°But you should know that I¡®ll be trying to get this


    mess fixed without bringing your name into it first.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Aleric¨C¡±


    ¡°No, I¡®m serious,¡± he said sternly, cutting me off. ¡°I personally don¡®t care what happens to Cai but I do


    care is the only living Saintess gets charged with treason. There would be a religious riot on our doorstep


    protesting whatever punishment my father issued. I don¡®t want to be put in that awkward position if we


    can help it.¡±


    And with that, he quickly released my hands from his chest without waiting for me to reply and started


    walking back outside.


    ¡°Get your shit together, Ana!¡± he yelled out casually over his shoulder, not even bothering to turn back


    around to look at me


    But as it turned out, that was a lot easier said than done

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Chapter Fifty¨CNine


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± Aleric frantically whispered. ¡°Do you have any idea how much shit


    you¡®ll get into for this?¡±


    In an involuntary reaction, I quickly pulled the nket up over my chest to hide myself even though I


    wasn¡®t naked. And yet at the same time, I¡®d never felt more exposed.


    There had been no time to react, no time to hide. I knew what Cai had been desperately looking for now;


    a nescape. But it would have been futile. There wasn¡®t enough time to cover my scent and the window


    had outside privacy panels preventing me from squeezing through. Cai must have realised the same


    thing. All he could do was apologise for the fact that we were now in this situation.


    ¡°We¡®ve found it!¡± I heard a voice yell from somewhere in the house.


    Aleric¡®s eyes suddenly showed signs of worry as he looked at me. Already he looked pale, confused,


    both of which I¡®d never seen on him before, but it was his worry that unnerved me the most. Aleric was


    confident in everything he did, never showing weakness, and yet he looked now as if he was about to be


    sick.


    He stuck his head back out the door as he tried topose himself, replying to what I assumed were


    warriors inside the house. ¡°Bag it and take it back to evidence,¡± he ordered. ¡°I¡®ve got Caius here detained


    and will handle the bedroom search. Everyone is to await further instructions back at the packhouse.


    Anthony, stay behind and wait for me in the car.¡±


    ¡°Detained?¡± I asked, finally finding my voice again. ¡°Aleric, what the hell is going on? Why are you


    here?¡±


    ¡°Caius is being detained for questioning,¡± he said quietly. Neither of us were raising our voices too loud


    for fear we¡®d be overheard. ¡°I¡®ve got orders to take him in immediately.¡±


    ¡°On what grounds!?¡± I hissed back. ¡°What has he done?¡±


    ¡°The warrior in charge of watching the evidence locker was attacked two nights ago and something was


    stolen,¡± he answered. ¡°He can¡®t recall much but remembers being given an Alpha order to stand down.


    Only neither I nor my father set thatmand. Since there is currently no record of any other Alpha


    bloods staying with us right now, naturally Caius is under suspicion.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t be ridiculous! That¡®s not enough evidence to bring him in! How could an allied pack¡®s Alpha heir


    possibly overrule an order given to one of our warriors? That¡®s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Aria,¡± he said sternly. ¡°We just found the missing item inside this house... a silver dagger by the front


    door. It doesn¡®t matter if it doesn¡®t make sense, we just acquired the proof. He¡®s technically under arrest


    now.¡±


    The silver dagger ** stole. The dagger *I* dropped. I¡®d just left breadcrumbs of clues leading back to


    here, back to Cai.


    ¡°Aleric, please, it¡®s not him,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said to Cai, ignoring my words. ¡°Get up. We¡®ve got to go before they decide toe back


    here and check why I¡®m taking so long. I hope I don¡®t need to remind you to not make this difficult or


    cause a scene here, do I? We both know what will happen if anyone finds her here with you.¡±


    Cai had been silently regarding the exchange the entire time, knowing that his hands were tied being in


    foreign territory, but he nodded his head inpliance. Anything he said, or did, could be used against


    him in a trial from the moment Aleric had confirmed he was being taken in.


    True to Aleric¡®s words, he didn¡®t put up a fight or argue. Instead, he just tugged on some clothes over his


    whaterstone


    boxers before walking over to Aleric without fuss.


    I ran to Cai though as soon as I saw the handcuffs he was restrained in, no longer caring if Aleric was


    there, and grabbed on to him.


    *Please, don¡®t do this, please¡­,¡± I cried.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Aleric instructed. ¡°I¡®lle to get you when the area is clear.¡®


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    But I refused to let go of Cai, my grip only tightening. ¡°No...please.¡±


    ¡°Aria!¡± Aleric hissed. ¡°Seriously, you need to let him go. Do you want others to see you right now? If my


    father finds out that you were here with him, this whole thing will get so much worse. Are you


    intentionally being naive right now?¡±


    ¡°Aria...,¡± Cai said calmly to me, cutting through the panic. ¡°It¡®s okay. Let me go.¡±


    I could barely see through the tears blurring my vision. ¡°No, I don¡®t want to....¡±


    ¡°Aria. Let me go,¡± he repeated.


    I knew he was right. There was nothing I could do. Not here and not now anyway.


    ¡°I¡®m going to get your name cleared, I promise,¡± I said. ¡°You¡®ll be out in no time.¡±


    He gave me a half¨Csmile in an attempt to reassure me but it only made me feel worse. It should have


    been meforting him right now, not the reverse.


    Aleric shoved Cai towards the door but abruptly stopped walking, sniffing towards him. And though my


    senses weren¡®t strong enough, Aleric must have picked up on my obvious scent all over Cai.


    ¡°Do I have time for a shower?¡± Cai asked, almost amused.


    Aleric¡®s response was to shove him forward again so they resumed towards the exit once more.


    ¡°You¡®ll be lucky if I don¡®t drown you in ake on our way to the cells,¡± Aleric replied, his voice getting


    further away until I couldn¡®t hear them anymore. ¡°Fucking idiot....¡±


    I was then leftpletely alone in the room, shaking and in disbelief this had actually happened. O¨ª all


    the things that could have urred, Cai was being pinned for my own crimes and it was Aleric who


    came to find us in bed together. I wanted to throw up.


    I looked down and saw I was only dressed in the baggy t¨Cshirt Cai had given me, my bare legs showing


    from the mid¨Cthigh down, and my cheeks burned red. The Aleric from the past would have killed me, I


    had no doubt in my mind. There wouldn¡®t have been any exnation needed, only my throat ripped out


    before I¡®d even had a chance to open my mouth. But he¡®d done theplete opposite. Not only did he


    not hurt m e, but he also didn¡®t even hand me over to the warriors for sentencing. It was difficult to wrap


    my head around, but... Aleric had just saved me.


    | stiffly got changed into the dress from the other night before sitting in a daze on the side of the bed...


    waiting for when Aleric would return. My mind was thinking of everything and nothing all at once, unable t


    o pinpoint just one thing to focus on.


    After not too long, I could finally hear footstepsing back. I poised myself for battle in the event it was


    anyone other than Aleric, but thankfully it was him.


    His green eyes were sharpened like daggers as they met mine, ready for an argument. ¡°Give me one


    good reason why I shouldn¡®t¨C¡±


    I didn¡®t let him finish though as Iunched myself at him, grabbing onto his clothes, my tears resuming.


    ¡°Please, Aleric, listen to me,¡± I cried. ¡°He¡®s not involved. Please.¡±


    ¡°How could you possibly know that, Aria? We literally found the dagger here,¡± he argued, backing up


    against a wall in his attempt to free himself from my grip. ¡°Why are you being so blind to all of this?¡±


    ¡°Because it was me!¡± I yelled, ¡°I was the one who stole the dagger from the evidence locker and attacked


    the warrior, not Cai. I¨CI wanted it to kill Thea. I wanted revenge for what she did to Myra. And you and my


    father acted like you didn¡®t even believe me¡­ So I took matters into my own hands.¡±


    He was avoiding my gaze as he tried to gently pry my hands off without much sess. ¡°Stop making shit


    up just to spare him. And I never said that I didn¡®t believe you. I stopped you frommitting murder


    without evidence in front of an entire crowd of warriors. You¡®d be on trial right now if you¡®d actually gone


    through with it. You should be thanking me.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not making this up!¡± | insisted, a tone of frustration in my words. ¡°It was me. I attacked Ray and


    ordered him to stand down so I could steal the dagger. How else would I know who it was when you


    never said the warrior¡®s name?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re not even remotely high enough in rank for that,¡± he argued, ¡°You¡®re a Beta heir, a half one at


    that.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m a goddamn Saintess first and foremosi, Aleric, or have you forgotten?¡± I spat back, his eyes finally


    meeting mine. ¡°My authority is whatever the fuck I want it to be, including higher than yours if I was ever


    s o inclined one day.¡±


    We stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before finally, the tension between us started to


    ease. I could see as Aleric was trying to process everything I was saying.


    ¡°So Cai is... ¨C¡±


    ¡°He¡®s innocent,¡± I finished. ¡°It¡®s my fault. All of it.¡±


    I sighed, bowing my head towards him inplete defeat as I clung to him, ¡°Please, you have to help


    him. I¡®ll confess to the whole thing if need be Just... don¡®t let anything happen to him.¡±


    I felt him shift ufortably as he thought, rubbing at his face in irritation. ¡°If you confess that it was you,


    my father will have you stripped of all your titles and you¡®ll probably be imprisoned, you know that, right?


    Maybe worse... And then coupled with if he ever found out that you were here in bed with Cai? Fuck,


    Aria, are you trying to start a war?¡±


    My heart was racing as he pointed out just how messed up things had be due to putting myself


    above duty. He was right. I¡®d known he was right and yet I thought I was going to get away with it.


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, ¡°I messed up. I messed up bad. But I¡®ve just lost Myra, I can¡®t lose Caitoo. Please... help


    m e Aleric.¡±


    I looked up at him through my eyes full of tears, begging him for this one thing. Just this one thing that


    maybe I could make better and fix. Whatever it took, so long as Cai would be okay.


    He stared down at me, his face full of confliction and... pain? It was yet more new expressions I¡®d never


    seen him ever show before, expressions I was unfamiliar with. It was making it impossible to know what


    h e was actually thinking with this sudden unpredictability


    ¡°...Fine, I¡®ll help,¡± he finally said with a long exhale. ¡°But you should know that I¡®ll be trying to get this


    mess fixed without bringing your name into it first.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Aleric¨C¡±


    ¡°No, I¡®m serious,¡± he said sternly, cutting me off. ¡°I personally don¡®t care what happens to Cai but I do


    care is the only living Saintess gets charged with treason. There would be a religious riot on our doorstep


    protesting whatever punishment my father issued. I don¡®t want to be put in that awkward position if we


    can help it.¡±


    And with that, he quickly released my hands from his chest without waiting for me to reply and started


    walking back outside.


    ¡°Get your shit together, Ana!¡± he yelled out casually over his shoulder, not even bothering to turn back


    around to look at me


    But as it turned out, that was a lot easier said than done

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Chapter Sixty¨COne


    ¡°...What did you just say?¡± I asked, my voice thick with disbelief.


    ¡°I said they¡®ve dered war,¡± Alexander repeated. ¡°They¡®ve said that if we don¡®t release Caius before


    sunset tomorrow that they will officially announce their intent to bring him home by force.¡±


    Less than twenty¨Cfour hours. I had less than twenty¨Cfour hours to free him or we would be initiating a


    war.


    ...And it would be my fault.


    ¡°It¡®s not enough time,¡± I whispered, the panic rising inside me once more. ¡°...It¡®s not enough time... It¡®s not


    enough time.¡±


    I took a step backwards as my mind continued to whirl. This was it. Everything had been leading to this


    moment and it was finally here.


    ¡°Is there anything else I need to know?¡± Aleric asked him.


    Alexander frowned as if he¡®d expected him to have a different reaction.¡°... No? Just that we received a


    letter from the Silver Lake just now... ¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can go then,¡± Aleric interrupted. ¡°Thank you for telling me as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°What? ....Uh, yeah, okay...,¡± Alexander said, confused.


    He took a few steps backwards, still unsure as to why he¡®d been dismissed so quickly, before finally


    turning around to leave.


    As soon as Alexander was out of sight, Aleric immediately turned his attention to me.


    Everything was spinning, making it hard to focus. What could I possibly do to stop this now? Maybe


    confronting Thea myself and trying to get her to confess again? But no... that energy inside me had


    be disconnected, like a flickering light whenever I tried to grasp it. I remembered how sick it made


    m est time and didn¡®t think I could force anyone to follow my orders right now even if I wanted to. A


    parto fme knew that doing so would be reckless... potentially deadly.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Aleric said, his voice cutting through my thoughts. It was enough to make me look up to him,


    meeting his gaze directly. ¡°Breathe. In and out.¡±


    As he said the words, I realised my breathing had be shallow, my concentration on thinking taking


    priority. Slowly, I breathed in deeply and back out again.


    ¡°You¡®ve got that same expression that worries me,¡± he said. ¡°The one where I leave you alone to calm


    down, only to find out you¡¯re actingpletely insane a few dayster. We don¡®t have time for that


    anymore. I need smart Aria right now, not self¨Cdestructive Aria.¡±


    He was right, I needed to slow down and think properly. Confronting Thea myself was far too risky and


    almost certainly wouldn¡®t work out in my favour.


    And so, I closed my eyes, my breathing still shaky, but I did my best to focus.


    I went over it all in my head, thinking through the different possibilities, the different oues... but with


    the limited time we had left, there wasn¡®t much we could do.


    Shaking my head, I frowned. ¡°There¡®s no time, Aleric... our best hope is that Jonathan identally


    reveals himself tomorrow or Thea slips up.¡±


    ¡°... That¡®s cutting it pretty close,¡± he said.


    ¡°I know... which is why I have one more solution as a backup n that is almost guaranteed to work.¡±


    He crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. ¡°If it¡®s quaranteed then why don¡®t we just implement that one


    first instead?¡±


    I bit my lip, unsure if I should tell him. I already knew what his reaction would be.


    ¡°Well... because..,¡± I started hesitantly.


    His frown deepened for a second before finally, he understood what I meant without me even needing to


    finish. I could see the recognition on his face when he realised what I was nning.


    ¡°No, no way,¡± he said, a tone of finality in his words. ¡°You¡®re not doing that.¡±


    ¡°Aleric, I don¡®t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re throwing your life away,¡± he argued. ¡°Everything you¡®ve worked towards, everything you¡®ve fought


    for. You¡®re going to give it up for him?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not giving it up for him... I¡®m giving it up for the pack. Both packs. I¡®m giving it up to save innocent


    people.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Aria, think this through clearly.¡±


    ¡°I am thinking clearly!¡± I hissed. ¡°I can¡®t let thousands of people die for my mistake. If the worst¨Ccase


    scenario really does happen... I¡®m going to confess. There is no other way. The side effects of my


    punishment do not overrule the lives of innocents. You¡®re the one who needs to think clearly here.¡±


    I wouldn¡®t let it happen. Not again. I¡®d participated in too many wars already and knew too well the


    destruction they left behind. This time the cause wasn¡®t even for power or territory... it was over releasing


    an innocent man. A man used of my own crimes.


    I took a breath, calming my voice back down to help him see reason. ¡°Aleric, if you really cared about the


    Winter Mist, and I know you do... you¡®d let me do this. Please don¡®t ask me to stand by and let people die


    for me. I don¡®t need their names weighing on my soul any more than I already have.¡±


    ¡°And what if Tytus sentences you to death? What then, huh? I can¡®t save you from that, Aria. You know


    as well as I do what the punishment for treason is.¡±


    ¡°He won¡®t,¡± I reassured. ¡°He can¡®t. He¡®d chain me to a pole for the rest of my life before killing me. He


    likes the status image I provide too much. The ¡®Winter Mist Saintess¡®. No, he won¡®t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡®ll have every Goddess devout nutcase on our doorstep demanding their Saintess¡® freedom.


    You¡®ll be a martyr within your own oppression. We¡®re potentially trading one war for another.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry about that,¡± I said, desperately trying to help him see reason. ¡°That¡®s at least a more


    manageable problem. One thing at a time here. First, I¡®ll call an emergency meeting scheduled for just


    after lunch tomorrow. In the morning before that, we¡®ll see how Jonathan goes with Thea then¡­ well¡­


    worst¨Ccase scenario, I¡®ll be using the meeting to finally clear all this mess up.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said tly.


    His in refusal bristled my temper once more. ¡°Aleric, what the hell is going on with you? Is this really


    due to dealing with the devout follower bacsh or is this about something else? is it Cai? Do you really


    hate him that much? I know you guys don¡®t get along but this seems a little extreme.¡±


    ¡°What? No, Aria... You don¡®t... whatever.¡± He sighed in frustration, giving up on whatever he wanted to


    say and opting for silence instead.


    *I don¡®t¡® what? What were you going to say?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Nothing. Forget it.¡±


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    Chapter Sixty¨COne


    I crossed my arms defensively. ¡°You always do this,¡± I said, not bothering to hide my irritation. ¡°I say


    something or do something and you just go quiet instead of telling me whatever it is you¡®re thinking


    about.


    ¡°It¡®s called making smart decisions and knowing when some things are better left unsaid. Would you like


    me to teach you how that¡®s done?¡±


    I clenched my jaw at the direct insult. ¡°At least I¡®m not fine with killing off innocent people for the sake of


    avoiding a smaller confrontation. Wars don¡®t solve all your problems, Aleric. What are you really afraid of


    here? Is it that you¡®re insecure over whether I¡®ll usurp you one day? Gather followers of the Goddess


    around me and take over what you feel you¡®re entitled to? Let me give you a quick tip for avoiding that


    future; don¡®t piss me off. I never wanted the job anyway. Why do you think I¡®ve tried so hard to be a


    Beta instead?¡±


    ¡°Betas don¡®t give Alphamands,¡± he retorted harshly. ¡°You can¡®t just pick and choose which title you


    want whenever it suits you.¡±


    I wanted to argue back but he was right, I had overstepped that line. Instead, a moment of icy silence


    hung between us, neither of us wanting to concede. Finally though, his eyes softened, sighing in release


    o ftension.


    ¡°...I¡®m sorry, I shouldn¡®t have snapped at you first,¡± he said quietly in defeat, running a hand through his


    dark wavy hair. ¡°Just... do what you think is right, Aria. We¡®ll deal with whatever happens after when we


    get to that point, just as you said.¡±


    We were both in the wrong here, I knew that. We had burnt ourselves out with this investigation thest


    few months, spreading our free time too thin with all the additional work it brought us. It was no surprise


    really that we were both now in each other¡®s faces the second that war was finally at our doorstep. It was


    a cocktail for short fuses and high tempers. Which was exactly why the best decision here was for us to


    walk away before saying something else we¡®d regret.


    In truth though, I was sure neither choice presented was the best decision here. Both paths ahead had


    their own obstacles, their own pros and cons. And whilst it felt as though Aleric¡®s opinion on this right


    now seemed off, I had to give him credit where it was due. If it hadn¡®t been for his support over thesest


    few months, I would have been worse off and probably done something far more drastic already by now.


    I n a way, I owed him.


    Which was why I wanted him on my side for this decision. After all the time and effort we¡®d put in, it was


    now just as much Aleric¡®s choice as it was mine since it was technically his life on the line as well. He¡®d


    lied about my involvement and had been helping me during all of this mess. If he was found to have


    been withholding information, I was sure Tytus would not be pleased.


    ¡°...I¡®m sorry, too,¡± I mumbled. ¡°It¡®s not like I want to do this, Aleric. Just... trust me. You¡®ll have my support


    with whatever happens afterwards, I promise.¡±


    He sighed, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. ¡°Aria... that¡®s not... Yep. Okay, sure. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s going to be okay,¡± I said with a small smile. ¡°Maybe we¡®ll catch Jonathon tomorrow and be dragging


    his ass into that meeting instead.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully.¡±


    We stood facing each other, neither of us moving. I could see on his face that he looked as though he


    wasn¡®t exactly pleased with the oue, but I was happy that he seemed to be on board at least for


    now.


    ¡°Alright, I should probably head off then,¡± I said, motioning towards the car. ¡°I¡®ll drop you off at the


    packhouse on the way if you want.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked, starting to walk with me.


    Chapter Sixty One


    There wasn¡®t much time left but I knew exactly where I needed to go next. Only it wasn¡®t somewhere I


    wanted to bring Aleric.


    ¡°...I¡®m off to go prepare for the worst¨Ccase scenario,¡± I replied.


    Not long after that, I found myself walking down a cold hallway, my feet leaving an echo as I went. I¡®d


    come here frequently enough that I was now familiar with these walls, but their contents had continued t


    o be a source of pain for me thesest few months.


    Outside a door stood James, positioned on guard duty. He was the warrior who had escorted me from m


    y cell to the trial grounds in my previous timeline. James barely knew me in this life whenpared to


    thest but my respect for him had remained. Thosest moments he¡®d gifted me with my father had


    been precious. Although it did feel almost surreal to see that he would be the warrior on duty today given


    the circumstances.


    ¡°Beta heir,¡± he greeted me, inclining his head slightly in respect.


    I nodded back in acknowledgement. ¡°James. How is the prisoner today?¡±


    ¡°Same as always.¡±


    He didn¡®t say anything further and instead opened the door, apanying me inside.


    As soon as the room beyond came into sight, my eyes immediately darted around, searching until they


    fell on a pair of familiar gold ones staring right back at me. He was seated at a small table that had been


    set up to the side.


    My first instinct was to run to him, nestle my head into his neck, and wish for the thousandth time that


    this wasn¡®t real¡­ but I couldn¡®t. Not here, not today, and definitely not over thest few months, had I


    been able to do anything remotely close to that. We were forced to strict professionalism due to the ever


    present eyes of guards watching.


    ¡°Cai, how are you?¡± I asked stiffly.


    It had taken me a moment to find my voice, my sense of guilt always hitting me hard whenever I got to


    see him. He hadn¡®t hinted at anyints even once sinceing here but I knew it had to be hard. I


    could see the circles forming under his eyes and how he¡®d lost a little bit of weight. It was all signs of him


    paying a price he hadn¡®t signed up for.


    ¡°I¡¯m well, thanks,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡®s good to see you.¡±


    Hearing his voice almost made me lose myposure. I could see in his eyes what he was really telling


    me and it only made things so much harder.


    I cleared my throat and tried to refocus. ¡°You too.¡±


    I¡®de here with every intention of telling him the news of the war conditions proposed by the Silver


    Lake but, seeing him now, I couldn¡®t bring myself to do it. He would know what that meant, what two


    paths would potentially be waiting for me now. But, more importantly, he would know that this was


    goodbye. Regardless of how it went, tomorrow Cai would be free. I¡®d make sure of it.


    ¡°I umm¡­ I just wanted to check in and make sure you¡®re still hanging in there,¡± I half lied, taking a seat at


    the table opposite him. ¡°Are they treating you okay?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Can¡®tin. Since being upgraded to therger room it at least feels a little less...


    prison ¨Cy. Kind of feels more like home arrest now¡­ if my home was a white cell with ufortable


    furniture.¡±


    My lip twitched slightly but I couldn¡®t bring myself to give him a smile at his attempt at humour.


    We were quiet for some time, neither of us knowing what to say. I couldn¡®t speak freely with him and yet


    there was so much I wanted to speak about. It was torture. He was right there in front of me, within arm¡®s


    length, and I couldn¡®t even touch him.


    ...I¡®m sorry.¡± I mouthed to Cai silently. James was at the door within listening range but my back was


    facing him.


    And though I knew Cai couldn¡®t hear me, I hoped desperately that he saw just how sincerely I meant


    that. How much weight I really meant behind those words.


    He looked at me with concern, as if he was sensing exactly what I was feeling, and inside I could feel


    that pit of guilt clench. Everything was bing too much.


    ¡°Well... I¡®m d you¡®re doing okay,¡± I said, no longer having the strength for this anymore. I felt


    overwhelmed, like I couldn¡®t breathe. ¡°I should be going¡­ I¡¯lle by to check on you again... When I


    can.¡±


    I turned my face and was about to stand up when his hand suddenly shot out, sping my wrist to pause


    me.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said. I stared down at his hand in disbelief that he¡®d just done that with James in the room.¡±


    Why does it feel like I¡®m never going to see you again?¡±


    ¡°Cai...,¡± I whispered, darting my eyes in James¡® direction so he¡®d get the hint.


    He looked over at him in irritation, as if he were an obstacle more than a person, and immediately walked


    over to him before I could get another word out.


    I watched as Cai then started to speak to James in a low voice, smiling andughing the whole time,


    before something unimaginable happened.


    ¡°Yeah, all good, man,¡± James finally said loud enough for me to hear,


    ¡°Ah, you¡®re the best,¡± Cai said, patting him on the shoulder like they were best friends. ¡°I¡®ll make sure to


    go easy on you next time.¡±


    ... Then James gave me a small nod¡­ and left the room.


    Cai strode back over towards me like nothing insane had just happened, and I just stared at him, too


    stunned to move. But he didn¡®t notice, not even pausing in the slightest. Instead, Cai immediately leant


    over, grabbing my face gently in his hand, and brought his lips down to mine.


    His taste, his scent, all of it instantly overwhelmed me. In a span of a few seconds I¡®d gone from


    epting that I might never see him again, to kissing him in a cell with a guard on the other side of the


    door.


    ...On the other side of the door.


    Reality kicked back in and I pulled away, breathless.


    ¡°Cai¡­ what the fuck was that,¡± I asked incredulously.


    ¡°What? James? He¡®s a good guy. We y poker all the time when he¡®s on duty. Not a lot to do when


    stuck i na cell twenty¨Cfour seven.¡±


    ¡°...And so he just broke orders.... because you guys are pals?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Well, I mean, he¡®s not really breaking orders. Just hanging out on the other side.¡±


    ¡°Cai...,¡± I said cautiously. ¡°Did you¡­ did you order him?¡±


    ¡°What? No. Of course not. I couldn¡®t even if I wanted to,¡± he replied. ¡°Aria, trust me. All I did was ask if


    we could have a moment to talk in private. He really is just a good guy.¡±


    Chapter Sixty One


    I paused for a moment, thinking it through, before finally nodding. Cai soundedpletely sincere and I


    knew from personal experience that James was capable of bending rules slightly. He¡®d done the same


    thing for me. Not to mention that Cai really had a way with words. I¡®d seen him talk his way out of all


    sorts of situations before. This really shouldn¡®t have been so surprising.


    I sighed. All of this was too much to wrap my head around without the added stresses. After all, if things


    didn¡®t fall in my favour, it might be me living here by this time tomorrow.


    ¡°What¡®s going on, Aria?¡± he asked, bringing my attention back. ¡°Every time you¡®vee to visit me these


    last few months you¡®ve always had this look of determination about you. But today... you look shaken.¡±


    ¡°...!, umm,¡± I started, unsure what to say.


    Was I really going to tell him? It wasn¡®t that I wanted to hide it from him. It was just that telling him felt like


    acknowledging that this really was thest time I¡®d see him. And honestly, I didn¡®t have any strength t o


    spare in order to say goodbye onest time.


    ¡°It¡®s nothing, just stress,¡± I lied. ¡°I found some information and might have a lead to get you out of here...


    but it¡®s dangerous. I¡®m just worried I might not be sessful.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, lifting my chin up to look him in the eyes. ¡°I believe in you. You¡®ll pull it off and you¡®ll be


    back here telling me the good news in no time.¡±


    ¡°Cai... just in case I don¡®t¨C¡±


    He cut me off, silencing me with a kiss.


    ¡°Don¡®t,¡± he said after we¡®d broken apart again. ¡°Don¡®t talk about things you don¡®t know yet. Focus on


    protecting yourself first, don¡®t worry about me. When I see you next, you can tell me the good news.¡±


    ... There wasn¡®t going to be a next time. This was it. This was going to be thest time I saw him. The


    best case scenario was that I might see him again one day at a political meeting from afar¡­ if I wasn¡®t in


    prison and still a Beta.


    | gently brought my hand up to his face, tracing his cheek with my thumb. Being here, next to him, I


    wanted nothing more than to lean in and rx against him. I wanted that infectious energy of his to help


    me forget everything that was going on, help me forget everything I was scared about. But I couldn¡®t.


    Now, more than ever, I needed to show restraint. I needed to be strong enough to sacrifice my own


    freedom for his should ite down to that.


    ¡°No matter what happens to me, please look after yourself,¡± I said. ¡°Knowing you¡®re safe and alive is


    enough to make me happy. Please remember that.¡±


    I saw him frown as he was about to open his mouth to speak, but a knocking suddenly came from the


    door, stopping him before he could.


    ¡°Everything is going to be okay,¡± was all he ended up saying.


    He leaned in, giving me a final quick peck on the forehead, before pulling awaypletely.


    I wanted to reply, to say something, anything, but I couldn¡®t. I knew that if I tried to speak that my voice


    would betray me. Tears were already threatening to spill from my eyes at any second.


    And so I smiled. Onest time. Because this was probably going to be thest image of me he ever had.


    Tomorrow, a new fate would be decided. ...A fate where I couldn¡®t follow him.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Chapter Sixty¨CTwo


    I paced nervously around themunal waiting, located area just outside the meeting hall. Every step in


    unison with the seconds that ticked by on the clock on the wall, my breathing and heart racing so loud it


    was only increasing my anxiety.


    The meeting was nned, everything was ready. All that was left was Aleric. Any minute now he would


    be walking through that door with the news that would decide my fate. How strange that once again I


    would be finding myself tempting death in the hands of Aleric; though now relying on him as my saviour,


    not my executioner. Though I had to admit, I would be lying if I didn¡®t acknowledge that he had been


    doing that very thing anyway thesest few months.


    But no, I wouldn¡®t be killed. I had to believe in Tytus¡® own thirst for power should the worst¨Ccase scenario


    come to y. I had to believe that my value outweighed my death... at least for now.


    Around me were several other people. I could see a few Elders that arrived early were convening to the


    side, quietly chatting, however it was the faces of many unranked individuals that I noticed the most.


    They were the men and women who had heard the news that war was potentially before us, the very


    people who would beying their lives on the line for us. And yet the administrative assistant was unable


    t o tell them anything. They were unranked, their status not high enough to have input in the very thing


    that would potentially kill them¡­ kill their family, their friends¡­ their children.


    They weren¡®t deemed important enough.


    ¡°This is insane! We have a right to know!¡± a man shouted.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± a few yelled around him.


    The tensions had been rising in the room for several minutes now but I could see the nervousness in the


    administrative assistant¡®s face. The group of individuals were slowly bing a crowd as many more


    gathered around from outside to find answers.


    They were scared. Who could me them? I would be too if it was my life being used as fodder on the


    front line because of decisions made higher up; because of decisions I¡®d have no say in. But fear makes


    people do dumb, insane things... things likeunching yourself at the admin assistant who genuinely


    didn¡®t know anything. Who was probably just as scared as the group gathering around them.


    The man grabbed the assistant¡®s shirt, bringing their face up to eye level.


    ¡°Tell us what is really happening!¡± he yelled again.


    ¡°I¨CI don¡®t have that i¨Cinformation. I just work at the f¨Cfront desk,¡± they stammered out.


    The crowd wasn¡¯t pleased with this reply. Grumbles and jeering were voiced throughout the people as


    they were now at a loss of where to look next.


    How had Aleric dealt with this in the past? Was it because they feared him more when he became Alpha


    than they feared the enemy waiting for them? Or did they respect him, knowing that his ability to lead


    and his prowess in battle were enough to inspire? I couldn¡®t recall a single situation like this ever having


    happened in the past under hismand.


    But immediately, the discrepancy in the timelines was exined, answering the question in my mind.


    ¡°For a year now you have controlled us, forced us into strict safety protocols with the fear of being killed


    b y rogues. For Goddess¡® sake, some girl was killed in the park just down the road from town. Now you


    expect us to go to war! We haven¡®t even been allowed to freely live our lives again yet and now you


    expect us to hand them over to you.¡±


    ¡°H¨C1 can¡®t help you. The orders for those protocols came from the Elders. They are the ones who create


    the temte and present it for implementation. I just ry information based on those temtes


    provided.¡±


    Silence hung in the air as the crowd took that information in slowly. Not because it was difficult to


    understand, but because there were Elders present. Elders who were now increasingly bing


    painfully aware of what was happening around them. I saw as their faces transitioned to ones of people


    worried for their own safety. They were very clearly outnumbered; their positions always having been


    safe out of respect, rather than them holding any true authority tomand others in the way that


    ranked members d 0.


    ¡°You!¡± the man yelled out to them.


    He seemed to be the one leading this charge. So much anger inside him and yet so incredibly stupid


    what he was doing. He¡®d alreadyid a hand on the admin assistant. It shouldn¡®t have been that difficult


    to realise that he was going to be punished severely for this, not to mention the repercussions if he didn¡®t


    stop now. Attacking the Elders would be a death sentence.


    And then I saw it. That glimpse in his eye of no longer caring, darkening as his wolf came forward. He


    was really going to attack.


    He took two steps forward, his body poised and then


    ¡°Enough!¡± I yelled out to him,yering my voice thick with what Beta heir authority I had.


    It wasn¡®t dangerous for me to use this tone as it was my own natural one, not derived from my marking. It


    was enough tomand the unranked in this circumstance,


    The man stopped, frozen in ce from my order, and turned his face to look at me. His eyes were dark


    and wild, his wolf on the verge of emerging. He really was about to give up his life for this, I could see


    clearly how serious he was.


    Around us the room had gone silent, my voice having brought utter quiet to everyone in the area. They


    were too scared to move, too worried I would punish them for stepping out of line.


    ¡°...Enough,¡± I repeated, more gently as I walked towards the man. ¡°I know you are tired, I know you are


    scared. We all are. None of us want to lose the people we love.¡±


    ¡°You sit back, privileged in your birth rank, and yet have the audacity to say that,¡± he spat back.


    The crowd shuffled ufortably. I could feel they all agreed but didn¡®t want to voice their approval.


    ¡°You¡®re right, I am privileged,¡± I said. ¡°But I am also like you. I have people I love, people I fight for. And


    when ites to war, even the ranked members are there fighting with you. Hell, it might very well be


    my father who doesn¡®t return next time. I, too, would grieve just as you would your family.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing of death, child,¡± he sneered. ¡°Your family is all alive and well. I had to watch my father


    go to war when I was barely old enough to remember him. He never returned.¡±


    The small irony of his statement wasn¡®t lost on me but, in this life, I knew where he wasing from.


    From his perspective, I could see how it might seem that way. Normal people weren¡®t reincarnated after


    all.


    ¡°...I know death,¡± I finally said calmly. ¡°That girl you so tastefully mentioned before during your outburst


    was my best friend. An unranked girl, a seemingly unimportant one in the grand scheme of this hierarchy.


    And she was murdered, her body left for me to find. But she is not ¡®some girl¡® as you so nicely phrased...


    and you have no right to use her death for yourints. She has a name and she deserves to be


    remembered as such.¡±


    I could see a sh of guilt cross his face as he calmed down, slowly getting control of his emotions


    finally


    ¡°...Her name was Myra,¡± i continued, ¡°She loved books and shopping... and she genuinely cared for


    every person she met. But, most importantly, she was loved... loved by me, loved by her parents, and


    loved by every other person who had the privilege of meeting her. She is more important than just some


    girl,¡± !


    I stepped back and turned my attention to the entire crowd, raising my voice for them all to hear.


    ¡°But it isn¡®t just Myra. All of you are important. All of you are worthy and deserve to know what the higher


    ups choose to do with your lives. Because when ites to war, there is no rank. There is only life... and


    death. Every single one of us will be the same when we die on that field, our blood nourishment for


    the ground, our souls with the Goddess. So I can only hope that, should the daye that you¡®re asked


    toy down your lives for this pack, that the reason will be to protect the people you love. That we love.


    We are one pack, one family. We will grieve as such no matter which family they belong to.¡±


    I could see the confusion spread on their faces as they tried to interpret what I was saying. What I was


    confirming...


    ¡°There will be no war with the Silver Lake pack announced today,¡± I dered. ¡°...I give you my word.¡±


    No one spoke and no one moved. They all looked at me with mixed expressions, unsure which were


    appropriate.


    But finally, a voice spoke out from the back, a woman pushing her way to the front of the crowd.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Saintess,¡± she said; kneeling before me.


    Panic gripped me. This wasn¡®t the response I had wanted or asked for. If anything this made things more


    awkward for my current predicament.


    ¡°What? No... Please, don¡®t do th¨C.¡±


    My voice was cut off as another person came forward, addressing me also as Saintess before they, too,


    were kneeling beside the woman. And then another... and another¡­ and another. And soon the entire


    crowd of unranked were kneeling before me.


    ¡°Please stand up,¡± I begged desperately. ¡°There¡®s no need for this.¡±


    The few Elders present were watching me with wary expressions that I knew would be apanied by


    thoughts that were not in my favour. I couldn¡®t think of a worse situation to find myself in given the events


    that would soon be taking ce.


    ¡°You are blessed by the Goddess¡® hand. May she keep you safe,¡± the first woman said. ¡°For it is within


    your presence, guided by our Great Mother, that we must ask of you to keep us safe. Praise be our


    Saintess.¡±


    ¡°No, plea¨C¡±


    ¡°Praise be our Saintess,¡± the crowd began to echo around her.


    I was about to ask them once more to stand but suddenly I could feel the sensation of eyes burning into


    me, different from the people already here. And, instinctively, I looked up to the door.


    To the door where Aleric stood, watching as the people knelt before me.


    He held my gaze only a moment though, walking across the room towards where the meeting hall was


    instead, without ncing back.


    Shit.


    ¡°Uhh.. rise and be blessed. Return to your families in peace,¡± I awkwardly said to the crowd, hoping it


    sounded devout enough for them to be finally satisfied and leave already.


    Chapas Saly Twa


    However, I didn¡®t wait to check. Quickly, I spun on my heel without another word and walked off in the


    direction I saw Aleric go. I had bigger issues now.


    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,¡± i frantically kept whispering to myself while I walked as fast as I could.


    I¡®d thought things couldn¡®t have been worse with the Elders present, but I¡®d obviously been wrong. Aleric


    showing up at that exact moment was a thousand times worse, only second to if Tytus himself had seen.


    I couldn¡®t do anything though, the people didn¡®t listen to me when I¡®d asked them to stand. I didn¡®t want or


    ask for that.


    I walked down a hallway in the direction of the main meeting hall and finally found Aleric standing at the


    end, his facepletely unreadable. Somehow that was infinitely more disconcerting than if he was


    showing anger, irritation... anything. Literally showing any emotion right then would have been nice.


    He pointed towards a room on the side, indicating for me to enter, and I did so withoutint. It was a


    room usually used for dignitaries of foreign territories to allow them a private ce to wait before a


    meeting. ¨C


    ¡°I don¡®t... I didn¡®t...¡± I fumbled. ¡°I just tried to get them to calm down. I didn¡®t ask¨C,¡±


    He held a hand up to indicate I should stop and I immediately shut my mouth.


    ¡°We don¡®t have time for that,¡± he said, his tone not betraying how he felt on the topic in the slightest. ¡°...


    Jonathan is missing.¡±


    All the air I¡®d been clutching onto inside my chest instantly escaped me as it felt as though a blow had


    been struck.


    ¡°...He didn¡®t show up at the packhouse today,¡± he continued. ¡°I was waiting there for over an hour. When


    h e didn¡®t turn up on time, I went by his house but no one had seen him since he left to go on duty this


    morning.¡±


    ¡°...Has anyone been by to check on Thea yet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°... Yes.¡± He turned his face, averting his eyes from me. ¡°She¡®s gone, Aria. I¡®m sorry. We found her scent


    trail travelling over the border.¡±


    My hand shot out towards the table next to me as I used it to support myself from falling over.


    This was it. Myst lifeline was gone. And yet I couldn¡®t help the bubble ofughter that left my lips. First


    just a slow chuckle, breathy and barely audible, before finally increasing to an eruption of fullughter.


    ¡°...Aria?¡± Aleric asked concerned, watching me like I was insane.


    He was probably right. I was about to lose my entire freedom... and yet it was the small victory that


    pushed me on.


    ¡°Aria, we¡®ll try and find Jonathan,¡± he said, trying to reassure me. ¡°We can postpone the meeting for a


    little longer and have everyone working on the search. Maybe we can prove he was involved still.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t bother looking for him,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°He was working with Thea. She just confirmed it.¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Thea likes to boast, she likes to do things to prove that she¡®s one step ahead of me. Like how she left


    Myra¡®s body with a note. If he really were an innocent in all of this, she would have taken the added risk


    to leave his body somewhere I would find it so I¡®d know it was my fault.¡±


    Her frantic response of running over the border meant only one thing; she was unprepared for what I¡®d


    done.


    Me trovined, trying to understand where I wasing from you think tesdead? How do yo2018 didn¡®t just


    run with her? That he¡®s just hiding out some here until its safe to 0:00 tetorte?


    ¡°Because he¡®s 100 much liability to be left alive. If we got our hands on him then there¡®s no way de


    would trust him enough to remain silent. She knows better than to leare correo eletate


    especially if he knows the names of others involved with all of this


    ¡°...So why are you happy? We¡®ve lost. We¡®re out of time That was yourst chance of freedom oreron,


    I met his gaze and held it as tears formed in my ges. ¡°Well, ito bittersweet, isn¡®t t?fira figures something


    out that Thea underestimated me on i presented one of heroes to be in a publicorers mate and she got


    spoored. She killed a pack member and ran. Once they finally find his body in a fer days, she won¡®t ever


    be able to show her face here again. She¡®s gone..she¡®s rea gore Shes hereing back to the Winter


    Mist.¡±


    I was sure that if I hadn¡®t already lived a prior life, it would have been almost impossible to con Jonathan


    was a spy. They would have covered his tracks well. Thea knen what I was trying to te her by sending


    him; that I knew about his secret. She probably ran inplete confusion vierhontigured it out. There


    was no investigation, no warning, it would look as though I plucked his name out of thinat. And not


    knowing how I did would be eating at her.


    ¡°...But there will still be rogues¡­ still be maybe others infiltrated inside the pack


    A tear fell down my face. ¡°Oh, I know... but it¡®s the small victories, I suppose. Need something to be


    optimistic about when you¡®re about to confess treason to your Alpha And Thea publicly recognised as an


    enemy to the pack? Well... that¡®s the best darnn thing I¡®ve heard in months


    I swatted the tear off my face quickly before raising my head up with confidence. The meeting would be


    starting soon and Goddess knew I needed every ounce of strength inside of me to get through these neri


    few hours... possibly next few years. If I was lucky.


    Though I suppose... Such is life.


    I pushed myself upright, squaring my shoulders and walked to the door. But, as I reached out to the


    handle, I felt Aleric¡®s hand touch mine, pausing me.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he whispered, his face closer to mine than I realised.....Don¡®t do this. Please.¡±


    I stared into his green eyes. So different to the ones I once knew, but still hiding things I¡®d probably never


    know. Did seeing me with the unranked earlier spark thoughts of possible insurrection again? Did he


    mistrust me now? From his perspective, it looked as though I was gathering followers. Any convincingid


    managed to do earlier was probablypletely down the drain now.


    I pulled my hand away, clearing my throat before I spoke.


    ¡°There will be no war with the Silver Lake pack announced today,¡± I said, repeating the words from


    earlier.


    It was the vow I¡®d made to the innocent pack members, the silent promise I¡®d made to Cai years ago


    when I¡®d discovered who he really was.


    There will be no war with the Silver Lake pack.


    Not today. Not ever.


    And so, when I finally found myself looking into the eyes of Alpha Tytus himself, surrounded by every


    Elder and ranked member of our pack, I knew there was only one way out.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± I greeted, bowing my head in respect. ¡°I¡®ve requested your presence here today so that i may


    help prevent a needless war. What I bring to you is evidence that Caius Knight is innocent.¡±


    I took a shaky breath in, meeting his eyes that were full of cold curiosity. The eyes that always made me


    want to squirm away. ¡°Alpha... I am here today to confess my crimes of treason.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Chapter Sixty¨CThree


    ¡°Alpha... I am here today to confess my crimes of treason.¡±


    The room around me became icy cold, a deafening silence hanging as no one even dared to breathe too


    loudly. All of them too shocked over my words.


    And, among them, seeming the most shocked and hurt... my father. I hadn¡®t told him what i¡®d done. In


    fact, we¡®d barely spoken thest few months since we¡®d had that argument about Thea. Not because I


    was still angry at him, Goddess knew I was in the wrong there, but because I was ashamed. I¡®d tried to


    force him into doing something that jeopardised not only his safety, but my mother¡®s also. Even in


    grieving, it was stupid.


    Tytus looked me up and down, the only person who hadn¡®t been affected by my sudden announcement.


    Knowing him, his mind was already thinking of ways to turn whatever I was about to say into something


    that could benefit him.


    ¡°...borate,¡± was all he said.


    Strong. I needed to be strong.


    ¡°....,¡± I started, my voice choking up from nerves before I could get the words out.


    Focus.


    ¡°I... I am responsible for the attack upon Ray, the warrior working evidence that night,¡± I finally said. ¡°I


    went to acquire the knife for my own personal vendetta. In doing so, Ray and I got into a semi¨Cphysical


    altercation whereby he tried to restrain me.¡±


    I could feel Aleric¡®s eyes on me, almost silently willing me to stop; stop before I said more than I needed t


    o. I¡®d left him in that room without any room for discussion, knowing without any doubt that this was what


    I needed to do.


    ¡°Regretfully, in my grief and rage,¡± I continued, ¡°I ordered that he let me go so I could continue what I¡®d


    set out to do. Ray then lost his footing in surprise, falling and inflicting injury upon himself. It was not my


    intention for him to get hurt... I was only determined for justice and it was an unfortunate result.¡±


    ¡°...Justice?¡± Tytus prompted, his face unreadable as he listened. Like father, like son. They did that so


    infuriatingly well.


    ¡°I believe wholeheartedly that the one responsible for Myra¡®s death was the girl, Thea. I felt... guilty¡­


    wronged... angry that no one else could see it. So I made the mistake of trying to deliver what I thought


    would be justice; I wanted to kill her with the knife she used to take Myra¡®s life¡­ and I wanted to do it


    slowly, poisoning her insides with the silver. Only I wasn¡®t strong enough to finish the job.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­,¡± he said, taking a second to let everything sink in. After a few moments, he finally adjusted in


    his chair, frowning. ¡°So how did the knife end up at the Knight boy¡®s housing then?¡±


    My chest clenched. I hadn¡®t thought through what to say for that. Of course, he¡®d want to know that


    information. In trying to avoid a war though, I couldn¡®t just defuse one problem only to rece it with


    another.


    I looked to Aleric. Just a quick nce, my eyes flicking for only a second, but it was enough to see him


    ever so slightly shake his head. That secret would hurt everyone involved and only serve to create more


    conflict


    ¡°...Cai and I are old high school friends,¡± I finally said. ¡°A good man. He found me after I¡®d fallen asleep in


    the woods and graciously allowed me to sleep on his couch. My father and I had fought terribly only


    Chapter Sixty Three


    hours earlier and I didn¡®t feel ready to go home yet. I must have dropped the dagger identally during


    m y fatigue. I am thankful for his kindness.¡±


    ¡°Well, you see...,¡± Tytus said, taking a deep breath after having heard my story. ¡°Therein lies part of the


    issue here. You have beening to me almost every week since Caius¡® incarceration, advocating for


    his release. Some might say... almost a bit too passionately. Now you¡®vee to tell me a story, on the


    cusp of war, where you im to hold strong enough authority to override top tier orders. Only someone


    of Alpha blood could attempt something of that magnitude¡­ so I¡®m inclined not to believe you, Aria.


    Whatever this... motivation is, I feel that perhaps it might not be entirely without... emotional influence,


    shall we say?¡±


    I felt my legs go weak. He didn¡®t believe me? And not just that, but he hinted suspicion over Cai and I¡®s


    rtionship.


    But, no, the only people who knew for certain about that were Cai, Aleric and myself. Anything he


    believed, in that respect, would have to be spection at best. So long as I didn¡®t provide that


    confirmation myself, he wouldn¡®t be able to prove it.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± I said between clenched teeth. ¡°With all due respect, I would remind you that I am also a


    Saintess, not just a mere Beta heir. Whilst I vehemently regret my actions that ultimately undermined


    your authority, I am fully capable of the events I spoke of today.¡±


    ¡°Very well then...,¡± he said before raising an eyebrow questioningly, almost daring me to argue back. ¡°...


    Prove it.¡±


    Prove¡­ it?


    ¡°Alpha? I don¡®t think I understand your meaning.¡±


    ¡°You im to hold the authority to override evenmands from an Alpha. So, prove it... or I will be


    forced to not believe your ims.¡±


    I felt sick, the pressure of his demand being almost too much to bear. Thest time I¡®d used that tone of


    authority, it had almost killed me. I still vividly remembered the increasingly worse effects it had on me,


    building up until I almost passed out on top of Thea in the hospital. A crucial moment I had needed it¡­


    and I¡®d failed.


    ... Yet now I needed it once more. Not just that, but to demonstrate it in front of Tytus and the entire


    council so they could all stand witness.


    Would it kill me this time?


    ¡°Bring a warrior in, please,¡± Tytus ordered.


    There was a momentary pause as the doors to the hall were opened and a warrior stepped inside,


    approaching to bow his head to Tytus.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± they greeted.


    ¡°Ah, Anthony, perfect. Good to see you. Pardon me whilst I do this, but,¡± Tytus¡® tone then instantly


    changed to one of an Alpha, ¡°I hereby order you to stand there until further notice. All further orders,


    regardless of who they are from, are to be disregarded until I personally excuse you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    I looked around nervously at the faces surrounding me, all expecting me to perform for them. It wasn¡®t as


    though I didn¡®t want to prove it... more so that I hadn¡®t been able to grasp ahold of the energy required to


    aplish it recently; nor had i particrly wanted to after seeing how it endedst time.


    ¡°Alpha¡­,¡± I said carefully. ¡°The situation back then was under extenuating circumstances and I paid a


    price. This... authority... came at a cost that was almost my life. It was the reason I never sessfully


    killed Thea as I¡®d nned to do. When I used themand out of desperation, it was almost my


    undoing.


    Tytus scrutinised me, observing my every move as though I was an opponent in chess rather than just a


    girl trying to aplish something for the greater good.


    ¡°Well, I suppose it all depends on how determined you are now to save the Knight boy¡®s life then,


    wouldn¡®t you say, Aria?¡±


    There was no way out of this. Tytus was clearly set on either having me prove myself or allow for the


    wart o break out. Or was it perhaps that he wanted my ims to be true? That there was some oue


    ne sought to gain from my confession being confirmed absolutely legitimate with witnesses?


    I turned to look at Anthony, steadying my breathing as much as possible, and reached towards where i


    remembered that energy inside me was. It was lurking, just out of reach, but if I could just... stretch... just


    a little bit more...


    ¡°Anthony, t order...,¡± my words came out tly. There was no more authority to my tone than that of my


    Beta status,


    I couldn¡®t do it.


    ¡°Alpha, I can¡®t...,¡± I said, anxiety beginning to build itself up inside me. ¡°I can¡®t control it. Last time it just...


    happened.¡±


    Tytus sharply exhaled, a mild hint of irritation as he did so. ¡°So, what I¡®m hearing is that you¡®recking the


    appropriate level of motivation, is that right?¡±


    ¡°I just¨C¡±


    ¡°Very well then,¡± he said, cutting me off. He then turned his attention to an attendant nearby. ¡°Bring Caius


    i


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Right away, Alpha,¡± they replied, leaving to carry out his request.


    ¡°No. No, that¡®s not necessary,¡± | interjected. ¡°I¨CI¡®ll try again. I¡®m sure I can manage.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Everything you¡®ve told me today has indicated that this authority is only achievable during a


    more serious circumstance. So be it.¡±


    The doors then opened behind me and I sharply spun my head towards where Cai was being brought


    in.


    His eyes immediately fell to where I stood, disregarding everyone else present. He looked confused,


    worried... all things to be expected since I¡®d kept this n of mine from him. Most likely he wasn¡®t even


    aware that his father had threatened war. But more so than that, he looked as though he wanted to say


    something to me, to question why I was here, but he knew better than to speak here among this council.


    ¡°Right,¡± Tytus said, forcing my attention back to him. ¡°So, Aria, you¡®re either telling the truth, in which


    case Caius here would therefore be innocent, or you¡®re lying, in which case we¡®ll be at war with the Silver


    Lake packe sundown. The way I see it, if you are unable to aplish this feat and Caius were to


    be killed right now, it would only benefit us in the battles of war if we removed the Alpha heir early on. We


    may as well take advantage of such a thing.¡±


    I felt my breathing constrict in my throat, my body numbing. This was sick even for Tytus.


    They were going to kill him.


    ¡°Alpha, please don¡®t¨C¡±


    ¡°Anthony, your orders are to kill Caius Knight,¡± Tytusmanded. ¡°Same as before; all further orders,


    regardless of who they are from, are to be disregarded until I personally excuse you. There will be no


    shifting, no messy death. I want this to be clean given our current location. Use a dagger, I suppose.¡±


    Chapter Sixty Three


    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Anthony drew a knife from his side and began carrying out his orders. ¡°Alpha Tytus, are you


    sure you want to do this?¡± Cai yelled out as he paced backwards slowly.


    I wasn¡®t sure how much of the situation he had figured out but I was sure that there was no mistaking


    Tytus¡® order to have him killed.


    His words fell on deaf ears though; Tytus didn¡®t even seem to register that he¡®d spoken.


    Anthony¡®s hand lunged out as he went in for the attack however Cai expertly moved to avoid it. Even in


    silver handcuffs, he was still more skilled in defence than an average warrior, we all knew it. But the cuffs


    significantly prevented the wearer from using any of their abilities; essentially making them human.


    Whilst he was skilled to avoid the attacks, he wouldn¡®t have the endurance to keep going for long.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± I yelled. ¡°Please! Don¡®t do this!¡± It came out more like a frantic plea than any kind ofmand.


    Anthony continued to advance on Cai in a deadly dance for some time, every time getting closer and


    closer until, finally, his de slit across his chest.


    ¡°No!¡±


    I watched as Cai fell to his knees before Anthony, his chest heaving from exhaustion and blood


    beginning to seep into his shirt. Any second now...


    Anthony grabbed Cai¡®s shoulder with one hand to steady him and, with the other, he positioned himself


    to strike...


    And then...


    ¡°Enough! Don¡®t touch him!¡± I ordered, a burst of energying forward to give myself the authority


    required.


    Anthony¡®s hand that had been going to make the final strike was suddenly halted, his body frozen.


    ¡°I said don¡®t touch him!¡±


    Instantly Anthony¡®s hand dropped away from Cai¡®s shoulder and he stepped back, confused why his


    body wasn¡®t responding anymore.


    Relief and dizziness swept through me as I fell to my kneespletely drained. I¡®d done it. Cai would be


    freed and I¡®d proven myself by legitimising my ims. There wouldn¡®t be any doubt now that I was fully


    capable of overriding even orders given by an Alpha.


    A deep cough choked itself out of me and my mouth became full of the familiar metallic taste of my own


    blood. Interestingly enough though, I found that physically I felt not as bad as when I¡®d failed to order


    Thea. Was it because I¡®d had time to replenish over these months, or was it something else? Maybe


    because I was getting closer to my first shift? My brain wanted to wander and explore the different


    possibilities more but Tytus dragged my attention back to reality.


    ¡°How fascinating,¡± Tytus said, observing me closely before addressing the attendant once more. ¡°Please


    escort Caius out now and get one of the doctors to examine his injury. I¡®ll have someone deliver the


    verdict to him soon.¡±


    Cai was then dragged back out of the room, his body barely even able to stand anymore. I had to believe


    he¡®d be okay though, that all of this wasn¡®t going to be for nothing.


    ¡°Aria... what are we going to do with you?¡± Tytus mused to himself before turning to where the Elders


    sat.¡± Elder Luke, you¡®d consider yourself a curator of knowledge when ites to lore and religion,


    would you not?¡±


    Chaule Sixty Thea


    Elder Luke leaned forward in his chair abruptly, probably surprised he was being called upon,


    He cleared his throat before speaking. ¡°Well, I suppose you could look at it that way, Alpha. I have been


    known to collect information regarding the more... fantastical side of our species. Though I¡®d be lying if I


    said Aria hadn¡®t challenged my beliefs as to how much of that is actually fiction. After all, her mark is


    absolute proof of our deity¡®s existence.¡±


    Tytus nodded his head thoughtfully. ¡°That would be a fair assessment. I do wonder though, in your years


    o fresearch, have youe across anything to do with Saints? I see the girl used her authority once and


    looks about ready to pass out.¡±


    Elder Luke met my gaze, a look of sympathy in his eyes as he stared down at me,


    ¡°There has only been a very limited amount of Saints known to exist, Alpha. Only one has been vaguely


    recorded in history but I believe there were perhaps two others prior to that. There is, unfortunately, no


    information regarding their abilities however it is publicly known that their authority is higher than that of a


    n Alpha; this is not new information. As for her condition... that, I¡®m afraid, I cannot answer with certainty.


    Perhaps it is to do with her age?¡±


    The room was silent as they listened carefully to every word Elder Luke had said. The respect from his


    peers, and everyone else in this room, was clearly evident.


    ¡°... Though,¡± he continued, ¡°I could also specte that perhaps it is just a matter of her trying to run


    before learning to walk. She¡®s overriding Alpha orders that no other person alive should be able to. I


    imagine that the amount of energy required to do such a thing would be significant, especially if one were


    not used to doing it. None of us have our first shift and miraculously know how to move in our wolf form


    perfectly; it i s something we learn. Instinctively, it would be the same as the ranked children who grow


    up learning tomand others utilising their birth authority. If Aria only recently discovered this ability


    stemming from her mark, I would imagine it is usible that perhaps she just isn¡®t ready for invoking the


    full authority of a Goddess without practice.¡±


    ¡°Your insight is valuable as always,¡± Tytus praised, to which Elder Luke bowed his head respectfully. ¡°But


    i t doesn¡®t exactly reassure me of your future, Aria.¡±


    Everyone¡®s attention immediately fell back onto me and I wanted to shrink away. But I¡®de too far for


    that now. There was no going back.


    I picked myself up, raising my head, and looked Tytus in the eye as he delivered his verdict.


    ¡°Aria, your actions have proven that you are a potential threat to this pack, a threat to myself and a threat


    t o my son¡®s future. You purposely looked to act alone in your own form of justice rather than to correctly


    present your case to your Alpha and abide by our packws. You¡®ve admitted to attacking not only one of


    our own pack members but also someone who was under our protection. Were this an ordinary


    circumstance, I would have you sentenced to death immediately.¡±


    My father looked as though he were about to protest however Tytus kept speaking, ignoring his


    movement.


    ¡°...However, this is not an ordinary circumstance, is it? So, I think we should stop ying this game, Aria,


    and finally be realistic. Obviously, you¡®ve forfeited any future of bing Beta and you will be stripped of


    that title ordingly. This shouldn¡®t be a surprise.¡±


    Even though I knew that would be the case, it still hurt to hear it. I¡®d worked so hard for that, broken


    traditions and trained every day. It felt as though a piece of me was being taken away.


    ¡°However,¡± Tytus continued, ¡°our pack¡®s prophecy does state that your union with Aleric will bring


    sess to the Winter Mist, something that even I cannot disregard with our pack¡®s best interest in


    mind... So I believe it¡®s time we acknowledge that you¡®re old enough now to discuss matters such as


    potential,


    Chapter Sixty¨CThree


    partners¡­ It¡®s time for you to prepare yourself to be Luna one day and ept your fate with


    Aleric.¡±


    No.


    I thought they were going to throw me in a cell and asionally show me off to other packs from time to


    time. But making me Luna one day was illogical, not to mention risky. What was to stop me from running


    away?


    ¡°That being said, it¡®s clear that you can¡®t be trusted and your alliance is easily broken when it suits you,¡±


    Tytus said. ¡°You¡®re too much of a liability with this authority of yours. So the punishment for your crimes


    will be in the form of insurance. Insurance that this pack will not need to be concerned about where your


    loyalties lie.¡±


    Tytus leaned forward. I knew whatever he was about to say couldn¡®t be anything good.


    ¡°Aria, to ensure the prosperity of this pack now, and in the future, I hereby order that you will be


    tiedt o Aleric under the eyes of our Goddess, forever joining your fates together.¡±


    My breath hitched in my throat, forgetting how to momentarily function as the realisation of his words


    dawned on me.


    ¡°Aria... you will willingly offer yourself up to be marked by Aleric. This has gone on long enough and there


    will be no further arguments.¡±

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Chapter Sixty¨CFour


    In the past timeline, I was sixteen when I first realised I had feelings for Aleric, eighteen when I knew I


    was in love with him.


    All my life I¡®d grown up believing that he would be mine one day, hoping I would make him proud. I was


    groomed, controlled, and moulded to be the perfect Luna from the moment I was born.


    I remembered my first shift, how it felt once I saw him with the mate bond connecting us. It was like the


    air around him shimmered, beckoning me forward, demanding that I gravitate around him. If I focused


    enough, I could even still recall how his skin felt on mine; like tiny sparks of pleasure wherever it


    touched. So strong, an incredible leader, and capable of feats in battle no one else had aplished.


    Those were the good memories of Aleric I¡®d buried.


    So why was my mind surfacing this now? Maybe I was trying to justify to myself that at one point in my


    life I¡®d wanted this. That the old Aria would have revelled in this moment. To wear an Alpha¡®s mark was


    regarded as the highest point of honour any female could achieve in a pack. So what did I want now? 1


    ... Did my wants even matter anymore? What choice was there if it was this or war?


    Though, if there was anyone else in the room whose desires should have been taken into consideration,


    they were standing by Tytus¡®s side... looking furious.


    Aleric¡®s eyes held that same glint in them that I¡®d seen right before he¡®d killed people in the past. The


    look of cold fury you didn¡®t want to find yourself the subject of.


    ¡°No,¡± was all he said to Tytus, his voice like ice.


    Several people around me flinched and I couldn¡®t me them for feeling that way. If you weren¡®t used to


    seeing Aleric like this, it could be a scary sight to behold the first time. And from what I¡¯d seen of him in


    this life, it was rare to see him like this now.


    But rather than flinch, abination of mixed feelings swelled inside me instead. I didn¡®t want him to


    mark me, sure, but a small remnant inside me stung at hearing the same rejection from him again that I¡®d


    repeatedly heard in the past.


    ¡°No, I¡®m not doing that,¡± Aleric continued.


    ¡°Alec, I¡®m not asking you,¡± Tytus replied tly.


    ¡°I should have a choice¨C.¡±


    ¡°You did have a choice,¡± Tytus interrupted. ¡°You chose to help Aria cover this up for thest few months.


    You didn¡®t think I realised that already?¡±


    The two stared at each other with such silent hostility that the lower ranks in the room shifted


    ufortably under the pressure. It was like a tangible air of enmity filled the room around us.


    Finally, Aleric broke first, turning his face to the side in frustration, his teeth gritted.


    It was submission.


    Without further argument, I watched as he then walked towards me, eyes cast down, every step making


    uncertainty churn inside me the closer he came.


    What was he feeling right now? Anger? Frustration? No... this felt like something else.


    He finally met my eyes when he stood only a few feet away and I saw something unexpected as !


    searched for my answers. His face softened immediately from the ice that had been there only moments


    earlier... and instead he looked ashamed, embarrassed... guilty even.


    Chapter Sixty full


    And as he halted in ce, I looked back as stoically as I could, II wasn¡®t going to make it easier for either


    of us if I betrayed how I felt at that moment. How terrified I was of lying myself to the future of uncertainty


    i¡®d tried so hard to avoid. But, without a word, 1 silently gatlieved my loose hair up in my hand and


    brushed it to the side, giving him clear ess to the area ho¡®d need,


    If this was the price of saving thousands of lives, of saving Cai, then so be it,


    I¡®d always imagined growing up that this moment would be special, more intimate, i queas all of that


    could have been disregarded and I would have just selled for someone who actually wanted to mark me


    Maybe I should have found someone from the Winter Mist to do il months ago. Aller all, it wasn¡®t like


    Tytus could un¨Cmark me and a person from this pack wouldn¡®t cause a war like Coi would have


    But, deep down, I had to believe that Alenc had changed, that we had changed. Perhaps he still didn¡®t


    want me in that way this time around, but maybe the friendship wo¡®d forged over thest few years would


    prevail enough to ensure it wasn¡®t a repeat of tragedy


    ¡°I¡®m sorry,¡± I whispered when he finally stood next to me,


    He rubbed at his face ufortably before sighing. I wished the Goddess had given me an ability to


    read minds rather than the cursed vision atrocity she¡®d bestowed instead. How I so badly wanted to know


    what he was thinking.


    Aleric shifted before hesitantly cing one hand on my shoulder, the other supporting the side of my


    head, and slowly, he moved in. I could feel his warm breath along my neck and my body reacted,


    tensingu p in anticipation of what was about to happen next


    ¡°Breathe,¡± he reminded me softly and I nodded my head ever so slightly. He must have realised I¡®d been


    holding my breath since before he leaned in


    Could he feel my body trembling? Hear my heart racing? Surely he¡®d have lo since he was so close,


    courtesy of his enhanced senses. Or maybe he was too preupied with the task at hand, focusing on


    bringing his wolf forward enough toplete the job.


    His grip suddenly tightened on me and I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing what was about to happen


    next


    ...But nothing came.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± he whispered, barely audible even to myself,


    My eyes immediately flew open in surprise but I didn¡®t know how to reply. It was already a loaded


    question even without the many eyes of the ranked council watching, expecting this marking to be


    happening. Where would I even begin to start answering that?


    But before I could reply, I felt him exhale.


    ¡°I suppose it doesn¡®t matter,¡± he whispered. ¡°You¡®re probably going to resent me either way


    He then pulled away from me and I caught sight of how dark his eyes were, proof of how close he¡®d


    beent o marking me. Nervously, I swallowed, unsure what he was nning next


    ¡°I¡®m not marking her,¡± Aleric dered ¡°She¡®s not even of age yet Youre asking me to mark someone who


    can¡®t even shift.¡±


    Tytus narrowed his eyes. ¡°Alec, this¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aleric said coldly, interrupting Tytus this time. ¡°I¡®m not doing it.¡±


    With how close his wolf was to the surface, mixed in with his absolute determination to disobey our


    Alpha¡®s orders, it was a dangerous sight. If I didn¡®t know any better, I would have thought Alenc was


    nning to take this as far as challenging him. Was this his alternative? To create civil war instead?


    Chapter Sixty F OUI


    The sound of someone clearing their throat then sounded out; what felt almost like an intrusion to the


    disy urring in front of us. Immediately, everyone¡®s eyes turned to the direction it came from.


    It was Elder Luke.


    ¡°Alpha... with all due respect,¡± he started, ¡°I¡®m inclined to agree with the young Alpha heir here. Putting


    aside the more morally questionable arguments to be made about marking someone underage by force,


    1 would also like to point out that we don¡®t hold much information in regards to the ramifications that


    biologically it would hold. By nature, the marking process isying im to the other¡®s wolf, an instinct


    derived from our beast side. I feel as though we would be ignoring the obvious here if we went ahead


    with this, noting that Aria having no wolf yet is a possible risk. I don¡®t intend to tell you the best course of


    action here, of course, but it would be wise to keep in mind that this would be unknown territory, even


    potentially fatal. Because... well... I¡®m no doctor, but I imagine the girl¡®s healing ability isn¡®t yet equivalent


    t o someone of age... and we¡®re nning to rip into her neck.¡±


    I¡®d never been so relieved in my life to hear that I might have just died moments earlier. It was enough to


    almost make my legs give out from under me. I knew this man was far too good for this pack. How many


    times had Elder Luke tried to rescue me now?


    The room was quiet, everyone realising that there was truth to his words. And this was probably what


    worried them as they held their breath, waiting for our Alpha to speak.


    Tytus didn¡®t seem pleased with this reasoning, his mind probably focused on ensuring I was contained. In


    his head, it was probably still worth the risk or he¡®d kill me anyway to guarantee no one else got their


    hands on me.


    ¡°This is the way it must be to ensure the prosperity of this pack,¡± Tytus concluded. ¡°If we need to call for


    a doctor then so be it, but I don¡®t see any other way apart frompletely chaining her up... and we all


    know her status will make that difficult to maintain.¡±


    He was referring to those who would see my obvious imprisonment within a jail cell as a direct insult to


    the Goddess. I wasn¡®t sure if hearing his concern about it made me hopeful or scared.


    ¡°Then we think of something else,¡± Aleric said. ¡°Even if it means keeping her in silver handcuffs, I¡®m sure


    there is apromise to be made here.¡±


    His words had been said in over¨Cexaggeration, not to be taken literally, but some hadn¡®t picked up on the


    undertone.


    ¡°...What if we did something simr...,¡± a different Elder spoke up. I recognised them as Elder Nathaniel


    who typically was a voice of opposition for me. ¡°What if we applied the same principle as silver cuffs, but


    adapted it to a more mobile and practical form? Say... a cor, for instance? Something to ensure that


    area of the neck remains untouched.¡±


    ¡°... That could work,¡± Tytus replied in thought.


    I took a step forward. ¡°Wait... hold on a second¨C.¡±


    Aleric¡®s hand grabbed mine to get me to stop speaking and I looked up at him in outrage.


    ¡°They want to cor me like a pet dog,¡± I hissed.


    He leaned over, his body towering over me as he moved towards my ear. ¡°Do you prefer the alternative,


    Aria?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    ...Was this really worse than being marked?


    Instantly, I bit my tongue and turned away, pulling my hand out of his grip forcefully.


    In front, I could feel Tytus¡® eyes watching me but I refused to look at him. Was he gloating inside


    knowing


    I hated this idea?


    ¡°Alpha, prolonged exposure to silver may also have unknown results, ¡± Alpha Luke chimed in.


    ¡°I¡®d hardly see the mild sensation that silver causes to the surface of our skin as anything of dire


    consequence,¡± Elder Nathaniel argued back. ¡°So long as she doesn¡®t keep any open wounds near it, I


    would think the whole thing is harmless enough. No one here can deny that it would be the most


    effective way of containing all her abilities, all the while allowing her to still move freely. Within reason, of


    course.¡±


    The continued silence in the room was only more proof that everyone was actually considering this, that


    they were all in agreement that this would be the best way to proceed.


    I turned to Elder Luke, desperately hoping he had some other argument to counter Elder Nathaniel, but


    he looked as though he was holding his tongue. Perhaps he did know of how best to argue back but


    considered this to actually be the only viable alternative to the marking. Was this mercy or a slow torture i


    n his mind?


    ¡°Fine, then it¡®s settled,¡± Tytus said. ¡°Elder Nathaniel please work on having a cor fashioned for Aria


    immediately.¡± His eyes then narrowed towards me. ¡°Not too loose though. I don¡®t want there to be room


    for any... stray Alpha heir teeth to get in.¡±


    He was referring to Cai. It looked as though he was refusing to let his hunch about us go.


    ¡°Oh... and one more thing,¡± he added. ¡°I¡®ve shown leniency today, noting the advice from the council, but


    that will not be the case in the future. Upon Aria¡®s eighteenth birthday, she will be marked by Aleric. That i


    s not up for discussion. The cor is merely a means to ensure we get to that point without issue.¡±


    Less than a year. I had less than a year before my real punishment would be carried out. What could I


    possibly do in such a short amount of time and with all my freedoms stripped from me?


    But there were still more important matters yet to be taken care of.


    ¡°Does this ensure the release of Cai safely back to The Silver Lake pack?¡± I asked. ¡°That we won¡®t be


    participating in a war with them?¡±


    Tytus sighed in annoyance, as if already tired of my existence in his presence.


    ¡°Yes, yes, fine,¡± he conceded, waving me off. ¡°War is far too expensive anyway.¡±


    He then gave the order for Cai to be let go and escorted to the border immediately, giving me at least


    somefort that all of this sacrifice had merit.


    Texhaled, the fatigue finally hitting me as the weight of all those lives came off my shoulders. Things


    could be set right now, even if it still left many more challenges ahead.


    The hours that came after consisted mostly of sitting around in handcuffs, surrounded by several guards


    whilst they forged the silver cor for me. Since I had no idea what the silver process involved, the hours


    seemed to drag excruciatingly slow as I had no indication of how long it would take.


    At some point during the wait, I realised Cai would have made it over the border and would be on his


    way home already. Was he thinking of me? Hisst memory of us was going to be in that meeting hall,


    fighting for his life as he was almost killed by my pack under false charges.


    A part of me hoped he did hate me. At least it would make things easier to think that. I hoped that he


    would return home and continue on with his life... I hoped that he would be happy. Because if all of this


    had taught me anything, it was that the best thing I could do for the safety of myself, as well as others,


    was to try and forget about Cai... even if it broke me little to even consider that.


    The Goddess had said that she couldn¡®t change my mate, that the destiny of Aleric and I was set in


    stone. It was starting to feel as though the more I tried to stray from that path, the more damage it was


    leaving i nits wake. How in depth was the radius around that fate? Did it mean I was meant to return and


    y the


    role of Luna as well? Be the docile, quiet girl i¡®d been in the past? Don¡®t ask questions, be obedient, act


    only in the interest of the pack and your Alpha, never yourself. Serve your mate to the best of your ability.


    What exactly was I meant to be changing if not the entire circumstances that lead to my original


    demise?


    I suddenly felt exhausted, now tired of fighting for the future. Couldn¡®t someone else take over? Thea


    would be banned from the pack within the next few days and I couldn¡®t see Aleric falling for her any time


    soon. Maybe that would be enough... enough to stop whatever it was Selene wanted me to prevent.


    The Elders finally arrived then, the cor in hand, and they began the process of fastening it around my


    neck. I could feel the very mild burn sensation it caused to my skin but it was no worse than the cuffs that


    had been on my wrists only moments earlier. I was sure that soon I wouldn¡®t even notice it at all once it


    became the new norm.


    ¡°I wouldn¡®t rmend trying to remove it,¡± Elder Nathaniel said, eyeing me off as I gently felt around the


    contraption. ¡°It¡®s been enforced with the strongest metal we could find so you¡®ll only hurt yourself if you


    try anything. The only way to remove it is with the key and I believe Alpha Tytus said he will be keeping


    that on his person at all times.¡±


    ¡®Brilliant,¡® I thought miserably to myself.


    The only thing I wanted to do now was go home and sleep. Maybe never go outside again. This


    abomination around my neck was an eyesore and not exactly discreet. The thought of the pack seeing m


    e contained like this was degrading and humiliating enough.


    In a daze, I followed as they escorted me out of the meeting hall and into a car. Several warriors followed


    and I assumed that was always going to be the case from now on. They might have stripped me of all my


    abilities but they hadn¡®t technically tied me down here yet. A mark would have caused me pain had


    strayed too far from Aleric for an extended period of time, thereby tethering me here. But a cor


    wouldn¡®t do that. They would need to keep an eye on me still.


    ¡°Time to get out,¡± a voice said from the driver¡®s seat, cutting through my thoughts.


    I looked up and exited the car without paying too much attention... only to realise we weren¡®t at my


    home.


    ¡°W¨Cwhy did you bring me here?¡± I asked nervously. ¡°I thought you were taking me home?¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± one of the warriors replied. ¡°Our instructions were to take you to where you¡®ll be residing from


    now on. The Alpha has advised that you¡®re to be moved to the packhouse immediately in order to


    ensure, not only your own safety, but also to allow an easier transition for when you¡®ll be Luna one


    day.¡±


    Lies. They just wanted to keep an eye on me, confine me to an area that would be harder for me to


    escape from. I knew from previous experience in the past just how difficult it was to run away under the


    eyes of the packhouse¡­ and that was before I had a cor on me.


    ¡°Come along,¡± a different warrior said, guiding me with a hand to my elbow.


    Without hesitating, I quickly snatched my arm away from their grip. ¡°I can walk by myself, thank you.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I followed behind as they led me forward, all the while wondering which of the spare rooms they¡®d be


    having me stay in until Aleric became Alpha. I vaguely remembered someone once telling me about a


    smaller room on the second floor that had nice sun in the morning. Maybe I¡®d be lucky enough to have


    somewhere like that to wait out the time until my eighteenth birthday.


    But as they led me through the familiar hallways and stairs, a pit of uneasiness began to grow in my


    stomach.


    ...Because they weren¡®t taking me to a spare room.


    They were taking me to my old room. The Luna quarters. The very ce I¡®d suffered abuse for years.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Sixty¨CFive


    ¡®Three hundred and one... three hundred and two¡­ three hundred and three... three hundred and


    four....¡®


    I crept my fingers like legs along the wooden panel as I sat curled up on the seat of the windowsill nook. I


    n my head, I would count the steps I made until my hand couldn¡®t reach any further... then I¡®d repeat.


    How many steps could I count until I was eighteen?


    Everything felt like it blended together, almost as if two timelines were now indistinguishable. It must


    have been at least a month or two since they dragged me in here kicking and screaming. I had tried to


    run the minute I saw where they were taking me, a reaction that surprised even myself. But this ce


    held worse memories for me than even the trial grounds where I¡®d died.


    ¡®*¡°No, not here,¡°+¡® I had said adamantly as they tried to force me to go inside. ¡®*¡°Anywhere but here.¡±


    ¡®*¡°This is where you¡®ve been instructed to live, Ma¡®am. It¡®s not up for discussion.¡°*¡±


    I was addressed as ¡®Ma¡®am¡® or ¡®Miss¡® now. No longer a Beta heir, not yet a Luna, but everyone too


    nervous to call me Saintess in light of the events of that day.


    ¡®*¡°Tell Tytus that if he wants something of me marked so badly, then he can mark my words,¡°*¡® I¡®d spat


    back at them when things had escted to a point beyond reason. Their hands had grabbed at me


    around my waist as I had tried to wriggle free. ¡®*¡°Tell him that as soon as I¡®m free, I¡®ming for him. Tell


    him that he can go fuck¨C,¡±


    | shook off the memory, focusing back on my counting instead. They ended up having to lock me inside


    for the first few days until I stopped pounding at the door. Then, once the first week had gone by, time


    started to blend together. Now they couldn¡®t get me to leave.


    Some days I wondered if I was even brought back to life or whether the events up until now were all a


    fever dream I¡®d concocted after failing to escape with Sophie. Everything looked the same, felt the same,


    smelt the same¡­ the only difference was within the people who visited... and this cor around my


    neck.


    ¡°Ariadne,¡± a familiar voice echoed, like a distant memory.


    In the past, I used to go into the garden; it was somewhere I¡®d go when I needed a break from it all. I


    would go running in the woods and let my wolf explore before we¡®d inevitably have to drag ourselves


    back to reality. I didn¡®t have a wolf yet though and it wasn¡®t like this cor would have made that of any


    benefit anyway. But more so than that, I just didn¡®t like the idea of people seeing me like this. The less


    that knew, the better.


    ¡°Ariadne.¡±


    Even the books here were ones I¡®d already read repeatedly. There were only so many times I could read


    about the ¡®100 Greatest Battles of Wolf Kind¡® or ¡®The Twenty Steps of a Sessful Luna¡® before


    beginning to hate even the thought of picking a book up. But even if I asked someone to go to the library


    for me, it was unlikely there would be many books in there that I hadn¡®t already read at least once.


    ¡®Three hundred and eighty¨Cfour¡­ three hundred and eighty¨Cfive¡­ three hundred and eighty¨Csix....¡¯


    ¡°Aria!¡± the voice cut through, forcing me to realise it wasn¡®t just in my head.


    I looked up startled, blinking several times as I refocused.


    It was Aleric. How long had he been here?


    ¡°Oh... hello,¡± I said, my voice sounding distant. ¡°I didn¡®t hear you arrive. Have you been here long?¡±


    I rigidly stood up, inclining my head in a bow of respect per standard protocol for higher ranks. After all, I


    wasn¡®t a Beta heir anymore.


    ¡°...About five minutes,¡± he said slowly, frowning at the formality. I had the feeling that perhaps it made


    him ufortable but I continued to do it regardless.


    ¡°Apologies for not realising... I was just lost in thought.¡±


    He stared as if studying my movements. Most likely, he could tell my behaviour was more forced than


    genuine. ¡°...It¡®s fine.¡±


    ¡°Did Sophie offer you any tea yet?¡± I asked, walking past him towards the kitchen.


    I could recall that there were at least two sections in ¡®The Twenty Steps of a Sessful Luna¡® that


    specified that, not only should I be presentable at all times, but that I should also ensure an Alpha was


    made to feelfortable and at ease. I was pretty confident that the author of that book and my old Luna


    studies teacher, Mrs Stewart, would have a fit if they saw me like this now. Though I wondered what they


    would say given my circumstances. Surely my situation negated several areas of required etiquette.


    ¡°...Sophie?¡±


    I stopped in my tracks and cursed internally. ¡°Ah... I mean... I mean Lucy. Apologies.¡±


    I rubbed at my head. Timelines.


    Aleric followed closely behind as I walked us into the other room to start making some tea.


    ¡°Aria... are you okay?¡± he said, as if he¡®d been holding off from asking for a while. ¡°Every time I visit, it


    feels like you¡®re slipping into a different world sometimes.¡±


    More like a different time, if we were beingpletely urate,


    ¡°I¡®m fine,¡± I replied tly, handing him a cup. ¡°You saw me only yesterday. It¡®s not like anything has


    changed.¡±


    ¡°...I¡®ve been gone for a week, remember?¡± he prompted. ¡°I had that meeting out of town and I said I


    wouldn¡®t be back for a while? I just got home this morning.¡±


    ¡°Right... I remember,¡± Ilied, brushing it off. ¡°How did the meeting go? Was it... pleasant?¡±


    ¡°It was boring. Just like all the meetings. They can¡®t agree on how best to handle an influx of refugees


    stemming from a defeated pack up north. No one wants to waste resources screening for rogues.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡®m sorry to hear that.¡±


    He raised a brow at me. ¡°I don¡®t suppose you have any suggestions?¡±


    I could feel as my back stiffened, my eyes narrowing ever so slightly. So it was beginning already?


    Trapped in this ce, oppressed by the very hierarchy I was told to serve. This position demanded that I


    b e used as a tool, yet stripped me of every freedom I had.


    ¡°...No.¡±


    In actuality, I had several suggestions. None of which I felt like sharing.


    ¡°That¡®s a shame,¡± he said, sipping at his tea. ¡°Then there is the issue of petty disputes. There¡®s a pack


    fighting over a boundary line since the original territory documents that were drawn up have been


    misced. They¡®ve requested our involvement to mediate the process.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡®re going to be busy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then... two pack members are requesting permission to build a new business in town but it


    conflicts with a simr business¡® interests.¡±


    Chapter Sutowe


    Now I knew he was grasping at straws. Anyone with half a brain could assist with that one. Each issue


    he¡®d listed was easier than thest to resolve.


    ¡°... What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked sharply, his tone annoyed.


    I stared back stoically. ¡°I¡®m not sure what you¡®re referring to.¡±


    ¡°This. Whatever this* is,¡± he said, waving a hand towards me.


    ¡°I apologise that I¡®m not able to assist you with these issues,¡± I frowned. ¡°I guess that¡®s why they leave all


    pack leadership to the men around here.¡±


    There was no mistaking the undertone of distaste behind my words. He would pick up immediately on


    what I was implying.


    ¡°That¡®s not.¡­ What? That¡®s not what I meant,¡± he said, his jaw clenched. ¡°I¡®m talking about how it feels


    as though I¡®m talking to a wall, like you¡®re a shell not really here.¡±


    I stared at him and could feel the emotion behind what he was saying. But I felt... empty.


    ¡°...I don¡®t know what you want from me,¡± I finally whispered, looking back down at the cup in my hands.


    ¡°I want you to care about something again, anything.¡± He sighed and walked around the room, pacing in


    thought.


    ¡°Is it because of the cor? Because we both know there is nothing I can do about that,¡± he said,


    inspecting the bookshelf by the couch that was only collecting dust.¡°...Or maybe it¡®s because Cai left¨C?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t say his name,¡± I hissed without missing a beat.


    His words had triggered a reflex inside and I could feel the sting that apanied hearing the name


    after all this time.


    Aleric looked up quickly to where I stood, just as surprised as I was over my tant reaction.


    But just as quickly as I looked up, I turned away again, instead deciding to focus my attention on ampi


    In the corner.


    ¡°...I apologise for my outburst,¡± I said quietly, resuming myposure.


    He exhaled in defeat and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°...No need to apologise. It¡®s nice to know at least


    something gets a real reaction.¡±


    We stood in silence for a few moments, the tension in the air needing time to release, before Aleric finally


    broke it.


    ¡°I¡®ve got that big annual meeting tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°The one where all the small packs in the vicinity get


    together. Tytus asked me to go this year to oversee it since he finds them too bothersome. It¡®s being held


    at the Diamond w pack.¡±


    ¡®Tytus¡®. My ears hadn¡®t failed to pick up how Aleric said his name with a tone of irritation rather than refert


    o him respectfully as ¡®Father¡®. When had that started? Probably when Tytus decided to force us together.


    I could see how the unwanted oue would put a strain on their rtionship.


    ¡°That sounds...,¡± I started but my voice trailed off. I knew if I said ¡®nice¡® he¡®d probably be triggered by my


    attitude once more.


    ¡°Boring as hell,¡± he provided, finishing the sentence for me. ¡°...Which is why you¡®reing with me.¡±


    I looked up shocked, unsure if I¡®d heard him correctly. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I said you¡®reing with me. To the meeting. We¡®re leaving tomorrow morning and we¡®ll be staying


    there overnight so get Lucy to pack a small bag for you.¡±


    My hand reached up and touched at the cor. ¡°Tylus knows about this? About letting me leave the


    Winter Mist to attend a pack meeting?¡±


    ¡°He knows,¡± he confirmed.


    I didn¡®t want to go. I¡®d been hiding myself away from my own pack these past few months and was sure


    that rumours had spread already about my new... jewellery. Thest thing I wanted was to be at the


    mercy of other pack leaders and suffer their mockery.


    ¡°I¡®m not a Luna yet,¡± I objected weakly.


    ¡°I¡®m not an Alpha yet,¡± he retorted.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡®m too tired to go.¡±


    ¡°You do nothing except sit around all day.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek. It looked as though there was no getting out of this. But he was grossly


    mistaken if he thought I¡®d help out with the meeting in any way. After everything I was being put through,


    I didn¡¯t owe this pack anything.


    ¡°Okay...,¡± I mumbled, finally yielding.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he repeated, sounding slightly relieved.


    Nothing really became of the conversation from there. I reverted to autopilot responses as I withdrew


    inside my head, thinking about all the pack leaders I¡®d need to face tomorrow.


    At some point Aleric said he had to go and would see me tomorrow. So, with nothing else to do, I headed


    back towards my bedroom in a daze, wondering what to do first to prepare.


    Before I could get there though, an image suddenly shed next to me on the wall that immediately


    caught my attention. It was a mirror. A mirror that caused me to flinch at the sight.


    And slowly, I brought a hand up to touch my face.


    My eyes looked dull, ringed within dark circles, my cheeks more hollow. Around my body, I could see that


    I¡®d lost some of the muscle mass i¡®d umted over thest few years of Beta training. I looked weak.


    I looked almost as bad as my past self.


    ¡°...I see you,¡± I whispered to my reflection. ¡°You used to be a ghost living in the furthest part of my mind,


    barely visible within my eyes. But look at you now. It¡®s almost like you never left.¡±


    I felt the absence of her voice, her normal whispering noting forward to torment me. In fact, when I


    thought hard about it, I hadn¡®t heard her speak in forever.


    ¡°What? Nothing to say now? I remember you had plenty to express back when you were urging me on to


    try and kill Thea. Look at how great that turned out.¡±


    However, once more, I was met with only silence.


    I scoffed, ¡°Have I fallen too low for even you now? What a joke.¡±


    I turned my back on the mirror, no longer wanting to see the reminder, and resumed on my way to start


    packing. I knew Lucy would be returning soon and could do it but I felt the need to be doing something to


    distract myself.


    Though now I thought on it, I had no idea what was happening outside in the world anymore; something


    Chapter Sixty¨Cfive


    that only fed my anxiety. There could have been an apocalypse unfolding and I¡®d probably be sleeping


    through it. I struggled to find the energy required to focus on it anymore and, deep down, a small part of


    m e had even begun to hope this ce would burn to the ground.


    So was Aleric right? I really hadn¡®t shown interest in anything since arriving. When was thest time I¡®d


    even thought about Thea? About any of the pending doom Selene had cursed me with knowing about,


    yet had refused to borate on? Everything seemed like such a blur after the first week I came here.


    Had! been justified or neglectful in my refusal to try anymore?


    The image of myself in the mirror shed inside my mind once more, reminding me of my current state.


    Perhaps I had let things go too far but it had be so easy to forget given the circumstances.


    Especially since I hadn¡®t seen Thea around.


    She had been dered long gone within the days that followed her disappearance. Just as I had


    originally suspected, Jonathan¡®s body was found. It was messy, rushed; evidence clear that it had been


    done on impulse rather than premeditated. But further surprising was the disappearance of several other


    warriors i in the days that followed. I could specte that either they were assassinated as a precaution


    or just got


    spooked, running away before Thea could get her hands on them.


    She would be back, it would be naive to think otherwise, but things wouldn¡®t be able to transpire


    anywhere near the same as it had in the past. From talking to her, I knew Aleric wasn¡®t her goal. At least


    not romantically. I could only surmise then that it was something bigger. Something I was a part of. But if


    she had really intended to kill me, as she had so tastefully mentioned in the hospital, why didn¡®t she


    just... do i t?


    She was clearly physically stronger than most were giving her credit for. After all, she had thrown me


    across the room with ease. And whilst she had denied behind a rogue herself, she obviously had some


    sort of sway or influence over them if she was managing their movements.


    Thinking about it in detail, it seemed almost strange that I had survived this long not only now, but in the


    past also. Couldn¡®t she have just killed me herself before I dug up any information on her? I wasn¡®t even


    shifted yet. So what was stopping her?


    And then a thought came to me.


    ...She needed me alive.


    Her hospital stunt must have been a bluff to scare me off that day. She never even tried to chase me


    after I had attacked her. So for some reason, whatever it may be, she needed me. Breathing. At least for


    now.


    Based on that, I could guess that maybe I trigger something in the future for her. Something I could only


    assume had something to do with the end of werewolves per Selene¡®s warning. But I couldn¡®t recall


    anything special I¡®d done in the past. Perhaps it was rted to the wars Aleric waged in which I¡®d acted a


    sacent enabler in? I¡®d only been killed after we¡®d seeded in that venture. Was that the missing


    link? Did we kill someone during that time that we weren¡®t supposed to?


    None of this sat right with me but it did give me a small peace of mind. I knew now that Thea wouldn¡®t


    come for me directly. Not for a while anyway. My death was after I¡®d gained influence as a Luna so as


    long as I kept Aleric under control, we would probably be okay in the meantime.


    ¡®Under control¡®.


    When had I ever been able to stop Aleric from doing what he wanted in the past? Even in this life, he


    showed a lot of determination in doing whatever he believed was the right thing to do. And whilst things


    had be rocky between us thest few months since the cor, he was still actively seeking me out


    and trying to give mepany.


    And I didn¡®t resent him, even though I assumed he believed that was the case. How could I possibly


    hate* this* Aleric after everything he¡®d tried to do for me thest few years? He chose me over Tytus


    when we

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Chapter Sixty¨CSix


    A loud knocking sounded at my door the following morning, instantly waking me up.


    It was dark, maybe dim morning light, but definitely earlier than I had expected to be disturbed that day. It


    was so early that I knew even Lucy wouldn¡®t have arrived yet.


    Despite my best efforts, my brain had refused to quieten down after I¡®d gone to sleep the night before.


    Figuring out a possible theory to do with Thea had awakened a new spark within me, one which had


    prevented me from settling my mind down. As a result, I felt exhausted from the little rest I had managed


    to get.


    I pulled myself out of bed sluggishly and made my way to the door, opening it to see a dishevelled


    looking Aleric on my doorstep. It appeared that early mornings still disagreed with him even after all this


    time.


    ¡°...Aleric? Why are you here so early?¡± | yawned, too tired to conduct the required formalities.


    ¡°So you just open the door for anyone without checking first?¡± he asked, ignoring my question. ¡°What if I


    were someone here to kill you? I get that we¡®re in the packhouse but it¡®s not like we haven¡®t had spies


    here before.¡±


    I stared back at himpletely unfazed, my eyelids heavy. ¡°If it meant that I didn¡®t need to be awake


    right now or go to this meeting, maybe I would wee the hostile intrusion,¡± Treplied. ¡°Besides, what


    kind of murderer knocks on the door to announce their presence virst? Not very subtle.¡±


    He stood frozen for a few seconds, confusion showing on his face momentarily, before finally, his lip


    twitched in a small smile. What was he confused about?


    Oh. It was the first attempt at humour I¡®d made to him in months.


    Maybe I had been letting this ce affect me too much. I could definitely feel that having something


    different finally happening today did help to dissociate myself from the less pleasant memories in this


    room. It made me more... aware.


    ¡°Come inside and wait,¡± I offered, opening the door wider for him to enter. ¡°I need to get changed and


    grab thest of my things.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t take too long. We need to get going.¡±


    I frowned. He¡®d shown up almost two hours earlier than he needed to. Why was he in such a rush?


    After getting changed and attempting to cover up the unpleasant new features of my face with makeup, i


    grabbed my bag and took onest look in the mirror


    Once dressed up and nicely presented, it was easy to miss the signs of my own inner struggles thest


    few months. That is, of course, if you were also blind andpletely ignored the cor sported around m


    y neck


    I sighed. There was no getting out of this now.


    Refocusing on the task at hand, I headed back to where Aleric was waiting for me.


    Surprisingly, in the time it took for me io get ready, he had somehow managed to tame his wavy hair a bit


    better and looked more presentable for the meeting ahead.


    ¡°Ready to go,¡± I announced, walking towards the front door.


    ¡°Wait, I¡®ve got something for you,¡± he said, making me pause.


    Chapter Sixty Six


    I watched as he then pulled out a length of quality violet fabric from a bag and showed it to me. It was a


    scarf.


    ¡°I figured you¡®d feel morefortable with something like this to hide the ah....¡± His gaze lowered to my


    cor.


    Teyed the gift sceptically. ¡°...We don¡®t have very cold weather right now.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°The fabric is a bit thinner so it could be more of a fashion thing? I don¡®t know. I¡®m not good


    with that stuff. Just... here.¡±


    He took a step closer and helped wrap it around my neck. A nice sentiment if not for his finger


    identally grazing the flesh by the cor, causing me to wince.


    ¡°Does it hurt badly?¡± he asked softly, lifting the metal up in curiosity to try and see the skin under it. ¡°It


    looks really red.¡±


    I grabbed his hand to move it away, adjusting the cor and scarf back in ce behind it. ¡°You get used t


    o it. Mostly it¡®s just a mild burn that you tune out just like the handcuffs. The problem is that, since it¡®s on


    all day long, the skin gets irritated so it¡®s far more sensitive. I have a cream that helps a little with that


    though.¡±


    He nodded hesitantly, not looking very reassured by my response. But as he looked into my eyes, I could


    tell he felt guilty. .


    ¡°Aria... you know I¡®m so¨C.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡®s not your fault,¡± I said, cutting him off.


    I took a step back towards the door in an attempt to break the serious air surrounding us. ¡°Anyway, you


    said we were in a rush?¡±


    He frowned, as if remembering why we were here again, and cleared his throat. ¡°Yeah... let¡®s go. The


    house is still sleeping so stay quiet,¡± he said, leading me out the door.


    I followed closely behind through the familiar halls, the eerie silence of those sleeping around us evident,


    until we finally made it to his car parked out front.


    The fresh air was what hit me first. It was a crisp smell of nature, maybe even some freshly cut grass.


    Whatever it was, I took a second to breathe it in, greedily indulging in something I¡®d deprived myself of.


    Already I could feel myself wake up and feel a little more stable. Maybe this trip was what I had needed.


    Aleric quickly got into the car and I followed after, throwing my bag in the back. He didn¡®t waste much


    time afterwards in starting the engine.


    The trip was going well and we were driving for a while before I finally spoke. It was something that had


    been bothering me since his arrival this morning, a nagging in my mind that wasn¡®t allowing me to let it


    go.


    ¡°¡­ Tytus doesn¡®t actually know that I¡®m going to this meeting... does he?¡± I asked dubiously.


    There were no warriors apanying me even though there should have been, not to mention it was far


    too early in the morning; way earlier than we should have needed to make it to the meeting on time. With


    all of this in consideration, there was only one conclusion I coulde to.


    ...He was sneaking me out.


    Aleric was quiet for a minute before replying. ¡°...Sort of.¡±


    | sighed. ¡°You told me yesterday that he knew about this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he will know... I left him a note.¡±


    My disapproval was evident in my silence to which heughed. ¡°What¡®s he going to do? Drag you home


    in


    front of all those pack officials? I¡®m sure that¡®ll look great on our already wavering reputation.¡±


    ¡°What¡®s that supposed to mean? Did something happen?¡±


    I hadn¡®t kept up to date with current affairs outside the packhouse so naturally, I hadn¡®t inquired as to the


    aftermath of my punishment. But I would be lying if I said that reputational damage didn¡®t surprise me.


    Aleric¡®s mouth ttened in a tight line as if he wasn¡®t sure whether to exin.


    ¡°...Aleric?¡± | pressed.


    ¡°Well... I mean, it¡®s not like we didn¡®t anticipate a bacsh from this whole thing,¡± he started. ¡°There¡®s


    been a bit of stirring, a few usations... After all, you just went missing one day, holing yourself up in


    those quarters. Tytus made an announcement to say you were taking some personal time off to recover


    following the death of Myra. Of course, that didn¡®t make much sense given the timeline of events. A few


    people weren¡®t happy so it¡®s just been a matter of putting out fires.¡±


    ¡°What do they think actually happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A few theories. The biggest one being imprisonment which is problematic. There was also a lot of


    petitioning for your release happening. Not just from within the Winter Mist either.¡±


    ¡°...And the cor?¡±


    ¡°Just rumours... but unfortunately, that one has spread around pretty far.¡±


    I nodded, already having assumed as much. It was to be expected that people were curious regarding


    the cor since this sort of thing waspletely unheard of


    But inside, a small part of me felt satisfied that Tytus was having a hard time exining my absence One


    of the main purposes of the cor was to allow me lo still make public appearances, yet I¡®d kept myself


    indoors anyway. I knew it was petty of me to take pleasure, since causing more civil unrest was thest


    thing I should be advocating for, but my hatred for Tytus had been steadily growing every day that


    passed living with this humiliation


    We drove quietly the rest of the way, my mind filling with anxiety the closer we got, until finally, I saw the


    border in sight. Several warriors from the Diamond w pack were standing guard, screening everyone


    a s they came across. I wondered whether the added security measures were introduced from hearing


    about all the rogue attacks and deaths the Winter Mist suffered.


    The warriors peered down into Aleric¡®s car window to identify him, though he didn¡®t need much


    introduction. All the packs within our neighbouring territories would know who he was. I could see their


    nervousness, the way they carefully showed Aleric respect, but their attention wasn¡®t just directed at


    him.


    The frequent and unmistakable eye shifting to where I was seated was... less than subtle. In fact, their


    staring was almost borderline rude. But I knew why they were doing it... after all, their eyes were directed


    towards my neck, where I was sure they were wondering if the rumours were true, hiding away just


    behind the scarf.


    I squirmed ufortably in my seat, turning my face to look out the window to distract myself instead


    Coming here was a bad idea. If the lower ranks were this tantly obvious, who knew how the ranked


    members would conduct themselves with less social constrictions


    As if sensing my difort, a low warning growl rumbled out next to me, and I looked up in surprise to


    see Aleric¡®s attention pointed towards the warrior


    ¡°understand how being brought up in a small pack like this would be educationally difficult,¡± he quipped


    with an undertone of threat that was impossible to miss, but yourck of social etiquette should not be a


    nexcuse to stare at her like a museum attraction Or would you prefer I bring it up as a formalint


    Chapter Sixty Six


    during the meeting today? Rmend that your pack looks to invest more into its training if this type of


    insult is tolerated by even an unranked guard dog?¡±


    The warrior¡®s face went white, eyes wide with fear. Aleric could rip his throat out if he wanted and this


    pack wouldn¡®t be able to do much about it. After all, they were under the Winter Mist¡®s protection


    because of their ownck of resources.


    But as much as I wasn¡®t a fan of the warrior¡®s behaviour, it was something I knew I should probably


    intervene with before it got out of hand.


    Slowly, I reached a hand out and gently touched Aleric¡®s arm.


    ¡°It¡®s okay,¡± I said, trying to reassure him. ¡°Let it go. I¡®m sure you¡®ve scared him enough for a lifetime. If


    can¡®t cope under the gaze of someone like him, then there is no chance for me in that meeting room.¡±


    Aleric slowly exhaled, tension releasing from his shoulders.


    ¡°Anything else required for the checkpoint?¡± I asked, leaning forward to address the warrior directly; a


    warrior who was still looking far too terrified to move.


    Mutedly, he just shook his head.


    ¡°Very well then. Have a *great* rest of the day,¡± I said in a forcefully polite manner. ¡°Come on, Aleric, let¡®s


    just get this over with.¡±


    Aleric grumbled but still drove on, never once turning back to look at the petrified warrior.


    ¡°You can¡®t attack someone for just looking at me impolitely,¡± I said carefully after a few moments of silent


    driving. ¡°Otherwise we¡®re about to walk into a massacre.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡®t going to.¡±


    I turned to stare at him, my face showing that I didn¡®t believe him in the slightest.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Well, they can at least show some respect,¡± he finally mumbled, amending his initial stance.


    I sighed. If he didn¡®t want to deal with people like this then he shouldn¡®t have brought me. At best, it felt


    like I would be a distraction to the discussions taking ce. His temper wasn¡®t anywhere near as bad as I


    once remembered it, but I was sure that this was still an unnecessary and avoidable test of that.


    A few more minutes down the road and we finally made it to the main hall area. Several cars were


    already parked nearby despite our arrival being almost two hours early. I assumed that some of the


    packs residing further out came early in case of any issues along the journey. Today would be important


    for them so I knew they wouldn¡®t want to take any chances.


    We got out and walked towards the meeting hall. In my chest, I could feel my heart beating loudly from


    nerves and I began to fidget restlessly with the scarf; double... triple... quadruple checking to make sure


    every part of it was covered.


    ¡°It¡®s fine,¡± Aleric said, having noticed my agitation. ¡°You¡®re fine. It¡®s just a meeting with a bunch of small,


    barely on the map packs.¡±


    I nodded. I knew I shouldn¡®t even care what anyone in the room thought of me, but it was through these


    men that more rumours could be spread. Within a week, it was possible for word to have spread all the


    way to the other side of the country.


    We reached the main door and I could hear the chatting of several groups of people on the other side.


    Maybe four or five packs worth of representatives. I wasn¡®t sure how many were attending today but


    there probably wouldn¡®t be many more left to arrive.


    Without much further ado, I then watched as Aleric reached out to push the door open....


    Chopie Sixty Six


    ¡°¨CWait,¡± I said quickly, making him pause.


    I needed to slow my heart rate. It was making my body feel faint.


    ¡®Calm down,¡® I told myself. ¡®In... and out.¡®


    However, between taking deep breaths to focus, I suddenly felt a hand tilting my chin up, forcing me to


    raise my head and meet Aleric¡®s serious gaze


    ¡°Head up,¡± he instructed. ¡°Don¡®t allow them the chance to look down on you. You¡®re a Saintess and the


    daughter of the Winter Mist¡®s Beta.¡±


    I picked up immediately on how he didn¡®t refer to me as future Luna. He must have realised that wouldn¡®t


    have made me feel any better. In fact, neither of us mentioned my future position as Luna, almost as if


    both of us knew it was too ufortable of a topic to bring up. But ¡®Saintess?¡® It¡®d been so long since


    someone had called me that. These days, I certainly didn¡®t feel like one. I felt no better than a human


    inside a cage; weak, powerless and unable to defend myself.


    However, he was right. Even with just my birth status alone being that of the daughter of our pack¡®s Beta,


    1 stillmanded more respect than the majority of these men from small territories. Whether they


    cared i fl was a Saintess or not, we still held the most power in that room.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked, resuming his hand on the door.


    ¡°I¡®m ready.¡±


    And with that Aleric opened the door.


    Just as I had thought, there were several groups of people scattered around the foyer. All of them


    mingling with others who I presumed were from different packs, their demeanours ranging from friendlyt


    o more reserved.


    However, for all the conversations that were avidly taking ce, it felt almost surreal to then see a whole


    room die to absolute silence as quickly as this one did.


    Because all their faces instantly turned towards me, all filled with mixed expressions. And, internally, I


    sighed.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Chapter Sixty¨CSeven


    ¡°lf we can request a forty per cent decrease to our alliance tax for just the next five years, I believe that


    this amount alone would allow us to grow exponentially,¡± the Alpha from the Red Star pack said. ¡°You¡®d


    easily see the missed returns back in full from the tax break, though I think easily more than full, once


    our annual revenue grew further. Currently, we have several ns in ce for expanding our business


    interests, but we¡®re just short of the funds required to implement.¡±


    Aleric took a moment to consider before finally replying.


    ¡°I¡®m happy to allow that,¡± he said, ¡°but I would expect an increase of trade goods toe through the


    Winter Mist during that period of discount, something that would assist with both of our economies. In


    addition to that, I will also add the condition where, should you fail to increase your total gross ie


    after ten years, the Winter Mist will reserve the right to im the amount in missed taxes during the initial


    five year break period.¡±


    It had been going on like this the entire meeting.


    I was here, present and listening, but not overly attentive. Mostly I just sat and tried to tune out the


    asional stares in my direction, focusing on literally anything else other than wondering what they were


    thinking internally about me.


    It was bad enough to be a woman in these meetings but now I was also suddenly unranked, unmated,


    underage and riddled with a multitude of rumours surrounding my whereabouts thest few months.


    Their minds would be swimming with a million questions, I was sure.


    Aleric had been handling the meeting fine; some would even say far better than what you¡®d expect from


    others his age. But I hadn¡®t said a word yet. I¡®d told myself I wasn¡®t going to get involved with participating


    since, at the end of the day, everything I did would be benefitting Tytus¡® reputation. Though I¡®d be lying if I


    said I didn¡®t feel a little bad since Aleric was the one here, not Tytus. Fortunately, there hadn¡®t been


    anything worth involving myself in yet and there were barely any changes I¡®d make to the ns he¡®d


    proposed so far.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Aleric asked the group once dealings with the Red Star pack had concluded.


    A man spoke up then, seated to our right of the hall. He was an Alpha, I could feel that much, but he


    didn¡®t speak with much authority.


    ¡°Alpha heir Aleric, l¡®d like to discuss a possible innovative business proposition for you to invest in,¡± he


    said, his eyes ncing at me for a split second in a way that made me ufortable. ¡°Situated within


    the Silent Forest pack.¡±


    The mention of his pack brought recognition; this was Alpha Fredrick Jacobs. It made sense now why


    he¡®d given off the little authority he did; his pack was bordered with where the human territory started. As


    such, their resources and room for expansion were minimal to prevent identally revealing our species¡®


    existence.


    But it was Alpha Fredrick¡®s future reputation that bothered me most. I¡®d heard a little about him in my


    past life... and it wasn¡®t overly positive.


    ¡°Speak,¡± Aleric said, gesturing a hand for him to proceed.


    ¡°As you know,¡± he started, ¡°our territory borders with a human town about five hours from here. We¡®ve


    been forced to maintain the illusion of being a human district ever since our pack¡®s origin, something


    which has hindered us in several areas; mainly our ability to protect ourselves and run our pack in a way


    some normally would. But, since taking over for my father some years ago, I¡®ve begun to wonder


    whether we could use this to our advantage. Say... opening ournd up for the humans. I¡®m proposing


    we build


    wa


    Juniy seven


    something close to the border in order to bring in their business, thereby boosting our own economy to


    trade in resources better.¡±


    ...So this was where his rumours must have started.


    ¡®What business did you have in mind?¡± Aleric asked, not immediately shutting his suggestion down.


    I was curious, sure, but beginning trade with humans was dangerous. If one of them wandered onto a


    pack territory at the wrong time, like for example, during an attack, they could easily end up dead. The


    pack would immediately go under human investigation and navigating the aftermath could prove messy


    and risky.


    But then death was one thing, Goddess forbid they ever saw someone shift identally.


    Our species had deliberately alienated ourselves from them, even rejecting the majority of their more


    advanced technologies where possible, to ensure our continued secrecy. Their innovations were great


    and could prove beneficial for us in many areas, but the risk of exposure was far too high. Not to mention


    I¡®d heard stories that most of their gadgets contained location tracking systems these days. To introduce


    a new advanced human technology to our world, it had to be both thoroughly screened and approved by


    a council of elder representatives made up from packs all over the country. These days, approval was


    very rare.


    To be fair though, I was sure the humans knew some of our towns existed to an extent, but we were


    probably considered gated off, old fashioned mountain folk in their eyes; estranged from many things the


    modern world had to offer. Or at least a lot of our territories were restricted to keep up that illusion.


    ces like the Winter Mist were luckier since we were far away enough from human civilisation,


    surrounded by packs on all sides, that we had the luxury to expand asrge as we wanted without


    worrying whether humans would randomly stumble in. But somewhere like the Silent Forest pack would


    need to be constantly wary, trying to keep contact with humans to a minimum where possible.


    Which was one reason why I was so unsure about this deal.


    It wasn¡®t as though I waspletely opposed to reaching out to humans, especially since it wasn¡®t


    unheard of for some of our kind to mate individuals of theirs, but I knew opening the gate for humans to


    freely enter a werewolf territory would have irreversible effects. Once open, it would make it almost


    impossible to close again without human curiosity getting involved. And all it would take is one overly


    curious person to dig a little too deep.


    Off the top of my head, I could not recall in the past whether any pack had done this sessfully. Not to


    say no one had begun business with them, but rather I had no recollection of it personally. In the


    previous timeline, I was mostly involved with war and new political alliance tactics. The small packs that


    were already under the Winter Mist from the start were not my concern. Typically, Lunas had no direct


    involvement outside of their own packs at all, so it had been a struggle enough to be allowed ess to


    the things I had in past.


    ¡°I would like to build a small business district, starting with a casino,¡± Alpha Fredrick said. ¡°It would


    encourage visitors from all over toe and participate. The profits would be high and basically


    guaranteed, something that we would then reinvest in other businesses in the area. New businesses


    mean more money, which means higher gross ie, meaning higher return for you via your alliance


    tax. And that¡®s without taking into ount the equity investment returns for the business itself.¡±


    He wanted to introduce avenues of addiction to, not only his own pack, but to the humans on the other


    side of his border. Of all the things to risk centuries of secrecy on, a casino would be at the bottom of the


    list of things worth pursuing. Not to mention that, if there was one thing Alpha Fredrick seemed to know


    well, it was unnecessary addictions. Goddess knew what else he wanted to do behind the scenes of that


    establishment.


    ¡°How much did you require and at what percentage?¡± Aleric asked, sounding as if he was unphased by


    Chapier Sixty¨CSeven


    something close to the border in order to bring in their business, thereby boosting our own economy to


    trade in resources better.¡±


    ...So this was where his rumours must have started.


    ¡°What business did you have in mind?¡± Aleric asked, not immediately shutting his suggestion down.


    I was curious, sure, but beginning trade with humans was dangerous. If one of them wandered onto a


    pack territory at the wrong time, like for example, during an attack, they could easily end up dead. The


    pack would immediately go under human investigation and navigating the aftermath could prove messy


    and risky.


    But then death was one thing, Goddess forbid they ever saw someone shift identally.


    Our species had deliberately alienated ourselves from them, even rejecting the majority of their more


    advanced technologies where possible, to ensure our continued secrecy. Their innovations were great


    and could prove beneficial for us in many areas, but the risk of exposure was far too high. Not to mention


    I¡®d heard stories that most of their gadgets contained location tracking systems these days. To introduce


    a new advanced human technology to our world, it had to be both thoroughly screened and approved by


    a council of elder representatives made up from packs all over the country. These days, approval was


    very rare.


    To be fair though, I was sure the humans knew some of our towns existed to an extent, but we were


    probably considered gated off, old fashioned mountain folk in their eyes; estranged from many things the


    modern world had to offer. Or at least a lot of our territories were restricted to keep up that illusion.


    ces like the Winter Mist were luckier since we were far away enough from human civilisation,


    surrounded by packs on all sides, that we had the luxury to expand asrge as we wanted without


    worrying whether humans would randomly stumble in. But somewhere like the Silent Forest pack would


    need to be constantly wary, trying to keep contact with humans to a minimum where possible.


    Which was one reason why I was so unsure about this deal.


    It wasn¡®t as though I waspletely opposed to reaching out to humans, especially since it wasn¡®t


    unheard of for some of our kind to mate individuals of theirs, but I knew opening the gate for humans to


    freely enter a werewolf territory would have irreversible effects. Once open, it would make it almost


    impossible to close again without human curiosity getting involved. And all it would take is one overly


    curious person to dig a little too deep.


    Off the top of my head, I could not recall in the past whether any pack had done this sessfully. Not to


    say no one had begun business with them, but rather I had no recollection of it personally. In the


    previous timeline, I was mostly involved with war and new political alliance tactics. The small packs that


    were already under the Winter Mist from the start were not my concern. Typically, Lunas had no direct


    involvement outside of their own packs at all, so it had been a struggle enough to be allowed ess to


    the things I had in past.


    ¡°I would like to build a small business district, starting with a casino,¡± Alpha Fredrick said. ¡°It would


    encourage visitors from all over toe and participate. The profits would be high and basically


    guaranteed, something that we would then reinvest in other businesses in the area. New businesses


    mean more money, which means higher gross ie, meaning higher return for you via your alliance


    tax.


    And that¡®s without taking into ount the equity investment returns for the business itself.¡±


    He wanted to introduce avenues of addiction to, not only his own pack, but to the humans on the other


    side of his border. Of all the things to risk centuries of secrecy on, a casino would be at the bottom of the


    list of things worth pursuing. Not to mention that, if there was one thing Alpha Fredrick seemed to know


    well, it was unnecessary addictions. Goddess knew what else he wanted to do behind the scenes of that


    establishment


    ¡°How much did you require and at what percentage?¡± Aleric asked, sounding as if he was unphased by


    Chapter Sixty¨CSeven


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    the ramifications this could have.


    ¡°Looking for a one hundred thousand investment for a ten per cent equity stake.¡®


    ¡°So how much do you currently¨C¡±


    ¡°Aleric,¡± I interrupted quietly, touching his arm to stop him for a moment. ¡°Have you thought this through?


    Like fully?¡±


    I¡®d broken my promise to not get involved but this just wasn¡®t sitting right with me. Not for a casino and


    definitely not for Fredrick Jacobs, lest the rumours about him were true.


    ¡°It¡®s just business and a good opportunity,¡± he whispered back. ¡°If this pays off, we¡®d be involved with one


    of the first territories to attempt something like this and, as he said, it is basically guaranteed profit.


    Humans travel miles for certain attractions. I can see this working out easily.¡±


    ¡°No, not for a casino,¡± I argued, my voice still too low for others to hear. ¡°This isn¡®t a good idea to involve


    ourselves with. Putting aside the humans, we¡®re still talking addiction and possible property value


    reductions as a result. What happens when some of their warriors stop being so productive or financially


    ruin themselves? That¡®s going to cause chain reactions to their other avenues of resources. If they want t


    o do it, then let them, but don¡®t pour our money into helping them be their own possible destruction.¡±


    It was overdramatic in some ways but I had my own reasoning. Bottom line was that Aleric should not be


    getting involved with this pack or its Alpha unless it was for taking their quarterly tax.


    ¡°Aria¡­ ¨C¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± I urged. ¡°This is not a good investment. If you want to be indirectly involved within


    humans for business, there are better avenues.¡±


    He searched my face for a few moments before finally exhaling, nodding his head in agreement.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we won¡®t be investing in the casino at this time,¡± Aleric said, directing his attention back to


    Alpha Fredrick. ¡°But I encourage you toe to us with other business interests in the future.¡±


    You could see the irritation sh on Alpha Fredrick¡®s face from Aleric¡®s rejection. This was probably


    something he¡®d been working on for quite a while and was counting on the Winter Mist¡®s support in order


    t o get it off the ground.


    His eyes then flicked to me coldly, filled with nothing but usation.


    ¡°I knew that going into business with humans would be a difficult feat,¡± he said, his words like ice, ¡°but I


    didn¡®t anticipate that one would be causing an issue to our new development so soon.¡±


    Aleric immediately tensed up, leaning forward as if getting ready to make him regret his words. The insult


    to myself was clear and unmistakable. He was referring to my cor¡®s effect of removing my ability.


    ¡°Don¡®t,¡± I said, pleading for Aleric to stand down. ¡°He¡®s not worth it.¡±


    ¡°What? Can¡®t speak for yourself?¡± Alpha Fredrick stupidly continued. ¡°Does the cor make you mentally


    weak as well?¡±


    I turned my attention to him calmly, now addressing someone in the meeting for the first time that day.


    You could tell how visibly ufortable everyone was from the interaction taking ce.


    ¡°Alpha Fredrick, I understand your frustration over the rejection suffered here today. I appreciate that you


    have put a lot of time and energy into this proposition and this oue is an unfortunate blow for you,¡± |


    said. ¡°However, I would like to remind you that you are not in a position to be hurling insults at the people


    currently preventing your small pack¡®splete annihtion from your neighbouring territories. This


    alliance protects you, *We* protect you.¡±


    ¡°*You* protect me from nothing, Saintess,¡± he said, spitting the title distastefully. ¡°You are as fragile as a


    Chapter Sixty Seven


    human now and apparently have the wits of one too.¡±


    The only reason Aleric hadn¡®t attacked him already was out of respect for me; knowing that I¡®d asked him


    to not get involved. Hopefully, he realised I could handle this myself.


    Which was exactly what I intended to do.


    I hadn¡®t nned to outwardly mention this but it seemed the small Alpha wasn¡®t going able to realise


    when it was time to stop. Even his fellow pack member looked horrified by his actions, discreetly trying to


    tug on his shirt to get him to stop.


    ¡°You know... I find it funny, Alpha Fredrick, that you would use rumours you heard about me to make


    such bold insults,¡± I calmly replied, resting my chin on my hand as if I were rxed. ¡°Would you say then,


    in your personal opinion, that there is some truth in the rumours one hears?¡±


    ¡°O¨Cof course,¡± he said, taken a little aback by my unflustered demeanour.


    I knew even if he didn¡®t agree with me, he was forced to take that stance in order to justify what he¡®d said


    to me already. It was something I could use to my advantage,


    ¡°Interesting... you see, I¡®ve heard rumours about you as well, Alpha Fredrick. And they allow me to see


    why you¡®d want to go into business with humans so badly... but it does puzzle me as to why you¡®d use


    their species as a form of insult.¡±


    A small smile then twitched at my lips, a giddiness bubbling inside me as I knew what was about to


    1. xt. ¡°Interestingly enough, I¡®ve heard that you *really* love humans. Some might say... a little too *


    much. And by humans, I am, in fact, implying plural. An obsessivelyrge plural.¡±


    DU


    Immediately, his face went bright red as he looked around in a fluster at those around him;


    embarrassment clear on his features from my insinuation.


    ¡°I don¡®t... I don¡®t know what you¡®re talking about,¡± he huffed out, a little too defensively.


    A lightugh escaped my lips. ¡°Then I suppose we should take the things we hear at nothing more than


    face value.¡±


    In the future, Fredrick Jacobs, Alpha of the Silent Forest pack, was involved in scandalous rumours to do


    with fraternising with human girls intimately. There was nothing wrong with being mated to a human


    officially, though this was a very rare urrence. The issue was that it was considered taboo when


    engaging with them like that under any other circumstances. Especially in the quantity that Fredrick


    Jacobs was used of, and especially when it was questionable what his intentions actually were.


    Having a rumour like that cling to someone would significantly damage their reputation and future


    business prospects; something made more awkward if those ns revolved around humans also.


    ¡°So, to avoid further embarrassment to yourself,¡± I continued, smiling from my own guilty pleasure


    inside.¡± I¡®m happy to ept a written apology mailed¨C.¡±


    But then I felt it. Cutting off all other trains of thought as I frowned.


    ...A spark.


    I¡®d felt it. I¡®d definitely felt it. I was positive it was there just now, right?


    It was that same familiar energy I felt within me that originated from my Goddess mark. The same energy


    that came from when I used my true authority, higher than that of an Alpha.


    But that should be impossible... right?


    The cor should have stopped all attempts at even trying to harness it. It should have prevented


    anything and everything to do with my werewolf abilities.


    And though it was fleeting for only a split second, its sudden tangible appearance made many questions


    Chapter Sixty¨CSeven


    form inside my mind all at once. But the most important one?


    ...What did this mean if it had somehow managed to break through my current shackles?


    ¡°Aria...?¡± Aleric prompted, noticing my sudden silence.


    | quickly shook everything off and resumed myposure, directing my attention back to Alpha Fredrick


    once more. ¡°Ah... as I was saying, I¡¯m happy to ept a written apology once you¡®ve had time to calm


    down and collect yourself in a proper manner befitting a member of this alliance. I will be expecting your


    prompt response with a gift and orpensation attached. Thank you.¡±


    Alpha Fredrick gritted his teeth, turning his head away in a sign of submission. He would be unable to


    refuse my request thanks to having witnesses from all his neighbouring territories here. If anything, my


    mercy towards him was probably more than most expected given our status, but it was my hope that it


    would be enough to scare the others here from spreading further rumours.


    And so I leaned back in my chair, a smile of satisfaction on my face for the remainder of the meeting.


    Because, whilst winning a petty argument and publicly humiliating someone who tried to dishonour me


    was nice, I was far more focused on something else; something far more valuable, that Alpha Fredrick


    had inadvertently given me... ...Hope.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Chapter Sixty-Eight


    The rest of the meeting went without further incident and soon everyone disbanded from the meeting hall


    to congregate outside. It was sunset by this point and I could feel everyone¡®s exhaustion around me as


    they waited for their sleeping arrangements to be made avable for the night.


    Aleric and I stood to the side, avoiding further interaction after the events that had urred. Not that I


    imagined anyone would be upset by that. If anything, they would be grateful for our distance, not wanting


    t o find themselves as the next subject of our focus for too long.


    V


    But there was one individual I had a feeling wouldn¡®t pick up on that obvious social cue. An individual


    who had just left the building, their eyes beginning to scan the area around them.


    Without hesitating, I quickly pushed Aleric around the corner of the meeting hall building to hide


    ourselves from none other than Alpha Fredrick.


    Only he would be brazen enough to not let sleeping dogs lie. Or in this case, wolves.


    | peeked around, watching as he frantically searched the crowds of people conversing outside.


    Searching for something or *someone* in particr.


    ¡°Why are we hiding?¡± Aleric asked quietly behind me.


    He was close, his body right next to mine so he could whisper and not draw further attention to our


    location. I was grateful given the keener senses of our peers around us.


    ¡°Because Alpha Fredrick is going to try to speak to me privately,¡± I exined. ¡°And he¡®s going to demandt


    o know where I heard those rumours about him from; something he couldn¡®t ask me in that meeting


    without looking further guilty in front of the other pack representatives.¡±


    ¡°...And are they true? The rumours?¡±


    | spun my head around and smiled wickedly up at him. ¡°Who knows? They¡®re just rumours after all.¡±


    ¡°Aria, what the hell,¡± heughed. ¡°It¡®s a pretty serious thing to infer about someone.¡±


    | shrugged, turning back to see if Alpha Fredrick was still looking for me. ¡°He deserves it even if they are


    false. And besides, I¡®m pretty sure that fighting a rumour with another rumour is far better than attacking


    him, like what you wanted to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m sure that he is wishing right now that I actually had hurt him in order to save him from that social


    execution you just served him¨C.¡±


    Alpha Fredrick¡®s eyes then started searching towards the general area we were hiding, perhaps catching


    our scent in the wind change.


    ¡°Crap, time to go,¡± I said, grabbing onto Aleric¡®s hand, and I ran towards the back of the building, all the


    while dragging him behind me.


    ¡°Aria, wait,¡± he called out, intending to sound disapproving over my immature reaction but hisughter


    betrayed him.


    Behind therge hall was a grassy slope that led all the way down to a small pond at the bottom. Perfect


    for resting while I caught my breath for a minute; theck of my own strength and endurance painfully


    obvious, courtesy of the cor.


    I doubled over, both hands on my knees as I breathed in deeply. All the while, Aleric simply watched over


    me. I could see the amusement in his eyes at my state, something that was probably bad for even


    human


    standards.


    Chapter Sixty Eight


    ¡°Give me a break,¡± I whined. ¡°I haven¡®t trained, nor done anything even close to that in months.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m aware,¡± he said, walking past me to seat himself by the water¡®s edge.


    I followed only a momentter once my breathing was back under control, plopping myself down on the


    grass beside him.


    It was so peaceful here. The sunset, the fresh air... how the water glistened orange in the dying light. I


    felt I could stay here for hours, rxing as I continued to neglect all the problems mercilessly waiting for


    me ahead.


    ¡°I think I know why you brought me here,¡± I said after a few minutes of silence, now staring intensely at


    the lily pads.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°This is some sort of attempt to try and make me feel better,¡± I said, pulling my legs up to my chest and


    hugging them. ¡°But which was your train of reasoning... fresh air and a change of scenery? ... Or taking


    met o a meeting so I could pretend I¡®m still a Beta heir?¡±


    ¡°Neither,¡± he said, a half¨Csmile on his lips. ¡°You enjoy puzzles and problem solving, Aria. During your


    Beta training days, I saw how you would get thrills from thinking of things in meetings that no one else


    had. I thought if I brought you here with me, it might help ignite that passion inside you again.¡±


    A small crease formed between my brows. It seemed he knew me much better than I realised.


    ¡°...So that¡®s why you were trying to get my input on those pack matters yesterday, including even those


    petty issues that anyone could solve.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And whilst you didn¡®t feel like participating in the actual discussions today, I still got to see


    you in there. It was like you came alive again, Aria. Something I was beginning to think I¡®d never see


    again.¡±


    I turned to meet his eyes finally and found them full of only genuine concern. The orange-toned light


    around us had made the green in them appear as if they were more saturated. How crazy that those


    eyes were so innocent inparison to the ones I¡®d known.


    ... Which was why, physically the same or not, it was bing impossible to pretend that this Aleric


    didn¡®t care about me. In fact, it would be naive of me to think otherwise,


    This Aleric listened to me, taking note at least of what I was trying to tell him, before making his own


    mind up. He might not be ¡®under control¡®, but perhaps I didn¡®t need that after all. The fact he at least


    considered what I had to say was still far better than anything else I could have hoped for in the past.


    But it¡®s not as though Aleric from the previous timeline was incapable of kindness. It¡®s just that his


    kindness had never been directed towards myself. He had loved Thea, loved the pack, loved his work¡­


    it was just me that he hadn¡®t loved. As if he was incapable of seeing me for who I was, or even willing to


    give me a chance.


    So where was the line between fear and friendship now? It had be so blurred that I felt my


    uncertainty shift on any given day. Did I enjoy hispany now? Yes... but at the same time, it was


    impossible to push aside my concerns. For all I knew, he could be a volcano waiting to erupt at any


    second; its final trigger still unknown to me.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry for worrying you,¡± I said, pulling my attention back to the pond. ¡°It¡®s just a hard adjustment,


    everything considered¡­ and I don¡®t like the room. The quarters. They... they make it hard to focus.¡±


    ... Make it hard to distinguish between two lives,¡® I borated in my head. The absence of having


    anything to do or focus on, mixed in with those quarters... it was like living inside my nightmares. Slowly,


    day by day, losing a piece of myself and bing *her*.


    He frowned in confusion butughed a little. ¡°Given how much time you¡®ve spent in there, I would never


    have guessed.¡±


    ¡°I know... but it¡®s actually the lesser of two evils,¡± I said with a small reciprocating smile, my chin resting o


    n my knees


    He then leaned forward, trying to catch my attention once more, and I flicked my eyes back to meet his


    nowpletely serious gaze


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You could have just told me earlier, Ana,¡± he said with disappointment ¡°A room is at least something


    negotiable. I can talk to Tytus about switching your room to another one and I doubt it would be that bigo


    fan issue. The only problem is you might need to sleep there for a few more nights until I can organise it.


    I s that alright?¡±


    I nodded my head. At least that was one thing I wouldn¡®t need to worry about soon


    One tiny thing in the hundreds of issues I¡®d been neglecting


    The sun was then almostpletely down and a cool breeze came through, sending a small shiver


    through me. It looked as though the scarf came in handy for more than initially intended Funny as we


    weren¡®t anticipating colder weather for another month or two.


    ¡°They¡®re probably looking for us,¡± Alerc said, standing back up Td say we were at the top of the list for


    being shown where our guest lodgings were and we ran oft*


    ¡°Probably.¡± I agreed, stretching my legs back out in front of me. They were almost asleep from hugging


    them to my chest for so long


    Aleric then held his hand out for me and I happily took it grateful for the gesture


    ¡°You¡®re going to need to start training squats again at this rate,¡± he joked ¡°Can¡®t even get up by yourself


    now.¡±


    I grumbled lightheartedly, now less grateful for the gesture, and we started our ascent back up the slope


    towards where we¡®d left everyone.


    ¡°Hey, Aria,¡± he said slowly. I¡®ve been meaning to talk to you about something


    I stopped to look at him as we were almost at the top of the hill, ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡®s about when¡±


    But his words were drowned out as something then suddenly caught my eye behind his shoulder,


    immediately taking precedence over anything else Afigure standing by the meeting hail, staring at me.


    A figure i recognised immediately


    ¡°Aleric, I¡®m sorry,¡± I said, interrupting him. ¡°Surprisingly, I¡®ve just seen someone i know.¡±


    He turned around confused to look at who i was referring to. Who is that? They have Alpha biood.¡±


    ¡°I know. They¡®re a friend of a friend. But I should quickly say hi Is it okay if we talk about your thingter?¡±


    I asked but i was already walking to where the person was waiting ¡°I¡®ll see you tomorrow morning for the


    trip back!¡±


    ¡°Aria, wait...¡±


    But it was toote. I¡®d already ran off without wasting any more time.


    i felt bad for leaving so suddenly but my focus was elsewhere. Or, more urately, it was on the person


    who i never expected to see here.


    ¡°Ana,¡± they greeted, almost as it in a sigh of relief


    To my surprise, she immediately engulfed me in her arms, her dark curls falling onto my face as she


    hugged me


    ¡°ins..?¡± I asked, uncertainty thick in my voice. ¡°Why are you here? This meeting was for small packs


    within the Winter Mist alliance. The Hidden Moon pack is by far one of thergest in the whole country.¡±


    Sheughed, pulling away, ¡°I know that I came looking for you.¡±


    ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°I heard from some sources that you were addedst minute to the registry of guests staying here,¡± she


    exined. ¡°I came as quickly as I could to ensure I didn¡®t miss you.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± I repeated, folding my arms over my chest. ¡°You could have just sent a letter. Seems like a


    long way to travel.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because I¡®ve been worried sick, Aria. We¡®ve* been worried sick. The one living Saintess goes


    missing one day and the only public updates provided wereing from the same sketchy Alpha some


    weird rumours were involved with. Do you realise how worried we were?¡±


    Iris Sullivan, the only child of Alpha Sullivan, was the girl I¡®d helped save three years ago, back when I¡®d


    used her whereabouts during a kidnapping for my own financial benefit. Back when I thought running


    away was still a viable option. How times had changed.


    But she was also the girl who was apparently close friends with Cai, the same girl who I¡®de to learn


    later had even confessed her attraction for him at one point. So my curiosity at seeing her here, mixed in


    with the unmistakable way she kept referring to ¡®we¡®, was making my heart clench at the potential


    possibilities.


    ...Did she mean Cai?


    ¡°Who do you mean by ¡®we¡®, Iris?¡± I asked carefully, making sure to not let my voice betray any sway of


    emotion.


    ¡°It¡®s a group of us who have a shared interest in ensuring your safety,¡± she exined. ¡°Mostly those who


    wish to follow in the divine path provided by you, the guide of our Goddess. Then there are a few of us


    who have a personal interest in you as a person. Like myself. You were a beacon for hope and change in


    this country¡­ then you suddenly vanished. I¡®ve been so worried about you, wondering what the hell they


    did to you.¡±


    My shoulders slumped a little from disappointment. Of course, she wasn¡®t a messenger from Cai, I knew


    that ship had sailed. And, to be periecily honest, after being away all these months, I wasn¡®t even sure


    myself how i felt anymore. I missed him, ridiculously so, but I knew that he was probably beiter off far


    away from me. Not just for his own sake, but for my own too. After all, around my neck was the very


    reminder of everything that had gone wrong.


    So then this was probably the group Aleric had expressed concern about, all the way back from before


    I¡®d confessed my crimes to Tytus. Those who would fight in opposition if I were held captive. I never


    thought to see Iris here though. Was she still hoping to take over her father and be the first female


    Alpha one day?


    ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± she asked, her big blue eyes full of worry.


    I shifted ufortably. ¡°No, no, I¡®m fine¡­.¡±


    ...Physically, I added in my head


    She signed in relief. ¡°Good, I¡®m d to hear that. You¡®re going to need all the strength you can get to


    thought that there was no way they would actually so that fas¡±


    ¡°Well they did,¡± I muttered, tuming away Chamefully


    She grabbed the sides of my face gently and turned me so I was looking back at her front on There was


    s o much anger and determination in her eyes now, something that was almost scarily prominent


    ¡°This is wity we need you, Aria,¡± she stressed, ¡°This is why we need change. No man or woman, ranked


    or unranked, should have the authority to chain you.¡±


    But the magnitude of what she was really asking for vas impossible. Not in my current state at least !


    knew she was right, things delinitely needed to change. Equality and proper recognition were far overdue


    ..and that was putting aside the inhumane treatment an Alpha vas tegally allowed to subject someone t


    o. No, things needed to change, painfully co. but i couldn¡®t be the one to do it Not right now. If anything, i


    I would actually be going against my current goai.


    Chapter Sixty¨CEight


    Because one of the main things I¡®d concluded was that staying on Aleric¡®s good side was paramount to


    preventing the future I knew. In our current standing, it seemed easy enough to maintain given our


    friendship but, should I take Iris up on her offer to lead, then I would be stripping him of his title; of which,


    he had already previously expressed apprehension over. If I did this, I needed to ept that doing so


    would be creating an unnecessary rift between us...


    ...And that was something more dangerous than my oppression.


    No, my first step now was to see if it was even possible for me to free myself. Work with what little


    advantages I had and strengthen myself in other areas where I could. I needed to prepare myself for


    when Thea inevitably showed up again and work on dying, if notpletely freeing myself, before my


    uing forced union with Aleric. 1


    ¡°Iris... I appreciate that you¡®re so passionate about this and I agree things desperately need to change,¡± |


    started, choosing my words carefully, ¡°but I really can¡®t help you. Not right now at least... I¡®m sorry.¡±


    She searched my face for a few seconds, looking deep into my eyes, before finally nodding. Whatever


    she had been looking for, perhaps she didn¡®t find it.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± she said, taking a step away. ¡°Not right now, but maybe soon. Just send for me and I will


    come help you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. You have many more friends than I think you


    realise.¡±


    I did my best to muster up a small smile for her. ¡°I appreciate that, Iris. Really, I do. I promise that you will


    be the first person I call on when I need help.¡±


    Iris engulfed me into another hug, somehow squeezing me even tighter than the first time. She was a


    lovely girl, something that made me feel a little guilty from the mild distaste I¡¯d briefly held for her once


    over Cai. However, deep down, I couldn¡®t deny that I also felt a sense of responsibility and trust having


    saved her life; as was the way I had felt about Myra ohce.


    ¡°This won¡®t be thest time,¡± she smiled brightly.


    And I was sure she was probably right.


    But for now, I had something far more pressing weighing on my mind. Something that had been lurking


    within my mind, patiently waiting for when I was alone again.


    Because whilst I wasn¡®t ready to take over an entire country, I had still been given a small blessing.


    Something to focus on in the interim of my looming punishment.


    Now was the time to find that spark of energy waiting inside me and practice. Practice until I was free


    again once more. And the best part? No one was going to see iting.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Chapter Sixty¨CNine


    ¡®Reach for it...


    ¡®Stretch...


    I dug deep within myself, searching where I had felt that familiar energy first stem from. Before it used to


    always feel like it was just out of arm¡®s length, as if only the tip of my fingernail could graze it, but now it


    felt as though I needed several more appendages just to get anywhere near it.


    But it was there. I had to believe that it hadn¡®t just been my imagination.


    Stretch just a little further...¡®


    But then I exhaled quickly in release, panting from the strain it had caused to my body.


    I¡®d been sitting on my bed practising ever since arriving back at my guest lodgings. However, since


    starting over an hour ago, there had been little to show in progress.


    I knew there had to be a trick to this, some sort of internal cue to summon it. Elder Luke had mentioned


    that this energy was something that could be trained but I was now trying to aplish it with a severe


    handicap. So naturally, a part of me was kicking myself for not learning this prior to the cor.


    I threw myself backwards on the bed,ying down in defeat. This was bing infuriating, not to


    mention exhausting. How was I meant to practice something if I couldn¡®t even begin to grasp it? This


    stupid energy that was a byproduct of my curse.


    Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried again once more, digging as deep as physically possible.


    Grab it already. It¡®s there. It¡®s literally right there.¡¯


    Just grab it!


    ... And then I felt it.


    My eyes immediately flew open as I felt the energy weakly pulse inside me.


    Just a dim flickering. Not much, but just enough to know it was there.


    ¡®HOLD IT.


    | gritted my teeth, fighting against all the different forces working against me... the cor, my now weaker


    body, the pure effort required to just utilise the energy itself... but it wasn¡®t enough.


    | exhaled once more in release, heaving at the air around me.


    It was gone. Gone just as quickly as it had shown itself.


    But I couldn¡®t discredit the noticeable differences and how they were definitely better whenpared to


    my past experiences. There was no dizziness... no nosebleeds¡­ no nausea. Not yet at least. It was


    mostly just aching and exhaustion from the attempts.


    What had been the trigger? My frustration? ...Emotion? I supposed that made sense. All the times it had


    come to me in the past were under circumstances of higher emotional investment. But would knowing


    that actually make it any easier?


    For now, I just needed to repeat this over and over again until I trained my body to grasp it on will, each


    time trying to hold it for a few seconds longer.


    And so, even though I knew how much it was probably going to hurt, I smiled at the excruciatingly slow


    grind ahead of me.


    How naive of me to think that at one point i¡®d thoughi squats were bad


    ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± Aletic asked the next morning, eyeing off my appearance


    1 yawned but managed to bow my head in greeting per protocol


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said sleepily. ¡°I didn¡®t get much rest. Sorry for all of the fuss.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were dead,¡± he said with all seriousness


    I¡®d ended up staying up all night practising, pushing myself to my limit, before finally passing out


    sometime in the early morning My exhaustion had been so bad though that an attendant had to enter my


    guest lodgings with a master key after I¡®d failed to answer the door. Apparently. Alenc had nearly


    smashed it down from knocking and had thought something had happened to me


    In actuality, I was just dead to the world sleeping.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry,¡± I repeated, though this time trying to make it sound more genuine.


    He sighed but his shoulders didn¡®t rx. ¡°It¡®s fine. Grab your stuff and let¡®s get going.¡±


    I wondered whether this had scared him off from ever bringing me with him again but I went back inside t


    o pack without questioning it. Truthfully, I wasn¡®t even sure if I ever wanted to go to another meeting like


    this again but knew it was best not to push my luck whilst he was like this. I could tell that what I¡®d done


    had really struck a nerve with him.


    The drive back was mostly quiet with small talk in between. He seemed to have settled down a little


    since the morning but my sleepless night was quickly catching up to me. Every inch of my body was


    aching for my bed


    ..And so, without much energy left to resist, I eventually drifted off to sleep in the car.


    ¡°Aria,¡± a voice called out to me.


    I stirred but didn¡®t want to move, my eyelids heavy with exhaustion.


    ¡°Aria, get up,¡± it repeated. ¡°We¡®re here.¡±


    I grumbled but slowly forced myself awake to see Aleric in the car beside me.


    ¡°Come on. You can sleep inside,¡± he said, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out.


    Begrudgingly, I followed behind him, my moves sluggish. Though part of my reluctance siemmed from


    weighing up whether it would be better to stay in the car as opposed to returning to my room.


    Several warriors and pack members stared as we entered but I did my best to ignore them. All of them


    probably had a plethora of questions that I didn¡®t care to answer. Instead, I followed silently behind Aleric


    all the way until we made it to the main floor, our quarters opposite ends.


    This was it. What would happen when I went back in there? Would I never want to leave again?


    I stared at the threshold of my room, eyeing the door off sceptically. I felt sick inside just thinking about


    this ce.


    Aleric then came up behind me and ced a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning,¡± he reassured. ¡°I promise I¡®ll talk to Tytus first thing in the morning. Hopefully, he


    won¡®t care whether you remain in the Luna quarters and we can get you moved out quickly.¡±


    Chapter Sixty Nine


    I mutely nodded but still remained uneasy. And whilst it wasn¡®t this* Aleric¡®s fault, his presence probably


    wasn¡®t making the situation any better given the circumstances of why I hated this ce.


    Here was this seemingly insignificant room, these walls of no importance. And yet they held more weight


    over me than I¡®d ever dare to admit aloud. Why was it that this ce continued to drain me more than


    anything else these days? Ironically, it felt as though the quarters were living rent free inside my head


    rather than the reverse.


    ¡®Screw it,¡® I finally decided. ¡®I am not her and I will not cower.¡¯


    I pushed the door open then and took a second to take it all in. The overly familiar scenery, scents,


    sensations...


    And I pushed it as far back as I could.


    If I could summon the literal authority of a goddamn Goddess, then there was no way I was going to let a


    room destroy me.


    Stronger. My goal was to get stronger. And it had already started.


    First a room, then Thea, then maybe a revolution. Hopefully, within all of that, I could also prevent an


    apocalypse in the process. It was just baby steps. Should be easy enough, right?


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said to Aleric, my tone dismissing him. ¡°I¡®ll be okay from here.¡±


    He looked at me hesitantly, as if weighing up whether he should insist on staying or not, but he finally


    nodded, epting my request.


    ¡°Aright,¡± he said, his hand on the door. ¡°Have a good rest and I¡®ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You keeping around so often and I¡®ll start thinking you have no friends,¡± I joked.


    He smiled. ¡°Unfortunately, just one very annoying one.¡±


    I missed our conversations like this. Our real ones. It honestly felt like we hadn¡®t spoken naturally to one


    another since back when I was still a Beta heir. This trip had been a nice reminder of what it felt like to


    speak freely again. Though not entirely free. Not as freely as I had spoken to Cai...


    ¡®Nope. I¡®m not going there.¡®


    I shook off the thoughts quickly and threw my bag down by the door, walking towards my room.


    If there was one thing that she*, my past self, had been right about, it was that getting involved with


    someone romantically had ended up being a mistake. I¡®d been broken already once and had stupidly


    dragged myself back into that pit of pain willingly. Just for a touch, a nce, a glimpse into what it would


    feel like to be happy.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡®m talking about you,¡± I whispered to the mirror on the wall, my eyes narrowing. ¡°I¡®m telling you that you


    were right. At least about one thing. Are you not even going to gloat a little?¡±


    However, there was still no reply and only silence greeted me. It was nice not having her fogging up my


    head anymore but I wasn¡®t under any false pretence. Even though my make¨Cup covered up the worst of


    m y exhaustion, I knew she would still be there somewhere. She was always there.


    Speaking of exhaustion, I knew it was time to train. No good wasting time with my looming birthday only


    months away


    I knew I¡®d have to speak to Aleric soon about possibly resuming my physical training, even though I was


    fully aware that I would still remain weak no matter how much I worked out. But even a strong human


    was still better than a weak one. Surely it wouldn¡®t be that hard to pick up again?


    Chapter Sixty Nine


    But as for right now, I had to continue with the harder of the two. The one that drained me more than just


    physically


    Settling into my bed, I continued the training I had started the night before, slowly holding the energy


    inside me for longer periods of time. And whilst it may have only been a few seconds, I was happy with


    m y improvement


    However, for all the motivation I felt to keep going, the exhaustion finally became too much sometime


    after dark. I¡®d had two nights of minimal sleep and my body was already overworked thanks to the new


    discovery I¡®d found within myself.


    And so, with barely any strength left inside... I passed out.


    ... That is until I was suddenly awoken by the sound of my front door clicking open, a creak groaning out


    a sit swung open.


    My eyes flew open and instantly went to check the time via the clock on my bedside table.


    It was after two o¡®clock in the morning. Why would anyone be here thiste?


    I jumped out of bed and threw a robe over my nightgown. If this was an attendant then they were about


    to have hell to pay for waking me without good reason.


    ¡°...Lucy?¡± I called out.


    Silence.


    ¡°...Aleric...?¡±


    Only the sound of someone¡®s footsteps greeted me.


    This was bad. This was really bad.


    Immediately, I crouched down and held my breath, trying desperately to listen to the darkness around m


    e. But I knew the unfortunate reality was that they would be able to see me easily with their better vision.


    Hell, maybe they could even hear the sound of my heart pumping hard in my chest from adrenaline.


    Options. What were my options?


    Run? No, there was no way I¡®d be fast enough. Hide? Nope, they probably could see me right now


    anyway. Order them to stand down? No, that option was way too risky and would probably not work


    given how much I¡®d exhausted my body earlier,


    Scream then. I had to scream. If Aleric was in his room, he would be able to hear me and get here faster


    than anyone else.


    Topened my mouth and quickly inhaled as much as I could within my lungs.


    ¡°ALE¨C.¡±


    But then a hand suddenly came from out of the darkness and mped my mouth quickly shut, a wall of


    muscle encircling around my body. He¡®d appeared from thin air; my senses having failed entirely to alert


    m e to his location.


    | squirmed and wriggled in his grip, hopelessly fighting against him, but I knew it was pointless. By even


    werewolf standards, this guy was built impossiblyrge. Maybe evenrger than some of our pack¡®s best


    warriors. And right now I didn¡®t even qualify for standard strength.


    Who the hell was this guy?


    A cloth gag and tape quickly reced his hand, binding my mouth from making any further attempts to


    call for help. There was nothing I could do, nowhere I could move, and so he was able to throw me over


    Chapter Sixty¨CNine


    his shoulder without any issue whatsoever.


    Was this really it? The best I could do?


    I could feel he wasn¡®t taking me to the front door and that made sense. He wasn¡®t about to just waltz out


    with me over his shoulder. Even at this time of night, there would be people still awake in the packhouse


    o n patrol. He might have managed to get in here without suspicion, but there was no way he was going


    to b e able to get me out that way.


    So he must be hoping to use the window then. From his direction, I could only assume he was aiming for


    the one in the living room, the one that wouldnd us within shrubs by the side of the house. But that


    drop was crazy far. He¡®d have to calcte his movements precisely and utilise the piping system all the


    way down; something already considerably difficult enough without factoring in how he¡®ll also be carrying


    me the entire time. I supposed that was why thergest, most muscled block of a man was chosen for


    whatever this task was.


    He finally arrived at the window and my eyes adjusted to the small light provided by the moon outside.


    Any second now, I knew he would be angling to open the window... but there was onest thing I could


    try.


    Mustering every ounce of strength inside me, I managed to kick one of my legs free from out of his grasp


    and, without hesitating for even a second, I brought it straight back down... and out through the window.


    The deafening sound of ss shattering came first, slicing through the silence that had been there only


    moments earlier. It would be enough for most of the house to hear, I knew that. However, chasing only


    seconds behind this, was the pain apanying the many tiny gashes now scattered all along my bare


    foot and shin.


    ...And, fuck, did it hurt.


    ¡°You bitch,¡± the man hissed, struggling to grab my leg back in his grasp once more.


    He was in a hurry now, his leisure of secrecy now robbed of him. Aleric or warriors would be here within


    seconds and he knew it well. He would need to jump from the window right now or end up facing them


    head¨Con.


    The man tried to move fast but every time he attempted to go for the window, I would kick my leg out


    against the wall to make doing so ridiculously difficult for him to aplish. How much longer could I


    keep this up?


    Seconds ticked by but I kept continuing to elude his grip on my second leg, something only intended to


    stall for as much time as possible. However, his movements quickly became more forceful, more


    panicked as a result.


    ¡°Come on!¡± he growled, gettingpletely fed up with me.


    Abruptly, he then paused, his body goingpletely still for just a second, and I could tell he was


    listening to something in the distance.


    My heart lurched with hope. Someone wasing.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± he said, and grabbed at my waist to pull me off his shoulder.


    Was he going to just throw me out the window? ...Would I even survive that?


    No, I couldn¡®t take that chance.


    With onest final attempt to stall for time, I wriggled within his grip as much as I physically could, as


    much as was humanly possible for me to do... only it worked a little too well.


    The man unexpectedly lost his grip on me entirely and I quickly fell backwards...


    ...I fell backwards onto the jagged piece of ss that remained within the broken window frame.


    Chapter Sixty Nine


    The shard immediately sliced through my back and into my chest without much resistance, and my


    muffled cries carried out into the room; suppressed from the bindings still covering my mouth,


    The pain was unimaginable, worse than anything else I¡®d ever experienced. When I had been executed


    the first time, it had at least been quick, allowing me to pass within seconds. But this...? This was like


    hell.


    This was a literal slow death,


    ¡°ARIA?!¡± a voice then shouted from somewhere.


    Aleric¡®s voice. It sounded very far away... very muted,


    ¡®See, Aleric? I told you murderers don¡®t knock first,¡®I thought inside, remembering how we¡®d spoken


    about this only two days before.


    Meanwhile, the man next to me was trying to apply pressure to my wound without much sess.


    Seemed almost funny since, not only had he failed to capture me, but I was now also blocking his only


    viable exit out. I guess it could be considered a small victory, all things considered.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit,¡± he kept repeating over and over again, fear in his voice,


    Silent tears then started to stream down my face as breathing became harder and harder to do. I was


    getting cold... my throat burning with the overwhelming desire to cough and clear it... as if doing so might


    help me breathe. But the bindings on my mouth prevented me from doing so, causing me to convulse


    slightly instead.


    ¡®My lungs... It¡®s pierced my lungs,¡¯ I thought internally, realising the horrific truth. ¡®They¡®re slowly filling


    with blood.¡¯


    ¡°Aria,¡± Aleric¡®s voice then said, his face suddenly right next to mine. ¡°Aria, please!¡±


    Did he finish fighting the intruder already? I was struggling with consciousness, unsure how much time


    had actually passed due to mypses. Was the man¡®s a quick death... or slow like mine was shaping outt


    o be?


    ¡°Aria!¡±


    ¡®I can¡®t breathe...¡®


    So cold. I was so cold... maybe Aleric could get me a nket.


    ¡®I can¡®t breathe...


    And I¡®d tried so goddamn hard... yet somehow, in the end, it still wasn¡®t good enough.


    ...I¡®m sorry. I¡®m so sorry I couldn¡®t fix everything. Maybe it will still be enough for everyone to live¡­


    Maybe ... just maybe ... I¡®d done at least one thing right to avoid that future...¡®


    Slowly, I then closed my eyes, the darkness around me no longer being sourced from the time of day...


    And everything turned ck,

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    Chapter Seventy


    .... With a sudden lurch inside my chest, my eyes flew open. I was gasping heavily, trying topensate


    for the suffocation that had afflicted me only moments earlier.


    ... Except I wasn¡®t mounted on the ss shard anymore¡­.


    I was in my bed.


    My hands frantically grabbed at my body, inspecting for any sign of damage... but there wasn¡®t any.


    So it wasn¡®t real? But I had felt it. It couldn¡®t be a dream. I know it wasn¡®t a dream.


    But it ended up easier than expected to figure out exactly what had happened.


    The nausea hit me first, forcing me to throw myself over the side of the bed and empty out the contents o


    f my stomach. Then the ringing in my ears followed... then, finally, the bloody nose.


    ...It was a vision. Easily the longest one I¡®d ever had; the realest one I¡®d ever had. Somehow it had been


    strong enough to show itself even with my cor, now punishing me with the worst side effects I¡®d ever


    had to date.


    My head still struggling to clear from the trauma of what I¡®d just experienced, I tried my best to focus on


    what I¡®d seen. But the shock of the situation was hard to ovee.


    ...Because the reality was.... I had died.


    I¡®d died because I¡®d tried to stall for time and fallen as a result of an ident. A goddamn ident. The


    idiot had fucking butterfingers and killed me. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Somehow it had felt seamless though, as if I really had just woken up before it all yed out. So when


    was all of this meant to happen? A day? A week? A month from now?


    But I didn¡®t need to wait long before I got my answer.


    ... Because suddenly I could hear the sound of my front door clicking open, and a familiar creak groan


    out into the silence.


    They were here. Right now.


    Okay, it was time to think fast. I knew what went wrong and what I could avoid, I also knew what their


    intentions were. There was no need to call out or make my presence known, and I already knew now


    that I was helpless to defend myself given their size and strength.


    But my body ached as though I really had just been thrown out of a window, my head pounding with a


    migraine worse than any other. Whilst I had more options avable to me this time, there was no way!


    would be physically able to aplish much. Hell, I doubted I¡®d even be able to wriggle free this time.


    No, there was no way I could defeat him¡­ but I knew someone else who could.


    I had been only seconds awayst time from being able to achieve the best strategy avable to me,


    seconds that had been wasted trying to confirm who was there the first time. But I didn¡®t have that


    problem now.


    Inhaling as much as I could, I screamed out into the night. Screamed for the one person who I knew


    could save me.


    ¡°ALERIC! ALERIC, HELP! PLEASE!¡±


    The pounding of feet quickly rushing towards my room was the first thing I heard and i knew it was the


    intruder. I was sure he was probably wondering how his cover had been blown so quickly.


    Chapter Sevenly


    Without waiting, I dropped to the ground and crawled under my bed; though a much tighter squeeze than


    I expected. He would be able to find me here, I knew, but literally all I needed was a few extra seconds.


    Just a couple of seconds for Aleric to find me.


    My bedroom door then flew open and the man appeared at the threshold. I couldn¡®t see his face but I


    could tell he was searching for me, probably attempting to use his heightened senses to help locate my


    position in the room. Silently, I held my breath, but I knew even the tiniest of sounds, the smallest of


    movements, would be easily picked up on by him.


    In the end, though, it wasn¡®t enough as he soon appeared in front of the bed and reached down to grab


    m e from under it.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± I screamed, weakly pushing away from him to no sess.


    With no time to bind my mouth this time, he proceeded to just quickly throw me over his shoulder and run


    for the window. I struggled, wriggling as much as I could, but my movements werepletely ineffectual


    against him. Like I had thought, my body really was far weaker than it had been in the vision.


    However, just as we made it to the window, the front door then suddenly burst open, and the dim outline


    o f Aleric appeared across the room. My heart immediately jumped at the sight.


    ¡°ARIA?!¡±


    ¡°Aleric! Aleric, please!¡± I screamed back.


    ¡®I don¡®t want to die again, please...¡®


    ¡®Please...¡®


    Aleric moved faster than I could keep up with in the darkness, only reappearing once his hand was on


    the man¡®s arm. He was just about to open the window before Aleric appeared. Just a momentter and I


    was sure he would have thrown me out, taking the chance that I would hopefully survive the fall.


    A sickening snapping noise then sounded out and I managed to only just catch sight of how Aleric had


    broken the man¡®s arm like a toothpick, as if it wasn¡®t attached to one of thergest, most muscled


    werewolves I¡®d ever seen. But it worked. The intruder doubled over, cradling his arm to his chest as he


    cried out in pain.


    Aleric didn¡®t wait though. Immediately, he grabbed at me under my arms and hauled me off the guy¡®s


    shoulder, my body still shaking from the adrenaline pumping through me. I wanted to cling to him for


    safety but I knew I would only be getting in the way. Which was exactly what the man must have realised


    too as he threw out a punch towards Aleric¡®s face with his good arm.


    I dropped to the ground the second Aleric released me, the top of my head only narrowing missing


    Aleric¡®s hand that came up to defend himself.


    ¡°Aria, get back!¡± he ordered, grabbing the guy¡®s arm and throwing him to the ground away from me.


    How he managed to toss him with such ease, I had no idea. But it was effortless for him, as if he were


    tossing a bag of sand rather than a man twice the size of him.


    | quickly scooted away from them as far as I could and looked on mutely as the scene unfolded before m


    e. The man was still struggling with the pain in his arm but had managed to get to his feet... and then


    there was Aleric, moving towards him with all intent to kill and do so quickly.


    ...But perhaps that wasn¡®t the best idea. If he killed him then¡­


    Aleric grabbed him by the throat and pushed him up against the wall. The man was growling, snapping,


    maybe even trying to shift... but, really, everyone here knew it was over. The difference in power between


    the two was as clear as night and day.


    With tug free fond, Aleno pulled it back his dans chatting to protrude out and


    ¡°Aferd, wat dort


    Hetliced frim through the throat, instantly making humbled out


    With the situation rrow dealt with i sacrumpled on the floor still in shock I was alive. I was alive. It felt live


    an eternity since my life hadnt been in danger, having just experienced this scenario won in the


    session of a few minutes Minutes that tasd felt like hours


    Aleric¡®s attention turned back towards me once he was assured the manual dead Vithout wasting my


    more tune, he ran over to engulf me into his arms, the man¡®s blood covering him and all Maybe I would


    have recoiled from his state normally, but now I clung to him for life, try body still staking I dont tatter that


    he¡®d just killed the guy and was getting me coated in blood too, I just needed to feel the contot only be


    could provide in that moment


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, his breathing still hear from everything that had transpired ¡°YOU DO bleeding


    i nodded stiffy, mowing that my blood was from the vision not the intruder T¡®m okay are you oka¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡±


    We continued to hold each other for another s uite bath of us needing the time to calm down and feel


    reassured the other was okay But before too long Alene finally went to pull away only it ghtened my grip


    in response


    Please don¡®t go yet,¡± I whispered


    I could feel myself shit trembling struggling to process the different thaumasrdjust gone though t once To


    be honest, I was surprised I hadn¡®t passed out yet My adrenaline was slowly meaning of the aching in my


    body only getting wobe and itly mind was still smbing to cope with angel slowly dying only minutes


    eative


    ¡°Okay, I won¡®t¡® he said before gently powing tumself to sit against the wall


    Pulling me into hisp he then held me, letting me have my moment of feeling safe event was just to a


    few minutes


    Which was exactly how we were positioned when the warriors finally came upstairs and found us,


    huddled together and now both covered in blood


    ¡°Alpha heit Miss Chrysalis,¡± one of the


    greeted, n in the voice


    Aleric simply pointed towards the window where the man¡®s bodyid ¡°Over there


    They nodded and started inspecting the scene beginning the investigation of the corpo


    Pemaps this room was more soundprool than drealised given theit slow response Boedondo long it had


    taken them, they must not have heard anything until Aleric broke the deadows and made me more


    grateful that Alenc had shown up when he had


    for questioning and


    ¡°You shouldn¡®t have killed him¡± i quetiy ctumed in ¡°We should have taken him gotten answers about why


    he was trying to kidnap me


    don¡®t care He chose death the minute he touched you. He could have asked you.


    Alenc shook his head A¡±


    He did kill me,¡® I added in my head, a shiver going down my spine How long was going to take this link


    Chapler Seventy


    before I could finally bury this memory along with the rest of my traumas? A memory that wasn¡®t even


    real but just an overly realistic vision.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡± he asked, mistaking my reaction.


    ¡°A little,¡± I admitted. And it wasn¡®t a lie. Maybe between the shock and the blood¨Csoaked clothes, my


    body was definitely feeling a little chilly.


    ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    I nodded, though I wasn¡®t sure if that was even true.


    Slowly, Aleric helped me to my feet and followed suit, not letting go until he felt assured I could stand by


    myself. To my relief, someone also quickly provided me with a nket. There was a short conversation


    with the warriors about what had happened and a few orders to scout the area for anyone else, but soon


    enough I found myself trailing behind Aleric in a trance,pletely out of it, as he moved around.


    At some point, he left the quarters and started walking through some hallways, I didn¡®t snap back to


    reality though until I realised where he¡®d taken me.


    It was his quarters.


    ¡°You can take a shower and sleep in here tonight. Tomorrow I¡¯ll work something else out.¡±


    Stay... in his room?


    And as he opened the door, I caught my first ever glimpse of inside his living area. A ce I¡®d never


    been allowed in the past.


    ¡°Are youing in?¡± he asked after I just stood there, unmoving


    I nodded slowly and entered, trying to focus despite the umting crazy things that were happening i


    none night


    Inside looked mostly the same as my own quarters, maybe a little bigger with an extra room or two. The


    most notable difference from where I stood was in the furnishings though, his being more suited to an


    Alpha as opposed to a Luna,


    He saw me eyeing off the extra doors and answered ordingly. ¡°Gym and study,¡± he exined,


    pointing them out.


    That made sense. Lunas weren¡®t supposed to need either of those,


    ¡°Shower is down there,¡± he then added. ¡°An attendant went ahead and grabbed you some of your spare


    clothes. It should be in the bathroom already.¡°


    ¡°Okay... thank you,¡± I replied quietly, my voice still sounding distant,


    Robotically, i followed his instructions and found the bathroom without any issue. It became a process of


    steps toplete one by one; brushing my hair, getting undressed, and turning on the shower I was on


    complete autopilot as I moved.


    So once the hot water hit me, I finally felt myself begin to break down. The steam was trying to rx my


    muscles but it was a futile attempt, a sob already beginning to shake itself through my chest i sat down


    slowly, allowing the hot water to wash over me and, as quietly as i could, I allowed myself a moment to


    release what had been building up inside. With any luck, the shower would muffle the sound of my silent


    crying from Aleric


    This had been too much even for the Moon Goddess¡® standards. The vision could have broken the


    moment I fell onto the window shard and I would have understood what happened next. Why did I need t


    o live through my own slow death? What benefit would that possibly serve if not just to mentally destroy


    me?


    Chapter Seventy


    ¡°I hate you,¡± I whispered to Selene, tears falling down my face. ¡°Just let me die and be done with this


    already. Once was already bad enough.¡±


    ¡°Aria?¡± Aleric¡®s voice then called out from the other side of the door, causing me to jump. Had he heard


    what I said?


    I rubbed at my face and quickly washed it under the shower stream before replying. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°...You still okay?¡±


    No.


    ¡°I¡®m fine,¡± I replied. ¡°Coming out in a minute.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    He didn¡®t sound reassured. Fair enough.


    As fast as I could, I washed myself down and got out of the shower to get changed, though taking longer


    than anticipated as my fatigue was hitting hard. The side effects I was experiencing this time were


    savage to the point I would be grateful to never have a vision ever again.


    Aleric was waiting for me on the other side of the door, somehow also freshened up now. Perhaps he


    had a second bathroom? I couldn¡®t help but notice though that he was looking down at me as if I were


    made o f porcin; something I couldn¡®t fault him for thinking. Wasn¡®t it just yesterday morning he had a


    scare thinking something had happened to me in the Diamond w pack? Now I¡®d literally been


    seconds away from death right in front of him. I was weak and this was just another painful reminder of


    that fact.¨C


    ¡°Come on,¡± Aleric said, gently guiding me with a hand to my shoulder.


    I allowed him to lead me to where he wanted to, all the while not saying a word, before realising he¡®d


    walked me straight to his room and intended for me to take his bed for the remainder of the night.


    ¡°Aleric... no, I can sleep on the couch,¡± I declined.


    ¡°Don¡®t be stupid,¡± he argued. ¡°Take the bed and sleep. You¡®ll be safest in there whilst I keep an eye on


    the front door from the living room.¡±


    He was trying to protect me. His idea must have been that if anyone else was stupid enough to attempt


    this a second time, he would be waiting for them. Not that anyone would be that crazy. Not even Thea,


    who I assumed the delightful visitor earlier was from; or at least that was my best guess so far.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I finally conceded, too tired to argue, and I slowly dragged myself over into his bed,


    It smelt like him which was a bit of a surreal experience, all things considered, but it wasn¡®t like this


    arrangement was under normal circumstances. He was correct in saying that this was the safest ce


    for me in the house, if not the entire pack, right now.


    He moved to then leave but I spoke up before he could go.


    ¡°...Aleric?¡± I called softly.


    He quickly looked back up, meeting my gaze. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    I bit at the inside of my cheek, unsure how to properly express what I needed to say.


    ¡°Thank you... I wouldn¡®t be here right now if you hadn¡®te for me.¡±


    ¡°...Always,¡± he said simply and left before I could reply.


    Now left in the dark to my own thoughts, I wondered what tomorrow would look like. From sneaking outt


    o attend a meeting, to now being attacked within my own bedroom, I was sure Tytus would have several

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    Chapter Seventy¨COne


    I awoke the next day sometime in the mid-afternoon. Not that it was very surprising given the events that


    had urred the night before.


    Confusion was my initial reaction, finding myself in a strange bed, before my mind finally caught up. It


    still all seemed so crazy that, had it not been for the aching in my body, perhaps I would have thought the


    entire thing was just a nightmare. Or maybe I could have at least pretended it was.


    I changed into some clothes that were left for me and made my way into the living room, my movements


    all still incredibly stiff... only I found the quarters to bepletely empty. I knew it was unreasonable to


    expect Aleric to be here but a part of me was still on edge from almost being kidnapped. Had he left to


    speak to Tytus in my stead?


    A knocking then came from the front door, making me jump, and I approached it warily.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I called out.


    Without any warning, the door then swung open to reveal Alexander behind it. He must have heard my


    footsteps from inside.


    ¡°Afternoon,¡± he greeted. ¡°Aleric had to go organise some things but I¡®ve been ced on watch duty. I¡®ll


    be out here if you need me.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay,¡± was all that came out of my mouth. How was I meant to react to that? Didn¡®t Alexander have


    better things to do? I felt like an inconvenience.


    ¡°Don¡®t look so forlorn, things could have been worse,¡± he added, mistaking my expression. ¡°I took over


    the watch from Brayden about an hour ago so you could have had him sulking out here instead.¡±


    That sounded like Brayden. I could easily believe how annoyed he was at being put on babysitting duty;


    our rtionship never having evolved past mutually putting up with one another. Not to mention that, for


    a Gamma, his ego was far too big.


    ¡°Thanks, Alexander,¡± I said quietly.


    He smiled with a nod before closing the door again between us.


    I now stood alone once more in the empty room, unsure what to do with myself. Should I be out helping


    somehow? Organising some patrols? No, I hadn¡®t done anything like that in months given I was no


    longer a Beta heir.


    Useless. I felt useless. Like a damsel in distress, locked in a tower. And none of it made any sense.


    What was Thea¡®s n with kidnapping me anyway? Had I triggered whatever the required event was


    without knowing, allowing for my demise now? But I couldn¡®t recall impacting anything of importance


    recently. Was it the meeting with Alpha Frederick, stopping the deal for the casino? That didn¡®t seem like


    such a momentous event though, and it was one I had no influence on in the previous timeline.


    So what was the real motivation here?


    I sat on the couch, mulling in frustration for some time, continuing to try and make sense of the night


    before. But every time I thought I might have a possible exnation, I would find some w in the


    reasoning.


    ¡°Aria?¡± a voice then said from the door, snapping me out of my head.


    I looked up startled to see Aleric had returned, the windows now dark as night had fallen. I really had


    spaced out for some time.


    Chapter Sureny one


    Woah, it¡®s just me,¡± he rified at my reaction. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡®t mean to scare you. I thought you would


    have heard the door open.¡±


    I cleared my throat, my brow furrowing slightly. ¡°No, no, it¡®s all good. I was just lost in thought.¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked, walking across the room to peer out the window.


    ¡°Fine, I guess? Better thanst night... Did you talk to Tytus today?¡±


    Aleric then became distracted, as if concentrating on something else.


    ¡°Something like that. No further punishment for you but I¡®ll be taking all the bad patrol shifts for the next


    few months. They¡®ll be adding stricter patrols at the packhouse from now on too... not that it matters.....¡±


    It could have been worse. Much worse. I was grateful that Tytus hadn¡®t decided to move my marking


    date up in response to the intruder scare or my unnned adventure out of the pack; though not


    technically m y fault for thatst one.


    The insane part was that this was really my life. I was walking on eggshells around Tytus and praying


    that I managed to change my fate before he took my choice away.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Aleric called, pulling my attention once more. ¡°I know you¡®re still tired but I need you to follow me.¡±


    I was a little taken aback by the abruptness of his request but assumed he must be wanting to show met


    o my new room for the night. The old quarters were now a security risk and had a broken door so it made


    sense to put me somewhere else.


    Silently, I got up and trailed behind him, letting him lead me through the packhouse.


    ...Only we kept going down the floors without stopping.


    Not just that, but the packhouse was also eerily quiet with no one in sight along the route we took. Didn¡®t


    Aleric say that they were going to be increasing patrols here?


    I paused in my spot once we reached the ground level, nowpletely perplexed. ¡°Aleric... What¡®s going


    o


    n?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t stop,¡± he instructed, pushing me gently forward. ¡°I¡®ll answer your questions soon.¡±


    I frowned but resumed following anyway, wanting to put my trust in him that he wasn¡®t about to lead me


    down another misadventure. Only that hope quickly dwindled further as he eventually led me outside,


    heading directly towards a car.


    So much of this wasn¡®t making any sense. Was there a different building that they were going to move


    me to for safety? Was the packhouse considered toopromised?


    Per his request though, I didn¡®t stop or question it further, following him into the car after him. A car ||


    hadn¡®t seen him drive before.


    We drove for some time in silence and I could feel the tensioning off Aleric. And the further we went,


    the harder it became not to press him for information, especially since we were still heading in the


    direction I had been silently hoping he would deviate from.


    ¡°Can you please tell me now?¡± | asked, knowing that in a second it would be toote. ¡°We¡®re clearly


    heading towards the border, Aleric. What are you doing?¡±


    Up ahead, a warrior then came into view as they walked into the middle of the road, waiting to screen the


    car at the border exit. There was no way they weren¡®t going to alert Tytus this time given recent events.


    ¡°Don¡®t worry about it,¡± he replied, driving ahead without hesitation.


    The car then slowed down as we approached and I anxiously anticipated some sort of argument or fight


    t


    app evenly the


    o ensue as the warrior peered in through the window.


    ...Only it never came.


    Aleric and the warrior simply nodded at each other, a silent acknowledgement between the two, before h


    e elerated once more, driving past the exit and over the borderline.


    ¡°Aleric... seriously, what¡®s going on?¡± I stressed, now deeply concerned.


    It was then, as I turned to face him, that my eyes finally caught sight of a bag on the back seat. It was my


    bag. The one I would take when travelling.


    ¡°...What have you done?¡± I whispered, horrified.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡®m getting you out to safety. If you don¡®t get killed by some other means then I¡®m sure Tytus will


    drive you to that point. I can¡®t silently sit back and watch it happen anymore.¡±


    I stared at him as though he¡®d gonepletely insane. His exnation didn¡®t warrant the consequences


    h e would face. Did he even stop to think about what the fallout of doing this would be?


    Ignoring my gaze, he then pulled off to the side of the road where it dipped out of sight. A small nook


    mostly obscured by trees. It was maybe five minutes down the road so it was unlikely anyone would see


    u s here.


    Once he was satisfied the area around us was quiet, I watched as he reached down and handed me


    something wrapped in cloth.


    ¡°Here, take this. You¡®ll need all the help you can get until you can get the cor off.¡±


    I took the item from him and quickly uncovered it, revealing that it was a silver dagger. Possibly even the


    same one. My stomach felt sick just looking at it.


    ¡°This is your dumbest idea yet,¡± I chided, trying my best to put aside my grievances towards the object in


    my hand. ¡°You realise Tytus is going to know it was you, right? It¡®s going to be very easy to work that out


    even if he doesn¡®t just order the other warriors involved to confess.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± he said, his hands tightening back on the steering wheel, refusing to meet my eyes.


    ¡°And the punishment for helping me escape isn¡®t going to just be just bad patrol shifts. He¡®s going to


    make you seriously pay. Alpha heir or not, it won¡®t help you this time.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°And you know he can just order you to tell him where I am, right? That tomorrow morning they¡®ll realise


    I¡®m gone and the manhunt for me will instantly begin, starting from where you tell them I am.¡±


    ¡°I know that, Aria,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Well, do you?¡± I snapped back. ¡°Because I¡®m struggling to understand why you¡®re jeopardising your


    entire future for this, Aleric. It doesn¡®t make sense that you¡®re going to potentially risk everything on the


    small hope that I sessfully esc¨C.¡±


    ¡°Because |¨C,¡± Aleric interrupted angrily, but cut himself off. ¡°No... It doesn¡®t matter. I¡®ve already given you


    my reason.¡±


    ¡°No, not this again,¡± I argued, just as irritated. ¡°I¡®m sick of you not telling me what you¡®re actually thinking


    about. I¡®m sick of the silent treatments or snippets of info. Just, tell me Aleric. Tell me why the hell you¡®re


    actually¨C¡±


    ¡°Because I¡®m in love with you, Aria, okay? Is that what you want me to admit?¡± His eyes finally flicked


    over to mine, full of frustration and pain. ¡°You want me to sit here and tell you that when we both know


    it¡®s not a mutually reciprocated feeling? To make me feel like a fucking idiot for having to confess to


    something s


    Chapter Seventy¨COne


    o goddamn pointless?¡±


    ... This wasn¡®t real,


    It couldn¡®t be. I was having some sort of weird dream or vision or nightmare. But this wasn¡®t real. No way.


    No way in hell.


    I sat frozen in ce, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. How long had I suffered to hear those words


    from Aleric in the past? How long had it taken before I epted it was futile to keep faith I ever would?


    What he was saying wasn¡®t real. I was probably still in bed. Maybe I had actually diedst night. Because


    there was absolutely no chance that I¡®d gone through everything I had, spanning over two lives together


    at this point, for him to tell me this now.


    I slowly opened my mouth in an attempt to speak, to say something, anything, to him... but no words


    came out. Where would I even begin?


    But in the end, I never got the chance to reply anyway. Suddenly, the noise of a motorbike approaching


    broke the silence, forcing my attention elsewhere.


    Aleric looked up towards the sound, able to see better into the darkness than me, and tsked in


    annoyance.


    ¡°Such a tosser,¡± he whispered, disapprovingly.


    My head was still spinning, working overtime to try andprehend everything that was going on, but


    there was no mistaking the situation.


    ¡°Is that... is that who I think it is?¡± I asked, my voice barely audible.


    Without warning, something then hit myp and the sound of metal clinking against the dagger broke me


    out of my trance. I looked down shakily to see the car keys.


    ¡°You¡®re going to need those,¡± Aleric said, unbuckling his seat belt. ¡°The bike will be too conspicuous.


    Can¡®t believe he brought that.¡±


    I watched mutely as he then opened the car door and got out, immediately walking back in the direction


    o f the Winter Mist. I followed unsteadily out of the car after him, however, I only managed a few steps


    towards him before I paused.


    ¡°Wait, Aleric¡­ umm...,¡± I yelled out to him, rubbing my forehead to try and focus. ¡°How are you getting


    home?¡±


    He didn¡®t turn around though, instead yelling back over his shoulder as he walked towards a thicket of


    trees ahead. ¡°Going to run.¡±


    I took another few steps as only more uncertainty filled me. I didn¡®t want to leave things how we had.


    Regardless of what he¡¯d said, I didn¡®t want this to be ourst conversation.


    ¡°Aleric, wait a s¨C.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Aria,¡± he cut off, waving without turning back to me. ¡°Have a great rest of your life. I hope for your


    sake that we don¡®t meet again too soon.¡±


    And then he was gone. Into the trees and probably shifted already.


    ...And I didn¡®t even get the chance to thank him... though I wasn¡®t even sure whether that was the correct


    response given the circumstances. With just a few words, he had managed to create such a mixture of


    emotions within me; emotions that I didn¡®t know how to properly process.


    ¡°Aria,¡± a familiar husky voice then called out from behind me.


    ...And with everything that had happened just now and with everything that had happened the night


    before, this was the final trigger. His voice was enough to instantly destroy thest bit of strength I had


    inside to keepposure.


    I quickly spun around and saw him standing there, my breathing heavy as it slowly turned into sobs...


    ¡°...Cai,¡± I choked out.


    My Cai.


    The dagger and keys slipped from my fingers and I felt my legs give out from under me, falling to the


    ground. My body was faint, overwhelmed to my limit.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Cai repeated, though now worried.


    He quickly rushed to me and grabbed me into his arms, But I waspletely helpless to stop the tears


    from streaming down. I instantly buried my face into the nook of his shoulder, wrapping my arms around


    his neck.


    I missed him. Goddess, I missed him. It¡®d been months since I¡®d seen him, months that had gone by


    thinking that he hated me. But he was here. He came to get me. He still wanted me.


    His energy was just as infectious as I remembered it, pulling me in and making me want to forget about


    everything else that had happened. I just wanted to be here, now, with him.


    ¡°You came for me,¡± I cried.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, stroking the back of my head. ¡°Aleric got in contact with me this morning about a


    n to get you out and I dropped everything to make sure I was here. And I heard about the cor,


    Aria... what they¡®ve done to you is sick.¡±


    If Cai was here then he was probably working with Iris to get me to safety. Once they moved me to a safe


    location, I would need toy low for a while... maybe forever.


    But I couldn¡®t help but feel something seemed off.


    I pulled back to look upon his face. It was dark but I could just make out how he still appeared worn out


    and tired, almost as if he were still in the cells within the Winter Mist. I would have thought by now he


    would have recovered. Was this because of me? Because he¡®d missed me too?


    ¡°You look exhausted,¡± I pointed out, tracing my finger along his face. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± heughed. ¡°Aria, you should be worrying about yourself. You look about ready to pass out and I


    don¡®t me you after what apparently happenedst night. We¡®ll get you back to the Silver Lake as soon


    a s possible and let you rest up for a while.¡±


    I frowned. That didn¡®t really seem like the wisest of decisions. I thought the n would be to move me


    somewhere else to hide. Unless he meant until tomorrow when they would move me elsewhere?


    He kissed my forehead between my brows, just the same as he used to. ¡°Stop overthinking.¡±


    ...But something still felt wrong. Normally I would have melted when he did things like that but now it


    seemed almost like there was something I was missing.


    And, with another moment of thinking, I quickly realised what it was.


    Every time he went to touch me, there would be a moment of pause apanying it. As if he wasn¡®t


    sure whether or not to do it.


    ¡°Cai... What¡®s happened? Honestly, I need you to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is wrong, Aria. I¡®m going to get everything sorted, don¡®t worry.¡±


    ...There it was again. Like something nagging at me, telling me it wasn¡®t right.


    Chapter Seventy One


    Wanting to test the theory, I moved in close, my hand on his chest, and, slowly, I brought my lips in to


    meet his. 1


    ...Hesitation. I felt it again. As if he was having to think twice about it. He returned my kiss but pulled


    away again just as quickly.


    And my stomach dropped with the heartbreaking realisation.


    ¡°...Your feelings for me have changed,¡± I said, stating it as a fact.


    It was stupid of me to presume that he would feel the same. Hell, even I had questioned it at one point,


    having thought I was never going to see him again. Yet, somehow, I¡®d managed to convince myself he


    still wanted me that way after seeing he¡®de to save me.


    ¡°What? Aria, no, of course I still have feelings for you,¡± he said. He proceeded to then grab my head in


    his hands and nt small kisses all over my face. ¡°There will never be a moment I don¡®t want you.¡±


    But I pushed myself away from him a little, still unconvinced this was a good idea.


    ¡°Cai¡­ please. Tell me.¡±


    He then sighed and looked off into the trees. ¡°It¡®s just... it¡®splicated.¡±


    He was avoiding my eyes, hesitating... They were signs of guilt. He was hiding something.


    ¡°Complicated¡® how, Cai? Because of what happened in the Winter Mist? Because I failed to get you out


    of the cell sooner? You know, I tried my hardest to free you, right?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I know that. Of course, I do. That¡®s not the issue.¡±


    ¡°... Then what is it? What¡®s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The thing is...,¡± he started but his voice trailed off as he wasn¡®t sure how to proceed. He then inhaled


    and rubbed at his face in defeat.


    ¡°Aria... I found my mate.¡± 1


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡®re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting! It all


    helps!

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    Chapter Seventy¨CTwo


    ¡°...What¡®s her name?¡± I found myself asking politely, though I didn¡®t really feel present.


    Truthfully, I didn¡®t feel much of anything. My body had gonepletely numb, falling into autopilot


    responses as I struggled toe to terms with what Cai had just told me.


    He found his mate.


    But he was only neen. He shouldn¡®t have found her so soon.


    ¡®Caius knight dies at the age of twenty¨Cone with no Luna, mate or child¡®. That was the future for Cail had


    known. Yet somehow this timeline had changed enough that he had met her earlier. It was a cruel p in


    the face as reality reminded me, once more, that it would refuse to ever let me be happy. Even for just


    the few years I thought I might have had with him.


    ¡°Caitlyn,¡± he replied awkwardly. ¡°She seems... nice. Sweet.¡±


    ¡®Nice? Really? That was the best he could say about the woman who was supposedly his other half? His


    soul mate?


    I wanted to ask him how they met but a part of me couldn¡®t bear to hear any more details. Knowing her


    name would be enough.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he said, tilting my chin up to look at him, to meet his golden eyes. ¡°It doesn¡®t change anything for


    m e... I still want to be with you.¡±


    Instantly, my body tensed, the gears in my head finally starting to kick back into reality. His words


    managed to trigger a pain inside me that I was all too familiar with, something I had tried so hard to push


    t o the furthest part of my mind. It was almost exactly like it was in the past.


    ...Except I wasn¡®t the girl being abandoned by her mate anymore.


    No, now I was being set up to be Thea. 1


    ¡°No,¡± I said tly, grabbing the keys and dagger by my side to leave. ¡°No, I¡®m not doing this.¡±


    ¡°Aria, wait. Talk to me.¡±


    I stood up and started to walk towards the car but Cai quickly rushed to stand in my way.


    ¡°Aria, please. Can we just talk about this for a second?¡±


    ¡°No, this was dumb from the beginning,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡®m not just referring to us. I mean this whole n


    for my escape too. It¡®s rushed and clumsy.¡±


    ¡°We¡®ve got everything sorted. We¡®ll get you back to the Silver Lake and take care of you.¡±


    There it was again. No insinuation of moving me, no mention of Iris or the rebellion. As if he thought


    everyone wasn¡®t going to just assume that the Silver Lake was the first ce I¡®d go.


    ¡°Tell me, Cai, what exactly was the n? Do you even have one?¡± I asked, folding my arms over my


    chest. ¡°I was under the impression you were working with Iris for this but I¡®m quickly realising that maybe


    that¡®s not the case.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Why would I be in contact with Iris for this? I haven¡®t seen her sincest year.¡±


    A cynicalugh escaped my lips. ¡°This is actually ridiculous. The first ce Tytus is going to look is the


    Silver Lake, especially once Aleric is forced to confess that info. Then we¡®re back to square one; avoiding


    a war between two territories because of me.¡±


    Lpler Seventy Two


    ¡°Then we¡®ll move you,¡± he argued. ¡°We can go somewhere else until it¡®s safe.¡±


    ¡°Just the three of us, yeah?¡± I snapped back snarkily. ¡°You, me, and Caitlyn?¡±


    His face shed with pain but I didn¡®t feel bad. He should have never touched me tonight knowing he had


    someone bonded to him. I was too familiar with the anguish of seeing your mate with another.


    ¡°I¡®ll figure it out myself. Go home, Cai,¡± I said, stepping past him to continue walking to the car.


    Either out of stupidity or desperation, I felt as Cai then grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me to face him


    once more.


    But I was angry. No, I was pissed. Not because he had a mate; that was always going to be a possibility


    and I had already epted that. No, I was pissed because he still had the audacity to look at me and tell


    me that he wanted me, knowing someone was waiting for him, knowing my history and how I¡®d lived


    through this exact situation already once.


    And so when he reached out to grab me, my instincts got the better of me.


    Though much slower than my Beta heir days, I still managed to quickly bring the dagger up and hold it


    up t o his throat.


    ¡°Don¡®t touch me,¡± I growled.


    His eyes went wide in surprise but I didn¡®t waver. In truth, we both knew he could very easily swat my


    hand away without any issue whatsoever, but the sentiment was now there. The intention was clear. This


    was my message to him.


    ¡°You wouldn¡®t,¡± he said, his eyes flicking back and forth from my face to the knife.


    A challenge. Maybe his words had meant toe off as appealing to the side of me that still cared for


    him, but now they only came off as though he wanted to test that loyalty.


    ...And instantly, my hand tightened on the de.


    ¡°You think I wouldn¡®t do it?¡± I asked him, my eyes narrowing with the threat. ¡°You¡®re so sure, Cai?¡±


    In truth, I knew he was right. There was no way I would actually do it and he was trying to call that bluff.


    But in that moment, I sure as hell didn¡®t feel like being underestimated.


    Because to serve that torture upon another young girl, to repeat that cycle... the very fact he could even


    ask that of me made me feel sick. It made me regret so many of my actions and question why I had let


    things even get this far to begin with.


    And it was a reminder of who I really was, what I was actually capable of, something he was apparently


    still blissfully unaware of.


    ¡®Never forget where I came from. Never forget why I¡®m here.¡®


    He frowned in confusion but I didn¡®t wait. With my spare hand, I grabbed at his shirt and pulled his torso


    down so I could speak directly into his ear.


    ¡°You know¡­ I¡®ve done it before,¡± I whispered. ¡°You shouldn¡®t test someone who has killed more people


    than you have.¡±


    ¡°What? ...What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Lied to you, Cai,¡± I confessed. ¡°I lied so I didn¡®t scare you away. But do you want to know the truth? The


    real truth? You see, I knew you in the past, Caius Knight, Alpha of the Silver Lake. Our packs were at


    war for months, neither one gaining the upper hand... and then you died. At the age of twenty-one, you


    died alone. No mate. No children. And do you know why?¡±


    I pulled myce away just enough so I could look him in the eye. ¡°Because of me,¡± I said. ¡°I was your


    dooth. I killed you. I did it for my own political advantage....¡±


    My breathing then became heavier, my heart pounding loudly in my chest as I confessed the words!


    never wanted him to hear. ¡°... I did it for my family¡®s honour... I did it to make up for my own failures as a


    mate would give me even a fraction of the attention he had so brutally deprived me olu! That was what


    your life was wortii, Cai. That is why I killed you. For me.¡±


    We remained still as neither of us spoke, just my words hanging in the open as he slowly took it all in.


    But I needed him to hear this. To realise the full gravity of who I really was. I needed him to understand


    that he didn¡®t really have feelings for me, just a version of me I¡®d let him see. Not some young, tormented


    girl he met in high school... but a killer. Someone who had wiped more territories off the map just from


    within her own quarters, than he had ever visited from his entire time travelling the country.


    Truthfully, I should have done this a long time ago. But had been too weak to go through with it; to sever


    that tie that had be a lifeline for me. Cai had be a symbol in my head of what I had always


    hoped my life would be. The dream of a perfect future with someone I could love.


    However, it was just that; a dream. An illusion. And it was time to wake up and acknowledge that this


    wasn¡®t a fantasy, that being with him was always something that was never going to end well. Because


    now look at where we are.


    It was time for us to let go of that delusion and prevent a cycle from repeating.


    ¡°Aria...,¡± he said, gently trying to move the dagger away.


    It was so typical of him to not just force it out of my hand and push me away already. He could have


    overpowered me within seconds without any effort on his part... but he was trying not to hurt me,


    Somehow after everything I said, he was still acting as if he cared.


    And so I pressed the knife in further, trying to prove my point. Because, even though I didn¡®t want to,


    needed him to at least believe I would, to take me seriously, and it seemed this was the only way he was


    going to realise that.


    ¡°Do you want to make it two for two?¡± I asked darkly.


    Immediately, he let his hand fall back to his side, acknowledging that there was nothing he could do to


    change the situation.


    And yet searching his face, I couldn¡®t help but wonder how incredibly naive it was of him to still look at m


    e with those eyes. As if I hadn¡®t just confessed to murdering him. As if a part of him actually still wanted t


    o be with me.


    But the damage was done, I knew that. He would be at least smart enough to realise that he should let m


    e go. Or at least take this as my confirmation that I didn¡®t want to be involved with him anymore; even


    though a part of my mind was still screaming at me to take it all back, to find a way to still be with him... t


    o not let go of my dream.


    I quickly pulled away from him, taking a few steps backwards to create some distance.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°...Go home, Cai,¡± I said, my voice finally betraying my exhaustion. ¡°Go home and be an honourable man


    to your mate.¡± 4


    And then I left.


    Into the car, the key in the ignition, and I left.


    I didn¡®t know where to go, yet I realised that all paths ahead were likely the wrong choice. And so I just


    drove. Without a destination, into the dark, and with my eyes threatening to overflow with tears at any


    Chapter Seventy¨CTwo


    second.


    But there was no time to rx or give in to the pain just yet... because I needed to think.


    And so, doing my best topartmentalise the aching inside, I tried to focus on what to do now.


    To go home meant risking my life once more to the mercy of assassins and Tytus, yet to run away meant


    risking my life to the mercy of the world... and Tytus. There was no safety for me. Not really. Maybe if I


    could get in contact with Iris I could try and find a way into thework she had spoken about.


    The issue was that I knew of only one person, outside of the Winter Mist, who was in contact with Iris,


    one person who I could trust my life and whereabouts with... and it was the same person I had just


    threatened with a knife.


    ...Fuck.


    But the more I drove away, the more I started to think about the whole situation I was in. The vision, the


    kidnapping... and the response that was caused in retaliation to those things... and suddenly I saw it all


    from Thea¡®s perspective. The missing link I had been mulling over for the entire afternoon, working


    desperately to try and figure out why she might have done this.


    And the answer was¡­ for this.


    For this exact response.


    She didn¡®t want me dead; that much was clear from how the intruder had behaved in the vision. No, she


    just wanted me to further separate myself from the pack or leave the Winter Mist entirely. She was


    creating an atmosphere of fear that would scare me, forcing an emotional reaction to the situation. It was


    something that wouldn¡®t have been difficult for her to work out. Even if I had been sessfully


    kidnapped, it wouldn¡®t have taken long for the pack to find me again; after all, there was barely anywhere


    i in the country where I wouldn¡®t be recognised. Naturally, one could then assume that I would be shaken


    by


    the whole ordeal or someone would try to move me elsewhere.


    I brought the car slowly to a stop in the middle of the deserted road, my hands tightening on the wheel to


    the point my knuckles went white.


    Because this meant only one thing.


    Something I couldn¡®t believe I was about to do.


    Quickly, 1 mmed my hands against the steering wheel out of frustration and leaned back in my seat to


    re up at the roof.


    I didn¡®t want to. I really didn¡®t want to. I just wanted nothing more than to leave and nevere back, to


    run as far away as possible. To finally be free. But this was why I was here. To change the fate of the


    future. And if Thea wanted me to stray from the pack? ...Well, then I had to do the opposite.


    ...And that meant going back to the Winter Mist.


    Inhaling deeply, I took onest second to calm myself down and push everything aside once more.


    Composure. Survival. I would make it to my eighteenth, free myself and hopefully figure all this mess out


    before¡­ before¡­


    My mind recalled Aleric¡®s words from earlier, his confession. What was meant to do with that? What did


    that mean for Tytus¡® order to have him mark me upon my birthday? ...What did I even feel towards him


    anymore? My captor, my mate, my executioner... my friend. If I had never died and only ever met this


    version of Aleric, where would we be right now?


    But just as quickly as I thought on it, I pushed it to the back of my mind along with everything else. I was


    already at my limit and unable to process anything else for one night. I needed to sleep, to recharge. To


    come back with a fresh outlook to work on these other problemster.


    Charleyenly 149


    For the time being, the only thing I actually needed to do was return before anyone noticed my absence.


    ...And so I turned the car around... heading straight back to my imprisonment. Willingly handing myself


    back over as a hostage within their hierarchy, a prisoner awaiting their punishment. A cor around my


    neck as evidence of their shackles.


    Thankfully, the trip back was short since I hadn¡®t managed to get far. The same warrior was working the


    border and they allowed me to pass without issue, albeit a little confused to see me. It was a simr


    situation at the packhouse too. Whatever scheduling changes Aleric had made to the patrols at the


    house were still in effect as not a single soul was around upon my return. Perhaps it was the luckiest


    thing to happen to me all day.


    Before too long, I finally found myself back on the floor where my quarters were, staring at the two


    hallways before me.


    To turn left would be to head towards Aleric¡®s room where he probably was right now, something I knew


    was a can of worms | physically couldn¡®t deal with right now. And then there was my room to the right, a


    ce that, despite how much I loathed it, was still somewhere I would prefer to bepared to the


    alternative


    It seemed like an easy decision.


    I walked towards my quarters, my mind made up, and entered through the broken door that now refused


    t o properlytch close. It didn¡®t matter though. For just one night, it would do the job.


    But as I entered my room andid down on my bed, I found that my mind refused to let me rest. I was


    drained, my body aching, my mind ame with too much information and emotional stress churning...


    and yet it denied me even the smallest bit of relief by switching off to sleep.


    Not that it mattered in the end.


    Whether it was a few minutes or few hours that went by, I couldn¡®t be sure, but soon enough I heard the


    sound of familiar footsteps entering into the quarters, walking towards me.


    I didn¡®t get up though. No, instead I continue toy there, too exhausted to make any effort to move.


    Because it was thest person I wanted to see right now, someone I had been praying wouldn¡®t disturb


    m e until I¡®d had time to recover.


    But this life offered me no such luxuries.


    The bedroom light then abruptly turned on and I slowly opened my eyes to stare up at the ceiling. ¡°...Hi,


    Aleric,¡± I greeted quietly.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Chapter Seventy¨CThree


    ¡°... What the fuck are you doing back here?¡± Aleric asked.


    He stood in my doorway, arms crossed, staring at me like I was insane.


    But I didn¡®t care. My mind was made up. There was no way I was going to have this conversation


    tonight.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered tly.


    ¡°No¡®?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡®m not doing this now,¡± I rified. ¡°I¡®m too tired. We can talkter.¡±


    I rolled onto my side, facing away from him, and pulled the nket up over my shoulder. Maybe if I


    closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, he would just leave on his own ord.


    ¡°Aria, you need to tell me what¡®s going on,¡± he pressed. ¡°Joseph told me you came back over the border


    and I thought he was joking until I caught your scent by the stairs. Did something happen? Were you


    caught?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I mumbled, repeating myself once more.


    ¡°Stop that. Regardless of how tired you are, this is more important. I need to know if something went


    wrong.¡±


    I groaned out in frustration but reluctantly sat up, my head immediately pulsing with a migraine.*


    ¡°Nothing went wrong, Aleric. Just let it go.¡±


    ¡°Obviously something went wrong or you wouldn¡®t be here.¡±


    He was getting angry at me and it was only making me more irritated that we were actually having this


    conversation.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± I snapped back, turning to look at him. ¡°You want to know what went wrong? The entire


    thing. The whole n. How stupid do you think Tytus is that he wouldn¡®t find out that you were nning


    to hide me in the Silver Lake?¡±


    His eyes widened a little in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? Cai didn¡®t organise to move you somewhere


    else?¡±


    ¡®More like didn¡®t want to move me somewhere else,¡® I thought, recalling our earlier exchange. And that


    was only after finding out about Caitlyn.


    ¡°Evidently not,¡± I answered, not wanting to borate further on the other reasons I¡®d returned.


    ¡°So... what? You¡®re just going toe back here and pretend everything is normal? That you didn¡®t


    almost get killed here? After risking everything to get you out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t know, Aleric!¡± I yelled back. ¡°I don¡®t know, okay? I don¡®t know what to do about me, or Tytus, or


    Cai ... and I *especially don¡®t know what to do about you.¡±


    He paused, frowning. ¡°...About me?¡±


    Ah, fuck. I¡¯d said too much.


    ¡°Wait, are you angry at me because of what I told you in the car?¡± he asked, piecing together my


    silence.


    I rubbed my eyes, hoping that this was just a bad dream.¡°...No.¡±


    But I didn¡®t sound very convincing.


    Chapler Seventy¨CThree


    ¡°Seriously? How is that fair on me? You were the one who was angry at me for originally not telling you.¡±


    ... That did it.


    His words struck a nerve, igniting me once more despite my exhaustion. Crumbling that final piece inside


    me that still cared about what he would think once he finally heard the truth.


    ¡°Fair¡®? I asked him, my eyes now aze. ¡°You want to talk about ¡®fair¡®, Aleric? What you said in that car


    was not fair¨C not fair to me. In fact, it was the cruellest thing anyone has ever said to me throughout my


    lives. I would have preferred it if you had just told me you were trying to get rid of me because at least


    that would be something I could believe and know how to deal with.¡± 1


    ¡°Did you say ¡®lives¡®?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m sick of whatever this is,¡± I said, waving a hand towards him. ¡°This version of you who is so goddamn


    unpredictable that I feel as though everything I learnt the first time around ispletely useless. That it


    was meaningless. That I went through years of hell, living with your abuse, for absolutely no benefit. How


    i


    s that fair?¡±


    ¡°Aria, what the fuck are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The truth!¡± I snapped, moving to the edge of the bed. ¡°I¡®m telling you what you always wanted to know!


    The reason I was so scared of you, the reason I always looked at you as if you were a monster. Because


    i n my eyes you were, Aleric. You were my torturer, my abuser, and you would parade that bitch Thea in


    front of me like a prized possession you loved more than anything; never caring what it did to me, never


    caring that it hurt me. Me, your mate.¡±


    ¡°Aria¨C.¡±


    ¡°I gave you everything,¡± | continued, my eyes now filling with tears. ¡°Everything. Anything that was within


    m y power to give, I gave it to you. You wanted the world to kneel before you? I gave you the path to do


    it. You wanted my heart, my soul andplete servitude? I gave it to you. I let you lock me away,


    isted


    alone in this room with nothing but an attendant who in the end threw me to the dogs. And it


    did it for you. I did it so that maybe you would love me... so that maybe you would just look at me,


    Aleric.¡±


    JOU


    I wiped angrily at the tears on my face and gritted my teeth. ¡°And then suddenly I¡®m brought back by


    Selene and told to fix it all, to stop it all from happening again. That if I don¡®t then everyone dies. And so


    that¡®s what I did. I worked hard to stop the same future from happening, to stop myself from bing


    your Luna, to stop you from trapping and hurting me again... and to stop myself from ever having to love


    you again... because I couldn¡®t bear the thought of living through your rejection twice. That alone had


    been more painful than anything else.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this? You¡®re saying I apparently rejected you? Hurt you? ...None of this is making any


    sense.¡±


    A humourlessugh then escaped my lips, realising I¡®d forgotten the best part.


    ¡°Oh no, haha...Oh no, no no, not just rejected,¡± I said, a smile slowly creeping onto my face. ¡°You see, to


    be reborn, you don¡®t just get plucked out of thin air by Selene and sent back. No, no¡­ you have to die


    first, Aleric. I died. And guess whose face I saw in my nightmares every single day?¡±


    He could see where I was going with this, his face quickly starting to pale, and my smile only grew


    despite my tears.


    ¡°Yours,¡± I answered. ¡°It was yours, Aleric. It was you who believed Thea over me, you who convicted me


    o f crimes I nevermitted, and you who held the sword as it came crashing down, slicing through my


    neck at the trial grounds. You killed me, Aleric. You killed me once I was no longer of any use to you


    anymore. And you wondered why I was so scared of you for so long? Why I¡®m so angry at you now


    given


    Chapter Seventy Theo


    everything you put me through?¡±


    He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead, he just looked at me, his eyes full of


    confusion, and, slowly, my breathing turned into sobs.


    I quickly red down at my hands which were now balled into fists, tightened around the nket


    beneath me, and watched as my tears hit the fabric.


    ¡°...You don¡®t get to dictate what¡®s unfair this time...,¡± I choked out slowly. ¡°And you don¡®t get to say that


    you love me. It¡®s nine years toote for that.¡±


    I heard him step closer towards me but, even once he kneeled down to eye level, I still refused to raise m


    y head.


    ¡°Aria, look at me,¡± he said.


    But I shook my head, wiping at my face. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Aria, *look at me,¡± he repeated.


    Another sob escaped me but I just shook my head once more.


    ¡°Aria, look.¡±


    Losing patience, he gently grabbed my chin and raised my head up to finally meet his gaze, to meet his


    green eyes that were only too familiar.


    ¡°If what you¡®re telling me is true¡­ then there is literally nothing I can say that will make what happened to


    you okay,¡± he said, his expression serious. ¡°Because the reality is... it¡®s not okay. And I can apologise for


    those things if you want, to say that I¡®m sorry but, at the end of the day, even if I did, it wouldn¡®t mean


    anything. Yes, I¡®m sorry that those things happened to you, but I can¡®t look you in the eye and genuinely


    apologise for something I never did, and I guarantee you that it wouldn¡®t make you feel any better even if


    I


    did.¡±


    ¡°...You¡®re still young,¡± I whispered. ¡°You have time to change, time to be that person.¡±


    I pulled my chin out of his grasp and looked back down at my hands, making him sigh.


    ¡°You told me that you were wrongfully convicted of crimes you had no part in, that you died for those very


    charges,¡± he continued. ¡°And yet you want to persecute me for sins I¡®ve nevermitted? When have I,


    m e personally, ever hurt you, Aria? When have I ever given you a reason to not trust me? It¡®s true that


    there i s nothing I can say to make right what happened to you, but I hope that my actions over thesest


    few years have at least proven to you that, whoever the fuck you¡®re talking about... they¡®re not me.¡±


    ...I knew he was right.


    It was the very same thing I had been trying to convince myself of, but it still didn¡®t lessen the sting. The


    cold truth was... I was never going to get my sincere apology. And the things that I went through were


    never going to be okay. Because the person I needed to hear the apology from was dead in another


    timeline that was now destroyed. *My* Aleric was gone. And, knowing him, it was likely that he didn¡®t


    regret what he did to me, even during his final breaths.


    But this Aleric in front of me had never given me a reason to not trust him. In fact, he had proven to me


    time and time again that I could. And yet I still refused to let myself give in. On even the small chance


    that things turned bad once more, I knew that it would break me beyond repair. It would be the final


    betrayal I couldn¡®t survive.


    ¡°... I¡®m sorry, Aleric, but... regardless of who you are this time, I can¡®t be the person you want me to be,¡± ||


    said, moving away from him. ¡°I can¡®t be a Luna again, always living in your shadow and hoping that


    what i do ensures my survival for one more day. I refuse to live in another war¨Ctorn world created by us.¡±


    nupied scrantyce


    ...Then don¡®t,¡± he said, making me look up sharply in surprise. ¡°I never expected you to sit back passively


    i in the shadows as a Luna anyway. I just want you to help me make this pack the best it can be.¡±


    I frowned, not seeing how it was all that much different. It still sounded basically the same as what I did


    for him in the past.


    ¡°I know you want change, Aria. That much is obvious,¡± he continued. ¡°You think I haven¡®t noticed how


    messed up things have been? Hate me for the rest of your life if you want, but I would rather we work


    together than end up divided in a civil war for power, something that benefits neither us nor the pack. I¡®m


    not so naive as to assume you haven¡®t at least considered taking over once you¡®re of age. Especially


    after what Tytus has done to you.¡± 2


    He wasn¡®t wrong. Only days earlier I¡®d had this exact conversation with this but had turned her down


    knowing the impact it would have on Aleric. At the time, I couldn¡®t risk tarnishing our current rtionship


    for fear it would lead to the very doom I was trying to prevent


    But it was clear now.


    If what he was offering was true then this was the best way forward


    No secrets, no power struggle, no ruined friendship He was oftenng me mutual control, something that


    was thest thing I ever expected to hear from his mouth This would mean no Alphamanding


    servitude from a Luna But more like split Alphas working together towards amon cause


    It was a guarantee that, no matter what happened, whether it be Thea or some other imposing threat per


    Selene¡®s warning, that I would still maintain enough control to handle it the way I needed to, all the while


    ensuring Aleric didn¡®t fall back into the path I feared.


    The only concern now was whether our interests would be alignede time to make difficult decisions


    ... and whether he would end up betraying my trust anyway. A trust that came at the price of more thani


    could afford to lose


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    It was a leap of faith that demanded the most nisk, yer offered the highest reward The kind of ber that


    was either all in, or nothing at all,


    So just how much was I willing to gamble?


    I slowly got up on my feet and stood before him on unsteady legs, my exhaustion still weighing heavily


    on me.


    ¡°Then swear to me,¡± I said, and watched as he followed in standing up too. ¡°Swear to me on your name


    and title that you will do night by me, that you will honour this pact for mutual control that you will allow m


    e to have equal say in all pack matters and, in return.¡±


    | paused for a moment, my heart pounding In return, I will personally ensure that you receive my fut!


    support in bringing prosperity to this pack, as well as pose no direct threat topletely remove you as


    Alpha.¡±


    It was a deal i couldn¡®t believe I was making, an offer I had promised mysel¨ª I would never give to Aleric


    again Was I going to regrei this in the moming once I¡®d had time to sleep? Was any of this even real right


    now?


    ¡°But make no mistake, Alenic,¡± I continued, turning away from his gaze. ¡°1 offer you my hand but nothing


    more. I once made the mistake of giving you everything I had to offer, my heart, my soul... my life. This


    deal is for my co¨Coperation alone, to keep a peace that we both know is in the best interest of the pack.


    Because even though I trust you nght now. I still don¡®t trust your future. Not yet, at least. I¡®m sure you


    wouldn¡®t either if you were in my shoes, after seeing the things you were once capable of..*


    I took a deep breath before looking back up, doing my best to maintain myposure and shake off the


    memories. ¡°These are my terms for this alliance. If you break your oath then I make no guarantees for


    the


    repercussions that may result. Are these terms agreeable io you?¡±


    He then ced a hand over his chest, a sign usually reserved for showing respect among allied packs,


    and lowered his head ever so slightly in a bow.


    ¡°I swear, upon my name and future Alpha title, that I will uphold this agreement we have made for mutual


    control and promise to do right by you.¡±


    | scrutinised his face but could sense that he meant the words genuinely, that he intended to keep this


    pledge. It was an ethereal experience, all things considered. And even though I stood a foot shorter than


    him, I couldn¡®t help but feel as though we were on equal footing for once; a first in our history.


    There was no fear, no deceit, no questioning his ultimate goal anymore¡­ just two people who were once


    again forced together, bound by fate, now attempting to sacrifice something for the greater good; Aleric


    with his birthright, myself for my trust in him once more.


    And so, despite thepromise, and despite my extreme fatigue, it was the best I¡®d felt in over ten


    years. My head was spinning, yet I felt very much alive inside.


    A sense of calm then started to wash over me, feeling as though I¡®d finally won at least one of the battles


    I¡®d been fighting for almost a decade. And whilst it could easily still prove disastrous, for just this moment,


    I allowed myself the tiniest bit of respite.


    Unexpectedly, my legs then gave out from under me, too tired to support myself anymore, and my vision


    blurred.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Aleric said, quickly reaching out to stop me from hitting the ground.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled. I could feel as my brain was starting to quickly switch off, hungry for the sweet


    nothingness that sleep would provide; something it had been sorely deprived of too much recently. It


    seemed as though the debt was finally being collected and faster than anticipated. ¡°I¡®m just¡­ really tired


    He quickly helped me back into bed and threw the nket over me, settling me in for the remainder of


    the night.


    ¡°There won¡®t be any warriors in the packhouse for another few hours,¡± he said, crouching down to speak


    t o me. ¡°I¡®m going to crash on the couch in the other room until they¡®re able to take over guarding you. I¡®ll


    b e in there if you need anything.¡±


    He stood up to leave but I reached out to grab his arm before he could go.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, my eyelids bing too heavy to stay open. Everything was quickly turning to ck but I


    fought against it for just a little bit longer. ¡°...Aleric¡­ about tonight....¡±


    ¡°Aria¡­ don¡®t. You need to rest.¡±


    ¡°... Thank you for believing me.¡±


    Theard him quietly sigh. ¡°It¡®s fine. Get some sleep and I¡®lle to see you once you¡®re awake.¡±


    ¡°...Night, Aleric,¡± I mumbled, finally letting him go.


    The light then turned off, absorbing me fully into the darkness.


    ¡°...Night, Aria.¡± And sleep immediately carried me away.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    Chapter Seventy¨CFour


    ¡®Wasst night real?¡® I asked myself, staring up at the ceiling in bed.


    So many things had happened, so many truths had finallye out.


    ...And I felt... lighter.


    I¡®d woken up after deep sleep, unsure how long had passed, but my body had been grateful for the


    uninterrupted rest.


    Though a part of me was angry at myself for taking the risk of their reaction, I would be lying if I said I


    wasn¡®t happy with the oue. Or I at least meant that in Aleric¡®s case. Cai¡­ well, I had to believe that


    what I did was for the best.


    The fact that I wasn¡®t locked away in a hospital right now pending a psych evaluation meant that Aleric


    had actually believed me. It was something I¡®d been worried about the entire time I¡®d been back. I knew


    how insane it sounded when being told the first time. Some days even I still couldn¡®t believe it.


    I slowly got out of bed, my body still aching in several ces, and got changed into some clothes. There


    would be things I¡®d need to start working on and I needed food and water before I could begin anything.


    But as I walked out into the living room, I was surprised to see Aleric on the couch reading documents. H


    e lookedfortable as if he¡®d been there for some time. It was strange since I thought he would have


    been out for the day.


    ¡°...You¡®re finally awake,¡± he greeted without looking up. ¡°Was starting to wonder if you fell into aa.¡±


    I frowned, still groggy from sleep. ¡°How long was I out for?¡±


    My voice felt raw as I spoke, causing me to cough from the dryness in my throat. The amount of crying


    and yelling had probably taken its toll there.


    ¡°A bit over a day,¡± he replied, leaning over to hand me one of the two coffees sitting beside him.


    I took it from him and was instantly grateful for the small relief it provided after having a sip. Water


    probably would have been better but I wasn¡®t about to turn down the caffeine. It was nice of him to have


    gotten me one.


    ¡°How did you know I was going to be awake now? The coffee is still warm.¡±


    Heughed a little. ¡°I didn¡®t. They were both mine.¡±


    I stared at the beverage in my hand and suddenly felt a little conflicted given the recent revtions.


    Truthfully, it felt a little weird between us. He had confessed to me and I¡®d turned him down, called him a


    murderer, and now I was sharing his coffee. And yet somehow he was acting as if nothing had


    happened, his expression not revealing that he felt phased in any way.


    ¡°Aleric-¡±


    ¡°Rx,¡± he cut me off. ¡°I hadn¡®t drunk from it yet.¡±


    Instantly, I felt a little stupid for even worrying about something as minor as that and quickly pushed it


    aside. It shouldn¡®t have been a big deal anyway. Though I wished I knew what he was thinking. One of


    the most frustrating things about Aleric was that he was so unreadable.


    ¡°Have you been here long?¡± I asked, trying to focus on anything else. ¡°I¡®m a little surprised to see you¡®re


    still here.¡±


    He snorted and finally looked up at me, amusement in his eyes. ¡°Still? No, I left for a whole day, came


    Chapter Seventy¨CFour


    back and you were still passed out. I¡®m just taking a shift for guard duty since I was going to be working


    in my room down the hall anyway.¡±


    My cheeks immediately burned a little from embarrassment, having made an assumption once more..


    Really, I just felt a little bad because of the circumstances. I didn¡®t enjoy the feeling of having to be


    constantly babysat, as if I were a burden on everyone.


    I cleared my throat and tried to brush it off once more, deciding to take a look at what he was so focused


    on instead. I quickly walked behind him and leaned over, scanning the pages over his shoulder.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    It looked like a status report on a new Alpha who¡®d recently seeded his father; Harvey Gagher.


    Though no one really knew anything about him here yet, I could recall from the past that the boy was


    around our age and far too naive for the position he held. Mostly, I just remembered how easily he


    surrendered to an alliance under us when propositioned.


    ¡°You could reach out to him,¡± I said, inputting my suggestion. ¡°Unlike his father, Ruben, Harvey is a


    complete pushover. Not necessarily a bad thing but he was never really cut out to run the pack on his


    own at such a young age. If you were to extend a hand out and send him someone experienced to help


    him through these first few years, then he would be indebted to you. Though, I should warn you now, the


    value of their resources never really increases by much.¡±


    He looked up over his shoulder at me and was momentarily confused. ¡°How¨C? Nevermind. Sorry, I¡®m still


    getting my head around... all of that.¡±


    No more secrets between us. Felt weird to finally be able to speak freely without needing all the excuses


    for how I knew what I did. Strangely as though I¡®d removed restraints, allowing me to work as efficiently a


    s possible now.


    | sat down on the couch beside him and grabbed the documents from his hand to look at them more


    closely. All the things he was looking into weren¡®t that major and all of them could be easily resolved.


    Though, I could probably write up a few pointers to nudge him in the right direction and give insight into


    how certain paths would sway...


    ¡°So, are you going to finally tell me what happened with Cai?¡± he suddenly asked.


    He¡®d posed the question just as I¡®d taken another sip, causing me to almost choke on the coffee.


    I coughed violently, struggling to clear my airway for a moment, all the while the thick smell of caffeine


    filled my nose in an unpleasant way.


    ¡®I should have stuck with water,¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself and patted my clothes down with a tissue.


    ¡°Aria?¡± he prompted after I continued to ignore his question.


    ¡°Nothing happened,¡± I said to which he just looked at me, waiting for me to tell him the truth.


    I then sighed and leaned back into the couch, hugging my legs to my chest a little.


    ¡°...He found his mate,¡± I finally admitted.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    He would know what that meant, know how it would affect me. Even if Aleric supposedly had feelings for


    me now, he already knew about my prior rtionship with Cai. How could he forget? He¡®d literally caught


    u sin bed together.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry, Aria,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡®t know. I just figured it would make the most sense to contact him


    urgently since... well....¡±


    Since we were romantically involved.


    ¡°Yeah... I know.¡±


    Chapter Seventy¨CFour


    In my head, I started recalling the whole ordeal with Cai and my chest ached a little. I missed him. I


    shouldn¡®t... but I did. Was it wrong of me to even feel that much? Would it be okay if I still wished, even


    just a little bit, that I could still be with him?


    After everything we¡®d been through, it felt so... abrupt. Final. Though maybe that¡®s how things were


    always fated to end between us. With painful finality.


    A quiet humourlessugh then escaped me thinking back on it all.


    ¡°What¡®s so funny?¡±


    ¡°...No, not funny,¡± I rified, a small smile on my lips. ¡°Just¡­ It¡®s crazy how things turned out. The very


    fact I was involved with Cai at all is bizarre.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I then turned to look at him, my expression turning more serious.


    ¡°Because we were the ones who killed him in the other timeline.¡±


    His eyes widened a little before turning into a small frown. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    I shrugged a shoulder. ¡°As your first major act of Alpha, you decided to kill his father, Tobias, during a


    meeting being held in the Winter Mist. Tobias came to negotiate the alliance tax given theirrge


    increase in pack size but your only counteroffer was his head. Never made any sense to me... Though


    that didn¡®t stop me from helping you to finish his son off anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­ The fuck? Wouldn¡®t that make things between you a bit... awkward?¡±


    | paused to think on it for a second before answering. ¡°... Not at first. You had me working from only


    within the Winter Mist so I had never met Cai personally. Because of that, I had no idea who he was in


    this life until after we¡®d already be friends. He was training me in fighting for a while before his


    exchange was over. And, well... then he came back and confessed to me... and then Myra died... and


    then....¡± I took a deep breath, steadying myself. ¡°...It was an extremely dark time for me. Cai helped me


    through the worst o fit and made me remember that not everything had to be so¡­ shit.¡±


    ...And now he was a reminder of how quickly that could change.


    ¡°Because of the other version of... me... right? Because of what he originally did to you?¡±


    I could tell he was ufortable hearing about it but he was trying his best to understand it anyway.


    Who could me him in his position? It was probably a form of morbid curiosity.


    ...And so I proceeded to tell him everything.


    I started at the very beginning from before we were even officially mates, then moved on to Thea, the


    Goddess, about our time together and what we did, and finally about some of the things I¡¯d done up until


    now sinceing back. But unlike the first time I told Cai about the past, I didn¡®t hold anything back from


    Aleric.


    I told him about every horrible detail as if finally confessing my sins... and it felt weirdly liberating; natural


    even. Though not technically the same person, it was easy to blend them into one when it came to


    recalling our history. And whether he hated me or not afterwards, it didn¡®t have nearly the same weight as


    when I¡®d feared Cai¡®s judgement. Cai had been an innocent, his death a byproduct of my own naivety,


    but the person it all started with was the very person sitting next to me on the couch... or rather, his other


    self was.


    It was the same underlying feeling of false trust I¡®d had after Myra died. I¡®d driven myself to find Aleric


    first because I¡®d felt he couldn¡®t judge me for my mistakes given the weight of his own. But they weren¡®t *


    his*. It¡®s just that his features gave me that false impression, helping me to pretend whilst I unloaded the


    Chapter Seventy¨CFour


    truth to him.


    ...So what was this Aleric thinking now? What would he think after finding out who I really was? Because


    whilst it might not have been him personally who did the things I was telling him about, there was no


    mistake that it had been me. That this was my past I was telling him about and, unlike him, I actually had


    done these things.


    He sat and quietly listened to me the entire time, his face unreadable as he took it all in without


    interrupting. The things I told him couldn¡®t have been easy to hear if he truly was different now. Our


    combined death toll was easily in the thousands by the end, his own insanity being the driving force of


    that.


    But I needed to bepletely honest with him about everything if this new partnership was going to


    work. How was I meant to convince him of why certain decisions would end terribly if he didn¡®t


    understand why I thought that way?


    And so I spoke for hours, my voice almostpletely gone by the time I was finished. I spoke for so long


    that the sky had turned dark outside.


    And when I was finally done, we sat silently for a few minutes, both of us needing a moment to take in


    everything I¡®d just told him.


    ¡°¡­ Tell me something,¡± I eventually said after he still hadn¡®t said a word since I¡®d stopped speaking. ¡°I¡®ve


    beenpletely honest with you, telling you every painful detail of my past... and now I¡®d like you to


    show me that same courtesy.¡±


    ¡°...And what did you want to know?¡±


    ¡°I need you to tell me why...,¡± I said slowly, wincing at the thought. ¡°...Why you hated me so much


    growing


    up.¡±


    He looked at me confused, his brow furrowed. ¡°Aria, I didn¡®t¨C.¡±


    But I put a hand up to immediately stop him. ¡°I¡®m not talking about right now orparing you to him. I¡®m


    talking about #you* and how *you* acted towards me when we were kids. You think I didn¡®t notice how


    you never seemed to like me, even before I was sent back the second time?¡±


    He brought a hand up to his face and rubbed at his mouth, taking a moment to think about his answer.


    ¡°...I didn¡®t ¡®hate¡® you, Aria. I just... I don¡®t know.¡±


    I quickly shook my head. ¡°No, that¡®s not good enough. I need to know the truth. I need to know because


    this is the one question that you¡®re actually capable of answering for me, the closest exnation I¡®m ever


    going to get for why those things might have happened to me in the past.¡±


    He sighed but looked away. ¡°I am telling you the truth. It wasn¡®t you, personally, who I hated, Aria. I


    barely knew you. I just... I don¡®t know what else to call it. Jealousy? Frustration? Misced anger?¡±


    He then stood up and began pacing the room, thinking about how to phrase what he needed to say.


    And I sat quietly the whole time, giving him as long as he needed to start telling me.


    Because I knew that these sorts of emotional discussions weren¡®t going to be in hisfort zone, even if


    he was different in this life. He was the kind of man who always kept himself hidden, rarely ever


    betraying how he actually felt inside. Just being able to even somewhat read his expressions in the past


    had be a skill I¡®d had to quickly pick up in order to survive. But now I was demanding that he open


    up to mepletely; no more facades.


    ¡°For my entire childhood... it felt like the only thing people would talk to me about... was you,¡± he started.¡±


    I was young, stupid... but it used to piss me off. Every goddamn day there would be someone telling me


    about how well you were doing in your studies, how smart and pretty you were, how I was so lucky that


    Chapter Seventy Four


    the Goddess was going to match us together one day. Their words never acknowledged my own hard


    work though. Instead, I was just alwayspared to you. And pretty quickly, I startedparing myself


    a s well.¡±


    He stopped pacing and finally looked at me, clearly ufortable with the topic. ¡°You can imagine that


    m y upbringing wasn¡®t exactly pleasant, what with having Tytus for a father. And I¡®m not sure if you


    remember this since you were really young when it happened, but my mother, the prior Luna, killed


    herself. To be honest, I still don¡®t even know if it was intentional or not. She just stopped eating one day,


    wouldn¡®t sleep, wouldn¡®t go out... she would just cry for my father all day. And Tytus? Well, he¡®s not


    exactly a family man. I have no doubt that he loved my mother, I saw how he used to dote on her in the


    rare moments they actually were together, but I know he loved the pack more, always giving it more


    attention than her. I¡®m sure losing her was thest thing he¡®d needed in order to stop holding himself


    back andpletely envelope into his work.¡±


    ¡°... That¡®s horrible,¡± I whispered, my eyes brimming with tears. I¡¯d had no idea how the former Luna had


    died, only that she had passed when I was still a child.


    ¡°And then there was you,¡± he continued. ¡°You seemingly had the perfect life with parents who, not only


    loved you, but also equally loved each other. And all the while I was going through this hell of losing my


    mother, of losing my father, people stillpared me to you, still constantly reminding me of how


    amazing you were and how ¡®lucky¡® I was. Like they didn¡®t even realise or care what I was going through.


    And so it didn¡®t take long before I started to resent even the very idea of you. You became a symbol of


    everything that was going wrong in my life. And I knew it wasn¡®t even your fault... but I med you


    anyway.¡±


    I then slowly stood and walked towards him, looking up into his eyes. ¡°So then what changed your


    mind?¡±


    He swallowed, his frown deepening.


    ¡°...You did,¡± he said. ¡°That day I briefly came back from exchange, a week after the Jade Moon attack.


    Your face... the way you looked at me. I¡®d never seen anything like it. You had more fear in your eyes


    than I¡®d seen even a dying man show. And I saw myself reflected back in them. No, I saw Tytus and my


    mother¡®s desperation, saw what I could be... and it terrified me. It made me wonder if I¡¯d


    identally done something to you without realising, whether I¡®d unintentionally put you under the same


    pressures I¡®d lived with up until then. But, more importantly than that, it made me wonder what the pack


    was going to think of me. Because if everyone could ce you on such a high pedestal for my entire life,


    what were they going to think once they saw how you couldn¡®t even tolerate standing next to me without


    flinching?¡±


    I wiped away a stray tear that had fallen down my cheek and grabbed his hands within my own.


    ¡°...And do you think that was enough? Enough to justify his actions?¡± I asked him softly. ¡°Do you think


    that it would have been enough for him to do those things he did to me?¡±


    He shook his head, teeth gritted. ¡°No. I mean... I don¡®t know. I¡®m not him. But if he never stopped looking


    a t you like a symbol of his problems instead of a human being? I guess it¡®s possible. Who knows what


    sort o f path that mentality would eventually lead a person down? Even though I didn¡®t know how to best


    deal with it at the start, I realised soon enough that it was childish to keep ming you for something that


    wasn¡®t even your fault. And whilst I didn¡®t understand at all how things had gotten to that point, I still did


    m y best to try and fix whatever the hell I¡®d apparently done anyway. Anything just so you would stop


    looking at me the way you did.¡±


    Igently reached up and touched his cheek against my palm, making him close his eyes in response.


    He¡®d been working so hard to fix something that wasn¡®t even his fault. Paying for the crimes of someone


    else. He¡®d even made it a mission of his to support me, no matter what that might entail.


    It made me see how messed up this world had be. How messed up the people had be


    Chapter Seventy Four


    Because maybe in this timeline, Aleric was meant to have ended up with his Aria and they would have


    been happy together. Unlike his counterpart, this Aleric actually seemed capable of learningpassion


    and maybe could have eventually learnt to reciprocate her feelings too, even despite his initial


    resentment growing up.


    But instead, I¡®d stolen his Aria¡®s ce. Had my traumatised, hideous soul infused into her innocent,


    fourteen year old body, taking overpletely and erasing her from her own timeline.


    And so I pulled his face down to my level, his eyes still closed, and, ever so lightly, I kissed his cheek. An


    apology for something I was never going to be able to fix, for something I was never going to be able to


    give back to him. It was a mourning for his Aria that he was now never going to meet, and an atonement


    for how I¡®d treated him.


    ¡°Thank you for looking out for me,¡± I whispered, ¡°... and I¡®m sorry for what I put you through.¡±


    And as his arms then tightened around my waist, his head finding the nook of my neck, I did my best to


    remain as still as possible, allowing him this moment I felt he so desperately needed. Just for one night.


    Because whilst I couldn¡®t give him what he actually wanted from me, and couldn¡®t give him back


    someone who was already gone, I could at least give him this one final thing. 1 Forgiveness... and


    closure.

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    Chapter Seventy Five


    ...I could just ask her,¡¯i thought to myself, staring in the mirror at my reflection


    After that night, Aleric and I had agreed that we needed toe up with a n on how to free myself


    from the cor¡­ as well as remove Tytus as Alpha in the process. For obvious reasons, allowing him to


    proceed with marking me was out of the question, regardless of the terms Aleric and I were on now. And


    so we¡¯d conceded that it was time. Time for Tytus to step down, allowing for proper change.


    ¡­But now that just left us with having to think of a way to actually achieve that.


    I¡¯d spent hours already pouring over different ideas, but was mostlying up empty. All of them either


    wouldn¡¯t work or were morally questionable.


    ¡­ Which was how it eventually led me to be staring at my reflection, contemting something I normally


    never would have considered.


    To ask my former self for her help.


    The girl I hadn¡¯t heard speak to me in months, yet was still a part of me. No, wait¡­ that wasn¡¯t quite


    right¡­ She *was* me. Just a part of me that my brain had conjured up, creating a separate entity for me


    to be able to live with myself and everything I¡®d done.


    ¡®She would be better suited for this,¡® I thought, touching my cheek. ¡®She always had an idea or strategy to


    resolve stubborn problems in the past. And time deadlines just made her work more efficiently.¡®


    ¡­But did I even want her help?


    She had been an instrument of chaos that was wielded by a madman. The only thing she truly knew was


    how to seed by any means possible. No matter the cost. No matter who it killed along the way. So


    long as her Aleric would just acknowledge her existence.


    I didn¡®t want things to go back down that route. Just because Aleric and I were working together again, it


    didn¡®t mean that I would allow for things to repeat. I¡¯d already learnt the hard way that sometimes the


    easiest solutions in politics were only going to weave further conflictster.


    But he had given me an oath. I needed to believe that he would keep his word. It was true that I still


    osolutely certain that he wouldn¡®t suddenly switch one day, but didn¡®t I technically know this Aleric better?


    Couldn¡®t I at least give him the benefit of the doubt? We¡®d now spent more time together in this life than


    we ever had in the past. I had been able to learn first hand of his capacity for patience, for kindness, for


    doing what he thought was right, even if it hurt him. I¡®d learnt his humour, hisugh....


    They were little luxuries I¡®d never been permitted to see before this life. Things that made him suddenly


    much more human instead of the monster I used to perceive him to be.


    And so I sighed, stepping away from the mirror.


    No, I needed to do this on my own.


    But how did I ever manage to think of such borate ns in the past? I¡®d brought an entire country to


    its knees¡­ and yet I was struggling with one Alpha? Was it because I still felt tied to Tytus, my Alpha,


    even after everything he¡®d done?


    But I knew that wasn¡¯t true. I¡¯d been thinking about it for a while now but, the night I had broken free of


    Aleric¡¯s Alpha order to stay away from Thea, had been the same night I might have inadvertently freed


    myself a little from Tytus too. I definitely still felt the connection to the pack. It¡®s just that his hold over me


    was now¡­ lessoned. A quirk of my marking, I was sure.


    Documents were sprawled all over my dining room table, bits of information i¡¯d asked Aleric and Lucy to


    Scanned with CamScanner


    Chapter Seventy Five


    acquire for me since I was no longer up to date with the current affairs in the country. Or maybe it was


    just that some of my information wasn¡®t quite relevant yet, the incidents having not yet urred,


    And so i stared at the pages before me, contemting over the very familiaryout I hadn¡¯t geen in such


    a long time.


    ¡­And, finally, I thought of the answer to the question i¡¯d asked myself earlier.


    Like a game.


    She used to look at war and politics like a puzzle, something to be solved that held a reward for her at


    the end of it. Night after night she would sit at her desk¡­ imagining it all in her head ¡­ being able to see


    and predict how certain people would react¡­ where they might move. She would utilise everything and


    everyone avable in order to get her the result Aleric wanted.


    ¡­But I didn¡¯t want to do that. I¡¯d already vowed once to never fall into that mentality again after thest


    war; the war that made me realise Aleric had just been using me the entire time. The war that made me


    realise that my pieces on the board were actual living, breathing people.


    So was that why I was holding myself back still? Fear of the damage I was capable of? Of bing


    ther¡± once more?


    It was true that, sinceing back, I had dabbled in petty strategy now and then, but I hadn¡®t done


    anything near the scale I used to do in the past. Since returning, I¡®d tested Lucy¡®s loyalty with ¡®poisoned¡¯


    tea, exploited governments, set up minor traps for potential spies. But I hadn¡®t done anything overly


    significant. Not really. And I think a part of the reason may have been because of that promise to


    myself¡­ that promise to not let myself be that person again.


    I sat slowly down at the desk in front of me, my eyes scanning over all the documents before me, my


    hands moving over the pages. It felt almost exactly the same as in the past, the words calling out to me,


    offering to help me see what I needed to. Think what I needed to.


    ...But we could do it the right way this time, right? Find a solution that didn¡®t entail hurting everyone else


    in the process to just get what we wanted?


    And so I closed my eyes... and broke yet another one of my promises to myself. 1


    ¡°...Do you know what wolfsbane is?¡± I asked Aleric, a few dayster.


    We were walking in the garden outside, the sun high above us, both of us enjoying the fresh air.


    I¡¯d sent him a personal request asking that he take a walk with me today. Though that wasn¡¯t to say


    didn¡¯t have other reasons for the abrupt invitation either.


    ¡°...You mean like... the poison?¡± he asked confused, looking at me with concern.


    I smiled. ¡°Yeah, that¡®s the one.¡±


    ¡°...Are we still discussing the n to remove Tytus as Alpha?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Yes, we are. Don¡¯t worry, it¡®s not what you think. Are you familiar with what it actually does?


    Wolfsbane?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a doctor?¡± he replied rhetorically. ¡°All I know is to avoid it. It literally says everything I need


    to know about it within the name.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, I¡®m not the greatest with herbalism, so don¡®t quote me here, but the interesting thing about


    wolfsbane is that it slows your heart down¡­ to the point of being lethal if not careful,¡° | exined. ¡°In


    werewolves that lethal point is a hell of a lot quicker, which is why it¡¯s so dangerous for us. But in small


    doses, it actually works simrly to silver. It moves inside us, slowing us down, making us weaker.


    Making us more..pliant.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s your n? You want to poison him?¡±


    ¡°Well, no... that¡¯s not my n. Not the entire n, at least,¡± I corrected slowly. ¡°Just a part of the pan.¡±


    ¡°You just admitted to me, right before suggesting this, that you weren¡¯t great at herbalism,¡± he pointed


    out. ¡°And you want to somehow administer him with a dosage so urate that it doesn¡¯t kill him¡­just


    weakens him? And then what?¡±


    ¡°Just wait a second, okay? I¡¯m getting there,¡± I said, taking a moment to touch one of the flowers we


    were passing. It wasing into autumn so I knew they¡¯d all be dying soon. The colder air was already


    coming in much sooner than anticipated, as evident in how it cooled the metal cor around my neck.


    ¡°You said that you weren¡¯t a doctor, but let¡®s not forget who is,¡± I continued. ¡°For my n to work, we


    have to involve more people than just us. It¡¯s impossible not to. At the very least to take over we¡¯d need


    the general support of the pack but, in particr, there are also several individuals who are critical for


    helping us reach this goal. Like for example, in this instance with the wolfsbane¡­ someone like my


    mother would be required.¡±


    He stopped in his tracks to look at me, frowning. ¡°Aria¡­ are you sure? Your mother? What happens if


    something goes wrong?¡±


    I chewed the inside of my cheek, thinking about it again. ¡°She is the best person for the job¡­ maybe the


    only person given her position as head doctor. Besides, even if I tried to get someone else, she would


    likely just insist on doing it anyway. We also can¡®t forget that we need to stick exclusively to people we


    can trust. The only way I foresee my n bing dangerous in any way at all is if someone leaks it


    too soon¡­ hence why we need my mother.¡±


    He held my gaze for another few seconds before finally looking away, continuing to walk.


    ¡°Okay, fine¡­ So then how will that work?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡®ll have my mother send out a memo to Tytus requesting his presence at an annual check¨Cup;


    something that is mandatory for Alphas if issued,¡± I proceeded. ¡°ording to the documents you


    managed to get your hands on for me, he hasn¡®t had his yearly check¨Cup yet. Once he arrives, my


    mother will then administer the wolfsbane, which will hopefully be mixed in with something else to


    prolong the effects a little bit. This will then mean that,e the next day of my eighteenth birthday, he


    will be weakened. But just a small enough dosage for what we need it for. It¡®s important he doesn¡®t


    instantly feel a noticeable difference.¡±


    ¡°Your birthday? You really want to wait until your birthday in a few months to remove him? Isn¡®t that¡­


    cutting it a bit close?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡®t have a choice,¡± I said. ¡°The only n that guarantees Tytus will get out of this


    unscathed revolves around me having my cor removed first; something that is going to be impossible


    prior to my birthday. He keeps the key on him at all times so the only chance we¡®re going to get is in that


    small moment between him removing the cor... and when he expects you to mark me.¡±


    ¡°¡­And then what?¡±


    I stopped and turned to face him directly. ¡°...And then I order him to revoke his title and hand the pack


    over to us. Maybe even exile him to live out his life somewhere else far away from the Winter Mist so he


    doesn¡¯t interfere.¡±


    His eyes narrowed slightly, trying to fully understand what I was suggesting. ¡°But... Aria, no offence, but I


    was there thest time you tried ordering someone. It took you several attempts and it left you almost


    passing out on the floor. And that was just against an unranked warrior. How do you expect to use that


    against Tytus, an Alpha?¡±


    ¡± I¡®ve been practising,¡± I admitted, a little guilty for forgetting to mention it earlier,


    Surprise instantly crossed his features and I didn¡®t me him. Honestly, it still surprised me too that I was


    capable of essing the ability, especially given the cor should have made it impossible,


    ¡°I don¡®t know how it works,¡± I quickly exined, ¡°just that I can still feel it. Though¡­ it¡¯s a lot harder. Like


    trying to filter a water dam through a funnel. But I can still do it, or rather, I can still practice it. It¡¯s just that


    I¡¯ll need to have the cor taken off first before¡­ before I can remove the funnel and harness the dam


    instead, if you get what I mean.¡±


    ¡°And you said that this n was only dangerous if it gets leaked? You¡®re literally betting everything on the


    small chance you can aplish something you¡®ve never done before. Something you can¡¯t even test


    out prior to the day.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I mean, there are several things I¡¯m implementing to increase the sess rate,¡± i defended.


    ¡°Like, for example, the wolfsbane should make him a bit more susceptible to themand even if I¡®m


    not at full capacity¡­ but you¡¯re also incorrectly assuming a little here. I never said that I was betting


    everything on this. I¡¯m not stupid enough to put all of my eggs in one basket. Technically¡­ there is a


    n B as well.¡±


    He stood studying my face, waiting for me to proceed.


    ¡°I said that there was only one n which guarantees Tytus abdicates the position unhurt. Unfortunately,


    n B is not as pleasant as that. Actually, it¡®s where youe in.¡±


    ¡°...You don¡®t actually mean¨C.¡±


    ¡°... You¡®ll need to challenge him directly,¡± I finished for him.


    ¡°Aria¡­ are you nuts? You want me to kill him?¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°What? No! No, you don¡®t need to do anything as drastic as that,¡± I hurriedly


    corrected.¡± No, technically, if you read thews of challenging an Alpha, they state you are only required


    to incapacitate him. It¡®ll be even easier because of the wolfsbane too. But, in the event that I can¡®t pull off


    themand, then you¡®ll need to challenge him, Aleric. There¡®s literally no other choice. If you don¡®t then


    I doubt he¡®ll even permit you to go through with the original punishment of marking me. Currently, he just


    sees me as only a threat to your future. What do you think he¡®s going to do to me when he sees me as


    trying to threaten his?¡±


    I could tell he was slowly realising that what I was telling him was the truth, that it really was the only


    viable backup n. And, whilst I also knew their rtionship wasn¡®t the greatest, it was still something


    wished I didn¡¯t have to ask of him. Because at the end of the day, Tytus was still his Alpha... he was still


    his father


    ¡°...Fine. I¡®ll do it,¡± he agreed. ¡°But I¡®m only agreeing because I want to put my faith in you that n A


    works.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°It¡®s good to keep positive thoughts like that,¡± I said, brushing off the pressure he was trying to


    ce back on me.


    The packhouse then came back into sight ahead. We¡®d almost returned to the main area where other


    people would see us. Even from here, I could tell there were a few members out and about.


    ¡°Oh... and one more thing,¡± I added, now subconsciously ying with the cor. ¡°In order to mitigate the


    fallout after we take over, we need to start working on public image immediately. I¡®m sure there will be


    some who don¡¯t agree with our more¡­ forceful methods of title session. We¡®ll need to start preparing


    the narrative as soon as possible so it won¡®t be as negative once the timees. The goal is to show


    people that removing Tytus early is the right thing to do. To help them see our side. That¡¯s the only way


    that people will even begin to entertain the ideas we¡®re proposing.¡±


    Or, more urately, the only way they¡¯ll probablypletely ept me,


    ¡± I assume that¡®s the actual reason for why you invited me out here today then,¡± he said before his eyes


    lowered to where my hand was touching the metal around my neck. ¡°And why you¡®re finally letting people


    see that.¡±


    It was something I¡¯d been procrastinating all morning. I¡®d stood by my door for the longest time, trying to


    find any reason to put off leaving without my scarf. But we were running out of time, and even rumours


    needed time to travel.


    ¡°Building a narrative¡­,¡± I reiterated. ¡°Like¡­ Tytus enjoys chaining a Saintess who did nothing wrong. He


    likes¡­ proving he is better than the Goddess herself by imprisoning her earthly embodiment.¡±


    Aleric scoffed and looked at me amused. ¡°You¡¯re hardly innocent¡­ and you don¡¯t even believe that


    Goddess crap. You told me yourself that the whole ¡®faith in the Goddess¡¯ thing is basically a scam.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°They don¡¯t need to know that. They just need to believe it. Honestly, the more pious they


    are, the easier it¡¯s going to be for people to ept our mutual co¨Calphaship.¡±


    We¡¯d walked up to the packhouse then and proceeded to start heading back upstairs to where our


    quarters were. Along the way, several curious faces of pack members had turned to look at my new


    essory, something that fed perfectly into my n.


    ¡°...Are you still worried about that?¡± he asked. ¡°About¡­ if something happens and things don¡¯t turn out


    the way we agreed?¡±


    He was asking me if I was still worried whether he would betray me. The answer was, of course, yes.


    How could I not be? It was something that was on my mind almost every waking second.


    Everything that I was doing, everything I was nning, all of it hinged on him honouring the pact we¡¯d


    made. Even the very trust I was putting in him to help me execute this strategy was already too much.


    After all, the second Tytus found out about any of this, I would be screwed.


    But it was a gamble I¡®d told myself I would take and I needed to see it through to the end. The benefits of


    eliminating civil war with Aleric outweighed the alternatives, and it gave me the position I needed in order


    to start focusing on stopping Thea instead. Stop... Whatever the hell she was nning. Something I still


    had no intel on.


    | paused to then look at him, my expression bing more serious than any of the prior conversations


    we¡®d already had.


    ¡°...You already know my answer to that, Aleric.¡±


    And quickly, I continued walking up the stairs, not wanting to discuss it any further.


    ¡°Alright then. So what¡®s the next thing I can help with?¡± he asked once we¡¯d arrived back at my quarters.


    I pulled out a key and slotted it into the shiny new lock that was fitted onto my door, pushing it open. Only


    Lucy, Aleric and I had ess to my quarters now, as it should have been from the start. And, to my relief,


    it decreased the necessity of needing constant babysitters.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent a few letters out, but¡­ here,¡± I said and handed him arge pile of papers that had


    been sitting on my table inside. ¡°This is for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, inspecting the pages curiously.


    ¡°Aption of important things that have happened, of things that are currently happening, and of


    things that may happen in the future. I¡¯ve also sorted it by date order. Not in the way you¡¯re probably


    thinking though. What I mean is that I¡®ve sorted it in the order of things that require your attention right


    now, through to things that you probably don¡¯t need to worry about for another few years. Unfortunately,


    the majority of these are things only you can aplish right now since I don¡¯t presently hold any rank


    within the pack. There isn¡¯t a way for me to justify my involvement without looking suspicious.¡±


    ¡°... You managed to do all of this in a few days?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably still a bit iplete,¡± I admitted, eying off the pile. ¡°Though I¡®ll let you know if I add


    anything else to it as I think of it. For now, at least, it¡¯s a starting point. If we can tackle some of the bigger


    items then it¡¯ll make the first year or so easier on-¡­ what is that?¡±


    Something then caught my attention behind his head, making me lose my train of thought.


    It was books. A lot of them. Almost as if a whole shelf of the library had been moved in here.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I noticed a while ago that the books you had were just collecting dust despite you having nothing


    to do,¡± he said, a little awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ was just a bit weird since I know you liked reading so


    much. But everything sort of clicked when you told me you used to live in here. Thought you might want


    some new things to read instead.¡±


    ¡­He was trying to give me a gift. Or¡­ sort of. It was a gift, in a weird ¡®probably stole these from the


    library¡¯ kind of way.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    And they were definitely from the library. I recognised all the titles immediately, could even almost


    remember exactly where they would be ced on the shelves. After all, I¡®d already read all of these


    books too.


    ¡­.However, the sentiment was there and I appreciated it. Building good rapport with Aleric was only


    going to work in my favour for the future.


    ¡°Oh... Thank you,¡± I said, giving him a small smile. ¡°I¡®ll be sure to read them when I get a chance.¡±


    But his eyes narrowed immediately.


    ¡°You¡®ve already read these too,¡± he stated, exposing me instantly.


    ¡°What? No. They look great, thank you.¡± ¡°Aria... Seriously.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Look, truthfully, you¡®d probably have a hard time trying to find something in the pack I haven¡®t


    already read. Once upon a time, I had more free time than I knew what to do with. It doesn¡®t mean that I


    don¡¯t appreciate the gesture though.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡®t there anywhere else? Any other libraries or collections? Surely there has to be something,¡± he said,


    adamant on following through with this.


    ¡­But was there actually anywhere else that had books I hadn¡¯t read?


    And suddenly a thought came to me; a way to solve one of the issues I¡®d been mulling on. Something


    that I needed to confirm before I could start working on the next part of my n.


    And, somehow, Aleric had just handed me the perfect way to do it. ¡°Actually¡­,¡± I said, speaking slowly in


    thought, ¡°...there is one ce¡­¡± 1


    Scanned with CamScanner


    ...I could just ask her,¡¯i thought to myself, staring in the mirror at my reflection


    After that night, Aleric and I had agreed that we needed toe up with a n on how to free myself


    from the cor¡­ as well as remove Tytus as Alpha in the process. For obvious reasons, allowing him to


    proceed with marking me was out of the question, regardless of the terms Aleric and I were on now. And


    so we¡¯d conceded that it was time. Time for Tytus to step down, allowing for proper change.


    ¡­But now that just left us with having to think of a way to actually achieve that.


    I¡¯d spent hours already pouring over different ideas, but was mostlying up empty. All of them either


    wouldn¡¯t work or were morally questionable.


    ¡­ Which was how it eventually led me to be staring at my reflection, contemting something I normally


    never would have considered.


    To ask my former self for her help.


    The girl I hadn¡¯t heard speak to me in months, yet was still a part of me. No, wait¡­ that wasn¡¯t quite


    right¡­ She *was* me. Just a part of me that my brain had conjured up, creating a separate entity for me


    to be able to live with myself and everything I¡®d done.


    ¡®She would be better suited for this,¡® I thought, touching my cheek. ¡®She always had an idea or strategy to


    resolve stubborn problems in the past. And time deadlines just made her work more efficiently.¡®


    ¡­But did I even want her help?


    She had been an instrument of chaos that was wielded by a madman. The only thing she truly knew was


    how to seed by any means possible. No matter the cost. No matter who it killed along the way. So


    long as her Aleric would just acknowledge her existence.


    I didn¡®t want things to go back down that route. Just because Aleric and I were working together again, it


    didn¡®t mean that I would allow for things to repeat. I¡¯d already learnt the hard way that sometimes the


    easiest solutions in politics were only going to weave further conflictster.


    But he had given me an oath. I needed to believe that he would keep his word. It was true that I still


    osolutely certain that he wouldn¡®t suddenly switch one day, but didn¡®t I technically know this Aleric better?


    Couldn¡®t I at least give him the benefit of the doubt? We¡®d now spent more time together in this life than


    we ever had in the past. I had been able to learn first hand of his capacity for patience, for kindness, for


    doing what he thought was right, even if it hurt him. I¡®d learnt his humour, hisugh....


    They were little luxuries I¡®d never been permitted to see before this life. Things that made him suddenly


    much more human instead of the monster I used to perceive him to be.


    And so I sighed, stepping away from the mirror.


    No, I needed to do this on my own.


    But how did I ever manage to think of such borate ns in the past? I¡®d brought an entire country to


    its knees¡­ and yet I was struggling with one Alpha? Was it because I still felt tied to Tytus, my Alpha,


    even after everything he¡®d done?


    But I knew that wasn¡¯t true. I¡¯d been thinking about it for a while now but, the night I had broken free of


    Aleric¡¯s Alpha order to stay away from Thea, had been the same night I might have inadvertently freed


    myself a little from Tytus too. I definitely still felt the connection to the pack. It¡®s just that his hold over me


    was now¡­ lessoned. A quirk of my marking, I was sure.


    Documents were sprawled all over my dining room table, bits of information i¡¯d asked Aleric and Lucy to


    acquire for me since I was no longer up to date with the current affairs in the country. Or maybe it was


    just that some of my information wasn¡®t quite relevant yet, the incidents having not yet urred,


    And so i stared at the pages before me, contemting over the very familiaryout I hadn¡¯t geen in such


    a long time.


    ¡­And, finally, I thought of the answer to the question i¡¯d asked myself earlier.


    Like a game.


    She used to look at war and politics like a puzzle, something to be solved that held a reward for her at


    the end of it. Night after night she would sit at her desk¡­ imagining it all in her head ¡­ being able to see


    and predict how certain people would react¡­ where they might move. She would utilise everything and


    everyone avable in order to get her the result Aleric wanted.


    ¡­But I didn¡¯t want to do that. I¡¯d already vowed once to never fall into that mentality again after thest


    war; the war that made me realise Aleric had just been using me the entire time. The war that made me


    realise that my pieces on the board were actual living, breathing people.


    So was that why I was holding myself back still? Fear of the damage I was capable of? Of bing


    ther¡± once more?


    It was true that, sinceing back, I had dabbled in petty strategy now and then, but I hadn¡®t done


    anything near the scale I used to do in the past. Since returning, I¡®d tested Lucy¡®s loyalty with ¡®poisoned¡¯


    tea, exploited governments, set up minor traps for potential spies. But I hadn¡®t done anything overly


    significant. Not really. And I think a part of the reason may have been because of that promise to


    myself¡­ that promise to not let myself be that person again.


    I sat slowly down at the desk in front of me, my eyes scanning over all the documents before me, my


    hands moving over the pages. It felt almost exactly the same as in the past, the words calling out to me,


    offering to help me see what I needed to. Think what I needed to.


    ...But we could do it the right way this time, right? Find a solution that didn¡®t entail hurting everyone else


    in the process to just get what we wanted?


    And so I closed my eyes... and broke yet another one of my promises to myself. 1


    ¡°...Do you know what wolfsbane is?¡± I asked Aleric, a few dayster.


    We were walking in the garden outside, the sun high above us, both of us enjoying the fresh air.


    I¡¯d sent him a personal request asking that he take a walk with me today. Though that wasn¡¯t to say


    didn¡¯t have other reasons for the abrupt invitation either.


    ¡°...You mean like... the poison?¡± he asked confused, looking at me with concern.


    I smiled. ¡°Yeah, that¡®s the one.¡±


    ¡°...Are we still discussing the n to remove Tytus as Alpha?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Yes, we are. Don¡¯t worry, it¡®s not what you think. Are you familiar with what it actually does?


    Wolfsbane?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a doctor?¡± he replied rhetorically. ¡°All I know is to avoid it. It literally says everything I need


    to know about it within the name.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, I¡®m not the greatest with herbalism, so don¡®t quote me here, but the interesting thing about


    wolfsbane is that it slows your heart down¡­ to the point of being lethal if not careful,¡° | exined. ¡°In


    werewolves that lethal point is a hell of a lot quicker, which is why it¡¯s so dangerous for us. But in small


    doses, it actually works simrly to silver. It moves inside us, slowing us down, making us weaker.


    Making us more..pliant.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s your n? You want to poison him?¡±


    ¡°Well, no... that¡¯s not my n. Not the entire n, at least,¡± I corrected slowly. ¡°Just a part of the pan.¡±


    ¡°You just admitted to me, right before suggesting this, that you weren¡¯t great at herbalism,¡± he pointed


    out. ¡°And you want to somehow administer him with a dosage so urate that it doesn¡¯t kill him¡­just


    weakens him? And then what?¡±


    ¡°Just wait a second, okay? I¡¯m getting there,¡± I said, taking a moment to touch one of the flowers we


    were passing. It wasing into autumn so I knew they¡¯d all be dying soon. The colder air was already


    coming in much sooner than anticipated, as evident in how it cooled the metal cor around my neck.


    ¡°You said that you weren¡¯t a doctor, but let¡®s not forget who is,¡± I continued. ¡°For my n to work, we


    have to involve more people than just us. It¡¯s impossible not to. At the very least to take over we¡¯d need


    the general support of the pack but, in particr, there are also several individuals who are critical for


    helping us reach this goal. Like for example, in this instance with the wolfsbane¡­ someone like my


    mother would be required.¡±


    He stopped in his tracks to look at me, frowning. ¡°Aria¡­ are you sure? Your mother? What happens if


    something goes wrong?¡±


    I chewed the inside of my cheek, thinking about it again. ¡°She is the best person for the job¡­ maybe the


    only person given her position as head doctor. Besides, even if I tried to get someone else, she would


    likely just insist on doing it anyway. We also can¡®t forget that we need to stick exclusively to people we


    can trust. The only way I foresee my n bing dangerous in any way at all is if someone leaks it


    too soon¡­ hence why we need my mother.¡±


    He held my gaze for another few seconds before finally looking away, continuing to walk.


    ¡°Okay, fine¡­ So then how will that work?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡®ll have my mother send out a memo to Tytus requesting his presence at an annual check¨Cup;


    something that is mandatory for Alphas if issued,¡± I proceeded. ¡°ording to the documents you


    managed to get your hands on for me, he hasn¡®t had his yearly check¨Cup yet. Once he arrives, my


    mother will then administer the wolfsbane, which will hopefully be mixed in with something else to


    prolong the effects a little bit. This will then mean that,e the next day of my eighteenth birthday, he


    will be weakened. But just a small enough dosage for what we need it for. It¡®s important he doesn¡®t


    instantly feel a noticeable difference.¡±


    ¡°Your birthday? You really want to wait until your birthday in a few months to remove him? Isn¡®t that¡­


    cutting it a bit close?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡®t have a choice,¡± I said. ¡°The only n that guarantees Tytus will get out of this


    unscathed revolves around me having my cor removed first; something that is going to be impossible


    prior to my birthday. He keeps the key on him at all times so the only chance we¡®re going to get is in that


    small moment between him removing the cor... and when he expects you to mark me.¡±


    ¡°¡­And then what?¡±


    I stopped and turned to face him directly. ¡°...And then I order him to revoke his title and hand the pack


    over to us. Maybe even exile him to live out his life somewhere else far away from the Winter Mist so he


    doesn¡¯t interfere.¡±


    His eyes narrowed slightly, trying to fully understand what I was suggesting. ¡°But... Aria, no offence, but I


    was there thest time you tried ordering someone. It took you several attempts and it left you almost


    passing out on the floor. And that was just against an unranked warrior. How do you expect to use that


    against Tytus, an Alpha?¡±


    ¡± I¡®ve been practising,¡± I admitted, a little guilty for forgetting to mention it earlier,


    Surprise instantly crossed his features and I didn¡®t me him. Honestly, it still surprised me too that I was


    capable of essing the ability, especially given the cor should have made it impossible,


    ¡°I don¡®t know how it works,¡± I quickly exined, ¡°just that I can still feel it. Though¡­ it¡¯s a lot harder. Like


    trying to filter a water dam through a funnel. But I can still do it, or rather, I can still practice it. It¡¯s just that


    I¡¯ll need to have the cor taken off first before¡­ before I can remove the funnel and harness the dam


    instead, if you get what I mean.¡±


    ¡°And you said that this n was only dangerous if it gets leaked? You¡®re literally betting everything on the


    small chance you can aplish something you¡®ve never done before. Something you can¡¯t even test


    out prior to the day.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I mean, there are several things I¡¯m implementing to increase the sess rate,¡± i defended.


    ¡°Like, for example, the wolfsbane should make him a bit more susceptible to themand even if I¡®m


    not at full capacity¡­ but you¡¯re also incorrectly assuming a little here. I never said that I was betting


    everything on this. I¡¯m not stupid enough to put all of my eggs in one basket. Technically¡­ there is a


    n B as well.¡±


    He stood studying my face, waiting for me to proceed.


    ¡°I said that there was only one n which guarantees Tytus abdicates the position unhurt. Unfortunately,


    n B is not as pleasant as that. Actually, it¡®s where youe in.¡±


    ¡°...You don¡®t actually mean¨C.¡±


    ¡°... You¡®ll need to challenge him directly,¡± I finished for him.


    ¡°Aria¡­ are you nuts? You want me to kill him?¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°What? No! No, you don¡®t need to do anything as drastic as that,¡± I hurriedly


    corrected.¡± No, technically, if you read thews of challenging an Alpha, they state you are only required


    to incapacitate him. It¡®ll be even easier because of the wolfsbane too. But, in the event that I can¡®t pull off


    themand, then you¡®ll need to challenge him, Aleric. There¡®s literally no other choice. If you don¡®t then


    I doubt he¡®ll even permit you to go through with the original punishment of marking me. Currently, he just


    sees me as only a threat to your future. What do you think he¡®s going to do to me when he sees me as


    trying to threaten his?¡±


    I could tell he was slowly realising that what I was telling him was the truth, that it really was the only


    viable backup n. And, whilst I also knew their rtionship wasn¡®t the greatest, it was still something


    wished I didn¡¯t have to ask of him. Because at the end of the day, Tytus was still his Alpha... he was still


    his father


    ¡°...Fine. I¡®ll do it,¡± he agreed. ¡°But I¡®m only agreeing because I want to put my faith in you that n A


    works.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°It¡®s good to keep positive thoughts like that,¡± I said, brushing off the pressure he was trying to


    ce back on me.


    The packhouse then came back into sight ahead. We¡®d almost returned to the main area where other


    people would see us. Even from here, I could tell there were a few members out and about.


    ¡°Oh... and one more thing,¡± I added, now subconsciously ying with the cor. ¡°In order to mitigate the


    fallout after we take over, we need to start working on public image immediately. I¡®m sure there will be


    some who don¡¯t agree with our more¡­ forceful methods of title session. We¡®ll need to start preparing


    the narrative as soon as possible so it won¡®t be as negative once the timees. The goal is to show


    people that removing Tytus early is the right thing to do. To help them see our side. That¡¯s the only way


    that people will even begin to entertain the ideas we¡®re proposing.¡±


    Or, more urately, the only way they¡¯ll probablypletely ept me,


    ¡± I assume that¡®s the actual reason for why you invited me out here today then,¡± he said before his eyes


    lowered to where my hand was touching the metal around my neck. ¡°And why you¡®re finally letting people


    see that.¡±


    It was something I¡¯d been procrastinating all morning. I¡®d stood by my door for the longest time, trying to


    find any reason to put off leaving without my scarf. But we were running out of time, and even rumours


    needed time to travel.


    ¡°Building a narrative¡­,¡± I reiterated. ¡°Like¡­ Tytus enjoys chaining a Saintess who did nothing wrong. He


    likes¡­ proving he is better than the Goddess herself by imprisoning her earthly embodiment.¡±


    Aleric scoffed and looked at me amused. ¡°You¡¯re hardly innocent¡­ and you don¡¯t even believe that


    Goddess crap. You told me yourself that the whole ¡®faith in the Goddess¡¯ thing is basically a scam.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°They don¡¯t need to know that. They just need to believe it. Honestly, the more pious they


    are, the easier it¡¯s going to be for people to ept our mutual co¨Calphaship.¡±


    We¡¯d walked up to the packhouse then and proceeded to start heading back upstairs to where our


    quarters were. Along the way, several curious faces of pack members had turned to look at my new


    essory, something that fed perfectly into my n.


    ¡°...Are you still worried about that?¡± he asked. ¡°About¡­ if something happens and things don¡¯t turn out


    the way we agreed?¡±


    He was asking me if I was still worried whether he would betray me. The answer was, of course, yes.


    How could I not be? It was something that was on my mind almost every waking second.


    Everything that I was doing, everything I was nning, all of it hinged on him honouring the pact we¡¯d


    made. Even the very trust I was putting in him to help me execute this strategy was already too much.


    After all, the second Tytus found out about any of this, I would be screwed.


    But it was a gamble I¡®d told myself I would take and I needed to see it through to the end. The benefits of


    eliminating civil war with Aleric outweighed the alternatives, and it gave me the position I needed in order


    to start focusing on stopping Thea instead. Stop... Whatever the hell she was nning. Something I still


    had no intel on.


    | paused to then look at him, my expression bing more serious than any of the prior conversations


    we¡®d already had.


    ¡°...You already know my answer to that, Aleric.¡±


    And quickly, I continued walking up the stairs, not wanting to discuss it any further.


    ¡°Alright then. So what¡®s the next thing I can help with?¡± he asked once we¡¯d arrived back at my quarters.


    I pulled out a key and slotted it into the shiny new lock that was fitted onto my door, pushing it open. Only


    Lucy, Aleric and I had ess to my quarters now, as it should have been from the start. And, to my relief,


    it decreased the necessity of needing constant babysitters.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent a few letters out, but¡­ here,¡± I said and handed him arge pile of papers that had


    been sitting on my table inside. ¡°This is for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, inspecting the pages curiously.


    ¡°Aption of important things that have happened, of things that are currently happening, and of


    things that may happen in the future. I¡¯ve also sorted it by date order. Not in the way you¡¯re probably


    thinking though. What I mean is that I¡®ve sorted it in the order of things that require your attention right


    now, through to things that you probably don¡¯t need to worry about for another few years. Unfortunately,


    Scanned with CamScanner


    the majority of these are things only you can aplish right now since I don¡¯t presently hold any rank


    within the pack. There isn¡¯t a way for me to justify my involvement without looking suspicious.¡±


    ¡°... You managed to do all of this in a few days?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably still a bit iplete,¡± I admitted, eying off the pile. ¡°Though I¡®ll let you know if I add


    anything else to it as I think of it. For now, at least, it¡¯s a starting point. If we can tackle some of the bigger


    items then it¡¯ll make the first year or so easier on-¡­ what is that?¡±


    Something then caught my attention behind his head, making me lose my train of thought.


    It was books. A lot of them. Almost as if a whole shelf of the library had been moved in here.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I noticed a while ago that the books you had were just collecting dust despite you having nothing


    to do,¡± he said, a little awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ was just a bit weird since I know you liked reading so


    much. But everything sort of clicked when you told me you used to live in here. Thought you might want


    some new things to read instead.¡±


    ¡­He was trying to give me a gift. Or¡­ sort of. It was a gift, in a weird ¡®probably stole these from the


    library¡¯ kind of way.


    And they were definitely from the library. I recognised all the titles immediately, could even almost


    remember exactly where they would be ced on the shelves. After all, I¡®d already read all of these


    books too.


    ¡­.However, the sentiment was there and I appreciated it. Building good rapport with Aleric was only


    going to work in my favour for the future.


    ¡°Oh... Thank you,¡± I said, giving him a small smile. ¡°I¡®ll be sure to read them when I get a chance.¡±


    But his eyes narrowed immediately.


    ¡°You¡®ve already read these too,¡± he stated, exposing me instantly.


    ¡°What? No. They look great, thank you.¡± ¡°Aria... Seriously.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Look, truthfully, you¡®d probably have a hard time trying to find something in the pack I haven¡®t


    already read. Once upon a time, I had more free time than I knew what to do with. It doesn¡®t mean that I


    don¡¯t appreciate the gesture though.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡®t there anywhere else? Any other libraries or collections? Surely there has to be something,¡± he said,


    adamant on following through with this.


    ¡­But was there actually anywhere else that had books I hadn¡¯t read?


    And suddenly a thought came to me; a way to solve one of the issues I¡®d been mulling on. Something


    that I needed to confirm before I could start working on the next part of my n.


    And, somehow, Aleric had just handed me the perfect way to do it. ¡°Actually¡­,¡± I said, speaking slowly in


    thought, ¡°...there is one ce¡­¡± 1


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 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Chapter Seventy Six


    ¡± Why Elder Luke¡± Aleric asked me a few dayster


    We were in his ca, driving towards the housing estate where the Elders resided A piacelhadatvted since


    my marking confumation three years ago


    ¡± Are you seriously asking me that?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡®s just he¡®s the least experienced Elder, right? Alenc sad ¡°Didnt he join only a few years ago?


    Wouldn¡®t one of the other six Elders be better to reach out to since they¡®re more experienced


    ¡°The fact you¡®re even asking me that means you mustn¡®t be overly familiar with how this pack is actually


    run yet,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I know enough,¡± he said defensively, making meugh.


    ¡°Okay, okay, sorry. I¡®ll exin,¡± I said. ¡°Have you ever noticed how all of the workload Tytus gives you


    consists of only very minor issues? Like petty problems that don¡®t need much thought


    ¡°Yes but I¡®m not a fully sworn in ranked member yet. Therger issues would be looked after by Tytus


    and the Elders.¡±


    ¡°One the surface? Yes,¡± I said. ¡°If it¡®s the same as the past, then, yes the Elders are the ones currently


    looking after all the bigger issues. Back then. Tytus and yourself would have the final say but you weren¡®t


    typically the peopleing up with all of the ideas You relied on the Elders and me for that


    ¡°On the surface? Is this where you finally tell me why just this one Elder ?**


    * needed to give you context first,¡± I said, disapproving of his impatience. ¡°So, as I was saying, currently


    the Elders are looking after all the major issues. Now, if you ever get your hands on the private meeting


    minutes one day, you¡®ll see one name constantly popping up Luke Hastings.¡±


    ¡°Elder Luke?¡± he asked to which I nodded.


    ¡°Elder Luke is single¨Chandedly one of the most dangerous people in our pack and he doesn¡®t even need


    to lift a finger for that title,¡± I said ¡°After I¡®dpleted my Luna coronation, I went into the pack vault and


    read through most of the ssified documents rting to meetings and politics. In a way, he is basically


    running the ce right now with his strategies and was the person who sparked my initial fascination in


    the field¡±


    The pack vault was located in a secret location under the Winter Mist, reserved for only ranked members


    and Elders. Not even heirs were allowed in there it was the ce where all treasures and important


    documents were kept for safekeeping. Among many other things, a notable item in its inventory right now


    was the ancient sword that beheaded me


    In the past. Aleric had banned me from going in there but technically, by holding a Luna rank, i normally


    should have had ess. Apparenily in this life, he didn¡®t seem to care as he now didn¡®t even remark on


    The faci l¡®a been in there.


    Alenc drove quietly for a bit mulling over what I¡®d just told him. He was probably piecing it all together


    You¡®re nght. Thinking about it now, he does seem to influence far more than the others


    I smiled. ¡°Don¡®t feel bad. If you hadn¡®t noticed Elder Luke subtly pushing meetings his way up until now


    then you were just doing exactly what he expected you to If everyone knew what he was doingI¡®m sure it


    would be a lot harder for him to aplish some of the things he does Hell, even I only found out a few


    years ago that he has people working under him directly. Pretty sure even the ranked members might not


    know about that one as it was a surprise to me.¡±


    Chapter Seventy Six


    Trecalled how he¡®d somehow known Cai was training me inbat even though only Myra, Cai and I


    knew about that. He was a master of secrets on a higher level than most probably realised. After all, as


    he had so nicely put it in the past, he didn¡®t get to where he was now without help. Who knew how vast


    hiswork actually was?


    ¡°If we find ourselves on the opposite side of Elder Luke then I can¡®t guarantee the oue,¡± I continued.¡±


    Truthfully, I would rather face Tytus head¨Con several times than go up against Elder Luke even once.


    He¡®s a lot smarter than I think some give him credit for... and I owe him a lot for helping me get to where I


    am.¡±


    If he had never suggested I pursue bing Beta then there was no telling where I¡®d be right now.


    Sure, i t hadn¡®t worked out, but without it, Aleric and I would have never gotten closer. And I would have


    never be stronger or more confident. I was where I was today because of him. Because he


    believed in met o do something that was previously unheard of.


    It was exactly that mentality of his that I was counting on. The sort of progressive, open¨Cmindedness that


    he was renowned for even prior to this life. He¡®d been an ally towards me up until now... but would it be


    that way when the moment for change finally arose?


    Because I knew approaching him wasn¡®t without its risks. I was stillpletely aware of the fact that this


    would be asking him to betray his current Alpha... and everyone had their limits.


    ¡°We¡®re here,¡± Aleric said, pulling up to the gated property. ¡°I¡®ll try to be here to pick you up when you¡®re


    done. All good?¡±


    | unbuckled my seatbelt and nodded. ¡®Yep, all good. Oh... and if anyone asks why I¡®m here?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re meeting with Elder Luke to read his book collection. It caught your attention during your marking


    confirmation a few years ago.¡±


    I smiled. It wasn¡®t a lie but it was a nice double¨Csided coin nevertheless, acting as a cover for my main


    reason foring here.


    ¡°I¡®ll see youter, Aleric,¡± I said and exited the car.


    Upon leaving, I approached the intricate ck iron gates being manned by a warrior. Just like thest


    time I was here, they opened the entrance up for me immediately without needing to announce who I


    was.


    It was almost a strange feeling though. When I first came to this house, I was nervous because of what


    the marking confirmation would mean for my future. This time I was nervous because of what I was now


    trying to do with that mark.


    Once inside, I stood in the lobby silently but didn¡®t need to wait long before a familiar voice called out to


    1. me.


    ¡°Saintess,¡± Elder Luke¡®s deep voice greeted, making me turn around.


    He still looked as he always did; a messy unkempt look about him which somehow fit his character


    perfectly


    ¡°Elder Luke,¡± I replied, bowing my head slightly. ¡°Please call me Aria, just as you always have in the


    past.¡±


    He quickly waved off my bow and gave me a small smile. ¡°So I heard you¡®ve requested to spend some


    time reading my collection? Given your reactionst time, I¡®m a little surprised you¡®ve waited so long to


    stop by.¡±


    ¡°That would make two of us,¡± I said and began walking with him towards his office. ¡°Funny how life


    sometimes gets in the way. But perhaps there was a reason for why it¡®s taken me this long.¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to a greater divine n?¡± he asked, looking at me curiously from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°I f so, should I take that to suggest you¡®ve found new meaning in your mark from the Goddess?¡±


    Chooter Seventy SA


    Iughed a little. ¡°Where possible, I prefer to sway my future in the direction I choose, rather than rely on


    a higher power for that. Wouldn¡®t you agree, Elder Luke?¡±


    His lips twitched in a knowing half¨Csmile but we kept walking. Given his position, it was probably best he


    didn¡®t publicly answer that since Elders were meant to uphold the teachings of the Goddess.


    We soon arrived at his office and he ushered me inside. Just like thest time, my breath caught in my


    throat a little at the sight of his collection. It really was a marvel how he¡®d managed to acquire so many of


    these rare volumes.


    I walked over and instantly began perusing the different books, an eagerness bubbling inside that


    reminded me of how much I missed the thrill of reading something new.


    But I had to remember why I was here... and it wasn¡®t just for the books.


    ¡°Say... I¡®ve been doing some researchtely and I¡®ve be interested in a particr event that


    urred a few years ago. Are you familiar with the history of the Blue Vale pack? I¡®m sure you know


    which incident I¡®m referring to.¡±


    I turned around to see he¡®d raised an eyebrow at me, quickly catching on to where I was going with this.


    ¡°...I am. Was there a particr part of that event you were interested in?¡±


    ¡°Well the circumstances were abrupt and the results unpredictable. I know you¡®re pretty experienced in


    this field so I was wondering what your opinion on it was. Do you think that what they did was correct?


    That the results they achieved justified their actions?¡±


    His eyes glinted with that same look of curiosity I was familiar with. There was no question he knew what


    I was talking about. What I was *actually* talking about.


    Because the Blue Vale pack was a rare case in history where the title session hadn¡®t been passed


    down to the next in line but rather a rtive. In a protest against the current leadership, their pack had


    rallied behind a cousin of the Alpha, stripping the current one of his title and bringing about new change.


    I t caused civil turmoil for some time before the pack stabilised under the new regime.


    So when I asked Elder Luke what his opinion on the matter was, whether he agreed that the change in


    leadership was the right decision, what I was really asking him was if he would support me in doing the


    same.


    And he¡®d figured out my cryptic message immediately.


    ¡°Well it was a strange circumstance, to say the least,¡± he started, giving it some thought. ¡°Some might


    even say an unnecessary change.¡±


    My heart sunk a little inside. I really didn¡®t want to start a game of chess against the same man I¡®d


    originally learned from.


    ¡°However... I am not personally of that mind,¡¯ he continued. ¡°In fact, seeing the advancements the Blue


    Vale pack has made in recent times, it¡®s easy to see that regardless of the initial impact, they believed it


    was the right thing to do. And in that belief, they have aplished more than they probably would have


    achieved previously.¡±


    ¡°So... if done all over again, you would support their decision for change?¡± | asked, doing my best to


    keep my voice neutral despite the excitement building inside. ¡°You wouldn¡®t stop them from taking the


    steps they did?¡±


    He paused and took a moment to fully think through the implications of my question. If he agreed to help


    or, at the very least, not intervene, then it would technically be considered treason.


    He slowly went and sat in his chair behind the desk, leaning back into it.


    ¡°No, he finally said ¡°No, I wouldn¡®t stop them from doing what they thought was ilghi, bomeilmet change


    can be a much worden eller for everyone involved.¡±


    miled, unable to lide if any longer. I think they would probably appreciate that.¡±


    But his eyes nanowed ever so lightly, cintosilly not satisfied just yet ¡°Have you asked any of my other


    colleagues thuis vel? This qucation of young?¡±


    My smile quickly humed into a knowing smick ¡°lihink we both know I don¡®t need to.¡±


    He thenughed and instantly broke the tension ¡°lilooks like someone liat done thel homework


    Theroughly on the subject.¡±


    ¡°Well. What can I say? I¡®ve always been a quick study.¡± I said, iuming back around toce the books.¡±


    Though I can¡®t say I¡®ve had the most positive of experiences with them anyway.¡±


    My distaste for the other Ilders was probably no sociei aingo I always seemed to be publicly butting


    heads with them. But it also stemmed deeper than that


    They had thrown me to the sword in my past life and had barely lifted a lingor to help me in this one. And


    who could forget that prophecy they¡®d had when I was born? It was the foundation for most of my


    problems growing up and, apparently, Alenc¡®s too,


    ...But what even was that prophecy? I know now that Selene couldn¡®t intervene with our choices as that


    infringed on thews she was bound by. So how was it that a bunch ol old cronies came up with a¡®


    prophecy about Aleric and I¡®s future, of all things? Was il oven really from her?


    Was there a particr subject you might be interested in reading?¡± Elder Luke said, pulling me from my


    thoughts. ¡°I might be able to help rmend some books rting to the topic.¡±


    Given where my head had just been, the request came easy to me.


    ¡°Do you have anything on the Goddess?¡± I asked, turning to look at him, my expression instantly


    bing serious. ¡°And I don¡®t mean those vague books I¡®ve already read in the library before. I mean¡­


    actual information. Like that book I saw you use for my confirmation.¡±


    He gave me another knowing look before he went about pulling a few from the shelves. Eventually, after


    a few minutes had passed, he handed me over four different ones; all of which lookedr older than I felt


    comfortable touching. They looked almost fragile enough to break by just breathing on them.


    ¡°This is probably what you¡®re after,¡± he said, gesturing for me to take the guest seat at his desk. ¡°They¡®re


    copies of originals so I¡®m not sure if the information is as urate as it could be provide you with some


    new information that you won¡®t typically find elsewhere.¡±


    Copies? So there were originals out there even older than the ones in my hand? Seemed impossible to


    even consider


    I took the seat opposite Elder Luke and began flicking through the first book. There was definitely a lot of


    information I already knew, general topics and ideology, but I could see there were some new things too.


    ¡°...Selene has a brother?¡± | asked surprised, reading a page rting to a family tree,


    ¡°Helios, her twin,¡± Elder Luke replied. ¡°God of the Sun. The two are referred to as Gods of nature, deities


    considered separate from the typical belief system. They¡®re immortalised beyond the normal standard


    because of their status being the Sun and Moon.¡±


    Strange we weren¡®t taught about him given that it would surely have some sort of impact on Selene. And


    i t made me wonder about other things too. Like... did he have children as well? Creatures he¡®d birthed


    like Selene had our kind?


    I finished flicking through the first book but was still left feeling a little unsatisfied. It hadn¡®t really


    answered anything of significance for me.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Elder Luke... I know this was before your time, but... do you know anything about the prophecy?¡± I


    asked slowly, my mind still unable to shake the feeling that I was missing something there. ¡°The one that


    stated Aleric and I would be together and bring prosperity to the Winter Mist? It¡®s just... I have my doubts


    that Selene would involve herself in such a petty matter... and yet the Elders seem so sure of their


    prediction.¡±


    He creased his lips in thought, frowning for a few seconds. ¡°I don¡®t know if they should call it a


    ¡®prophecy¡®, truthfully,¡± he said, scratching his chin. ¡°Though your word ¡®prediction¡® might be more


    urate? At least i n my opinion. I think the old fools had a bigger ir for the dramatics before I joined.¡±


    ¡°Then... what are they basing it on if it¡®s not provided by Selene?¡± I asked. It was the first time I¡¯d heard


    anything like this. My whole life I¡®d grown up being told it was a prophecy. Everyone had been told that.


    He reached over and grabbed at one of the books in the pile, opening it up to a page showing a diagram


    o fa triangle. The lettering looked to be in an old deadnguage we didn¡®t use anymore and was one I


    was n o longer very fluent in. Maybe ten years ago I could have done a better job reading this but now


    too long had passed. I was very rusty... but I gave it my best shot anyway.


    ¡®Direct Lineage¡®, the page seemed to say at the top. I frowned trying to decipher the rest but it didn¡®t


    make much sense without any background to what I was even looking at.


    ¡°...What is this? Some sort of... ¡®direct line¡®? What does that mean?¡± I asked, attempting to read it.


    ¡°It¡®s the theory around the founding families. They supposedly descend from the original children of


    Selene. The first werewolves. There may have been more once but we now only know about three lines,


    Presumably, if there were any others, they werepletely lost or died out.¡±


    I looked back down at the page and tried to trante it again. The triangle showed three families, each


    with a different¡­ focus? Attribute? I wasn¡®t sure.


    ¡°¡®Strength¡®? Or... is it ¡®power¡®? And this one... is it sight? No... maybe ¡®foresight¡® is a better word¡­,¡± I said


    slowly as I read them aloud, confusion thick in my voice. The third family I couldn¡®t trante properly at


    all. ¡°I don¡®t understand what this is. Are they like family mottos? House values?¡±


    Elder Luke then leaned forward to look over the book better. ¡°Something like that. Depends on which


    trantion you like to go by. Some even believe they¡®re qualities of the Goddess herself, passed down


    within the blood of each family.¡±


    An uneasy feeling started settling inside me. ¡°And people actually believe that?¡±


    ¡°No. Which is probably why no one ever discusses it,¡± he answered bluntly. ¡°This information is usually


    only spoken about between the Elders of this pack these days. Other packs either don¡®t believe in it or


    don¡®t have the information avable to them.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡®t know what this third one is,¡± I admitted, still trying to read the book. ¡°...Love? eptance? |


    don¡®t think that¡®s quite right though.


    He gave a small smile at my attempt at tranting. ¡°Not quite. Though truthfully this one doesn¡®t trante


    well anyway. I believe it¡®s sort of like... reverence? Like unquestionable adoration.¡±


    If these really were attributes of Selene, I wondered if the third was that overwhelming feeling you get


    from being in her presence. That sense of wanting to cry from joy and wanting to do anything to please


    her. I remembered how hard it¡®d been to remain focused around her during my time in the Abyss. If I


    hadn¡®t felt so strongly about my circumstances, perhaps I would have fallen to my knees before her.


    ¡°This is all ridiculous,¡± I said, looking up at him as though he were crazy.


    ¡°More ridiculous than a marking from a Goddess?¡± he asked, posing it as though it should have been


    obvious. ¡°I can¡®t say I ever gave this sort of thing a second thought before I met you. But now...? Well,


    who


    creste: Seventy¨CS


    knows what is actually real and what is just a myth?¡±


    UI


    I shook my head, frowning. ¡°And this is the crap the Elders built a prophecy on? My entire childhood I


    was being used as a tool, groomed for a Luna position and stripped of all my freedoms... because of


    this?!¡±


    He gave a small shrug. ¡°I personally wouldn¡®t have done any of that... but I can see why the other Elders,


    men of faith, would have pushed that agenda. It is easy enough to piece the puzzle together. You¡®re the


    first female born to Chrysalis in over a century. Maybe longer.¡±


    He then pointed to one of the houses on the triangle. The one I¡®dbelled foresight. Immediately, I


    swallowed back the bile in my throat.


    ¡°Born to a Beta who served an Alpha that had a son not two years prior.¡±


    His finger then moved to the first one I¡®d read; strength or power.


    ¡°It seems like an obvious match given these are your houses,¡± he finished. ¡°If the lineages were to be


    believed, you¡®d be the first mated pair recorded in modern history that hail from the original direct


    descendants. How could that not be seen as prosperous for the pack?¡±


    I shakily shook my head. It wasn¡®t like they were wrong in predicting Aleric and I were mates but... this?


    Really? This was what it was all based on? Spection?


    ¡°No... No, that seems like too far of a leap. Who¡®s to say I wouldn¡®t be mated to someone else... or... or


    that other line? ...Which family is the other line anyway?¡±


    Elder Luke shrugged. ¡°That one was lost since they didn¡®t remain within the pack after this book was


    recorded. No one knows who they are anymore.¡±


    I looked up and studied his features, reading his expression. He¡®d known much more about this than I¡®d


    expected, had proven himself as a curator of knowledge, and so I wanted to believe him... but he had


    that goddamn look in his eye.


    ¡°You know,¡± I used him softly. ¡°You know who it is.... don¡®t you? There is no way your curiosity


    wouldn¡®t have driven you to find out, even if you didn¡®t personally believe in it back then.¡±


    ¡°You know me far better than I thought,¡± he chuckled before his expression slowly changed to one of


    more serious calction, gauging my reaction. ¡°But... I think you already know the answer to who it is,


    Aria.¡±


    And my stomach instantly dropped as he confirmed what I¡®d been fearing.


    What I¡®d realised the minute he¡®d corrected my trantion, but refused to admit.


    There was only one person I knew who fit that description so perfectly. One person who could walk into a


    room and immediately make everyone crowd to them, enamoured by their every word. Someone who


    could talk his way out of almost every situation and could always be forgiven.


    ...One person who even I¡®d beenpletely helpless against.


    ¡°...Fuck,¡± I hissed. Cai.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Chapter Seventy¨CSeven


    ¡°This is fake,¡± I said,ing off far more flustered than I intended. ¡°There is no way there are people out


    there just running around with... with god powers. That¡®s... that¡®s so stupid.¡±


    It¡®s absurd. Insane. Some sort of joke.


    Because if it was real then that meant my life had been far more controlled than I initially realised. That


    there were powers at be far more advanced out there than just a Goddess mark. And it meant that Cai...


    I wanted to throw up.


    ¡°Based on your reaction,¡± Elder Luke said, his eyes examining me, ¡°I can¡®t help but wonder if this


    discovery isn¡®t actually all that foreign to you. Would I be correct in assuming that perhaps you have


    personal insight into the theory?¡±


    He was right. I was getting overly worked up because a part of me had already started piecing it together


    ... and it scared me. The more I thought about it, the more usible it became.


    Because, truthfully, there was something I was already all too familiar with; my visions. ¡®Foresight¡®. It fit


    perfectly with the attribute allegedly assigned to my house. But I¡®d always thought the ability to see


    ahead was something new, something Selene gave to me only once I returned. What if I¡®d always had


    thetent foundation inside me but couldn¡®t harness it until after Selene had directly gifted me a piece of


    herself?


    ...What if, prior toing back, the ability had only had enough strength to manifest itself as something


    more diluted, something more normal.


    ...Like a keen interest in strategy; the art of being able to n ahead.


    So that meant the new piece of Selene was sort of like... a booster shot. It wasn¡®t just a gift of authority


    and visions.... It was something already written inside my DNA, just enhancing me to the point of


    unnatural ability


    But what did this mean for Aleric and Cai then? What did this mean for all of us?


    And, quickly, I started to wonder something else too.


    ...Like if this had something to do with why Selene brought me back.


    In the past Aleric and I had joined together to kill Cai... and then Aleric had killed me. We ended up


    destroying each other. Was this what it hade down to the entire time? Some more bullshit because o


    f Selene? ...But then how did Thea equate into this?


    The room then started to sway as pangs of a headache began pulsing in my head.


    This was too much. Too much information to process all at once. And that was just with me ignoring


    every rabbit hole of dark thoughts I wanted to fall into rting to my prior rtionship with Cai. Was it


    even real or....?


    I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, fighting against everything inside that wanted to let all of this get


    the better of me. I already thought I waspletely blind when it came to the seemingly never¨Cending


    war for the future¡­ and yet it turns out i¡®d just been looking inside of a cupboard this entire time, never


    seeing the much, muchrger room attached to it. This new information opened up theories I hadn¡®t even


    considered, much less thought possible.


    ¡°...Aria?¡± I heard Elder Luke¡®s voice call out distantly.


    But it was enough to snap me out of my spiralling thoughts.


    Focus. I needed to focus on what was important right now. I needed as much information as possible sol


    Chapter Seventy¨CSeven


    could prepare myself.


    ¡°No,¡± I lied, answering his earlier question about if I was familiar with the theory. ¡°No, I don¡®t know


    anything about it. I¡®m just... trying to figure out if there is merit to any of this.¡±


    Whilst Elder Luke had never given me a reason not to trust him, he was still the kind of man who traded


    in secrets. I respected him only marginally more than I feared him and that, unfortunately, meant that


    there would need to be some truths kept hidden for the time being. Perhaps once I became Alpha I could


    look a t trusting him a little more.


    ¡°The ah... families...,¡± I said, trying to concentrate back on acquiring more information. ¡°The lineages


    rather ... how sure are you that there are only three of us left?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m almost certain,¡± he said, his manner now stern. ¡°I did look but it appears there are just the three


    remaining.¡±


    Okay... so Thea wasn¡®t one of us. That was at least one theory gone.


    ¡°And is there some sort of... purpose for this?¡± I asked. ¡°...I guess I just don¡®t really understand why we


    would have these lines to begin with. Selene created families that each hold a diluted piece of her... and


    yet more than ny¨Cnine¨Cpoint¨Cnine per cent of our kind¡®s poption don¡®t disy anything like this? |


    feel as though there should be a reason for it.¡±


    Elder Luke then gave me a humoured smile, breaking the tension slightly. ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡®s one way


    o flooking at it. It does seem strange. Truthfully, I agree with you. You¡®d think having something like this


    would dictate that a higher divine n is in ce for you all.¡±


    He then rubbed his face in thought as he reclined back into his chair.


    ¡°...However,¡± he continued, ¡°if there is a purpose for the families then, unfortunately, it is not something I


    a m privy to yet.¡±


    Of course not. No, that would be too easy, right, Selene? Can¡®t just give me all of these answers before


    you send me back. No, you have to make me find out on my own when clearly our information is so old


    that it¡®s probably been lost by now.


    I sighed in frustration. Obviously, Thea was connected to this somehow but I would need to do more


    research into it. Maybe I¡¯d find something Elder Luke missed or misinterpreted. 1


    ¡°I¡®ll be borrowing these books,¡± I stated, my tone not implying I was asking.


    Part of me was angry that the Elders felt they could keep this from Aleric and me for so long. Regardless


    o fif they thought it was true or not, we still had a right to know when they moulded our lives around it.


    ¡°... That¡®s fine,¡± he replied after mild hesitation. I could rte though. If I were him, I know I¡®d definitely


    not want books this valuable leaving my study.


    ¡°... appreciate the conversation today and thank you for your time,¡± I said, taking a moment to find the


    right words. ¡°I think I¡®ll probably head off now though. Was there anything else I should know before I


    go?¡±


    Elder Luke then stood up and slowly walked around the desk to politely follow me out.


    ¡°Nothing thates to mind. I imagine you¡®re going to be quite busy after today,¡± he said. ¡°When can |


    expect your recent ah... research on the Blue Vale to be concluded by? I¡®d be interested to know your


    thoughts oncepleted.¡±


    With everything that we¡®d just spoken about, I¡®d almostpletely forgotten about the initial reason for


    coming here. Tytus. I¡®de to ask if he¡®d support my im to take over the pack with Aleric. Seemed


    like such a minor thing in the grand scheme of things right now.


    ¡°I think everything should be in ordere the day of *my birthdayt,¡± I answered, emphasising the date


    s


    o he could pick up on my meaning. ¡°It always feels better to finish things such as study prior to any...


    celebrations.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡®m looking forward to celebrating with you on that day,¡± he said warmly.


    ...His attitude was a reminder that it wasn¡®t Elder Luke I was angry with. No, he¡®d given me the exact


    answers I¡®d asked for and was offering to help me. My frustrations were better directed at his colleagues


    and Selene.


    And so I took another breath to calm myself once more and mustered up the best small smile I could


    manage. ¡°I really do appreciate your assistance, Elder Luke. I¡®ll have Lucy get in touch with you if


    anything


    elsees up prior to the date.¡±


    And with that, he walked with me out of the office, heading back into the lobby...


    ... Only to find Aleric had wandered in here and was waiting for me. He stood by one of the windows, the


    sun streaming in onto his face as he looked out onto the grounds of the estate.


    Upon hearing our footsteps he immediately looked up in surprise to see us.


    ¡°Oh, you¡®re done a lot sooner than I thought you would be,¡± he said, greeting me. ¡°Good to see you


    again, too, Elder Luke.¡±


    But seeing him without having time to prepare myself first hadpletely taken me off guard.


    ¡®Power¡®. The word was ingrained in my mind now.


    He was one of the families... though I suppose it really shouldn¡®t change my opinion of him by too much.


    I¡®d already seen for myself how he could throw people around as though they weighed nothing, seen him


    take on a small army of rogue wolves by himself. And not just that either. He had been a strong leader in


    the past, bringing our pack to the status we obtained. There was no denying the power he held in the


    past.


    My eyes then wandered over his body, staring over his immacte physique. I¡®d always thought it was


    an Alpha thing but maybe it had been more selective than that. If Selene hypothetically marked him, just


    how powerful would he be? How strong was a God?


    ¡°Aria..?¡± he asked slowly when I hadn¡®t spoken, a frown forming on his face.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I replied quietly, resuming to close the distance between Elder Luke and himself. ¡°I didn¡®t expect t


    o see you in here.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡®t know how long you¡®d be so I ended up just deciding to wait inside,¡± he exined. ¡°Lucky I did. If


    I¡®d returned to the packhouse you would have been waiting a while for a lift home.¡±


    I missed being able to drive myself. Being escorted everywhere for my safety was getting tiresome.


    ¡°Was your ah... reading session good?¡± he asked, looking pointedly between Elder Luke and me.


    It was then that I noticed how Elder Luke was staring at us with a keen fascination, as if studying how we


    were interacting with one another. Was he wondering how close we actually were given everything we¡®d


    just spoken about? ...Was he wondering if that ¡®prophecy¡® had any merit?


    ¡°It was fine,¡± I muttered, shifting ufortably under the gaze of being examined. ¡°... There won¡®t be any


    problems with the deadline for that thing we¡®ve been looking into.¡±


    But Aleric could probably sense something was off, his head tilting slightly as he looked down at me, his


    frown deepening. My demeanour most likely had changed significantly since when he¡®d dropped me off,


    bing more unsettled, despite the confirmation that Elder Luke would side with us. He would want to


    know what happened.


    ¡°We should get going,¡± I said, no longer wanting an audience anymore for our conversation. My head


    was still hurting and I needed time to process everything.


    Whapter Seventy Seven


    ¡°...What? Oh, okay, sure,¡± he said to my abruptness before turning to Elder Luke. ¡°Thanks for your time.


    I¡®m looking forward to working closely with you one day.¡±


    Elder Luke smiled, ¡°You, as well, Alpha heir.¡±


    Given Aleric¡®s rank, there was nothing suspicious about his pleasantries. Anyone overhearing would


    think they were referring to when Aleric naturally became Alpha one day.


    ¡°Until next time,¡± I quickly said, giving a small bow of my head to Elder Luke.


    And with that, I walked out of the lobby, heading towards the car park.


    ¡°...Aria¨C.¡±


    But I held up a hand at him as we got into the car. ¡°Not yet. Just¡­ give me some time.¡±


    I wouldn¡®t be able to keep this from him. It was his right to know just as much as it was mine. I just...


    needed to get my head around it first.


    He nodded, much to my relief, and drove us back to the packhouse in silence. My mind continued to


    swirl with the new information, wondering how this could y into a bigger picture. Wondering what this


    meant for the three of us...


    And so when we eventually found ourselves back in my quarters, facing the moment I¡®d need to finally


    tell him, it was almost like I was at a loss for words. Where would I even begin?


    ro


    ¡°...What do you know about the prophecy? The one... about us?¡± I started, staring across the room so I


    wouldn¡®t have to see his face. This topic was already awkward enough as it were.


    ¡°Just that the Elders predicted we¡®d help bring prosperity to the pack together,¡± he said, confused. The


    out ¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cblue subject matter was probably not what he¡®d expected me to bring up. ¡°Why? ... Did Elder


    Luke say something about it?¡±


    I walked over to the table and ced all the books down, grabbing only the one which had the diagram |


    needed to show Aleric. It took a little bit of flicking through to find the page again but soon the familiar


    triangle presented itself.


    ¡°What¡®s that?¡± Aleric asked,ing up behind to look over my shoulder.


    ¡°The truth about the prophecy....¡±


    And so I proceeded to tell him everything Elder Luke had told me. About him, about Cai... about myself


    and my theories around my mark. About how I thought it had to be linked to Selene¡®s warning¡­ and


    Thea.


    And, as I spoke, I continued to think it through further as well. Just how much did it affect Cai and Aleric?


    Because though Aleric was strong with keen senses, for our kind that wasn¡®t overly strange to witness; it


    was definitely impressive, but not strange. But Cai...? If it was what I thought it was, then his was


    infinitely more unusual. And the little things about him started to not look so normal anymore...


    I could recall how when I first met Cai, he had all the teachers wrapped around his finger, hanging on his


    every word. But it was just charisma. He was just... charming. Back then, I enjoyed being around him but


    it wasn¡®t much more than that.


    However, when he came back, it was like that energy around him had magnified. And it wasn¡®t just


    teachers anymore. Thatst day in the cells when I¡®d said goodbye to him... that whole situation always


    sat wrong with me. The way he convinced James to disregard protocol so easily to give us privacy...


    No, it was definitely stronger upon his return to the Winter Mist. Being around him became so much more


    than just enjoying hispany... it became almost like an addiction. He consumed all of my thoughts, my


    feelings... something that wasn¡®t satiated until I gave into itpletely.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Chapter Seventy Seven


    ...Until I made a decision that I knew was a mistake from the beginning. 1


    ¡°You¡®re shaking,¡± Aleric said, breaking me from my thoughts. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡±


    I swallowed back and tried to calm myself but I couldn¡®t help it.


    ¡°...I¡®m... I¡®m pissed off,¡± | admitted. ¡°I¡®m pissed that the one thing I thought was my decision might not


    have been mine after all. That there is nothing in my life that hasn¡®t been tainted by Selene in some


    way.¡±


    ¡°...Are you talking about Cai?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, taking a few steps away to re towards the window. ¡°I just... I know it was a mistake. But it


    was *my* mistake, you know? My choice. Yeah, it wasn¡®t my smartest decision... but at least it was me


    who did that. And now...? Now it¡®s like... did I even have feelings for him or¡­ or was it artificial the entire


    time? How will I ever know for sure? Does he even know? Is he aware that he has that potential inside of


    him?¡±


    I folded my arms over my chest and turned back to look at Aleric.


    I felt... vulnerable. Insecure. Cai had been someone I could rely on, someone I could trust. Was there


    really no one I couldpletely depend on? Was this my fate regardless of which life I lived?


    ¡°...And I get he has a mate now, I¡®m not stupid,¡± I said, my voice now softer. ¡°I wouldn¡®t ever interfere with


    that. But it doesn¡®t change how I feel... or how I thought I felt. Even if it¡®s just a memory now, I wish I


    could still believe wholeheartedly that it was entirely mine... not Selene¡®s.¡±


    | shuffled in my spot and awkwardly looked away. I¡®d been so angry that it hadn¡®t urred to me that I


    was venting all of this to Aleric. We hadn¡®t spoken about his confession since the night I¡®d returned to the


    pack and so, even though I had refused him, this topic of conversation probably wasn¡®t appropriate.


    It was times like this I missed Myra, missed how we could talk about boy drama without it ever being


    weird or an issue. With her, it had been a constant reminder that not everything had to be about an


    impending apocalypse or survival. In fact, we rarely ever discussed the major pack issues or the dire


    problems that gued me. For all the uncertainty and fear that filled me upon my return, the days I spent


    with Myra were still the happiest I¡®d been in either timeline.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± | mumbled, rubbing my arm. ¡°I don¡®t know why... I just... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re not the only one angry at Selene, Aria,¡± he said, thankfully not bringing attention to my faux pas.


    ¡°I understand it. Really, I do. And not just because of all this shit you¡®ve just told me now.¡±


    I was going to ask him for his other reasoning but he continued before I could get the words out.


    ¡°But let¡®s not lose focus on what we¡®re working on right now,¡± he said. ¡°Because all of this information


    you¡®ve told me now is great and we can piece it together, but we¡®ve got less than two months until your


    birthday, Aria. Two months to n an insurrection against one of thergest packs in the entire country.


    Finding out about direct lineages doesn¡®t change anything for us right now, but sessfully executing


    this n will put us in a better position to focus on it after we¡®re done.¡±


    He was right. I could continue my research in my downtime, but my main attention needed to be on


    preparing for the big day. It was at least something I could actually work on, as opposed to the uncertain


    questions I had about the lineage theory.


    ¡°What do we still have left to do?¡± he asked, taking a seat by the table.


    | gave it a second of thought before I realised what was next... and it was yet another awkward topic of


    conversation.


    ¡°Ah, I¡®ve got a doctors appointment with my mother next week and I¡®m going to use the time to go over


    the n with her,¡± I said, my tone a little stiff.


    ¡°...Doctor appointment for what? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡®s not... um... I have the doctors appointment,¡± I said. However, still no recognition showed on


    his face even after the emphasis. ¡°You know¡­ the one Luna¡®s are required to undergo...? Tytus


    requested I get my... physical examination¡®pleted and they decided to treat it as if I were a Luna


    given the circumstances.¡±


    Finally, he caught on to what I was telling him. ¡°...Oh,¡± was all he said.


    ¡°I would normally be angry that he was pushing that on me so soon,¡± I continued, ¡°but I¡®m trying to make


    the most of it. I suppose it¡®s better to have the conversation in her office anyway in case we have to go


    over her medical books for the wolfsbane.¡±


    It was yet another part of my n I¡®d been dreading. In fact, it was something I¡®d been dreading since


    coming back. And though I¡®d had this exact kind of examination before in the past, it was previously


    conducted by a man who I now believed to be a rogue.


    So what would my results say this time?


    Because whilst this kind of check¨Cup covered standard physical health, it also covered one other major


    aspect too. An aspect that was seen as crucial for any Luna, bing a cause of yet more awkward air


    i n the room now between Aleric and I.


    ...And that aspect was a medical examination for my ability to conceive children. The very thing that had


    originally started so many of my problems.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Chapter Seventy¨CSeven


    ¡°This is fake,¡± I said,ing off far more flustered than I intended. ¡°There is no way there are people out


    there just running around with... with god powers. That¡®s... that¡®s so stupid.¡±


    It¡®s absurd. Insane. Some sort of joke.


    Because if it was real then that meant my life had been far more controlled than I initially realised. That


    there were powers at be far more advanced out there than just a Goddess mark. And it meant that Cai...


    I wanted to throw up.


    ¡°Based on your reaction,¡± Elder Luke said, his eyes examining me, ¡°I can¡®t help but wonder if this


    discovery isn¡®t actually all that foreign to you. Would I be correct in assuming that perhaps you have


    personal insight into the theory?¡±


    He was right. I was getting overly worked up because a part of me had already started piecing it together


    ... and it scared me. The more I thought about it, the more usible it became.


    Because, truthfully, there was something I was already all too familiar with; my visions. ¡®Foresight¡®. It fit


    perfectly with the attribute allegedly assigned to my house. But I¡®d always thought the ability to see


    ahead was something new, something Selene gave to me only once I returned. What if I¡®d always had


    thetent foundation inside me but couldn¡®t harness it until after Selene had directly gifted me a piece of


    herself?


    ...What if, prior toing back, the ability had only had enough strength to manifest itself as something


    more diluted, something more normal.


    ...Like a keen interest in strategy; the art of being able to n ahead.


    So that meant the new piece of Selene was sort of like... a booster shot. It wasn¡®t just a gift of authority


    and visions.... It was something already written inside my DNA, just enhancing me to the point of


    unnatural ability


    But what did this mean for Aleric and Cai then? What did this mean for all of us?


    And, quickly, I started to wonder something else too.


    ...Like if this had something to do with why Selene brought me back.


    In the past Aleric and I had joined together to kill Cai... and then Aleric had killed me. We ended up


    destroying each other. Was this what it hade down to the entire time? Some more bullshit because o


    f Selene? ...But then how did Thea equate into this?


    The room then started to sway as pangs of a headache began pulsing in my head.


    This was too much. Too much information to process all at once. And that was just with me ignoring


    every rabbit hole of dark thoughts I wanted to fall into rting to my prior rtionship with Cai. Was it


    even real or....?


    I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, fighting against everything inside that wanted to let all of this get


    the better of me. I already thought I waspletely blind when it came to the seemingly never¨Cending


    war for the future¡­ and yet it turns out i¡®d just been looking inside of a cupboard this entire time, never


    seeing the much, muchrger room attached to it. This new information opened up theories I hadn¡®t even


    considered, much less thought possible.


    ¡°...Aria?¡± I heard Elder Luke¡®s voice call out distantly.


    But it was enough to snap me out of my spiralling thoughts.


    Focus. I needed to focus on what was important right now. I needed as much information as possible sol


    Chapter Seventy¨CSeven


    could prepare myself.


    ¡°No,¡± I lied, answering his earlier question about if I was familiar with the theory. ¡°No, I don¡®t know


    anything about it. I¡®m just... trying to figure out if there is merit to any of this.¡±


    Whilst Elder Luke had never given me a reason not to trust him, he was still the kind of man who traded


    in secrets. I respected him only marginally more than I feared him and that, unfortunately, meant that


    there would need to be some truths kept hidden for the time being. Perhaps once I became Alpha I could


    look a t trusting him a little more.


    ¡°The ah... families...,¡± I said, trying to concentrate back on acquiring more information. ¡°The lineages


    rather ... how sure are you that there are only three of us left?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m almost certain,¡± he said, his manner now stern. ¡°I did look but it appears there are just the three


    remaining.¡±


    Okay... so Thea wasn¡®t one of us. That was at least one theory gone.


    ¡°And is there some sort of... purpose for this?¡± I asked. ¡°...I guess I just don¡®t really understand why we


    would have these lines to begin with. Selene created families that each hold a diluted piece of her... and


    yet more than ny¨Cnine¨Cpoint¨Cnine per cent of our kind¡®s poption don¡®t disy anything like this? |


    feel as though there should be a reason for it.¡±


    Elder Luke then gave me a humoured smile, breaking the tension slightly. ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡®s one way


    o flooking at it. It does seem strange. Truthfully, I agree with you. You¡®d think having something like this


    would dictate that a higher divine n is in ce for you all.¡±


    He then rubbed his face in thought as he reclined back into his chair.


    ¡°...However,¡± he continued, ¡°if there is a purpose for the families then, unfortunately, it is not something I


    a m privy to yet.¡±


    Of course not. No, that would be too easy, right, Selene? Can¡®t just give me all of these answers before


    you send me back. No, you have to make me find out on my own when clearly our information is so old


    that it¡®s probably been lost by now.


    I sighed in frustration. Obviously, Thea was connected to this somehow but I would need to do more


    research into it. Maybe I¡¯d find something Elder Luke missed or misinterpreted. 1


    ¡°I¡®ll be borrowing these books,¡± I stated, my tone not implying I was asking.


    Part of me was angry that the Elders felt they could keep this from Aleric and me for so long. Regardless


    o fif they thought it was true or not, we still had a right to know when they moulded our lives around it.


    ¡°... That¡®s fine,¡± he replied after mild hesitation. I could rte though. If I were him, I know I¡®d definitely


    not want books this valuable leaving my study.


    ¡°... appreciate the conversation today and thank you for your time,¡± I said, taking a moment to find the


    right words. ¡°I think I¡®ll probably head off now though. Was there anything else I should know before I


    go?¡±


    Elder Luke then stood up and slowly walked around the desk to politely follow me out.


    ¡°Nothing thates to mind. I imagine you¡®re going to be quite busy after today,¡± he said. ¡°When can |


    expect your recent ah... research on the Blue Vale to be concluded by? I¡®d be interested to know your


    thoughts oncepleted.¡±


    With everything that we¡®d just spoken about, I¡®d almostpletely forgotten about the initial reason for


    coming here. Tytus. I¡®de to ask if he¡®d support my im to take over the pack with Aleric. Seemed


    like such a minor thing in the grand scheme of things right now.


    ¡°I think everything should be in ordere the day of *my birthdayt,¡± I answered, emphasising the date


    s


    o he could pick up on my meaning. ¡°It always feels better to finish things such as study prior to any...


    celebrations.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡®m looking forward to celebrating with you on that day,¡± he said warmly.


    ...His attitude was a reminder that it wasn¡®t Elder Luke I was angry with. No, he¡®d given me the exact


    answers I¡®d asked for and was offering to help me. My frustrations were better directed at his colleagues


    and Selene.


    And so I took another breath to calm myself once more and mustered up the best small smile I could


    manage. ¡°I really do appreciate your assistance, Elder Luke. I¡®ll have Lucy get in touch with you if


    anything


    elsees up prior to the date.¡±


    And with that, he walked with me out of the office, heading back into the lobby...


    ... Only to find Aleric had wandered in here and was waiting for me. He stood by one of the windows, the


    sun streaming in onto his face as he looked out onto the grounds of the estate.


    Upon hearing our footsteps he immediately looked up in surprise to see us.


    ¡°Oh, you¡®re done a lot sooner than I thought you would be,¡± he said, greeting me. ¡°Good to see you


    again, too, Elder Luke.¡±


    But seeing him without having time to prepare myself first hadpletely taken me off guard.


    ¡®Power¡®. The word was ingrained in my mind now.


    He was one of the families... though I suppose it really shouldn¡®t change my opinion of him by too much.


    I¡®d already seen for myself how he could throw people around as though they weighed nothing, seen him


    take on a small army of rogue wolves by himself. And not just that either. He had been a strong leader in


    the past, bringing our pack to the status we obtained. There was no denying the power he held in the


    past.


    My eyes then wandered over his body, staring over his immacte physique. I¡®d always thought it was


    an Alpha thing but maybe it had been more selective than that. If Selene hypothetically marked him, just


    how powerful would he be? How strong was a God?


    ¡°Aria..?¡± he asked slowly when I hadn¡®t spoken, a frown forming on his face.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I replied quietly, resuming to close the distance between Elder Luke and himself. ¡°I didn¡®t expect t


    o see you in here.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡®t know how long you¡®d be so I ended up just deciding to wait inside,¡± he exined. ¡°Lucky I did. If


    I¡®d returned to the packhouse you would have been waiting a while for a lift home.¡±


    I missed being able to drive myself. Being escorted everywhere for my safety was getting tiresome.


    ¡°Was your ah... reading session good?¡± he asked, looking pointedly between Elder Luke and me.


    It was then that I noticed how Elder Luke was staring at us with a keen fascination, as if studying how we


    were interacting with one another. Was he wondering how close we actually were given everything we¡®d


    just spoken about? ...Was he wondering if that ¡®prophecy¡® had any merit?


    ¡°It was fine,¡± I muttered, shifting ufortably under the gaze of being examined. ¡°... There won¡®t be any


    problems with the deadline for that thing we¡®ve been looking into.¡±


    But Aleric could probably sense something was off, his head tilting slightly as he looked down at me, his


    frown deepening. My demeanour most likely had changed significantly since when he¡®d dropped me off,


    bing more unsettled, despite the confirmation that Elder Luke would side with us. He would want to


    know what happened.


    ¡°We should get going,¡± I said, no longer wanting an audience anymore for our conversation. My head


    was still hurting and I needed time to process everything.


    Whapter Seventy Seven


    ¡°...What? Oh, okay, sure,¡± he said to my abruptness before turning to Elder Luke. ¡°Thanks for your time.


    I¡®m looking forward to working closely with you one day.¡±


    Elder Luke smiled, ¡°You, as well, Alpha heir.¡±


    Given Aleric¡®s rank, there was nothing suspicious about his pleasantries. Anyone overhearing would


    think they were referring to when Aleric naturally became Alpha one day.


    ¡°Until next time,¡± I quickly said, giving a small bow of my head to Elder Luke.


    And with that, I walked out of the lobby, heading towards the car park.


    ¡°...Aria¨C.¡±


    But I held up a hand at him as we got into the car. ¡°Not yet. Just¡­ give me some time.¡±


    I wouldn¡®t be able to keep this from him. It was his right to know just as much as it was mine. I just...


    needed to get my head around it first.


    He nodded, much to my relief, and drove us back to the packhouse in silence. My mind continued to


    swirl with the new information, wondering how this could y into a bigger picture. Wondering what this


    meant for the three of us...


    And so when we eventually found ourselves back in my quarters, facing the moment I¡®d need to finally


    tell him, it was almost like I was at a loss for words. Where would I even begin?


    ro


    ¡°...What do you know about the prophecy? The one... about us?¡± I started, staring across the room so I


    wouldn¡®t have to see his face. This topic was already awkward enough as it were.


    ¡°Just that the Elders predicted we¡®d help bring prosperity to the pack together,¡± he said, confused. The


    out ¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cblue subject matter was probably not what he¡®d expected me to bring up. ¡°Why? ... Did Elder


    Luke say something about it?¡±


    I walked over to the table and ced all the books down, grabbing only the one which had the diagram |


    needed to show Aleric. It took a little bit of flicking through to find the page again but soon the familiar


    triangle presented itself.


    ¡°What¡®s that?¡± Aleric asked,ing up behind to look over my shoulder.


    ¡°The truth about the prophecy....¡±


    And so I proceeded to tell him everything Elder Luke had told me. About him, about Cai... about myself


    and my theories around my mark. About how I thought it had to be linked to Selene¡®s warning¡­ and


    Thea.


    And, as I spoke, I continued to think it through further as well. Just how much did it affect Cai and Aleric?


    Because though Aleric was strong with keen senses, for our kind that wasn¡®t overly strange to witness; it


    was definitely impressive, but not strange. But Cai...? If it was what I thought it was, then his was


    infinitely more unusual. And the little things about him started to not look so normal anymore...


    I could recall how when I first met Cai, he had all the teachers wrapped around his finger, hanging on his


    every word. But it was just charisma. He was just... charming. Back then, I enjoyed being around him but


    it wasn¡®t much more than that.


    However, when he came back, it was like that energy around him had magnified. And it wasn¡®t just


    teachers anymore. Thatst day in the cells when I¡®d said goodbye to him... that whole situation always


    sat wrong with me. The way he convinced James to disregard protocol so easily to give us privacy...


    No, it was definitely stronger upon his return to the Winter Mist. Being around him became so much more


    than just enjoying hispany... it became almost like an addiction. He consumed all of my thoughts, my


    feelings... something that wasn¡®t satiated until I gave into itpletely.


    Chapter Seventy Seven


    ...Until I made a decision that I knew was a mistake from the beginning. 1


    ¡°You¡®re shaking,¡± Aleric said, breaking me from my thoughts. ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡±


    I swallowed back and tried to calm myself but I couldn¡®t help it.


    ¡°...I¡®m... I¡®m pissed off,¡± | admitted. ¡°I¡®m pissed that the one thing I thought was my decision might not


    have been mine after all. That there is nothing in my life that hasn¡®t been tainted by Selene in some


    way.¡±


    ¡°...Are you talking about Cai?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, taking a few steps away to re towards the window. ¡°I just... I know it was a mistake. But it


    was *my* mistake, you know? My choice. Yeah, it wasn¡®t my smartest decision... but at least it was me


    who did that. And now...? Now it¡®s like... did I even have feelings for him or¡­ or was it artificial the entire


    time? How will I ever know for sure? Does he even know? Is he aware that he has that potential inside of


    him?¡±


    I folded my arms over my chest and turned back to look at Aleric.


    I felt... vulnerable. Insecure. Cai had been someone I could rely on, someone I could trust. Was there


    really no one I couldpletely depend on? Was this my fate regardless of which life I lived?


    ¡°...And I get he has a mate now, I¡®m not stupid,¡± I said, my voice now softer. ¡°I wouldn¡®t ever interfere with


    that. But it doesn¡®t change how I feel... or how I thought I felt. Even if it¡®s just a memory now, I wish I


    could still believe wholeheartedly that it was entirely mine... not Selene¡®s.¡±


    | shuffled in my spot and awkwardly looked away. I¡®d been so angry that it hadn¡®t urred to me that I


    was venting all of this to Aleric. We hadn¡®t spoken about his confession since the night I¡®d returned to the


    pack and so, even though I had refused him, this topic of conversation probably wasn¡®t appropriate.


    It was times like this I missed Myra, missed how we could talk about boy drama without it ever being


    weird or an issue. With her, it had been a constant reminder that not everything had to be about an


    impending apocalypse or survival. In fact, we rarely ever discussed the major pack issues or the dire


    problems that gued me. For all the uncertainty and fear that filled me upon my return, the days I spent


    with Myra were still the happiest I¡®d been in either timeline.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± | mumbled, rubbing my arm. ¡°I don¡®t know why... I just... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re not the only one angry at Selene, Aria,¡± he said, thankfully not bringing attention to my faux pas.


    ¡°I understand it. Really, I do. And not just because of all this shit you¡®ve just told me now.¡±


    I was going to ask him for his other reasoning but he continued before I could get the words out.


    ¡°But let¡®s not lose focus on what we¡®re working on right now,¡± he said. ¡°Because all of this information


    you¡®ve told me now is great and we can piece it together, but we¡®ve got less than two months until your


    birthday, Aria. Two months to n an insurrection against one of thergest packs in the entire country.


    Finding out about direct lineages doesn¡®t change anything for us right now, but sessfully executing


    this n will put us in a better position to focus on it after we¡®re done.¡±


    He was right. I could continue my research in my downtime, but my main attention needed to be on


    preparing for the big day. It was at least something I could actually work on, as opposed to the uncertain


    questions I had about the lineage theory.


    ¡°What do we still have left to do?¡± he asked, taking a seat by the table.


    | gave it a second of thought before I realised what was next... and it was yet another awkward topic of


    conversation.


    ¡°Ah, I¡®ve got a doctors appointment with my mother next week and I¡®m going to use the time to go over


    the n with her,¡± I said, my tone a little stiff.


    ¡°...Doctor appointment for what? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡®s not... um... I have the doctors appointment,¡± I said. However, still no recognition showed on


    his face even after the emphasis. ¡°You know¡­ the one Luna¡®s are required to undergo...? Tytus


    requested I get my... physical examination¡®pleted and they decided to treat it as if I were a Luna


    given the circumstances.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Finally, he caught on to what I was telling him. ¡°...Oh,¡± was all he said.


    ¡°I would normally be angry that he was pushing that on me so soon,¡± I continued, ¡°but I¡®m trying to make


    the most of it. I suppose it¡®s better to have the conversation in her office anyway in case we have to go


    over her medical books for the wolfsbane.¡±


    It was yet another part of my n I¡®d been dreading. In fact, it was something I¡®d been dreading since


    coming back. And though I¡®d had this exact kind of examination before in the past, it was previously


    conducted by a man who I now believed to be a rogue.


    So what would my results say this time?


    Because whilst this kind of check¨Cup covered standard physical health, it also covered one other major


    aspect too. An aspect that was seen as crucial for any Luna, bing a cause of yet more awkward air


    i n the room now between Aleric and I.


    ...And that aspect was a medical examination for my ability to conceive children. The very thing that had


    originally started so many of my problems.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Chapter Seventy¨CNine


    Warm.


    It was so warm.


    Everything around me felt like it was burning, our skin already flushed enough from the training just


    prior.


    ...And I wanted more.


    With one hand tangled through his dark hair, my other was tracing slowly down the front of his chest,


    feeling every muscle under my touch. And Goddess was it wless. His body moulded against mine


    perfectly, as if it had been made to fit there.


    ... This is wrong,¡® a voice whispered inside.


    And yet that thought only seemed to excite me further.


    It felt a million times better than I thought it would, his mouth moving hungrily as it responded against


    mine. His lips softer than I would have ever imagined.


    ...Stop...


    There was a sense of urgency, a sense of need as I clung to him, pressing myself up against him closer,


    desperately searching for as much contact as possible.


    ... You need to stop.¡¯


    No, I really shouldn¡®t have wanted this, wanted him, but it was like a flood gate of buried emotions


    unexpectedly poured out, mixing with new ones I hadn¡®t even noticed before. And the result was a desire


    shooting through me that felt insatiable.


    His body then shifted under me, trying to sit up and I moved back to allow it, giving him the space he¡®d


    need to get himself free without leaving too much distance.


    But it was as he tried to bring his hands out to touch me, probably having momentarily forgotten the cuffs


    were even there, that I suddenly realised what was happening.


    As the metal from the silver dagger loudly sounded out against the handcuffs, it was as if someone had


    just thrown a bucket of cold water over me.


    ....ENOUGH!


    ....And I immediately pulled myself away.


    ¡°Give me a second...,¡± Aleric said quietly as he began to free himself. He hadn¡®t even realised my abrupt


    change in mood yet.


    But, without waiting, I quickly stood up and took a few shaky steps backwards.


    ¡°...Aria?¡± Aleric asked, looking up at me now confused.


    ¡°I¨CI made a mistake,¡± I said, my heart still pounding heavily, my head cloudy.


    ...And I knew I¡®d messed up badly.


    Because nothing about our situation had changed. I still didn¡®t know his future, I didn¡®t know what would


    happen to him, or if there was some sort of trigger that would set him down the same path... I still


    couldn¡®t trust him implicitly. Not entirely.


    In fact, the only thing I¡®d learnt about our situation over thest few months was that there were now


    even more factors from both inside and around us that werepletely unknown. Especially that one


    ever


    Chapter Seventy¨CNine


    nagging issue....


    Power,


    I¡®d already once seen what his drive to achieve that had cost. Seen just what he was willing to sacrifice in


    order to reach that status.


    ...Who was to say what he¡®d eventually be willing to do this time?


    Was it just waiting inside his core, ready to change him into that power¨Chungry man once more without


    any moment¡®s notice? When dealing with the abilities of a Goddess, who could say for sure?


    I¡®d made a deal with him to keep our rtionship professional for that exact reason. A way to avoid any


    conflict of interest should the worst¨Ccase scenario happen in the future.


    And somehow I¡®d already ruined it.


    ...Somehow I¡®d almost fallen into yet another mistake, one that could have also had severe impacts on


    the pack... just like it had with Cai.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he said, slowly standing up.


    ¡°1-I mean... I shouldn¡®t have done that. That¡®s not¡­ That¡®s not something we should do.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    But I didn¡®t want to get into that argument now. No, I just wanted to leave. There was nothing good that


    would result from talking about any of this the day before my birthday.


    And so I quickly turned around to walk away... only his voice called out after me.


    ¡°I don¡®t get it, Aria. I really don¡®t,¡± he said, frustration thick in his voice. ¡°You made it clear that you wanted


    nothing to do with me in that way and I understood why that was. Ipletely respected it. I didn¡®t


    question it because, given everything you¡®ve apparently been through, it would be stupid of me to think


    that I¡®d ever have a chance. How could I when some bastard already well and truly fucked that up for


    me?¡±


    My heart was racing but I kept walking. I needed to remain strong and leave.


    ¡°So how am I meant to convince myself that you don¡®t want me now? Not even the tiniest bit? ... How the


    hell do I just let it go after you kiss me like that?¡±


    ¡°I said it was a mistake, Aleric!¡± I yelled, turning back around. ¡°I¨CI don¡®t even know what I want... but I


    know being with you potentially jeopardises this pack if one day I can¡®t make an impartial decision


    between you or their best interest. I¡®ve already seen a future where I¡®ve given myself to you and seen


    what you did with that. You think I¡®m stupid enough to let that happen again?¡±


    ¡°...So that¡®s it then? This is what our future will look like together? Barely trusting one another, silently


    wondering if the other person will rip the carpet out from under them at any second?¡±


    i bit my lip but remained silent, not having an answer for that.


    ¡°Actually, you know what? No. Fuck you, Aria,¡± he said, taking a step back. ¡°I¡®ve done everything


    humanly possible to prove to you that I¡®m not *him* That I¡¯m worth your trust and respect. And now..,


    this? You lead me on and then rub salt in the wounds for shit that isn¡®t even my fault? Things from a past


    that I have no control over? Yeah, no¡­ I¡®m done.¡±


    I could feel my blood rushing through my body furiously, my anger now tipping over the edge. It was


    fueled only more on from the emotional rollercoaster that had just urred.


    ¡°Oh, you¡®re done, are you? Just like that? After everything we¡®ve prepared?¡± I spat back, seeing red. ¡°So


    then am I taking this as your confirmation that you no longer want to manage the pack together?


    Because you should tell me that now. It¡®ll be good to get that sort of information out in the open so I


    realise just


    how lucky I am for walking away. Actually, I wish you¡®d told me sooner. Because if I¡®d wanted to make yet


    another catastrophic mistake by sleeping with someone, Aleric, I could have just run away to the Silver


    Lake pack for that.¡±


    ... That seemed to do it.


    Aleric¡®s eyes instantly turned dark and the loudest snarl ripped through his chest, an auraing off him


    that would have made any lower ranks fall to their knees. He was angry to the point his wolf was now


    visible at the surface.


    And I knew my words were a low blow. In fact, I instantly regretted what I¡®d said. Somehow, I couldn¡®t


    seem to help it though. It had left my mouth before I could stop it, being said purely out of my anger.


    But seeing his reaction, his own fury and manner... well, it only seeded in sweeping a sense of calm


    throughout my body. Immediately, all my anger left me as I stood before him, looking him up and down.


    The only thing he¡®d managed to do was further reiterate one thing for me...


    And that was that I was making the right decision.


    ¡°Case in point,¡± I muttered and quickly turned around, walking out the room before I said anything else I¡®d


    regret.


    However, the second the door closed behind me, an onught of anxiety and guilt immediately began to


    drown me.


    ...Why the hell had I just done that?


    ¡®Because he¡®s a lethal threat. A potential danger to himself and others,¡® the voice inside reminded me.


    Oh, great.


    I had almost missed it in the clutter of events earlier... but it appeared she was back, having taken the


    most opportune moment to return.


    I fervently wished she would have just stayed gone since now was definitely not the time for her to be


    filling my head. No, I needed to figure out what to do next in light of everything that just happened.


    ¡®I can handle this myself, thank you,¡® I hissed back internally, continuing on my way. I needed to cool


    down before deciding my next move.


    Inside my quarters I found Lucy walking about, organising a few things for me before tomorrow. She was


    kept extremely busy these days so it was rare to see her around.


    ¡°Miss?¡± she greeted, looking up in surprise at my appearance. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    But talking to anyone about it yet was thest thing I wanted right now.


    ¡°Can you please go and collect my bag and dagger from the gym at some point today? I left in a hurry


    and seem to have forgotten them.¡±


    She looked as though she wanted to query me about it further but thankfully kept quiet, acknowledging m


    y request with just a bow of her head.


    And with that, I headed straight for my bedroom to rest for a while, now exhausted from everything that


    had transpired; including using my abilities. It was a room for privacy... and welling in my own regret.


    I¡®d somehow made things even worse than just the kiss. Lashing out at him for what he said wasn¡®t


    remotely called for, especially when I knew he was probably right. Or, at least, he was justified in what he


    was saying from his perspective.


    Truthfully, I didn¡®t even know if it was him I was so angry at. I had been keeping a barrier between us,


    purposely ensuring that I didn¡®t get that* close, and now the thought of suddenly losing that protection


    Chapter Seventy¨CNine


    scared me. Like I was grasping at any excuse to keep that distance, even though he really did appear to


    b e different.


    It seemed I¡®d been pushing him away so forcibly that I hadn¡®t even realised what had been happening


    inside me. Blinded to even the smallest possibility that I might have been getting too close. And now I¡®d


    found out in the worst possible way after giving in to the desire all at once. A shock to say the least.


    But then... what even was that? Just a momentarypse in judgement or...? When had I even begun to


    see him that way again?


    I brought a hand up to my lips absentmindedly, remembering how it felt. Remembering how his mouth


    had responded to mine¡­


    And a burning flushed through my body.


    After tomorrow.


    I¡®ll deal with these new... *thoughts* after tomorrow. For now, I just needed to cool off for a bit before I go


    and apologise to Aleric. I needed to fix what I¡®d messed up so badly.


    But as I thought about going to seek him out to talk, I became conscious of just how tired I¡®d already


    be, my eyes quickly bing heavy against my own will. I should have realised sooner that using


    m y abilities to that extent with the cor still on would have had this side effect.


    Okay, fine then.


    I¡®d have one small nap... and then...


    The sound of heels clicking inside an empty hallway roused me from my sleep, waking me up to find


    myself standing inside the pack hospital.


    The attached rooms were darkening, early night beginning to fall already outside as was evident from the


    few windows I could see.


    ...But how did I even get here?


    I looked around for the source of the noise only to find Lucy walking, heading in the direction of my


    mother¡®s office.


    ¡°Lucy?¡± I called out to her.


    No reply.


    ...So it seemed as though I was having a vision.


    Running to catch up to her, I then followed behind, letting her lead me to whatever it was I needed to


    see, but it didn¡®t take long for us to arrive at our destination. Soon, my mother¡®s office came into sight just


    ahead.


    But before Lucy could even make it to the door, suddenly it was pulled open... and Aleric stepped out.


    ¡°Oh, Alpha heir,¡± Lucy said, having jumped a little from his abrupt exit. ¡°I wasn¡®t expecting to see


    you....-.¡±


    And it was then that we both slowly took in his appearance, the situation now dawning on us.


    Because his hair was dishevelled, his demeanourpletely on¨Cedge¡­ and his hands¡­ his hands


    were covered in blood.


    ¡°What are you...¨C?¡± Lucy started but then Aleric moved swiftly to be in her face.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± he demanded, cutting her off. He looked just about ready to rip her


    Chapter Seventy Nine


    throat out before his face finally softened slightly in realisation. ¡°Wait...did Thea send you here as well?¡±


    ¡°Alpha heir, sir... please, I¨CI don¡®t know what¡®s going on,¡± Lucy stuttered out, trying to take a few steps


    back in distress. ¡°I just came to get Doctor Chrysalis¡® status report for the young Miss. Aria¡®s been


    sleeping sing


    ...But then she caught sight of it, her head tilting to the side. Behind him, there was a crack in the door


    which showed what wasying ahead just beyond it. Something that brought my attention to it also.


    And my blood ran cold.


    I quickly ran to the door but it was no use. It seemed I was limited to only the space Aleric and Lucy were


    present. However, it didn¡®t stop me from seeing what I needed to... seeing the bodies I needed to.


    After all, the two bodies of my parents lying lifeless were hard to miss.


    ¡°... What¡®s going on?¡± Lucy asked, now painfully aware of the danger she potentially was in, ¡°What does


    this have to do with Thea?¡±


    Aleric spun his head around to see what Lucy had been looking at and then quietly cursed under his


    breath.


    ¡°This is Alpha business only,¡± he stated, turning his dark eyes back to her. ¡°Orders from Tytus himself for


    the attempted poisoning to his person. The doctor was meant to be brought in until trial but then... well,


    Beta Jarrod found out and it didn¡®t go so amicably after.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ the n... I don¡®t understand.¡±


    ¡°Lucy!¡± he barked out to try and get her to focus, his tone then shifting. ¡°If you don¡®t want me to lock you


    u pright now in the cells then you¡®ll listen to me very, very carefully. You do not tell Aria anything.


    Anything a t all. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    ...An alpha order.


    Lucy couldn¡®t do anything except swallow back her fear and nod feebly.


    ¡°Good. I¡®ve got things I still need to... finish up here. You should leave.¡±


    She didn¡®t need to be told twice though.


    Immediately, Lucy took a few shaky steps backwards to make some distance, terror wrought on her


    features, and, without hesitating for even a second longer, she then turned around and began walking


    quickly back the way she came.


    ¡°Oh, and Lucy?¡± Aleric yelled out after her, making her freeze mid¨Cstride. ¡°...You can tell Aria I need to


    speak to her when she wakes up.¡±


    ...And then my body lurched forward in my bed, gasping awake from the vision.


    ¡®What the fuck was that? What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck?¡®


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I was shaking all over, a cold sweat covering me. There were just too many thoughts going through my


    head for me to be able to process at once.


    But there was one more prominent than any other... none of this made any sense.


    I looked towards the window and saw it was still somewhat sunny outside. This was good. It meant I still


    had time since, in the vision, the light was darkening.


    Throwing myself out the bed, I did my best to hurry and leave. I needed to warn my mother and help her


    escape before Tylus gave the order.


    But as I reached my hand out towards the handle of my front door, it was then pushed open from the


    Chapter Seventy¨CNine


    other side....


    And Lucy stood there.


    ¡°Lucy! Quick, we¡®ve got to hurry!¡± I said, grabbing her hand to drag her with me.


    If she was all the way here instead of near the hospital, then that was even better. It meant I had even


    more time.


    However, under my grip Lucy barely budged, her face showing signs of anxiety. ¡°Lucy? What¡®s wrong?¡±


    It was enough to make me finally pause for a moment, inspecting her more closely... ...And, suddenly, it


    all seemed to click.


    ¡°...What time is it...?¡± | asked slowly, my heart starting to race.


    She held my gaze intensely, her eyes only full of sadness. ¡°...It¡®s six in the morning, Miss,¡± she answered


    quietly. ¡°...Today is your birthday.¡±


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡®re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting! It all


    helps!

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Chapter Eighty


    ¡°No...,¡± I whispered, the words choking out of my throat.


    Almost a whole day. I¡®d slept for almost a whole day. My vision hadn¡®t taken ce just after sun*set*, it


    had been just before sun*rise*. And now an hour or so had already passed since then.


    I felt myself gopletely numb, releasing Lucy¡®s hand from my grip.


    There was a crumbling beginning within me. Like I was falling... falling into an Abyss that waspletely


    o f my own making. One that was a hole I¡®d been desperately trying to swim away from thesest four


    years, trying so goddamn hard to believe that there was still good in people. That even though I had


    been rejected, killed and abandoned by everyone around me, that there was still potential for people to


    do better. That I could do better.


    And now it seemed the final betrayal had embedded its dagger. The one I knew I wouldn¡®t ever survive.


    And, apparently, neither would my parents.


    ... There was no one left.¡®


    ...No one.


    ...I was alone.¡®


    Just as fate seemed to have always nned for me.


    And everything felt... so empty.


    ¡°Oh... I didn¡®t¡­ I didn¡®t realise,¡± I whispered to myself in a daze, the world slowly moving around me.


    ¡°Miss...?¡±


    ¡°...I didn¡®t realise we were ying that sort of game.¡±


    ... Ready to do this my way?¡® My prior self¡®s voice then whispered in my head, offering to give me the


    support I so desperately craved right now.


    It was the kind of help I would have instantly turned down before... but now?


    Honestly, I was starting to wonder why I¡®d been so opposed the entire time. She had managed to endure


    years of hell, doing whatever it took to survive and prove her worth. If anyone knew how to keep working


    when it felt like the world was falling apart, it was her. Only she possessed the strength I would need


    now.


    ...What did I even have to lose anymore? Myra? Cai? My parents?


    And I felt myself slip deeper into the hole inside.


    ¡°There¡®s something I need to tell you but I...,¡± Lucy said to me, disjointedly. ¡°But I¨CI can¡®t, I¡®m sorry... ¨C.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s okay,¡± I said, stopping her, my body quickly bing calm. ¡°I already know he ordered you to stay


    quiet about what happened in the hospital. I already know about....¡±


    I couldn¡®t finish my sentence though. Speaking of my parent¡®s demise still felt wrong.


    Surprise crossed Lucy¡®s features, my knowledge taking her aback since there was no way I should have


    known.


    ¡°Miss? How do you...?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry about that. We have bigger things to concern ourselves with now and I need your full


    concentration.¡±


    Without waiting, I then walked over to where Lucy hadid out the outfit I was going to wear today and


    began changing tugging on the long sleeve dress over my head.


    ¡°But the n is ruined,¡± she objected. ¡°n A is now far too risky and n B is...¡±


    Her voice choked to a stop as the Alpha order constricted her. But I didn¡®t need her to borate. I


    already knew what she was trying to say.


    n A would now mean ordering not just one, but two Alpha bloods. A feat I wasn¡®t sure I was capable


    of pulling off even when it had just been for Tytus with wolfsbane in his system.


    you¡®re right,¡± I said, fastening the finishing touches to my attire. ¡°Which is exactly why we¡®re going ahead


    with Pian C.


    Miss? n C? You never mentioned there was a n C.¡±


    Contact Iris. Tell her it¡¯s time,¡± I instructed, proceeding to grab thest of everything I needed.


    The reason Lucy didn¡®t know about n C was because no one knew about it except for me.


    It was something I¡®de up with at the same time I had the others. A n I had continually pushed


    away, knowing it shouldn¡®t ever be used, knowing it was something that only *shet would do. However, it


    wasn¡®t a backup for if I failed to order Tytus, or if Aleric failed to challenge him.


    No, it was what I¡®de up with for in the event the worst¨Ccase scenario happened, the absolute point


    of all else failing


    It was a n that had to bepletely hidden from everyone else in order for it to work. The ultimate


    trump card, the final stand. I had never wanted to resort to it, let alone consider implementing it. But I had


    prepared for it nheless.


    Because n C was for in the event Aleric betrayed me.


    End suddenly I found myself in that very position.


    Contrary to Aleric¡®s request, I did not seek him out before the meeting.


    From everything Lucy was forbidden from telling me, yet everything I had already witnessed myself


    anyway, I knew it was too dangerous. Who wouldn¡®t be expecting some sort of trap?


    After all, if he could kill my parents so easily then what else was he capable of? He¡®d deliberately chosen


    not to challenge Tytus once the order came through, showing his alliance to him over me. Hell, he most


    rely was the one who had leaked the information about the poisoning to begin with. 1


    No, he¡®d made his message clear....


    He wanted to take his session naturally, not by force alongside me.


    Of course, I did wonder whether our argument yesterday really was enough to drive this kind of


    response; whether it really had demolished our trust to the point of him making the first move. But there


    was another posibility also one where I recalled his dark eyes the day before, already knowing what


    monster was possibly dormant inside of him.


    But none of that really mattered right now. Wondering about the motives wasn¡®t going to bring my


    parents back to life. No, it was toote for that.


    My safest strategy here was to go through with what I needed to do, get through the day, and then


    reassess once it was all over. On even the slightest chance that Aleric really was nning something


    before the meeting I couldn¡®t risk seeking him out privately on my own


    Chapter Eighty


    If anything, his belief that I waspletely oblivious to what had transpired the night before was only


    going to work in my favour.


    And so, I busily went about the remainder of myst few hours, pushing myself to stay focused on wh


    needed to do; never staying in one spot for too long, never giving in to the pain threatening to fester


    within me. Every single second of today was going to be crucial, and I hadn¡®t even made it halfway


    through yet.


    But then, finally, it was time for the big event.


    I pushed open the double doors of the meeting hall as I entered and the entire room on the other side


    immediately switched to hushed voices, whispering amongst themselves.


    I couldn¡®t hear what they were saying but I didn¡®t need to. Their faces said it all... Sympathy, sadness...


    caution, disgust. It seemed I was once again the daughter of a traitor; this scenario being one I was


    already painfully familiar with.


    Holding my head up high, I walked over to where Aleric stood, refusing to meet his eyes. I probably


    should have wanted to confront him, to scream at him, maybe worse, but inside all I felt wasplete


    calmness; my mind entirely focused on what I needed to do.


    Now the only one who was left to arrive was Tytus himself.


    ¡°Where the fuck have you been?¡± Aleric hissed in a low voice, his hand grabbing my elbow.


    Apparently not low enough as a few Elders turned their heads in our direction.


    I quickly forced a polite smile on my face and pulled my arm free of his grasp. The same hands that had


    been covered in my parent¡®s blood only hours earlier.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± | greeted back loudly so the entire room would hear. ¡°It¡®s good to see you. Apologies, I¡®ve been a


    little busy this morning. But what¡®s a few hours when we have our entire lives together, right? It seems as


    though you¡®re so excited about marking me that you couldn¡®t even bear a few hours without seeing me.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡®Disgusting,¡® the voice inside me added.


    ¡°What are you¨C¡±


    But then Tytus entered, ending all chances of continuing the conversation, and I looked up as the man


    himself walked in.


    ¡®He trapped us, degraded us, tried to force us into a union¡­ and then had our parents killed.¡®


    ¡°Greetings everyone. You may be seated,¡± Tytus said as he walked to his chair.


    The council at the table then all sat back down, filling the space around him. Or, at least they did for all


    but one chair... my fathers.


    ¡°I understand that today was meant to be a joyous one of celebrating not only young Aria¡®s birthday, but


    also her union with my son, Aleric,¡± Tytus said to the council and warriors present. ¡°However, it is with a


    heavy heart that I announce to you all now that there are some who will not be present for this


    monumental day. A day where every daughter deserves to be with their parents. It is something I wished


    were not true.¡±


    ¡®Lies.¡®


    I knew he didn¡®t actually give a shit about me.


    ¡°I¡®m sure most of you have already heard,¡± he continued. ¡°But a situation arose yesterday whereby I was


    made aware of a n. A n to poison me during a routine doctor¡®s appointment. Upon ordering the


    arrest of the individual in question, an altercation unfortunately broke out that tragically resulted in the


    ****


    loss of two very special people that I hold dearow pace Bettid Mootout I could feel everyone¡®s eyes on


    me but I refused to let them


    at the everything from me, they would not get this.


    most


    en


    , tp


    tuetta yo


    h e


    ¡°Aria..I am truly sorry for your loss and that it happenel4g/ l focused on mine. ¡°Naturally, I have some


    questions for you see is can still find some happiness today in what is otherwise a desweh.¡±


    *Thank you, Alpha,¡± I said, bowing my head respectfully ¡°side the o dedication you put into this pack. And


    whilst, of course, numer realise their actions are ones more befitting those of all , 2014, t is just


    unfortunate that not everyone can share in your vie! ./ .


    p +60** 4 06415 there was


    06,¡±


    !


    differences 6 tumay


    , H 5


    , 105 1004)


    4


    Tytus gave me a small smile, his face softening ¡°I know we have had hope you feel you cane to me


    with anything should but through circumstance, you will also be gaining a new one.¡±


    I bit my tongue and bowed once more, acknowledging his olles which, 10txa better word, was


    suggesting he rece my parents.


    you 21001a


    ¡°Very well,¡± Tytus then said, standing back up. ¡°Let¡®s get this over with these were Aria is itching to get


    the cor off after all of these months and believe the statt off either.¡±


    *Thump, thump... My chesi began pounding...


    thenesceho ang the


    And I watched Tyus stant approaching me, walking with intent as he


    key...


    *Thump, thump*...


    ¡°Aria,¡± Aleric¡®s voice hissed next to me, desperate to get my attention,


    But lignored him. It was toote for anything he could possibly say to me now. Therboot would be forever


    on his hands, never truly washing off.


    Sinking ever deeper...


    ...Falling further and further into the hole inside...


    ... There was no turning back now as I relinquished myself over to it.


    ¡°Now, then...,¡± Tytus mumbled to himself as he moved his hands to my neck


    Hands that made quick work of the cor¡­


    And, after the key was turned several times, the satisfying click then echoed into the room.


    ...And suddenly I was free.


    The metal fell to the ground next to me with a heavy nk... but i barely noticed


    Because immediately it felt as though my body was alight,ing alive with the mass amount of energy


    that poured through me, and I gasped at the air as if breathing for the very first time


    After spending so long severely deprived of my natural abilities, the difference in my strength was


    extremely noticeable. Noticeable enough that I struggled to even remain standing, having to take a few


    seconds just to bnce myself once more.


    However, it felt different than from even before. All these months I¡®d trained with a resuaint that


    essentially made me human, forcing me to work harder to get results. Now it appeared as though I was


    Chapter Eighty


    stronger than ever before.


    But the euphoric feeling, unfortunately, didn¡®tst long though as a shiver of nausea then quickly


    travelled up my spine, chasing right behind the new sensations.


    And I knew exactly what it was.


    It meant I didn¡®t have long.


    ¡°Alec, please go ahead,¡± Tytus instructed, gesturing towards myself.


    I¡®d managed to collect myself once more, knowing I needed to remain focused now more than ever.


    Though it appeared Aleric was currently struggling more than me.


    I pulled my hair to the side, giving clear ess to my neck, and presented myself to him.


    He didn¡®t move though, his gaze still fixated on Tytus as if internally wondering what he should be doing.


    Funny how he was seemingly only having second thoughts *after* murdering my family.


    ¡°Aleric?¡± | prompted after he still hadn¡®t moved. ¡°What are you waiting for? Isn¡®t this what you wanted? To


    make me yours?¡±


    Finally, he looked away from Tytus and down towards me. But as he met my eyes I watched as his then


    zed over for just a few seconds... before he snapped out of it, taking a step back as he shook his


    head.


    ¡°Wait¡­ wait a second,¡± he said flustered, trying to remain focused. ¡°I don¡®t... Aria? What do you want met


    o do here?¡±


    But I just simply smiled back before closing the distance between us, now only inches away.


    ¡°...I want you to mark me,¡± I said quietly, looking up at his face. ¡°Please... mark me, Aleric.¡±


    It was as though an internal battle then ensued within his own head as he struggled with what to do.


    One! was only privy to as I watched his eyes continue to flicker in colour, his wolf seemingly getting the


    better o f him over my disy of eptance.


    But it was as another shiver went up my spine that I was reminded of how I was running out of time.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± I repeated, grabbing his hand. ¡°...Come on.¡±


    And I pulled him towards me, allowing him to then grab me by my waist and neck....


    Wrapping my arms around his shoulders in kind¡­.


    Feeling for that exact moment I needed....


    ... The moment i¡®d been waiting for....


    ... The moment I¡®d feel his breath on my neck....


    There.


    ¡°...I challenge you, Aleric Dumont, for the title of Alpha,¡± I whispered into his ear.


    And then, without any hesitation, I flicked my wrist out, dislodging the item I had stashed away up my


    sleeve. It was so quick that, even if anyone had seen me do it, there wasn¡®t any time to react.


    No, they were helpless to stop me from stabbing the needle into his back, immediately injecting him with


    the drug I¡®d had my mother prepare for me almost two months ago.


    It was thest thing I ever asked of her, back then being something I didn¡¯t think I would ever actually


    need. Now it had be a lifeline from her beyond the grave.


    But the battle wasn¡®t over yet.


    Chapter Eighty


    Just as I was anticipating, Aleric¡®s grip on me instantly began to loosen, and I easily slipped out his arms,


    taking a few steps backwards.


    ¡°Alec?!¡± Tytus shouted, rmed at his son¡®s state. ¡°What¡®s wrong? What¡®s happened?¡±


    But I merely watched silently as Aleric¡®s face then turned quickly from confusion, to shock, to anger, his


    body barely able to hold himself up now.


    ¡°Aria... What did... What did you do to me?!¡± he choked out.


    I couldn¡®t stop now though. No, this was just the beginning.


    After Aleric¡¯s usation, Tytus¡® eyes then instantly turned to me, ready to demand answers.


    Only I never gave him that chance.


    If only he hadn¡®t been so distracted by Aleric, he would have seen what I¡®d stashed away for him instead.


    What I¡®d immediately unsheathed from the strap around my thigh the second his attention had been


    diverted elsewhere.


    In fact, it ended up being so quick that it was almost pitiful when my silver dagger slid across his neck,


    swiftly making him begin to bleed out.


    It was done.


    It only took a few seconds for him to fall to his knees before me, his hand pointlessly trying to cover the


    wound. But I knew he was already dead the second he¡®d taken his eyes off me.


    That was for my parents.


    For the cor.


    For the humiliation and captivity.


    For my freedoms being sopletely stripped from me... even to the point of who I should let im me.


    ¡°I want you to know something,¡± I said, leaning forward to speak into his ear.


    Naturally, he tried to recoil away but I grabbed at his head, holding him in ce.


    ¡°Listen to me! I wanted you to know that you brought this upon yourself, that I had no choice but to do


    this ¡­ but that doesn¡®t mean I won¡®t enjoy it,¡± I whispered. ¡°Truthfully, I want to remember this. All of this.


    I want to remember seeing you slowly realise that all of your actions led you here. That this is the fate **


    have chosen for *you*, Tytus.¡±


    Pushing his body away, I then watched as he iled pathetically on the ground, the whites in his eyes


    distressed as he struggled toe to terms with what was happening.


    ¡°...Enjoy reliving this moment for all eternity inside the Abyss, Tytus,¡± | spat.


    ...And then his body became still.


    ¡°LEFT.¡¯


    Almost as if by second nature now without the cor, the new ability to feel for oing harm alerted m


    e to something next to me. Though, I had already expected an attack of some sort given what I¡®d just


    done.


    Rolling out of the way, I quickly came back up into a defensive position, my hand poised with the dagger


    prepared for anything. However, it ended up just being a false rm.


    Aleric only managed to take two steps towards me before the drugs finally came into full effect, his body


    finally falling to the ground beside his fathers.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Chapter Eighty¨COne


    The room quickly erupted into chaos once Aleric had fallen. The council, who were probably all too


    shocked to move earlier, were now realising the full gravity of the situation,


    The situation where both Alphas nowid unmoving before me.


    Several warriors and Gamma Oliver turned their attention to me, an intent to kill written all over their


    faces, and I couldn¡®t me them for thinking that. Aller murdering their Alpha, Oliver would feel it were


    now his responsibility to retaliate given he was the only full ranked member remaining.


    Or so he thought.


    I watched as he started to charge at me, his body almost on the brink of shifting and....


    ¡°ENOUGH,¡± I shouted out, my voice thick with authoritativemand,


    And everyone immediately froze around me.


    I stood, waiting for several seconds and, when I was finally satisfied everyone hadpletely stopped, I


    cleared my throat, addressing the room.


    ¡°Everyone sit back down. NOW.¡±


    It seemed toe naturally to me, my authority having no more restraints to hold me back. All these


    months of training had apparently paid off.


    And everyoneplied. Without anyone left with aparable high rank, there was no doubt that my


    orders would be adhered to implicitly.


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± I said, my tone rxing a little. ¡°Let¡®s just all sit down... breathe... and talk for a second,


    shall


    we?¡±


    I walked over to where Tytus¡® chair was and sat down, earning myself a few looks of horror from several


    people around


    ¡°Alright. Well¡­,¡± I started, looking out at the room, ¡°I imagine you all have a lot of questions¨C.¡±


    ¡°You think we¡®ll follow you, girl?¡± Elder Nathaniel spat out, cutting me off. ¡°That you can murder our Alpha


    and we¡®ll just blindly ept you? Absolutely not. The sheer audacity you have to even think for a second


    t h¨C¡±


    ¡°Silence,¡± I ordered, holding my hand up to stop him. ¡°...Congrattions, you¡®ve now lost the right to


    speak to me again until I say so.¡±


    He opened his mouth to argue back but I could tell that my order held firm. Nothing was able to leave


    past his lips.


    ¡°Good,¡± I praised. ¡°Now then, as I was saying, I know you all have a lot of questions. However, as crazy


    as i t sounds, I actually have things I need to do tonight that are more pressing than this. So, we¡®ll just


    need to make this quick. Well, that... and because the former* Alpha heir will also die if he doesn¡®t go to


    the hospital within the next few hours. Something I¡®m sure none of us here want.¡±


    No, killing him was unfortunately not an option when I wasn¡®t certain yet how it tied into Thea¡®s n or


    Selene. The drug I¡®d dosed him with was mostly made from a sedative but contained a tiny trace amount


    of wolfsbane in it. The intention was that the wolfsbane would act as an immediate measure to slow him


    until the sedative could work its way through him. And it had worked perfectly. However, at the end of the


    day, it was still poison and he would die if he didn¡®t receive medical attention


    ¡°Let¡®s just cut to the chase then shall we?¡± | continued. ¡°Confirm the session of Alpha to myself and


    w


    o can reconvene in a few days to go over the nitty gritty detalls.¡±


    ¡°You can¡®t just barde in here without any im and demand the pack!¡± Gamma Oliver yelled,


    But I didn¡®t,¡± I calmly replied, ¡°Alpha Tylus is now dead, his sessor, whom I challenged during his


    attempt to mark mo, is now incapacitated. ording to the naturalws of our kind, the title is now


    rightfully mine. Though, need I remind you all that, with my mark from the Goddess hersell, I was always


    just as entitled to this pack os Aloric was, My im fontirely legitimate.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s not... you can¡®t...,¡± he stammered, trying to find an adequate excuse.


    However, Elder Luke then cut in.


    ¡°If you believe that Aria¡®s right to the litle of Alpha Is any less than Aleric¡®s... then you are in contempt of


    the Goddess¡® will,¡± he said, ¡°A challenge was issued... Aria then showed her strength and ability to


    ovee not just one.. but Iwo Alpha bloods. Anyone who would even begin to discredit her im to


    this title would be doing so out of their own sellish beliefs,¡±


    That seemed to shut Oliver up.


    ¡®They don¡®t respect you enough...,¡¯ the voice inside whispered, ¡®You should make them kneel. All of them.


    I I would force them to acknowledge your authority.¡®


    But I quickly pushed away her suggestion. There was no need to drag this out longer than necessary.


    ¡°Brilliant. Any other questions?¡± | asked the room, scanning their faces.


    I needed them to hurry this along. The intervals between cold shivers were now decreasing in time and


    soon I wouldn¡®t be able to focus on this anymore. Normally, a ceremony would be done for the transfer of


    Alpha rank however, in light of everything happening, I was happy to just opt for the verbal contract.


    Technically, only the words were required.


    When I was met with only silencel then smiled. ¡°Okay, perfect. Swear me in and we can all go about the


    rest of our day. Obviously, someone will need to deal with Aleric... and the body. Please ensure Alericis


    given full medical treatment and is sent to the cells once he has recovered. No one is to have any direct


    contact with him unless I say so. Is that clear?¡±


    The room mutely nodded around me.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Elder Luke said, breaking the tension slightly from the council, ¡°Aria, please approach and


    kneel.¡±


    I stood up and met Elder Luke at the front of the room, doing so under the watchful eyes of everyone


    else around me.


    ¡°Aria, do you promise to protect, serve and do right by this pack to the best of your ability?¡± he asked.


    I bowed my head as I took on the responsibility. ¡°Under the gaze of the Goddess, I, Ariadne Chrysalis, do


    ept these terms.¡±


    ¡°Then let me be the first one to officially wee you. On behalf of those present today, we, the council


    o f the Winter Mist, hereby ept the Saintess, Ariadne Chrysalis, as our new Alpha and leader. We are


    all i n your care now.¡±


    I wasn¡®t expecting any apuse or adoration, of course. After what I¡®d just done, I waspletely


    realistic about the situation. But even if they hated me, this was for both their future and mine. Even if


    they didn¡®t know it.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Luke,¡± I said, standing back up. ¡°I appreciate your support and wisdom, as always. I¡®m


    looking forward to the great work we can aplish together.¡±


    But then I felt it. Like an immense pressure building inside against one of the bones in my thigh...


    ...And I knew it would snap at any second.


    ¡°Okay, everyone! Apologies for this,¡± I said, turning back around to face the entire room. ¡°But...


    respectfully, everyone needs to get the fuck out. Like right now. I want warriors posted at the front door


    and no one is to enter. No one.¡±


    They all didn¡®t waste time in moving, carrying out my order just as I¡®d asked. Aleric and Tytus were also


    removed swiftly, something I tried not to focus on. Thest thing I needed was to dwell on that right now.


    And so, after a few minutes had passed, it was finally only me and Elder Luke left.


    ¡°Do you need a hand?¡± he asked kindly, already knowing what was happening. ¡°The first time is always


    the most painful.¡±


    But I shook my head. I¡®d already been through this once and knew what was ahead. And right now, I just


    wanted to be alone more than anything. Having someone else here would just be a sad reminder of my


    loss.


    Though it felt strange to be doing this in here; this ce being typically reserved for only gatherings.


    However, the meeting hall was thergest enclosed area within the pack and I knew that leaving to the


    woods right now would be far too dangerous. Especially when I wouldn¡®t be able to defend myself for a


    while.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, bowing his head at me. ¡°Call for me when you are ready.¡±


    And with that he left, the room bingpletely empty. Now it was just me and...


    *SNAP.*


    I cried out from the pain, falling to the ground.


    It hurt. It hurt so goddamn bad. This body had never felt what it was like, felt the new shapes and


    sensations that came with shifting. Unfortunately, just knowing what to expect didn¡®t seem to lesson that i


    In the slightest.


    My breathing soon quickened until it becameboured and, slowly, I could feel my bones breaking, my


    skin moving, my limbs reforming....


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I cried, tears falling down my face. I just wanted this to be over with.


    Normally one would have their family here to distract them from the pain, to help and support them


    through this. But I didn¡®t have any family left. No, it was just me now.


    Unsurprisingly, it wasn¡®t long before the pain became so overwhelming that my body became numb to it,


    shutting it off inside my brain. Only the sound of my flesh being torn and bones snapping filled the air


    around me. Just the sickening melody of my pain to apany me.


    ...And then, finally, it was done.


    It could have been hourster before I felt myself reach the end of it.


    id panting on the ground, my body now changed into that of my wolf, and new heightened sensations


    immediately swept through my body.


    Everything became so... Vivid. Colours were sharper, scents were more prominent, and I could even


    hear distant muffled soundsing from outside the room. It seemed like there were so many things I¡®d


    been missing out on, so many privileges I¡®d once taken for granted. It was hard to believe I¡®d lived


    another four years without this.


    But then I felt it.


    Checusuhty on


    I felt her.


    My wolf. She was waking up.


    The only one who hadn¡®t ever abandoned or hurt me in the past. The only real friend I had ever had. The


    only one who knew of all the pain and suffering I¡®d felt¡­ because she had suffered through all of it right


    along with me.


    Finally, she was back.


    ¡®I missed you,¡® I sobbed within my mind.


    But something was wrong.


    She was... anxious. On edge. Like she wasn¡®t sure what was happening.


    ¡®Don¡®t you remember? Look at what we¡®ve been through¡­ look at everything that we have survived


    together,¡¯ I said internally.


    And I showed her. Images of the past, of the present, of the pain and torture we experienced. Of the


    things she¡®d missed, of the heartaches we¡®d endured... of the betrayals we¡®d suffered.


    But she instantly recoiled from me, pushing herself back into the furthest part of my mind. All of the


    things I was showing her had been too much. She didn¡®t understand... couldn¡®t handle the immense


    amount of pain in my memories or how it was possible to be from another timeline.


    ...And I realised then the cold truth. The devastating reality of the situation¡­


    She wasn¡®t *my wolf.


    No, she belonged to the girl who had lived in this body for fourteen years. An innocent in all of this. It


    seemed that I, alone, was the only one who had been brought back... not my wolf.


    None of this probably made any sense to her, yet I¡®d greeted her with an onught of pain carried


    through two lifetimes. And she chose to wall herself away.


    Coward. Weak,¡¯ I spat at her.


    *My* wolf had been forged from within the rejection of our mate, from the lives we¡®d imed, and from


    the pain we¡®d lived through every day together.


    This wolf... was nothing. More simr to the naive girl I¡®d originally been growing up than anything of true


    strength. Without even trying, she had already withdrawn in order to protect herself from me.


    ¡®Fine then. Have it your way,¡® I hissed inside and took back full control of our body.


    | slowly stood up on all fours, trying to remember how to maneuver the fur¨Ccovered form, and began


    walking around the room. And I kept walking... and walking... every second spent trying to force my body


    t o respond to my will, move to mymand...


    But there was no push back though... no contradictory force...


    It was just me in here.


    Just me... and not my wolf.


    Eventually, my resolve finally broke and I fell to the ground, my body beginning to shift back. And I could


    feel myself shaking as I transitioned... but it wasn¡®t from the physical pain.


    As soon as I had returned to my human self, a sob wracked through me, ovee with the sheer


    emotional distress I¡®d gone through; something now made only worse by the realisation that I really was


    truly alone. That there was not a single being in this world I could trust anymore.


    Chapter Egghty¨COne


    And Goddess, I didn¡®t want to do this anymore. I didn¡®t want to feel this way anymore. I¡®d lost everyone


    I¡®d cared about...


    ...And I was so alone.


    So alone.


    ...We don¡®t need them,¡® the familiar voice of my other self whispered inside.


    And it was a jarring reminder that there was another who knew of what I was going through. Knew


    exactly what I was feeling. The only person who had given me the strength to do what needed to be


    done during that meeting today.


    ¡®We protect ourselves first,¡¯ she continued. ¡®We work hard and we get things done. Let this be thest


    time we shed any tears for those we have lost.¡®


    I curled myself up on the floor, hugging my legs to my chest. Her words wereforting for the aching


    inside.


    ¡®But let us not forget the person behind why so much has gone wrong in our lives.¡®


    ¡®The person who was responsible for originally introducing Thea to the pack, for killing us, for why we no


    longer have our wolf, for gaining our trust before mercilessly betraying us... for killing our parents... for


    falsely iming that they loved us.¡®


    Tears continued falling down my face as I listened, but I knew I needed to hear this.


    ...Aleric.¡®


    ¡®Aleric was, and always will be, our undoing. He was our beginning and our end. Time does not change


    that.¡¯


    ¡®Now that Tytus is gone, he will try to kill us whenever he next gets the chance. We murdered his father.


    H. e cannot be trusted. Do you understand?¡®


    And I closed my eyes, nodding my head in acknowledgement at everything she was telling me.


    It was time to let go and ept that Aleric was the same monster inside.


    But maybe that was okay.


    I didn¡®t need him, after all. In fact, I didn¡®t need anyone anymore. There was no one left in this entire pack


    ¡®who could ever tell me what to do again. No one left to chain me up or force me to give myself to


    someone for the sake of their son¡®s session.


    No, I¡®d be okay.


    Just me¡­ and *hert. The only ones


    Chapter Eighty¨COne


    The room quickly erupted into chaos once Aleric had fallen. The council, who were probably all too


    shocked to move earlier, were now realising the full gravity of the situation,


    The situation where both Alphas nowid unmoving before me.


    Several warriors and Gamma Oliver turned their attention to me, an intent to kill written all over their


    faces, and I couldn¡®t me them for thinking that. Aller murdering their Alpha, Oliver would feel it were


    now his responsibility to retaliate given he was the only full ranked member remaining.


    Or so he thought.


    I watched as he started to charge at me, his body almost on the brink of shifting and....


    ¡°ENOUGH,¡± I shouted out, my voice thick with authoritativemand,


    And everyone immediately froze around me.


    I stood, waiting for several seconds and, when I was finally satisfied everyone hadpletely stopped, I


    cleared my throat, addressing the room.


    ¡°Everyone sit back down. NOW.¡±


    It seemed toe naturally to me, my authority having no more restraints to hold me back. All these


    months of training had apparently paid off.


    And everyoneplied. Without anyone left with aparable high rank, there was no doubt that my


    orders would be adhered to implicitly.


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± I said, my tone rxing a little. ¡°Let¡®s just all sit down... breathe... and talk for a second,


    shall


    we?¡±


    I walked over to where Tytus¡® chair was and sat down, earning myself a few looks of horror from several


    people around


    ¡°Alright. Well¡­,¡± I started, looking out at the room, ¡°I imagine you all have a lot of questions¨C.¡±


    ¡°You think we¡®ll follow you, girl?¡± Elder Nathaniel spat out, cutting me off. ¡°That you can murder our Alpha


    and we¡®ll just blindly ept you? Absolutely not. The sheer audacity you have to even think for a second


    t h¨C¡±


    ¡°Silence,¡± I ordered, holding my hand up to stop him. ¡°...Congrattions, you¡®ve now lost the right to


    speak to me again until I say so.¡±


    He opened his mouth to argue back but I could tell that my order held firm. Nothing was able to leave


    past his lips.


    ¡°Good,¡± I praised. ¡°Now then, as I was saying, I know you all have a lot of questions. However, as crazy


    as i t sounds, I actually have things I need to do tonight that are more pressing than this. So, we¡®ll just


    need to make this quick. Well, that... and because the former* Alpha heir will also die if he doesn¡®t go to


    the hospital within the next few hours. Something I¡®m sure none of us here want.¡±


    No, killing him was unfortunately not an option when I wasn¡®t certain yet how it tied into Thea¡®s n or


    Selene. The drug I¡®d dosed him with was mostly made from a sedative but contained a tiny trace amount


    of wolfsbane in it. The intention was that the wolfsbane would act as an immediate measure to slow him


    until the sedative could work its way through him. And it had worked perfectly. However, at the end of the


    day, it was still poison and he would die if he didn¡®t receive medical attention


    ¡°Let¡®s just cut to the chase then shall we?¡± | continued. ¡°Confirm the session of Alpha to myself and


    w


    o can reconvene in a few days to go over the nitty gritty detalls.¡±


    ¡°You can¡®t just barde in here without any im and demand the pack!¡± Gamma Oliver yelled,


    But I didn¡®t,¡± I calmly replied, ¡°Alpha Tylus is now dead, his sessor, whom I challenged during his


    attempt to mark mo, is now incapacitated. ording to the naturalws of our kind, the title is now


    rightfully mine. Though, need I remind you all that, with my mark from the Goddess hersell, I was always


    just as entitled to this pack os Aloric was, My im fontirely legitimate.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s not... you can¡®t...,¡± he stammered, trying to find an adequate excuse.


    However, Elder Luke then cut in.


    ¡°If you believe that Aria¡®s right to the litle of Alpha Is any less than Aleric¡®s... then you are in contempt of


    the Goddess¡® will,¡± he said, ¡°A challenge was issued... Aria then showed her strength and ability to


    ovee not just one.. but Iwo Alpha bloods. Anyone who would even begin to discredit her im to


    this title would be doing so out of their own sellish beliefs,¡±


    That seemed to shut Oliver up.


    ¡®They don¡®t respect you enough...,¡¯ the voice inside whispered, ¡®You should make them kneel. All of them.


    I I would force them to acknowledge your authority.¡®


    But I quickly pushed away her suggestion. There was no need to drag this out longer than necessary.


    ¡°Brilliant. Any other questions?¡± | asked the room, scanning their faces.


    I needed them to hurry this along. The intervals between cold shivers were now decreasing in time and


    soon I wouldn¡®t be able to focus on this anymore. Normally, a ceremony would be done for the transfer of


    Alpha rank however, in light of everything happening, I was happy to just opt for the verbal contract.


    Technically, only the words were required.


    When I was met with only silencel then smiled. ¡°Okay, perfect. Swear me in and we can all go about the


    rest of our day. Obviously, someone will need to deal with Aleric... and the body. Please ensure Alericis


    given full medical treatment and is sent to the cells once he has recovered. No one is to have any direct


    contact with him unless I say so. Is that clear?¡±


    The room mutely nodded around me.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Elder Luke said, breaking the tension slightly from the council, ¡°Aria, please approach and


    kneel.¡±


    I stood up and met Elder Luke at the front of the room, doing so under the watchful eyes of everyone


    else around me.


    ¡°Aria, do you promise to protect, serve and do right by this pack to the best of your ability?¡± he asked.


    I bowed my head as I took on the responsibility. ¡°Under the gaze of the Goddess, I, Ariadne Chrysalis, do


    ept these terms.¡±


    ¡°Then let me be the first one to officially wee you. On behalf of those present today, we, the council


    o f the Winter Mist, hereby ept the Saintess, Ariadne Chrysalis, as our new Alpha and leader. We are


    all i n your care now.¡±


    I wasn¡®t expecting any apuse or adoration, of course. After what I¡®d just done, I waspletely


    realistic about the situation. But even if they hated me, this was for both their future and mine. Even if


    they didn¡®t know it.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Luke,¡± I said, standing back up. ¡°I appreciate your support and wisdom, as always. I¡®m


    looking forward to the great work we can aplish together.¡±


    But then I felt it. Like an immense pressure building inside against one of the bones in my thigh...


    ...And I knew it would snap at any second.


    ¡°Okay, everyone! Apologies for this,¡± I said, turning back around to face the entire room. ¡°But...


    respectfully, everyone needs to get the fuck out. Like right now. I want warriors posted at the front door


    and no one is to enter. No one.¡±


    They all didn¡®t waste time in moving, carrying out my order just as I¡®d asked. Aleric and Tytus were also


    removed swiftly, something I tried not to focus on. Thest thing I needed was to dwell on that right now.


    And so, after a few minutes had passed, it was finally only me and Elder Luke left.


    ¡°Do you need a hand?¡± he asked kindly, already knowing what was happening. ¡°The first time is always


    the most painful.¡±


    But I shook my head. I¡®d already been through this once and knew what was ahead. And right now, I just


    wanted to be alone more than anything. Having someone else here would just be a sad reminder of my


    loss.


    Though it felt strange to be doing this in here; this ce being typically reserved for only gatherings.


    However, the meeting hall was thergest enclosed area within the pack and I knew that leaving to the


    woods right now would be far too dangerous. Especially when I wouldn¡®t be able to defend myself for a


    while.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, bowing his head at me. ¡°Call for me when you are ready.¡±


    And with that he left, the room bingpletely empty. Now it was just me and...


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    *SNAP.*


    I cried out from the pain, falling to the ground.


    It hurt. It hurt so goddamn bad. This body had never felt what it was like, felt the new shapes and


    sensations that came with shifting. Unfortunately, just knowing what to expect didn¡®t seem to lesson that i


    In the slightest.


    My breathing soon quickened until it becameboured and, slowly, I could feel my bones breaking, my


    skin moving, my limbs reforming....


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I cried, tears falling down my face. I just wanted this to be over with.


    Normally one would have their family here to distract them from the pain, to help and support them


    through this. But I didn¡®t have any family left. No, it was just me now.


    Unsurprisingly, it wasn¡®t long before the pain became so overwhelming that my body became numb to it,


    shutting it off inside my brain. Only the sound of my flesh being torn and bones snapping filled the air


    around me. Just the sickening melody of my pain to apany me.


    ...And then, finally, it was done.


    It could have been hourster before I felt myself reach the end of it.


    id panting on the ground, my body now changed into that of my wolf, and new heightened sensations


    immediately swept through my body.


    Everything became so... Vivid. Colours were sharper, scents were more prominent, and I could even


    hear distant muffled soundsing from outside the room. It seemed like there were so many things I¡®d


    been missing out on, so many privileges I¡®d once taken for granted. It was hard to believe I¡®d lived


    another four years without this.


    But then I felt it.


    Checusuhty on


    I felt her.


    My wolf. She was waking up.


    The only one who hadn¡®t ever abandoned or hurt me in the past. The only real friend I had ever had. The


    only one who knew of all the pain and suffering I¡®d felt¡­ because she had suffered through all of it right


    along with me.


    Finally, she was back.


    ¡®I missed you,¡® I sobbed within my mind.


    But something was wrong.


    She was... anxious. On edge. Like she wasn¡®t sure what was happening.


    ¡®Don¡®t you remember? Look at what we¡®ve been through¡­ look at everything that we have survived


    together,¡¯ I said internally.


    And I showed her. Images of the past, of the present, of the pain and torture we experienced. Of the


    things she¡®d missed, of the heartaches we¡®d endured... of the betrayals we¡®d suffered.


    But she instantly recoiled from me, pushing herself back into the furthest part of my mind. All of the


    things I was showing her had been too much. She didn¡®t understand... couldn¡®t handle the immense


    amount of pain in my memories or how it was possible to be from another timeline.


    ...And I realised then the cold truth. The devastating reality of the situation¡­


    She wasn¡®t *my wolf.


    No, she belonged to the girl who had lived in this body for fourteen years. An innocent in all of this. It


    seemed that I, alone, was the only one who had been brought back... not my wolf.


    None of this probably made any sense to her, yet I¡®d greeted her with an onught of pain carried


    through two lifetimes. And she chose to wall herself away.


    Coward. Weak,¡¯ I spat at her.


    *My* wolf had been forged from within the rejection of our mate, from the lives we¡®d imed, and from


    the pain we¡®d lived through every day together.


    This wolf... was nothing. More simr to the naive girl I¡®d originally been growing up than anything of true


    strength. Without even trying, she had already withdrawn in order to protect herself from me.


    ¡®Fine then. Have it your way,¡® I hissed inside and took back full control of our body.


    | slowly stood up on all fours, trying to remember how to maneuver the fur¨Ccovered form, and began


    walking around the room. And I kept walking... and walking... every second spent trying to force my body


    t o respond to my will, move to mymand...


    But there was no push back though... no contradictory force...


    It was just me in here.


    Just me... and not my wolf.


    Eventually, my resolve finally broke and I fell to the ground, my body beginning to shift back. And I could


    feel myself shaking as I transitioned... but it wasn¡®t from the physical pain.


    As soon as I had returned to my human self, a sob wracked through me, ovee with the sheer


    emotional distress I¡®d gone through; something now made only worse by the realisation that I really was


    truly alone. That there was not a single being in this world I could trust anymore.


    Chapter Egghty¨COne


    And Goddess, I didn¡®t want to do this anymore. I didn¡®t want to feel this way anymore. I¡®d lost everyone


    I¡®d cared about...


    ...And I was so alone.


    So alone.


    ...We don¡®t need them,¡® the familiar voice of my other self whispered inside.


    And it was a jarring reminder that there was another who knew of what I was going through. Knew


    exactly what I was feeling. The only person who had given me the strength to do what needed to be


    done during that meeting today.


    ¡®We protect ourselves first,¡¯ she continued. ¡®We work hard and we get things done. Let this be thest


    time we shed any tears for those we have lost.¡®


    I curled myself up on the floor, hugging my legs to my chest. Her words wereforting for the aching


    inside.


    ¡®But let us not forget the person behind why so much has gone wrong in our lives.¡®


    ¡®The person who was responsible for originally introducing Thea to the pack, for killing us, for why we no


    longer have our wolf, for gaining our trust before mercilessly betraying us... for killing our parents... for


    falsely iming that they loved us.¡®


    Tears continued falling down my face as I listened, but I knew I needed to hear this.


    ...Aleric.¡®


    ¡®Aleric was, and always will be, our undoing. He was our beginning and our end. Time does not change


    that.¡¯


    ¡®Now that Tytus is gone, he will try to kill us whenever he next gets the chance. We murdered his father.


    H. e cannot be trusted. Do you understand?¡®


    And I closed my eyes, nodding my head in acknowledgement at everything she was telling me.


    It was time to let go and ept that Aleric was the same monster inside.


    But maybe that was okay.


    I didn¡®t need him, after all. In fact, I didn¡®t need anyone anymore. There was no one left in this entire pack


    ¡®who could ever tell me what to do again. No one left to chain me up or force me to give myself to


    someone for the sake of their son¡®s session.


    No, I¡®d be okay.


    Just me¡­ and *hert. The only ones left

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    Chapter Eighty¨CTwo


    *Swear your oath,¡± I said, my eyes marrowing at the man before me.


    His body still lowered in submission, he ced a hand over his chest in respect.


    ¡°), Alpha Tristan Green, of the Onyx Rock, hereby pledge my pack to the alliance offered by Alpha


    Ariadne of the Winter Mist. May our packs continue to prosper together under your guidance and


    protection.¡±


    Good.


    Satisfied with his words, I stood up and walked over to sp my hand in his.


    ¡°I epi.¡±


    And with thai, another pack had joined the alliance. Though, more urately, another had sworn to


    continue their alliance. Something that was seemingly slow goingtely, the days dragging out.


    So much so, it was hard to believe that two months had already gone by.


    Two months since I¡®d killed Tytus, imprisoned Aleric, and became Alpha of the Winter Mist.


    And things were... okay.


    Not to say I was doing anything wrong. On the contrary, I had the pack running like clockwork, making us


    more efficient than ever before.


    No, the issues wereid more externally. Specifically, other packs,


    I had been prepared for opposition to my rise in rank however, it seemed I¡®d miscalcted just how many


    would be against pledging to an alliance with a female Alpha.


    The ways of our kind were apparently still too archaic, too set in stone with old beliefs.


    But I¡®d been wearing them down slowly.


    Little by little, I was showing them why it was in their best interest to continue, proving I was far more


    fearsome than most had believed. Not the helpless Saintess I¡®d initially built my brand to be... but rather


    a foe you didn¡®t want to find yourself suddenly facing. The only issue was there were still so many packs


    left to go. There wasn¡®t one simple way to get them all to agree at once so it had been a painstakingly


    slow process.


    ¡°You¡®ll have ess to your supply route again within the day.¡± I continued to the Alpha, my lips slowly


    twitching into a triumphant smile. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡±


    ¡°Now they¡®ll never forget how easy it was for us to cut them off. How much they still need our support,¡¯


    the voice said inside.


    And I agreed.


    The Alpha didn¡®t stick around for much longer once the requirements for the alliance had been finalised.


    Not that I med him. I was far too busy to care though, needing to focus on other problems.


    Behind the scenes of my new operation thesest few months, Iris had been utilising herwork of


    followers across the country to support me but, since hardly any of those extended to the ranked


    members of those packs, the results were not instant. Not to say those contacts didn¡®t have their other


    uses though. Uses like uncovering information for me on their packs¡® weaker points.


    It hadn¡®t been hard to figure out that most of these Alphas were never going to respect me unless I


    forced them into some sort of submission. Proof that I really was as formidable as the new rumours had


    hinted a 1. All they had wanted to see was a young, naive girl... right up until I suddenly had their whole


    pack in a


    checkmate.


    Some were still trying to y a waiting game though, holding off to see if I would crumble under the new


    responsibility. They wanted me to prove them right, prove that I wasn¡®t cut out for this. A gamble that


    some were even now risking their own packs for. Though soon they would start to feel what the loss of


    our alliance meant.


    I wasn¡®t entirely ignorant though. I knew under the surface that even my own pack was somewhat


    divided. They were forced to respect me because of the Alpha bond but I knew what some of them were


    thinking deep down. Or, at least, what some of them were hoping for.


    ...Hoping for the rising of their Alpha heir.


    The one who had been living within a cell thesest two months.


    If only they knew the kind of person he really was.


    ¡°This is going too slow,¡± I grumbled to Elder Luke as we entered back into my office. ¡°At this rate, we¡®ll


    start declining too far in status if we can¡®t make enough progress.¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t disagree,¡± he said, grabbing a few documents from the desk.


    ¡°I just... I don¡®t get it,¡± I said, sighing in my chair. ¡°I know it¡®s only been two months but I thought by now


    we¡®d be seeing a small upward trend of people joining. Except it¡®s stayed about the same. It¡®s almost like


    ¡­ like they¡®re dragging their feet. I get that they¡®re waiting for me to slip up but this is just getting


    ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°It is harder to break traditions than you might believe,¡± he said, raising an eyebrow.


    Though it wasn¡®t of anyfort to hear that.


    ¡°Let me see the list,¡± I said, holding my hand out for the documents he¡®d been looking after for me.


    ¡°We¡®re missing something, I¡®m sure.¡±


    But it was as I scanned the list of packs still pending for the alliance that I frowned, surprised over what I


    saw.


    ¡°...Is thispletely urate?¡± I asked sceptically, continuing to flick through the pages to ensure it


    hadn¡®t been mistakenly written in the wrong section.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± he answered.


    But that couldn¡®t be right... could it?


    ¡°This is saying the Silver Lake pack still hasn¡®t sent word about whether they¡®ll join or not.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    I finally looked up, dragging my eyes away from the page, though now only further confused. ¡°But¡­


    why? mean... have they provided a reason? I didn¡®t think they, of all people, would reject my extension


    for friendship.¡±


    Was Cai holding a grudge because of what happened between us? It seemed so petty to bring in


    personal problems when it was both of our packs at stake. Unprofessional even.


    And it meant something far worse too....


    But Elder Luke¡®s mouth turned downward. ¡°Well, after Caius was imprisoned here for so many months, to


    the point of almost inciting a war, I can¡®t really me Alpha Tobias for his logic.¡±


    ¡°But that was Tytus¡® doing, not mine,¡± I argued. ¡°I was the one trying to free Cai that entire time. I was the


    one working day and night to prevent that war.¡±


    olet Enghe two


    ¡°Right... that may be true,¡± he said slowly. ¡°However, and forgive me for saying this, but, were you not the


    reason why he was imprisoned to begin with? Was it not due to your actions that the misunderstanding


    originally arose?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek, knowing he was right.


    ¡®The Silver Lake has risen in rank enough to where an alliance would only aid in avoiding war,¡± Elder


    Luke continued. ¡°If we were to fall in status now, they would just stand to gain bing the next


    powerhouse pack within our region. They have the least to lose by declining our offer... Alpha, apologies,


    but...¡±


    ¡°I already know what you¡®re going to say,¡± I interjected. ¡°I know what path you¡®ve calcted ahead and I


    see it too. I know what this means.¡±


    Because the effects were far worse than one would initially think.


    And it would exin why there was so much push back to join the alliance right now, even putting aside


    prejudice.


    ... They were waiting to see if the Silver Lake would rise up, challenging us for our position.


    Essentially, if the Silver Lake refused to join now, we¡®d be looking at a power struggle between us. The


    other packs within the previous alliance would need to choose a side and, in doing so, they would be


    deciding who would next be the strongest territory; gaining the ability to manage and impose taxes


    a s they wished.


    But it wasn¡®t just that. If we really did fail to regain our position, the Winter Mist would then only have two


    options.


    Either we submitted to the Silver Lake, hoping that they didn¡®t refuse our request to fall under the


    umbre of their alliance. Though, I was uncertain whether Tobias would even ept that.


    Or, more devastatingly, it would mean our pack would be outcasted. Without the support of an alliance to


    strengthen us, we wouldn¡®t be able to maintain our status for long. It meant putting ourselves in the


    hands of Alpha Tobias to decide our fate; leaving us defenceless to the snowballing side effects that


    followed.


    It meant potentially the death of our pack.


    So I knew what mighty ahead for us. I saw what Elder Luke did.


    Either I had to convince them to join us now... or we¡®d have to implement an approach that had the best


    chance of sess. A path that reduced the most risk of ending up in that vulnerable position.


    ...War.


    An all in or nothing approach since, if we failed to acquire the numbers within the alliance, it would be


    almost impossible to win anyway.


    The best time would be when the packs were still being divided between us, before any one territory


    could be a clear victor. It would be only during that moment that we would still be able to utilise the


    entirety of the alliancework we still had. Because once everyone had abandoned us, the battle would


    already be lost


    On


    The question now was whether or not we could convince the Silver Lake to join back into our alliance,


    avoiding that oue entirely.


    ¡°This makes things... moreplicated,¡± I mused aloud. ¡°Has anyone had any official confirmation yet?


    Any indication for when we¡®ll receive their answer?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Though Tobias has been busy these days, handling rogue disputes along their northern


    border.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine, then ask for a meeting with Cai,¡± I replied. ¡°He is able to represent the pack in these matters,


    even if he can make the final say. He¡®ll have enough senso lo realise this won¡®t benefit either of us S


    katter everything we¡®ve been through, he will be able to help his father see reason.¡±


    Welddach out and request his attention on the matter already, Several times, in fact,¡± Elder Luke


    started the response was that he didn¡®t want to get involved as he is ¡®unwell. Evidently, sick enough to b


    avoiding this for almost five months.¡±


    That such a nerve


    Seriously? What are we children?¡± I asked, incredulously. ¡°This feels so... so immature.¡±


    I knew we didnt leave things on the best of terms, but making excuses to get out of dealing with


    something so entically important seemed ridiculous.


    On the other hand though, I wondered if this was because of his mate. Because she didn¡®t want us to


    meet again given our history?


    Well, whether or not his excuse is true, I¡®m unable to verify,¡± Elder Luke said. ¡°Though I would agree that


    this does appear to be... a less than ideal response.¡±


    I stood up and paced a few steps by the window, thinking of what to do in this situation. However, there


    weren t many options here.


    Technically their beta could also represent the pack if they were avable. The only problem was that this


    indecision of theirs was due to personal history so my best chance at sess was to appeal directly to


    Cai He was the only one who would be able to sway Tobias on this.


    Send a message to Cai from me. Tell him... tell him that I need his help,¡± I said. ¡°I want a meeting before


    the end of the month, Luke. ¡®No¡® is not an option.¡±


    Elder Luke simply bowed his head, acknowledging my order.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Though it was too horrible to even consider, Cai had been willing to leave his mate for me. Now it


    seemed that I needed to exploit his affection a little. I still could vividly remember how he¡®d looked at me


    eren once I¡®d try to scare him away. We might not be romantically involved anymore, but he was the kind


    of person to try to help even when he shouldn¡®t.


    With the Silver Lake business now dealt with, I moved to return to my paperwork. However, Elder Luke


    remained seated, almost as if he had more matters to discuss. Matters that made my body go rigid.


    ...He was asking for you again today.¡±


    Aleric.


    instantly, i gritted my teeth, still too irritated from dealing with Cai to be handling this now.


    1 don¡®t care,¡± I replied coldly. ¡°He doesn¡®t get to see me until he confesses what he knows about Thea.


    His refusal to cooperate is just selfish indignation at this point.¡±


    Aleric had been confined to a cell with only Lucy and Elder Luke having direct ess to him. Currently, h


    e was our best lead to finding out Thea¡®s whereabouts though he was making things exceedingly difficult.


    Almost stupidly so.


    ¡°He still ims to not know anything about her,¡± he said.


    ¡°And ** still know he¡®s lying since both Lucy and I heard him mention her,¡± I said. ¡°The fact he¡®s denying


    even that means he¡®s being dishonest about facts we already know.¡±


    ¡°Would it not just be easier to discuss these matters with him in person? Especially since he has asked


    for you several times now?¡± Elder Luke offered.


    Truthfully, I knew he was right. But it wasn¡®t as though I hadn¡®t tried.


    It took a few weeks after bing Alpha before I finally built up the courage to go face him. Between


    what I¡®d done and the trauma he caused me, even the thought of seeing him filled me with extreme


    anxiety.


    The problem was that I only made it about as far as his cell room door before I couldn¡®t go any further.


    My whole body had begun shaking so violently to the point I¡®d had to sit down, ovee with so much


    trauma and pain.


    And, of course, *she* didn¡®t make that any easier.


    The entire time she was whispering to me, telling me to turn back. To leave him to rot in the cell for the


    rest of his life. Ever since I¡®d given myself over and fully acknowledged her presence, it was like she¡®d


    be stronger in her influence over me.


    Now even the thought of seeing Aleric made me begin to tremble.


    ¡®He will kill you,¡® the voice inside whispered. ¡®He¡¯ll trick you into getting closer... ask that you give him a


    chance to hear him out and then...¡®


    As I listened to her words, it was as though I could see it all inside my head. See as his hand would


    snake out quickly from the bars, grabbing my throat... squeezing slowly until...


    A shiver ran down my spine, my hands beginning to shake from the terror she was able to manifest


    inside me.


    ¡®He can offer us nothing but lies, all stemming from a new personal vendetta. Look at how he continuest


    o deny everything even though we heard the evidence ourselves.¡®


    It wasn¡®t the first time she¡®d done this. In fact, it was just one of several images she¡®d been showing me


    since my birthday. Always the same fear¨Cinducing material she¡®d whisper to me over¡­ and over... and


    over again.


    ¡°Anything he can say to me, he can say to you and Lucy,¡± I reaffirmed, folding my arms over my chest to


    keep them steady. ¡°There¡®s no point in giving him what he wants when he clearly has no intention to tell


    u s the truth.¡±


    Not necessarily a lie... but I knew I wouldn¡®t be able to avoid it forever.


    At some point, I would need to get it over with.


    In the meantime though, I went to work preparing for the worst¨Ccase scenario. Things I could actually


    work on right now. No uncertain, unpredictable issues that only gave me more pain than answers. Just


    doing what I did best... strategising for a potential war; with the Silver Lake, no less.


    I¡®d already done it once... how hard could it really be?


    But... without Aleric? Maybe harder than I cared to admit. He was a force to be reckoned with on the


    battlefield and a major factor as to why the Silver Lake didn¡®t quickly finish us off the first time.


    No, this would be a lot more difficult without him. I would need to think of somethingpletely new this


    time that didn¡®t rely on Aleric¡®s brute strength.


    All of this was just preparation though. The first battle would be in that meeting with Cai where the fates o


    four packs would rest in our hands.


    ...Something that didn¡®t take too long to organise once he¡®d received my message.


    Chapter Eighty¨CTwo


    As I had thought, he didn¡®t waste much time ining when I¡®d personally asked for his help. In fact, it


    felt like no time at all before that day was finally upon me.


    I sat in my office chair, staring intensely at the door in anticipation for what felt like an hour, knowing that


    at any second he would arrive.


    Having not seen him since that night I¡®d almost escaped, my chest felt so tight that I had to keep


    reminding myself to breathe. But I was here to do my job and, in doing that, I needed to push down any


    personal feelings I felt on the subject... regardless of what they may be. I had a pack that depended on


    me now.


    So when the door finally opened and Cai walked in, I cleared my head and focused on only the task at


    hand.


    Avoiding the worst¨Ccase scenario.


    Avoiding a war.


    ¡°...Hey, Cai¡± | greeted in a casual tone. ¡°Been a long time, aye?¡± And the meeting began.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    Chapter Eighty¨CThree As soon as the words had left my mouth though, I slowly started to take in what I


    was actually seeing before me.


    Because it was Cai, but... true to the excuse he¡®d provided, he really didn¡®t seem well.


    I could recall how he¡®d appeared worn out thest time we¡¯d met, however this was on an entirely


    different level.


    He looked pale with dark circles under his eyes, perhaps having even lost some weight. The difference in


    his appearance was almost like an entirely different person from the man I¡®d first met all those years


    ago.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he greeted, his voice having a rasp to it that hadn¡®t been there before.


    And, inside, a pang of guilt hit me.


    It seemed I really had dragged him out of his sickbed.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± I said, gesturing to the chair on the other side of my desk, and heplied. ¡°I appreciate


    youing here to meet with me.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡®t give me much of a choice,¡± he replied.


    I simply nodded in turn. ¡°Well, you can¡®t me me. Your pack is still refusing to join the alliance and you


    can probably figure out what that means given my current position.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not refusing you anything, Aria,¡± he argued, a cough following his words. ¡°I¡®ve been too sick to be


    involved with politics; something that hassted for months now since no one can figure out what¡®s


    wrong with me. Yet, despite sending word to you of that very fact *multiple times*, you still insisted!e


    here.¡±


    ¡°You won¡®t be able to sit idly by in your bed if your pack is being killed outside your doors,¡± I replied


    harshly, my eyes narrowing. ¡°Apologies for dragging you out here but surely you can understand the very


    precarious position we¡®re in right now. Only you can help convince your father to join back into the


    alliance.¡±


    ¡°Really, Aria? Not even five minutes and already you¡®re threatening a war?¡±


    ¡°Do you even understand the full gravity of the situation, Cai? There are only two options for me here.


    Either you join our alliance again... or I¡®ll have no choice but to dere war. You already know I would


    rather avoid thetter.¡±


    ¡°I came here only because you said you needed me, Aria,¡± he said, his eyes meeting mine with


    unwavering intensity. ¡°Needed *me*. Not my title.¡±


    And, suddenly, just like in the past, I could start to feel that maic energy form in the air around him,


    wanting to draw me in and listen to him. To give in to him and try to make things right.


    Only I knew exactly what it was this time.


    And it had nothing to do with what ** wanted to do.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± I hissed, pushing past the influence threatening to sway my mind.


    Now I knew what I was looking for, it was easy to tell when he used it. And it definitely wasn¡®t natural.


    Internally, I scolded myself for being so caught up in his affection to not see it earlier.


    But he only frowned, confused by my abrupt response.


    ¡°... Stop what? I¡®m just telling you the truth,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Using me for what I can offer you politically


    Chapter light bree


    was not what I¡®d had in mind.¡±


    ¡°No. I mean stop doing that thing,¡± I replied, gritting my teeth. ¡°It might have worked to get me into bed


    with you but I know what you¡®re doing now. Stop trying to manipte me.¡±


    ¡°Wh... What the hell are you on about?¡± he said, soundingpletely genuine.


    And I actually believed him. It looked as though he really didn¡®t know anything about the original lineages


    or his family¡®s attribute. His confusion sounded sincere.


    However, whether he knew what he was doing or not, it didn¡®t really change anything. The fact of the


    matter was that it was definitive confirmation that he¡®d been influencing me during the times we were


    together. Now I would never know if what I¡®d felt during those moments was even real or just a byproduct


    of an ability.


    ¡°How about this then...,¡± I started, doing my best not to let myself get further angry over that realisation.


    ¡°If you agree to speak to your father about joining the alliance, I, in return, will let you speak to Elder


    Luke. There are things about you that, apparently, you don¡®t even know about yet, things that would


    change your entire perspective. And who knows? Maybe he can help you with your mystery illness.¡± 1


    ¡°Wait, so let me get this straight...,¡± he said, his frown deepening. ¡°You want to withhold ess to


    someone who might have vital information to potentially cure me... on the condition I serve your agenda


    for Alpha?¡±


    ¡°...I¡®m doing what I need to do for my pack,¡± I replied tly.


    But that, evidently, was the final straw for him.


    ¡°I¡®m finished here,¡± he said, standing up, and began walking to the door.


    Immediately, I got up and followed behind though, trying to make it there before him... only I was too


    late.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± I said, finally catching up. ¡°Cai! Think about what you¡®re doing. About what this means


    for both of our packs.¡±


    He paused at my words, his hand still on the handle, and looked down at me. It was as though he were


    searching my face, trying to look for something there,


    ...Only I found something before he did.


    ¡°...I don¡®t know who you are...,¡± he started coldly, ¡°...but you¡®re not the girl I met all those years ago in


    high school.¡±


    And perhaps I would have flinched at his words if it hadn¡®t been for the sickening discovery I¡®d just made


    myself.


    A discovery I couldn¡®t believe I¡®d failed to distinguish sooner.


    In my defence though, it had been hidden behind him the entire time, difficult to discern.


    Quickly, without giving him a chance to leave, I then snatched his hand away from the handle and, with


    m y other hand, I grabbed his throat, pushing him back up against the door behind him.


    ¡°Aria!¡± he choked out in surprise, struggling to pry away my grip.


    But I was stronger than him now. Not just because of the training and my mark, but he was significantly


    weaker in his condition. He wouldn¡®t be able to escape me no matter how hard he tried.


    ¡°Where is she?!¡± I demanded, my body instantly ignited in a rage I hadn¡®t thought possible. ¡°Where the


    fuck is she, Cai?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t know who you¡®re talking about,¡± he wheezed.


    But I just tightened my grip in response, his denial only further angering me. There would be no way out


    of it this time. I would finally get my answers. No matter what.


    ¡°Don¡®t y stupid!¡± I screamed back. ¡°I can smell her on you! You think I don¡®t know what that bitch


    smells like after living with her for six years?!¡±


    Cai¡®s natural scent had always had an undertone of sweetness to it that, given I now had enhanced


    senses from my shift, I hadn¡®t initially picked up the obvious difference at first. I¡®d brushed it off thinking it


    was just me smelling his scent properly for the first time.


    But, no. Now I was up close, there was no mistaking it. No mistaking that overly sugary sweet smell that


    made my nose wrinkle.


    He could deny it all he wanted but the evidence was there¡­.


    ...He had Thea¡®s scent on him.


    It might have been just a trace amount but I would know it anywhere.


    ¡°Aria, stop!¡± he pleaded, still trying to pry my hand away. ¡°I don¡®t know who you think this scent belongs


    to, but I can tell you right now that it¡®s my mate¡®s; it¡®s Caitlyn¡®s.¡±


    Instantly, my whole body froze and I loosened my grip on him out of sheer shock.


    ...He couldn¡®t be serious... could he?


    But if that were true then...


    ...And my vision immediately turned red.


    ¡°You¡®ve been fucking Thea this entire time?!¡± I screamed. ¡°What is wrong with you?!¡±


    ¡°Aria, I told you, it¡®s¨C.¡±


    ¡°Thea! Youplete idiot! She obviously gave you a fake name! Why is it that every time I get involved


    with a man, they end up screwing her?!¡±


    I took a step back and ran a shaky hand through my hair, inplete disbelief this was even happening.


    Happening *again*. How had both my lives led me here?


    His brow only creased though, still adamant he was right. ¡°You¡®re wrong, Aria. We have the mate bond. I


    know she¡®s not lying.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°There is no mate bond. She¡®s not your mate, Cai! Why can¡®t you see that?¡± I yelled back furiously. ¡°You


    want to know why you¡®re so unwell? Whatever your ¡®mate¡® is doing to make you think you¡®re together, is


    probably the same thing that is making you sick!¡±


    ¡°But I feel the mate bond...,¡± he stammered, sounding even unconvincing to me. ¡°I mean... I think I do.


    Well, it¡®s not¡­ no, I know she¡®s my mate.¡±


    ¡°Cai! Wake the fuck up!¡± | bit back. ¡°Her scent was on me that night you found me sleeping in the trial


    grounds. I¡®d juste from trying to kill her, remember? If she was your goddamn ¡®mate¡®, you would


    have smelt her as such back then!¡±


    I didn¡®t know how she did it, but somehow she¡®d managed to create some sort of artificial mate bond,


    Enough to make Cai see her as his mate.


    But something like that waspletely unheard of.


    ...Unless, of course, Selene had something to do with it.


    After all, there were already a bunch of us apparently running around with god powers.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    ¡°... You need to tell me where she is,¡± I demanded, stepping back towards him again. ¡°Tell me where she


    is right now or I swear I will burn every fucking bridge to get that information out of you. I don¡®t care what


    it costs.¡±


    ¡°Aria... I don¡®t¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I cut off, grabbing his shirt in my fists and pushing him back up against the door once more. ¡°No,


    you don¡®t get to tell me you don¡®t know. I smell her on you, Cai. Tell me where the fuck she is right now!¡±


    He mustered up enough strength to push me back, but I didn¡®t release my grip on his shirt.


    ¡°Aria! I don¡®t know where she is. Shees and goes a lot since I¡®ve mostly been in bed these days,¡± he


    exined. ¡°And she has family. Not in a pack but¨C¡± |


    ¡°A human family,¡± I finished for him. ¡°Yeah, it¡®s the same bullshit line she fed everyone here when she


    turned up after killing Myra. You¡®re all morons for believing her. I assume you didn¡®t even bother to ask


    her about it.¡±


    He just pushed me again in reply, confirming my thoughts, and I finally relinquished my grip, but not for


    his sake.


    Without looking at him, I then quickly walked over to the cab and threw across the room whatever


    ornament had been sitting on top of it, needing to physically vent my anger somehow.


    ¡°I don¡®t understand any of this. How can it feel like she¡®s my mate but she¡®s not? I mean... it always felt a


    bit... weak, but the signs were all there. Whenever I look at her, it¡®s like something inside tells me she is


    m y mate. How can you fake something like that?¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck knows, Cai? Why don¡®t you ask her next time you¡®re both sitting down together for


    dinner?¡±


    ¡°Stop ming me, Aria!¡± he then growled back. ¡°I never knew what she looked like! When she was living


    in the Winter Mist, I was living in your goddamn cells, remember?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up, Cai!¡± I snapped back, finally losing thest shred of restraint. ¡°You don¡®t get to y the


    victim here. In fact, I¡®m done. I¡®m so done with all of this. Of you... of Aleric. Somehow both of you have


    found your way into her bed no matter what I do! Is this why Selene actually brought me back?


    Entertainment to see how long it takes before Ipletely lose it?! Because I¡®m there. I¡®m there,


    Selene!¡± 1


    ¡®What if he¡®s lying and he knew it was Thea the whole time, the voice inside finally piped up. ¡®What if he


    knew and is in league with her? What if he just wants you to think he isn¡®t on her side so you¡®ll open up


    and let him steer you in the wrong direction?¡®


    ¡°Aria! Get it together! I can help you find her but you need to calm down,¡± he said, taking a step towards


    m


    1. e.


    ...It was just as my other self had cautioned me about.


    And so I quickly took a step back, now doubting even his presence here.


    ¡°No... no you stay the hell away from me,¡± I warned, my hand resting on the dagger by my hip. ¡°I want


    you off my territory immediately. I don¡®t even care if you talk to Tobias or not anymore. In fact, don¡®t. I


    dare you. Don¡®t join back into the alliance and I *promise you* I will wipe your pack off the map again,


    just like! did in thest timeline. This meeting was only a courtesy... for you.¡± ?


    ¡°Aria! Wait¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°No! I said I¡®m done.¡±


    ¡°Aria¨C¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck out of my office, Cai!¡± I finally screamed, my eyes aze.


    He just stared at me, his eyes zing for a split second under my order, before breaking early,


    It seemed my Saintess authority wouldn¡®t work on him.


    Not to say I was aiming to order him like that but it did open up an interesting revtion I hadn¡®t


    expected.


    If I had to take a guess why, it would probably have something to do with him also possessing attributes


    o f the Goddess. Perhaps it was the same for Aleric too. Maybe this was always the way things were


    going o end up. That there was no oue where I could havemanded Aleric or Tytus to stand


    down given their lineage.


    ¡°You don¡®t need to order me,¡± he growled, finding hisposure. ¡°I¡®ll leave myself.¡±


    And, with that, he finally walked out, leaving behind the solitude I had so badly craved.


    In fact, now in the empty office, the only thing that filled the silence was the sound of my breathing,


    threatening to turn into sobs at any second.


    But I couldn¡®t give in to that.


    No, not today.


    We¡®d made a promise on my birthday to never shed tears for anyone again.


    If Cai was working with Thea, then so be it. We¡®d get to her somehow now we had a link.


    More so than that though, I just couldn¡®t believe that all of these months had passed and she¡®d literally


    been across the border in Cai¡®s bed the entire time. Given how easily girls seem to fall into hisp, ..


    perhaps I should have checked there first.


    But all of this boiled down to Selene. Because she had sent me back with no information on the powers¨C


    at ¨Cbe that extended far beyond the normal I knew of. It was as if she had wanted me to fail, setting me


    upt o lose when the enemy clearly wasn¡®t ordinary.


    No, Selene had sat back and watched me slowly die during my first life.


    ...And now she was watching it happen again, only this time with more variables.


    Did the first death bore her too much?


    Did she just need a bit more spice for the second time around?


    Well fine.


    I¡®d bring it to her


    Since she liked watching so much, I¡®d give her a front¨Crow seat.


    And with that, I stormed out of my office, out of the packhouse, and into the forest behind it.


    The forest I used to go running in. The forest where I¡®d apparently forgotten something very important.


    A distant memory from another life, almostpletely overlooked now, yet had somehow retained


    nheless. Perhaps Selene had intentionally tried to make it that way.


    Because I could recall now the day I¡®de running through here to clear my head, the day Aleric had


    told me Thea was pregnant.


    ...And I¡®d seen a woman.


    A woman in a white dress with golden hair who had seemingly made it over the border without patrols


    seeing her.


    Who had no scent or presence and magically disappeared into thin air when I¡®d approached.


    Chapter Eighty¨CThree


    Who I discovered merely weekster resembled the Goddess herself, only once I¡¯d met with her in the


    Abyss.


    Because she might have imed that she couldn¡®t involve herself in our affairs, but it didn¡®t stop her from


    watching us anyway. After living for so long, what else was there for a Goddess to do?


    Well, whatever the reason, I was well and truly done. Done with her neglect, her omissions, her ability to


    send me back without even a shred of information as to what was happening or what I needed to fix. I


    was done with this life.


    If she really needed me to change our fate so badly, then she could prove it. No, she could tell me


    herself.


    ¡°Come out!¡± I screamed into the forest. ¡°I know you¡®re watching me!¡±


    The sky was already darkening as the afternoon was turning into night, and I knew the conditions were


    almost the same as that day I¡®d first seen her.


    ¡°Selene! Show yourself!¡±


    But only silence followed.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± I hissed and pulled out my dagger. ¡°Eithere out, or I swear to you that I¡®ll make the


    decision for both of us right now, Selene!¡±


    And I held the dagger up to my throat, threatening to move it at any second.


    ¡°You think I won¡®t do it?!¡± I yelled when she still hadn¡®t appeared. ¡°You think I give a shit about saving


    anyone anymore? Everyone who loved me either lied or is dead. I have nothing left Selene, no one worth


    saving. So fuck yourws. If you really need me so badly then you can show yourself or...¡±


    I pressed the silver into my flesh more, waiting for when she would stop me.


    ...And yet, still, no one appeared.


    Did I get it wrong?


    ... Did I not matter as much as I thought?


    It seemed she really wasmitted to calling my bluff. Maybe once I was gone she would just send


    someone else back to try and stop Thea. Maybe it never mattered if I agreed or not because she would


    have chosen another poor soul if I¡®d declined being sent back.


    ...But could I really do this? I¡®de out here to demand answers on the assumption she needed me


    more than I needed her, that she couldn¡®t take the risk of me ending it. If she really wouldn¡®t appear...


    could I go through with it? Was I actually at my limit?


    ¡®It would be a fitting end, the voice inside said. ¡®To have lived and lost everything in both lives is no small


    thing to endure. But surely the Abyss would be better than this hell? Maybe this doesn¡®t need to be a


    bluff after all....


    I wasn¡®t sure if those words wereforting or not.


    ¡°...Alright, then,¡± I whispered after a few minutes had passed with no result. ¡°Have it your way. I¡®ll see you


    o In the other side, Selene....¡±


    And with that, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and prepared myself mentally for what I was


    actually considering....


    It couldn¡®t be that hard, right? There would be no Aleric, no Cai, no Thea, no wars, no packs, no


    heartaches or loss. A sanctuary away from all of that was just waiting for me on the other side. If the


    Abyss could show me my worst memories then perhaps, one day, it could also show me my best.


    Maybe, i


    wapagay intee


    fI was lucky. I could see my parents and Myra again. Maybe I could finally be at peace....


    And so my grip tightened on the de, my heart now racing.


    Just a quick movement would be enough and...¡ª


    ¡°¨CStop,¡± a voice then came from the forest. And my eyes flew back open to see who had spoken.


    Chapter Eighty Four


    Chapter Eighty¨CFour


    The second I saw her standing there, I quickly copsed to my knees, my grip releasing from the dagger


    immediately.


    I¡®d been merely a second away from doing it. From ending it. From finally letting go.


    And yet I was still alive.


    I gasped at the air around me, my body shaking from adrenaline as it pulsed through me.


    It had started as just a bluff... but somehow I¡®d found myself almost going through with it.


    ...Had I really fallen to that point?


    Regardless of the means though, I couldn¡®t dispute the results.


    Because Selene had shown herself. Standing in all her glory, her silver eyes analysing as she silently


    looked down at me.


    Even from here, I could feel that air around her. The one that made me want to give myself over to her.


    Funny how eerily simr it really was to Cai¡®s ability. The familiarity in the energy surrounding her was


    almost uncanny.


    After a minute or so had passed, I finally managed to calm down, my heart now back at a semi¨Cnormal


    rate. And so I proceeded to address her directly, Selene still having remained silent this entire time.


    ¡°You know what I want,¡± | said to her. ¡°Though I¡®m unsure if ¡®want¡® is even the right word. Tell me....what


    word would be best to describe the information you so negligently deprived me of?¡±


    But her lips only creased into a tight line as she continued to scrutinise me.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Is she one of us?¡± I proceeded to ask, slowly getting back to my feet. ¡°Is she one of the original lineages


    descended from you?¡±


    She paused for another moment, considering, before finally answering.


    ¡°... No,¡± she said, her voice almost melodic.


    ¡°But she possesses the abilities of a God?¡± I pressed, stepping towards her. ¡°Because, on the possibility


    that Cai is telling the truth, then what she did to him is not normal.¡±


    ¡°...It is...plicated.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I immediately barked back. ¡°I told you already. You¡®re going to give me the answers you owe me...


    or we¡®re done. You can find someone else to do this. I¡®m not participating in your rigged game anymore.¡±


    Only more silence followed as she quietly regarded me, almost as if weighing up her options. And, for a


    moment, I wondered whether or not she really would just leave me here. Be just another number in


    the lives she had inadvertently ruined.


    But then she finally spoke once more.


    ¡°You wouldn¡®t be able to understand if I told you,¡± she replied. ¡°There are things in this life far beyond


    what you could possibly begin to imagine. You are merely a child in a world of adults who have lived and


    ruled over everything since the beginning of time.¡±


    ¡°Then help me understand,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Help me to see what I need to because I¡®m not equipped for this


    war you threw me into. It¡®s clear you need me to stop whatever triggers the end of my kind and yet you


    give me nothing but a mark that only made my life infinitely more difficult. I don¡®t possess the knowledge I


    need in order to benefit you, or anyone else, in stopping this cataclysmic event. Please... help me,


    Selene


    chowie Eighty Four


    .... Help me stop her.¡±


    She took another few moments to think further on my request, her silence so eerily unnerving, and, as


    every second ticked by, my own anxiety grew. This was myst hope. My only chance of getting the


    answers I needed. If she refused to intervene then I would remain lost in the dark.


    ¡°I can¡®t make you understand... but perhaps I can try and show you instead,¡± she finally said and


    approached me slowly. ¡°Apologies, child, but this will... not be pleasant.¡±


    And before I knew what was happening, her hands then cupped each side of my face, little sparks


    erupting from where my skin met hers, and, gently, she brought her face in, kissing my forehead. But it


    was as she brought her lips down that suddenly those sparks magnified and became like searing


    explosions in my mind, burning it from the inside.


    And I began to scream.


    I could recall her doing something simr to this when she¡®d brought me back to life. However, back then


    I had been dead. I knew now that whatever she was doing was not intended for the living. Maybe not


    even for those who did not possess a piece of her.


    ...What followed next was something cross between a vision and a burst of knowledgebined; my


    brain now ovee with intense overwhelming sensations all at once.


    ...Something that only stopped when I saw it.


    When I saw it all.


    A timeline of our origin, spanning since the beginning of time.


    ying out like a story in my head.


    The story she wanted to show me.


    A story that went like...


    Long ago, well before man drew breath, the Gods ruled over everything.


    Twelve children had been born to the universe and amongst the eldest, there was a girl.


    The young Goddess was best known for her kindness and affection towards her siblings, caring and


    doting over them always, and helping them wherever possible. And, as such, she was soon given the


    title of ¡°Great Mother¡°.


    But her life wasn¡®t easy. Whilst she loved and held her family dear, she had always refused to engage in


    any personal rtionships. Her devotion and dedication to seeing her family rise in power had be


    something that consumed all her time and energy, and she had no desire for children of her own. And so,


    whilst she had be known as the Great Mother, she would soon find herself bing bitter at the


    title when it became a constant reminder of the pressures she felt from her siblings to begin a family


    She was the Goddess of Sight, capable of influencing the perception of what people saw. She could


    create value and sway others¡® minds, and things that previously might have meant nothing, she could


    manipte the image in their heads to her own will, making them see what she desired them to. It made


    her exceptionally great at earning the trust and love of those around her, and her power of true sight also


    gave her a small insight of prophecy into the sess of whatever ventures she set her mind to.


    It was therefore with her help and influence that many yearster her family finally ascended to be


    the Great Circle of Gods, a now aged and forgotten council in modern days. But to her, this had been


    everything she had been aspiring for, everything that her family had worked so hard for. Finally, they all


    Chapter Eighty Four


    reigned on thrones above all else.


    But as she witnessed the years of peace go by and the times begin to change, she eventually felt the


    pressure for motherhood be too much for her. She knew that it would be her duty to leave behind a


    son to seed her on her throne one day.


    Before long, she found herself wed to someone who had always been a source of support, and the two


    of them were united happily. The names of these two Gods, now known as the ¡®old gods¡® or ¡®Titans¡®, were


    Hyperion... and Thea.


    Hyperion had loved Thea for as long as he could remember and was overjoyed when she chose him as


    her partner. For him, this had been all he had wanted. Just a nce, a touch, a whisper of affection from


    the woman he revered. And he was even happier when together they produced two healthy twin


    children; Helios and Selene.


    Their children were unlike any others, admired by everyone for their beauty and purity. And as the twins


    grew, she saw how their bond became stronger also. They were almost inseparable, their lives entwined


    a s they both grew together. And Thea even found herself happy too, something that surprised even her


    as, unexpectedly, the children had be her life and new purpose.


    But, as whispers of a new age were beginning, one where the new generation of Gods would look to


    overthrow their parents, many began to distrust even the ones they loved.


    Including Hyperion, a once good man who slowly became wrought with fear and anger. Because Thea


    no longer needed Hyperion now she had her children, and even his children felt no need for his love as


    they only needed each other. Soon, he found himself falling victim to those whispers of an uprising, no


    longer trusting even his own family.


    And, eventually, it became too much for even him.


    Hyperion acted by any means possible to stop his son from ever stealing his power....


    ...And drowned him in the Argyros River.


    Upon hearing of Helios¡® death, Hyperion was immediately sentenced and killed by his siblings for actions


    of filicide. His actions had only served to sow more distrust between the generations; what previously


    had been a source of only rumours before.


    But worse than Hyperion¡®s demise, Selene also learnt of her twin brother¡®s death and was distraught. Her


    other half was now dead and her life now felt meaningless.


    ...And so she followed after her sibling, drowning herself in the same river that he had lost his life to.


    Within a day, Thea learnt of the news about her husband and son, and immediately ran to the river


    knowing what Selene might do next.


    ...But she was toote.


    Thea searched the riverbank for hours, searching for the body of her only remaining child, but soon she


    became devoid of all strength as she fainted by the water¡­


    ...And a vision came to her.


    In the vision her son, Helios, spoke to her and told her not to mourn their passing. That they were to


    be immortalised in death as living worldly natures, new Gods beyond what she could possibly


    imagine, bing known as the ¡®Sun¡® and the Moon¡®. Helios and Selene would dance forever in the sky,


    chasing after one another, but never to be reunited.


    Thea was both enraged and devastated upon waking from the vision. Devastated at having lost so much


    s o quickly... and angry at, not only her husband, but her daughter too who, unlike Helios, had purposely


    chosen a cowardly path to leave her.


    And so Thea took off into the mortal ne, no longer caring for her previous titles or polities as the call


    aside everything she had previously known, Thea needed a change, a new life that she could live herself


    But inside, she could never forget or forgive those who had hurt lioc especially her daughter and every


    night, it was as if Selene mocked her still as the moved across the sky, looking down at her


    The world then changed, man began to walk thend and the Titans were overthrown by the new Godo,


    just as Hyperion had leared before his death. But thea continued to stay neutral, knowing none of 11


    concerned her anymore. To her, the mortals were ohsily onchanted with her abilities and the new Gods


    held no qualms with her. She was therefore left in peace,


    ... That is until she found hersell one day back at the Argyros River, somewhere she hadn¡®t been in


    centuries, and saw her daughter once more. In the flesh, walking on the mortal ne, No longer a child,


    but a woman full grown.


    Thea observed from afar under the darkening sky and watched as her daughter yed with live children.


    Five mortal children. She saw how Selene Imprinted on them, showing them the love of a mother,


    Something that Thea had been forcefully robbed of because of Selene¡®s actions,


    Night after night, Thea would return to the river and find Selene ying with the same children under the


    light of the moon. And she became angry, spiteful. If her daughter had the ability to take form and walk


    thend once the sun was set, why did she not tell her? Was her son, Helios, the same? Did they both


    purposely choose to abandon her?


    And so she¡®d finally had enough. The next night, before her daughter coulde to the riverbank to see


    the children, Thea killed them all and left their bodies for Selene to find.


    Naturally, her daughter was heartbroken as something she had cherished so much was seemingly taken


    too soon. Something that Selene was already familiar with given she¡®d had to relinquish all familial ties to


    the Gods upon her ascent to bing the Moon. Because a God of Nature could not be involved in the


    politics of their kind.


    However, Thea didn¡®t know this and only sought retribution for the pain that had been inflicted on her.


    She didn¡®t know of the sacrifice Selene had made to uphold her position.


    But, in the end, it didn¡®t matter.


    Furious, Selene immediately caught Thea, there being nowhere under the moon she could hide, and was


    enraged at her mother for killing the children she had loved.


    And whilst she couldn¡®t bring harm to any mortal because of thews that contained her, those rules did


    not extend to the Gods.


    ?Thea had little experience with the new Gods though; especially a God of Nature such as Selene.


    Worst still, she had be so blinded by her rage and pain that she hadn¡®t been able to foresee what


    would happen next.


    Selene quickly robbed her of her godly powers... and gifted them to the five children to breathe into them


    new life. Thea had only been allowed to live past the War of the New Gods because of her stance to stay


    out of the deity affairs. By choosing to publicly oppose Selene, she was dering herself a threat.


    Something Selene realised Thea would not ever stop in her mission for revenge.


    But in carrying out her punishment, Selene saw inside Thea, saw her life; her history, her battles, her


    pain... and she knew she did not want to kill her. She pitied her mother and felt bad for leaving her the


    way she did, but knew she would only continue to interfere in her life if she were to leave her be.


    Selene only took what she needed. Just enough of Thea¡®s powers to no longer be dangerous should she


    turn that anger against her once more. And she used those powers on the children, now tied to Selene


    through their rebirth, and each possessed a quality of Thea; some being natural to all Gods, some more


    unique to Thea.


    One child held the ability of strength, another with influential reverence; one with perception


    maniption, another with youthful longevity... and one with foresight.


    But these powers were not meant for mortals and there were unforeseeable side effects, cursing the


    children as a result. Since they were now children of the moon, born in the night, they would be half


    beast. They, and all of their descendants, were to share their bodies with that of a wolfe their


    eighteenth lifecycle.


    But Selene couldn¡®t forget what had started this mess. How it had been the unrequited love of her father


    that had begun the chain of events that led them here. And so Selene gifted her children destined mates.


    Two people that would be chosen at the time of their conception to love one another. There would be no


    question over their sincerity for the other as she would make them feel immense joy at just the touch,


    sight and smell of their partner.


    Immediately after Thea¡®s powers were taken, she was in agony; a part of her core having been ripped


    out o f her forcefully. The result was leaving her to now be almostpletely mortal.


    ...Something much to the horror of Selene as she realised she had now inadvertently applied thews of


    nature to her own mother.


    Thea was now untouchable to her as mortal blood ran in her veins. And worse, she retained some of her


    immortality. She would now be free to roam the earth until her death, something that would never ur


    naturally unless forcefully robbed of her.


    In order to prevent Thea from stealing her powers back, Selene quickly gave the children a de


    blessed by the Argyros River water and tasked them with guarding their powers. The water was imbued


    with the souls of both Selene and Helios and therefore had the ability to kill even Thea. It was during this


    moment she showed them the ritual of how to bless the silver with water; something that wouldter


    be known as silver ¡®kissed by moonlight¡®.


    But more so than just the silver, Selene also blessed a protection on the children. A protection where


    Thea would be unable to directly draw the blood of any direct descendant, preventing her from ever


    killing them by her hand.


    After the events of that day, the five powers were passed down to only the eldest of each house, the rest


    only inheriting the curse of the night beast. However, without the need to utilise their blood gift, many of


    the chosen families never realised their full potential; most possessing no noticeable trace as itid


    dormant inside them.


    And as the generations of children came and multiplied, they soon began topletely forget the true


    history of their origin altogether. They forgot the true purpose in having the abilities... and, soon, they


    even forgot their worst enemy, stalking them from the shadows, slowly picking them off as the centuries


    went b


    .. Waiting for the right moment to make thatst¡­ fatal¡­ strike,


    A moment that finally presented itself when a girl was born.


    A girl who would be mated to another of the direct descendants. And with only three families left, Thea


    was close to bing whole once more.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Chapter Eighty Five


    Nebunang inside my head was enough to eventually snap me out of the vision and I fell to the ground,


    We the pain subsided.


    What i¡®d just wen was indescribable.


    And not just seen but felt. I¡®d felt what they had; what both Thea and Selene had gone through. Their


    pain,


    43s a universe spanning far beyond my limited knowledge, a timeline as old as time itself.


    And it has now been burned into my brain.


    Sene had been right. Only describing this story wouldn¡®t have been enough. What I¡®d just experienced


    gave me angrer understanding than just simply being told.


    that cont meanl epted what this meant for me. For all of us. Something she was probably electing me


    to be lenient on given her status.


    * We don¡®t mean anything ¡± I whispered to myself, still somewhat in a daze. ¡°We¡®re just... fodder. Pawns.


    Foot solders for you.¡±


    I locked back up sharply and met her eyes. She was staring at me with caution, taking in my manner.


    And sve probably was right to do so.


    This is why you didn¡®t tell me earlier. Why you kept everything a secret,¡± I said, my voice slowly


    bing stronger you knew that if I knew the truth, the real truth, that I would have immediately


    declined toe back We¡®re not stopping a war to protect *us¡°, we¡®re fighting it purely because of you.


    Because of your own selfish actions that began all of this. *We* didn¡®t do anything to Thea. *We* didn¡®t


    hurt her, betray her or even ask to be reborn with her powers. *You* made that decision. *You* put us in


    the front Ene to face your mother so you wouldn¡®t have to take responsibility for your actions. And once


    we¡®re cone Thea will just continue with her original mission for revenge. All because you couldn¡®t ept


    losing something you loved again. Just like when your brother died. Tell me, Selene, how many more of


    my kind need to ce because you couldn¡®t ept that fact?¡±


    My mentioning of her brother must have been a sore spot as I could feel the pressure start to exude off


    of . her, a nerve apparently now struck.


    Wy child, let us not forget¨C.¡±


    ¡°But we¡®re not,¡¯ I interjected, shakily getting back up to my feet. ¡°Your children, that is. Not really. We¡®re


    bor of Thea¡®s powers. She is, by technical definition, our so¨Ccalled ¡®Great Mother¡®. Her powers gave us


    new life and we carry her blood. You are merely a surrogate, at best.¡±


    you carry a piece of me directly,¡± she argued, a tone of anger now obvious in her voice. ¡°However you


    want to look at it for the others, that is your choice. But I, personally, gave you this new life. How dare


    you ac? ungrateful.¡±


    And were the others grateful too?¡± I asked. ¡°The ones who came before me? Because I know I¡®m not the


    first one you have ¡®blessed¡® with your mark. What happened to the other Saints, Selene? Did they die for


    you too?


    Her eyes narrowed, clearly not happy with the change in topic.


    * ..Were they descendants as well?¡± I prompted when she still hadn¡®t replied. ¡°From the other two lines


    that died? Are they gone now because of your actions?¡±


    Finally, she spoke, her voice low with the undertone of warning.


    ¡°...They were.. mistakes.


    Mistakes? What did that mean? That they made a mistake... or that she regretted marking them?


    ...What had she done to them if she thought that way?


    What would you do with something that failed to do its job?¡® The voice inside whispered. We were


    created only to benefit her, an organic tool to keep her mother trapped on the mortal ne. What do you


    think she¡®ll do to us if we aren¡®t useful?¡®


    She wasn¡®t wrong but I wasn¡®t sure what I could do about it.


    ¡®Think for a second,¡® the voice continued. ¡®When she gave us a piece of herself, she was weakened,


    remember? She told us she was. Just as Thea was broken into pieces, she, too, broke off a piece of


    herself for us. What do you think she¡®s going to do once Thea is gone?¡®


    And suddenly I realised what she was implying.


    ¡®If we truly want to survive this then...


    ¡­ Then I needed to be wary of Selene too.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡®Not just wary,¡® the voice corrected. ¡®There is little chance she¡®ll let you keep that piece of her once we¡®ve


    removed her biggest threat. She¡®ll want it back ¨C she¡®ll want to be whole again. And who¡®s to say


    what is even keeping us alive right now? What if that piece is the only thing sustaining us? We were


    meant to be dead. We don¡®t even belong in this timeline.¡®


    ...She was saying that Thea wasn¡®t our only enemy.


    ¡®At the end of the day, it¡®s you or her,¡® the voice said.


    But what was I meant to do? Kill Selene? That was insane. She was a Goddess.


    So is Thea¡®


    But I couldn¡®t kill her. I wasn¡®t strong enough for something like that. Thea was at least weaker.


    ¡®Do you honestly think you¡®ll get a better chance than right now? Or do you want to wait until shees


    back to rip that piece out of you? After we¡®ve done her dirty work and we¡®re tired from fighting against a


    different Goddess? What do you have to lose by trying?¡®


    I didn¡®t disagree per se but that didn¡®t mean


    ¡®We¡®re going to die either way. You need to act now!¡®


    But


    ¡®DO IT NOW


    And almost as if acting on reflex from her order, I pulled my dagger from my hip...


    ¡®She is the enemy


    ... With one goal as my hand came swiftly up, adjusting my grip...


    ¡®She is the enemy¡®


    ...Aiming for her throat...


    She is the enemy.¡®


    ¡°She is the enemy.¡®


    She is the enemy


    ¡°KNEEL!¡± Selene roared.


    And I immediately fell to my knees before her, crushed under themand.


    We¡®d had the element of surprise but we¡®d been just a second too slow. Just one second away from


    aplishing something I¡®d originally thought impossible.


    It was a blow for sure, knowing Selene wouldn¡®t ever let her guard down like that again. It meant that, like


    i t or not, we probably weren¡®t going to survive this ordeal to grow old one day. She¡®d made it clear that


    we were created to fulfil only one purpose; to protect everyone else.


    eve


    Around Selene, it was as if the air had suddenly be thick and almost electrical. So much so that


    even the rocks and dirt were vibrating from the pressure radiating off her. And her eyes¡­ her eyes were


    now aze, blindingly bright like silver stars.


    Ur


    ra


    But I saw it... on her shoulder, just barely drawing blood¡­ I saw where I¡®d nicked her skin as I¡®d fallen.


    It proved one of my suspicions correct; she really was part mortal now and capable of bleeding. It may


    have been caused by the tiniest of pieces missing from her but it was enough. Enough for me to know


    Selene wouldn¡®t want to remain this vulnerable forever.


    ¡°I have given you everything, and yet you act this way?¡± she said furiously. ¡°No, forget it. I have grown


    tired of this. You now have had more help than what any of the others received. Perform your duty,


    Ariadne.¡±


    And with that, she began to walk back into the forest, the ground still trembling as she left. It was a


    testament to what aplete Goddess looked like.


    ...Or, at least, an *almost*plete one.


    A chuckle started to bubble in my chest, building more and more until it became fullughter. Almost


    hysterical as the adrenaline pumped through me from epting my new fate. Something that caught


    Selene¡®s attention enough for her to turn back around.


    Her silver eyes looked me up and down, a frown forming between her perfect brows.


    ¡°You are a coward, Selene,¡± I said, a smile slowly straining against my lips. ¡°A coward and a liar. The


    weakest creature I have ever met. You once told me I could choose my own fate... and yet you knew


    from the very beginning that such a thing was impossible. But I want you to know something¡­ Even if I


    should fail, I want you to know that I¡®ll live my eternity in the Abyss happily. That just the thought of you


    getting what you deserve will mean I can rest easy in hell.¡±


    Her frown only deepened as she took in my words, her head slightly tilting....


    ...And then she vanished. Vanished back into thin air, just like she¡®d done the first time I¡®d seen her.


    But it was more than just that, more than just a frown.


    Because I could have sworn I saw something else in her eyes.


    It was for just a split second, just behind the surface, but it had been visible enough.


    ...For just a moment... I¡®d seen Selene show her fear,


    The days that followed felt... empty. Like I wasn¡®t sure why I was trying.


    Not long ago I¡®d been prepared to die... then felt relieved when I¡®d lived. Now, after being shown the cold


    truth of my world from Selene, nothing felt as though it mattered anymore. I¡®d already lost everyone!


    cared about, everyone who I truly wanted to protect.


    And now it was like I was just waiting for the inevitable.


    Chapter Eighty¨CFive


    As though I could feel my expiration date looming above me; something that I¡®d thought I¡®d prepared


    myself for and yet having to suddenly acknowledge that made things feel so... pointless. Because the


    chances of killing not one, but two Goddesses were extremely low. That was just the brutal reality


    whether I liked it or not.


    And, sure, I had the pack... but even that didn¡®t hold the appeal it used to.


    After all, we were just disposable objects. All of us. Uust so long as Selene survived. And stopping Thea


    would help them... but it wouldn¡®t help me.


    It meant that I would be fighting this war for just their future; for just the rest of my species. For even the


    ones who hurt me, betrayed me, rejected and humiliated me. For even the ones who stood in opposition


    o f me with such prejudice even though I was just trying to broker peace.


    Which was exactly what the majority of packs were still doing in the pending alliance war.


    So why should I concern myself with such standard definitions of right and wrong when the only thing


    that mattered was the results? Just as Selene had said, we were all children in this universe with our


    naive perspectives. But, unlike everyone else, I¡®d been enlightened now. I knew that they didn¡®t truly


    know what was in their best interest because they hadn¡®t seen the real truth as I had.


    It was something that she* had helped me to see too; my other self. She¡®d shown me how all of these


    niceties to avoid war were pointless when none of these children held the same power I did.


    ...When I could just make them all kneel before me anyway.


    Because that¡®s all the ranked system was. How much of Thea¡®s power you held; how much ¡®Goddess¡®


    was in your veins. The things Selene had shown me had given me a higher understanding of how all of


    this worked; probably more so than even all the Eldersbined. It was clear to me how we¡®d built a


    hierarchical system in our society based around those varying levels of diluted birth authority.


    ...And I held more power than any other Alpha.


    Sure, I couldn¡®t force the Silver Lake to submit thanks to their lineage, but that didn¡®t stop me from


    commanding loyalty and respect from the other packs. To force them into a submission that would


    ultimately be for the better good.


    So, no, there would be no war with the Silver Lake. Nor would there ever be.


    Why would there need to be war when I had the alliance, and more,pletely back under my


    command within the month? Starting a war with the Winter Mist now would be only a death wish for


    them.


    I did make sure to constantly keep tabs on Cai though; Iris having helped to secure an inside source to


    notify me should Thea ever return there. I even sent Elder Luke to visit him and assist with his ailment.


    Because whilst I still didn¡®t trust him, it didn¡®t mean that I wanted her to retrieve her powers back from


    him either. She might not be able to physically hurt him but who knew what her level of maniption was


    truly capable of?


    ... Before too long had passed, I¡®d made sure everyone knew Thea¡®s name, knew she was public enemy


    number one. And, without any further arguments from opposing forces, she quickly became the most


    wanted woman in the entire country. Just as things should have been from the very beginning.


    Finally, all unified in one single goal; to find Thea.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± a voice called out, making me look up from my desk.


    It was Elder Luke, his face expressing an urgency to it I hadn¡®t seen before.


    I wasn¡®t sure what could make a man like Elder Luke worried but I¡®d be lying if said it didn¡®t pique my


    curiosity, Nothing had seemed to sway him during our work together over the past month, something


    admired about him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, straightening up in my chali


    He took a second to calm himself but his expression didn¡®t change,


    ¡°It¡®s Aleric,¡± he said, ¡°He¡®s demanding to see you.¡±


    Texhaled, already knowing that much, I¡¯d heard this same line almost every week since my birthday


    ¡°I already told you,¡± I said with a mild tone of Irritation. If he has something to say, he¨C¡±


    ¡°No, Alpha,¡± he interrupted, much to my surprise, ¡°He¡®s demanding to see you... or ho¡®ll kill Lucy. He¡®s (jot


    her hostage.¡±


    That caught my attention.


    ¡°He¡®s what?¡± I asked, standing up.


    ¡°She was bringing him his dinner, just the same as every other night,¡± he started, ¡°but she must not have


    been looking or came a little too close to the bars.¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t understand how we¡®ve gone all these months and she suddenly slips up today. I thought she¡®d


    know better than to let something like this happen.¡±


    ¡°Truthfully, Alpha, I can¡®t really me her for letting her guard down,¡± Elder Luke said, ¡°I didn¡®t exactly


    expect him to do something like this so suddenly.¡±


    How could he not expect Aleric to do something like this? He killed my parents. Obviously, he wasn¡®t


    opposed to murdering innocent people. In fact, it was partly for that reason I¡®d tasked everyone with


    containing him until we could better understand his rtionship with Thea. He was meant to be treated a


    s dangerous as her until we could get the answers we needed. Who knew what she¡®d told him to get him


    o n her side?


    ...But it did raise some interesting questions. Did he even know who she was? Who she truly was?


    Would h e still be so determined to keep secrets if he knew?


    ¡°How long ago was this?¡± I asked, already moving towards the door.


    ¡°About fifteen minutes, perhaps? A warrior noticed she hadn¡®te back out for a while and discovered


    the scene upon looking inside. I was then immediately notified of the situation.¡±


    And, with that, I quickly left without another word.


    But as I walked to the cells though, suddenly I could hear *her* inside my head, almost as if appearing


    on ¡®cue. Just the same as always. Trying to convince me that seeing Aleric was the wrong decision.


    ...Yet the more I thought about it, the more I realised it didn¡®t hold the same weight as normal.


    ¡®He¡®ll kill you,¡¯ she whispered inside, repeating the same words I¡®d heard so often.


    To which I just pushed it away, continuing to my destination.


    That threat didn¡®t even matter anymore. I was going to die soon anyway. Whether that be from him, Thea


    o r Selene. I was already living on borrowed time.


    ¡®He¡®ll lie to you.¡®


    And that was fine. Expected, even. Nothing really different there.


    ¡®He¡®ll tell you what you want to hear so you¡®ll do what he wants. You can¡®t trust him.¡®


    I couldn¡®t trust anyone. This wasn¡®t new information. It didn¡®t negate the need to go down there myself


    Chapler Eighty¨CFive


    though. It was time to share with him some of my new knowledge so he could see just how messed up


    his actions were; that he was only aiding and abetting someone who was nning to kill him for her


    powers back.


    No, there was no avoiding this anymore. I knew today was the day I¡®d face him.


    But over... and over... and over again, she whispered to me, showing me the images of his betrayal, of


    the danger he posed. And I did my best to fight it off, to ignore it and keep moving towards the cells.


    Yet no matter how much she tried to convince me, all of her warnings felt so... empty. Just as empty as


    how I¡®d felt inside the past month. He was just another person now. Another name in a list of thousands


    who I would eventually end up giving my life for. All of this, of course, being on the assumption I could


    even stop Thea.


    ¡®You can¡®t go in there,¡¯ she still insisted upon arriving. But I didn¡¯t understand why though. What more


    could he possibly do to make me so afraid? Behind cell bars, no less?


    ore


    The whole thing seemed so strange. She was literally the one who had helped me to see that there was


    n o surviving this war with Thea. That our demise was inevitable and our only purpose in living was to


    serve a higher purpose. How was it then that she could be so terrified of us seeing just one man?


    And so I reached out and grasped the door handle anyway, beginning to twist it open...


    ¡®Don¡®t go in there!¡¯ she all but screamed at me inside, causing me to wince.


    But I ignored her words..


    ...And pushed the door, allowing for it to slowly swing open to reveal the other side.


    And there he was.


    Seemingly unchanged since thest time I saw him, yet now viewing him in apletely different light.


    But it was still Aleric, the man himself. The one who had taken so much from me.


    Who knew how in¨Cdepth that deceit really was in this life? There was no doubt in my mind that he was


    keeping secrets since he¡®d refused to co¨Coperate the entire time he¡®d been down here. However, maybe


    telling him the truth of our existence would make him return a bit of honesty finally. Maybe I¡®d finally get a


    lead to Thea¡®s whereabouts or her n. Even if that meant working with the man who killed my parents


    and was now threatening my attendant.


    | quickly analysed the scene before me, inspecting how he was pressed up against the bars, his arms


    around Lucy¡®s body and throat as he held her from the opposite side. It was immediately obvious that,


    with one small movement, he could snap her neck very easily


    And with that, I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what was about to unfold.¡­


    And the conversation I¡®d been dreading for months finally began.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡®re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting! It all


    helps!

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    Chapter Eighty¨CSix


    ¡°Aleric, ¡± I called out to him and carefully approached.


    Immediately, I saw how he tensed up at my presence, his eyes shing dark for just a moment. I


    suppose i t wasn¡®t that surprising to think he¡®d be furious after all this time down here.


    However, his words seemed to contradict this first impression, only seeding in confusing me.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he breathed, almost as if in a sigh of relief, before quickly focusing again.


    My eyes narrowed as I looked at him, unsure what game he was ying at. Was this some sort of act?


    ¡°You can let her go now,¡± I said, jutting my chin towards Lucy. ¡°If you kill her, you won¡®t have anyone to


    bring you your meals every day.¡±


    But his head moved back in confusion, taken off guard by my blunt response.


    ¡°...What?¡± he simply asked, perplexed by my words.


    ¡°I said... let her go or you¡®ll probably end up starving,¡± I repeated, taking a few more steps towards him.¡±


    She isn¡®t a part of this... But I get it though. You wanted to make some sort of big statement to get me


    down here, wanted to feel like you had a bit of control since I¡®ve kept you locked up for so long. Well,


    Aleric, now I¡®m here, just like you wanted. So what¡®s the next step of your n? Are you going to kill her


    and make me watch? Are you disappointed I missed that part when you killed my parents?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t... what?¡± he asked again. ¡°Aria... what the hell happened?¡±


    I tried not tough at that. What hadn¡®t happened?


    Apart from learning that my existence was purely to serve the agenda of a higher power? Apart from Cai


    sleeping with Thea for months and possibly working with her? Apart from Aleric¡®s betrayal?


    ...Apart from feeling so empty inside all the goddamn time?


    It was a wonder that I was still bothering at all.


    ¡°Just let her go or get it over with, Aleric,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡®t drag this out any longer than we need to. I¡®m sure


    there are more important things we could be discussing right now. Such as... Where Thea is and why are


    you working with her?¡±


    However, he still didn¡®t move, as if debating internally as to what he should do. His reluctance was only


    frustrating me further though. Why debate when he never gave my parents that courtesy? Did he value


    an attendant over them?


    ¡°Go on, do it!¡± | goaded and moved in so close I could have reached out to touch them. ¡°Do it, Aleric! Kill


    her! Just like the murderer you are!¡±


    Abruptly, he then let her go, finally releasing her from his grip.


    ¡°If only you¡®d shown this sort of restraint earlier,¡± I muttered and quickly grabbed Lucy away from the bars


    to safety. ¡°You¡®re okay, Lucy. Get out of here. You¡®re safe now.¡±


    She didn¡®t need to be told twice, scrambling to leave as soon as possible.


    ¡°So you actually believe this false story that I¡®m involved with Thea then,¡± he said. ¡°You know, when you


    didn¡®te down to see me I thought that maybe something horrible had happened to you. But looks


    like I was wrong. Apparently you just decided to not even give me a chance to exin and believe


    wholeheartedly that I¡®m the bad guy.¡±


    | shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Don¡®t need to ¡®believe¡® anything when I heard it with my own ears. Or Lucy¡®s


    ears,


    Chaplet Lighiy Sex


    depending on how you want to look at it. I saw in a vision how you asked her if she was there because of


    Thea ¡®as well¡®. I don¡¯t know why you continue to deny involvement with her.¡±


    ¡°You mean the attendant who just so happened to be at the hospital the exact moment I was there? You


    didn¡®t think that was suspicious at all? And it was the exact moment that¨C,¡± but he stopped himself and


    looked at me more closely. ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    ¡°...What? You¡®re actually going to me Lucy now?¡± I asked, halfughing over how absurd that was.


    ¡°Go o n, tell me, Aleric, tell me how Lucy is actually the viin here. In fact, I bet it¡®s somehow her fault


    my parents are dead too and next you¡®ll be telling me how she forced you to do it.¡±


    ¡°Aria!¡± he growled. ¡°It¡®s the same attendant you put in charge of my care down here all these months.


    Why do you think I¡®ve refused to say anything? You¡®ve got a goddamn spy and you don¡®t even realise it. I


    don¡®t know what the hell happened to you but if you¡®re so blinded to even the possibility she¡®s involved


    then I don¡®t know what to tell you.¡±


    ¡°No, Aleric, I¡®m not blinded to it,¡± I argued, walking back up close to the bars. ¡°In fact, nothing would


    surprise me these days. I just can¡®t believe you¡®re trying to distract me with stories of Lucy though when


    you were clearly the one at fault, when I saw you with their blood on your hands! Do you even realise


    who Thea is? Who you¡®re protecting?¡±


    ¡°Why would I need to realise anything when I have nothing to do with that girl?¡±


    ¡®He¡®s lying,¡¯ the voice whispered. ¡®He knows. He¡®s just pretending.¡®


    ¡°Girl¡®,¡± I scoffed, ignoring the voice. ¡°That would be a gross understatement. She is the literal Goddess of


    Sight; Selene¡®s mother. A being created at the beginning of time that is now bound and trapped inside a


    mortal body. That ¡®girl¡® is more powerful than you could possibly imagine.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡± was all Aleric managed to say.


    ¡°That is who you¡®re choosing to protect,¡± I continued, grabbing the bars. ¡°Whatever she¡®s offering you, I


    hope it was worth it because she¡®s going to kill you the second you¡®re done being useful. It¡®s the same


    strategy she did to Cai; making him think she was his mate. She needs us to kill each other because she


    can¡®t do the dirty work herself. That¡®s all your pathetic existence is to her¨C¡± 1


    ¡°I¡®m not working with her, Aria!¡± he finally yelled, cutting me off.


    He was now right up against the bars making him only a foot away and I looked up into his eyes. His


    green eyes that were so familiar to me.


    ...And a shiver ran through me, his close proximity still having an effect I wasn¡®t expecting. An odd


    sensation all things considered given how long it¡®d been since I¡®d felt anything properly.


    ?He looked so... genuine. Like he might really be telling the truth. And a part of me really did want to


    believe him. Was that naive of me? To have a part of me that still reacted this way to him?


    ...But those feeling were inconsequential now. Grotesque, even.


    Whether or not he was working with Thea, he still killed my parents.


    No amount of apologies were going to make up for that. Nothing would be enough to ovee such a


    thing, regardless of who¡®s orders he might have been acting on.


    And, apparently, he didn¡®t want to wait long to prove my point either, my senses picking up on an


    impending movement.


    ¡°LEFT.


    Aleric¡®s hand came up quickly, moving through the bars... aiming for my throat...


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ...And I immediately jumped back to dodge it, falling into a defensive crouch as I maneuvered away.


    I told you not to get close,¡® the voice scolded. ¡®I told you he would try and kill you.¡®


    It was just as it had been in the images she¡¯d shown me over the past few months. His hand snaking


    through the bars, grabbing my throat... slowly squeezing the life out of me.... She knew he would attempt


    this and yet I still gave him the opening.


    ¡°Really, Aleric?¡± I yelled, stillpletely flustered from having to quickly react. ¡°Didn¡®t want to miss your


    only chance at getting to me? Were you not listening to what I just told you?! I can¡®t kill you just like you


    should forget about killing me. Your survival is dependent on me living, just as Cai¡®s is as well. Don¡®t


    listen to whatever she¡®s told you.¡±


    *Aria... I wasn¡®t trying to kill you,¡± he argued and grunted out in frustration. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    But I stood up, tired of hearing his same lies, and started to leave. I could feel already as my arm began


    to shake next to me, the fear she had induced inside starting to work its way back.


    ¡°Don¡®t bother asking for me toe down here anymore,¡± I said over my shoulder. ¡°And the next time


    you threaten an attendant, expect to be sharing your cell with a corpse for a few days.¡±


    Behind me, I heard as he mmed his hands against the bars angrily.


    ¡°If you have even an ounce of sense left then you¡®ll look into Lucy,¡± he yelled out just as I made it to the


    exit. ¡°She¡®s been there since the beginning, Aria. Think about it. Something doesn¡®t add up.¡±


    And it made me pause for a moment, allowing for his words to sink in... before, finally, I closed the door


    behind me.


    He was so adamant about Lucy being the one working with Thea even though his actions screamed


    otherwise. How could I even possibly entertain the idea when it seemed so clear to me that he was


    falling back into the ways of the prior timeline?


    ...But what if he was right?


    Suddenly, I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡®t even sense Lucy when she threw herself at me,


    pulling me into a hug. Her sobs were evident as I felt her trembling against me.


    ¡°Miss,¡± she cried, grabbing at my shirt. ¡°Miss, thank you foring to save me.¡±


    And, for a second, I felt guilty. Not because I had just been doubting her loyalty, but because I¡®d been


    ready to let Aleric kill her if it meant proving a point. That I didn¡®t see her, or any of the other non


    descendants, as overly important anymore so long as it served a purpose. That they were all just more


    fodder for Selene¡®s war.


    c...Yet somehow she was thanking me?


    A month ago I might have been disgusted with myself. But now...?


    ¡°How did you know he wouldn¡®t call your bluff though?¡± she asked innocently. ¡°I really thought for a


    second there that he was going to do it but your quick thinking saved me.¡±


    I tensed up before quickly detangling myself from her, moving to be able to look at her face¨Con squarely.


    She looked so genuinely scared, shaking where she stood, and yet held so much faith that I¡®d been


    trying t o do right by her. How could someone with so much trust in me be a traitor working for Thea? I¡®d


    tantly thrown her to a meaningless death and she thought I¡®d been bluffing.


    ¡°Get some rest, Lucy,¡± I finally said, choosing not to answer, and walked back towards my office.


    ...But all of it began eating away at me.


    Sure, I didn¡®t trust Aleric... but he wasn¡®t wrong. Lucy had been there since the beginning. In fact, she


    had


    Chapter Eighty Six


    been the very first person I ever mentioned Thea to, therefore knowing since I was fourteen that I was


    after her. She was even privy to information regarding my whereabouts at any given time, about the


    pack, not to mention ess to rooms where confidential documents might have been held.


    Out of all the spies we¡®d ever allegedly had... Lucy made the made sense.


    And she had been right there in front of me the entire time.


    Admittedly, it was the motive that I was struggling with the most though. What was in it for her?


    She had a respectable job where I treated her fairly, making sure that she was never left wanting for


    anything financially. The position she held was even one that most unranked would be honoured to hold,


    even to the point where they would probably ept it for a fraction of the sry | offered Lucy. So what


    could Thea possibly offer her that I couldn¡®t? More than money, status or the pack?


    What was so valuable that she hadn¡®t evene to me for a counteroffer just as I¡®d always told her tod


    o?


    And, slowly, it started consuming my every thought more and more, driving me crazy from not being able


    t o figure it out. Wondering whether there was even the tiniest possibility that Aleric was correct... that


    there was one thing he wasn¡®t lying to me about


    ...And so I decided it was time.


    With no real reason to hold me back, I decided it was time to confront her.


    Truthfully, it felt as though I was giving in to Aleric by doing so, that I was indulging his stories of denial,


    but somehow I couldn¡®t seem to get it out of my head. On even the smallest chance that it was a lead to


    Thea, shouldn¡®t I explore it?


    ¡°Lucy,¡± I said a few dayster, making her pause from working.


    She¡®de to my office to arrange a few things for me but I¡®d been staring at her the entire time as she


    moved around, unable to focus on anything else while questions of her loyalty swarmed me.


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    ...Was I really about to do this?


    ¡°... Take a seat for a second,¡± I said, gesturing towards my visitor chair.


    ¡°Oh, no that¡®s okay,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Thank you though. I¡®m almost done here and then I¡®ll get


    onto my other errands.¡±


    But I looked back at her withplete seriousness.


    * ¡°...I wasn¡®t asking.¡±


    This earned me an odd look as her smile faltered, moving to quietly carry out my request.


    ¡°Everything okay, Miss?¡± she asked when I still hadn¡®t spoken for a few seconds.


    I¡®d been scrutinising her silently, wondering if I was mentally ready to hear yet another person admit to


    betraying me. After all, there¡®d been a lot of that recently.


    But I felt... ready. Or maybe I didn¡®t care anymore.


    Because there was a prominent reason I¡®d never allowed myself to fully open up to Lucy, my attendant,


    even after everything she¡®d done for me over thest few years. My personal history with the position


    she held had admittedly stopped me from ever closing the gap in trust.


    ¡°I guess I¡®m just going toe out and say it. There isn¡®t exactly a nice way to phrase it anyway, so...,¡± ||


    said, and took a deep breath, ¡°...have you been working for Thea this entire time, Lucy?¡±


    Her body tensed up immediately and she looked away. ¡°No, Miss. Of course not. I¡®ve been working hardt


    o manage our sources so I can find her for you.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek, the reality of the situation now looking grim. She hadn¡®t even been able to


    look at me as she answered.


    ¡°Lucy.¡± I said sternly, making her look back up. ¡°You can either tell me the truth... or I can order it out of


    you. I promise you though that thetter will only seed in making me infinitely more pissed off should I


    find out you¡®re lying. So, onest chance¡­ Are you working for Thea?¡±


    And I could visibly see as she began to shake, tears welling in her eyes.


    ¡°... Miss, please,¡± she begged. ¡°Please... please... I¨CI don¡®t... I didn¡®t want to. I¡®m sorry. Please.¡±


    Surprisingly, I feltpletely calm as I watched her start to sob from admitting her treason.


    ¡°...Why?¡± was all I asked as she continued to stutter out apologies.


    ¡°My mother...¡± she cried. ¡°I did it for my mother. I¡®m so sorry, Miss.¡±


    Family. Somehow Thea had managed to offer her the only thing more valuable than anything else I could


    have.


    ¡°Exin,¡± I instructed, doing my best to sound neutral. ¡°I want all of the details.¡±


    Like it or not, Lucy was now my best chance at finding Thea. Getting angry was only going to make


    getting those answers more difficult.


    ¡°...Miss, l-I can¡®t, ...,¡± she stuttered, continuing to cry.


    It took a few minutes before she finally inhaled deeply to calm down, closing her eyes in eptance.


    And she began to tell me her story.


    ¡°...I should start off by telling you that I was born to a semi¨Cprivileged family, Miss. My father held a


    respectably high warrior position before he passed away fifteen years ago.... something that was


    extremely difficult for me to bear. Mostly because he was a single parent for me up until that point, doing


    his best to raise me. My mother, who I barely knew back then, had been outcasted when I was still just a


    child, banished from the pack for crimes she didn¡®tmit. The result was she became a rogue¡­ and


    suffered every day for it.¡±


    Tears were still falling down her face as she recounted her childhood.


    ¡°I was sent to the orphanage after my father passed, filled with promises from everyone that I would be


    looked after in honour of his memory. And it was true enough, I was very fortunate despite my new


    ¡°environment... but I still felt sad. Like I was missing something. Something that was only found once my


    mother managed to reach out to me. She exined to me about her wrongful conviction, about how she


    loved me and wished she could be there for me during the difficult period I was experiencing¡­ and I felt


    happier than I had in a long time. Even in her absence, she still somehow managed to fill the hole that


    had been left by my father¡®s death.¡±


    ¡°So how does Theae into it?¡± I asked.


    She rubbed at her eyes, clearing the tears there before she proceeded once more.


    ¡°I stayed in contact with my mother as I grew up in the orphanage. First, it was just letters, but, before


    long, we would meet secretly along the rivers that stemmed from across the borders. We used to leave


    codes on the rocks to find our way and the patrols weren¡®t able to track her scent because of the water. It


    worked perfectly. But it wasn¡®t really... enough. I wanted her name to be cleared and for us to be a family


    without all the hiding. It was around this time that you then came to me, Miss. This crazy, far too


    intelligent, fourteen year old who honestly scared me a little, and told me to track down a woman named


    Chapter .upfily Six


    Thea. But, and I mean this truthfully, I didn¡®t end up finding her... she found me.¡±


    You met with her?¡±


    Lucy nodded. ¡°Maybe a month after we began searching for her, my mother introduced me to a girl at


    one of our secret meetings. Imagine my surprise and excitement when she suddenly told me who she


    was. I couldn¡®t wait to tell you. But... the thing about Thea is that she is very... charismatic, persuasive


    even. She told us how she could help clear my mother¡®s name. Not just hers either, but other wrongfully


    convicted rogues just like her. She had a goal of slowly integrating them into jobs as though they always


    belonged there, helping them restart their lives after years of suffering. Of course, Iughed and didn¡®t


    believe her at first... but then I met the others. The ones she¡¯d already helped; some of who I¡®d already


    known for years and never realised the truth. And suddenly the dream of being with my mother didn¡®t


    seem so insane anymore.¡±


    ¡°Thea actually told you who the other rogue spies are?¡± I asked, leaning forward in my chair attentively.¡±


    She trusted you enough for that information?¡±


    ¡°A few, yes...,¡± she answered hesitantly. ¡°She had no choice but to earn my trust because... because she


    needed me... for you. She told me I was crucial to her n and promised to help my mother after I did


    what she wanted.¡±


    And just like that, my world had been opened up as the most vital information became avable to me.


    Not only did I suddenly have ess to someone who knew Thea... but they were someone who knew


    the identity of other spies just like her.


    And now, for the first time ever, I had a real advantage in this war. I finally had a lead on Thea.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    Chapter Eighty¨CSeven


    ¡®Why are you letting her live?¡® The voice inside hissed ¡®She¡®s a traitor. A rat.¡®


    It¡®d been going on like this for a few days now ever since I made the agreement with Lucy.


    The original n had been for Lucy to reach out to her mother in order to uncover Thea¡®s whereabouts,


    but something had gone wrong with that. ording to Lucy¡®s mother, Thea hadn¡®te back yet from


    whatever she¡®d been doing recently. Which caused several dilemmas.


    The main one being the safety of Lucy¡®s mother. Someone who apparently was now so scared for her life


    that she was demanding immunity within the pack for her information.


    A huge ask considering she was a rogue and it would mean losing an inside connection.


    Looking at her record, Stephanie Faulkner had crimes of fraud and theftmitted against higher¨C


    ranked members. And whilst Lucy herself believed wholeheartedly that her mother was innocent, the


    evidence was stacked up against her.


    Personally, I would have preferred for her to stay among the rogues for intel but it seemed as though she


    felt her position was now far toopromised. She wanted to return to the Winter Mist or she wouldn¡®t


    help at all.


    It was bold, I¡®ll give her that, especially since I was still debating her daughter¡®s fate for when this was all


    over. Obviously, she wasn¡®t the smartest tool in the shed since she forgot to ask for Lucy¡®s freedom in her


    immunity terms.


    However, now I was left with the voice inside tormenting me over what I should do with Lucy for lying to


    me all of these years. It was almost incessant and making it difficult for me to think.


    But today was the most important day. It was the day Stephanie would be arriving. ording to her, the


    rogue pack she had been living with was the same one terrorising the border of the Silver Lake thest


    few months. I was hoping that whatever information she could provide would make all of this worth it.


    ¡®Why are you honouring your word for a liar?¡® The voice continued. ¡®And not just a liar, but a murderer


    too. Aren¡®t you forgetting that she created the river system for the rogues? Don¡®t you remember who died


    because of that?¡®


    Myra. She was ming Myra¡®s death on Lucy now.


    ¡®Not only Myra but she¡®s someone who almost got you killed several times too,¡® she said. ¡®Did you forget


    about the kidnapping from the packhouse? The Golden de pack attack? The river cave with rogues?


    All of that stems from the information she would have provided them. How can¨C.¡®


    ¡°Shut up!¡± I finally screamed aloud. ¡°I can¡®t take it anymore.¡±


    I was at my limit, my head hurting from all of her talking. It was just nonstop as she kept bringing up


    memories I would rather not focus on right now. How was meant to do my job and get information with all


    of this going through my head? When she kept telling me to just kill her already?


    ¡®You know it¡®s the right thing to do. You need to end this now.¡¯


    But then a knocking came from the door and I saw as Lucy entered hesitantly, evidence on her face to


    tell me she¡®d been crying. Presumably, I took that to mean her mother had arrived.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± she greeted, a t¨ªmid smile on her lips as she walked up to my desk. ¡°My mother is here. Let me


    introduce you.¡±


    ¡®Kill her.¡¯


    Tignored the voice and stood up, walking to the middle of the room to see who would enter. To see who


    would be giving me the information on Thea I¡®d been so desperate for all these years.


    And then an older woman walked in, with greying ck hair and a kind face.


    I recognised her immediately.


    ¡°Hello, Alpha Ariadne, it is a pleasure to finally meet you,¡± she bowed respectfully, smiling. ¡°My name


    is¨C¡±


    But I didn¡®t wait


    ¡®Never again. Never again.¡¯


    ¡°Never again.


    ¡®NEVER AGAIN. DO IT.¡®


    I quickly spun around and, without even an ounce of hesitation, I slit Lucy¡®s throat with my knife, allowing


    for her to instantly begin bleeding out.


    And I watched quietly, watched as she coughed, wide¨Ceyed and spluttering on her own blood, before


    finally falling to the ground. Her body stilling within just seconds.


    ¡°LUCY! NO!¡± the woman cried, tears immediately falling down her face. ¡°Why? Why would you do that?¡±


    But I just calmly walked up to the woman¡®s shocked, frozen form and began cleaning the knife on her


    shirt.


    ¡°Partly for myself. Partly because you gave me the incentive I¡®d been waiting for. I wanted to see if you


    were genuinely capable of crying over someone you considered a daughter,¡± I said evenly. ¡°I wanted you


    t


    o know how it feels when you actually meant it.¡±


    ¡°I¨CI don¡®t... I don¡®t know what you mean,¡± she stuttered, her face distraught. ¡°W¨Cwho even are you?¡±


    ¡°Her blood is on you now,¡± I said, taking a step away from my old attendant. ¡°Enjoy thatst thought


    before I have you locked inside the cells.¡±


    ¡°You can¡®t do that! Y¨Cyou need me! I have information on Thea. Don¡®t you want her?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re going to tell me everything I want, whether you like it or not, Sophie Forrester,¡± I hissed, instantly


    moving back in so I was right in front of her face. ¡°...Or whatever fucking name you go by in this life.¡®


    Stephanie¡®. I want you to sit in those cells, rotting, thinking of every despicable thing you ever did which


    led you to this very moment. Never forget that you¡®re alive right now because I allow you to be. I want


    you to live, knowing that Lucy died for your mistakes.¡±


    And then I side¨Cstepped her to walk away, pushing open the office room doors to leave.


    ¡°Lucy!¡± I heard her cry behind me. ¡°My baby, my poor baby... Oh, Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Take her to the cells,¡± I ordered the warriors on the other side. ¡°...And have someone clean up the


    mess.¡±


    They nodded at my request, though I could tell they were doing their best to not show me what they


    really thought. But it didn¡®t matter. I had bigger problems to worry about.


    And I walked away calmly, knowing I¡®d finally gotten my revenge on at least one person. Even if it wasn¡®t


    the person I originally thought I¡®d be finding today. Finally, my old attendant got what she deserved for


    throwing me to my death in my past life.


    I knew I didn¡®t need to worry though. If Sophie went back to Thea, she would just be killed for being


    useless, her identity now uncovered and Lucy¡®s advantage gone. If she remained in the cells refusing to


    talk, I would just throw her out of the pack for Thea to find. It was her choice.


    chapter tighty Seven


    There had been nothing in our immunity agreement for her to live freely, just that she would be allowed


    back into the Winter Mist in exchange for information. And truthfully, considering Sophie was one of the


    people who had gotten me killed in my first life, the cells seemed mighty generous of me.


    Like mother, like daughter, I suppose. Both finding some way to help Thea destroy us all.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± a voice then said near me, causing me to look up.


    I¡®d been wandering in a daze, so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn¡®t realised I¡®d ended up in the


    garden.


    ¡°Alpha, are you okay?¡± Elder Luke said, a frown on his face. 1


    ¡°I¡®m fine,¡± I replied quietly.


    But he looked at my clothes more pointedly prompting me to look down. ¡°Is that... blood on you?¡±


    I stared at it.


    ¡°Not mine. Lucy¡®s,¡± I answered factually.


    He was quiet for a minute, not knowing what to say. ¡°Is she... Are you feeling okay?¡±


    Was I feeling okay? I thought that getting revenge on Sophie would feel great except I didn¡®t really feel...


    anything. Like at all.


    But the voice inside had at least gone quiet, having done what she wanted, and that made me feel a little


    better. A minor victory, all things considered.


    ¡°I¡®m fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay... well, I was going to show you something I¡®d been working on that¡®s pretty important,¡± he said,


    clearing his throat. ¡°Did you want to do itter or...?¡±


    But I just shrugged, not really concerned. ¡°We can do it now. Though if it¡®s in my office we might need to


    wait a bit.¡±


    And I thought I saw him shiver but I could have been mistaken.


    ¡°It¡®s in the meeting hall,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡®ve been using the smaller office attached for extra space since it¡®s


    not often you call ranked meetings with everyone.¡±


    That was true. Not much to negotiate with the others when their opinions couldn¡®t possibly take into


    ount everything I knew.


    ¡°Alright, we can go,¡± I said, already heading in that direction.


    And so we left.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    It only took a few minutes to get there and I walked in front through the doors, heading through the


    hallways. But it was as I was about to head towards where the office was that I caught something


    surprising.


    A scent.


    A familiar one.


    And I swiftly pivoted and opened therge double doors of the meeting hall instead, finding something!


    never would have expected to see on the other side.


    ¡°Aria,¡± they said.


    And I looked from where Aleric was standing... to where Cai was right next to him.


    It was an ambush.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    ¡°Please forgive me, Alpha,¡± I heard Elder Luke quietly mutter behind me before he quickly closed the


    meeting hall doors.


    *Click*


    And suddenly I was locked in here. With them.


    ¡°Aleric... Cai,¡± I said cautiously, my hand already moving slowly towards my dagger. ¡°Didn¡®t expect to find


    either of you here of all ces.¡±


    Not only had someone broken Aleric out of the cells but they¡®d also seeded in getting Cai over the


    border without my knowledge. And I knew, without needing to think too hard on it, that only Elder Luke


    was capable of something like this.


    My mind was already racing with what was going on, analysing their movements carefully to ensure !


    wasn¡®t taken off guard. If they were under Thea¡®s influence then they might try to kill me. I couldn¡®t think o


    f any other reason for why they would have trapped me like this.


    ¡°We can do this the easy way or the hard way,¡± Aleric said, taking a step forward.


    And, immediately, I unsheathed my dagger and held it up defensively. They were mistaken if they


    thought I would go down easily.


    ¡°Who¡®s blood is that?¡± Cai then asked, bringing Aleric¡®s attention to it as well.


    ¡°None of your business,¡± I bit back.


    ¡°...What the hell have you done, Aria?¡± Aleric growled. ¡°Is that Lucy¡®s scent I can smell on you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing you wouldn¡®t do, Aleric,¡± I snapped, taking a few steps forward cautiously.


    I heard him then sigh quietly at that and look towards Cai. ¡°We¡®re going to have to go with n B.¡±


    And quickly, I got into a crouch and readied myself. ¡°What is this? Did you just tell me that Lucy was a


    spy to throw me off your trail? Didn¡®t want me to suspect you of working with Thea anymore so you could


    organise this? Are you all in on this? Elder Luke too? All of you working for her?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is your enemy, Aria,¡± Aleric said. ¡°You¡®re sick and you don¡®t even realise it.¡±


    Iughed at that. ¡°Oh, *I¡®m sick*? How about the person who murdered my parents?¡± I asked before


    turning towards Cai. ¡°Or the person who slept with the creature trying to kill us? Did you just forget that


    taking me out is just one step closer to your own death?¡±


    ¡°We¡®re not trying to kill you, Aria. We¡®re trying to help you.¡±


    ?But then I saw it. A sh image of him charging at me, throwing me to the ground and ripping out my


    throat. Almost as vivid as a vision¡­ but different.


    ¡°I knew it! You¡®re lying!¡± I yelled, adjusting my stance. ¡°Always lying! You think I¡®m going to let my


    defences down this time? I won¡®t be taken out so easily anymore. There¡®s no silver cor to hold me


    back


    now,¡±


    ¡°You should kill them before they kill you,¡® the voice said. ¡°Maybe there is a way to take their abilities. If


    we could gatekeep all three lineages then there wouldn¡®t be any need for them. No more liabilities.¡®


    I was too focused on the situation at hand but I knew that what she was saying sounded too risky. We


    weren¡®t a God and even if I could take their abilities, I wouldn¡®t even know how to go about doing that.


    Just try it, she said. ¡®Before they get to you first. Before they make the choice for you.¡®


    Cai ended up being the first one to move, charging from the right, but I sensed his movement perfectly. H


    e was aiming to tackle me to the ground but he was mistaken if he thought something like that would


    work on me. Aleric¡®s distraction of talking to me wasn¡®t going to be anywhere near enough to get the drop


    on me.


    Instantly, his body flew past as he missed me entirely and I quickly turned to be ready for a counter.


    He was still too slow though. In the month since I¡®dst seen him, it looked as though he¡®d regained the


    majority of his strength but he wasn¡®t yet back at his peak. I knew what Cai was capable of on his best


    day and this wasn¡®t it.


    He tried several more attempts atnding a hit on me to no avail. In fact, it was useless for him to even


    try since I could sense his attacks seconds before he moved.


    ¡°That¡®s not going to work on her,¡± Aleric then shouted from the side, moving in to nk behind me. ¡°She


    can foresee your movements.¡±


    ¡°Evidently,¡± Cai replied dryly, not taking his eyes off me.


    ¡°Scared, Cai?¡± I asked and faked a lunge forward. He immediately jumped backwards defensively


    causing me tough.


    But the humour was cut short as I felt Aleric attempting to take advantage of the mild distraction.


    ¡°Nice try,¡± I said and moved back just as Aleric¡®s hands tried to grab me.


    He¡®d left himself open by doing this though and, utilising his proximity, I quickly brought my knife up to get


    a hit on his arm, hoping to maim him. However, he was almost as fast as me, managing to move out of


    the way to avoid in time,


    The whole thing was reminiscent of the day before my birthday when we¡®d been sparring in the gym.


    Except neither of us had things holding us back now. For what I wascking in brute strength and


    extensive fighting knowledge, I was able to make up for in speed and foresight. And, unlike him, I was


    actually armed.


    The dance began as we both attacked and countered each other, now almost perfectly bnced and in


    sync. It was impossible to say who had the upper hand as everything moved in a blur. Perhaps it might


    have even gone on forever... but then I felt it;


    Caiing in from the side, deciding to finally interfere.


    He looked for an opening and I sensed his next move, but I was only just able to miss it by a second.


    Taking on just one at a time might have given me the slightest chance of victory¡­ but two?


    And it ended up being just as difficult as I thought. The only thing giving me a real edge now was the


    knife, both of them having to give a clear radius to avoid that. If they managed to disarm me I knew it


    would be over.


    ... The strange thing though was that neither of them had shifted. Taking them on in human form was


    only giving me the better advantage. I knew that if they were both to take their wolf forms I would be in


    trouble; my own wolf nowcking in strength since her absence.


    ¡°Kill them both,¡® the voice instructed frantically inside my head.


    ¡®Do it. Before it¡®s toote.¡®


    ¡®Do it.¡¯


    ¡°Shut up!¡± I screamed back aloud in frustration.


    It was never¨Cending. Never enough. Never stopping. I couldn¡®t take much more. I just wanted my head


    to b e mine again and mine alone.


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Cai asked, closer behind me than I realised.


    perty Seven


    But I didn¡®t reply


    Instead, I just immediately turned around to lunge and, using my elbow to strike his jaw, I sent him


    straight to the ground with a thud. The impact alone had probably hurt more than my attack.


    But I didn¡®t waste time after that and quickly jumped on top of him, using my weight to pin his arms down.


    I needed to be fast because I knew he was probably capable of overpowering me in overall strength


    again; him having recovered enough for at least that much. However, truthfully, I found it a little surprising


    when he was barely struggling against me.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he yelled urgently, his golden eyes locking with mine. ¡°Stop. This isn¡®t you.¡±


    And I felt that wave of electricity in the air, trying to persuade me to stop. That same energy he¡¯d


    manipted me with for years.


    ...And I tightened my grip on my dagger.


    Do it kill him. We can defeat Thea once we have his power.¡®


    ...And positioned my hand.


    ¡®FINISH IT. ...And


    nei tianty toht


    Chapter Eighty¨CEight


    ¡°NO!¡± a voice yelled from behind me...


    ...And a wall of muscle quickly tackled me off Cai, sending us both flying along the ground and sliding


    several feet away.


    I pushed and shoved against Aleric¡®s grip but he was putting everything into this. It was almost


    impossible to free myself.


    But I had something he didn¡®t, something to give me the advantage here; my dagger.


    And, as quickly as I could, I brought it up... Angling it and...


    ¡°Enough, Aria!¡± Aleric ordered and he disarmed the knife from me, throwing it as far away as possible.¡±


    Enough.¡±


    It was over.


    ¡°Do it then,¡± | spat, still wriggling in a futile attempt to escape. ¡°Get it over with. Kill me. Just like my


    parents, Aleric. Is that the kind of ¡®help¡® you had in mind? Is that how you helped them?¡±


    He growled and pushed my shoulders back down again to try and stop me from struggling.


    ¡°Yes, it is actually!¡± he said furiously. ¡°That is exactly how I helped them. I saved them!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± | screamed back. ¡°You honestly think that what you did helped them? Do you just see their


    murder as some sort of messed up reversed logic where you¡®re actually the hero? I bet that was Thea¡®s


    doing. I bet she made you think that what you did was justi¨C.¡±


    ¡°Your parents are alive, Aria!¡± he shouted, cutting me off. ¡°That¡®s what I mean by saving them!¡±


    Immediately, my body stilled, shocked at what he¡®d just told me.


    ¡°No...,¡± I said. ¡°No, you¡®re lying. You¡®re just lying so I let my guard down.¡±


    ¡°Why would I need to do that? I could just finish you off now if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°I saw their bodies, Aleric,¡± I argued. ¡°I saw their blood on you. How can you possibly expect me to


    believe


    you?¡±


    ¡°If you actually saw their blood then tell me... where were their wounds?¡±


    And I stopped for a second. Had there actually been wounds? I¡®d seen their lifeless forms in my mother¡®s


    office but I couldn¡®t recall ever seeing where the blood would havee from. I¡®d just put two and two


    together when I saw Aleric¡®s hands.


    ¡°That blood belonged to a spy, Aria. Someone posing as one of the warriors,¡± he continued when I didn¡®t


    answer. ¡°He came down to the office with me when Tytus ordered for your mother to be detained. Except


    he didn¡®t try to bring her in. Instead, he tried to kill her.¡±


    ¡°Then why were they dead on the ground?¡±


    ¡°They¡®re not dead,¡± he stressed again. ¡°They just looked that way. After the attack, your father came


    bursting in, having heard the news about your mother, and found me with the body of the spy. We


    concluded that he was going to try and frame me for killing your mother... so we let them all think that it


    worked. If Thea was going after your family then we all agreed it was safer for them to be thought dead


    rather than alive, or at least until we could remove Tytus for full control. Your mother then quickly dosed


    your father and herself with a drug to give them the appearance of being deceased; obviously working


    well enough to fool even you. But they¡®re both alive, Aria. Your father has been protecting them in a safe


    Chapter Eighty¨CEight


    location outside the pack all these months, waiting for me to give them the okay toe back.¡±


    I looked at him, battling inside over whether I should believe him or not. On the one hand, I was


    struggling with how it contradicted what I thought I saw¡­ but on the other hand, I really wanted it to be


    true. i


    ¡°... Then why wouldn¡®t you tell me sooner?¡± I argued.


    ¡®When could I?! When did you even give me the slightest chance to? I¡®ve seen you once in over three


    months and it was after I was holding yet another spy hostage.¡±


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You could have told me then. You could have told me in the cells after she left.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I¡®m just trying to protect them, the same as I have been this entire time,¡± he answered, his


    voice calming down a little. ¡°...Only now I¡®ve had to protect them from you. I knew it the second you


    walked into the cells, Aria¡­ you¡®re sick. And you don¡®t even know it.¡±


    I started struggling again under him, trying to move free.


    First he tells me a story about my parents being alive, now he was trying to say that I was the problem.


    That my parents actually needed protection from me?


    ¡°No... no, no, there¡®s nothing wrong with me,¡± I said, wriggling in his grasp. ¡°You¡®re wrong. You¡®re just


    being used by Thea. You¡®re¨C.¡±


    ¡°Snap out of it already!¡±


    And I stilled once more, looking up at him wide¨Ceyed. He had that serious expression about him, the


    same one that made me want to believe him. Like something tugging at me inside to listen.


    ¡°Fine, you don¡®t believe me? You¡®re so sure that you¡®re fine, right?¡± he asked and pulled himself back


    upright, allowing for me to sit up. Risky considering I could have made a run for it. ¡°Just see for yourself


    then.¡±


    And then he grabbed my arm forcefully and stretched it out between us, his grip tight as he held it in


    ce.


    ¡°Hey! W¨Cwhat are you doing,¡± I said, trying to pull it back. ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Look Aria,¡± he ordered and he proceeded to slide his hand down the inside of my arm along my skin.


    ¡°I don¡®t¡­ I don¡®t know what I¡¯m meant to be looking at. Your hand? My arm?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re eighteen, Aria,¡± he said as if that was going to make things any clearer.


    ¡°And...?¡±


    But he just sighed, obviously unimpressed by my answer. ¡°And what happens after your eighteenth?¡±


    ¡°I frowned in thought, looking at where he was still holding my arm. What was he talking about? Shifting


    maybe? Was he referring to how my wolf was absent? What would that have to do with my arm though?


    ...But then I finally realised what he was referring to.


    ...And a cold feeling of dread quickly spread throughout my whole body.


    ¡°Wait... No¡­,¡± I whispered in shock and grabbed back at his arm frantically, touching his skin over and


    over again. ¡°No, no, why can¡®t ¡­ Why isn¡®t it there?¡±


    Selene had said there was no changing it, that it was set in stone the moment of our conception. So


    where was it? I knew what this was supposed to feel like, I¡®d lived a life of knowing the exact sensations


    that should be there.


    But there was nothing.


    Aleric was my mate... and I couldn¡®t feel the mate bond.


    Chapter Eighty¨CEight


    ¡°...Where is it?!¡± I asked, panic filling my voice. ¡°Why can¡®t I feel it?!¡±


    And I quickly looked up into his eyes, full of sadness as he quietly watched me, and everything came


    crashing down. Just his look alone was enough to tell me that, whatever this was, it really was just my


    side who couldn¡®t feel it. That I was the problem.


    No sparks, no pull, no feeling of relief from being near him.


    Just... nothing.


    ...And a tear fell down my cheek as I held his gaze.


    ¡°...What¡®s wrong with me?¡±


    I hadn¡®t thought about it much since I already knew from my prior life that we were mates. I¡®d lived four


    years already knowing he was tied to me so it just felt like any other day. Somehow between everything


    that happened with Tytus, with my parents, with losing my wolf, with bing Alpha... it just slipped my


    mind. Something so important and yet I¡®d forgotten in between all the chaos.


    But then why wasn¡®t it there? Why couldn¡®t I feel it?


    Was I actually sick?


    ...And I realised that if I really was the problem, if something really was wrong with me, didn¡®t that mean


    Aleric was maybe telling the truth? Were my parents alive?


    It started to feel as though I couldn¡®t breathe and I began questioning everything that had happened over


    thest few months, instantly overwhelming me


    ¡°The second you walked into the cells, it was like all of my anger and frustration just immediately


    evaporated. Almost as though the world justpletely stopped. and there was only you,¡± he said


    quietly. ¡°It was like nothing else I¡®d ever experienced and words couldn¡®te close to properly


    describing it. You¡®d already told me previously that we were going to be mates but I guess I just didn¡®t


    expect for it to feel like... that.¡±


    I knew what he was talking about even though I hadn¡®t felt it in this life. I could still vividly recall the first


    time I¡®d seen him in the past, how it was meant to feel and how world¨Cchanging it was.


    But then he took a deep breath, his jaw tightening ¡°Except the person who entered was acting as though


    nothing was different, as though we hadn¡®t just felt the most intense emotional pull of our lives, forcing us


    to gravitate to one another. Instead, you just looked at me coldly, speaking words that I would have never


    expected you to say. Behaving in a way I didn¡®t even recognise to be you anymore. And I knew


    something was wrong.¡±


    ¡°I¨CI¡®m so confused,¡± I said, frowning. ¡°I don¡®t understand how this happened. Why I can¡®t see you as ¨C¨C¡±


    And I immediately remembered where I¡®d heard something like this before this ability to affect one¡®s


    perception of the mate bond. After all, they¡®d done something simr, yet the exact opposite, to Cai.


    Thea.


    But it wasn¡®t the same as him and I didn¡®t have Thea hanging around¡­ so how was it she was able to


    manipte me this much?


    *¨CClick-ck¨Cck¨Cck¨CCK*


    The metal sound of closing handcuf¨ªs broke my deep thought and I looked sharply down to find a pair


    had been tightened around one of my wrists, immediately draining me from the silver


    Cai now stood next to us, his expressionpletely stony as he stared down at me. Almost as though


    he were looking at a stranger he detested... and I knew instantly this was his doing


    Chiopie lugnty Eight


    ¡°...What¡®s this for?¡± I asked and began tugging at the metal. ¡°Take this off. Now.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied tly.


    ¡°Cai... let¡®s just try and figure this out first,¡± Aleric said.


    ¡°We both agreed to do this,¡± Cai snapped back, annoved. ¡°Don¡®t get all soft now just because she¡®s close


    b y. That¡®s the mate bond messing with you. You know as much as I do just how dangerous she is.¡±


    ¡°That was before¡­¡± Aleric said. ¡°Back when I thought she wasn¡®t going to listen.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡®t listen! She¡®s still batshit insane and was ready to attack before we even had a chance to talk.


    Until we work this all out, we¡®re sticking with the original n.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re not doing anything.¡± I said, anger ring. ¡°Let me out of these. Right now. This is still my pack


    and you¡®ll show me respect.¡±


    ¡°Or what?!¡± Cai asked furiously, turning to me. ¡°You¡®re going to try and kill me for a third time? Or should


    w e say fourth if we take into ount the first time you held a knife to me? I really, really* tried to give


    you the benefit of the doubt, Aria, but there is only so much I can take. And let¡®s not forget everything


    else you¡®ve done on top of that.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like enving almost half the country and forcing them to submit into an alliance? Like killing Tytus?


    Lucy? Spy or not, she was your attendant for four years and you didn¡®t even look remotely shaken up.


    You¡®ve gone from being a girl who worked relentlessly to avoid war and needless pain; a girl who wanted


    nothing more than to change the oppressive system and to create a better world... to this. A cold blooded


    killer who doesn¡®t even trust the ground they stand on, let alone can act rationally. If you could just see


    yourself clearly, you would agree.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Cai,¡± Aleric said, standing up to face him. ¡°She¡®s sick. You¡®ve made your point already.¡±


    ¡°And what if she¡®s not?¡± he asked. ¡°What if you¡®re looking into this more than you should be because you


    just want it to be true? Hoping that the girl we both knew still exists? You know, I had Thea around me for


    months manipting an artificial mate bond... doesn¡®t mean I forgot how to act sane. Whoever this is,


    she¡®spletely devoid ofpassion, rationality... morality. I looked into her eyes as she was about to


    kill me before and it was like looking into soulless holes. Not the first time she¡®s looked at me like that


    either.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Cai!¡± Aleric growled, grabbing his shirt. ¡°You¡®re not helping.¡±


    And they both stared at each other, silently furious at one another, until Cai finally sighed.


    ¡°¡°I¡®m going to go cool off outside,¡± he said, taking a step back so Aleric would let him go. ¡°But I meant


    let her out of those cuffs. Seriously. Whether she realises it or not, she¡®s clearly one o f the most


    dangerous things out there. Second only to a goddamn mortal Goddess trying to murder us


    §Ö


    §à


    all.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Aleric conceded. ¡°But I¡®m not putting her in the cell. She can sleep in her room guarded.¡±


    ...Listening to all of this I felt... helpless. Vulnerable. Unsure of everything I¡®d done.


    All of my actions had felt... justified. I did what I thought I had to do in order to survive. But they both


    sounded so outraged by everything, so convinced that I was acting crazy. So was I wrong? Was I so far


    gone in whatever was wrong with me that I couldn¡®t see what I¡®d done wrong?


    ...When I didn¡®t feel even the tiniest bit guilty?


    It meant either they were wrong... or I was. And I was struggling to cope with everything that thetter


    would entail. Who could I trust above all else if not myself?


    Chapter Lighty Eight


    ... Three years of making me distrust everyone.


    ... Three years of convincing me I was better off alone.


    ...Of convincing me to kill everyone.


    And, suddenly, everything I believed to be true instantly fell to pieces around me. I finally realised how


    Thea had been able to affect the mate bond.


    Because it turns out that maybe Aleric had been right. Thea really was closer than any of us realised.


    Closer than anyone would have ever expected.


    In fact, the answer had been right there the entire time.


    ¡­ Thea was inside my head.


    She was the voice I¡®d been listening to all these years.


    And I quickly realised that I really was the dangerous one.


    ¡°Aria?¡± Aleric asked, worried now from my silence.


    But I could barely hear him, my own body starting to shake with the realisation of what I¡®d done. What I¡®d


    aplished because of her.


    From the very second she¡®d appeared, she had been pushing me away from everyone under the


    pretence of being a part of me. She used my previous memories and pain against me, manipting it in


    a way to make me think they were my own choices. Hell, even the very first thing she ever tried to get


    me to do was to pull the knife out of Aleric and let him die. Just how long had she been nning this?


    How skewed had she warped my perception of everything and everyone around me?


    No wonder she was always one step ahead of me.


    No wonder it seemed like she wasn¡®t making a move all these years.


    She didn¡®t need to. She didn¡®t need to do a single thing.


    Because she had me doing it all for her.


    She¡®d been slowly moulding me into a weapon for years.


    ...And, suddenly, the sound of herughter filled my head.


    ¡°A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡®re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting! It


    all helps!

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Chapter Eighty¨CNine


    No, no, no, no...


    No, this couldn¡®t be happening.


    I¡®d been so guarded against everyone else that I hadn¡®t seen the real issue sinking its teeth within me the


    entire time.


    ¡°Aria?¡± Aleric asked again, grabbing onto my shoulders to steady me.


    But I recoiled quickly away, taking a few shaky steps away.


    ¡°No, don¡®t¡­ don¡®t touch me. I¡®m... I¡®m not...,¡± I said disjointedly, unable to even finish my sentence in my


    current state.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡®What if he¡®s just trying to gain your trust,¡®I heard her say inside.


    ¡®What if he¡®s lying to you.¡®


    ¡®What if he¡®s going to betray you again?¡®


    Over and over, her voice started to fill my head. All the things she¡®d told me once before now beginning


    to ovep until it was the only thing I could hear. As if I were in the middle of a crowded room filled with


    people shouting.


    ¡®You could pull the knife out. No one would even know it was you. They¡®d say it was the rogues.¡®


    ¡°You did the right thing. Either way, this is the best thing for us.¡®


    ¡®We made a vow. Myra¡®s death was a result of making that same mistake once more.¡®


    ¡®Kill her. Kill her now. Strangle her until the light dies from her eyes.¡¯


    ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted, covering my hands over my ears. ¡°Stop, please! Get out of my head! Get out!¡±


    ¡®He trapped us, degraded us, tried to force us into a union... and then had our parents kil¨C.¡®


    ¨C They don¡®t respect you enough. You should make them kneel. All of them. It would force them to


    acknowledge yo-¡®


    ¨CDon¡®t need them. Aleric was, and always will be, our undoing. He was our beginning and our end. Time


    does not change t


    ¡®-Offer us nothing but lies, all stemming from a new personal vendetta. Look at how he continues to deny


    everything even though we heard the evide


    ¡®¨CAnd is in league with her? What if Cai just wants you to think he isn¡®t on her side so you¡®ll open up and


    let him steer you in the wrong direc¨C?¡®


    ¡°STOP! STOP! STOP!¡± I yelled as I fell to my knees, the onught of imagery and voices filling my head


    too overwhelming to cope with.


    I couldn¡®t hear anything else, couldn¡®t see anything else. There was now only one thing.


    There was just Thea.


    Only Thea.


    ¡®¨CWhat if that piece is the only thing sustaining us? We were meant to be dead. We don¡®t even belong in


    this timel¨C,


    ¨C¨CGoing to die either way. You need to act now! Selene is the enem


    ¡®¨Cknow it¡®s the right thing to do. You need to end this now. Kill Lucy


    ¨CShould kill them before they kill you. No more liabilities. Just try it-¡®


    ¨C¨C¨CDo it. Kill him


    ¨CFINISH IT


    And I began screaming.


    Somehow louder than even the voices in my head, I screamed a piercing shriek into the air, wishing


    more than anything that all of this would just end.


    My brain now felt as though it waspletely on fire, burning me up from the inside as it struggled to


    compensate for the sheer amount of chaos happening internally.


    ¡°Aria! Aria! Talk to me!¡± | vaguely heard Aleric yell once my scream had subsided.


    But I couldn¡®t reply, couldn¡®t find my voice as she continued to swarm my mind. Showing me every step


    I¡®d made in my journey of bing her pawn.


    ¡°Cai, get in here! I need help! She¡®s convulsing. We need to get her to the hospital.¡±


    And I wasn¡®t sure exactly what happened next but I had never been so grateful for everything to cease.


    ...And, finally, everything went ck.


    When I eventually awoke, I felt cold everywhere.


    The feeling of crisp bed sheets weed me along with the smell of strong chemicals filling my nose. A


    scent I was instantly familiar with.


    I was in the hospital.


    ¡°Alpha?¡± a voice asked and I finally opened my eyes slowly to see Elder Luke.


    It felt as though I were waking up without enough rest, my body still incredibly sore and exhausted


    everywhere. But inside I felt worse than I did outside. As if my mind had been put through a shredder.


    However, putting aside her mental assault on me, the new discovery also left so many unanswered


    questions in its wake. So many conflictions about myself that I wasn¡®t sure how to get the answers to.


    Like¡­ just how much of ¡®me¡® was still here¡­ and how much was the version that Thea had moulded me


    into?


    I still didn¡®t feel the weight of my actions as I probably should have; I didn¡®t have that sense of guilt or


    sickness in the pit of my stomach to tell me I was wrong. To me, the things I¡®d done had felt justified, as


    though I could see the rationality behind those decisions.


    So was Cai right? Was I devoid ofpassion and morality now?


    ...Was that permanent?


    ¡°...How... how long?¡± | asked, my throat still raw enough to force a cough from me.


    He walked to the side of the bed and handed me a ss of water. A wee relief.


    ¡°Not too long,¡± he answered. ¡°Perhaps a day.¡±


    A whole day? And I still felt this tired? It really was worse than I initially thought. Though, the silver


    handcuffs around my wrist probably weren¡®t helping with that.


    ¡°From what Alpha Aleric has told me, I presume that Thea has been meddling with your mind a little? He


    mentioned you were screaming for something to get out of your head.¡±


    I winced at the rank title he gave to Aleric, a reminder of my own inadequacies. It was a sore spot, for


    sure, but I had to remember that it was for the best given my current situation. We would need to discuss


    i t further, but I had to assume we would be running with our original n for split ownership... one day.


    ¡°I think she¡®s been in here for a long time,¡± I answered. ¡°Truthfully, I don¡®t even know for sure how deep


    her influence goes. When I discovered from Selene that Thea was once the Goddess of Sight, I


    assumed her ability of perception maniption was a little bit more straightforward like with the mate


    bond and Cai. Instead, it seems far moreplicated. She presented herself as being a part of me,


    slowly lulling m e into a false sense of trust. It¡®s been three years that she¡®s been whispering to me,


    manipting me to see things the way she wanted me to. She would alwayse to me at my most


    vulnerable moments.¡±


    Elder Luke nodded his head thoughtfully, listening carefully to my exnation. I took that to mean Aleric


    had told him about Thea¡®s identity already; information I divulged back when he was still in the cells.


    What he probably wasn¡®t expecting though was for me to name drop Selene. But if he was surprised or


    shocked at all, he didn¡®t outwardly show it.


    ¡°Alpha, if I may...,¡± he started, his eyes full of a keen curiosity. ¡°I can¡®t help but wonder that, for a being


    who has so much power at her disposa.. why did she not just kill you when you were younger, if that is


    her goal? Seems strange to go about this in such an indirect way.¡±


    ¡°She can¡®t,¡± I answered. ¡°There is a very long, very in¨Cdepth exnation for why, one that revolves


    around the origin of our kind. Simply put though... Thea wants revenge on Selene and is trying to regain


    the abilities stolen from her. Those abilities being the same ones you once spoke to me about; the ones


    possessed by the original lineages. In order to protect Thea from simply killing us to get them back,


    Selene ced a curse that would prevent her from spilling the blood of the chosen children protecting


    them.¡±


    He frowned, deep in thought over my words as he digested what I¡®d told him. If only he was able to see


    what Selene had shown me. He was the kind of person who would relish in that sort of knowledge.


    ¡°And did she exin to you how the curse can be broken?¡± he asked, catching me off guard.


    ¡°... What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ nothing ispletely invulnerable. I imagine that, since Thea¡®s attempt of having you all to turn


    on each other has failed, perhaps she will find another method to achieve her goal?¡±


    I hadn¡®t considered that. Was there a way for Thea to break the protection? In the past I was fairly sure


    she hadn¡®t ever aplished such a thing, having relied on Aleric to do her dirty work... but then that


    didn¡®t exin how she dealt with him.


    With the other two lineages gone, how did she n on retrieving Aleric¡®sst ability without directly killing


    him?


    And I tensed up immediately over the revtion.


    ...It meant that there was possibly a loophole.


    Perhaps things weren¡®t as safe as I initially believed.


    ¡°No, you¡®re right...,¡± I said, still in thought. ¡°There probably is something about the curse I don¡®t know


    about, something Selene didn¡®t tell me.¡±


    But since information like that would have assisted us immensely in our defence against Thea, I couldn¡®t


    Chapter Eighty¨CNine Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    help but wonder why Selene wouldn¡®t divulge that information. Did the answer negatively impact her in


    some way?


    ¡°In my experience, I have found that things are rarely ever one¨Csided,¡± he said. ¡°Something remarkable


    enough as to protect you on such arge scale would surely have some sort of weakness. Nothing in life


    i s perfect.¡±


    It would be in line with what I already knew about the Gods, reconfirming that there was definitely a


    corrtion between benefit and impact.¡­


    Like when I would use my ability, it used to drain me significantly to the point of passing out. It took a loto


    f training before I could tolerate the energy it required from me.


    And when Selene created our kind and rebirthed the mortal children, it resulted in them bing cursed


    by the moon; sharing their bodies with a wolf.


    Even the mate bond wasn¡®t perfect. It would give us immense bliss but, if it were to ever be formally


    broken, it would also cause us immense pain. And that was without taking the marking process into


    consideration. A bond¨Cbreaking urring after one was marked would have a high chance of making


    the parties perish. Higher risk, higher reward.


    Nothing was without fault, just as Elder Luke said.


    ¡°You¡®ll need to excuse me, Alpha,¡± he then said, breaking me from my thoughts. ¡°There is a meeting


    soon and I am required to attend. I would very much like to continue this conversation at ater date


    though.¡±


    ¡°A meeting now?¡± | asked, quickly sitting up in the bed. ¡°Where is it? The meeting hall?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, Alpha,¡± he answered hesitantly.


    ¡°Give me five minutes and we can go together.¡±


    But as I started getting out of bed to retrieve the clean clothes left for me, I noticed Elder Luke was still


    looking at me with an unsure expression. Almost as though he wanted to say something to me.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, frowning at his reaction. ¡°Can¡®t I attend my own pack¡®s meeting?¡±


    But he simply bowed his head. ¡°You may do as you wish.¡±


    I did my best not to feel insulted at the silent insinuation and, instead, focused on getting ready instead.


    M y body still felt tender everywhere but, true to my word, I managed to leave with him for the meeting


    before too long had passed.


    The meeting seemed to have already started by the time we arrived. The ranked members and council in


    attendance were in deep conversation rted to pack affairs and I did my best to quietly enter. A futile


    attempt in itself. The room wentpletely silent the moment I entered through the door.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Aleric greeted, a note of surprise in his voice. ¡°You¡®re here.¡±


    ¡°Yep, I¡®m here,¡± I repeated.


    But Aleric approached me before I could make it too far, intercepting me after I¡®d taken only a few steps


    through the door.


    ¡°...Are you sure you want to be here?¡± he asked quietly, directing me to face away from the group. ¡°Are


    you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m feeling well enough to be here. We¡®ve got a lot of work ahead and I want to be a part of that.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡®s just¡­ You know,¡± he said, an awkwardness to his words.


    ¡°I ¡®know¡® what?¡± I pressed, my eyes narrowing.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    Chapter Ny


    The pack vault.


    Reserved for only fully sworn¨Cin ranked members and Elders. It was a ce where the Winter Mist¡®s


    most valuable possessions and secrets were kept, passed down through all the generations.


    It was my first timeing down here in this life and, out of all the people, I never expected to be


    apanied by Brayden; someone who was neither a full ranked member nor someone I particrly


    liked. I knew he would take this experience to engorge his ego but there didn¡®t seem to be much choice. I


    refused to spend my time doing nothing when there was so much going on. Thea or not, I would still


    make myself useful somehow.


    The vault was huge and packed from top to bottom with everything one could imagine; books, important


    documents, items, weapons, heirlooms. A collection more diverse than probably all other packs in the


    country. Now, considering what I knew about the lineages, I wondered if perhaps our ancient origins


    were to be thanked for that.


    But, more so than what we could visually see, I couldn¡®t discount the smell of the old literature


    surrounding me. A scent that I was so familiar with and took immensefort in. If I closed my eyes, I


    could even recall some of my fondest memories spent in libraries; once somewhere I took sanctuary in.


    ¡°So, this is the pack vault,¡± Brayden said next to me as we entered through therge metal door.


    The undertone of excitement in his voice was impossible to miss but I brushed it off, doing my best to


    ignore him. Or at least I tried to.


    He walked directly ahead of me towards a cab of artifacts and was about to reach out and grab one


    when


    ¡°Don¡®t touch anything,¡± | snapped, his hand pausing only inches away from a chalice. ¡°I have no choice


    but to let you in here but you¡®re sorely mistaken if you think this is some sort of reward. You¡®ve been


    tasked with keeping an eye on me. I don¡®t see where in that order it says you can take a private tour of


    the vault. I o me, that would be considered doing the opposite of what you were instructed to do.¡±


    Brayden¡®s jaw tightened in disapproval but he dropped his hand nevertheless. For a Gamma heir, he


    sure didn¡®t show much promise in the ways of using his head or following directions correctly. Perhaps


    his position was something I would need to reconsider in the future.


    ¡°This way,¡± I said, and started walking towards the back of the room.


    Thadn¡®t explored everything in here but I did have a basic understanding. I knew it was sorted by age


    and then into each individual category within that e.g. books, artifacts etc. In the past, I¡®d only stuck to


    modern history, focusing on war and politics, so it was my first time seeing the very back.


    And it did not disappoint.


    A sharp inhale of surprise passed my lips as I saw what was waiting for us. The books were as beautiful


    a s they were old, someone obviously taking the time to embellish the covers long ago. By all ounts,


    they were stunning


    ¡°I¡®m going to start reading through these. There is an armchair in the corner if you want to get


    comfortable,¡± I said to Brayden and sat myself down at a nearby table.


    And so it began. Reading carefully through the books around me. They were far too fragile, and the


    majority written in the oldnguage I could only vaguely understand, but I persevered regardless. If


    anything seemed remotely useful then I knew I could always ask Elder Luke to trante it correctly for m


    eter.


    But with the sess rate I was having, that seemed like a small chance anyway.


    After an hour of reading, I was yet to find anything with even the tiniest mention of Thea, the lineages or


    even just Selene in general. Everything I¡®d found was mostly historical and spoke about the pack affairs


    at the time of writing, or just the pack itself.


    And Brayden wasn¡®t making the process any easier.


    He sat in the corner, staring daggers at me the entire time. Presumably making a point at how miserable


    h e was and attempting to make me as ufortable as possible.


    Admittedly, it was working.


    ¡°Okay, fine!¡± I finally burst out, frustrated from both theck of results and his behaviour. ¡°You win. I can¡®t


    focus with you acting like a bored toddler.¡±


    He perked up in his chair immediately but was still hesitant, waiting for me to give him verbal permission.


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean go and look around. Leave me in peace to read and, in return, I won¡®t tell Aleric you wandered


    off,¡± I said, defeated. ¡°But I¡®m serious when I say don¡®t touch anything. If you identally break anything


    then you¡®ll have the entire council demanding punishment for your carelessness.¡±


    He didn¡®t need to be told twice, suddenly a new spring in his step as he basically skipped down the aisle


    and out of sight towards the weapons section.


    I sighed at that. Very typical.


    Turns out that being left alone didn¡®t prove to be that much different in the end. I still struggled to find


    anything useful.


    However, though not overly important, I did find it interesting to learn that the Knight family, Cai¡®s


    ancestors, were once a part of the Winter Mist. In fact, it looked as though the two territories used to be


    For some reason, something about that was nagging in my head, as though I should be remembering


    something I couldn¡®t. What could be so important about that though?


    ¡°Aria,¡± Brayden then said nearby, returning already from his short expedition.


    But I didn¡®t look up, trying to remember the thing I was close to forgetting. I couldn¡®t lose focus and he


    was literally thest distraction I wanted right now.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he then said again, more urgently this time.


    ¡°What!?¡± I snapped and looked up furiously.


    ...And there she was.


    Thea.


    In the flesh.


    And an all¨Ctoo¨Cfamiliar looking sword in her hand that was being held against Brayden¡®s neck, keeping


    him hostage. The ancient sword that once beheaded me in the past.


    My body instantly froze in shock, almost as though time had stopped. Of all the moments she could have


    chosen to appear, now was by far the worst.


    With Brayden at sword point, myself in handcuffs, and all of us so far underground inside the vault that


    no


    one would hear us call for help, we were basically at her mercy. The real question was how she


    managed t o get inside the most secure location of the entire pack without anyone even seeing her... and


    why she was choosing now to appear.


    ¡°Aria,¡± she greeted, her sickly sweet voice sending dread through me.


    Calm, I needed to remain calm. She couldn¡®t touch me which meant I already had the advantage. From


    everything I¡®d learned, she would always bet everything on me acting emotionally without much thought;


    something that her influence moulded me to be.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked and slowly started to stand up from the table.


    ¡°Ah¨Cah, don¡®t do anything stupid now,¡± she warned, pressing the de deeper against Brayden to


    makem


    e sit back down. ¡°I came for the sword but this little one caught me in the act. Told me you were still


    wearing your new essory. Of course, I couldn¡®t resist corning over to say hi.¡±


    Brayden told her I was still wearing the handcuffs? So she didn¡®t already know? That was interesting.


    ¡°What¡®s so special about the sword?¡± I asked, keeping my voice as even as possible.


    ¡°Oh, this?¡± she said, looking it up and down, ¡°This right here is an instrument of my most recent troubles.


    The weapon forged by my daughter in the Silver River, now imbued with the souls of Gods upon my


    children¡®s deaths.¡±


    Silver River?


    And then I realised why that sounded so familiar earlier, ¡®Argyros¡®, as in the Argyros River from the origin


    lore Selene showed me, tranted to ¡®Silver¡® in the modern tongue of today. The river that used to


    connect the Silver Lake and the Winter Mist was the very one that had birthed our kind. We were once


    ground zero,


    So what made the sword so special that Thea wanted it?


    Well, unfortunately, I could already begin to answer that without thinking too hard. And I didn¡®t like what it


    meant for me.


    Under the table, I started to tug on the handcuffs, knowing that getting them off was possibly my only


    chance at survival. But freeing myself would prove to be almost impossible. Not without¡­.


    ¡°It astounds me how hard it is to get into this shithole vault,¡± she continued. ¡°Breaking in is hopeless¡­


    and yet I hear there are merely ten people who have ess to it; none of whom ever seem toe


    down here.¡±


    And now I had just opened the door for her.


    ¡°So instead of just leaving with what you wanted, you took Brayden hostage and came to gloat?¡± I


    asked.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± she said. ¡°I have a bit of a soft spot for you, I guess you could say. We¡®re not so


    different when you really think about it. Both of us having our lives ruined by Selene. Both of us


    sacrificing everything for our duty and then losing everything we love anyway.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°*You* ruined my life,¡± I argued. ¡°You ruined *both* my lives. And now you¡®ve


    manipted and turned me into ... into whatever this* is. You took away those I loved and made me


    push


    away those I still had.¡±


    She paused to consider for a second. ¡°I guess that¡®s true. I didn¡®t know about the prior timelines until I


    met you, I¡®ll be honest. Every now and then you would just give me snippets until I finally had full control.


    I I was extremely entertaining to see. I knew Selene was marking those selected from the original


    lineages but I never realised that they had been reborn by her own making. I wonder how many times


    I¡®ve seeded in my goal without ever knowing.¡±


    Chapter Ny


    Snippets... so she couldn¡®t see everything; not at the beginning anyway... and apparently not everything


    ofte either. It meant there were limits to what she could do.


    ¡°Is that why you targeted me instead of Aleric? Because of the mark?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, right, because that¡®s how it went the first time, right? I suppose that would be the case. I found out


    you were looking for me and discovered Selene¡®s energy radiating off you. You were the bigger threat out


    of the two. Of course, I didn¡®t expect you to let me in so easily. It took a lot of work to break you down to


    pieces... but when you finally gave in to mepletely? ...Bliss.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Two? Why not Cai?¡±


    Truthfully I was surprised she was telling me any of this but I also realised that this must have been a big


    moment for her. Thea liked me to know how badly I¡®d messed up, know where I¡®d gone wrong so she


    could revel in it. Just like how she left the note on Myra¡®s body. She¡®d been working towards this for


    years, if not centuries, so of course she wouldn¡®t miss the opportunity to brag about it.


    I wasn¡®t upset either. Partly because I was finally getting answers, partly because I was waiting for the


    perfect moment to do what I needed under the table.


    ¡°Cai? Well... he¡®s fun, isn¡®t he? You two once had a thing, right? I can see why,¡± she winked, causing me


    to wrinkle my nose in disgust. ¡°s though, his gic predisposition is too simr to my own. At best, I


    can influence only on a surface level but to fully manipte someone who by nature can also


    manipte, even if that¡®s in a slightly different way...? It just doesn¡®t really work. Just sort of made him


    sick. Like two mas of the same pole repulsing each other. I did what I did purely to break you down


    further. Create


    chaos and feed fuel of mistrust.¡±


    Cai had mentioned that he wasn¡®t sure about ¡®Caitlyn¡® when I questioned him. In fact, the more we spoke


    about it, the more uncertain he sounded. Was he therefore more immune than the rest of us? Bing


    a little unwell seemed like a fair price to pay for retaining control against what she was truly capable of.


    But¡­ hearing this from her, I quickly realised that the information about Cai was pretty invaluable to us.


    A bit *toot important to just let slip. More so than what could be justified by only wanting to gloat.


    ¡°...Why are you telling me all of this?¡± I finally asked warily.


    ¡°Well¡­ it doesn¡®t really matter, does it?¡± she said, almost a little smug. ¡°I¡®ve got the sword... I¡®m sure


    you¡®ve already worked out what that means from just the fact I want it.¡±


    So I was right. The sword meant that she was able to somehow break the protection.


    It meant I couldn¡®t let her leave with it.


    ...But... one wrong move and she would just kill Brayden.


    A fate, I realised, that was probably inevitable, if not required here.


    As horrible as it might seem, to me, it felt like fair coteral damage. One life to potentially save our


    entire species. To save myself. It was a logical decision.


    Given how much Brayden likes to brag, he¡®d be dying in the best possible way. A hero¡®s death, of sorts.


    And I, for one, sure as hell wouldn¡®t miss him on a personal level either.


    All I¡®d need to do was wait until she was talking out another lengthy exnation, execute my n with


    the handcuffs, and then, whilst she was taking care of Brayden, I would use that time to disarm her. Best


    case scenario would be if I could kill her right here, right now. End this once and for¨C.


    ¡°Aria... please,¡± Brayden then whimpered, bringing my attention to him. ¡°Please... I¨CI¡®m sorry for ever


    being mean to you. I¨CI¡®m sorry.¡±


    It didn¡®t take a genius for one to realise that he probably wasn¡®t going to survive this, no matter which


    way


    Chapter Ny


    it went. Even if Thea got her way, she wouldn¡®t just let him live once it was over. No loose ends. He was


    likely already dead the second she found him.


    But there was something so tremendously pathetic in the way he looked at me which made me realise


    that perhaps the decision wasn¡®t as obvious as I thought.


    Once this was all over, would this just be another moment for Cai to look at me with disgust and call


    me a monster for letting Brayden die so easily? Was the ¡®moral¡® choice to find a solution to let us both


    live, whatever that entailed?


    ... Would Aleric slowly begin to see me as a monster too if I didn¡®t?


    The problem was that there truly was no option that had good odds for both his life and the sword


    retrieved. Not to mention, implementing a n with less chance of sess seemed far too risky when


    the stakes meant Thea could leave with the sword. And then what if I failed? Would they then criticise me


    for not stopping her, no matter the cost?


    How was I meant to make the correct choice when I didn¡®t even know what *|* thought was right, when I


    didn¡®t even know what was me and what was just Thea¡®s desire now ingrown within? When I was so


    damaged inside that it was like I couldn¡®t even trust myself?


    The choices were to let Brayden die... or open ourselves up to the possibility of thousands eventually


    dying. So if I saved Brayden now but lost the sword, would there be another chance to stop her before


    she finally killed us all off?


    To say I was panicking over this decision was an understatement.


    ...But, as difficult as that choice was, after a few more moments of consideration¡­ I did manage to make


    up my mind. I knew what I needed to do.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    Chapter Ny¨COne


    There was only one choice.


    Only one that would allow me to salvage what little I did have left. I¡®d already burnt bridges, destroyed


    faith... ruined any chance of having the life I used to so desperately crave. I couldn¡®t necessarily fix what


    I¡®d already done but I once used to believe that more bloodshed wasn¡®t the way to solve the past, and


    that was probably still true now. Even if Thea made it harder to see things that way.


    No, I needed to save him... even if it proved more difficult than worthwhile.


    Calm down and think. I needed to consider this very carefully.


    There was always a logical exnation for these things when analysed, some sort of strategy. She could


    mess with my emotions and how I perceived things, but she couldn¡®t change the hard facts. They were


    there if I just focused enough. I just needed to push past what I felt I needed to do, and concentrate on


    what the situation was actually telling me to do.


    I needed to put myself in her shoes... and see the incentive behind her actions.


    And so, I quickly closed my eyes and tried to see myself as her, thinking through what her decisions


    might have been that led her here, to this very moment....


    *...I entered the vault and grabbed the sword because I need it to break the protection... but I¡¯m caught.


    The young boy who came with Aria isn¡®t with her but instead is in the weapons section... but maybe I


    wanted that to be the case. Maybe I waited so long because I needed to catch him alone.¡®*


    *¡®I don¡®t kill him... because there is something else I require to break the protection. Something Aria has


    or is located next to. If that wasn¡®t the case, I would have just disposed of him and attacked her


    immediately. But, no, I need him alive and toe with me because I still can¡®t injure her directly; I need


    coteral. Something to use as a shield... someone to be a hostage.¡®*


    *¡®l approach Aria with the boy and talk to her... Partly because I want to... partly because there is another


    reason. I try to force her into a situation where she has two options; to attack me or to flee.¡®*


    *... Why though? Am I gambling that Aria will do one over the other? And how would either of them help


    m e?¡®*


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    | opened my eyes again and looked at the scene in front of me, frowning in thought. Without more key


    information, I wasn¡®t sure which path was the one she was betting on. Both of them were usible and


    yet had their own issues.


    ... But then I realised something. Something I was overlooking....


    She was talking to me.


    It might not be in my head anymore but it was still the same thing she¡®d always done; bringing up


    memories, making me lose hope... trying to make me scared and angry. Her weapon of choice was, and


    always has been, her voice.


    So maybe I didn¡®t need to know which one she ¡®wanted¡® me to do. Maybe all I needed to know was which


    one she didn¡®t.


    ...Which left only one thing I could do.


    ¡°I surrender,¡± I suddenly said, standing up from the table in defeat.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    A look of surprise and confusion immediately crossed her and Brayden¡®s faces... though Brayden¡®s


    erring


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    Chapter Ny Ono


    more on the side of terror than shock.


    ¡°I surrender,¡± I repeated. ¡°You got me. I¡®m contained in silver, underground, my bodyguard hostage...


    What am I supposed to do? You win.¡±


    ¡°What is this? You don¡®t care whether I kill him, is that it?¡± she said and proceeded to throw Brayden to


    the ground before her, sword still pointed to his throat. ¡°You think I won¡®t?¡±


    I paused for a second, taking in her abrupt reaction calmly. ¡°No... I don¡®t doubt that you will. I just don¡®t


    know what you expect me to do here. I¡®ve fought long enough, am both mentally and physically drained


    to my limit. I surrender, Thea. You win. Give Selene my regards when you finally face her.¡±


    Hesitation. She¡®s hesitating, unsure what to do here. But, more importantly, it proved my theory correct;


    she couldn¡®t hurt me yet. Which meant she couldn¡®t kill Brayden either, her only leverage against me. Not


    yet anyway


    She had tried to push me to act out of emotion, to elicit a reaction that would make me flee or attack her.


    Which meant there was only one option left. By process of elimination, surrendering was the only thing!


    could do, the only thing I knew she didn¡®t* want me to do. I was basically having to read myself and do


    the opposite of what I felt I was being persuaded to do.


    ¡®Your move, Thea.¡®


    Quickly, she then looked around the room, scanning the area around us before her eyes finally settled on


    a book stacked by the table. Was that what she was after? A book? But why would a creature as old as


    time need a book?


    I didn¡®t get a chance to think on it more though as suddenly she kicked Brayden towards me, sending


    him flying across the ground.


    So that was it... she was going to try and run. I called her bluff and she couldn¡®t do anything else.


    True to my assumption, she instantly turned around and started sprinting towards the exit. But she made


    a fatal mistake though, one crucial error....


    She kept Brayden alive.


    ¡°Brayden!¡± I yelled. ¡°Get up. You need to shift and follow her. Do not engage inbat. You are to follow


    her only.¡±


    She must have thought I¡®d waste time to make sure he was okay first but that was a bad assumption. We


    weren¡®t civilians. We were trained, ranked members in one of the most elite packs in the whole country. If


    a kick to the gut was enough to keep us down, we didn¡®t deserve the title. Sure, Brayden might be


    annoying and arrogant, but he had been trained since he was a child to handle more pain than that.


    And he didn¡®t disappoint.


    Brayden quickly got up to his feet and, without saying another word, ran after her, shifting mid¨Cair to take


    advantage of the better speed and senses.


    Now for the hard part.


    I looked down gravely at the handcuffs encircling my wrist and gritted my teeth. This was not going to be


    pleasant.


    3...2¡­ 1¡­


    *Pop.*


    And I cried out in pain, all the while wasting no time in sliding the handcuffs over my now dislocated


    thumb.


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    UTUPILY UNC


    I¡®d prepared myself for this situation years ago but it didn¡®t lessen the pain. After being sent to my death i


    n handcuffs already once before, I made a point of learning how to escape from them in this life should I


    ever find myself in another life¨Cthreatening emergency. I¡®d told myself that, if they were going to send


    met o the trial grounds again, it wasn¡®t going to be while wearing them. Luckily for me, werewolf anatomy


    meant our joints were a bit more flexible thanks to our ability to shift.


    Immediately. I felt my strength return to me, now free of the silver. A small part of me wondered if maybe


    I should be thanking Cai for the cuffs instead of the old silver cor... After all, it wasn¡®t as though I could


    dislocate my head.


    There was one major drawback in doing this though. It meant one of my hands were now out of


    commission. I would only be able to defend myself with just my left; the hand that wasn¡®t my dominant


    one. It also meant I couldn¡®t shift right now as running with only three good legs wasn¡®t going to be any


    faster.


    But I sprang into action nevertheless, chasing after the scents of both Brayden and Thea as it led me


    towards the exit.


    I could only assume that if she¡®d managed to sneak in here, that she had some way of staying hidden


    this whole time. That she¡®d found an entrance that wasn¡®t through the packhouse door upstairs. This


    meant | couldn¡®t rely on her hopefully being slowed by warriors upstairs because she probably wasn¡®t


    going to be running past any.


    But when I was almost back at the vault entrance, I heard it. Loud growls and snapping noisesing


    from just outside. It sounded as though Brayden had engaged in battle, despite my clear instruction nott


    o get involved. The idiot was just meant to follow her, not attack her.


    ¡°Brayden!¡± I yelled as I made it outside, only to see Thea had him cornered.


    He was on the defensive but that wasn¡®t going to work now. He would need to shift back if he was


    nning to do closebat like that. Wolf form was better for battle when you had arge number of


    allies within an open space.


    The only issue was that if he tried to shift now, Thea would just use that time he was transitioning to


    make her move.


    ¡°Don¡®t shift!¡± I ordered as I quickly approached.


    But I was a second toote.


    Brayden had already realised that his wolf wasn¡®t going to be enough to win and started to shift before I


    could get the words out.


    And, just as I had predicted, Thea didn¡®t look like she was going to wait. She¡®d already made the error of


    letting him live once, I doubted she was going to do that twice.


    She pulled the sword up, ready to strike, waiting for the moment he¡®d be mid¨Ctransition as that would be


    when he was weakest...


    And, as she did so, Brayden¡®s face then turned to me as he shifted, finally realising his mistake.


    Full of terror as it was toote to stop what he had already started.


    The look of a man who knew he was about to die.


    And so I did the only thing I thought would work....


    At thest moment, before she brought the sword down, I threw myself in front of Brayden, using myself


    a sa shield. If she needed the book inside then it meant she still wasn¡®t going to be able to touch me, it


    meant thai


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    Chapter Ny¨COne


    ¨CSillliiiiiiickkkk.


    The sword pierced right through my shoulder, slicing into me as though I were made of butter.


    And I stared in shock. Frozen in ce.


    I stared from where the sword was embedded inside me¡­ up to where Thea was looking down at me


    with the biggest smile on her face.


    Of course, I¡®d sensed the attack but that didn¡®t mean I expected it to be fulfilled. In fact, I didn¡®t


    understand how this was possible at all. I¡®d thought through everything so carefully. If she¡®d been able to


    hurt me this entire time then why had she waited so long? Why had she bothered to capture Brayden


    and flee when I tried to surrender?


    And then the pain finally hit me.


    I screamed out and fell to my knees, tears starting to fall down my face. The silver mixed in with the


    injury was one of the most excruciating things I¡®d ever felt. Perhaps it had been a blessing that this sword


    had killed me with just one strike in the past. Death would have been a kinder result than this pain.


    ...But maybe that wish would be a reality soon enough.


    ¡°Aria!¡± Brayden yelled, now finished with his shift.


    He tried to lean me against the wall for support but the sword made that difficult.


    ¡°Let me help with that,¡± Thea then said and quickly pulled the de back out, forcing another cry of paint


    o escape my lips.


    So it really was over then. My expiration date was finally here.


    I knew what would happen now. With the de removed, I would start to lose too much blood before I


    had time to heal. The poison from the silver would prevent my elerated healing from closing the


    wound quickly. So even if she decided not to finish the job herself, the silver would do the rest for her.


    With what strength I could muster, I then grabbed Brayden¡®s shirt with my one good hand and pulled him


    down to look me in the eyes, forcing contact so he wouldn¡®t be able to refuse me. That there would be no


    questioning my very clear order this time.


    ¡°Get. Out. Of. Here,¡± Imanded through gritted teeth, pouring as much authority into it as I could.


    This whole situation had been a mess from the beginning with odds stacked against me. I¡®d wanted so


    badly for it to be possible to retrieve both the sword *and* save Brayden. But it resulted in just the way I¡®d


    expected; I really couldn¡®t have it both ways.


    The de then came swinging down towards Brayden and I quickly kicked his legs out from under him,


    forcing him to hit the ground just as he narrowly avoided her attack. The difference in speed between the


    two of them was obvious. There was no chance Brayden would be able to take her on by himself. He


    couldn¡®t even see her attacksing, let alone defend against them. Thea was far stronger than even


    an Alpha. A Gamma heir alone would be too weak.


    ¡°I said get out of here, idiot! Now!¡± I yelled again.


    And, with one final look of hesitation towards me, he finally carried out my instructions, jumping back and


    shifting mid¨Cair to escape up the stairs.


    He was free. He was safe.


    ¡°That was stupid of you.¡± Theamented as she watched him leave. ¡°Wouldn¡®t the smarter thing be for


    him to try and save you?¡±


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    Chapter Ninely One


    ¡°And just let him die?¡± I asked. ¡°Wouldn¡®t make any of this worth it if he just got instantly cut down. He


    doesn¡®t stand a chance against you in one-on¨Conebat. We both know that.¡±


    If we were going to start the apocalypse then let it not bepletely in vain. If Brayden lived then maybe


    I could die with at least some redemption. It was just one person¡®s life but maybe it would be the one


    good thing I could aplish before I left.


    I never thought this would be how I finally went though. Who would have guessed that I would end up


    dying for the asshole who testified against me in my trial? Someone who, in this life, had made my time


    just as miserable with every interaction. Who had stupidly ran into battle when I¡®d expressly told him not t


    o, knowing full well that her strength outweighed both of oursbined.


    ¡°Tell me then,¡± I said, pushing myself backwards to sit more upright. I was trying to use the wall to put


    pressure on my exit wound whilst I held the front, but I knew that was a futile hope. No one could survive


    this injury. ¡°What was it then? I¡®m assuming the book you brought to my attention was just a ruse?¡±


    Her smile grew smugger as she looked down at me. ¡°Correct.¡±


    So she did that to lull me into a false sense of security. Made me think that the piece she needed to


    break the protection was still iplete so I would act more confidently. But then what had changed


    between the moment she¡®d fled to when she had cut me down?


    ¡°I¡®m going to die any minute. Are you really going to drag this out for suspense? Just tell me already.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the protective curse actually entails?¡±


    I sighed at her refusal to just give me a straight answer. ¡°It stiptes that you cannot directly wound


    those of us whoe from the original lineages.¡±


    ¡°Right. And I didn¡®t.¡±


    I frowned at her confused. She sliced into me like it was nothing. How was that not a direct attack on m


    e? Was it just because my head was bing light that I wasn¡®t able to see what she was getting at?


    ¡°It wasn¡®t a direct attack on you,¡± she said, answering the question in my mind. ¡°It was a direct attack o n


    the boy. You willingly stepped in between him and the sword of your own volition. Just as I wanted yout o


    do from the beginning.¡±


    And I slowly started to see how it fit perfectly with her actions inside the vault up until now. She had been


    trying to get me to attack her all along, wanting me to fall on the sword myself. But that meant¡­


    ¡°It means that this was the missing piece,¡± she answered. ¡°Selene did her best to make the curse almost


    like an imprable loop; something that would basically guarantee her protection from me. In order to


    sbreak it, I had to shed blood from one of the mortal children, and do so by the sword that first forged the


    curse. But the curse stipted that I couldn¡®t directly spill your blood. Therefore it seems impossible, a


    never¨Cending cycle of being unable toplete the requirements. Except, over the many years, I finally


    theorised two ways around it. Ways I don¡®t think even Selene considered when she initially created this


    dumb riddle¡±


    She then moved the de and held the point to my chest.


    ¡®The first way I thought of was to use one of the children. You all, by proxy, hold a piece of me inside you,


    so if I were to have one of you shed the blood of another on my behalf, this would, theoretically, mean


    that I havepleted the criteria to break it. It also seemed like the easiest method if I could just get you


    all to turn on each other.¡±


    So that¡®s how she seeded in my first life. She had Aleric finish me off, framing me for a crime that was


    punishable by death and waited for the ceremonial sword to be used. With Cai and I both dead, and the


    curse broken, it would have been easy enough to finish off Aleric by herself.


    Curse


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    LIIOMICII


    vue


    She had to be extremely careful with that method though which was probably why she took so long to do


    i t. If she had me killed off without breaking the curse, it would have been incredibly difficult for her to


    finish off Aleric. He would have be almost untouchable with no other lineages surviving.


    ¡°But you seemed to figure out that n once Selene got involved and showed you our past. A surprise to


    even myself given her aversion to intervention. Regardless, I did my best to make you mistrust her, to


    make you turn on the others despite that, but evidently, it wasn¡®t enough. I was forced topletely back


    out of that strategy once you realised it was actually me manipting you the whole time.¡±


    ¡°And the second...,¡± I panted, my breathing bing more shallow as I grew weaker. ¡°The second was


    to have one of the children stand in the middle of your attack, right? To willingly ept the blow of the


    sword even though you¡®re not intentionally directing it at them.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°So what now then?¡± I asked weakly. ¡°What are you going to do once you¡®ve taken back your power


    from


    me?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m taking more than just ¡®my¡® power back,¡± she said, crouching down to eye level. ¡°I¡®m taking that piece


    o f Selene too, snatching it away before she cane to retrieve your soul. Her affinity for prophecy was


    always far better than my own, a testament to how it¡®s manifested inside of you, a mere mortal. The other


    two won¡®t really stand much of a chance once I acquire that.¡± 1


    Would she have full control over it unlike me? Seeing the future had always been unpredictable and I¡®d


    just epted that it was something I would never havemand over. Thea on the other hand, having


    been born with the power, would probably have the strength required to harness it the way it needed to


    be.


    And she was right. Aleric and Cai really wouldn¡®t stand a chance against an enemy who could predict


    their every move. Especially now the curse was broken.


    They were as good as dead as soon as I was gone.


    Thea then stood back up, breaking me from my thoughts, and quickly positioned the sword¡®s point


    against my chest once more.


    ¡°Anyst words?¡± she asked.


    And I looked up at her face. Well, since I was going to die anyway....

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Chapter Ny¨CTwo


    ¡°Myst words?¡± I asked, my breathing heavy. ¡®Yeah... I guess I have something to say.¡±


    Or at least, I have something to do.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± I spat.


    And with that, I grabbed the de firmly within my one good hand and pushed it backwards with all of my


    strength in one quick movement. Strong enough for it to fly right into Thea¡¯s face, sending her straight to


    the ground.


    I waited a moment to make sure she was down before proceeding to throw the sword into a corner as far


    away as possible. With two injured hands, it was impossible to wield it so removing it from the field


    entirely was better.


    I didn¡®t waste time after that though. Somehow, even though I was still weak, I then slowly managed to


    get back on my feet. I had to use the wall to support me, pressing against it until I could stand on my own


    unsteady legs.


    However, my legs were probably the least of my current issues. After all, with two severely damaged


    hands and a sword wound to my shoulder, the condition of my body was already terrible.


    Despite my grim situation though, I was thankful for one thing at least. Thankful that she hadn¡®t


    anticipated my attack. I¡®d picked up on the fact that she was acting as though she¡®d already won. Her


    grip had been loose, barely even trying to hold it steady against my chest, and that had cost her. A


    mistake born from her over¨Cconfidence.


    ¡°You bitch,¡± she yelled, getting back to her feet.


    But I didn¡®t wait


    Immediately, I stepped forward and kicked her directly in the chest with all my strength, sending her flying


    right into the opposite wall.


    ...And everything instantly swayed around me. As if the walls were living creatures.


    I wanted to throw up.


    FOCUS


    Before I could fall down, I quickly shot my leg out to the side and steadied myself, allowing me a short


    moment to bnce again.


    ¡°You think that will be enough to hurt me?¡± I heard her say from somewhere in front of me.


    And with that, a blow was then suddenly dealt to my face, stinging pain recing where her hand had


    just been... and, before I knew what was really happening, the ground looked a lot closer than I


    remembered it being.


    I reached out with my arm, grabbing for the wall desperately, and thankfully prevented myself from


    completely falling down at the veryst second.


    ¡°You think a child like you is worthy of such a thing?¡± she continued.


    ...And it was followed by yet another blow. This time it was a kick to my ribs that forced all the air out of m


    y lungs¡­ and a metallic taste to fill my mouth.


    ¡®*¡°It¡®s a good n... but you need to adapt better,¡®*¡® | suddenly heard Aleric¡®s voice say in my head. They


    were the words he¡®d said to me the day we were sparring in the gym, an echo of a distant memory now.


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    *You can¡®t expect the other person to just stand there and not counter it. You need to think ahead more.


    Visualise how your opponent will move.¡±**


    But that was easier said than done when it was already taking all of my energy just to not pass out. I


    could forget about using any of my abilities to sense her moves right now. I would be lucky if I just


    somehow managed to survive the next few minutes alone.


    Though I couldn¡®t help but think it was a little ironic. How, of all times to recall that memory, I was


    remembering that day in the gym right now. Because, just like how Aleric had been during that practice


    fight, I now, too, didn¡®t have use of my hands anymore. With one dislocated thumb and another with


    slices embedded into it from the sword de, it was almost as if the roles were reversed. Though,


    obviously, I would rather my hands be handcuffed behind my back as opposed to my current painful


    situation


    ... But maybe that was the exact reason I had dredged up the memory.


    Just a little longer. I wanted to survive... for just a little longer.


    And so I pushed myself off the wall, immediately turning my body as I saw her move in for another hit,


    and narrowly managed to dodge her attack. Once again, it seemed she had underestimated me severely


    and was surprised by my quick evasion. In fact, she had underestimated me so much that she didn¡®t


    even expect me to use her own momentum against her, kicking her leg out from under her mid lunge,


    and sending her flying back to the ground.


    It was the same technique Aleric had once used against me. I¡®d spent so long trying to win against him


    that day that I must have learnt a few of his tricks in the process.


    But the move came at a cost though, one that immediately took its toll as the whole room began to sway


    once more. Worse still, it was followed shortly after by specks of ck dots that began to cloud my


    vision. I wouldn¡®t be able to keep this up for long. My body was already past its limit.


    ¡°You stupid¡­,¡± Thea started, pulling her leg up in what would have been an attempt to kick me from the


    ground.


    But I quickly jumped away as fast as I could.


    Although, that ended up being maybe a little too fast.


    The sudden jerk to my body caused me to wince from the pain and I grabbed at my shoulder, teeth


    gritted.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Thea roared, nowpletely furious.


    ...And I cautiously took another step backwards to be safe.


    Her eyes were filled with nothing but malice as she got back on her feet. So much anger... so much


    hatred. It was as though she wanted my death more than she even wanted Selene¡®s in that moment. I


    could feel the sheer frustration and aggression rolling off of her in waves.


    *This was the creature inside my head all these years.


    ¡°Why are you prolonging the inevitable? Do you think you can actually win against me? In your


    condition?¡± she sneered


    And I barely dodged another hit to my face, avoiding it by not even an inch as her fist flew past my eyes.


    I didn¡®t respond though, instead I just silently countered the attack by kicking her knee out from the side,


    focusing everything on just my will to keep going. The move was weak but it at least forced her to spin


    into a crouch in order to prevent herself from hitting the ground again.


    Unfortunately for me though, she didn¡®t let it stop her for long. Instead, she took advantage of the new


    position and used it to try and counter kick me, this time aiming for my shins in an attempt to submit met


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    chawki Ninely Iwo


    o the floor. If she could manage to get me down, we both knew the fight would be over. I wouldn¡®t have


    the strength to get up again.


    And, though I did end up sessfully jumping backwards to dodge her attack, I quickly realised she¡®d


    done just that anyway.


    Checkmate.


    Whether herst attack hit me or not, it didn¡®t matter. No, she had just been betting on me being too


    injured to have any real sense of spatial awareness, jumping away from her until my back was suddenly


    pressed up against the corner.


    ...I was trapped.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± she demanded and threw another punch towards me.


    ...But I moved quickly, bringing my sliced up hand in front of my face and grabbing her fist before it could


    make contact. And, as a result, I could feel the cuts there begin to bleed once more.


    ¡°You keep...,¡± I tried to say between breaths, my body beginning to slump. Already my grip on her hand


    had ckened, forcing me to release her. ¡°You keep underestimating me... because of what I am.


    Because... because you think you¡®re better than us.¡±


    ¡°If you think we¡®re equals then you¡®re grossly mistaken. Possessing a piece of a God does not make you


    better than what you are. The fact you have even tried to fight me like this is proof of how delusional you


    are.¡±


    ¡°But I wasn¡®t...,¡± I said weakly, now starting to slip towards the ground. ¡°I wasn¡®t trying to win, Thea. I


    knew i t was over... the moment you pulled that de back out of me.¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡®t understand. What was the point in attacking me? In causing yourself further needless


    pain?¡±


    ¡°The point was... the point was to distract you... to keep you here... Just long enough for....¡±


    And then the thunderous sound of footsteps suddenly exploded from the top of the stairway, a melody of


    growling to apany it.


    I¡¯d never heard such a sweet song before. A fitting tune to die to.


    It was the sound of allies... the sound of my pack.


    Brayden had done exactly what I hoped he would do. He¡®d rallied up an attack unit. Not just a few stray


    warriors who had been standing around upstairs... but a real force, with substantial enough numbers to


    be able to handle someone like Thea. It meant he had figured out that I was nning to dy her.


    And a small smile crept to my lips as Thea¡®s face slowly turned to one of horror, the realisation of her


    situation now dawning on her.


    She may possess strength far greater than any Alpha but even she wouldn¡®t be able to defend herself


    against an army of trained wolf warriors. Not in such a small enclosed area as this.


    ...Your move, Thea.


    She looked frantically between where I sat to where I could only assume her secret passage was


    located. It was like I could see her trying to calcte the time required toplete each task in her head,


    the cogs quickly moving to figure out what she should do... and it would have made meugh if I


    physically could have


    | already knew if she took the time to kill me now, that she would likely be surrounded by wolves upon


    finishing the job. Even almost dead, I wasn¡®t going to make it easy for her; something she should have


    realised by now. I would squirm and dodge as much as possibly could just to make every second count.


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    Which meant she had to put her faith in me dying of my own injuries. It was the only way to utilise the


    time needed to escape. However, for someone like Thea, I knew that even that would be excruciatingly


    difficult for her. The only person Thea truly trusted was Thea; even if it was just to put trust in me to die of


    injuries impossible to recover from.


    And with every second ticking down, she had maybe a minute before my pack made it down all those


    flights of stairs.


    ¡°Better... start running. Thea,¡± I smirked.


    But she had other ns.


    She immediately reached down and grabbed at one of my ankles, now determined to drag me away with


    her. It was almost suicidal to waste time doing something like that. Something she surely had to realise,


    especially since the unit was so close by.


    ¡°What are you...?¡± I started asking, before I used my other foot to kick her hand away. It was the veryst


    ounce of energy I could muster but it was luckily just enough to free myself.


    It seemed even Thea was surprised I had enough in me for that, her anger only burning further. In fact, if


    looks alone could kill, there wouldn¡®t have been a reason for Thea¡®s current dilemma. For someone with


    such a pretty face normally, that scowl sure did not suit her.


    The real question now though was why would she attempt to bring me with her..? To attempt something s


    o reckless?


    Not unless....


    Not unless she needed my body too. That my death alone wasn¡®t going to be enough to retrieve her


    power back.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Well, then. It looked as though I¡®d managed to royally screw her out of her long¨Cawaited victory. Myst


    ditch effort to stall her might have been far more effective than I initially intended. Maybe my death wasn¡®t


    going to be the beginning of the end as I originally thought.


    We stared at each other silently for a moment, our faces resolute as we both refused to let the other get


    what they wanted. But unlike Thea, I wasn¡®t ying a game as bad as hers. For her, the situation was


    growing more dangerous as every second ticked by.


    But, in the end, it resulted in just the way I thought it would. One where, finally, with ast curse spat


    towards me, she bolted towards where a stack of boxesid in the corner, shoving them aside and


    disappearing behind them.


    ...Finally, she was gone.


    I breathed out a sigh of relief upon her exit andid staring up at the ceiling. And every time I would startt


    o feel myself let go, I would quickly reel myself back into consciousness.


    I still wanted to hang in there... for just a little bit longer.


    That memory from earlier was still dancing in the front of my mind; the one that had helped me to fight


    against Thea for as long as I had. I¡®d been so reluctant in agreeing to spar with Aleric that day and yet it


    had ended up being the thing that possibly just saved thousands of people. Now I wouldn¡®t even get the


    chance to tell him or thank him.


    I¡¯d won that fight too,¡¯ I recalled with a small smile. I remember squealing in delight over how happy I¡®d


    been to knock him down. And I remember... I remember how it had been the most excitement I¡®d felt in


    years That, in that moment, it was a reminder of how I was still strong despite it all; despite the cor and


    my situation


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    And, as I continued to reflect, I remembered something else too. Something I¡®d buried over thest few


    months. I remembered what happened right after that match.


    ...How we¡®d kissed.


    What would have happened if I hadn¡®t fallen asleep that day? If I¡®d gone back to speak with him and


    worked things out like I wanted to? There never would have been a misunderstanding about Lucy, no


    confusion over my parents¡® death... I never would have given inpletely to Thea due to my feelings of


    grief and betrayal.


    Thinking back now, it had been her voice screaming at me to pull away from him that day, filling my head


    immediately with doubt instead. But then... didn¡®t that mean the feelings I¡®d had for him were genuine


    during that moment?


    I guess I wasn¡®t going to find out.


    But if I was lucky... maybe, just maybe, I would get to see him onest time if he arrived with the attack


    unit. Was that too much to ask? To want to die with confirmation that he didn¡®t loath me for my actions?


    That, even in myst moments, he didn¡®t lose faith in me despite everything I¡®d done... despite that being


    more than I deserved? More than I ever did for him in either life...?


    I¡®d let him be his own destruction the first time, too weak to save him from Thea. I despised him for


    years because of the things he¡®d done that were out of his own control. And, unlike him, I had missed all


    the obvious signs. The signs that he had immediately picked up on inside me; the anger, the rash


    behaviour... his inability to feel the mate bond. Because they had all been there the first time... I¡®d just


    wrongly assumed that it was purely because he hated me so much.


    He became a monster in that life,pletely unrecognisable from the man I knew today. A creature of


    pure hate and drive to acquire power. Now, knowing exactly what Thea¡®s influence felt like, it was a


    wonder he held on as well as he did for the almost ten years he was involved with her. I¡®d lived through


    just three and already I¡®d sumbed to almost killing everyone.


    And yet, with the roles reversed, he hadn¡®t once doubted me in this life. He¡®d kept fighting, kept believing


    that whatever made me be this way, wasn¡®t actually my fault. That I was still me deep down...


    somewhere. Something even Cai had given up on.


    He might not have been able to fix what Thea did to me... but he did save me. Save me from myself¡­


    and save others from me.


    He¡®d been doing it since almost the beginning too. Countless times he¡®d stopped me from making


    mistakes based on negative emotions, quickly bing the only one to truly get through to me; a task


    that even my father and Cai had previously failed at. He¡®d been a voice of reason to call me out on my


    rinsanity, never being afraid to step in if he thought I¡®d gone too far. It was the sort of thing I could have


    used most after giving in to The.... yet l¡®d imprisoned him.


    If only I¡®d trusted him sooner, if I¡®d judged him based on the man he actually was instead of continuing to


    believe he would inevitably be the same person I¡®d known. Maybe I would have been able to rely


    on him earlier and prevent all of this from getting so messed up.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± I whispered, closing my eyes.


    I wanted his forgiveness as I plunged into the darkness; for leaving now and making him pick up the fight


    i n my absence. Leaving behind a world where I, once again, was unable to save him from Thea.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry...¡±


    I was sorry to Cai too. I¡®d turned a good man who once only saw good in others, into someone who


    hated even the sight of me. For a time, he was my best friend¡­ someone who I loved and relied upon. If


    not for him, I would have followed in those same steps which led me to bing another docile Luna.


    Who


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    Chapter Ninely Two


    knew where I¡®d be now if he hadn¡®t shown me that I could be more. That I was stronger than what


    others


    saw me as.


    ¡°Aria.¡± I heard a voice yell nearby.


    The warriors had arrived. They would need to hurry if they wanted to catch Thea. I knew they would be


    able to track her scent through the hidden passage without any issues but they would have trouble


    finding her if she made it outside. With her skill, it would be too easy for her to hide once she was back in


    an open space.


    ¡°Aria!¡±


    ¡°...I¡®m sorry,¡± I replied weakly, unable to open my eyes again. ¡°I wasn¡®t... I wasn¡®t strong enough.¡±


    ¡°Hang in there.¡±


    But it was toote for that. ¡®Hanging in there¡® implied that there was a chance of survival, of which no


    person was capable of doing. Everyone knew the effects of silver were merciless.


    ¡°Protect¡­ the morgue,¡± was all I could say with my final breath. Myst and final warning to help them in


    their future battle.


    And I let myself rx, the pain finally shutting off as I gave in to the darkness enveloping me.


    I didn¡®t get my final wish but maybe that was only fair. I didn¡®t deserve the absolution I desired. I hadn¡®t


    done anything worth receiving that blessing.


    For what it was worth though, I couldn¡®t be too disappointed in my current state. After all, my regrets and


    guilt did tell me one thing in my final moment.


    ...It told me that I truly was still capable of caring. That I truly was still myself... deep down.


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 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    Chapter Ny¨CThree


    ...What the hell is this?


    I should be dead. I know I should be. I¡®d received a lethal blow to my shoulder with silver. No one could


    survive that.


    And yet...


    And yet I couldn¡®t help but notice that, if I were dead, then the Abyss smelled oddly like a hospital room.


    A new renovation they must have added since thest time I visited.


    Everywhere in my body ached, everywhere felt... cold. Except for one ce. My hand. My right hand felt


    warmpared to the rest of me.


    So, if I¡®m not dead... then what sort of intervention had Selene done this time? Was this the same year or


    had she brought me back to an earlier time?


    Honestly, it wouldn¡®t surprise me if she had just sent me on my way without even telling me. After all, I


    did try to kill her thest time we met face to face. That probably didn¡®t instil a desire to catch up and


    chat.


    Though how many times could she do that withoutpletely destroying herself? I¡®d seen the way


    Selene looked after reviving me the first time... she¡®d basically faded into nothing from exhaustion.


    Knowing what I knew now, I was pretty certain that she¡®d already used up whatever she could spare.


    But if I was alive¡­ didn¡®t that mean I could warn the others? Tell them everything I¡®d learnt?


    And with that thought, all the past events suddenly started to swarm at me inside. The things Thea had


    told me, the fighting, the pain... all of it. The weight of the memories finally hit me and I felt my face


    wincing under its brutal reminder.


    Cold. My hand abruptly felt colder now. As if whatever had been warming it just disappeared.


    ¡°Aria. Are you awake?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    It was a voice I was familiar with.


    And my breathing caught in my throat, relief instantly flooding me.


    So, I really was alive... and he was here.


    Despite all my failures, I¡®d somehow been given my final wish after all.


    I slowly opened my eyes and turned to see Aleric by my bedside.


    I¡®d never seen a sweeter sight.


    Only, he looked tired. His ck, wavy hair out of ce, appearing the same way as when he was woken


    u p too early. Though, all things considered, that didn¡®t really surprise me. He¡®d probably been out


    leading the search for Thea for however long I¡®d been in here


    ...But that would mean I was still in my own present time, lessening the chance of Selene being


    involved.


    Which then still begged the question...


    ¡°...How am I alive...?¡± | asked, my voice barely louder than a whisper.


    He didn¡®t look surprised or taken aback by my question. A reaction that told me he probably knew just as


    well as I did that my survival shouldn¡®t have been possible.


    ¡°I guess you could call it a medical miracle,¡± he answered. ¡°One that you can thank your old silver cor


    for.¡±


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    Chapter Ny Three


    ¡°My... cor?¡± I asked, frowning. Maybe I really was dead as that would have made more sense than


    what he¡®d just said.


    ¡°The doctors are pretty confused too but everyone seems to agree that the cor is the most likely cause


    of your survival,¡± he said, ¡°They think that, because you were exposed to silver all day, every day, for


    such an extended period of time, your body built up a sort of¡­ natural resistance to the poisoning


    effects. Trace amounts must have been entering your system via the irritation it left on your skin.¡±


    When Elder Luke had once said that the effects of prolonged silver exposure were unknown, I don¡®t think


    anyone would have predicted this. This was...pletely unheard of.


    ¡°I¡®m immune¡­ to silver?¡±


    ¡°Silver ¡®poisoning¡®,¡± he corrected. ¡°And, no, not entirely. Just a better resistance. I guess it¡®s sort of like


    when people regrly subject themselves to low doses of poison if they deal with venomous animals.


    Makes the effects not as bad should they ever get bitten.¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t...,¡± | started but wasn¡®t sure what to say. I was so confused¡­ but at the same time, none of this


    seemed possible even if it were true. ¡°I saw the blood¡­ there was so much of it. Too much to survive.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± he said, his eyes narrowing from the memory. ¡°Honestly, I¡®d never felt so sick in my


    entire life before when I saw you just lying there, lifeless as your blood embellished the walls and floor.¡±


    He then paused and took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°¡­But, that being said, you managed to start


    healing before it became irreversible. In fact, by the time I arrived with the others, you¡®d already stopped


    most of the worst bleeding on your own.¡±


    so I guess it was lucky I¡¯d managed to get the handcuffs off then. Resistance or not, I wouldn¡®t have been


    able to use my natural elerated healing had I not taken extreme measures to remove them.


    ¡°But that¡®s not to say you didn¡®t almost die, Aria...,¡± he said, a small crease forming between his brows.¡±


    Calling it a close call would be a gross understatement. Over thest few days, you¡®ve undergone


    several surgeries and a blood transfusion to fix what your body couldn¡®t do on its own to stabilise. You¡®re


    going to be recovering for a few more weeks yet.¡±


    | stared at the wall,pletely in shock over everything he was telling me. If what he was saying was


    true


    then....


    ¡°So¡­ I¡®m alive because of Tytus and Elder Nathaniel?¡®


    Words I never thought I¡®d say in my life. Somehow their barbaric approach at imprisoning me in silver,


    forcing me to suffer through the humiliation and burning for over a year, had be the very thing that


    had allowed me to live. If I still believed in divine ns, I would have used this as a prime example,


    Next to me, I heard Aleric then softly chuckle under his breath, catching my attention to see he held a


    small smile. He probably realised just how absurd this all sounded too.


    ...And yet, I couldn¡®t help but ache a little at seeing him do so; to see his smile. To think I almost never


    saw that again.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ something like that.¡±


    ¡°And... and I¡®m not dead,¡± | reiterated.


    ¡°... Not dead.¡±


    Some things were perhaps beyond even Selene¡®s interference. The chances of this happening seemed...


    astronomical.


    Carefully, I then scrunched my right hand into a fist to test how much it¡®d healed. Unlike the rest of my


    injuries, the dislocation was probably the easiest to mend given no silver was involved. And, after a few


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    more checks, I was pleased to feel that it had basicallypletely healed.


    Good... because there was a lot of work to do.


    Namely, I wanted to start working through everything I remembered before I forgot. Especially when the


    information included theories of, not only how Thea¡®s ability most likely worked, but also how to possibly


    counter it.


    They were things I¡®d managed to figure out during our fight. It was the only reason I¡®d been able to hide


    m y n from her, the one to stall her for time. Otherwise I was sure she could have just meddled inside


    my head to find out what I was up to.


    No, like all things, she wasn¡®t perfect. And her arrogance had given me more clues from just within a ten


    minute encounter alone than out of the entire four years I¡®d been hunting her.


    Unfortunately, the way to keep her out of my mind was not going to be easy. In fact, if my theories were


    correct, it might not be possible at all for a while; not whilst I was recovering anyway.


    For what it was worth though, it wasn¡®t all bad and I even felt a little satisfied. Because if I focused


    enough, I could still feel that nagging bond inside that used to be the ce I mistook for my ¡®past self¡®. I


    might have let her in, allowing her to dig through, but it was also a two¨Cway street. It meant that I could


    be certain of one, very important thing.


    I was certain that she would know I had survived... and she would be pissed.


    Despite the impossible odds, despite even the oue of our battle, somehow I¡®d managed to dig my


    ws in enough to live... and that very fact alone would be eating her up inside.


    ¡°Aria?¡± Aleric then asked, a little rmed when I started to suddenly move. ¡°You shouldn¡®t do that....¡±


    I was trying to sit up in bed but immediately hissed from the pain in my shoulder. I wanted to start work a


    s soon as possible. There was too much to do. Even if that just meant writing down my ideas until I could


    walk again


    ¡°Help me... help me sit up,¡± I huffed, grimacing from the effort.


    He looked less than pleased by this idea but probably assumed I was going to do it whether he helped


    me or not, and stood up to assist.


    And it had seemed like an innocent enough request when I first thought of it; asking someone to help me


    sit up. Only I swiftly realised my mistake as the contact made me recall the revtion I¡®d had right before


    I was going to die.


    The one that made me painfully aware of just how close his body was as his arm wrapped around my


    back, supporting my weight to sit upright.


    ... That if I turned my head right now, his face would be right there.


    I found myself picking up little details I probably wouldn¡®t have normally noticed. Things like his calm


    breathing, the warmth seeping into my skin from where he held me.


    Yet I wondered if....


    He promptly finished helping me up and was about to pull away, but, before he could even take a step, 1


    quickly pinched at his shirt to pause him a second.


    It had been a reflex reaction I hadn¡®t expected, finding myself reaching out for thefort his presence


    gave me. Having almost lost it forever made me now critically aware of just how much I craved it.


    ¡°...Aleric,¡± I said hesitantly, unable to meet his eyes as I stared at my hand.


    There had been so many things I¡®d wanted to say before dying. So much I thought I¡®d never get the


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    Cluple Nuitty Ihree


    chance to find out. I owed my life to him and more. A debt I was never going to be able to repay.


    And I wanted so badly to apologise, to find out if he hated me for what i¡®d done to him. To hear from him


    that things hadn¡®t beenpletely destroyed between us, even if that came at the cost of his rejection.


    ...Because, after all, I was the dangerous, unpredictable one now.


    And, though it was probably wrong of me, I wanted to know I hadn¡®t ruined everything.


    ¡°.... I, umm...,¡± was all I said, unsure how to say the words I needed to.


    ¡®*¡°The second you walked into the cells, it was like all of my anger and frustration just immediately


    evaporated, **¡® was what he¡®d said to me not long ago. ¡®*¡°Almost as though the world justpletely


    stopped... and there was only you.¡°*¡®


    But that... that wasn¡®t *him*. That was just him describing the effects of the mate bond. I knew all too well


    what it was like to want to hate someone under its influence; to be trapped by the emotions the bond


    forces you to feel. I¡®d often found it disgusting how it could make you forgive the most heinous of acts.


    ...No, it would be wrong of me to exploit that.


    I couldn¡®t just disregard everything that had happened in thest few months. If I were him, I would want t


    o hate me... and it meant that, if I were to ask him for a straight answer right now, I¡®d possibly be taking


    advantage of that bond.


    .Broken.¡®


    ...Insane.¡¯


    ... Monster.


    And I sharply inhaled, shaking my head as Thea¡®s influence reared its ugly head inside me. A reminder


    to stop this chain of thoughts immediately before I regretted it.


    I¡®d definitely be a little better since before but obviously not enough. I still had a long way to go in m


    y journey of recovery.


    It was yet another reason to avoid this topic for the time being. Something that would need to wait until !


    could process all the information I¡®d gathered and work on countering what I could. It would be safer for


    everyone that way.


    ¡°Aria?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I think the drugs are wearing off,¡± I lied, letting him go.


    ¡°I warned you not to get up. I¡®ll get a doctor.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, cutting him off. ¡°That¡®ll just knock me out. We both know it¡®s more important to discuss what


    happened with Thea first.¡±


    He looked like he was going to argue but hesitated, probably realising I was right. This information could


    b e time¨Csensitive and who knew how long medication might make me sleep for.


    ¡°Brayden told me a little about what happened but it wasn¡®t all that helpful,¡± he said, giving in to my


    request ¡°There is only so much he remembers because he doesn¡®t have any context for what you and


    Thea were talking about.¡±


    Oh, right. Brayden wouldn¡®t have known about my first life, or about the lineages, or even Thea¡®s


    involvement with Selene. The only thing he knew was that I¡®d made Thea a national public enemy.


    ¡®Then it¡®s a lot worse than he was able to tell you,¡± said. ¡°Much, much worse. Before now, Thea wasn¡®t


    able to touch me; or any of us, for that matter, directly. It was caused by some sort of curse on her which


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    Chapter Ninely Three


    Selene had set up to keep the original families safe. Something that made ying the waiting game a


    bit easier as I tried to dig up information. Unfortunately for us though, she¡®s now managed to meet the


    requirements for breaking that.¡±


    ¡°So... all this time¡­.¡±


    ¡°She was using me as a pawn on her behalf,¡± I answered. ¡°Now, she doesn¡®t have to entirely rely on that


    anymore. She¡®s able to enter the arena on her own. It means... It means none of us are safe. If she


    manages to get her hands on one of our bodies¡­ it¡®s over.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s why you said to protect the morgue.¡±


    And I nodded.


    ¡°First thing we need to do is tighten security,¡± I said. ¡°Given how you look as though you haven¡®t slept in a


    week, I¡®m assuming you weren¡®t able to find her. Not that I¡®m surprised. She¡®s far too good at hiding in


    in sight. She won¡®t be too far away though, I¡®m certain of that. We have to be on the defensive at all


    times.¡±


    I then paused for a second, thinking through everything as much as possible.


    ¡°...By the way... did we manage to retrieve the old ceremonial sword?¡±


    Even though I wasn¡®t sure why Thea would still need it, that didn¡®t mean the de wasn¡®t still important. I


    couldn¡®t be certain she hadn¡®t taken it with her before she¡®d fled.


    ¡°The one she stabbed you with?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah... they cleaned it up and returned it to the cab


    inside the vault.¡±


    I bit at the inside of my cheek. I wondered if....


    However, I didn¡®t get to finish my thought though as suddenly a fresh wave of pain came from my


    shoulder wound. I¡®d been bluffing earlier about the drugs wearing off but I guess that had quickly be


    a reality anyway.


    ¡°I¡®m fine,¡± I said, grabbing my shoulder.


    Though he obviously didn¡®t believe me.


    ¡°No, very clearly you are not,¡± he said. ¡°You need toy back down.¡±


    ¡°But I can just do a little before¨C.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But, Aleric¨C.¡±


    ¡°Aria, stop,¡± he said, and then immediately poked his finger against my forehead to push me back into


    bed.


    It had been so unexpected that my only initial reaction was to freeze, staring up at him wide¨Ceyed in


    surprise. It might have even been enough to keep me quiet had another wave of pain not hit, resulting


    from the abrupt jolt to my shoulder.


    ¡°... That hurt,¡± I whined.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, leaning over the bed to raise a brow at me. His face said he was being stern but his


    eyes gave him away. I could tell he wasughing at me a little inside. ¡°You¡®re too stubborn. Hopefully,


    you can use this as a reminder for exactly why you need to beying down.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to help though¨C.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re not going to be very helpful long term if you don¡®t give yourself time to properly heal,¡± he said,


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    cutting me off, 7f not for yourself, then for the rest of us If what youve told me is true, it means we


    need t o be preparing for more physical attacks in the future now. You¡®re only going to hold us back if


    you wear yourself down without healing first,¡±


    And I closed my mouth again, no longer having an argument for what he was saying. He was right. I


    would be a liability in my condition. Forcing myself to work was only dying the time I needed to get


    better


    The best thing you can possibly do right now is rest. Heal. We need you at full strength if we have any


    hope of getting through this.¡®


    And I gave in, epting that my condition was probably a lot worse than I realised


    Since that looks to have finally sunk in,¡± he said, moving back, I¡®m going to get a doctor now. I imagine


    there¡®ll be no further objections?¡±


    And I shook my head.


    ¡°Alright, then.¡±


    And he immediately left to get a doctor, just as he said he would.


    So it seemed I really was going to be recovering for a while. A strange feeling since I¡®d never had an


    injury this bad before. The wounds I¡®d had in the past had never been more than what my natural healing


    could handle.


    Though I¡®d wanted so badly to start work as soon as possible, to write everything down and begin solving


    more of the puzzle, but.. clearly, my body had other ns. I needed to ept that the first step of


    stopping Thea meant letting my body heal before anything else. Too long had it been under multiple


    stresses and pains, constantly exhausted from anxiety and fear. The sword wounds were just cosmetic


    whenpared to the mental damage inside.


    And so, before Aleric could even return with the doctor, I closed my eyes willingly, trying to let my


    drowsiness carry me back to sleep.


    It might not have been in my original n, but it now became a necessary one.


    And, after a minute had gone by, I finally fell asleep peacefully to the smell of Aleric¡®s scent still on my


    clothes

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    A week.


    Isted a week before I started to get restless, wondering how much longer I¡®d need to wait before my


    body could finally cope again.


    But surely a week was long enough, right? Enough that I would be allowed to begin what I wanted to?


    And so I quickly grabbed the clipboard at the end of my bed, the one that was for my medical chart, and


    flipped the pages over to start writing on the nk side.


    ...And I closed my eyes, concentrating as I gave myself over to the old side of me that knew how to


    effectively strategise an enemy.


    It took several hours over the course of three days before I finally finished. To be safe, I only worked


    within small windows every day, choosing to do so between when I would get another dose of pain


    medication and when I would need to let myself sleep. This was something delicate and I knew I needed


    t o be at my most rxed for it to work.


    By the time I was done, it was an in¨Cdepth timeline of everything since I¡®d been reborn. Corrting the


    different events to everything I knew Thea had done, and then using those to theorise why it had been


    done the way it had been. Even in the moments she hadn¡®t done something, I was still able to use it to


    better understand it all.


    ¡­ This was it.


    This was a 101 guide to Thea over thest four years


    Now I just needed to have a meeting with the others to let them know. Something I was sure Aleric would


    be less than pleased with considering I was meant to still be resting.


    Fuck it.


    I knew the time window was perfect. This would be my only chance until tomorrow.


    ...Not to mention, that thing* had finally arrived earlier.


    And so I threw my legs over the side of the bed, getting slowly dressed into some normal clothes, and


    started heading towards the meeting hall. Knowing Aleric, he was probably going to be there this time of


    the day.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± a voice then said behind me, making me jump in surprise.


    | quickly turned around to see Brayden there, right outside my hospital room.


    ¡°¡­ To see Aleric,¡± I replied, my voice a little tense at seeing him.


    It was because of him.


    If he had just done what he was told, none of this would have happened.


    But as I looked at him more closely, I noticed how he looked exhausted. He had dark circles under his


    eyes and didn¡®t have that normal confident air about him that used to annoy me so much.


    ¡°You¡®re not supposed to be leaving your room,¡± he said. ¡°Aleric was pretty strict on that.¡±


    ¡°So, you follow orders now?¡± | replied back a bit coldly.


    *Breathe.*


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    And I sighed, clearing my head. I needed to remember that there was no reason for me to get angry


    now.


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    ¡°..I¡®m sorry, A,¡± he said, his face crumbling a bit 10 show how quilty he felt, ¡°I didn¡®t. I didn¡®t realise. I


    Just wanted to stop her from getting away. If I¡®d known she was going to do that 10 you, I never would


    have engaged in battle. I feel terrible.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t apologise to me,¡± I said. ¡°Just.. learn and do better.¡±


    And with that, I turned around, continuing on iny way to where I wanted to go.


    ¡°W¨Cwait! Aria, seriously! We¡®ve got this whole ce on lockdown because you¡®re injured. You can¡®t just


    leave. Please. I don¡®t want you to get hurt again because of me.¡±


    ¡°Brayden,¡± I said calmly, turning back around to face him. ¡°Stop If I thought I couldn¡®t cope with this then I


    would still be in bed. I¡®ve been stuck inside for over a week now. If you¡®re so scared of Aler¨ªc, just


    apany me to the meeting hall yourself.¡±


    And so he did just that, though begrudgingly. Going as far as to drive me himself with several other


    wasn¡®tining though. Whilst I was pretty sure that Thea wouldn¡®t publicly attack m e on my way


    there in broad daylight, it didn¡¯t mean the extra precautions weren¡®t necessary.


    ¡°...What are you trying to say?¡± I heard Aleric¡®s voice speak from the other side of the meeting hall¡®s


    door


    I had followed his scent to one of the smaller adjoined meeting rooms and found the door slightly ajar,


    allowing for me to hear inside.


    ¡°I¡®m saying we should consider hiding her somewhere else for a while,¡± Cai¡®s voice then replied, ¡°You¡®re


    basically using all your avable people to just keep her safe right now. Clearly, Thea knows where she


    is o r she wouldn¡®t keep sending rogue attacks along the border to split your people and weaken your


    defences. It won¡®t be long before you¡®re fighting a battle from both within and outside.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not saying you¡®re wrong but¨C.¡± Aleric¡®s voice then cut off abruptly mid¨Csentence, followed only


    secondster by a disappointed sigh.


    ¡°...Come in, Aria,¡± he finished.


    I¡®d forgotten how sharp his senses were. Sharper than anyone else¡®s.


    | slowly pushed the door open and entered, finding the two of them alone as they discussed the current


    issues the pack was facing Things they¡®d obviously been keeping from me while I was resting. And they


    were probably right to do so. If I¡®d known we had been suffering attacks because of me, I probably


    wouldn¡®t have been able to sit by as idly as I had been.


    ¡°You¡®re not supposed to be here,¡± Aleric said.


    ¡°I know...,¡± I replied,ing over to sit opposite them at the table. ¡°I feel well enough to walk though.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you¡®ve done more than just walk,¡± he said, staring down at all the pages of writing I was


    carrying with me.


    I bit at the inside of my cheek.


    ¡°This is important. This is... everything you need to know about Thea. Everything I was able to figure out.


    If we really are undergoing attacks then this might be able to help use up with a better n¡±


    I looked up to Cai and saw his expression still stony, eyes narrowed. It wasn¡®t as bad as it was... but he


    still didn¡®t trust me. Fair enough.


    ¡°I just need you all to sit and listen to me for a bit,¡± I continued. ¡°This is going to take a while but it¡®s


    important you all understand. The only way this works is if we start to trust each other implicitly. Any


    doubt or concerns over what the others are doing and she¡®ll just use that as fuel¡±


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    Chapter Ny¨CFour


    And Cai exhaled, softening his expression enough to tell me he was going to at least give me that much.


    ¡°This is a timeline of everything,¡± I started,ying out the pages in front of me. ¡°I¡®ve used the events I¡®ve


    experienced in this lifetime in conjunction with the things I¡®ve learnt about Thea¡®s history, to try and figure


    out how she operates. Luckily for us, she unintentionally told me more than she probably should have.


    I¡®ve broken up her weaknesses into three keyponents; distance, detachment, distraction.¡±


    I grabbed my pen and wrote it down on a fresh page so they could follow along.


    ¡°But, firstly, I need to tell you about the abilities themselves,¡± I said. ¡°You two probably have never tried to


    figure it out since you¡®ve just let it flow naturally. I, on the other hand, wasn¡®t that fortunate and had to


    learn how to control it due to being stuck in the cor. The most important thing to know is that these


    abilities are primarily powered by emotional energy. The more intense feeling you¡®re experiencing, the


    easier it is to utilise. So, for Aleric, that would usually be in the heat of battle when you¡®re in high¨Cstress


    situations, taking advantage of a heightened ability of strength and better senses, and... for Cai....¡±


    My eyes flicked back up to meet his. ¡°An emotional drive helps create an atmosphere of devotion. It¡®s


    something you probably won¡®t understandpletely unless you ever meet a proper God in person.


    Basically, it¡®s like an intense pressure to give in and appease them, gravitating without even fully realising


    it¡®s happening. A form of maniption, even if not intentional.¡±


    And he instantly averted his gaze, realising what I was implying in my exnation.


    ¡°Our abilities originate from Thea though ¨C *not* Selene,¡± I continued, turning back to the pages on the


    table. ¡°So if that¡®s how our abilities work, it¡®s logical to assume that it¡®s also how hers work too. Which


    brings me to the first of her weaknesses ¨C ¡®detachment¡®. All of her moves against me since the beginning


    were solely aimed at triggering a negative reaction. Because the more emotional I felt in that moment,


    the easier it was for her to weave her way in and magnify those already existing fears I had. It¡®s how she


    eventually ended up taking over too; waiting until I waspletely at rock bottom so I would give in to


    everything she was saying. Detaching yourself and reducing those spikes in emotional changes will help


    with keeping her out. The only one of us who doesn¡®t need to worry about that one as much¡­ is Cai.¡±


    This seemed to earn me a few confused looks from both of them.


    ¡°Thea admitted to me herself that it doesn¡®t work on him in the same way it does on me¡­ or, if looking at


    the previous timeline, Aleric.¡±


    ¡°That can¡®t be right,¡± Cai spoke up finally. ¡°She was messing with me for months. No, actually, it was


    worse than that. Thinking about it now, it was a few months short of a whole year.¡±


    ¡°Right, but you said so yourself¨C you didn¡®t lose your sanity like I did,¡± I pointed out. ¡°She can only


    manipte you on a surface level because you¡®re both too simr. Where hers is an outward focus in


    swaying others to see things her way, yours is more internal in how people perceive you specifically, both


    stemming from a maniption in perception. She said it¡®s like two mas of the same pr, pushing


    away from each other. I take that to mean she convinced you of the physical effects of the mate¨Cbond,


    like sparks, scent etc, opposed to you actually *feeling the attachment to her. You sort of never


    expressed that much interest in her emotionally when you spoke about ¡®Caitlyn... something that was


    truthfully a bad sign from the beginning. If you are ever able to experience a mate bond one day, and I


    mean a *real one*, you¡®ll know exactly what I mean. When that bond is formed... it¡®s like nothing else, no


    one else. It takes over both your body *and* mind ¨C not just one of those.¡±


    And I hesitantly looked up to see Aleric staring at me intensely, making my heart jump a little.


    No, not yet. I couldn¡®t jump down that rabbit hole right now.


    I quickly cleared my throat and looked back down at the pages. ¡°The whole thing ended with you just


    getting sick from her trying to do it anyway. This means you¡®re the only one of us who is capable of


    resisting her internal maniptions and should be able to pick up if she is influencing you in other ways.


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    bhupter Ny¨Ctout


    Her interference should make you feel sick, something you need 10 start keeping an eye out for as an


    early warning system. It¡®s important to note though that this sickness was something you were only able t


    o start recovering from once she left the Silver Lake... bringing me to the next weakness; ¡®distance¡®.¡±


    I wrote the next few notes down before looking up to see Cai had gonepletely pale. I took that to


    mean that I must have correctly figured out his questionablemitment to Caitlyn perfectly, if his


    reaction was anything to go by.


    ¡®When she was with you full¨Ctime in the beginning, Cai, I didn¡®t experience any issues with her inside my


    head. In fact, it was pretty much dead silent and I felt in control for the most part... with one exception;


    when we met up during what was meant to be my escape. This tells me she is probably limited to a


    certain range and, possibly, is also limited in how many she can focus on at once. Cai, you mentioned to


    me in my office that she started leaving for longer periods of time after you started to get more ill... I¡®d


    wager those times she was away from you would match up perfectly to when I was at my worst,


    moments that took ce after I¡®d turned eighteen when she was required to be here more. I¡®d also guess


    she never returned to the Silver Lake after I broke the news to you about who ¡®Caitlyn¡® really was. She


    already knew I¡®d told you because she would have seen it from me.¡±


    ¡°All of these are good defensive tactics but don¡®t really help much should we find ourselves in an actual


    fight,¡± Aleric then pointed out. ¡°Fighting is pretty emotionally fuelling and so, really, that would just leave


    running away. Doesn¡®t really help to defeat her.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed. ¡°Which brings me to thest one... ¡®distraction¡®.¡±


    ¡°How will a diversion help against a creature that can see in your head?¡± Cai asked.


    ¡°The distraction isn¡®t external,¡± | corrected. ¡°It¡®s in *hert head. This one was something she gave away


    during our fight and it was how I managed to keep her guard down. Stupidly, she admitted to me that she


    considered us pretty simr and, well, though I don¡®t like to consider it, it did get me thinking about a few


    simrities we actually did share. Namely, her own reactions and history.¡±


    I started writing more notes down.


    ¡°I met with Selene in person who showed me the entirety of our kind¡®s origin,¡± I continued. ¡°Rather, I saw


    Thea¡®s origin. She used to be pretty normal. Hardworking, dedicated to the people she cared for. She


    gave up her entire life just to make them happy. But when she was finally at her happiest, everything was


    ripped away from her. It destroyed her.¡±


    ¡°But if she has nothing left, what can you possibly do to catch her off¨Cguard?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s not what I¡®m getting at. It¡®s her own negative emotions that are her weakness to distract her, just


    like they were with me. Both of us became blinded, unable to see clearly ahead when things turned bad.


    Back when Selene robbed her of her powers, she wasn¡®t able to use her ability to see ahead because, in


    that moment, she was solely focused on her revenge. She is her own worst enemy, not to mention


    arrogant with a bad superiorityplex.¡±


    I could still remember that moment in our fight when she had shown her true colours; how it was a mirror


    image of the way she¡®d made me angrily react to things in the past. Seeing theparison now had


    made me realise how painfully obvious her influence was.


    ¡°So, we just need to get her angry?¡± Cai asked sceptically


    I then sighed, turning my lip in uncertainty. ¡°Truthfully, thisst theory of ¡®distraction¡® is the most unreliable


    one I have and that¡®s mostly because it could change at any minute without warning. We need t o keep


    in mind that this weakness could still very easily turn into a strength for her, what with it also stemming


    from a strong emotional response. If she learns how to ovee her urge to just immediately attack in a


    pure rage, she could always use that emotional energy to her own benefit instead. Then we¡®d probably


    be in a lot of trouble. I was only able to survive because shepsed into that overconfident fury


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    LETICIOU


    and I just used it to my own advantage. My hope is that old dogs really can¡®t learn new tricks; especially


    when that bitch is thousands of years old and believes they¡®re better than us already.¡±


    ¡®That sounds like a pretty big variable,¡± Cai said.


    ¡°I don¡®t disagree,¡± I said. ¡°It¡®s not going to be easy, I know. We definitely still need to figure out a proper


    n. However, in the meantime ... I was going to say that I didn¡®t entirely disagree with what you were


    saying to Aleric earlier.¡±


    And they both frowned in confusion.


    ¡°I think you¡®re right in what you said,¡± I repeated. ¡°We probably should send me somewhere away into


    hiding. At least until I¡®vepletely healed. It¡®s extremely difficult to keep myself feeling neutral whilst I¡®m


    constantly in pain; something I¡®ve been mitigating by timing my work with when I¡®ve had another dose of


    medication. But I can¡®t stay medicated forever. The best thing to do will be to force some distance and


    wait until I¡®m able to defend myself again. So long as we can buy some more time, then we can make


    her start ying our game instead. Use all that time to then think of a n, to prepare ourselves and,


    hopefully, make the first move before she realises it¡®s happening. Too long have we been fighting against


    her in the dark, blinded by our ownck of knowledge. Well¡­ we¡®ve got an advantage now. Time to use


    that. Being away from the Winter Mist should also stop her from constantly attacking the borders as well.


    She wants us to make a quick, rash decision; we need to make sure we do the opposite.¡±


    ¡°But won¡®t she be able to just track you down? You said so yourself ¨C she¡®s in your head,¡± Aleric pointed


    out. ¡°Who¡®s to say she doesn¡®t have a way of tracing you?¡±


    And I knew he was right. She was definitely connected to me thanks to when I gave myself over to her. I


    could feel her presence always lurking.


    But I¡®d thought of something for that too.


    ¡°She probably can... but I already came up with a theory to possibly counter that,¡± I said and pulled


    something out of my pocket, cing it on the table.


    ¡°What is that? A silver ring?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I had Elder Luke make it for me after he visited my hospital room a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°What¡®s a silver ring going to do? She still managed to get into your head when you had the silver cor,


    didn¡®t she?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ but this isn¡®t ordinary blessed silver,¡± I exined, picking it back up to show them. ¡°This is made


    out of the ancient ceremonial sword. The same silver that Selene herself blessed, making it the first¨Cever


    rof its kind. The only silver to have not only her life essence, but her direct sanctification too. I had Elder


    Luke melt it down for me and forge this instead. I¡®m hoping that it might be stronger than your average


    handcuffs and help keep Thea from immediately tracking me down.¡±


    ¡°...Seems risky without any real evidence to support it working,¡± Cai said.


    ¡°I don¡®t see why you¡®re arguing when it was literally your idea to send me away to begin with,¡± I replied.


    And we red at each other.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Aleric said, breaking our stare¨Coff. ¡°Even if Thea can¡®t track you, it doesn¡®t mean it¡®s safe for


    you to just up and leave. What if she does find you? If we have an entire team of warriors protecting you,


    it will be extremely noticeable regardless of where you¡®re hiding Word will get to her immediately.¡±


    ¡°Well, then do you think it¡®s better to just leave me here with all of these attacks happening?¡± I argued.


    ¡°W e can¡®t keep splitting forces from both inside the Winter Mist and outside of it as well, you know this.


    It¡®s not only safer for me if I go, but it¡®s also safer for everyone else in the pack too. You two included,


    since


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    she won¡®t be able to use me to get secrets I might identally leak.¡±


    This apparently caught Cai¡®s attention as he looked at me oddly, frowning slightly at what I¡®d said.


    ¡°...You care about what happens to the pack?¡±


    And I gritted my teeth, looking away. I didn¡®t want to make a big deal out of this right now. Mostly, I didn¡®t


    want anyone getting their hopes up by thinking I¡®d recovered because I hadn¡®t. Not even close. It was


    better for everyone if they kept thinking I waspletely dangerous.


    ¡°Well, if you¡®re nning on doing this,¡± Aleric then interjected, probably realising from my reaction that I


    didn¡®t want to talk further. ¡°Then I think the only way we can go about this is if I go with you. I¡®m the only


    one who can protect you as effectively as an entire unit of warriors could, making the whole thing far


    more covert. Not to mention that it also wouldn¡®t hurt to distance myself if she decides to change focus i


    n your absence.¡±


    ¡°... Then what about the pack?¡± I argued, shocked by his suggestion. ¡°Someone needs to be here to run


    the ce. They need an Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Then... then I¡®ll do that,¡± Cai cut in hesitantly. ¡°Your Elder Luke and cousin can assist to keep your pack¡®s


    image intact. I¡®m the only one who can stay here though without any fear of Thea getting to me. We can


    justbine the Silver Lake and Winter Mist on a temporary basis. My father doesn¡®t need me home


    right now and this is the best way to ensure the Mist stays protected whilst you¡®re gone.¡±


    ...And it was as though history was repeating itself; the two territories once again joining. Something they


    hadn¡®t done in centuries.


    Now we just had to hope that history didn¡®t repeat itself in other ways. That this would be an example of


    there being good things resulting from repetition.


    Because I¡®d already seen in one lifetime what Thea¡®s victory historically looked like. And that one had


    ended with all of our deaths.


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 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    Chaples Ninely Five


    Chapter Ny-Five


    Most of the preparations were made within that meeting. Or, at least, right up until I could start to feel the


    medication begin to wear off. After which, we all agreed I should be moved back to the packhouse until


    everything was arranged since that would be easier to defend.


    For obvious reasons, I wasn¡®t privy to any information regarding the move. It was all to be kept


    completely secret from myself, and even Aleric wouldn¡®t know exactly where until it was time to go. Cai


    took on the responsibility of choosing the location to ensure that there would be no chance of Thea


    finding out beforehand, preparing envelopes for us both; one for Aleric, to be opened only when we were


    leaving, and another for myself, for in the event of an emergency urring.


    I was nervous, to say the least. How could I not be? So much was riding on just theories. But I had to


    believe that it would be correct. I needed space to be able to work on fixing myself; both internally and


    externally. And staying in the Winter Mist until I was ready was just going to be putting everyone in


    danger. Not to mention, it would be potentially lethal should I identally let my guard down for even a


    second.


    I was most nervous about the ring though. I had purposely not tested it out yet, afraid of tipping Thea off


    too soon that something was wrong. I wanted to wait until the veryst minute to do that, utilising the


    time she took to figure out what was happening to then leave safely.


    It wasn¡®t meant to keep her out of my head for good. Something like that wasn¡®t possible. It was more


    meant to be like a Band¨CAid... hopefully just strong enough to keep her from finding me immediately. I


    knew she could sense Selene¡®s mark on me, she had told me so herself as that was how she originally


    found me. So, if I could dilute that in any way possible, it was worth at least trying.


    Though, if there was a way to test it *before* we left, that might just benefit us more...


    And so, before too many days had passed, finally it was time to leave.


    I finished packing thest of my things into a bag and had an attendant take it outside to the car. It was


    mostly just clothing, necessities, and books from the vault to read through whilst I was away. With any


    luck, I could find something else useful in them to help form a n against Thea.


    Now, there was only onest thing I wanted to do before I left¡­.


    And I headed towards the garden, following the familiar scent I hadn¡®t sought out in such a long time. But


    given the circumstances and what they were doing for us, I figured it was only right to at least say thank


    you... and attempt to try and fix things.


    ¡°Can I join you?¡± I asked quietly, finding Cai sitting under a tree not far from the packhouse¡®s back door.


    He looked up at me, his expression still reserved, but nodded after a small pause.


    ¡°I, um...,¡± I started, fidgeting with the hem of my dress as I sat down next to him. ¡°I wanted to say thank


    you for looking after the Mist whilst we are gone. And....¡±


    Hesitantly, I then took another breath. ¡°And... I wanted to apologise. If you and Aleric hadn¡®t figured out


    what was wrong, who knows where I¡®d be right now?¡±


    He frowned at me as he listened, taking in all my words. However, once I was done, he then moved


    abruptly, catching me off guard as he grabbed my chin to make me look him directly in the eyes.


    ¡°C¨CCai, what are you¨C.¡°.


    ¡°For how long?¡± he asked, holding me still. ¡°...Since the fight?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t know what you¡®re¨C.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


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    You don¡®t lookpletely soulless anymore,¡± he said. ¡°It¡®s like there is a spark again. Just a small one,


    Why would you hide that?¡±


    And I finally managed to free my face as I turned away, unable to meet his gaze.


    ... Because it¡®s better for everyone if we still treat me like a threat,¡± I replied softly, ¡°Because I¡®m not


    better. Far from it. I still struggle to stay in control and her influence can hit me quickly at any moment.¡±


    ¡°...I never cared about that,¡± he said, ¡°I just... I just wanted to know you weren¡®tpletely dead inside.


    That you weren¡®t gone forever.¡±


    And I was silent at that, feeling a little guilty over keeping it from him.


    ¡°Does he know?¡± he then asked suddenly, and I knew who he was referring to.


    ¡°If he does then he hasn¡®t said anything,¡± I answered. ¡°But it¡®s better if he doesn¡®t. He¡®s safer without


    getting further attached to me. The mate bond will make it difficult for him to make an unbiased


    assessment and I don¡®t want to take advantage of that.¡±


    Cai went quiet for a few seconds before saying something that then immediately made me be


    tense.


    ¡°... You love him,¡± he said, matter¨Cof¨Cfactly.


    And I looked up at him sharply to see he was beingpletely serious, his expression neutral.


    ¡°What?! No, I¡­ I just don¡®t want him to get hurt. I¡®ve been in his exact position during my original


    timeline. It¡®s not fair on him.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s the same thing, Aria,¡± he argued. ¡°Acting in the best interest of someone else, even if at times


    that means sacrificing your own happiness, is a sign that you love them. Why do you think I kepting


    back


    after all the shit you put me through?¡±


    And I gave him small smile, almostughing at how horribly true that was. He was probably crazier than


    even me if he still cared after everything I¡®d done to him.


    And so, slowly, I reached out and entwined my fingers with his. So much had happened but there was no


    doubt that my journey with Cai had been a long one. One that made me appreciate how lucky I was to


    have people in my life who still loved me even if I didn¡®t deserve it.


    ¡°... I love you, too,¡± I said, resting my head against his shoulder.


    And, though unspoken, I could tell that he reciprocated those feelings in the exact same way I did.


    We had grown into twopletely different people over thest few years. And now that we had treated


    each other in ways that were pretty damaging, bing romantic again felt basically impossible. Where


    ! couldn¡®t ever be certain over how much of ¡®me¡® had been driving our more intimate moments, courtesy


    of his ability, he probably wasn¡¯t exactly itching to get back together with the girl who¡®d tried to kill him on


    several asions either.


    And that was also putting aside the horrible things Thea did to Cai too. I was sure that had its own deep


    psychological effects on him, having devoted so many months of his life to a mate who he was unable to


    truly feel love for. Wondering if something was wrong with him as his body also got sicker over time too.


    Long gone were his yboy days, that much was for certain. I wouldn¡®t be surprised if Cai suffered from


    some pretty deep trust issues after that. My only hope was that those issues didn¡®t persist should he ever


    find his real mate.


    But I wanted to repair what we could between us at least, to stop the bad blood and fighting before I left


    for who knew how long. Because, ultimately, I still did love him. And, clearly, he was in the same boat. He


    was my best friend and somewhere along the line, that had gotten blurred with everything happening


    between us. It would be nice to go back to that simplicity. To be able tough and joke around again like


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    Chapter Ny Five


    we used to.


    I didn¡®t fault him for his actions recently either. He¡®d been upset and angry thesest few weeks because


    h e was hurting, maybe even feeling helpless since time and time again I kept reverting to insanity


    despite his persistence to reach out to me. We were both victims of Thea in this.. and we needed to band


    together, not tear each other apart.


    ¡°Everything will be okay,¡± he said, resting his head on top of mine.


    And my heart ached a little from hearing that reassurance from him.


    ¡°Aria,¡± a voice then called from the backdoor.


    I quickly spun my head around to see Aleric standing there.


    ¡®Time to go,¡± was all he said as he turned back around, heading towards the car.


    So, this was it. It was finally happening.


    This was going to be my longest time ever away from the Winter Mist. I never expected it to happen like


    this.


    ¡°Look after yourself,¡± Cai said. ¡°Come back with a n to defeat her.¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll try,¡± I said, standing up to leave. ¡°Look after yourself too... Oh! And start training as well while we¡®re


    gone. Your ability... it¡®s not something you should have to feel guilty about so long as you can learn how


    to wield it correctly. Right now, you¡®re just firing it off whenever without even realising it, but it would be


    best to get that under control as soon as possible. Not only for you... but for others too.¡±


    I could tell that he felt bad, understanding the undertone of my words, but I gave him a small smile


    nevertheless to reassure him that I wasn¡®t upset about it anymore.


    ¡°I¡®ll see you soon, Cai.¡±


    And with that, I went to meet up with Aleric by the car, ready to start the journey ahead.


    ¡°Have you got everything?¡± he asked, to which I nodded. ¡°Alright then. Here are your things.¡±


    He then handed me a blindfold and some medication.


    ¡°Wait...,¡± I said and proceeded to slip on the silver ring instead. ¡°Let¡®s make a detour first before we go to


    the spot. I want to make sure Thea knows we definitely left and double¨Ccheck the ring works before we


    commit to this.¡±


    He didn¡®t seem to have anyints with that and soon we were on the road, driving in a direction |


    couldn¡®t see. I¡®d put on the blindfold but held off on the medicine, enduring it for the next thirty minutes


    that passed. I didn¡®t want there to be any doubt in Thea¡®s head over what was happening and, for that, I


    needed to retain my pain to useter.


    ¡°Pull over anywhere here. This should be far enough,¡± I finally said to Aleric and felt as the car began to


    Swerve to the side of the road.


    I was immediately hit with blinding light as I uncovered my eyes and had to wait a few seconds for them t


    o adjust. However, once I did finally look around, I was pleased to see I really didn¡®t know where the hell i


    was.


    ¡°What are you nning?¡± Aleric asked but I was already stepping out of the car and taking several steps


    away.


    ...Here it goes....


    One deep breath.¡­


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    IIVITY FIVE


    And I slipped the ring off, feeling myself free of the silver once more.


    ¡°Thea? Are you there?¡± I asked quietly.


    ...But after waiting several seconds of waiting, there was only silence. Clearly, it wasn¡®t sufficient. I wasn¡®t


    worked up enough.


    I groaned out a little in frustration over that, knowing what this meant I needed to do next. I hadn¡®t wanted


    it toe to this but¡­-.


    *smack*


    ¨CAnd I quickly hit myself in the shoulder, against my wound, making me buckle to my knees with a cry


    out in pain.


    ¡°Aria!¡± Aleric yelled from the car, taking his seatbelt off to run out, but I held up a shaky hand to indicate !


    was fine.


    ¡°Thea... are you there?¡± | asked again, now between gritted teeth.


    ...And I felt her presencee forward.


    ¡®It looks as though you¡®re running away to save yourself,¡® her voice whispered. All of your pack, your


    friends, your family, left behind to die. Do they know that you¡®re still the same? That you¡®d still throw them


    to the dogs if it meant being able to finally kill me? To get revenge for destroying your lives? For killing


    your old best friend? Because that¡®s what you¡®re doing effectively right now. Abandoning them. Again.¡®


    I immediately froze up at her words, having not expected her to start up her old maniptions so quickly


    nor with such insane, brutal force. I had just been anticipating a conversation, not this.


    And it wasn¡®t as though she plucked these sorts of triggers from thin air either. They were always pre


    existing fears and doubts of mine that she would turn against me, magnifying them ten¨Cfold.


    ¡®Even your mate is secretly afraid of you,¡® she continued. ¡®What will happen when it¡®s just the two of you?


    What if you suddenly... snap? Don¡®t you remember what happens after you give in to me? There¡®ll


    eventually be some reason to justify hurting him. Just wait.¡®


    And she abruptly threw an old memory in my face, one from my prior timeline as she showed me what


    Aleric became in the end. The painful reality I¡®d lived with daily that had almost repeated itself but in


    reverse within this life. A reminder of what I was potentially putting Aleric through now.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I hissed out, but my eyes were already beginning to brim with tears.


    ¡®Do you think running away will honestly help? I know where you are. Your little tricks don¡®t work. I¡®m


    coming for you, don¡®t you wor¨C¡®


    ¡°Aria!¡±


    And suddenly Aleric was there, trying to grab my hands.


    I¡®ll finish you first. Then I¡®ll leave him forst. Make it slow... methodical... Savouring every scream as !


    finally get my¨C.¡®


    ¡°N¨Cno¡­ No,¡± I whimpered, pushing him back.


    But he barely budged, immediately restraining me to force the silver ring back on my finger.


    ¡°Breathe,¡± he said sternly and grabbed my head in his hands. I had no choice but to look at him as he


    slowly nodded his head in time with my shaky inhale and exhale.


    ¡°...I¡®m sorry,¡± | gasped out, a tear falling down my cheek. I wasn¡®t sure for which part I was apologising for


    though.


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    ¡°...You¡®re okay,¡± he said. ¡°Just... remember what she¡®s saying isn¡®t real. She¡®s just trying to get to you.¡±


    And I felt myself begin to rx from the reminder.


    ¡°Take the medicine now and we can wait another few minutes for you to calm down.¡±


    I didn¡®t need further encouragement to do so though as I greedily took the medicine, desperate for the


    pain to subside in my shoulder and for Thea¡®s presence to release once more.


    ¡°She can¡®t... she can¡®t find me,¡± I said, my breathing still a bit heavy ¡°The ring works.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? Did she tell you?¡±


    I then took another few seconds to settle down further before a small, humourlessugh escaped me.¡±


    She didn¡®t need to explicitly say it. Thest time she attacked me with such force was after I worked out i


    t was her in my head after all these years. Her aggressive approach means that she¡®s worried about


    losing the upper hand. That I¡®m slipping out of her reach, and she¡®ll have to figure out a new n.¡±


    I leaned back and slowly lowered myself t against the ground, closing my eyes as I waited for the


    medication to kick in. Already I could start to feel the numbing effect begin to spread, the drowsiness


    threatening right behind it. I¡®d requested for this dosage to help me sleep in addition to pain relief.


    Blindfolds were good but unconsciousness was better.


    ¡°You should have warned me you were going to do that,¡± Aleric said. ¡°That seemed stupidly reckless.¡±


    ¡°It was the only way to ensure we¡®re making the right choice. There won¡®t be any reason for her to waste


    resources attacking the Winter Mist now,¡± I said, my voice already bing thick. ¡°She knows I¡®m not


    there and she knows I¡¯m nning to hide. She¡®ll just start diverting her people to look for me instead.¡±


    If he still disagreed with my actions after that, he didn¡®t vocalise them.


    ¡°Tired?¡± he then asked after another minute had passed of me not moving.


    And I just nodded my head sluggishly in response.


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± he said and then scooped me up in his arms, carrying me back to the car. ¡°Get


    comfortable since it¡®ll be a while before we make it there.¡±


    And I appreciated that, tying the blindfold back around my eyes as a precaution, and drifting off quietly to


    sleep


    ¡°Hey... Aria. Aria.¡±


    A gentle shake of the shoulder and my eyes opened slowly in response.


    ¡°Mmm... Are we there?¡± | asked sleepily.


    ¡°Yep... time to wake up.¡±


    And I took off the blindfold, looking around to see we were in a forest. Deep in one, at that Tall trees


    surrounded uspletely, almost enough to block the sun, and the smell of earth and foliage was


    overwhelming


    I got out of the car, though still a little lethargic, and stretched with a wide yawn.


    ¡°Sleep well?¡± he asked, heading to the boot of the car.


    ¡°Mmhmm.¡±


    It felt so peaceful here. So quiet. The perfect retreat.


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    But it was more than just that as something nagged inside.


    And, as I looked ahead, down the small dirt driveway, I realised why.


    A cottage was situated there. A small cottage in the woods.


    It was the kind of ce I¡®d once described as being my ideal life; something I¡®d only divulged to Cai in


    private. I¡®d told him that if I could be doing anything at that moment, it would be absolutely nothing as I


    hid away from the pack and all my responsibilities to live a quiet life instead.


    ¡°*¡°Living in a house? Whereabouts?¡°*¡® he¡®d asked me as we¡®did in bed together.


    ¡®*¡°In the woods. A small house just big enough for me that no one would find. I¡®d be sure to spread


    rumours of a witch living there to scare off any wandering strays who might think toe looking.¡°*¡®


    And, just like that day when I¡®d told him, a small smile came to my lips.


    He¡®d chosen this ce specifically because of that, I was sure. Even though he¡®d prepared this location


    before we¡®d made up today, he apparently hadn¡®t lost all hope in me, despite how he¡®d been acting. He¡®d


    wanted me to have my happy ce, even if that was just for a short time before we returned to the chaos


    awaiting us.


    However, the words Cai had said next then popped into my head, making me be tense, and I


    turned around to see Aleric by the back of the car.


    ¡®*¡°Just big enough for you? No partner?¡°*¡® he¡®d asked,


    It was just the two of us here now. Alone. In the middle of the woods.


    And I could feel my cheeks begin to flush a little over realising that. How the full gravity of the situation


    didn¡®t ur to me sooner, I didn¡®t know. Now, there was no way to ignore it.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Aleric then suddenly asked, making me jump a little in surprise.


    ¡°N¨Cnothing,¡± I replied. ¡°Did you need a hand with the bags?¡±


    But he just closed the boot and came back around with our things in hand, managing to juggle everything


    with ease.


    ¡°I¡®ve got it,¡± he said, immediately walking past me towards the cottage.


    And I cleared my throat, pushing all my thoughts from my head as I trailed behind.


    Inside, it was exactly what one would expect a cottage to be decorated with. It was bare essentials with a


    cosy sort of vibe to the d¨¦cor it did have. Just perfect for two people with the living and kitchen areas


    located downstairs and a couple of bedrooms upstairs.


    ¡°I¡®m going to patrol the area,¡± Aleric then said, dropping our stuff by the door.


    ...And with that, he was suddenly gone.


    Not even a conversation or small talk about the ce. Just¡­ leaving two minutes into arriving.


    I¡®d be lying if I said my heart didn¡®t sink a little¡­ but I had to remember why we were here. No, I needed


    to use this time to get better and focus on strengthening myself for what was ahead.


    And with a sigh, I took my bag upstairs to unpack.


    Somehow, I had the feeling that my time spent here was going to be far more difficult than I¡¯d originally


    anticipated.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    1... 2... 3¡­ In¡­ and out.


    I sat outside in the fresh air amongst the trees, breathing carefully as I focused on clearing my mind. I¡®d


    been working on these techniques over thest two weeks, and it wasing along nicely. Or at least, it


    seemed that way. How well it held up when it came time to actually use it, I couldn¡®t be sure.


    However, I¡®d definitely been getting better. Creating distance had seemed to have worked a little since


    every day that passed, I felt her presence a tiny bit less. Almost enough to make me wonder if it was


    possible to just wait it all out until I waspletely free of her. The only thing was that, unfortunately, at


    the rate I was going, that might be maybe months or even years away. Something we probably didn¡®t


    have time for, much to my disappointment. Settling for just strengthening my mind would need to be


    enough in the meantime.


    But... there were also some downsides to my improvement too....


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    I got up from the ground and brushed myself off, walking back towards the cottage. It wasn¡®t that I didn¡®t


    like going there, but I¡®d be lying if I said it hadn¡®t been getting... difficult.


    Upon entering, I immediately took off my shoes by the front door and was about to shout out that I¡®d


    returned, but something caught my attention before I could do so.


    There,ying on the couch, I saw that Aleric had fallen asleep and was looking so peaceful.


    What I wouldn¡®t give to walk over, curl up next to him... feel his warmth around me¡­ taste his lips against


    mine.


    I quickly shook my head, pushing away that idea as far back as possible. These thoughts were bing


    more frequent these days the more I regained control of myself. Simr to the negative emotions Thea


    had instilled inside me, my own natural ones were causing me issues of my own now.


    ...Not that it probably mattered anyway.


    Over the two weeks that had already passed, I couldn¡®t help but notice how it seemed almost as if Aleric


    was avoiding me. He would sit and chat for only small periods of time before abruptly leaving, either to


    his bedroom or on another patrol. Truthfully, it was starting to feel a little lonely.


    And whilst I had promised myself not to get romantically involved with him, it didn¡®t seem to stop me from


    thinking about him that way. A part of me was craving his attention, even if that was only a little bit. Hell,


    even some proper eye contact once in a while would have been nice.


    ¡®Yet it seemed stupid to think he was trying to get away from me... right? I was surely just overthinking


    things, even if he did literally leave mid-conversation a few days ago... and start eating in his room more


    often... or rarely initiate conversation unless he had to....


    I sighed and sat on the armchair opposite the couch, watching him.


    What the hell was I going to do about this? It was making my training more difficult with all these added


    uncertainties in my head.


    Giving in and confessing seemed selfish... especially when these days it seemed like he didn¡®t really


    want anything to do with me. Did he miss home maybe? Resent me for having to y babysitter? If I did


    tell him the truth and I got what I wanted, would it just be a reaction from the mate bond opposed to what


    he actually wanted? That was the main question I¡®d been asking myself for weeks now. One that still


    weighed heavily on me.


    ...But then, what was one more selfish deed in the pile of things I¡®d already done in this life? If it was just


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    one final time to do something I knew I shouldn¡®t... when it would feel so, so good... surely that would be


    okay, right?


    I¡®d identally seen him just after he¡®d had a shower the other day, catching a glimpse of his chest


    before he¡®d tugged on a shirt. It was times like that which made it difficult to do the right thing. Especially


    when I could still recall how he felt pressed against me, how perfectly I fit there....


    ¡°...Why are you staring at me?¡± he suddenly grumbled out, eyes still closed. It caught me off guard


    enough to make me jump in surprise.


    My chest began racing as if I¡®d been caught doing something I shouldn¡®t, even though I¡®d just been sitting


    there silently the entire time.


    ¡°1¨C... I um, I just got back from... uhm training,¡± I stuttered out, my cheeks burning.


    He sat up and started rubbing his eyes with one hand, ending each movement by pinching the bridge of


    his nose. It seemed like he really had been fairly deep asleep if he was acting this tired.


    ¡°...And what are you doing now?¡± he asked, still not looking at me.


    Was it actually all in my head when it seemed so apparent that he was annoyed at me? Had I done


    something sinceing here to piss him off maybe?


    ¡°I¡®m... ah, I¡®m sitting here?¡±


    He nodded his head quietly. ¡°Alright, I¡®ll go on another patrol before dinner then.¡±


    And with that, he got up and headed to the door.


    ¡°W¨Cwait, you just woke up. You don¡®t need to rush out yet. You seem tired.¡±


    He didn¡®t turn around or respond in any way though as he started putting his shoes on. Odd since I


    would have thought that he¡®d prefer to shift for a patrol. Something he wouldn¡®t need shoes for.


    But his tant disregard for even acknowledging what I said sparked a mild annoyance of my own, one


    I¡®d purposely been pushing down thesest few weeks believing I was just overreacting. Clearly, I wasn¡®t


    making it up if he wouldn¡®t even reply to me anymore,


    ¡°Aleric, seriously,¡± I said, getting up to approach him. ¡°Is something bothering you? Ever since we came


    here it¡®s like you can barely even look at me.¡±


    Considering everything going on at the moment, I didn¡®t exactly expect him to give me any sort of


    courtesies but at the very least I thought we could hold a conversation. He hadn¡®t been acting all that


    strange when we were still at the Winter Mist. This felt like something more specific to using here.


    ¡°Aria, leave it,¡± he said, still without even turning back.


    But I was tired of this. Tired of living with a brick wall.


    ¡°Aleric.¡±


    And I grabbed his arm so he was forced to turn around and look at me. A sight that almost made me


    jump back as I caught a glimpse of his face.


    Or, more urately, a glimpse of his eyes.


    Because they were dark. Dark enough to tell me that his wolf was threatening to surface.


    ¡°...W¨Cwhat..?¡± I asked, taken aback by his appearance


    And suddenly I found myself being pushed against the wall, his head travelling to the nook of my neck as


    he took in my scent. He didn¡®t continue to touch me as he did so, but he didn¡®t need to for it to send a


    shiver through me.


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    ¡°... You¡®re driving me crazy,¡± he growled out. ¡°I¡®m trying to respect your space but you¡®re making that


    exceedingly difficult.¡±


    He¡®d never been this direct before and I found myself frozen,pletely taken off guard by the sudden


    turn of events. I could feel the warmthing off his body as he stood so close to me, and it was


    unexpectantly making me want more despite the situation.


    ¡°Over thesest few years, I¡®d like to think that you¡®ve helped me to be a much more patient person


    ...,¡± he continued in a low voice. ¡°Though you might be pushing my limits a little bit too far now. I don¡®t


    know what¡®s going on in your headtely, but I¡®m pretty sure it¡®s not Thea since my wolf has been wing


    at me inside every day since we arrived.¡±


    The mate bond.


    This was just because of that.


    But then... didn¡®t that mean....


    And my face went red realising that he¡®d been able to sense how much I¡®d wanted him over thest two


    weeks.


    It was no wonder he¡®d been running to get away from me.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± I said quietly. ¡°I... I forgot that you¡®d be able to pick up on that.¡±


    And he let out a strained exhale as he took a step back, rubbing his eyes again.


    ¡°If you¡®re going to think about Cai, can you at least keep it to your own room? Just meet me halfway on


    that one. That¡®s all I¡®m asking for. I think that¡®s more than fair.¡°


    ...Cai?


    ¡°I¡®m not... ¨Cwhat?¡± I said, confused by how we ended up here. ¡°Why would you assume I¡®m thinking


    about him? We¡®re not... we¡®re not like that anymore.¡±


    ¡°...Because you two made up before we left? I saw you two together under the tree, remember? Cuddled


    u p saying you love him?¡±


    So, he must have overheard our conversation a little, confusing the situation. Clearly, he¡®d missed the


    most important part though; the bit where Cai caught me in a lie over how I truly felt about Aleric.


    ¡°What? No! No, I do love Cai but... we¡®re just friends. It didn¡®t mean anything beyond that. We don¡®t see


    each other that way anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then... then what have you been thinking about?¡±


    And limmediately shifted ufortably on my feet, realising I¡®d now dug my own grave. It seemed like


    there was no way to avoid the topic now.


    I stared at something behind him, literally anything else, too nervous to meet his eyes.


    ¡°I was thinking about... how I wish things between us had been fixed before I¡®d ruined everything,¡± ||


    answered. ¡°About how you¡®re now connected to me regardless of whether you want it or not. How, after


    everything I¡®ve done, you¡®re now tied to a girl who¡®s broken.¡±


    ¡°And when were you nning on telling me all of this?¡± he said, moving closer to make me look up at


    him. ¡°When were you going to let me make that choice? I understand your situation, Aria, really, I do. You


    feel like you have a responsibility because of the things you¡¯ve experienced; because you once saw a


    future where simr scenarios ended badly... but I¡®m not a kid. Let me make up my own mind and make


    my own decisions ¨C good or bad. I don¡®t need you to be responsible for my choices.¡±


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    ¡°I just... I don¡®t¨C¡±


    ¡°Then don¡®t use me as an excuse because you¡®re scared of being vulnerable. Just tell me that.¡±


    And I stood there, meeting his gaze as all my fears of rejection and guilt flew through my head.


    I hadn¡®t even needed to borate and yet he¡®d picked up on the exact issues holding me back. It was


    proof of how, once again, he was able to read me so well. That, despite the absence of the mate bond


    for me, that there was still a connection between us that ran deeper. Something stronger and irrefutable.


    He was right. I should have told him. I should have given him the chance to make the decision himself


    instead of just assuming it on his behalf.


    ¡°So, tell me¡­ And I mean, tell me honestly this time..,¡± he said, bringing me out of my thoughts.


    His hand then came up to my face, cupping it just below my jaw so I wouldn¡®t turn away. Not that doing s


    o would have even crossed my mind for a second. In fact, I wanted nothing more than to melt into his


    touch entirely, to finally give in and stop feeling guilty for wanting him.


    ¡°Tell me what you¡®ve been thinking about thesest few weeks,¡± he whispered, his face moving in closer


    t o my own.


    ¡°I¡®ve been...,¡± I started but my brain went nk as his proximity sent another shiver through me.


    And his lips... they were right there. Promising to give me the relief I¡®d been craving so badlytely.


    ¡°Aria.¡±


    I snapped into focus again, looking back up into his eyes.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he repeated.


    *Thump.*


    ¡°I¡®ve been thinking about... you,¡± I answered. ¡°About how much I wanted you.¡± ...And those words ended


    up being thest thing I said before everything turned into a frenzied blur.


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    Chapter Ny¨CSix ¨C Pt# 2


    His free hand immediately found my waist, pressing me against him, and his lips enveloped my own. It


    was like we¡®d both been starving as we hungered for the other, everything happening so quickly. A


    response probably resulting from how long the two of us had been holding back now.


    It didn¡®t take long for my body to then find the wall behind us, his hands supporting my weight as I clungt


    o him. With one of my arms around his neck, the other was grabbing at his chest greedily, feeling his


    body against me. Constantly wanting more... and more... almost as if an insatiable desire was moving


    me forward.


    And though I was giving myself over to my yearningspletely, I¡®d never felt more in control than I did i


    n that moment. That there was not even a shred of doubt in my mind that this was exactly where !


    needed to be.


    ¡°I want you,¡± I moaned against him, repeating the words he¡®d wanted me to admit.


    Because I was hungry for so much more than just this.


    He¡®d been kissing me along my neck, but the sensation was making me grow impatient. I couldn¡®t take it


    much longer. I¡®d thought about this so many times over thest few weeks that I didn¡®t want to wait. I


    wanted to feel his skin against mine.


    Now.


    ¡°Tell me that you¡®re mine,¡± he growled in response, pulling away just enough to look at me with his still


    dark eyes.


    But was that even a question?


    I used to always say that Aleric held my life in his hands and, though different, that still held true in this


    timeline. He possessed a power over me unlike any other, supporting me even when that wasn¡®t always


    easy


    He¡®d saved me countless times and sacrificed his own desires just to make me happy, despite receiving


    n o respite or recognition for doing so. If he wanted me after all of that, and was certain of that choice,


    then there was absolutely no argument to be made here.


    Towed him my life, my soul, my very reason to keep going. I could walk through fire for him a thousand


    times and it still would not be enough, knowing I was only alive because of what he¡®d done for me.


    So, of course I was his. Through and through. No matter what life I ended up in, no matter what that


    ¡®entailed.


    ¡°...I¡®m yours,¡± I breathed against him.


    And he immediately lifted me off the wall, taking us over to the couch; the closest piece of furniture in the


    vicinity. Clearly, just as impatient as I was.


    ¡°Take this off,¡± I demanded, grabbing at his shirt.


    And it became a sequence of us both undressing the other, only taking small moments of slowing down t


    o admire the other. A sight I revelled in looking at.


    I might not have been from this timeline originally, but there was no question that this was my* Aleric.


    That I was always meant to find my way here, regardless of how it happened,


    With his arms supporting his weight over me, he began cing small kisses all over my body, sending


    shivers through me where he touched. And I watched him as he did so, wondering the entire time what


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    Chapter Ny Six ¨C P1# 2


    was going through his head. I had so many scars and bruises these days that I knew parts of me were


    not pretty to look at


    But he answered the question for me without even needing to ask. An answer that I had not anticipated,


    feeling that it was so far from the truth.


    ¡°...You¡®re perfect,¡± he said, his gaze quicklying back up to lock with my own.


    And the way he was looking at me, so serious in its intensity¡­ it was the same way that I¡®de to


    learn meant he was beingpletely honest. The same look that would pierce through everything else


    and allow me to believe his every word.


    ...And that fact alone ignited my restlessness once more, no longer able to endure the agonisingly slow


    pace we¡®de to.


    I wanted him now. I was done waiting even a second longer.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± I whined, arcing my body up against him, and hoping he¡®d get the hint.


    And his lips immediately captured my own again with a renewed urgency; his hand that had been tracing


    me suddenly trailing slowly lower...


    ... Trailing until, eventually, a gasp escaped me. The small feeling of relief finally being granted under his


    touch.


    A feeling that he continued to build up, making a dizzying pressure start to form within me. An unyielding


    sensation that he didn¡®t stop no matter how much I squirmed under him, apanied by more kisses


    and nibbles to my ear, my shoulder, my chest.


    ¡°Is this what you wanted?¡± he asked, his breath tickling my skin softly. Referring to thest few weeks of


    m e craving him.


    But I simply shook my head in response.


    ¡°No...?¡± And, to my dismay, he then pulled away to look at me, his dark eyes burning into my own.


    A reaction that was theplete opposite of what I wanted.


    ¡°No... I want more.¡±


    And a sound left him that did all sorts of inexplicable things to my insides as he quickly obliged, realising


    exactly what I was truly after.


    He grabbed my thigh tightly, hoisting it up around his waist and, without making me wait even a moment


    longer, I felt a different kind of pressure rece where his fingers had just been seconds earlier. I felt ash


    e pressed his length inside, filling both my mind and bodypletely. Now, there was only him as he


    consumed my entire being.


    But this.


    This is what I¡®d wanted. No, what I¡®d needed.


    And a cry of pleasure left me. Something that sounded out in unison with a groan of his own as I


    adjusted around him.


    Everywhere felt alight, my body responding to his in every imaginable way, and we stayed like that for a


    moment, breathing heavily as we took a second to just enjoy the immeasurable satisfaction.


    How had I been missing out on this the entire time? It seemed criminal. I felt so incredibly intoxicated by


    his touch, his scent, his warmth...


    ¡°Aria,¡± he then said, his forehead resting against mine.


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    CHAPISI nery SIX PEZ


    It was his way of telling me what would happen next. But I didn¡®t need the warning. I was already more


    than ready.


    And suddenly, I felt him begin to move, pressing in further before releasing. A soon to be repeated chain


    o f movement that continued to steal small moans from my lips; encouraging a rhythm to build between


    us as he thrusted into me.


    A rhythm I found myselfpletely caving into.


    But I could tell that he was still holding back though, doing his best to restrain his strength from hurting m


    e. He was trying to be gentle in how he moved, his touch never pressing more than necessary.


    Only I was past the point of wanting to be treated like ss. I didn¡®t want to feel fragile anymore, like !


    was incapable of handling more than this because of everything happening.


    No, I wanted to feel alive, like equals... I wanted to feel everything I could from him.


    ¡°...More,¡± I murmured against his shoulder.


    ...And he immediately stopped, looking down at me with eyes containing a mixture of surprise and lust.


    ¡°What did you just say? You want even more than this?¡± he asked, almost as if daring me to say yes.


    My heart raced at his words, wondering just what he had in mind with that sort of reaction.


    ¡°... Stop holding back,¡± I found myself saying, a little in disbelief over my newfound confidence.


    And he immediately pulled me up and spun me around, so my back was pressed against his chest;


    moulding me to his body as he now knelt. An unexpected result from my initial request.


    ¡°W¨Cwait¡­-.¡±


    ¡°If you insist,¡± he whispered in my ear.


    And I felt him push inside me once more, stealing yet another cry of pleasure from my lips, my mind


    forgetting whatever I¡®d just been worried about.


    With one arm now wound entirely around my torso, I becamepletely trapped against him as he


    began to move again; helpless in the best way possible as his pace and force increased from earlier.


    Every emotion we¡®d been suppressing for so long was bubbling to the surface, driving us forward as we


    sumbed entirely to our desires. There was no room for doubts or second thoughts here anymore, just


    pure needs that were begging to be gratified.


    I was utterly under his control as he moved, feeling that same pressure building up with every thrust he


    ¡®had to offer; now stronger tenfold from before. Truthfully, I was already close to my limit as I offered


    myself to him, giving him whatever he wanted from me¡­ but then his free hand found its way in front,


    between my thighs, and it was game over from there.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± I cried out


    If he kept going like this, I wasn¡®t going to be able to hold on much longer¡­.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked innocently, teeth gently grazing against my ear... my neck... my shoulder...


    But whilst he was asking me what was wrong, I couldn¡®t help but notice his own pace had just increased.


    A sign he probably wasn¡®t that far behind me.


    ¡°I¡®m going to....¡°. I tried to say but couldn¡®t get the words out.


    Harder and faster he pushed into me, his actions became more fervid as he touched me, quickening as


    the seconds ticked by, sending me closer and closer to the edge until....


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    Whaples Ninely SIX P1+2


    With one final scream of pleasure, an electricity of ecstasy suddenly ripped its way through my entire


    body, making me sumb to a moment of pure bliss. I¡®d reached my boiling point and instantly came


    completely undone against him.


    Wave... after wave... after wave, it swept through me, making me tremble with every second that passed.


    A n intense bodily reaction beyondprehension¡­ and I apparently wasn¡®t alone in that either as I felt


    Aleric then reach his own release, the sound of his groan filling my ears behind me.


    We both copsed to the couch not long after that, our heavy breathing in unison as I savoured the


    feeling of his body against mine for a while. It was as if I¡®d finally been able to scratch the itch that had


    been bothering me for so long.


    Though, if I was being totally honest... and this wasn¡®t to say there was anything ¡®wrong¡®, but there was


    maybe just one thing....


    ¡°Aria,¡± Aleric then said softly by my ear, his hand travelling down my body again. ...Well, that answered


    that. Apparently, he was able to read my mind so perfectly yet again.


    | spun around to face him, weaving my fingers through his hair as we kissed once more. And we


    proceeded to pick up where we¡®d just left off, though slower to savour the moment this time. A time that


    then became the second of many more that urred that night. ...Who needed sleep anyway? I was on


    vacation. Sort of.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    Chapter Ny Seven


    Chapter Ny¨CSeven


    I woke up with a long, satisfied stretch in bed, feeling more content than I had in years.


    Thest few days had all blended together so much that I could barely keep track of time anymore. Was


    it a Tuesday? Morning? Night? I didn¡®t know. All I knew was that myst week had been spent with


    Aleric, living and breathing every moment he could spare for me.


    I continued to stretch, trying to wake up but, as I did so, I suddenly felt a pulse of pain emanate from my


    shoulder. Something I¡®d been ignoring thest few days despite my actual purpose ining here.


    Well, if it gave another reason to stay here a little longer, it couldn¡®t be all that bad, right?


    I sighed.


    I didn¡®t want to leave. Of course, I didn¡®t. It was so easy to ignore all my impending problems waiting form


    e at home, choosing to just live inside my own little bubble instead. I was happy here. Actually happy.


    Something I hadn¡®t felt in so long. Given everything I¡®d endured, surely I deserved even the tiniest bit of


    respite?


    And Aleric seemed happy, though he hadn¡®t explicitly vocalised it. Not that I expected him to. He wasn¡®t


    one to normally express feelings through words unless he was prompted, usually choosing to convey


    things in his actions instead. But I could tell by how he was acting that he seemed to be enjoying himself,


    appearing lighter and more rxed in his mannerisms.


    Thinking back now, it seemed crazy that I¡®d spent so many years of this life trying to run away from him. I


    had even nned to reject him. And I knew from previous experience how much that hurt, more than


    would warrant the benefits of going through with that process. The constant empty void it created inside


    was tortuous.


    It made me wonder how good things could have been from the beginning if we¡®d just been allowed a


    chance to live our lives the way we were meant to. If there were no prophecy pressures, no Selene, no


    markings, or Thea. Just... two people from the same pack who found each other. Would the Aria and


    Aleric of that timeline, though no doubt very different from the people we are now, find themselves


    happily together too?


    However, it was strange to even think of the person I once was. My first life felt more like a bad


    nightmare and so did the person from that timeline. I¡®d lived such a sheltered, structured life that the girl


    from back then could barely be considered anything more than a doll. And whilst I couldn¡®t say I enjoyed¡®


    the journey, I couldn¡®t exactly deny that the misfortunes I¡®d experienced since dying hadn¡®t matured me


    either; hadn¡®t helped me grow up from the na?ve, juvenile Luna I¡®d once been.


    It was probably most evident in the way I¡®d acted upon returning. As if I were sometimes more a bratty


    girl than a woman who had once held a high status. Far too much freedom and trauma given to a child


    all at once, driven by an intense motivation to escape and be their own person finally. Yet, all the while


    that was happening, also dealing with the basic body changes that came with being a teenager once


    more.


    So, who was I actually? Without Thea, without the naivety, without the fear and pain? If, by some miracle,


    I somehow survived this until the end, living to see a world where I was finally free of Thea entirely, what


    did that even look like for me? When I could finally just be myself without pressures or maniption?


    Who will I eventually be?


    ...But would I even survive? Seleneing to retrieve what was hers seemed more than likely for when


    this was over. She¡®d told me herself how she considered the other saints, the ones that came before me,


    mistakes. Did victory mean getting to live? Or was that expiration still waiting for me regardless, only


    buying my time the more I procrastinated facing Thea?


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    ...Would it mean saying a final goodbye to Aleric before we left to fight her?


    Trolled over and threw my legs over the side of the bed, no longer wanting to think about it anymore. The


    oue for that was not something in my control so there was no point in mulling over it.


    For now... I just wanted to be happy for the time I was certain I did have.


    And so I left my room, walking down the stairs to the only ce I wanted to be right now.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡± I asked softly, standing in the doorway of the living area.


    It was gently raining outside, the sound of the drops hitting the roof in a soothing way. The clouds outside


    were also darkening the sky enough that, once again, I couldn¡®t be sure what time it was.


    Aleric was sitting by the windowsill, book in hand, and only looked up after I spoke, a small smile


    warming on his face as he did so. His eyes reminded me of the moss and trees within the woods when


    he looked genuinely happy, almost as if he were a living personification of my little cottage sanctuary


    outside.


    ¡°Nothing really,¡± he answered. ¡°Did you have a good sleep?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t know if I can call that ¡®sleep¡®, since there wasn¡®t much of that happening... but it was good. Some


    might even say... great.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    And I crept closer until I stood in front of him, intending to look at the book in his hands, but instead he


    reached out and pulled me into hisp, forcing a squeal of surprise out of me at the sudden movement.


    Not that I wasining though.


    And, as he positioned me to sitfortably against his broad chest, I¡®d never felt so cosy and safe


    before.


    ¡°This looks like one of my books,¡± I said, reading the words on the page. ¡°Only a small portion of this is in


    themon tongue though.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡®s raining and there isn¡®t much else to do for entertainment around here...¡±


    And I felt as he then tilted his head down towards me, proceeding to nip at my ear. ¡°Unless you had


    something else in mind.¡±


    A shiver ran through me, sending endless possibilities to run through my mind... though it was shortly


    followed by another dull ache in my shoulder, a reminder of why we were here. I had healed a lot since


    we¡®d arrived, but our recent activities were probably regressing that process.


    ¡°I need a little break... I¡®m still healing, after all,¡± I saidughing, and I squirmed away from his teeth. ¡°I¡®m


    pretty sure thesest few days have been the opposite of allowing my body to rest.¡±


    Much to my own disappointment, he then eased off just as I¡®d asked, and went back to looking at the


    book instead. It was a situation where I didn¡®t particrly want to be the responsible one.


    In fact, I could think of several more irresponsible things we could be doing right now....


    ¡°Aria,¡± he said in a low voice behind me. ¡°Make up your mind.¡±


    And I felt my cheeks redden, realising we were back at square one.


    I needed to be more aware of myself.


    ¡°Umm, anyway.. can you even read this?¡± I asked, quickly changing the subject.


    He flipped it over to look at the cover and back to the page he was on. ¡°Not really. I didn¡®t really bother


    withnguages during study. I¡®m mostly looking at the pictures and reading the small bits ofmon


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    tongue that pop up.¡±


    ¡°...Did you want me to read it to you?¡± I offered. ¡°I can¡®t say I¡¯m fluent anymore but I¡®ve been getting a lot


    better over thest few months.¡±


    I felt as his body then chuckled behind me, the vibrations making me want to melt against him more


    ¡°...Sure,¡± he said.


    And even though the book contained nothing but factual retellings of pack dynamics several centuries


    ago, he sat and listened diligently to me anyway over the next hour or so that followed.


    A moment that only ended as I failed to stay awake, myck of sleep finallying to catch up with me.


    I¡®d tried so hard to fight against it, willing myself not to let the moment go. But, in the end, it proved too


    much.


    ...And I fell asleep in his arms.


    I woke up to the feeling of my hair being gently yed with, the strands delicately tugging in a pleasant


    way, and a smile slowly crept on my lips.


    ¡°...What are you doing?¡± I murmured softly, waking up to see Aleric next to me in bed.


    His eyes instantly locked with my own, looking as if he¡®d been caught doing something he shouldn¡®t. A


    reaction that would have made meugh if not for it being a bit sweet.


    My chest instantly tightened at the scene before me and I grabbed his hand in mine.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± I asked. ¡°I never really did as a kid. The silver is like an olddy¡®s.¡±


    ¡°...It¡®s a pretty colour,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡®ve always liked your hair. Even when I was younger, I thought it was


    interesting.¡±


    *Thump.*


    He pulled me closer until I was flush up against him, resting my head on the pillow next to him so we


    could face each other.


    ¡°...What else do you like?¡± I whispered, though a little nervously.


    Truthfully, apart from the mate bond, I had no idea why he¡®d be interested in me. From what I could tell, it


    wasn¡®t as if I¡®d given him many reasons to. It was something I¡®d been wondering about for a while now,


    always secretly specting why, but in true Aleric fashion, he hadn¡®t said anything yet.


    As awkward as it was, getting this sort of information from him was probably going to be impossible


    unless I directly asked him.


    He shifted a little next to me and cleared his throat, a small frown forming between his brows. Was he


    ufortable?


    ¡°...I think...,¡± he started and then paused, silently considering my request before continuing.


    ¡°I think you¡®re... beautiful... funny... smart... or at least, smart *sometimes,¡± he teased.


    I yfully hit his shoulder as heughed, but, before I could do much else, he then quickly grabbed my


    hand in his and kissed it to restrain me.


    ¡°I think... I think you helped me to be a better person, whether intentionally or not,¡± he continued,


    now back to being serious once more. ¡°I think... you became someone I looked forward to seeing every


    day, who I genuinely enjoyed being around¡­ someone to give me a reason to get out of bed and try to


    do better than the day before.¡±


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    Chapter Ny¨CSeven


    I felt as my eyes began to brim with tears, feeling overwhelmed by his response. I hadn¡¯t expected him to


    go into such detail.


    ¡°I admire your confidence and strength,¡± he continued, ¡°your ability to change things around you; both


    people and the pack. You have a way of setting your mind to do something and sticking to your


    convictions, despite others who might try and stop you.¡±


    ¡°...I think thatst one is called being stubborn,¡± I chimed in lightly, though my voice betrayed how


    emotional I was feeling.


    ¡°That¡®s probably true,¡± he said and cupped my face, cing a quick peck on my forehead. ¡°Speaking of


    which... were you going to train today? I couldn¡®t help but notice you haven¡®t done that in a few days


    now


    ¡°I¡®m on a break,¡± | grumbled as I averted my eyes to the unwee change in topic. ¡°Let me have this


    for just a little bit longer.¡±


    He started to silently chuckle though, and I quickly looked back to see him watching me with amusement,


    his eyes holding that warmth to them I adored.


    ¡°No,¡± he said tly, a smile on his lips. ¡°Go train today. Just like how I have to patrol. Which..¡°He then


    looked out towards the window, gauging the time. ¡°... Which is probably about time I do so.¡±


    ¡°No00000,¡± I whined softly, enjoying ourzy day in bed too much.


    Just an hour or so more would be fine, surely. I didn¡®t want him to go yet. Not after all the sweet things


    he¡®d said to me just now.


    ¡°Yesssss,¡± he replied, mimicking my tone, and pulled himself away to sit up.


    ¡°Just stay in bed with me for a little bit longer,¡± | said. ¡°We can fight off intruders from here, if need be.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, tempting,¡± he said, bending back over to kiss me.


    Immediately, little butterflies filled me as I revelled in the sensation his touch offered, and I grabbed his


    shoulder to draw him closer.


    If it were up to me, it wouldn¡®t have stopped there but, before I could initiate anything further, he then


    quickly pulled away.


    ¡°It *ist tempting,¡± he reiterated, ¡°but I prefer to be focused when fighting, *notdistracted by azy


    seductress in bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m notzy,¡± I pouted, and I sat up as he went to get changed.


    Then feel free to prove me wrong,¡± heughed, throwing on some loose clothes. ¡°Go train.¡±


    And I quietly grumbled again, making himugh harder.


    ¡°Alright, I¡®m off,¡± he said,ing back around to my side of the bed. ¡°Stop looking so forlorn. I¡®ll see you


    soon.¡±


    And with that, he quickly kissed me, a tiny spark erupting from where our lips met, and left before I could


    say anything else.


    I wondered how long it¡®d be before he came home today, knowing sometimes he was gone for a few


    hours. He was right though¡­ I probably should train


    Wait...


    ...A spark.


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    LHPRETTY even


    I quickly brought a hand up to my lips in confusion.


    I¡®d felt that. I¡®d felt that.*


    That was definitely a spark from the mate bond. Just a small one. But it had happened.


    I jumped out of bed, tripping over my own legs in haste, and made it to the top of the stairs.


    ...But, before I could follow after him, I heard the front door to outside open and close.


    ...He was already gone.


    ¡®Then I guess I¡®ll have to tell himter,¡® I thought with a smile.


    It would be something to look forward to. What better progress could I tell him than to say I¡®d finally felt a


    spark? And it would definitely be cause for some... scientific research. To test when I could and couldn¡®t


    feel it, of course. Probably some ¡®extensive physical contact¡® would do the trick.


    I bit my lip knowingly and went back into my bedroom, throwing myself down against the sheets once


    more.


    Somehow, I was feeling better than ever. Better than even before I¡®d put on the ring. I was feeling


    stronger and more fulfilled, my shoulder feeling basicallypletely healed. Things were really great.


    In fact, now I thought about it, my shoulder *did* feel healed. Not even an echo of an ache wasing


    from it now... which was kind of strange considering just yesterday it had been hurting me.


    I got up and walked towards the mirror, pulling my shirt to the side to inspect the wound. It probably still


    had another few weeks given I was wearing silver...


    ...But, as I finally saw it, I immediately frowned in surprise.


    ... Because it was healed.


    Fully healed. Now only an undertone of a bruise remaining on my skin.


    But then, didn¡®t that mean....


    I quickly looked down at my hands....


    ...Only to find they werepletely bare.


    ¡°...Fuck.¡±


    The ring was gone.


    ¡°No...,¡± I whispered in disbelief, staring at the ce the ring should have been. ¡°No¡­ no, no no, no.¡±


    I was so used to the feeling of silver that I didn¡®t even register the burn anymore. How long had it been


    missing? A day? Two?


    ...Had Thea realised?


    I ran down the stairs, an overwhelming panic fuelling me as I scrambled to find it and started looking


    everywhere I could. Under and behind furniture, theundry amongst my clothes, literally anywhere!


    could think of.


    When had I seen itst?


    ...Hadn¡®t it been there yesterday?


    The windowsill.


    I looked up sharply to where we¡®d sat together the day before... and saw it.


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    Luule VIITEIT Stich


    Nearly entirely hidden by a pillow, it was there. Glinting as the sun hit the exposed surface, almost as if


    mocking me for losing it.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    This meant it must have identally fallen off my finger when I fell asleep.


    How many hours had passed since then though?


    However, as I started to run towards it, suddenly I felt a familiar sensation I hadn¡®t felt in months.


    One that filled me with dread. Something I hadn¡®t felt in so long yet hadn¡®t particrly missed.


    Everything around me instantly began to blur, my legs giving out from under me.


    And, before I couldpletely wrap my head around what was happening, suddenly, I was in the


    woods.


    ...And I became trapped within a vision.


    The sounds of birds and nature surrounded me as if I really were there, even the scent seemed


    indistinguishable. Everything felt so real... and familiar.


    With a lurch to my stomach, I realised these were the woods outside the cottage.


    spun my head around frantically, searching for the one thing I desperately didn¡®t want to find. ...But, of


    course, they were there. I¡®d suspected as much the second I¡®d seen where I was, but I¡®d fervently hoped


    I was wrong.


    Because I knew what this meant now. How could I not?


    Aleric stood by a tree, surveying the area around him, looking the same as when he¡®d left not even


    twenty minutes earlier. Even his clothes were the same. Which told me two very crucial details.¡­


    One; that it was happening today.


    And, two; ...that he hadn¡®t even shifted yet... meaning it was literally happening any second now, if not


    already


    ¡°Aleric!¡± | screamed out, running towards him.


    But he didn¡®t respond, being unable to hear me inside the vision. It was yet another cruel restriction that


    came with this ability,


    I immediately felt myself begin to cry, my breathing bing shallow as I watched helplessly in mute


    terror.


    Because there was one other very important, yet cruel restriction that came with having visions. One


    knew painfully well, having experienced several over thest few years. ..And that was that they always*


    brought bad news.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    Chapler Ny¨CEight


    Chapter Ny¨CEight


    ¡°Aleric...,¡± I cried, feelingpletely useless.


    This wasn¡®t good. This was really, really not good.


    And worse, even on the small possibility that this wasn¡®t Thea¡®s doing, there was no chance she didn¡®t


    already know by now. Either way, I was wasting time being stuck inside this vision.


    I needed to get out. Now.


    ¡®Wake up.¡¯


    | pped at my cheeks, wishing more than anything to break out, but it was no use. I wasn¡®t really ¡®here¡®s


    o there was no physical pain trigger.


    A snapping sound then came from somewhere in the distance, and I immediately looked up towards it. It


    sounded like someone had stepped on a branch further into the woods.


    I wasn¡®t the only one who noticed either as Aleric also detected something, walking cautiously towards it.


    It didn¡®t leave me many options in what I could do next... I had to follow him.


    We walked for maybe a few minutes, deathly silent the entire time, before a clearing came up ahead. I


    knew this had to be it. The ce where it would happen.


    He took two steps, assessed the area and then


    *THUD.*


    A wolf tackled into Aleric, sending them both flying to the ground as the beast began to growl and bite at


    him. But it was more unfortunate for the wolf, if anything, since something like that wasn¡®t nearly enough


    t o keep Aleric down... and he swiftly proved my point.


    Without much effort on Aleric¡®s end, he managed to easily take care of the wolf, twisting its neck, and


    finishing him within seconds. He hadn¡®t even broken a sweat by it, let alone exerted himself in any way.


    ...But was that really it? That seemed a little... too easy.


    Not enough to warrant a vision anyway.


    Though, of course, I didn¡®t need to wait long to find out.


    Aleric must have sensed whatever it was since he immediately prepared himself, looking around the


    area as if expecting something to jump out.


    But it wasn¡®t just ¡®someone¡®.


    No, forck of a better word, it was a small army. At least five or six dozen people suddenly emerged


    from the trees into therge clearing ahead; some shifted, some not. All of them either armed or ready to


    fight... against just Aleric. The odds were not in his favour.


    But, to my surprise, Aleric didn¡®t even seem remotely phased. His face waspletely calm as he


    assessed the situation, his eyes scanning the area as if taking internal notes of exactly where everyone


    was. And, with a final small sigh, he rolled his shoulders back and stretched his neck from side to side.


    The enemy was either taken aback by his collected manner or, at least, were waiting to see what he¡®d do


    next. It meant they knew who he was, knew what he was capable of as they didn¡®t dare rush in. But they


    wouldn¡®t want to hold their breath if they were waiting for Aleric to blindly rush in and stan. He wasn¡®t that


    stupid.


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    A minute or two passed with both sides still cautiously evaluating the other. It dragged on almost to the


    point of being ridiculous before, finally, Aleric reached down and grabbed a rock, lightly tossing it within


    his hand as he got a feel for its weight. And of the few who weren¡®t shifted, I could see their expressions


    be tenser, as if expecting him to finally attack.


    ...Only Aleric didn¡®t need to use the rock as a closebat weapon. Instead, he promptly took a step


    back with one foot, twisted his body¡­ and threw the rock with so much force it immediately hit the


    closest wolf.


    They bled out almost instantly, the rock cutting into the flesh by their neck. There hadn¡®t been remotely


    enough time for the wolf to react to the impending projectile.


    Judging from the reaction of the crowd, none of them had anticipated Aleric to throw it with that* much


    speed and power. But it was apparently the final straw for them. Quickly, they all started to charge at him,


    the woods erupting in a chorus of cries and growls.


    Five wolves came at Aleric first from all sides, trying to impede his ability to dodge, but he swiftly kicked


    back three and took two out without any trouble, finishing the other three easily by the time they¡®d


    recovered to charge him again.


    This must have enraged the group, having seen him just take out five of their men so effortlessly, and


    several more advanced on him. In fact, Aleric became almost a blur as he rapidly defended and


    attacked.


    Regardless of the direction or their approach, he was always ready and anticipating their next move. It


    was the exact reason Aleric and I were somewhat bnced when fighting now; where I could literally


    sense his next move from my ties to foresight, Aleric, on the other hand, was such a skilled fighter with


    insanely keen senses that he was able to predict the next moved based on bodynguage alone. In such


    arge¨Cscale event as this, it was easy to see just how powerful he was. *This* was his true ability, both


    natural and from his lineage. It made me wonder if he¡®d just been going easy on me up until now.


    By the time he¡®d taken out approximately twenty enemies, I could tell he was finally starting to properly


    try. Not to say he was getting tired, but I knew it would probably be difficult to finish off the


    remaining fifty or so enemies still waiting to have their go.


    On... and on¡­ and on the battle went. Twenty... twenty¨Cfive... thirty... forty. He worked through each


    opponent methodically and never slowed... but when there were finally only around fifteen enemies


    remaining, I could see he was reaching his limit.


    He looked... exhausted. Now covered in dust, blood and sweat, he heaved at the air as he awaited the


    next attack. But his eyes were still as sharp and focused as when the fight had started. He might have


    been tired, but he was still ready to keep going regardless.


    I knew he would probably shift soon. Now the numbers had lowered, he would be able to take advantage


    o f his wolf to manage the open space better and conserve strength, utilising the extra stealth to pick off


    remaining enemies and kill any who tried to run. It was something the opposition probably realised too as


    they paused for a minute to reassess the situation.


    vas SC


    ...And another stalemate ensued.


    The majority of their numbers were now dead or too injured to continue and yet Aleric was still standing


    with barely more than a few surface scratches. Surely, they had to realise they weren¡®t a match, right?


    Only... I remembered then that I wasn¡®t watching this live.


    I¡®d be so engrossed in watching the fight that I¡®d almost forgotten what this was. A vision.


    And that meant there would be no happy ending here,


    ¡®Wake up,¡¯ I internally screamed at myself, wanting more than anything to snap out of it already


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    Chapter Ny¨CEight


    But then a man walked forward.


    Unlike the others, he didn¡®t look afraid. He didn¡®t cower or act cautious... No, the only way to describe


    him was that he looked... unstable.


    With wide eyes and nose ring, he approached Aleric, seemingpletely out of it. A man possessed


    in how he moved. Was it from witnessing all hisrades mercilessly die or from something else?


    Aleric quickly focused in on him, watching carefully for when he¡®d attack.


    But... something didn¡®t feel right. Something about him, about how he was acting....


    ¡®Wake up, wake up, wake up.¡®


    He slowly reached behind him, grabbing something from his pocket...


    ¡®Wake up, c¡®mon already!¡±


    ...Pulling out a metal looking object, something that made everyone in the area look at him confused;


    even his fellow allies. None of us apparently had ever seen it before¡­ Which only made me more


    worried.


    ¡® WAKE UP


    He lifted it up, pointing it directly towards Aleric...


    *Click.*


    ¡®WAKE UP ALREADY.¡¯


    *BAAANNGGGGG.*


    A small sh of light emitted from the device before sounding off a deafening noise in its wake. The birds


    in the area immediately flew off, fleeing as fast as possible. It was loud enough to make me fall


    backwards to the ground in surprise, along with several of the enemies too. Like me, they were taken off


    guard just as much as I was.


    ...And then silence fell.


    Silent enough to hear a pin drop.


    ¡°Not a single person moved as we all stared in shock, wondering what the hell had just happened¡­.


    ...Something that was only broken as Aleric then suddenly groaned... and fell to his knees.


    I quickly got back up to my feet and ran toward him... only I couldn¡®t touch him. I wasn¡®t really here. This


    wasn¡®t really real... not yet anyway.


    He was bleeding from his shoulder though I hadn¡®t seen any knife or weapon thrown towards him. Yet


    there was so much blood. From just one tiny hole. What the hell could do something like that?


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± one of the other enemies yelled.


    I turned around to see that the man who¡®d just yelled had grabbed the crazy one with the metal object,


    shoving him around.


    ¡°Are you trying to have the Goddess smite us? Have the entire country hunt us? What would possess


    you t o wield a forbidden human weapon?¡±


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    ...Human weapon? So this was... this was something banned from our species. This was the highest


    offence he could havemitted; a crime that jeopardised our way of life and the entire country. This


    went beyond pack wars and petty disputes, but was something deemed to be taboo by our kind as a


    whole; a pact to remain hidden and safe from the outside human world. Regardless of whether he


    belonged to a pack or was a rogue... no one would ever dare to overstep that line.


    The crazed man began tough, clearly out of it as he watched Aleric suffer with amusement.


    ¡°I fear that witch more than I do the Goddess,¡± he said. ¡°It was her will that I wield this weapon. This is


    the only way to earn my redemption.¡±


    ¡°Even if we survive this now, we will die anyway thanks to what you¡®ve just done. You¡®re delusional if you


    think the witch is going to protect you when people find out about this.¡±


    But he simply smiled, his body shaking fromughing. ¡°Then I die knowing I did all I could to survive this


    world. A rogue¡®s life is one filled with only tragedy. Just look at the fate of our fellow brothers surrounding


    US.¡±


    The second man looked disgusted by him yet scared all at once. Even for someone nning to hurt


    Aleric moments ago, it was abundantly clear that some things were too far.


    ¡°Our orders were to ¡®capture¡® him. Capture. Not ¡®kill,¡± a different rogue interjected.


    Though despite those orders, all of them were arguing whilst Aleric continued to bleed out.


    ¡°Why isn¡®t he healing?¡± one of them finally chimed in.


    ¡°... It¡®s a silver bullet,¡± the insane man exined. ¡°The witch had it prepared specifically for this.¡±


    So, it was Thea¡®s idea. Of course. Only she would be brazen enough to bend the very morals of our kind.


    And who could say what she¡®d even done to the man? She could have easily preyed on a weaker willed


    mind and turned them into this*. Made them see what she wanted them to. Was this who she had been


    manipting whilst I¡®d been out of her reach?


    ¡°...Oh, Goddess...¡± one man said, beginning to pray.


    ¡°Enough, we don¡®t have time for this,¡± the second man snapped. ¡°Regardless of the means, we¡®ve got


    him now. We can¡®t change what¡®s already happened.¡±


    ¡°What about the other one? The girl?¡±


    ¡°If this one could kill so many of us with his bare hands alone... I don¡®t particrly feel like fighting the


    Saintess who, up until recently, was also considered an Alpha of that cursed Winter Mist. I¡¯ve heard


    rumours that she¡®s as crazy as she is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°...Aria...,¡± I heard Aleric then softly whisper.


    | quickly looked back towards him as he gritted his teeth, applying pressure to his wound.


    ¡°...Aria... if you see this, don¡®te for me.¡±


    I felt myself tense up from shock. Was it just sheer luck or did he actually correctly guess I would witness


    the battle?


    And not just that, but he wanted me to leave him. As if such a thing was possible. The very second this


    vision was over, I would make it to him in time... with two of us and my knowledge, they wouldn¡®t have a


    chance.


    ¡°We¡®re done. The witch said we only needed one and to focus on the male. Grab him and let¡®s get the


    hell out of here already.¡±


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    Chapter Ny Eight


    ¡°¨CAria. Don¡®t. Think it through clearly.¡±


    The rogues grabbed at Aleric and pulled him to his feet, wasting no time to badly bandage the wound


    and handcuff his hands behind his back.


    ¡®WAKE UP ALREADY. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP


    ¡®WAKE UP. WAKE UP:


    ¡®WAKE UP


    ... *Snap.*


    My eyes flew open and I gasped at the air, finally free from the horrific experience.


    Truthfully, I definitely felt weakened¡­ but not enough that I would bepletely useless in a fight. I had


    be strong enough to withstand the energy it stole from me, though that didn¡®t make it any easier.


    I got to my feet and sprinted out the door, instantly shifting mid¨Cair into my wolf form, and started bee


    lining it towards where Aleric was. His scent was unmistakable as I followed it, pushing myself to go


    faster and faster....


    Going as quickly as I could, all the while focusing on nothing else except getting to him. Making it there


    before


    *BAAANNGGGGG.*


    I came to a halt so quickly that I fell to the ground, tumbling along the rocky dirt several feet before finally


    stopping


    ...I was toote.


    No... no, no, this couldn¡®t be happening.


    And I shifted back, tears filling my eyes as my body shook.


    How much further into the woods was he? Another five minutes? Another fifteen?


    What was I meant to do?


    If I made it there and Aleric was already in handcuffs, then it would make things considerably more


    difficult. They could use him as a hostage to make meply, threatening to hurt him further. Not to


    mention, they also still had *that weapon*. Whatever it was, it had been so quick that I hadn¡®t even seen


    what it did to Aleric. How was I meant to fight against something like that? Somethingpletely


    unknown? I probably wouldn¡®t even be able to get a word out before it hit me.


    ...So, was I just meant to leave him then?


    No, that was unthinkable. Regardless of the consequences, saving him was all that mattered. It was the


    only thing I cared about.


    Except...


    ¡®*¡°...Aria. Don¡®t. Think it through clearly.¡°*¡®


    Aleric¡®s words.


    | swatted back my tears angrily. He was right. I didn¡®t want to do the logical thing because it hurt too


    much ... but he¡®d already figured out what the cost of losing here was. And it was extremely pricey.


    The rogues mentioned that they were sent by Thea and their orders were to capture one of us. Only one,


    with the focus on Aleric.


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    Chapter Ny Eight


    This told me one thing, and one thing only.


    They wanted to use him as bait.


    I could assume her goal was to send me back into an emotional frenzy in my attempt to rescue him. With


    us at her mercy, she could do what she wanted. And, for all I knew, there were others waiting in the


    woods that I hadn¡®t seen too, waiting with different orders for when I¡®d arrive.


    But this was possibly my only saving grace too. It meant she couldn¡®t kill him yet. Aleric was more useful


    t o her alive than dead so she could lure us in. And, unlike my ability, Aleric¡®s wouldn¡®t make it near


    impossible to defeat her should she acquire his power. More strength wasn¡®t going to significantly tip the


    power bnce in her favour like my foresight would.


    ...So, this was what Aleric meant by don¡®t follow. He¡®d calcted that his life wasn¡®t worth risking the


    chance of Thea acquiring my ability. That it really would be game over if she got her hands on me. Not


    just for both of us, but for everyone. Our whole species.


    ...He¡®d valued his own life less than everyone else¡®s. Something that broke me a little inside to even think


    about


    But knowing the safest thing to do here didn¡®t make it any easier.


    Even the very thought of letting him go was destroying me. How was I meant to remain calm when they


    had him? When Thea would be getting her hands on him to do whatever she wanted? She might not kill


    him, but I doubted she would make his stay very pleasant.


    Was I meant to just sit back and ignore that?


    ¡°FUCK,¡± I screamed out in frustration, hitting the ground with my fist.


    I was so sick of sacrificing everything because of interference outside my control. Giving up my life for a


    Goddess that had never shown me gratitude. I never asked to be born into this lineage, never wanted to


    b e reborn again even.


    ...I should have just let them all burn. Take my chances now to try and kill the rogues. Rescue Aleric. Run


    away with him and never turn back. Run so far that, even without the ring, Thea still wouldn¡®t be able to


    find me.


    Screw this world and the constant demands of me. I was done.


    ¡®Breathe.¡®


    ...Dammit.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    cl instantly inhaled deeply, hearing Aleric¡®s voice in my head to remind me to control myself.


    ... This was her influence, still rooted inside. The very thing I¡®d be training against. Yet I¡®d almost fallen


    prey to it once again.


    It was true that Aleric was now in a deadly situation but there were still things worth fighting for. My


    parents, for one. Living to hopefully see them again without putting them in danger. Elder Luke and


    Alexander too. hell, even Brayden didn¡®t deserve to die.


    I needed to separate myself from her and focus instead.


    But even in times like this where I couldn¡®tpletely trust myself, I knew I could trust Aleric. He¡®d been


    a voice of reason to help cut through the mess Thea created inside me. So, despite the fact that every


    ounce of my being was screaming at me to run in there and save him... I had to trust him now more than


    ever. Trust that my first assessment was correct. And that was telling me not to follow.


    It was the ¡®logical¡® thing to do¡­ even though it killed me to even consider it.


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    Chupke Ninely tight


    And so I stood up, forcing my legs to move one after the other back towards the cottage, back towards


    the Winter Mist


    The opposite direction from Aleric, from the very being I¡®d found happiness with.


    The best decision here was the one that was hardest to make. The decision where I left to formte a


    n instead of giving in to exactly what Thea wanted.


    I needed to focus. To stayposed. To push out every single one of my doubts and vulnerabilities


    because that was going to make saving him impossible.


    And with every step away from him I took¡­ I detached myself a little bit more.


    It was time to form a strategy and finally fight back.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Chapter Ny Nine


    Chapter Ny¨CNine


    It was the most difficult decision I¡®d ever made. Sacrificing someone in order to save myself. I felt sick


    even thinking about it... but I didn¡®t have a choice here. And not just that, but I also didn¡®t have time to


    digest it further if I wanted to escape safely.


    On the off chance that Thea had people lying in the wait to catch me, I gathered only whatever I could


    pack quickest, ripping open the emergency envelope with my location and beginning the long drive


    home. And whilst I had taken the time to retrieve the ring, I unfortunately couldn¡®t risk wearing it. If I were


    suddenly ambushed, then I needed to be ready to fight. One critical blow to my body and I would be


    instantly dead in seconds without my natural healing, something the ring would prevent.


    It meant I needed to work even harder to keep Thea out of my head, despite everything threatening to


    overwhelm me.


    ¡®Calm. Composed.


    ¡®Everything was fine.


    We were two hours drive west of the Winter Mist and I was both sad and relieved when I finally returned t


    o the pack. There were going to be a lot of questions, I knew, but I just needed to take it one step at a


    time.


    ¡®I could do this.¡®


    ¡®I needed to do this.¡®


    Heading directly to the packhouse, I immediately had patrols start double¨Cchecking the borders, wasting


    n o time in ensuring we were ready for if Thea decided to attack. There was always the possibility that


    she assumed we were weakened right now by her kidnapping Aleric, and I didn¡®t want to give her the


    satisfaction.


    ¡°Send out only the most trusted warriors we have,¡± I instructed. ¡°I want a status report that everything is


    secured within the next two hours. After that, we¡®ll review again if anything needs to be changed. And I


    need you to send word to¨C.¡±


    ¡°Aria?¡± I heard someone say behind me in surprise.


    I instantly spun around to see Cai by the entrance of the door, frowning.


    ¡°Cai,¡± I greeted. ¡°We¡®ve got a lot to do and we need to start working on a n.¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah, woah,¡± he said, putting his hands up. ¡°Slow down. What the hell is going on? Where¡®s


    Aleric?¡±


    *Thump.*


    ¡°Not here,¡± I replied stoically, swallowing back my pain. ¡°Thea had rogues grab him whilst we were at the


    cabin. They took him down before I could make it to him. She¡®ll most likely try and use him as bait¡±


    ¡°Then shouldn¡®t we be getting you somewhere safe? I can find Elder Luke and start working on a n.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m feeling fine,¡± I said, picking up the shift roster for patrols. ¡°I¡®ll be assisting with the nning. Once


    Elder Luke has been made aware, we can begin looking at different options.


    ¡°Aria¡­.¡±


    And I looked up at him, finally meeting his eyes.


    ¡°...What?¡±


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    Unapler Ninely Nine


    I could tell he was analysing me carefully, his eyes narrowed slightly as he watched me. But then the


    tension broke as he sighed in defeat. ¡°Alright. Fine.¡±


    ...And I immediately got to work.


    It took another three days before I felt reassured Thea wasn¡®t nning anything directly against the pack.


    With the people within the Winter Mist safe at least, I could begin thinking of ways to counter her


    movement. But without much information surrounding her whereabouts, I was beginning to wonder what


    her next step was. It¡®d been eerily silent since I¡®d returned. Well... except for her presence every now and


    then in my head.


    I was doing a pretty good job at keeping her out for the most part, but I¡®d be lying if I said everything had


    been going smoothly. At times, my anxiety would get too much and I¡®d start to hear those thoughts again.


    The ones nagging at me to stop wasting time and focuspletely on trying to save Aleric. To ignore the


    pack, Cai, everything else, and do whatever it took to rescue him.


    In thest few days that had passed, I¡®d used the time in sending scouts out to find information. And


    whilst there were a few potential leads, there wasn¡¯t really anything definitive enough to warrant building


    a n entire strategy for. There was yet to be any real confirmation.


    ¡°... What are we doing, Aria?¡± Cai suddenly asked in the meeting room, breaking me from my thoughts.


    We were usually holed up in here all day unless we were briefly needed elsewhere. It was important to


    be essible in case someone needed to find us.


    Today, Cai seemed agitated. Restless, even. He¡®d given me several suspicious nces thest day or so


    and they were slowly bing more frequent. An added stress that was not needed, nor wanted, given


    how hard it already was to remain focused.


    ¡°Maybe he doesn¡®t care if Aleric dies. He¡®s never really liked him. Perhaps he¡®ll use this as a chance to


    hurt me.¡®


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    *Breathet.


    There it was again. Getting more and more frequent. I needed to be more careful.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean... It¡®s been three days and we still don¡®t have a n. What are we doing?¡±


    Timmediately put my pen down to look at him, addressing him in an even tone despite the mild attitude !


    was sensing.


    ¡°We¡®re ensuring the pack remains strong until we can track her down. After that, we can look at the


    different options to hopefully recover Aleric. Until then though, we¡®re managing resources to ensure we¡®re


    fully prepared to leave at a moments notice.¡±


    There it was again.


    Another guarded look that seemed borderline distrustful.


    ¡°...I thought leaving was meant to have helped you with getting better,¡± he said, finally deciding to say


    whatever he¡®d been holding back. ¡°Instead, you¡®re possibly even colder than when you left.¡±


    ¡®He¡®ll stop me from trying to save Aleric. He thinks I¡®m dangerous. What if he locks me up?¡®


    | swallowed back against the urge tosh out, reminding myself what was more important right now. And


    i I wasn¡®t giving in to those thoughts.


    ¡°I don¡®t know what you¡®re talking about, Cai. That¡®s exactly what I did.¡°


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    Standing up, I then walked away, turning my back to him so I could concentrate on literally anything else.


    Anything to stop the thoughts surfacing that I was trying so hard to push down.


    From his perspective, I knew why it might have seemed like nothing had changed¡­ but, in reality, it was


    because of how much I¡®d managed to recover that I was now more vulnerable. It was a struggle to


    remain so collected when I was so emotionally attached to someone now.


    ¡°Then how can you just act like nothing is really happening? As if we are just discussing petty pack


    issues?¡±


    I remained silent, trying to ignore him.


    ¡°... Do you even give a shit that he¡®s gone?¡±


    That did it.


    Of everything to assume, that was taking it too far, piercing directly into the thin shield I¡¯d managed to


    create inside.


    I instantly spun around to face him again, teeth gritted.


    ¡°Of course, I care! How could you possibly think that?!¡± | bit back, a flood gate opening inside. ¡°You think


    i don¡®t want to break down, scream or cry because I¡®m scared of losing him? That I don¡®t want to rush


    into action and do everything I can to save him?!¡±


    I balled my hands into fists, taking several steps towards him.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry if I seem cold, but it¡®s because I care that I¡®m trying not to endanger us further! This isn¡®t the


    first time Thea has done something like this. She wants me to get angry. She wants me to yell and stop


    thinking rationally. I¡®ve already told you that¡®s how she digs her ws in. It is taking literally every ounce o


    f my restraint to resist ying into what she wants.¡±


    He was taken aback by my response, looking a little guilty as I confided in him all of this.


    ¡°...I¡®m terrified, Cai,¡± I said, a tear falling down my face. ¡°...I can¡®t lose him. I... I can¡®t endure any more


    pain. I¡®ve lived two lifetimes of it and I just want this to be over. I just want¨Cargh.¡±


    *Breathe*


    I¡®d said enough


    And I took a deep breath, calming myself.


    This wasn¡®t going to help Aleric. If I was starting to crack this bad already then it would be near


    impossible to resist should Thea decide to start messing around in my head more.


    But... was it even possible to fight her when it was already this difficult? My resolve was getting weaker


    every day the more anxious I became, the urge to just give in bing too much. It was inevitable that I


    was going to snap like this soon. And maybe the next time would be worse.


    I¡®m not strong enough. He¡®s going to die because of me.¡®


    I couldn¡®t even tell if that was her or my own thoughts anymore. Either way, it was probably a bad sign.


    ¡°Aria... I¡®m sorry, I didn¡®t¨C.¡±


    ¡°Can we let it go, please?¡± I asked, wanting nothing more than to drop it before it had worse


    consequences. ¡°I just want to focus on what we need to do next. She¡®ll be expecting me to¨C¡°.


    And the words cut short in my mouth as I realised something. Something that seemed so obvious.


    The answer was simple.


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    whapler Ny¨CNine


    ...We just needed to give her what she wanted. Topletely eliminate the chance of identally


    snapping by doing exactly what she expected of me.


    It was time to just... give in.


    My mind started to whirl with ideas as it all came together, letting me see exactly what we needed to do.


    How we could win.


    ...But it was risky. Incredibly so. Doing something like this was reckless and might not even work.


    ¡°Cai... I¡¯ve changed my mind...,¡± I said distantly, thinking it through. ¡°...I need you to call me heartless


    some more.¡±


    And I¡®ve never seen someone look more confused.


    ¨C*THWACK*


    I punched Sophie¡®s jaw with enough force to send her straight to the ground. Blood immediately


    beginning to ooze from her nose from the impact.


    ¡°Please¡­,¡± she whimpered feebly, trying to crawl away.


    But I just revelled in the cries of my old attendant, enjoying every second. I¡®d dreamt of doing this for


    years, Dreamt of making her life miserable as retribution for her betrayal. And, based on how unphased


    she seemed today upon entering her cell, clearly killing Lucy hadn¡®t been enough.


    ¡®She deserved this. She was a monster.¡®


    ¡®Most importantly, she was the only link I had to Thea. Every second she wasted now was another


    second Aleric was kept captive.¡®


    ¡®It was her fault.¡®


    ¡°Then tell me what I want to know,¡± I replied, though unable to hide my smile.


    It was true I wanted answers quickly... but that didn¡®t mean I couldn¡®t enjoy myself a little either.


    ¡°I¨CI already told you...,¡± she said, cowering. ¡°I don¡®t know anything.¡±


    And I kicked her in the ribs.


    ¡°Lying to me isn¡®t in your best interest,¡± I said, crouching down to her eye level. ¡°Thea isn¡®t here. I am the


    only one you should be worried about. Prove yourself worthless and....¡±


    I grabbed her throat, tightening my grip enough to make her start choking.


    ¡®Maybe it wouldn¡®t be the worst thing if she didn¡®t tell me. Then I could....¡®


    ¡°Aria, stop!¡± I heard someone yell by the cell door.


    Cai.


    ¡°Don¡®t tell me what to do,¡± I bit back, never breaking eye contact with Sophie as I watched her struggle.


    If she didn¡®t want to help me find Thea, find Aleric, then I¡®d just take her to the brink of death. Give her a


    taste of fear.


    ¡®I am the only God here.¡¯


    ¡°Aria!¡± Cai yelled again before dragging me away from Sophie. ¡°Stop it.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I growled. ¡°We agreed that this was what we needed to do! Why are you chickening out now?¡±


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    Chapter Ny Nine


    He pulled me up and forced me out the cell door, leaving Sophie on the ground to cradle her wounds.


    ¡°I said stop it! I didn¡®t agree for you to kill people. Just let me handle it.¡±


    And he walked back into the cell, shutting the door in my face to keep me from following him inside.


    ¡°Cai! Let me in, dammit!¡± I yelled, pounding on the door.


    But nothing that I proceeded to say nor do apparently made any difference as he remained in the room


    for several minutes. He was adamant about making me wait.


    ¡°Cai, I swear, if you don¡®t let me in right now I¡®ll ¨C,¡±


    And I almost toppled over the other side as the door then abruptly opened, Cai somehow catching me


    and pushing me back out to stop me from falling.


    ¡°You idiot, why didn¡®t you just let me¨C,¡±


    ¡°Three hundred,¡± he said, his face stern as he cut me off. ¡®There are three hundred rogues located in a


    camp near the Silver Lake. Makes sense if those are the same rogues that were harassing us a few


    months ago. There is arge area of unimednd not far from the pack which Sophie said they were


    upying.¡±


    I stopped to look at him, shocked by the revtion. ¡°Three hundred rogues? That¡®s insane. They¡®ll have


    us outnumbered after we subtract the amount of people needing to stay behind to defend the Winter


    Mist.¡±


    ¡°I realise that. I¡®m just telling you what she told me though,¡± he said.


    And I sighed in frustration, turning away. This was going to be more difficult than I expected.


    ¡°Aria... I need to be honest. In my opinion, I think you should give up on trying to rescue Aleric. Or, at


    least attempting to do so anytime soon. It¡®s too dangerous. You know it is.¡±


    This caught my attention again as I snapped back to him in disbelief.


    ¡®He¡®s going to try and stop me. He doesn¡®t care if Aleric dies whilst we wait, safe in the pack.¡¯


    ¡®He¡®s an obstacle.


    ¡°Abandon me in this now and you¡®re dead to me, Cai,¡± | spat. ¡°You¡®ll make yourself an enemy of this pack


    and to our kind. Aleric is integral to our survival. This is a war. *Ust against *her* Who¡®s side are you


    on?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m on the side of sanity,¡± he said. ¡°The side that doesn¡®t needlessly die for no good reason, especially


    when that results in only further problems. It¡®ll be my head at her feet the moment she¡®s done with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re a coward,¡± I yelled, grabbing his shirt. ¡°Too scared to fight when so much is on the line.¡±


    He immediately pushed me backwards but I held on. ¡°No, Aria, I¡®m a survivor. If you¡®re so determined to


    get yourself killed then leave me out of it. I¡®ll get out of your way and leave the Winter Mist first thing


    tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡®He¡®s going to let me sacrifice myself to do the right thing whilst he cowers away in safety.¡®


    Betraying me when I needed him most.¡¯


    ¡°...Don¡®t evere back,¡± I hissed and shoved him away.


    And I instantly turned my back on him, swiftly leaving. I didn¡®t want to even look at him.


    There were a lot of arrangements to be made for the uing battle. People to be notified, final


    strategies to be discussed. Now we knew where we were headed, it was time to put everything in


    motion.


    Tomorrow, we went to war.


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    Chapter Ny¨CNine


    The rest of the day was extremely busy, to say the least. There was of course pushback, resistance,


    but in the end, I had the final say. There would be no debate on this. The battle to ensue was one that


    everyone was a part of, whether they realised it or not. It was time for them to pay the dividends they


    owed me. after everything I¡®d sacrificed for this pack. Even if that was with their lives.


    ...Because if we failed, they would be forced to pay that price anyway


    By the time night time fell and I was lying awake in my bed, so many thoughts were consuming me. So


    much had happened in such a short amount of time. I felt exhausted.


    And, as I slowly started to drift to sleep, finally enjoying a moment of calm respite¡­ I slipped on the silver


    ring that had been hiding in my pocket.


    ...Now to hope it had worked.


    ¡°It¡®s done,¡± I called out into the dark.


    And I felt as a presence immediately slipped through my bedroom door, walking over to lean on the


    opposite wall facing me. A shadow in the night now my senses were dimmed.


    However, once they were closer, the moonlight streaming in from the bedroom window became enough t


    o illuminate Cai¡®s face.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.


    I sat up slowly and just shrugged. ¡°As okay as can be expected. But I¡®m in control again, if that¡®s what


    you mean¡­ But are you okay? I didn¡®t hurt you, did I? The shoving was probably a bit rough.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I¡®vepletely recovered since Thea was messing with me. You don¡®t need to worry about


    that. I¡®m sure I could even kick your butt again in a fight, just like the old days.¡±


    And I smiled a little. I missed those days spent in school. Training with Cai and studying in the library with


    Myra.


    Myra....


    *Breathe.*


    The worst thing I could do was think about her now. I was wearing the ring but that didn¡®t mean I wanted t


    o limit test its effectiveness. Too much was riding on this working. Thea needed to believe everything she


    was seeing from my perspective


    Hopefully, after all this effort, she was under the assumption that I was currently fast asleep. Something!


    needed to keep that way.


    ¡°Are you ready for tomorrow?¡± he asked after I hadn¡®t said anything for a while.


    ¡°...I think so. We¡®ll head off first thing in the morning and should make it to their camp before midday.¡± ||


    then bit my lip, hesitating. ¡°What about you? Are you...?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry about that. I¡®ve got it covered.¡±


    And I just nodded my head.


    I didn¡®t want to know the details of what he was nning just in case something identally slipped into


    my head. Thest thing I wanted was for Thea to see something she shouldn¡®t, jeopardising Cai to what


    could have been an avoidable danger.


    The extent of my knowledge was that he¡®d used his ability on Sophie to gain information. It was


    invaluable in situations like this. A way to manipte someone into wanting to please him. Part of my


    n was that I¡®d mess her up first and make it easier for Cai to get through to her. He really dide in


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    clutch, especially since I didn¡®t want to waste my own strength onmanding her right now.


    ¡°Do you think Thea noticed?¡± he asked.


    i gave a small sigh. ¡°I think so? I could feel her influence at the very least. With any luck, she now thinks


    I¡®m continuing this solo in a mad frenzy.¡±


    ¡°And_does that hurt? Her in your head like that?¡±


    I paused, reluctantly thinking about it. The feeling of her presence inside that I despised so much.


    Lit¡®s like a burning in my mind. A me that fuels me to move, justifying everything I do so it¡®s hard for me


    to distinguish right from wrong. Makes me... not myself. I can see what I¡®m doing but, for the most part,


    I¡®m not driving it.¡±


    We were both silent for a moment as neither of us knew what to say. But there was one thing that was


    weighing on me, something I needed to mention now before tomorrow. Especially after seeing how easy


    i t had been for me to let go earlier.


    ¡°Hey. if Ipletely lose it... if I start to hurt innocent people, I need you to promise me something.¡± |


    said, choosing my words carefully. ¡°...I need you to stop me before ites to that. Even if that means


    killing me and hiding my body from Thea.¡±


    ¡°Aria. No,¡± he said, frowning.


    ¡°But that is the risk we need to ept with this n,¡± I calmly argued. ¡°When I give in? When I


    completely lei go in those moments...? It¡®s like the only thing I see is my own rage, my own goals, my


    own pain. No matter the cost of aplishing it. Anyone who doubts my mission or methods is just the


    enemy: Coteral damage.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re going to be fine. We¡®re not going to have to resort to something that extreme.¡±


    ¡°But Cai..,¡± I started, my voice trailing off.


    I¡®m probably not going to survive this until the end anyway, even if we do somehow defeat Thea.¡¯


    ¡°What?¡±


    I bit at the inside of my cheek. ¡°...Nothing. Just um... thank you... and good luck tomorrow.¡±


    There was no point telling him about my Selene theory. It wasn¡®t going to help us save Aleric or kill Thea


    | t was only going to add more unnecessary stress.


    ¡°Okay, well... be safe, Aria. I¡®ll see you soon for the celebration party,¡± was all he said before leaving.


    And whilst I didn¡®t know what Cai was nning to do, I at least knew what came next for me, what was


    waiting for me tomorrow. Something I hated even the thought of, now I was in a sane state of mind.


    Because tomorrow I¡®d be implementing the most important part of my n. Yet it was also the most


    insane part.


    An all¨Cout attack on Thea that seemedpletely irrational and erratic. ... The very thing she would be


    expecting from me.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Chapter One Hundred


    I sat atop a tree, looking down at those who would be fighting for our survival today.


    Any minute now we¡®d be leaving, shifting and beginning our journey to the camp near the Silver Lake


    pack. With this many people, it was agreed that going on foot would be best, knowing that travelling via


    roads added more time and allowed for a predictable ambush.


    And there was no denying we had many people. After the final count, we numbered around two hundred


    strong warriors ready for battle today.


    ... Ready for war.


    I sighed, the wind gently catching in my hair as I stared at all of their faces. I wouldn¡®t forget what they


    looked like this time. No, this time I sent our men to war, I would remember them all,mitting their


    appearance to memory and fighting alongside them to the end.


    On this day, I wasn¡®t Ariadne Chrysalis, the former Luna of the Winter Mist. Always hiding behind my


    desk as I allowed our people to die without questions or guilt.


    Today, I was Aria the Saintess, the Alpha of the Winter Mist. Someone willing to die as I weighed the


    risks and acknowledged the impact it held for, not only me, but all of the people before me as well.


    Let this be the first andst war I ever see in this lifetime.


    I was meant to be getting angry, to be emotionally charging in. The whole n was hinging on that.


    Except this morning, I couldn¡®t help but feel impossibly calm. Almost... serene. As if this was all


    inevitable. Truthfully, it felt somehow eerily familiar. I wonder why?


    And with another moment of thought, it came to me. eptance. This was how I¡®d felt right before I¡®d


    been killed in my past life, when I¡®d ced my head upon the wooden stump willingly for my execution.


    The acknowledgement that I couldn¡®t stop my death from urring. It was as if my body knew today was


    probably my expiration date, without anything even being confirmed yet.


    Perhaps this tranquillity was a good thing though. Thea needed to be within a certain distance to directly


    mess with me and she¡®d probably already left to make her own preparations at the camp. Now it seemed


    almost quiet inside. If anything, these were thest moments I¡®d have to myself before I¡®d need to


    resume my role. To be the person expected of me.


    ... But what I wouldn¡®t give to just go back to the cabin in the woods.


    I guess it all had to end someday. Would I be allowed to see Myra again inside the Abyss?


    The warriors below then started to get restless, shuffling as their whispering became louder and louder. I


    could feel their anxiety and nerves radiating off them, making them more uneasy as every second


    passed.


    But it was their nces of scepticism that were the hardest to ignore. Many of them didn¡¯t want me as an


    Alpha, I knew that. Aleric had always been the poster child for what a strong Alpha looked like, groomed


    since birth to fit that role. I was merely a usurper to some, a Luna who didn¡®t know her ce. Stealing the


    role by invoking Selene¡®s name and authority. Locking Aleric away had surely not secured me any favour


    either. But regardless of their personal feelings, we needed to band together today if we wanted to


    survive.


    Suddenly, Alexander appeared then at the bottom of my tree, looking up at me expectantly.


    I knew what this meant.


    ...It was time.


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    | quickly jumped down to meet him and he nodded his acknowledgement.


    ¡°Oliver has everything here under control?¡± I asked.


    Brayden¡®s father, Gamma Oliver, was the only ranked member we had that possessed enough


    experiencet o be trusted with the pack in our absence. It was true that I¡®d prefer him on the battlefield,


    but I needed someone at home to protect our most vulnerable whilst we were gone. This left me with


    Alexander and Brayden as my right-hand people to help coordinate.


    ¡°Everything is prepared,¡± he confirmed. ¡°We¡®re ready to leave on your order.¡±


    Well, I guess we should get this over with.


    ¡°Everyone!¡± I then shouted to the crowd, stepping towards them.


    Silence immediately fell as they all turned to look at me, holding mixed expressions.


    ¡°I¡®m sure many of you are nervous or maybe even conflicted about what we¡®re doing today,¡± I started,


    meeting a few eyes. ¡°...And I don¡®t me you. But there isn¡®t any reason to fear what is ahead for us.


    Help me and I promise to help you as much as physically can.¡±


    Judging just by their reactions alone, I could tell many of them still didn¡®t believe me, and I quietly


    sighed.


    ¡°I know some of you are probably wishing Aleric and I¡®s positions were swapped,¡± I continued. ¡°Make no


    mistake, I¡®m entirely aware that some of you don¡®t like me. I know I¡®m not perfect. However, today I¡®m not


    asking for you to ¡®like¡® me, but I am asking for something that is going to be far more difficult than any


    rogue you will face.¡±


    I paused to gauge their response, proceeding only once I felt they were still following.


    ¡°...I¡®m asking for your trust,¡± I said. ¡°Trust that I¡®m sending you out there today with only good intentions,


    committing fully to live and die by your side. We¡®re fighting to save Aleric, to retrieve back someone who


    the majority of you know personally. Despite your individual feelings towards me, it¡®s imperative that we


    don¡®t lose focus on the purpose for why we¡®re fighting today. Because you¡®re not fighting for me. Today, w


    e go to war to save one of our own, one of our fellow pack members... we¡®re fighting for our future.¡±


    Let them interpret thatst part how they will. All that mattered was they remained focused on what


    needed to be done. And, with a few howls and cheers, I was pleased to see my words had gotten


    through to at least some of them.


    With onest look towards Brayden and Alexander, I gave the final nod for everyone to shift into their


    wolves.


    ...And into the woods we went, beginning our journey.


    Whilst we ran, I carried several supplies and clothes in a bag for when we arrived. The three of us


    ranked, and several other chosen warriors, would be fighting on two legs in order to coordinate the


    numbers, separating into different units thatmunicated with each other. With any luck though, the


    fighting itself would be minimal.


    ... So long as everything went to n.


    As we travelled, I focused on what I needed to do. To prepare myself and delve into that negative


    emotion Thea would be expecting. Festering in the thoughts she would be imnting into me.


    I¡®m going to kill her today. I swear by it.¡®


    It took a few hours before we arrived, a howl being sent into the air by one of our scouting wolves in front


    t o alert us. They were the most familiar with thesends so their knowledge here was crucial.


    Un ahead. I could see a clearing opening up into arge field. This would be the furthest we¡®d go for


    now.


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    Whaplet One Hundred


    Currently, we were still obscured by the woods but I could smell that thesends were upied by many


    more people. Hundreds of rogues if Sophie¡®s words were to be believed. I could even faintly make out


    the sound of their people if I focused enough.


    ... They were waiting for us.


    Aleric would be here somewhere. I just needed to get to him.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Would Thea be standing with the fodder she sent for ughter? Or would I need to dig her out of the dirt


    like the worm she was?


    | quickly shifted back and started changing into my clothes. They were specifically designed with both


    agility and protection in mind and I was pleased with the result. I could feel the small protective padding i


    n key areas but none of which would slow me down in any way.


    And as for weaponry...?


    I pulled out three silver daggers, my original dagger Thea had once taken, a standard one from the


    armoury... and a new one I¡¯d had specially made for today. Each was then strapped to my body. One on


    m y thigh, another by my hip, and thest by my shin. Areas I could refer to for quick ess if needed.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Alexander asked,ing up behind me.


    And I nodded. ¡°I want nothing more than to see Thea finally pay today. Locking me up wouldn¡®t even be


    enough to stop me right now.¡±


    ¡®I wonder what the blood of a Goddess does to the dirt. Or does it be as meaningless as her


    existence upon exit? How will it feel for her to die by a mortal¡®s hand?¡®


    I started walking towards the clearing, several eyes watching me as I moved. ¡°Tell everyone to stand


    back until I give the order. I want to make it very clear that no one is to intervene, regardless of how


    much danger they think I might be in.¡±


    I could feel his confliction as he walked with me, but he epted my instructions nevertheless,


    ¡®This is far enough,¡± I said to him, implying he shouldn¡®t follow me any further. ¡°...I¡®m going in.¡±


    And I turned to face the battlefield.


    ...Are you listening to me, Thea? Do you feel how much hatred I hold for you? See how far I¡®m willing to


    go just to kill you?¡®


    I started walking into the open clearing, immediately seeing as the opposite side started to move. Almost


    as if a wave of wolf bodies came out of the trees to greet me.


    There really was a significant amount of them. Possibly a hundred or so more than even Sophie told us.


    ¡®Will you be too scared to face me today? I came all this way to finally finish this. Winner takes all.


    ...Surely, you¡®re not afraid of a child, are you?¡®


    More and more rogue wolves came out from the trees, slowly making their way towards me, but I didn¡®t


    remotely falter or slow down. I kept walking to them with my head held high.


    ¡®Think of how easy it will be to track down Cai once you retrieve your foresight back, Thea. Though be


    sure to tell the weasel that I¡®ll be making his afterlife more unpleasant than the Abyss for abandoning


    me.¡®


    I¡®d been purposely preparing myself for this. Refusing to engage in anything that might weaken me so I


    could divert all of my attention to this very moment.


    ...They just needed toe a little closer.


    However, abruptly, they then stopped further than I would have liked, clearly unnerved by my lonesome


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    Chapter One Hundred


    self standing against an entire army; now four or five hundred strong.


    ¡°What are you so scared of?¡± I yelled out to the few that were in earshot. ¡°Aren¡®t your orders to retrieve m


    y body for your ¡®witch?¡±


    They looked between each other apprehensively, weighing up what to do, before one finally came


    forward. Thergest of the wolves near the front, clearly one of their best fighters if their size and


    confidence was anything to go by.


    ...And they charged towards me.


    I saw as they went in for a fast lunge, almost feeling insulted that they would think that would actually


    work, and easily side¨Cstepped them as I dodged the attack. Only I didn¡®t leave it at just that.


    No, without missing a beat, I drew the dagger at my hip... and instantly embedded it into the side of their


    throat as they moved past me, going in for a swift kill. I only pulled it back out to clean the de against


    m y clothes. It had been far too easy.


    Unfortunately for them, I¡®d moved too quick for them to even react, their gross underestimation of me


    proving lethal. And whilst I¡®d expected someone to approach me in this manner, I hadn¡®t expected them t


    o be that* careless.


    So much for them looking like apetent fighter.


    Their death had served a purpose though; one I was pleased to see had worked. The rogues all started


    to advance on me again, now seeing that I meant business and wouldn¡®t be taken down easily.


    ...And I took a deep breath, watching their approach carefully as every step they took reminded me of my


    mission.


    ¡®What I did today, I was doing for me... for Aleric...¡®


    ...For Myra... for C¨C..


    Just a few more steps. It was almost time.


    ...For my parents who couldn¡®t return home..


    ...For the people I hurt whilst Thea controlled me.¡®


    So close now. I could feel myself begin to shake from adrenaline.


    ...For the future of those who will be here after I am gone.¡¯


    *NOW*


    d quickly closed thest few feet, making me within lunging range of their front line, and squared my


    body


    up to prepare.


    It was now or never.


    I took onest deep breath and....


    ¡°SUBMIT AND KNEEL BEFORE ME!¡±


    I screamed the order out into the air at the top of my lungs so loudly that I was sure majority of their


    numbers had to have heard it. They needed to have.


    I¡®d poured all of my emotion into themand, feeding it every ounce of energy I had inside to make it


    work. This was a crucial part of my n today that I needed to sessfully execute.


    ... The n to even the numbers.


    And I wasn¡®t disappointed with the results.


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    .!!???? ?? ????:


    Line after line, after line, I saw as many of the rogues began to fall to their knees in submission, unable


    to deny the authority carried within my order. It was one that held the weight of a Saintess, carrying a


    piece o f Selene as linvoked her power. This was my right as was given by the Goddess who rebirthed


    our kind.


    Those closest to me werepletely helpless and buckled under the pressure, as was to be expected. I


    assumed they would be the most disposable members of their army, the ones Thea wouldn¡®t have


    bothered to put much time or effort into recruiting. But those that were positioned further out were harder


    to influence.


    Either from being out of hearing range or too manipted by Thea¡®s ownmand, the bulk of the


    remaining army was now only two hundred or so strong, less than half of their original total force. For


    what it was worth though, it had still been a sess.


    ...And I immediately fell to the ground from exhaustion, trying to catch my breath.


    Growling and barking started from the remaining rogues surrounding me, wasting no time in charging at


    m e. I¡®d anticipated for a moment of confusion as they took in what had just urred, but clearly, they


    were smarter than I¡®d given them credit for.


    It seemed there was no time for even the smallest of breaks.


    Shakily, I got back to my feet and held my ground, confident that if I was dying today, it wasn¡®t going to


    be by the hand of a rogue.


    But before I could make my first move, suddenly a hand was on my shoulder pausing me.


    Alexander.


    ...And a wave of our own warriors suddenly swarmed past me as they engaged in battle, swiftly starting


    to take down the remaining rogues.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, never taking his eyes off the enemy in front of us.


    I wiped away some blood dripping from my nose. ¡°Don¡®t worry about me.¡±


    It had been a while since that had happened, usually urring after I¡®d strained myself too much from


    my ability. Though I guess I¡®d never tried tomand over four hundred pack¨Cless wolves before.


    Brayden then approached, his expression carefully analysing the battle happening around us.


    ¡°I need you both to go back to your units,¡± I instructed, realising their presence here was only going to


    negatively impact us. ¡°You don¡®t need to protect me. I can still fight.¡±


    And they both nodded their heads, knowing better than to argue with me right now.


    ¡°Oh, and Brayden?¡± | quickly added before he could go.


    He turned back to look at me attentively.


    ¡®Today is your day to prove me wrong,¡± I said, meeting his gaze directly. ¡°Prove to me that you are


    actually fit to be Gamma of this pack one day.¡±


    And he nodded his head once more, leaving to join his unit in battle.


    Once gone, I stared at the remaining rogues still kneeling. I didn¡®t have enough energy in me to order


    this many people again. If they were to remove themselves from this battle now, it would need to be of


    their own volition. They were more of a hindrance to the fighting than of any help in their current position,


    taking up too much room on the battleground.


    But I did feel bad for them, if only a little bit. All the rogues I¡®d heard speak until now had mentioned that


    they found themselves on Thea¡®s side due to the possibility of a new life. Just how bad was it being a


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    rogue that they would open themselves up to such danger?


    ¡°For those of you who are here on the promise of salvation,¡± I said to the crowd kneeling, ¡°I proposition to


    you a chance at sanctuary should you leave this battle now. If you wish to contribute to a society again, I


    can give you my word that you will have shelter and food, even if that¡®s not within the Winter Mist. What I


    offer to you today is the opportunity to redeem yourselves and build a new home with the assistance !


    can extend to you... Resources, guidance, an alliance. Things that even many established packs in this


    country would jump at the chance to receive from us.¡±


    I could only imagine what crimes some of these people must havemitted in their life. However, if


    they were desperate enough to die in order to escape their reality, then it had to be worth giving them a


    better deal to remove them from this battle. To better our odds of surviving today and eliminate any


    chance of Thea overriding my order.


    ...And not just that either, but I knew people could change. I had firsthand experience of that very fact.


    ¡°What you¡®ve been told is a lie,¡± I continued. ¡°Handing me over to Thea will not give you what you desire,


    I promise you that. All it will aplish is your own destruction. She is working against you, not with


    you. And not just the rogues, but all of us. Regardless of whether you hail from a pack or not, she is


    working towards the ultimate demise of our entire species. Even if you don¡®t wish to establish a new


    home, implore you to not find yourself on the wrong side of history here today. Leave¡­ leave now before


    it¡®s toote.¡±


    I saw as many of their faces showed confliction, unsure of whether to trust me, and I held my breath


    tentatively. Would it be enough?


    But sure enough, one after another they slowly started to rise to their feet, walking away from the battle


    and into the woods. They made their choice.


    I quietly exhaled in relief, my heart still racing.


    Now that they had been taken care of, I looked up towards the fight happening further back. It seemed


    things were going smoothly with minimal casualties so far, but I knew that could easily change without


    warning.


    Especially if....


    And then my eyes caught it.


    A figure standing to the side, shrouded in the shadows provided by the trees.


    There was only one person it could be, one person who would be so casually standing back to watch


    what was happening without much concern.


    t... Thea


    Now the real battle begins.


    I immediately moved to approach but, before I could even take two steps, I was abruptly stopped by her


    voice in my head, freezing me from moving even another inch.


    Words that shook me to my core, filling me with cold dread.


    The very thing I¡®d feared more than anything. .... Reckless of you to rush into war for a man already


    dead,¡® she whispered.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Chapter One Hundred & One


    ...Dead?


    No... that couldn¡®t.....


    I could feel my heart racing at hearing her words.


    Why would she have done that? Why do something before...


    Unless... unless she expected me to rush into war regardless of whether she used him as bait. Because


    she knew I wouldn¡®t have any way of knowing he was alive and would assume that I woulde for him


    blindly anyway.


    ¡®It¡®s just another move made to hurt me.


    During our stay in the cabin, I¡®d always avoided the topic of Aleric marking me. I hadn¡®t wanted to tie him


    t o me knowing I might not be long for this world, and I didn¡®t want to put him through feeling that pain


    upon my death. But I hadn¡®t anticipated for the reverse to now be detrimental to me. If only I¡®d


    actually done it, I would have known the minute it had happened and saved everyone from rushing in to


    save him


    So then, was he actually... dead?


    And the most guttural, animalistic growl then escaped my lips, forcing several people nearby to flinch and


    shy away from the pressure.


    This wasn¡®t how it was meant to go.


    He wasn¡®t meant to die from my own failure to save him in time.


    He wasn¡®t meant to die before me.


    I could feel Thea¡®s eyes watching me closely, feel the smirk on her face.


    ...And suddenly I knew what I needed to do.


    My legs started sprinting towards her, pushing myself to move faster and faster. Several people were


    fighting between us but I didn¡®t let that distract me, manoeuvring around them with ease without breaking


    stride even once.


    ¡°Aria!¡± I heard someone yell.


    But I wasn¡®t stopping.


    This was because of her. It was her fault. She needed to pay.


    I kept on running to the treeline, towards the figure waiting for me there. Nothing would be able to stop


    m


    ...Not even the ten or so rogues I could now feel following me.


    They were trailing behind just close enough that they would probably catch up soon, having the


    advantage of four paws over me But just before I could make it to the trees, I sensed as one of them


    went to lunge at my legs, trying to pull me down.


    Not that this would be nearly enough against me though. Not when I could see their next move.


    Teffortlessly dodged their attack, countering with a dagger into their side, and their body slowly rolled to a


    stop two feet away.


    The others became frenzied at seeing me kill the rogue and began circling around me, snapping and


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    Chapter One Hundred & Une


    growling towards me as they waited to strike. They were nowking their time to size me up as their pack


    mentality kicked in.


    But I didn¡®t have time for this.


    I looked up towards the trees, now close enough to meet Thea¡®s eyes, and a mixture of frustration and


    desperation consumed me. I needed to get to her in time. To catch her before.¡­


    And then my heart sank as she did exactly what I feared,


    With a final smirk at my situation, she quickly turned around and began running into the woods, away


    from the battle.


    Fuck.


    ¡°Get lost already!¡± I yelled at the rogues angrily. ¡°I don¡®t want to fight you.¡±


    Clearly, they took this the wrong way though as I watched them begin eagerly approaching closer. They


    stupidly ignored what I¡®d just done to theirrade and took my words to mean that I was afraid of


    fighting so many of them at once.


    ....Something they then acted upon, attacking me under that false belief.


    Without any further hesitation, they all began to charge me, trying to overpower me with sheer numbers.


    Unfortunately for them though, I saw every one of their attacks,


    ¡®Left... dodge... Swipe....¡®


    I moved around all the rogues fluently, swiftly taking them out one after another.


    ¡®Drop... side¨Ckick... stab....¡®


    And before even five minutes had passed, soon I was all that remained. Standing in a circle of dead


    rogues around me, covered in their blood as I looked down with distaste. They¡®d failed tond even a


    single scratch on me.


    All they¡®d aplished with their lives now lost was wasting my time. Time that could have been better


    spent going after Thea. What a meaningless death indeed.


    Aster one final look at the bodies around me, I then resumed running towards the woods, tracking Thea¡®s


    disgustingly sweet scent through the trees. I could feel as the branches scratched against my skin as I


    ran through the foliage, not caring to take the extra seconds needed to slow down and avoid them. My


    mind was set on one thing, and one thing only.


    Thea


    ¡°Suddenly, another clearing came into sight, opening up into arge empty in. I could see how the


    trees surrounded the area in a circr way, giving it the appearance of being almost like an arena. And


    yet. something about this ce felt familiar. Something that was impossible given I¡®d never travelled


    anywhere near here before,


    However, I didn¡®t get the chance to think on it further as I finally caught sight of Thea, standing in the


    centre as is waiting for me. Expecting me to attack.


    ...So much confidence for a woman now isted from her army


    I approached her cautiously, gauging her carefully for any sudden movement, but she remained


    completely still. Her demeanour was telling me to face her, wanting me to close the distance. And I


    obliged her request willingly


    ¡°Aria,¡± she greeted with a smile, sending a chill through me.


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    How I hated that voice. Despised the way my name sounded on her lips.


    But I didn¡®t waste time with pleasantries though. No, I decided to immediately get to the point instead. W


    e both knew there was only one question to be asked here, one that she would be expecting from me.


    ¡°Is he dead?¡±


    And I held my breath as I waited for the answer, my heart beating deafeningly loud in my ears.


    It was as if the seconds that ticked by were actually hours, dragging on so excruciatingly slow. I could


    feel the heavy weight of my impatience crushing me, needing to hear the confirmation more than


    anything


    But Thea barely reacted, appearing inplete contrast to myself.


    She merely tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyes watching me closely.


    ¡°...Yes,¡± was all she said.


    And, instantly, I exhaled as if the wind had been punched out of me.


    She¡®d answered me so inly. As though the question was as simple as the answer she¡®d provided.


    None of our lives mattered to her, I already knew this. But it felt like salt in the wound to hear her


    confirmation a s if we were only discussing the weather.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°...I¡®m going to kill you,¡± I whispered under my breath, staring at the ground in disbelief.


    I could feel as tears stung at my eyes but I barely acknowledged it.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I said I¡®m going to kill you!¡±


    I repeated the words loudly, looking straight up at her with a burning hatred in my eyes. All I saw was red,


    saw my own anger and the blood on her hands. The blood of every person she had ever killed.


    Slowly, I then took a few steps closer and pointed my dagger up towards her, my hand shaking.


    ¡°Enough is enough,¡± I said. ¡°You have taken everything from me. Everything. I don¡®t care what it costs


    anymore. I¡®m ending this. Now.¡±


    She immediatelyughed at my words, finding it more amusing than anything, and it only acted in fuelling


    my fury inside.


    Fuelling the bloodlust pulsing through my veins.


    ...And, without even taking another moment to think.., I charged at her.


    I saw as her hand came up in defence, looking to deflect my arm by hitting it to the side, but I read her


    like a book. Using my other hand, I then unsheathed a second dagger and brought it up to strike at her


    side, aiming for her ribs.


    Only she caught on at thest second, narrowly missing the attack to leave merely a small scratch


    behind. It was barely more than a surface wound.


    I thought that was going to be it and tried to move back to begin my next attack, but somehow she


    moved faster than I expected. Before I could stop her, she caught me on my retreat and kicked the


    second dagger out of my hand, wielding it for herself instead,


    ¡°Interesting,¡± she noted, finally jumping backwards to create some distance. ¡°This dagger seems familiar.


    Wasn¡®t this the same weapon I killed your friend with?¡±


    And a low growl escaped my lips menacingly.


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    ! DIUCU UI


    ¡°The only death you need to be concerned about right now is your own,¡± I warned. ¡°After all, thest time


    we fought, you had to stab me in the shoulder first to make it even.¡±


    Her eyes immediately narrowed at that, no longer finding the situation as humorous as before.


    ¡°Don¡®t mock me, child¡­.¡±


    There she is. The real Thea. The one who speaks how she really feels. As if we¡®re all beneath her.


    Quickly, before she could do or think anything else, I then charged at her again, moving faster and faster


    a si tried tond multiple different blows on her body. Pushing myself to hit her even once. And, before


    too long had passed, soon only the sound of our daggers colliding filled the air as they matched perfectly.


    With every strike, it was as though she was somehow able to narrowly dodge or redirect the attack.


    ...As if she could sense my moves as I could hers.


    ...Oh.


    I looked up to see her smiling at me once more, confirming the answer I¡®d juste to.


    She was in my head.


    So, this meant... this meant the fight was basically impossible for me to win.


    We were both mirroring and anticipating the other person¡®s moves. All she had to do was wait it out until |


    reached my absolute limit, something dangerously close already after ordering the rogues.


    ¡°You know, I¡®m a little surprised, Thea,¡± I said, straightening back up to catch my breath. ¡°I would have


    thought that you could defeat me easily without cheap tricks. After all, you should possess a wealth of


    knowledge with endless experience... or is it that you¡¯re bing senile in your old age and need all the


    help you can get?¡±


    I watched as her smile instantly contorted into a scowl, messing up those normally angelic features.


    ...And it ended up being the veryst thing I saw before she lunged towards me again.


    *Clinnnnk.*


    Our daggers collided once more, the sound of the metal kissing screeching into the air around us.


    I¡®d brought my dagger up just in time to defend against hers, barely with a second to spare, and it


    marked the point of our fight resuming.


    Each person was seeing the other¡®s move before it couldnd in what felt like an endless dance, soon


    bing more just a game of speed. The one to win this would be whoever could execute their attack o


    in the other first. The loser would face death.


    In a battle such as this, one moving so ridiculously quickly, faster than even my eyes could properly


    follow, even the smallest mistake here could end in a lethal blow. I was nowpletely reliant on my


    instincts as I moved, puttingplete trust in my ability to sense her attacks. Despite already being so


    close to my limit, I needed to hold on for a little longer.


    ¡°Die already!¡± she finally screamed, jumping back to rest a moment. A drawback of her mortal body, I


    was sure.


    I had watched her bing more and more frustrated as our battle progressed, her movements


    bing progressively more forceful as opposed 10 swift. It was only a matter of time before she got


    this angry


    ¡°What¡®s the matter, Thea?¡± | asked, now smiling in my chance to gloat. ¡°Having some trouble?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± she barked back. ¡°You would have been dead a thousand times over by now if it weren¡®t


    for


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    MINIT UNE riunoreu a une


    my ability that was stolen from me.¡±


    ¡°And yet you¡®re struggling this much,¡± I noted. ¡°Almost as if a mortal were of equal power to you. Really


    makes you think, doesn¡®t it?¡±


    She roared out in anger beforeunching herself at me again, her attack now focusing on her full


    strength rather than speed. It was something I¡®d anticipated... and yet was helpless to defend against. I


    knew it wouldn¡®t be possible to keep this up forever... I¡®d finally reached my limit,


    But the fact the battle hadsted this long meant something so incredibly important. Something worth


    fighting for. Something that gave me hope.


    Thea then quickly sent a kick directly to my chest, sending me flying backwards until I hit the ground


    roughly. I¡®d tried to cushion the fall with my arms but still ended up rolling a few feet along the grass


    regardless.


    Ouch. That had hurt far worse than I¡®d expected.


    I turned onto my side to try and get up but winced from the pain instead.


    ...Get up. Make her pay.¡®


    It sounded weaker than normal. Apparently, I wasn¡®t the only one losing grasp on their ability. If anything,


    that alone would make all of this worth it.


    ¡°...What was that?¡± she then suddenly asked, walking over to me.


    ¡°You¡®re going to regret doing that,¡± I said, ignoring herment. ¡°A lucky shot isn¡®t that impressive.¡±


    She frowned and closed the distance between us.


    ¡°That¡®s not...,¡± and she sent another kick to my chest, forcing me onto my back once more, ¡°...what I was


    talking about.¡±


    I coughed and wheezed at the air, desperate for the oxygen that had been stolen so aggressively. My


    whole body had already been aching so much from just the initial fall.


    ¡°What are you...,¡± she started, a frown forming between her brows.


    And then I felt it. The rummaging in my head.


    ¡°Kill her. End her. Get up and finish the job.¡®


    ¨CProtect him.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡®t let her in to


    ¡°¡°There,¡± she said, straddling my waist to hold me down. ¡°...What are you hiding?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to hide,¡± | spat, squirming under her weight.


    ¡°Don¡®t lie to me!¡±


    She quickly struck me across my face, blood starting to ooze from my nose once more, and I couldn¡®t


    help it anymore. I started tough.


    She had me. I was out of strength, defenceless and pinned to the ground. There wasn¡®t much use in


    fighting her anymore. All I could do was just dy the inevitable.


    ¡°Stop that and show me!¡± she demanded furiously.


    Her hand reached for my neck and my mind instantly started to burn up. It was as if I could feel her


    sifting around inside, now far more intense than before as she looked for her answers. But despite how


    much it hurt, despite how much I wanted the pain to stop. I held on.


    are


    answers.


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    Chapter One Hoodied one


    I screamed against the ugonising Intrusion but resisted giving her what she wanted,


    ¡°Show mel¡± she yelled,


    I needed to think of something else. Anything else. Anything other than that,


    ...For just a little bit longer.


    And so I thought about my time in the cabin with Aleric... our small moments spent together savouring


    his warmth. About how much I craved the inner peace he brought me and how thankful I was for his


    eptance despite my mistakes. That I was both capable of forgiveness and forgiving others


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    ..And I thought about Cai and how he¡®d helped me to lead the different life I¡®d led, to be stronger


    and more confident. To step out of myfort zone and to see that I was capable of being more. To


    challenge the roles that were chosen for me.


    I felt as Thea¡®s hand then tightened against my throat, constricting my airways, but I still held on


    regardless


    ...And I thought about Myra. About how she opened my eyes to a world beyond the walls of my Luna


    quarters, helping me learn to trust others again. That it was okay to be vulnerable. And about how


    everything is not always so ck and white, that there can be another side to every story told,


    ...I¡®m sorry, Cai... I can¡®t...¨C¡®


    ...And I felt myself finally buckle, unable to hold her off any longer. My mind was now burning to the point


    that I felt as though I would melt if I resisted any longer.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Thea sneered, moving closer.


    She finally released her grip on me as she searched my head, allowing me to cough and wheeze at the


    air. I¡®d been so close to passing out but had somehow managed to hang in there. Just a few more


    seconds and I would have been done for.


    ¡°... What is this? I don¡®t understand,¡± Thea said quietly to herself as she got the information she was


    after


    And another weak smile formed on my lips despite my position, knowing too well what she was finally


    seeing inside. Knowing that she¡®d been ying *my game this entire fight.


    ...That I was actually the bait the whole time.


    ¡°Hang on, if that¡®s the case then.... ¨C.¡±


    But Thea didn¡®t get to finish her sentence though.


    No, instead she was suddenly cut off by something biting into her shoulder and tackling her off me.


    A something that wasrge and covered in midnight ck fur.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± I cried out in relief.


    He¡®d made it. He was safe. He was here.


    The ck wolf turned its green eyes towards me protectively for just a split second, confirming for me


    what I already knew. There was no mistaking the size and colour of his wolf. I would have known him


    anywhere.


    Every ounce of my being wanted to immediately run and embrace him but I fought against it. It wasn¡®t


    safe to do so. Thest thing we needed was to create a distraction for Thea to act on.


    But this all meant that I was right. Everything went just as I¡®d expected. I¡®d had to give myself over


    entirely


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    Chapter One Hundred & One


    to the idea he was dead, to convince Thea I was ying into what she wanted, but... but deep down !


    knew. No, rather, I had to believe and trust in Cai. If Aleric really was already dead then I knew Cai would


    havee to meet up with me sooner. There wouldn¡®t have been any reason for the dy in his


    assistance. It was something I¡¯d had to try so hard not to think about during my fight with her.


    And if Aleric was already here then this also meant....


    I instantly looked up to see Cai had arrived as well, running over to my side to check on me.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, wasting no time to look over my injuries carefully.


    Except the minute I saw him here... everything seemed to click. As if I was having an intense episode of


    d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    | stared up at him strangely, unable to find the words to reply. Something... something wasn¡®t right here.


    Cai... an arena like in... Aleric¡®s ck wolf....


    I¡®d seen this once before... No, more arcuately was that I¡®d had a vision of this.


    But when...?


    And, with a jolt of shock freezing up my body... I finally realised.


    I¡®d known about this very day for four years now. I¡®d seen the oue but hadn¡®t interpreted its meaning


    correctly.


    Truthfully, I¡®d never stopped to wonder why a vision would show me my past, nor why it would allow met


    o be a participant when I was never there. But the answer had been there the entire time. It was because


    would actually be there one day.


    I should have stopped sooner to look at it more clearly, but it was so long ago. A time when I barely


    understood what was happening to me.


    Because this had been one of the very first visions I¡®d ever had. The one I¡®d repressed believing it to just


    b e a bad memory of the past.


    ... This was the vision I¡®d had of Cai.


    The one where I watched him die.


    And whilst Thea¡®s lies were one thing¡­ my visions always told the truth.


    A/N: Thanks for reading! If you¡®re enjoying the story, please consider voting, sharing ormenting! It all


    helps!

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    Chapter One Hundred & TWO


    ¡°Aria?¡±


    I could remember it so clearly now.


    The way Cai had feebly tried to cover the wound on his neck, bleeding profusely as the ground simply


    absorbed it. I¡®d grabbed his hand and cried into it, stroking his hair as he died. As the light in his golden


    eyes slowly faded.


    And then there was Aleric as his wolf, walking away from his body with blood around his mouth. It wasn¡®t


    because he attacked him. No, it was because he was giving us privacy. A chance to say goodbye.


    Naturally, the blood would have been Thea¡®s from when Aleric bit her.


    So then, what even happened to her?


    In this vision, does she finally perish for good? Or... or does she merely escape?


    ...Is there a way to avoid his death and still win?


    Confliction swirled around me inside, making me want to throw up. In this vision, I¡®d seen a world where


    Thea was absent. A battlefield gone peaceful with her presence now silenced. Was it worth taking the


    chance that Cai¡®s sacrifice might mean her death?


    Had I seen this from the beginning as a warning? A warning that he would need to die in order for us to


    seed? Perhaps this had been a way for the universe to show pity on me. Trying to tell me that I


    should not get too attached after watching us be friends.


    Not that it mattered now. It was far toote for that.


    How cruel that I should be asked to make this choice.


    ...And how stupid of fate to let me of all people decide.


    I grabbed Cai¡®s shirt weakly and pulled his face down, forcing him to meet my gaze. Staring into the


    familiar eyes of someone I loved.


    I would not let him be sacrificed. Not ever. No matter the cost.


    ¡°... Run,¡± I croaked out, my voice still sounding hoarse,


    It burned from where Thea¡®s hand had constricted me, making it a little difficult to speak. But some things


    were more important than the difort.


    ¡®Things like saving Cai¡®s life.


    ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± he said, pulling back confused. ¡°What do you mean? We¡®re here to stop Thea. Your n


    worked, Aria. I managed to sneak into the camp and get Aleric out. Now is our chance to finish her.¡±


    But I quickly shook my head, hoping he could tell from my expression just how serious I was.


    ¡°Cai... You need to get out of here. You¡®re not safe. If you stay here, then you¡®re going to get kil¨C.¡±


    Suddenly, a loud yelping noise filled the air, cutting me off, and I sharply turned 10 see Aleric limping


    away from Thea.


    ...His shoulder must have still been hurt from the human weapon. Something she would have known all


    too well. Judging from her position on the ground, it looked as though she¡®d just kicked him exactly


    where his wound was.


    I watched as Thea then got back onto her feet, bleeding from the bite Aleric had given her earlier.


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    However, if It hurt her in any way, she didn¡®t show it. In fact, the only thing she was disying was


    anger.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± she huffed, ¡°You¡®re all so pathetic. Forfent now and save yourself the additional pain. Two of


    you are severely injured and the third is no match for me inbat. Don¡®t drag this out any longer


    A growl then came from Aleric as he took a step forward, but his eyes betrayed just how much it hurt for


    him to do so Technically, we should have had the advantage here, now outnumbering her. This should


    have tipped in our favour to be an easy fight only


    ...Only our injuries potentially made us liabilities.


    If we decided to fight, knowing we were vulnerable, we may end up only getting further hurt by trying to


    save one another


    with Aleric¡®s shoulder and my own weakness from fighting Thea, we were both badly impaired Perhaps


    the safest thing to do here was retreat and wait to fight another day. If we left now, then at the very least i


    meant we could stop the vision froming to fruition Bide our time until ¨C


    *Clink


    I immediately looked back towards Cai to see he had picked up my dagger, now fallen a foot or so away.


    and he slowly moved to stand back up. His face waspletely serious as he looked at Thea, never


    taking his eyes off her. A coldness filling his gaze.


    ¡°Cai, no,¡± | blurted out in shock. I tried to quickly sit upright to grab him but was too slow, my fingertips


    just missing him. ¡°You can¡®t fight her. You need to leave.¡±


    ¡°Stop underestimating me, Aria,¡± he argued. ¡°Or are you forgetting who originally trained you? This is my


    fight too. You¡®re not the only one she hurt.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s different. Your ability doesn¡®t work on her, remember? And your fighting skills are not even why


    I¡®m objecting. You need to leave now or she¡®s going to kill you.¡±


    But he simply ignored me and cautiously took a step towards Thea instead, watching her movement


    carefully. Clearly, he didn¡®t realise that I was referring to a vision and not just an assumption


    ¡°Cai, listen to me, goddammit!¡± I yelled, causing my throat to burn up.


    I instantly began coughing again, only making myself appear weaker, and frantically tried to clear my


    airways I needed to get the words out. To exin to him before he recklessly dove into battle


    ¡°Enough, Aria,¡± he said, taking another step. ¡°...I¡®ve got this.¡±


    He¡®s going to die.


    ¡°. Cai, no!¡±


    But I was helpless to stop him.


    He lunged towards her, dagger poised, and began his attack. A fight between two skilled warriors, albeit


    one was a goddess


    And, truthfully, he was even doing a great job.


    It was no surprise that Cai was an impressive fighter I¡®d known it since the moment we first met and had


    even seen it for myself. Where Aleric was more strength¨Cbased, Cai did a much better job al


    unpredictable moves. And, for someone like Thea, it was a tremendous edge, especially since she


    couldn¡®t get into his head like she could mine, or even Aleric¡®s. She was now having to relypletely on


    just fighting skills alone, something that made for a far more bnced fight.


    But this was a battle that fate had already decided.


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    I UNIUNURUTW


    I crawled a foot forward along the ground, moving on all lours as I weakly tried to re¨Cjoin the battle, but


    the pain just ached through me, acting as a reminder that my condition was still very fragile. Too delicate


    t o be of any use to Cal in a head¨Con battle.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I hissed in frustration, cursing my own body.


    I should have realised sooner and adjusted the n. Maybe if I¡®d just fought against Thea harder, been


    better, then there would have been no need for Cai to fight right now.


    If I hadn¡®t been so weak.


    A bark then came from the side and I looked over to see Aleric staring at me. He¡®d been holding off


    joining the fight, probably thinking that Cai was capable enough to finish her off. After all, i¡®d weakened


    her during our fight and Aleric had also bitten her.


    Only I knew better.


    ¡°Aleric, please,¡± I cried desperately. ¡°He¡®s going to die.¡±


    And I didn¡®t need to say anything further.


    Aleric immediately sprung into action, ignoring his pain, and went in to back up Cai. I hadn¡®t needed to


    specify why or how certain I was. Aleric just did it. He did it because he trusted me.


    And yet I was sending him in there, at the risk of more injury to himself or even his life.


    What a despicable mate I was.


    I watched in mute horror as Cai and Aleric fought Thea, saw how she was still able to avoid their moves


    despite her condition. And as every second passed, she increasingly became more furious. Now it was a


    gamble as to whether that would work in our favour or whether she could harness it to her advantage.


    But this was a gamble that would have lethal consequences if miscalcted. I shuddered to think what


    she was capable of if she truly channelled that rage.


    Aleric and Cai continued their relentless attack, dodging and striking at her as they worked together as a


    team. Cai was acting as the main fighting force whilst Aleric yed it safer, hanging back and calcting


    the right moments to lunge in, knowing he was limited by his injury. Yet despite their hard efforts, I was


    still stuck on the sidelines. Merely watching as they risked their lives for, not only me, but thousands of


    others,


    I was... useless.


    And then another thought came to me. One I had been too frantic to consider earlier.


    ... What if Aleric¡®s involvement wasn¡®t enough? What if... what if the oue wouldn¡®t even change?


    And, suddenly, Aleric yelped out again as Thea caught him mid¨Clunge, sending him flying backwards to


    the ground. I could see as blood was starting to trickle from where the skin must have split, reopening


    the wound the silver had originally made. An injury bad enough to keep him from getting immediately


    back up again.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± Cai yelled, stepping in Thea¡®s path to protect him.


    He quickly brought up his dagger and prevented her from being able to finish Aleric off, saving his life by


    just seconds.


    And, with that, a horrific realisation came to me....


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ...Cai couldn¡®t do this alone.¡®


    He was now protecting himself and Aleric, all the while keeping Thea¡®s attention off me. This was exactly


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    what I was afraid of. The reason for why we should have retreated instead.


    ¡®He¡®s going to die. We all will.¡¯


    With Aleric now hurt, what if I¡®d now changed fate to include his death as well? What if Aleric was the


    one who was meant to finish her off originally, possibly after an opening Cai¡®s death created?


    .... This was my fault.¡®


    My body started to shake with fear, feeling as a pulsing sensation ran through and paralysed me.


    This was it. We¡®d failed. This was the end.


    All this pain, all the heartache...all this loss and suffering... for nothing.


    Unless....


    Unless. I did my duty.


    There was only one reason I¡®d been brought back and it wasn¡®t for redemption or revenge. It wasn¡®t for


    love or friendship, nor to finally live a life I¡¯d been deprived of the first time.


    My one and only true mission had been simple from the beginning.


    ...I was to kill Thea.


    Not a Saintess, an alpha, a wolf, nor just a girl. None of those things mattered. There was only one title


    applicable to me in Selene¡®s eyes... And that was soldier.


    This was my purpose. My only reason for being allowed to live.


    So, why was it that I was so scared of something I¡®d prepared myself for?


    Surviving this day didn¡®t mean anything. Not really. My life was inconsequential, bound to a Goddess


    who would eventuallye to im what was rightfully hers anyway.


    Aleric... Cai... they were what truly mattered. To me, Thea¡®s death was to just cement their safety, to


    ensure they had a future. With or without me, I was fighting for them to live.


    I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, feeling as a protrusion attached to my shin was then


    brought to my attention. A reminder that I still had one more chance.


    Onest dagger.


    Something I¡®d specially made just for Thea.


    And, as I thought of what I needed to do, it was as though time itself began to slow around me. This was


    thest strategy I¡®d evere up with. The one to end things here and now.


    One that almost certainly demanded the steepest cost.


    My options were limited, already painfully aware of my weaknesses and capabilities. No longer strong


    enough forbat, no longer able to use my ability. There was only one conclusion to my n,


    regardless of how hard I tried to think of a way around it.


    I would be able to kill Thea, I was positive of that... but she would almost assuredly take me with her.


    The ultimate sacrifice would most likely be demanded in exchange for this to work. Something that felt


    surreal as I came to terms with what that meant....


    ... That today would be the day I died.


    I groaned from the pain as I slowly stood up, my shaky legs threatening to buckle under me, but I


    persisted


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    Chapter One Hundred & TWO


    A new energy was pushing me on now as I began to walk towards the battle Like an inner peace as I


    epted this ending. I was sore, sure, but what was pulsing through me now was like a whole new type


    o fadrenaline. A drug helping me to move forward and ignore the pain.


    ...Just a little bit further.¡®


    Thea¡®s back was turned to me as she persisted in trying to attack Aleric, Cai still having to work overtimet


    o protect them both. I could tell he was getting tired, struggling with the demand Thea¡®s never¨Cending


    assaults were doing to him. Any second now might be hisst.


    ¡®Would they remember me when I¡®m gone? Would Aleric move on and find someone else one day?


    Would Cai ever find his real mate?¡®


    Neither Thea nor Cai noticed me as I moved slowly towards them. I walked with a clear mind,pletely


    numb to what I was about to do; an advantage in itself against Thea. Stealth was of the utmost


    importance here.


    ¡®Just a few more feet. I was close enough to smell her scent.¡¯


    Cai¡®s eyes then suddenly caught me, seeing me approach from behind, and panic consumed his


    features. He must have realised what I was nning to do, recognising the risk involved.


    And I paused in my spot, returning his gaze with just a small smile.


    ¡°Everything is going to be okay,¡± | mouthed silently, hoping he understood.


    ... It¡®s time.¡¯


    I readied myself and tightened my grip on the dagger, knowing what I needed to do next.


    ¡°Ari¨C.¡±


    Cai instantly kicked into gear and tried to jump past Thea, but she caught him before he could, stopping


    him in his tracks immediately. With one swift movement, she had grabbed his head in her hands and


    cried out in rage.


    ¡°Enough!¡± she roared, pulling his face forward. ¡°Stay down already!¡±


    And whilst i¡®d already factored into my n that Cai would try to stop me, I hadn¡®t expected what


    happened next.


    Screaming suddenly filled the air as Cai pushed himself away from Thea, a small light bursting from their


    direction. A light so bright it was almost blinding.


    s knew that if it was this bad from where I stood behind Thea, I could only imagine what it was doing to


    Cai who she was directing it at. From just his reaction alone, the pain of his sight being stolen must have


    been extreme.


    ¡®So, this was what Thea was capable of. This was the result of her anger being channelled.¡¯


    Whatever this was, I knew she would have had to use immense energy to achieve this. Something she


    was already limited on after dealing with me.


    ...And it meant she already believed she¡®d won. It was her final, finishing move. The remaining scraps of


    all her energybined in onest attempt to stop Cai.


    As awful as it was, I was at least grateful her attention was still directed elsewhere. A fault of her own


    overconfidence, as usual.


    Cai began rubbing at his eyes wildly as he staggered a few steps backwards, unable to now see what


    was happening. An opportunity Thea saw to take advantage of.


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 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    Chapter One Hundred & Three


    Chapter One Hundred & Three


    The ground came crashing towards me as I fell roughly down, unable to cushion the fall. All I could do


    was ept what had happened and feebly cover the wound at my gut; a futile dream of survival pushing


    me on.


    A dream I knew would die as quickly as I did.


    ¡°Aria,¡± I heard Aleric yell, apparently having shifted back.


    My breathing was shallow as my body started to be numb to the pain; a coldness slowly spreading


    through me.


    ...It wouldn¡®t be much longer.


    ¡°Hey, there,¡± I said weakly.


    A small smile crept to my lips as I looked up at the man I loved.


    His face was wrought with panic, his eyes holding so much fear in them. And yet it was his wound that


    drew my attention the most. There were signs of infection on the skin, surrounding where it had been


    split open again. Since Thea had no intention of Aleric living for long, it made sense she didn¡®t have him


    properly treated. He needed to get to the hospital soon.


    ¡°You... You should really... get that looked at,¡± I huffed out.


    ¡°Are you insane? You¡®re the one you should be worried about right now,¡± he yelled back. ¡°What you did


    was so stupidly reckless, Aria. Why do something so senseless? Why....¡±


    I knew it wasn¡®t me he was actually angry at, despite his words. He was just scared because things were


    ending this way


    I wheezed at the air, finding each breath slowly harder to take than thest, but managed to still speak.


    ¡°I did it... to save you,¡± I whispered. ¡°...I did it... because I love you.¡± 1


    His teeth gritted as he furiously wiped at his face, failing topletely hide the evidence of tears there. A


    sight I never thought I would ever see in my life. Seeing him so suddenly vulnerable only made the


    situation feel more real.


    That this was it. This was goodbye.


    Knowing there was nothing further I could do to stop my bleeding, I brought my hand up and cupped his


    ¡®cheek instead, feeling the warmth from his skin against mine.


    ¡°Hey... it¡®s okay...,¡± I soothed. ¡°I always knew... this day woulde and... I just want you to know... that I


    don¡®t regret it. You shouldn¡®t... either.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Aria,¡± he growled and grabbed my hand tightly to lean into, covering his eyes. ¡°I don¡®t know what


    I¡®m going to do without you. I¨CI... I need you.¡±


    I would haveughed at that if I could have, knowing that he would be perfectly fine without me. Aleric


    would live on and be the Alpha destiny had chosen for him, I had no doubt about that. I was just


    happy to have finally met the man he was always meant to be. The man I was meant to have spent my


    life with.


    Without him, none of this would have been possible. It was only because of Aleric that I was able to fight


    back against Thea. Only he believed in me when I¡®d lost my mind, and only he managed to help me see


    who I could still be despite my condition.


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    Coapter One Hundred & Three


    ¡°You don¡®t... need me...,¡± I said, ¡®You¡®ve got it... backwards.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t say that.¡±


    ¡°Aria?¡± another voice then interjected, though further away.


    I recognised it as Cai¡®s immediately.


    His face soon appeared next to me, trying to look down with a simr expression to Aleric¡®s, but having


    trouble focusing. It seemed that Thea¡®s attack on him was still giving him grief, the effects of the blinding


    still evident


    ¡°Aria... I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I¨CI couldn¡®t see. I didn¡®t know what happened until it was toote.¡±


    But I just weakly shook my head, knowing there was nothing he could have done anyway. This had


    ended i n the exact way I¡®d predicted. It was the most probable oue.


    xact


    1. me.


    ¡°It¡®s fine... you have nothing¡­ to be sorry for.¡±


    He then started trying to shift me, hoping to maybe pick me up, but the jostles to my body only sent fresh


    waves of pain through me. Small whimpers left my lips at the movement, but I didn¡®t have the strength to


    push him away.


    ¡°We need to get you to a hospital,¡± he said desperately. ¡°We need to get you help.¡±


    However, Aleric then quickly intervened and pushed him back.


    ¡°Stop...,¡± he said sharply, still keeping Cai at bay with one hand to his shoulder. ¡°It¡®s done. We can¡®t... she


    won¡®t make it. You¡¯re only going to make herst moments worse.¡±


    ¡°...But¡­ but this is my fault. 1-I didn¡®t¡­ I didn¡®t do enough,¡± Cai said, his face contorting with pain. ¡°I


    can¡®t let her die like this.¡±


    But Aleric¡®s grip on Cai only tightened and instead pulled him closer, forcing him to concentrate. An


    attempt at getting him to calm down.


    ¡°It¡®s our fault. Our burden to share,¡± he rified. ¡°Or everyone¡®s, if you want to be more urate. Aria


    sacrificed herself for all of us to survive. She lived through two lifetimes of hell, fighting for that very thing.


    Let her final moments be peaceful. She more than deserves that at least.¡±


    So cold now.


    I was feeling so goddamn cold.


    The kind of feeling where you want to curl up next to a firece, wrapped up tightly in a fluffy nket and


    just take a nap


    I could... close my eyes for a bit, right?


    Wouldn¡®t that be okay?


    Or maybe I should try to hold off for just a little longer..


    Cai began shaking and grabbed onto Aleric in turn, the two needing each other for support. I was d to


    see evidence of a bond forming, feeling relieved that maybe they would continue to get closer. There


    was no worse oue ihan if my death were to start a war between them. To see them die at each


    other¡®s hands would only make my death in vain.


    A light then shone brightly to my left, stealing my attention from the two men I adored. A light heralding


    the appearance of someone I knew all too well.


    She walked towards me slowly, her gaze watching me as Iid on the deathbed of her own devising.


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    This blood was her blood. This new body only borrowed for her.


    A cruel, merciless master.


    ¡°...Selene,¡± I rasped out in greeting.


    She stood over me without an ounce of expression or concern for her public attendance. An odd sight


    given her aversion for interference.


    However, it was something quickly exined once Aleric and Cai began looking around, trying to see


    who I was speaking to.


    It was confirmation of what I already knew about her naturalws; that she could not interfere with the


    living... only the dead.


    ¡°...Is... it... time?¡± | continued, struggling to speak.


    In reply, she simply nodded her head, crouching down beside me. Even in my dying breath, I could feel


    the effect of her presence. Feel the weight of her aura around me. 1


    ¡°... Time to be at peace, child,¡± she whispered soothingly.


    And with that, she touched my forehead, a wave of tranquillity spreading through me as she did so. An


    invitation urging me to let go, to leave behind the pain and finally be free.


    There was nopromise to be made here though. No time for questions or arguments. I simply could


    only oblige the request, greedily caving into the need for an escape.


    ...And everything went ck.


    Tawoke with a long, satisfied stretch in bed, feeling more content than I had in years,


    Thest few days had all blended together so much that I could barely keep track of time anymore. Was


    it a Tuesday? Morning? Night? I didn¡®t know. All I knew was that myst week had been spent with Aleric


    in the cabin, living and breathing every moment he could spare for me.


    With one final yawn, I left my room, walking down the stairs to the only ce I wanted to be right now.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡± I asked softly, standing in the doorway of the living area.


    It was gently raining outside, the sound of the drops hitting the roof in a soothing way. The clouds outside


    were also darkening the sky enough that, once again, I couldn¡®t be sure what time it was.


    Aleric was sitting by the windowsill, book in hand, and only looked up after I spoke, a small smile


    warming on his face as I did so. His eyes reminded me of the moss and trees within the woods when he


    looked genuinely happy, almost as if he were a living personification of my little sanctuary outside.


    ¡°Nothing really,¡± he answered. ¡°Did you have a good sleep?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t know if I can call that ¡®sleep¡®, since there wasn¡®t much of that happening... but it was good. Some


    might even say... great.¡± 1


    ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    And I crept closer until I stood in front of him, intending to look at the book in his hands, but instead he


    reached out and pulled me into hisp, forcing a squeal of surprise out of me at the sudden movement.


    Not that I wasining though.


    And, as he positioned me to sitfortably against his broad chest, I¡®d never felt so cosy an


    ¡®This isn¡®t right.¡®


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    Chapter One Hundred & Three


    I paused for a second frowning, wondering why that thought suddenly popped into my head.


    This was Aleric. Of course, this was right. I couldn¡®t think of anywhere else i¡®d rather be.


    | quickly cleared my throat and shook off the thought, concentrating back on the conversation instead.


    ¡®This... this looks like one of my books,¡± I said, reading the words on the page. ¡°Only a small portion of


    this is in¨C.¡±


    ...I¡®ve done this before.¡®


    I could feel it now. That feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, freezing me as I tried to chase down the memory it stemmed


    from inside.


    Had we sat like this before?


    Thest few days had been a blur, but I couldn¡®t recall doing anything quite like this yet.


    Suddenly, I felt as my stomach then began to churn, a wave of anxiety setting in.


    ... This would be my choice... and mine alone,¡® a voice alike my own then spoke inside my head.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Was this Thea? Had she found me?


    ¡°Well, it¡®s raining and there isn¡®t much else to do for entertainment around here...,¡± Aleric said, speaking


    like he hadn¡®t just noticed me abruptly pause. Almost as though he¡®d already known what I was going to


    say despite me stopping mid¨Csentence


    ¡°Aleric... I think something is wrong...,¡± I started, my hand now covering my gut as the pain increased.


    ¡®Today, I decided when and how I would die,¡¯ the voice continued.


    I felt as Aleric then tilted his head down towards me, proceeding to nip at my ear. ¡°Unless you had


    something else in mind.¡±


    ¡°Aleric? Didn¡®t you hear me? Something is.... ¨COh, fuck.¡±


    And as I looked down at my stomach, I saw as blood began to seep out from a wound slowly forming


    there.


    ¡®Not Thea¡®s decision or influence attempting to sway me...,¡® the voice said, ¡®but of my own volition.¡®


    ¡°Aleric, help... It hurts-,¡±


    I cried out in pain but Aleric didn¡®t move an inch to help me, almost as if he wasn¡®t really aware of what


    was happening. He held me in his arms as if nothing was wrong¡­ as if I weren¡®t slowly bleeding out in


    ¡®excruciating pain.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he said in a low voice behind me. ¡°Make up your mind.¡±


    ¡°W¨Cwhat? Aleric, please!¡± I screamed. ¡°Please.¡­.¡±


    ...I would face the end as myself.¡®


    *SNAP.*


    Suddenly, everything became ck as the Abyss showed it¡®s true form, bing that same ck hole


    of cold empty surrounding me. A timeless world that deprived you of any true awareness.


    ¡®That¡®s right... I remember now.¡®


    ...I was dead.


    This meant that whatever I¡®d just experienced had only been a memory... A happy memory spent with


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    Chapier One Hundred & Three


    Aleric in the cabin from before it all came crashing down. 1


    My chest ached with longing at recalling it so clearly.


    ...I wanted to go home.


    ¡°...Were you not satisfied with the memory of your heart¡®s desire?¡±


    Selene.


    A light then sprouted in the darkness, revealing her person. Finally facing me after who knew how long.


    Since the Abyss was timeless, a century could have already passed by now without even realising it.


    I hated how just her mere presence alone still made me want to give myself to her, despite everything


    she had put me through. Her light brought warmth... something sorelycking inside this ce. A true


    maniptor, just like her mother.


    ¡°I think you mean to ask, ¡®was I satisfied with the simtion I was trapped in; one that was showing me


    the life you robbed me of?¡®¡±


    She pursed her lips slightly at my words, a sign of her irritation. ¡°Your will must be strong if you were able


    t o break free of the Abyss¡® vision. But I suppose that is to be expected, given your sess in facing


    Thea. I am a little surprised though that you wished to free yourself so badly. Do you prefer the cold


    empty over the warm memory of your mate?¡±


    ¡°You should know by now, Selene, that anything involving you is usually a cause of grief for me,¡± I said


    bitterly. ¡°If given the choice, I will always choose to live with the knowledge of what you did to me, never


    forgetting the reality of your ¡®love¡®. Our oh¨Cso ¡®Great Mother¡®. Because I did exactly what you asked of


    me. | saved you from Thea, just as you wished. And yet you still allowed me to die once more. A


    testament to your own selfish desires.¡±


    ¡°I did not allow you to do anything, child,¡± she replied harshly. ¡°You were given free will. The choices you


    made, as well as this death, are all of your own making.¡±


    A humourlessugh quickly escaped me, unable to contain it. ¡°Surely, you¡®re joking, right? Surely, you¡®re


    not actually implying that, for the majority of this life, I wasn¡®t being controlled? That I wasn¡®t being


    manipted into actions I didn¡®t choose? Where was my protection from divine interference when your


    mother was having me mercilessly ughter and hurt people around me? Where was my free will?


    Mortality or not, she was of your* flesh and blood. *Your responsibility.¡±


    ¡°You fought valiantly,¡± she said, ignoring my usation. ¡°You should be proud of your achievement.¡±


    ¡°But I¡®m not... I¡®m not proud of leaving so much behind. I yearn to go back.¡±


    Silence then spread between us. A moment as I reflected on everything I¡®d sacrificed. Everything I¡®d


    given up on so this deity could live, fixing her error from centuries prior.


    ...And something inside me suddenly snapped.


    ¡°... You... owe me, Selene,¡± I whispered, a new fiery determination spreading through me. ¡°You have a


    debt that has yet to be paid. Two lifetimes of needless suffering, to be exact. Lifetimes forced upon me


    because of your mistake.¡±


    ¡°Child, I am unsure of what you expect, but you were already aware of your borrowed time,¡± she said.


    ¡°You consented to go back, just as we discussed the first time you were here. These were the terms of


    your revival.¡±


    But I disregarded her words, knowing that there was actually only one important factor worth mentioning


    here.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    Chapter Une Hundred Foul


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Chapter One Hundred & Four


    ¡°What you seek... it may have greater repercussions than you realise,¡± Selene said. 1


    The cold of the Abyss was stinging me, a reminder that I wanted to leave as soon as possible. Leave


    and hopefully note back anytime soon.


    ¡°This is what I want,¡± I reaffirmed confidently.


    Her lips tightened into a line, considering my request further. ¡°Ariadne... What I do is not an exact


    science. There may beplications with what you seek, ones that even I have no control over. Just


    your revival alone could have issues without this added risk. Are you willing to ept that, despite what


    it may produce? That this may bring about a legacy that has waves far greater than you anticipate?¡±


    But I simply nodded my head, certain in my decision.


    I didn¡®t care about the risk. If there was even a slight chance of this working, I had to take it. This would b


    e my one and only opportunity I wanted to start my new life with minimal regrets.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I said. ¡°If there are issues then I¡®ll figure it out. Just like always.¡±


    ¡°... Very well, then,¡± she said.


    And with that, she took a step forward, cupping my face in her hands to kiss my forehead, and sent an


    eruption of familiar tingles where our skin met. Instantly, I felt those same intense emotions rushing


    through me all at once. Something I¡®d almost forgotten from thest time we stood here.


    Once done, she moved away and looked at me with distaste. A stark reminder of how our rtionship


    had drastically changed over thesest few years.


    ¡°Be warned, child, that this is it,¡± she said sternly. ¡°There will be no third revival. The next time we meet,


    you will ept what has happened and begin your life anew inside the Abyss as all souls must.¡±


    The thought of that alone filled me with dread but I knew returning here would be inevitable. Death was a


    normal part of life. However, I wouldn¡®t fight back next time. No, I¡®d allow myself to give in and enjoy the


    happy memories of my life. Hopefully, by then, there would be several more to add to the collection.


    Selene then began to fade before me, her eyes never faltering as they watched me carefully. Even up


    until the veryst second, I could feel the resentment and bitterness she held. Luckily for her though,


    now she was whole again, she would live out her eternal life where I would exist for only a blink of her


    eye. Something of immense reassurance for her, I was sure.


    Before I could contemte on her demeanour any further, a weightlessness then came over me, a


    dizziness consuming my head.


    And before I knew what was really happening, I felt the familiarity of my body once more.


    And everything felt¡­ hazy.


    As if I were underwater


    I could start to feel my heartbeat... feel the warmth of my body.


    But I wasn¡®t quite... there yet.


    It seemed different from the first time when I¡®d awoken in bed at fourteen. Something felt... off. Was this


    because I hadn¡®t travelled back?


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    Chapter One Hundred & Four


    And with another moment, I realised something important; instantly exining the sensations I was


    experiencing


    Thea¡®s death would have be a fixed point in time. I couldn¡®t return to when she was still alive


    because I was using her dead body to revive. So, if this wasn¡®t the past....


    ...It meant that this time, I was returning not to my prior self¡­ but rather to my own corpse. What I was


    experiencing now was my body reanimating.


    ¡°...Wanted to s... goodb...,¡± a voice then said, piercing through the fog.


    Someone was here. Next to me. Could they see meing back?


    Their words were too unclear to understand what they were saying, too muddled as it cut in and out.


    ¡°...¡®m sorry... I didn¡®t...,¡± it continued. ¡°...I thought¡­ It¡®s been a whil...¡±


    It was slowly bing more distinguishable but not quick enough for my own impatience. I wanted to


    hear what was being said right now, see whoever was talking with my own eyes.


    I¡®m right here,¡® I screamed inside. I¡®m alive.¡®


    But if anyone noticed, I couldn¡®t tell.


    ¡°...I love you,¡± they then said, a tone of finality in their voice.


    And I realised they were leaving


    But I was here. They just needed to just wait a minute. Wait until I could find the strength to break


    through this veil. Just a little bit longer.


    However, before I could worry any further, something else then came to my attention. A new intense


    feeling, one I never would have expected.


    Sparks.


    As if tiny, pleasurable firecrackers were being thrown all over my body, I could feel as sparks erupted


    from skin contact, all stemming from where a hand was nowid on top of mine. A warm hand that made


    me feel alight with its presence. A familiarity to it that I craved.


    I recognised this reaction. In fact, I remembered it well from a time long ago.


    It meant....


    ¨CAnd with that, I abruptly woke up with a long heave at the air.


    ?My lungs greedily took in their first breaths, desperate for the oxygen, and I quickly felt my body begin


    to


    function once more; feeling as my heart started rapidly pumping blood inside.


    I was back. I was really back.


    Had I been asked to return just a year earlier, I would have firmly rejected it, telling myself I was crazy for


    wanting this. And yet now I¡®d never wanted anything more. Something so impossible yet¨C.


    ¡°¨CWhat the fuck?!¡±


    I swiftly turned my head to the side, already knowing what I would see, but finding myself taken by


    surprise, nheless,


    Because time suddenly... stopped.


    Almost as if the entire world vanished around me and left behind only one thing.


    Only one thing that mattered in that very moment.


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    Chapter One Hundred & lour


    Or, more urately, one person.


    ...Aleric.


    With his green eyes meeting mine, his crisp scent of the forest enveloping me... an overwhelming assault


    of sensations hit me all at once. Of a new yet familiar experience beckoning me forward and drawing me


    i n to him. A gravitational pull that promised only good things should I submit to it.


    ...And something else deep inside me then awoke too.


    Amidst my delirium, I also felt thepany of something that had been sorely absent for too long. Once


    a staple within my life, it had gone missing amongst my trauma, regressing to the furthest part of my


    mind. Now thinking back, I wondered if that were partly due to Thea¡®s upancy inside. But I could feel


    it now emerging once more, threatening to control me, demanding to make its presence known.


    ...And, as a result, just one word was forced from my lips.


    ¡°Mine,¡± I heard myself growl.


    My wolf had returned.


    Aleric had naturally jumped away the moment I¡®de back, somehow managing to not have a heart


    attack at seeing his dead mate return. The sheer fear at the situation had caused his face to pale and


    almost make him fall to the ground. I could only imagine what went through his head.


    But the moment our eyes met, he became frozen in ce for a different reason.


    Assumedly, he was experiencing exactly what I was; the mate bond forming within my new life... Only


    this time, we could both feel it. A first in our very long history together.


    He took a hesitant step forward... then another, and then slowly reached a shaky hand down to touch my


    cheek, sending more sparks throughout my body. Enough to make me close my eyes for just a moment


    a s the feeling submerged me; wanting only more of what his touch had to offer.


    No memories could everpare to this; to the real thing. Everything I¡®d felt in the Abyss felt like a cold,


    lifeless imitation inparison to what I was currently experiencing.


    Slowly, I then looked back up to meet his gaze. Saw how he was just as consumed as I was, and I


    immediately lost myself in his eyes, forgetting all else.


    This was why I was here. This is what mattered.


    He brought his face down, inches from my own, and spoke the only words I wanted to hear.


    The words that made all the pain and sacrifice worth it.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he repeated.


    ...And with that, his lips met mine, a fire instantly burning within. A hunger driving me on that I couldn¡®t


    resist, nor did I even try to. I waspletely helpless to the overwhelming need for my mate. A craving


    I¡®d been deprived of for too long.


    Thastily wound my fingers through his hair dark hair and pulled him closer towards me, needing more of


    his touch, needing more of him.


    But before we could get much further, Aleric then pulled away, apparently having more self control than


    I.


    He stared down at me with a frown, confusion crossing his features. Looking at me as if questioning


    whether I was really there.


    ¡°...Hey...,¡± I said brightly, a smile spreading on my face.


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    Chapter One Hundred & Four


    My heart ached with happiness from just being able to see him again, a giddiness kicking me inside.


    ¡°...Is that actually you?¡± he asked. ¡°...Am I dreaming?¡±


    I moved my hand to his cheek, relishing in the little sparks I felt there.


    ¡°Does it feel like you¡®re dreaming?¡± I replied, tracing his skin lightly.


    His eyes closed under my touch. ¡°I hope not. I¡®d rather not wake up from this. But I¡®m also at a loss for


    how you managed to do this.¡±


    ¡°I have my ways,¡± I said with augh. ¡°I just did what I¡®m best at... ckmail and negotiation. Ites in


    handy sometimes.¡±


    He slowly met my gaze again, a humour in his eyes that I adored.


    ¡°I should have realised you¡®d be too stubborn to stay dead for long. Apparently, not even a Goddess can


    handle your antics.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I just...,¡± I started, intending to make another joke, but then my smile instantly faltered


    instead. There wasn¡®t anything funny about how badly I¡®d wanted toe back. ¡°I just... I really missed


    you, Aleric. I wasn¡®t ready to say goodbye yet. Not before we¡®d even been given a chance to try.¡±


    He helped me up into a sitting position and quickly wrapped his arms around me, sending waves of his


    warmth through me. Making me feel so cosy and safe in his embrace.


    ...But it also acted as another reminder of my current situation.


    One where I realised how I was seated on a cold, metal table with only a thin nket to cover me. The


    ce I would have remained until buried.


    ¡°How long have I been gone...?¡± I asked.


    Inside the Abyss, there was no way for me to tell how long had passed. Because of this, I wasn¡®t sure


    exactly what date I¡®d been brought back to.


    ¡°Not too long,¡± he replied. ¡°Maybe three days? Everyone is still recovering from the battle so not many


    people know what happened to you yet. Though your parents will be arriving in a few days for the... the


    funeral. I sent word to them once we returned with your body.¡±


    My parents. It¡®d been so long since I¡¯d seen them. I was happy to hear they were safe and would be


    coming home finally after all this time. So many things had gone wrong after their staged death... things


    hoped to make amends for, to the best of my ability


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Aleric asked. ¡°Is Thea¡®s...?¡±


    ¡®Is Thea¡®s presence gone?¡® I knew he was trying to ask. The reason for my parents¡® forced departure was


    s o their lives couldn¡®t be used as hostages against me. Or worse... so I couldn¡®t be used to hurt them


    under Thea¡®s maniption.


    I searched deep inside myself, looking for that presence that used to lurk behind the surface. Once a


    constant voice of pressure, pushing me ever closer to the cliff edge, hoping to make me jump off.


    Yet... it was gone.


    Inside, I now only feltpletely at peace. In fact, I felt better than I ever had. The only new addition in


    m y head was my wolf, one I wasn¡®t concerned by. Her presence was one of only reassurance. It meant


    that things were just as they should be. That things were healthy.


    ¡°I feel... amazing.¡± I said honestly. ¡°I can¡®t remember thest time I felt so free. My thoughts are finally


    mine again. It¡®s.... hell, I can¡¯t even begin to describe how incredible this feels. How badly I needed this.¡°


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    I had assumed that I¡®d be dealing with Thea¡®s induced trauma for years, suffering from the scars she left


    behind. And whilst I definitely felt the pain of the things she did, my head at least didn¡®t feel the weight of


    the damage she¡®d done internally. I didn¡®t feel the exhausted, fried sensation her constant upancy left.


    Now having something topare it to, it was a wonder I didn¡®t notice the effects of her presence


    earlier.


    Perhaps dying and being brought back had done more than I¡®d hoped for, healing even the wounds that I


    hadn¡®t expected to part with so soon. A bonus on top of what I¡®d already bargained for.


    ... More than what I¡®d bargained for.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± I said, realising I¡®d been so caught up in the moment that I¡®d forgotten the most important


    thing.


    How had that slipped my mind? I was going to bete.


    ¡°Aria?¡±


    I started shuffling with the bedsheet and jumped off the table, taking a moment to steady my legs, before


    walking to where a change of clothes had been left. Though, more arcuately, I walked to where the


    clothes I was meant to be buried in had been left. The severity of just how morbid that actually was,


    wasn¡®t lost on me.


    ¡°We¡®ve got to hurry,¡± I said, throwing on the dress.


    ¡°...Where?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s uhh... It¡®ll be easier if I just show you. Where¡®s your car? I¡®ll drive.¡±


    I could only imagine what he was going to say when we got there. Truthfully, though I wouldn¡®t have ever


    reconsidered, I¡®d be lying if I said I didn¡®t have at least some reservations about this decision I¡¯d made.


    Especially after Selene¡®s warning.


    ¡°You¡®re joking, right? You¡®ve only juste back.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡®t forget how to drive when I was dead,¡± I pointed out, taking the keys from his hand. ¡°Come on.¡±


    He conceded, letting me have them, but we didn¡®t get far before he paused again. ¡°What is that for?¡± he


    asked, pointing to the nket in my hands.


    ¡°We¡®re going to need it,¡± I simply answered.


    And that was thest thing he asked before we eventually arrived.


    A destination I knew too well yet hadn¡®t stepped foot in for such a long time.


    ¡°Why are we...,¡± Aleric started, but I was already rushing out the car door before he could finish his


    sentence. ¡°Hang on, Aria. Wait up.¡±


    ¡°We already took too long,¡± I shouted back over my shoulder, now trying to run. Though perhaps a fast


    walk would be more urate.


    ¡°Aria!¡±


    I was much slower than I would have liked but that didn¡®t surprise me. My body had been stone-cold only


    half an hour ago so even this level of mobility was miraculous. My natural healing ability may have been


    quick, but it wasn¡®t as if I were recovering from a simple affliction. Death wasn¡®t a cold.


    Aleric kept up easily, for obvious reasons, but it was as we came closer to our destination that he


    realised what was happening, saw what was ahead, and immediately stopped dead in his tracks. It may


    have been nighttime, but it was hard to miss the obvious.


    ¡°Aria... what did you do?¡±


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    Chapter One Hundred & Four


    ¡°...What I needed to,¡± I said, though barely able to focus on anything other than what was in front of us.


    I stood at a small distance as the mound of brown wolf fur then shifted back, leaving behind only the


    body of a small girl in its wake. There was no mistaking the situation now as her tiny figure became the


    only notable thing in the area.


    Well, the only notable thing apart from her gravestone, that is.


    I ran towards her, my heart racing, feeling almost as if I were going to forget how to breathe. I couldn¡®t


    believe this had worked, that this was real. I¡®d dreamed about this for so long.


    ...Finally, after more than two years, I was getting my best friend back.


    ¡°Myra,¡± I cried, quickly pulling the girl into my arms. ¡°Myra, I¡®m so sorry.¡±


    I could feel her shaking against me, weakly trying to push me away, but I held on.


    ¡°I-I don¡®t... ...,¡± she whimpered in a panic.


    ¡°It¡®s okay, I¡®ve got you,¡± I said, tears beginning to fall. ¡°I¡®m here now. I¡®m not going to let anyone hurt you


    ever again.¡±


    ¡°...A¨CAria?¡± she asked, slowly beginning to recognise her surroundings. ¡°Why are you... I... Oh,


    Goddess, oh ... I¨CI think I died. I think I¡®m meant to be dead, Aria. Why am I here?¡±


    I held her tighter and began stroking her hair, attempting to soothe her. ¡°Everything is fine. You¡®re fine.


    Everything is going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°But that girl... she found me in the park... S¨Cshe...¡±


    I felt her then tense up in my arms and knew what was going to happen next.


    She quickly pulled away and turned to her side, trying to throw up, but not having anything in her


    stomacht o do so. Instead, she only dry retched as herst moments came to haunt her.


    ...But it was then, as I tried tofort her, that I saw her back. Saw the mark of my interference. Or,


    more precisely, saw the mark of a double crescent moon by her shoulder de... one matching my own.


    It meant only one thing. Something that had only ever happened once before in modern history.


    ...From today onwards, she would no longer just be ¡®Myra¡®. The simple rankless girl, working to help her


    parents run the orphanage.


    No, from now on, she would be known as something far more important. Today, she was ¡®Myra the


    Saintess¡®.

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    Chapter One Hundred & Five


    This should have been expected, I knew that.


    Selene had touched Myra, thereby reembodying her with the power of a Goddess. Exactly as it had been


    when our species was first created. Only, I¡®d be lying if I said it didn¡®t raise some questions regarding her


    rebirth now


    At the very least, I knew her body had aged in ordance with how old she was meant to be. We¡®d


    walked up as she was shifting back, meaning she had aged past eighteen. Hopefully, this meant that the


    only thing found to be out of ce would be her memories missing from the time she wasn¡®t here.


    Though, despite having the gift of foresight, things rarely went as I expected.


    I shook the thoughts from my head, knowing there were more important issues to worry about. And, right


    now, the only thing that mattered was making sure she was alright.


    ¡°Hey, you¡®re okay...,¡± I continued to soothe, patting her back gently. ¡°You¡®re fine. You don¡®t have anything!


    o worry about.¡±


    After a few more seconds had passed, she finally looked back up to meet my eyes, her gaze only filled


    with fear and confusion¡­ and my heart ached for her, knowing I did this to her. Knowing this might be a


    bigger adjustment than I realised.


    ¡°Aria, you look... different,¡± she pointed out.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    And I bit my lip, unsure how to answer that right now. Perhaps omitting some things would be for the best


    until she had time to adapt.


    ¡°I, um¡­ I¡®m a bit older than when west saw each other. But it¡®s still me. I¡®m still Aria.¡±


    Thadn¡®t had a chance to look in the mirror yet, but I knew from thest time I saw my reflection that I


    looked much older. War, stress, pain, and Thea has that effect on a person.


    ¡°And... and where are we? The... cemetery? What is this...¡±


    She moved to look behind her, turning in the direction of her gravestone, but I immediately moved


    forward and grabbed her face, stopping her from looking. There would be a day and a time for that soon,


    but right now was neither of those.


    ¡°Hey, hey, look at me,¡± I said gently, wrapping the nket I brought around her. ¡°Don¡®t worry about that.


    We¡®re just going to get you to the hospital now and have you looked over. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°We¡®?¡± she asked, confused by who else I was referring to.


    It was then that Aleric took another few steps forward, making his presence known, but clearly still in


    shock over the whole situation. My resurrection alone had probably been difficult enough without bringing


    Myra into the equation.


    ¡°Aleric came with me,¡± I said to her.


    ¡°I¡®m ah... I¡®m happy to see you, Myra,¡± he said, trying to sound as normal as possible. He must have


    realised what I was trying to do.


    ¡°A¨CAlpha heir?!¡± she squeaked out, immediately trying to bow her head in respect.


    Oh, right. I¡®d forgotten that Myra barely knew Aleric, having only met a few times. His presence was


    probably just overwhelming her further due to Myra¡®s beliefs on rank.


    ¡°You don¡®t need to do that,¡± I said to her, implying she didn¡®t need to bow. ¡°Aleric is going to carry you to


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    Chapter 106


    Chapter Une Hundred & Six


    Chapter One Hundred & Six


    Cai finally let me go at the revtion unfolding before us and took a step towards her. A turn of events


    that none of us had expected.


    As the initial mate bond moment then finally ran its course, so many emotions shed across his face. A


    s if you could physically see the different thoughts running through his mind, put on disy for everyone i


    in the room.


    Confusion, recognition, happiness... and then quickly followed by guilt, shame, and regret.


    And, as he finally tore his eyes away to look at me, I immediately knew what he was thinking.


    Because I was partly thinking it too.


    Of all the people for Cai to be mated to, only Myra could have made us feel so genuinely terrible about


    what we did. Or, in Cai¡®s case, significantly worse.


    Because I¡®d slept with my best friend¡®s mate¡­ and Cai had also slept with the woman who killed her.


    This was... messy.


    ¡°Myra... I¡®m so happy to see you,¡± he said, unable to even meet her eyes.


    But the look of hurt on Myra¡®s face said it all. She didn¡®t understand what was happening and Cai¡®s


    reaction to their mate bond was probably only making it worse.


    ¡°Cai...? You¡®re my... mate?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°How... how can that be possible? I¡®m not ranked.¡±


    However, there wasn¡®t any further discussion made on the topic. No, instead Cai quickly turned around,


    confliction still evident across his features.


    ¡°...I¡®m so sorry,¡± was all he said.


    And before Myra could say anything else, he instantly started to leave the room.


    Or, at least, tried to.


    I quickly ran after him, reaching out my hand just as he made it to the door, and caught him before he


    could get too far.


    ¡°Cai,¡± I hissed quietly to him. ¡°Wait a second.¡±


    ¡°Aria¡­ I can¡¯t... I¡¯m not...,¡± he started, fumbling for the right words. But I knew what he was trying to say.


    I¡®m not good enough.¡¯


    And Ipletely understood where he wasing from.


    Truthfully, I felt sick at myself too. Somehow, I¡®d let Myra convince me that she wasn¡®t interested in Cai all


    those years ago. I should have known better and trusted my instincts. It was so obvious that she had


    feelings for him. Thinking back now, I wondered if she was just projecting that through me instead, living


    vicariously from a false belief that she would never have a chance herself. If only she¡®d known.


    Heven made perfect sense for them to be together. They had the opportunity to meet in high school and


    would have bnced each other out perfectly; Cai and his old yboy antics would have been


    straightened out immediately from Myra¡®s sweet nature, and Cal would have done wonders for Myra¡®s


    confidence issues. Before her death, she had already been blossoming into a much stronger, more


    vocal person. Robbed too early of her full potential, she was someone I always said would fit a Luna


    position perfectly


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    Chapter One Hundred & Six


    But, more disturbingly, it also held a puzzle piece missing from the timelines.


    ...Because they were both originally destined to die.


    Now things wereplicated, a lot of history and errors being made in her absence... but it wasn¡®t


    necessarily impossible to fix.


    Especially since now, more than ever, they would need each other,


    Cai¡®s trust issues ran deep from where Thea had hurt him. I was sure that if it were anyone else standing


    before him, iming to be his mate again, that he would be sceptical. Possibly evenpletely unwilling


    t o ept it.


    But this was Myra.


    Someone we both knew extremely well. I knew he had his own form of close friendship with her, the two


    o f them exchanging letters even after he returned home. For a period of time, Myra was probably closer


    to Cai than I was


    So, if anyone was able to help him let go, move on, and be happy... it was Myra.


    Myra, who had never held a grudge or ill wish against anyone, and the kindest person I had ever met.


    Myra, who would be understanding and forgiving of the struggles he endured.


    ...Myra, who also just so happened to need someone supporting her through the beginning of her new


    life. A probably traumatic experience after more than two years absent. She would benefit greatly from


    Cai helping her adjust and warm up to all the changes.


    No, they were still perfectly bnced.


    In fact, I couldn¡®t think of a better fit.


    ¡°I get it,¡± I said to him, moving to grab his hands gently. ¡°But I think if you walk out that door right now,


    you¡®ll regret it for the rest of your life. The worst possible thing you could do is ruin this moment before


    you¡®ve even given her a chance to decide.¡±


    ¡°Aria...,¡± he said, teeth gritted.


    ¡°She needs you, Cai,¡± I pressed. ¡°Be the man she thinks you are and show her you¡®re not defined by


    your past mistakes. I think you¡®ll find she¡®s more forgiving than you realise. This is Myra, after all, a girl


    who has been in love with you since we were fourteen.¡±


    He closed his eyes and frowned, still unsure, but after another few moments had passed, he finally


    nodded. Taking what I said to heart, he straightened back up, took a deep breath, and rubbed his face to


    refocus.


    ¡°Okay... okay,¡± he said. ¡°I¡®ll just... I¡®ll just go back there then... ahhh, how do I look?¡±


    Iughed and took a step away to observe his appearance.


    ¡°You look like your only friend died three days ago and you haven¡®t slept since,¡± I joked, remarking on his


    more rugged condition. ¡°Aww, how sweet of you. I¡®m ttered.¡±


    He just nodded his head, clearly too nervous to actually listen to what I was saying. A first for Cai, I was


    sure. I doubted any woman had ever made him so self¨Cconscious before but I knew the pressure would


    b e immense.


    ¡°Alright, stop stalling,¡± I smiled. ¡°You¡®ve already kept her waiting.¡±


    With a final thankful look towards myself, he slowly walked back over to her bed and sat in the chair,


    closing the curtain before he did so. A chance for them to talk in private and salvage what he had almost


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    royally messed up.


    ¡°Hey... Myra...,¡± I could hear him say before he lowered his voice.


    And I couldn¡®t help but feel a little overwhelmed by how perfect things had worked out.


    ¡°I hope those tears aren¡®t from being sad,¡± Aleric suddenly whispered by my ear, wrapping his arms


    around my waist from behind.


    ¡°I¡®m not crying...,¡± I started to say, but as I reached a hand up to my face, I realised he was right. ¡°Oh.


    No... I think these are happy tears.¡±


    I¡®d been so caught up by it all, I hadn¡®t even realised.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, gently tugging my arm to the door. ¡°Give them some space.¡±


    And I knew he was right.


    I followed him out, feeling as though I¡®d aged another ten years with how intense everything became


    upon waking up. But it had been worth it. Every second of it.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Now just the two of us, in the silence of the hallway outside, the fatigue was finally catching up with me


    and I felt my eyes sting from exhaustion.


    ¡°Time for snacks and bed?¡± he asked, watching me fail to stifle a yawn.


    I merely nodded, too sleepy to reply, and leaned into him for support.


    ¡°Alright, I got you,¡± he said.


    And he picked me up in his arms, walking us back to the car.


    I immediately nestled my head into his neck, greedily taking every chance I could get to be close to him. I


    didn¡®t want to waste any time, not even a second. Not after everything we¡®d endured to get here.


    ¡°So... What are we going to do tomorrow?¡± he asked quietly as we walked. I could feel the vibrations


    from his chest as he spoke, making me melt against him more.


    But, despite my otherwise preupied thoughts, I did take a moment to consider his question. Just a


    small moment was all I needed before a smile spread across my face.


    Because, now living a life of endless possibilities, without Thea or Selene breathing down my neck at


    every turn, there was only one answer to that.


    One very simple answer.


    ¡°Tomorrow...?¡± I repeated. ¡°Tomorrow... we do whatever the hell we want.¡±


    ** SIX MONTHS LATER ***


    ¡°Aleric,¡± | moaned as his hands began roaming my body.


    We¡®d been in bed all morning, procrastinating all of our duties on possibly the most important day of our


    hives. But somehow that knowledge had only made it feel all the more exciting.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± I said, though nothing about my tone implied anything remotely serious. ¡°We need to get


    ready. We¡®re going to bete.¡±


    I felt as he then started making his way over my body, nting little kisses everywhere, until he


    eventuallynded by the mark on my neck


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    Chapter One Hundred & Six


    Or rather, his mark.


    A shiver ran through me as he touched the sensitive flesh there, a gasp escaping my lips. A pleasure


    stemming from where he¡®d permanently imed my body several months earlier. And whilst the contacth


    e made now was small, it was enough to cause my wolf to stir inside, adding yet another force to argue


    with as we wasted precious time.


    ¡°Aleric, please,¡± I whined.


    But my efforts of refusal were now beginning to sound like pleas for more.


    ¡°It¡®s fine, we can just be a littlete,¡± he said, starting to gently nip my ear. Something that was making it


    increasingly more difficult to think properly.


    However, before he could get much further, suddenly a loud knocking sounded from the bedroom door,


    preventing any further activities.


    ¡°...Alpha, apologies...,¡± a voice said from the other side. ¡°You asked me to remind you when it was time


    to get ready....¡±


    Aleric let out a quiet growl next to me in irritation. ¡°I hate your new attendant.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡®t,¡± I said, untangling myself from his arms to get out of bed. ¡°Myst two got me killed. You


    just hate that this one will interrupt us when we have more importantmitments.¡±


    And he looked as though he was debating internally which was worse.


    | shouted to the attendant that I appreciated them letting me know and that I would get ready, before


    turning back to Alericying in bed. He was watching me hungrily as I stood before him stillpletely


    naked.


    ¡°I¡®m having a shower,¡± I said, dismissing his gaze. ¡°You should get ready too.¡±


    But grabbing my clothes from the wardrobe, I could still feel his eyes on me the entire time, prompting


    me to finally turn around and see him smiling at me. A cause for suspicion.


    ¡°... What is it?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that sounds great,¡± he said, getting out of bed. ¡°I¡®ll join you.¡±


    There it was.


    ¡°No,¡± I said so quickly that he¡®d barely finished his sentence. ¡°Somehow, I have a feeling that you¡®ll


    manage to make us even morete if I let you, so go get ready in your old room. I¡®m already questioning


    whether or not I¡®m going to have time to do my make up thanks to you.¡±


    I looked at my reflection and sighed. Of all the days, today needed to be perfect. I really should have


    tried to be more organised and now only had myself to me.


    Aleric then came up behind me and kissed my temple, his hands gently touching my shoulders as he did


    s


    1. 0.


    ¡°You¡®re so beautiful,¡± he said, meeting my gaze in the mirror.


    And it was almost enough to make me give in to his incessant badgering.


    Almost.


    ¡°Nice try.¡± I said. ¡°Now go get ready.¡±


    He gave me a final smirk before leaving to do as I¡®d asked, and before the hour was done, the two


    of us were finally on our way to the meeting hall.


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    Chapter One Hundred & Six


    ¡°Nervous?¡± he asked as we entered inside, walking to the main room.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. ¡°How could I not be? Aren¡®t you? Today, we¡®ll be making history.¡±


    He gave a small shrug and smiled. ¡°You organised it all so I luckily don¡®t have anything to worry about.¡±


    I shook my head but had tough. Of course, he would think that.


    But it was as we were about to enter through the double doors that someone then approached us,


    dying us further.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± they called out. ¡°Apologies, I just need a moment of your time.¡±


    And both Aleric and I turned around, automatically responding to the title.


    We looked at each other for a second, staring with nk expressions. But as realisation set in, we both


    found the situation amusing. This was probably going to be an ongoing issue, soon to be made even


    moreplicated after today.


    Finally, after another moment had passed, Aleric was the one to step forward. Much to my relief.


    ¡°I¡®ve got it,¡± he said. ¡°You go get everyone settled.¡±


    | quickly nodded and gave him my thanks. Judging by how the person was dressed, they were most


    likely a border warrior. Something better suited for Aleric¡®s expertise, having spent significant time


    amongst them during his training growing up.


    Tentatively, I then pushed open the double doors of the meeting hall to see everyone else had already


    arrived, all chatting quietly to each other. A confirmation that, yes, we were thest people to get here,


    much to my embarrassment.


    Everyone met my eyes as I walked past them, a small nod in greeting as I did. Just enough to


    acknowledge respect but not needing to take away from the conversations they were already engaged


    in. I was thete one, after all.


    However, it was the two people in the corner that drew my attention the most. The only two to not


    immediately look in my direction when I entered.


    Myra and Cai.


    They were talking animatedly to each other,pletely engrossed in their own little world. A sight that


    always made me happy to see.


    Well, up until Cai wanted to push buttons. Something Myra was exceedingly great at keeping in check.


    I watched as Cai leaned forward, tilting his head ever so slightly towards the crowd, and whisper


    something in a low voice. It was then promptly followed by him erupting intoughter.


    Whatever he said immediately caused Myra¡®s face to turn red in embarrassment, outraged by his


    remark. Something she quickly reacted to by dealing a light smack to his arm, looking up at him with a


    grumpy expression.


    ¡°You can¡®t say that, Cai!¡± she scolded, making himugh harder.


    Their little banter went on for another minute before finally, all was forgiven with a smile from Cai and a


    quick kiss to her forehead. A show of just how close they¡®d be in such a short amount of time.


    In fact, the two spent most of their time together. It made me happy to see their level of intimacy in light o


    f all the issues that had threatened to keep them apart. A love that transcended even fate trying to kill


    them both off. Twice.


    Suddenly, I felt as an electricity then washed over me, sending little shivers through my body, and I knew


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    Chapter One Hundred & Su


    that meant Aleric had finally returned. Ever since he¡®d marked me, I¡®d get tingles whenever he was close


    b y. A great added bonus, though unexpected.


    Sure enough, when I turned to look behind me, he instantly met my gaze with a small nod and smile. It


    was reassurance that everything was fine and that we were good to go ahead.


    It was time.


    ¡°Everyone!¡± I announced loudly to the room, causing them to slowly hush. ¡°Please take a seat and we


    can get started now. Apologies for keeping you all waiting¡­ but we all know how terrible Aleric is with


    morning deadlines.¡±


    This earned me a fewughs from the crowd before they went to take their seats at the table, looking up


    a t me expectantly once they did so. A myriad of familiar faces, full of those I considered both friends and


    family.


    My parents, Iris, Elder Luke, Brayden, and Alexander, to name just a few. And, of course, Cai and Myra.


    All of whom I knew this would have been impossible without.


    Without these people, we couldn¡®t have even dreamed to aplish what we had nned. A ce of


    equality and mutual respect, utilising our individual strengths to our collective benefit. A ce of


    greater than just their one leader or status, but rather required multiple facets to make them as strong as


    possible.


    ¡°Wee, everyone,¡± I started, unable to stop myself from smiling. ¡°It¡®s been a crazyst few months


    finalising the merge and I really want to extend my thanks to everyone who made it as seamless as


    possible. But today, finally, we¡®re able to have our very first meeting. A meeting that will mark us forever


    in the history books, forever changing traditions. A meeting ofying the foundation for our legacy.¡±


    I took a small moment to pause, trailing my eyes around the table until they finallynded on Aleric, Cai,


    and Myra. Their expressions only mimicking my own as they shared in this monumental event.


    ¡°So, without further ado, I¡®d like to officially announce what we¡®ve all been waiting for,¡± I said, holding out


    my hands. ¡°From today onwards, we are no longer just a pack, neither the Winter Mist nor the Silver


    Lake. But rather today marks the day that we will forever be known as one thing....¡±


    ¡°So, wee, everyone,¡± I continued. ¡°Wee to the Council of the Silver Mist. Let the meeting


    begin.¡±


    The End. (Epilogue in next chapter)

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    Bonus Chapter ¨C Quick Home Recipes !! Important !! ¨C You need to have read up to at least Chapter


    96 to avoid spoilers. Continue reading at your own discretion.


    This is just a short one-shot between Aria and Aleric during their time at the cabin. Explicit warning


    Meat¡­ herbs¡­ garlic¡­ butter¡­ carrots....


    I stared at the ingredients as if they were a dangerous foreign entity.


    Not to say they were, but it wasn¡¯t exactly like I knew how to approach what I was going to attempt.


    Things had seemed so much easier when I was just reading about it... opposed to having to actually do


    it.


    With a sigh, I picked up the kitchen knife and began peeling the carrots; preheating the pan on the stove


    whilst I did so.


    Aleric had been doing the cooking for us both, having at least some experience with it. During times


    when he¡®d been on duty for the Winter Mist, there had been moments he¡®d had to cook whilst making


    camp somewhere random.


    I


    I, on the other hand, had experience that went only as far as boiling water for tea. After all, I¡®d lived my


    whole life surrounded by attendants and chefs.


    But it couldn¡®t be that hard, right?


    I wanted to surprise him and give him a night off. Between the time spent with me and patrolling, I was


    sure he was getting exhausted. I thought this might be a good way to show m y appreciation for his hard


    work.


    I¡¯d only read a few cooking books before, but I hadn¡®t retained much. I knew the basic principles and


    theories, and knew what steps to do. The issue was in actually executing it though and making it taste


    good in the process.


    The cabin hade stocked with bare essentials tost a while, the vegetablesing from a small,


    adjourned greenhouse and the meat was whatever Aleric picked up from hunting on patrol. Altogether,


    we were pretty fortunate considering we were in the middle of nowhere.


    _ *Slick*


    I winced, looking down to see I¡¯d cut myself.


    I definitely needed to focus more. It wasn¡¯t like I could heal quickly, thanks to the silver ring.


    After washing my hands and the knife, I threw out the spoiled carrot and tried again. He was going to be


    home any minute and I¡®d wanted to be finished before that. Though that was probably just me being


    overly optimistic considering my skill level.


    Carefully, I proceeded to finish with the carrots, though taking far longer with it than 1 perhaps should


    have, and threw some butter, herbs and garlic into the pan. When that was sufficiently all nice and


    melted, 1 ced the meat on top, satisfied it at least smelt nice. That was surely a good sign if nothing


    else.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡± Aleric then said from the doorway.


    I looked up sharply to see him there, a little surprised since I hadn¡¯t heard him approach over the sound


    of the pan.


    ¡°Oh, I¡®m ah... I¡®m cooking,¡± I said, a little embarrassed. ¡°I wanted to surprise you before you got home.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m still surprised,¡± he said walking behind me to wrap his arms around my waist. ¡°Surprised you haven¡¯t


    burnt the house down.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I yelled offended, squirming in his grasp. ¡°Come on, it smells good!¡±


    But he held me against me,ughing as he refused to let me go.


    ¡°Aleric!¡±


    ¡°No, you¡®re right, I¡®m sorry,¡± he said, his head travelling to my neck and nibbling gently. ¡°It does smell


    pretty good.¡±


    Though I wasn¡®t sure whether he was still talking about the food.


    ¡°Ok, well I need to finish up here and I¡®ll ¡ª.¡±


    I didn¡®t get to finish my sentence though, instead losing my chain of thought. His hand had started


    tugging up the hem of my dress and immediately begun trailing across the bare skin of my stomach.


    ¡°... I um,¡± was all I said.


    What was I doing?


    I tried to remember as I felt his attention then change, reaching up to grab at my breast and sending a


    shiver through me from the sensitivity there.


    I could feel his warmth against my back, his breathing deepening near my ear, sending another wave of


    desire through me.


    ¡°What¡®s up?¡± he asked, his other hand now venturing past the hem of my underwear, causing me to gasp


    from the unexpected sensation. I leaned back against him, melting into the feeling of pleasure he gave,


    greedily taking every


    second of it he had to offer.


    ¡°Aleric,¡± I moaned, turning my head to capture his lips against mine. His taste was intoxicating


    My whole body then started burning up, my heart racing. But just before I was beginning to get too lost in


    the moment, Ipletely spun around and pushed him back against the kitchen bench, wasting no time


    in jumping onto hisp.


    I could tell he was just as enthusiastic as me, his own lower-body betraying him, and I proceeded to


    move my hips against him, relishing in the way he reacted to me.


    This was my doing. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Did my touch send him into delirium


    just as his did for me? Was it even better for him with the mate bond?


    Before long had passed, it soon became clear that this wasn¡®t nearly enough for either of us.


    Working as quickly as I could, I then undid his pants and positioned myself perfectly on top of him


    before¡­.


    ¡°... Fuck,¡± Aleric slowly groaned, feeling as he pressed his length into me, and my own moan


    apanied it.


    How was it that he felt so perfect against me? As if he was naturally meant to always be there. Every


    sensation he had to offer me was enough to make me lose control instantly. As if proceeding with only


    pure desire.


    I started to move again, his hands on my hips as he guided me against him, and every few seconds I


    would alternate between his lips, ear, and neck.


    His own movement then slowly became more forceful as he quickened my pace, sending me into my


    own frenzy as that familiar buzz started to build inside me.


    Faster and faster we moved, going until he was almostpletely controlling me, arms now wrapped


    around me to hold my body to him. All I could do in turn was coil my own arms around his neck and hold


    on as I let him take over, almost at my limit.


    In this position, his length was now pushing even further in as his speed increased, stealing moans from


    my lips with every thrust. I could feel myself tightening too, getting closer and closer until¡­.


    Finally, with ast cry escaping my lips, I felt myselfe undone against him, shaking as the waves of


    pleasure swept through me. The overwhelming bliss fogging up my mind as the seconds ticked by.


    Aleric wasn¡¯t far behind in his own end, a groan alerting me to his finish, and proceeded to rest his


    forehead against mine as we both fought to catch our breath.


    How could things be this good? How was one person able to make me feel so euphoric from their touch?


    It seemed almost like a dream.


    But, of course, with every dream, it had toe to an end eventually


    The smell of burning quickly snapped me out of my trance, reminding me of exactly what I¡¯d just been


    doing


    The meat


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Without looking back, I jumped off Aleric¡¯sp and ran to the stove¡­ only to find it really was burning


    ¡°Oh¡­. no..,¡± I whined, turning it over.


    It was almostpletely ck on the opposite side, no longer looking appetising in any way.


    The dish was ruined With a dejected exhale, I gave Aleric an apologetic look, only he didn¡®t seem


    phased in the slightest.


    In fact, by the time I¡¯d served us our half¨Cburnt dinner, the review I received from him was


    overwhelmingly positive.


    Apparently, in Aleric¡®s words, the meal had been delicious. It was ¡®one of the most satisfying dinners he¡¯d


    ever had¡¯.


    ¡­Though, *somehow*, I knew he wasn¡®t talking about the food. Sigh.


    Bonus Chapter ¨C The Cycle of Change This chapter follows a young Elder Luke (Luke Hastings) 30/40


    years prior to the main story. It was a very different time when things were not so epting. This POV


    shows the beginning of how Elder Luke became the man he is today and why he holds the strong values


    he does ¨C known by Aria as one of the deadliest men in the pack.


    Fifty-two. There were fifty-two books I needed to reshelve today. Several more than the day before, even


    more than the day before that. It meant I would need to workte today in order t o finish this in time. At


    least I had the entire day to get through it.


    With a sigh of resignation, I grabbed my trolley and began the journey to the back of the library where I


    would start the process, giving small smiles to those I made eye contact with along the way. This was the


    life of a librarian. Day in... day out...


    Not to say I didn¡®t enjoy my work. On the contrary, I immensely loved what I did for a living. But I couldn¡®t


    deny that it wasn¡®t as interesting as say the ranked members of our pack. No, they led an eventful life of


    luxury and power. The kind of lives only unranked members such as myself could dream of.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± a deep voice then said behind me, making me turn around.


    I was surprised to hear someone had followed me all the way to the very back, however, I quickly


    realised why.


    ¡°..What can I do for you, sir?¡± I asked politely, taking several steps towards the man.


    ¡°I was hoping you could help me for a moment. I¡®m trying to find something...¡±


    He had the strong build of a warrior, with broad shoulders and a small air of authority about him to match


    that position.


    I raised an eyebrow questioningly as I came to stand directly in front of him. ¡°...Looking for a particr


    book, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°No, not quite...,¡± he replied, looking down at me.


    ¡°Then how can I be of service today, sir? What exactly were you looking for?¡±


    His hands then came up and grabbed either side of my face, sparks immediately erupting throughout my


    body from where our skin made contact.


    ¡°...My mate,¡± he whispered, right before his mouth came down to meet mine.


    Immediately, I was enveloped by him as we drew closer together, my senses overridden by his touch...


    his scent... his taste. It was only once I found myself pressed up against one of the shelves that I realised


    we were at my ce of work¡­ not our house. they feltnge


    A deep chuckle escaped me as I pulled away, smiling up at the man. At my mate.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Xavier?¡± I asked quietly. I was conscious of not being too loud so w e weren¡¯t


    caught. ¡°I didn¡®t think I would see you until tonight.¡±


    ¡°I need a reason to visit you now?¡± he questioned back, his lip pulling into a crooked smile.


    Iughed once more before untangling myself from him, walking back towards my trolley.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as though I don¡¯t appreciate your presence, it¡®s just that I know you are meant to be a t work right


    now. And it¡¯s very unlike you to skip out on such a thing.¡±


    He then sighed, his smile turning into more of a guilty one. ¡°I came to tell you that I¡®ll be heading out over


    the border today. Official business in one of the neighbouring packs. My unit has been asked to


    supervise the proceedings.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Then do they not expect you to be packing right now?¡± I asked, a small frown forming between my


    brows. ¡°I would think that you¡®d... not want to risking to see me.¡±


    His face then contorted from the unpleasant topic. ¡°Luke... You know it¡®s not like that. I just... I¡¯m so close


    to this promotion, I can feel it. Maybe today will be the day they recognise that.¡±


    But I remained silent, my jaw clenching to stop myself from speaking my mind.


    ¡°Hey...,¡± Xavier then said softly,ing up to ce his hands on either side of my waist tenderly. ¡°Soon, I


    promise. Maybe in a few years, and after I get this promotion, we can make our rtionship public. We


    can even finally buy a house in town... a nicer one at that too.¡±


    His touch was making me want to melt into his arms but I managed to hold myself back.


    ¡°You say this every time, Xavier. We¡®ve been together for almost ten years now and it¡®s always the same


    promise.¡±


    ¡°Well... I mean, things might be different soon,¡± he said, finding an excuse. ¡°Alpha Dominic is getting


    older and I¡®ve yet to hear the Alpha heir Tytus express any sort of... ¡®grievance¡® with our kind of


    rtionship.¡±


    I immediately tsked and pushed my way out of his arms. ¡°That child? He barely knows what he¡®s doing.


    The only thing he knows is fighting.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s not true!¡± Xavier snapped back, a tone of irritation now in his voice. ¡°Don¡®t say things like that


    about our future Alpha.¡±


    Our eyes then locked for a few moments, his blue ones filled with frustration at my remark, and I sighed


    in response, rubbing my face with my hand.


    ¡°Apologies...,¡± I said, doing my best to sound as genuine as possible.


    I should have expected him to have that reaction. He was a good warrior after all, and a patriotic one at


    that. Loyal to almost a fault, believing so wholeheartedly in the cause of


    making our pack great. It¡¯s what made him the perfect soldier.


    ¡­But it was also what I loved about him too. His ability to have hope and see the good in people was


    one of the things that made me fall for him. Strong¡­ attractive¡­ and genuinely an amazing person. He


    complimented my more cynical nature perfectly.


    Xavier then sighed, his shoulders rxing. ¡°It¡®s fine. Just... you know how important my work i sto me,


    Luke. I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t¡­ That we can¡¯t¡­ Well, some people just aren¡¯t so epting, you know?¡±


    I nodded my head, unable to meet his eyes, but knew well what he was talking about.


    Because whilst things definitely seemed to be getting better in terms of change, there was still a while to


    go before we reached the point we needed to. Movements were already starting across the country,


    bringing attention to the issue, and people were beginning to realise the truth of the matter. Because if


    the so-called Goddess could gift us with another being then, regardless of who they were, didn¡¯t that


    mean there was a divine purpose behind the choice?


    ¡°The Goddess has a n for us. I can feel it,¡± he continued, almost as if he¡¯d read my thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t


    lose faith in our future just yet.¡±


    He then walked up and kissed my cheek, the sparks emitting through me once more. However, this time,


    I allowed myself to give in to the sensation, bringing my hand up to hold his head against mine, craving


    his presence for just a little longer.


    We said our goodbyes shortly after that. I didn¡®t know how long it would be until I saw him again, his out


    of town pack business sometimes taking an uncertain amount of time. There was one thing I did know for


    sure though, and that was that it would certainly be a lot quieter around the house for a little while.


    I went about my work diligently for the remainder of the day and, soon enough, closing time was just


    around the corner. I was relieved; thoughts of my cosy couch patiently waiting for me at home filling my


    head. Well, at least there was something waiting for me at home.


    But it was as I was doing the final rounds for closing that I stumbled upon something. Two girls in the


    corner huddled closely together. I¡®d seen them here regrly so I knew they enjoyed this ce just as


    much as I did, always treating the books with the respect they deserved. It was something that made me


    like them more than some of the more rowdy members we asionally had.


    ¡°Apologies,dies,¡± I said, politely approaching them. ¡°We¡®re closing up now but we¡®ll be open again


    tomorrow morni...¡ª.¡±


    However, it was then that I noticed their demeanour properly, cutting my sentence short. Because they


    weren¡®t huddled together, so much as one wasforting the other.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked, worried if someone had identally gotten hurt on the premises.


    Burimit te pun


    boleh dihanan


    The girl who had her arm around the other one looked up at me, her expression wrought with concern.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡± she asked, her voice thick with emotion. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so¡­ it¡¯s so horrible. I don¡¯t know


    how they could have let it happen.¡±


    They held my curiosity now and my mind began thinking of everything they could possibly be referring to


    ¡°What do you mean? Did something happen with the pack?¡± I pressed. Her friend then choked on


    another sob and the girl speaking patted her back, soothing her. ¡°It was during a meeting today in a


    neighbouring pack,¡± she started, her eyes beginning to brim with tears of her own.


    Immediately, my body froze, my blood turning cold.


    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s been an attack and some of our warriors died. Cindy¡®s mate being one of them. Someone


    from their unit came and found us not long ago to inform her. Apparently, there was a disagreement and


    a fight broke out. Several of the warriors fought to ensure the ranked members could escape. They were


    completely outnumbered¡±


    Suddenly it was like the wind had been knocked out of me, the world starting to spin.


    ¡°...What... what um... ah, sorry...,¡± I said, flustered. I was struggling to keepposure even though the


    anxiety was starting to constrict around my chest, almost as if it were suffocating me.


    I shook my head and tried again. ¡°...Do we... Do you know who was hurt?¡±


    The girl then sniffled, rubbing her eye as a tear escaped her. ¡°Not really but they¡®re bringing the bodies


    back now. They should be at the hospital soon.¡±


    I didn¡®t hear anything else after that.


    Instantly, my body moved on its own as I sprinted out of the library. I didn¡®t care that I didn¡®t close up, I


    didn¡®t care that there were still people inside, all that mattered was getting to the hospital. Seeing him.


    Making sure he was okay.


    ¡­But he would be fine, right? He was strong. There was no way...


    I couldn¡®t even think about that. My wolf was already frantic enough, making it impossibly difficult to think


    clearly.


    ¨C Before too long, I finally arrived at the hospital, and I bee¨Clined for the administration desk


    without even stopping to breathe.


    ¡°Are they here? The warriors that were hurt?¡± I panted, trying to get the words out through m y heavy


    breathing. ¡°The ones¡­ that were killed?¡±


    trinitatis


    youtube to managed


    The girl behind the desk looked up at me rmned for a moment, my appearance overly dishevelled


    from having ran the few blocks here.


    ¡°Is there someone you were looking for in particr?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Xavier Burrows, ¡± I quickly said. ¡°I need to know if he was hurt. If he was¡­.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence.


    The girl then looked me up and down, a frown forming on her face. ¡°¡­And what was your rtionship to


    them? Are you family?¡±


    It took everything inside me not to growl out at her in frustration, wishing she would just answer the


    question instead of dying further.


    ¡°What does that matter? Just tell me if ¡ª.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Luke, correct?¡± a voice then said next to me.


    I looked up to see who had spoken and found the leader of Xavier¡®s unit, Gavin, standing there, his face


    appearing as though he¡®d just been through hell.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen you around a few times, right?¡± he continued.


    ¡°Yes, 1... I know Xavier from your unit, sir,¡± I said, bowing my head slightly. ¡°I heard the news and came


    to find out if he was okay.¡±


    The girl at the desk then chimed in, much to my further irritation. ¡°Apologies, sir, but right now only


    family¨C.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s alright, Emily,¡± Gavin said, raising a hand up to pause her. ¡°It¡®s been both a traumatic and horrific


    day for everyone in our pack... Especially for those of us who have lost a friend.¡±


    As he said thosest words, his eyes met mine with a pointed sadness within them.


    ¡­And, instantly, it was as if someone had drowned me.


    I couldn¡®t breathe properly. Couldn¡®t see properly.


    Everything felt... ck.


    And it was as though a part of me was being ripped slowly to shreds inside, waves of pain beginning to


    pulse through me.


    ¡°I need to... I need to see him,¡± I choked out. ¡°I need to say goodbye.¡±


    But Gavin then frowned, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. ¡°That¡®s not really necessary. The bodies of


    the deceased will be prepared and a funeral held ordingly so you can pay your respects then. Right


    now only family are being allowed in.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any family!¡± I yelled back angrily, gritting my teeth. ¡°Bring me to him now.¡±


    I was his family. His only family. The only one he had left. The only one I had left. We¡®d found each other


    in the most unexpected of ways, neither of us ever believing we would be truly happy. But we were. We


    were happy. In the end, we made our own happiness. Our own little pack of two


    ¡°¡­And what was your rtionship to Xavier, again?¡± Gavin then asked, his tone suddenly sceptical,


    And as I took in his demeanour, I understood the full gravity of the situation I was now in.


    Because if I were to tell him the truth, then I would be revealing a secret that Xavier and I had both


    guarded our entire lives. A truth that many would still disagree with today, including our current Alpha,


    Dominic.


    However, in this instance¡­ it wasn¡¯t my secret to tell. It was Xaviers. It was *his* choice to reveal that


    sort of information, *his* reputation that was on the line... and he¡®d chosen not to do so. He¡¯d chosen his


    job and the pack above all else. It wasn¡¯t my ce to assume what he would want now that he was


    gone.


    The only thing it would possibly aplish now, in speaking the words aloud, would be to tarnish what


    he had worked so hard for. A selfish decision on my ount for just the smallest chances they would


    even allow me in to see his body. After all, they had no way to even confirm my im was true.


    And so, out of sheer frustration, I then gritted my teeth and threw my hand out angrily, knocking over


    several items from the administration¡®s desk. I¡®d never felt so much rage inside before, so much hatred


    and disgust.


    They were pathetic. All of them. Cowards the lot of them, including the Alpha.


    Without even answering the question, I then stormed out of the hospital, my grief and pain still tearing


    me apart inside, my wolf howling.


    And it quickly dawned on me that I couldn¡®t sit back and ignore the world anymore.


    Just how many people were out there suffering under the same injustice?


    There was a fight to be had that I¡¯d purposely remained deaf to, bing too consumed within my own


    world with Xavier to risk what we had built.


    But he was gone now. And yet, somehow, the world kept going.


    As if it didn¡¯t even notice that he wasn¡®t here anymore.


    As if no one really cared.


    But I did.


    ¡­In the months that followed after his passing, I discovered a lot of different things.


    Like, despite my unranked status, there was a lot a person could learn in a ce like a library. Not just


    the wealth of knowledge acquired from the books either... but from the whispers between the shelves


    too. The gossip no one ever expects anyone to overhear.


    But I heard it. I heard it all.


    And not just that, but I learned a lot about myself also.


    Things I wouldn¡®t have ever thought possible, thought I was capable of... and, some, even unthinkable.


    However, it was interesting how it all interlocked, how it all coulde together for a bigger purpose.


    And whilst I still couldn¡®t find it within me to believe in a fictional woman who birthed our kind, I knew


    Xavier was one to have had that sort of faith. Believe in that sort of thing. And from that faith he had held,


    he had thought there was some sort of divine n for us; for both of us.


    ¡­So just what exactly could one lowly librarian aplish all by themself?


    What could they do against the prejudice that festered around them?


    Well, I didn¡®t have an answer for that yet.


    But maybe I would think more on it after I¡®d had Alpha Dominic ¡®removed¡®.


    ¡­And I proceeded to do just that.

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Bonus Chapter ¨C The Chrysalis of a Killer


    This bonus chapter follows the moment Amitted herself to Aleric in the old timeline. The first leap


    that led her down her dark past.


    AUTHOR NOTE:


    This chapter shows where it all started, a nice way topare to where they ended up. This is the old


    timeline¡¯s version of Aleric (as we all know), and this is also a version of Aria never seen before either. All


    of this is way, wayyy in the past. Years before the book even began.


    The importance of this chapter is that it shows the moment Aria fullymitted herself to Aleric and


    began her road to bing the person she eventually became. This is Aria before her guilt, her regret,


    before Aleric¡®s truly harsh treatment and, most importantly, before she was brought back to life the first


    time. Just a child who didn¡®t understand why her mate didn¡®t love her; confused as to what she needs to


    do in order to fulfil the role everyone expects of her. Someone who still has hope that things will work


    out.


    *Thump, thump*...


    My heart. I could hear it pounding loudly in my chest, screaming at me to reconsider. To walk away and


    not enter through the doors in front of me.


    *Thump, thump... thump, thump... thump, thump*...


    I looked down at the tray in my hand, reviewing the amount of preparation I¡®d put into organising this. It


    was a small gesture and yet I was hopeful that he would acknowledge my effort.


    Really, it had been Sophie¡®s idea. She¡®d suggested that I find out what he enjoyed¡­ what he liked to eat,


    drink... what he did for his hobbies. She told me to find ways that showed him I was at least trying to put


    effort into our rtionship.


    ¡®*¡°¡®You need to be bolder, braver,¡± *¡® she had said to me. ¡°¡®*He¡®s never going to love you if you don¡¯t prove


    to him why he should.¡±*¡±


    *¡°But we¡®re mates...,¡®*¡® I argued, confused by her suggestion. ¡®*¡°¡®I thought... I thought that meant that he


    would feel the same way as me.¡°¡®*¡®


    She then looked at me with her sad eyes, a sight that was slowly bing more and moremon


    over thesest few months, and sighed. ¡°*¡°This man is an Alpha, Aria, and predicted t


    o be the most powerful one at that. You were fated to help him achieve that goal. So¡­ help him.¡°*


    ¡­But it was so much easier said than done.


    Aleric and I had been mates for over a year now but I still struggled with how to properly show him how I


    felt. He was cold, unreadable, imposing¡­ impossible to understand. And yet I loved him. Loved his


    quiet, unquestionable aura, his strength... the way he made my body shiver when he was close. It¡®s just


    that he didn¡¯t see me that way¡­ yet.


    ¡­So what do you give a man who already has everything?


    What do you do so that he¡®ll maybe look at you with the affection you so badly crave?


    A tray of treats and tea delivered to his office? Would he even want to be bothered right now?


    He normally allocated time for me in his schedule for¡­ mate things. Unfortunately, today wasn¡¯t one of


    those days. He would probably be spending the night with Thea again since she normally kept his bed


    warm during the week.


    Soon, though. Soon she would be leaving. Everyone had told me so. ¡®A mistress can¡®tpete with a


    mate,¡®they all said. ¡®He¡®ll get bored of her eventually.¡¯


    But I hated waiting... and I wanted to see him even if it wasn¡®t one of my designated days. Being around


    him made my wolf happier and made me feel better too. Would it be possible to help him see that I could


    do everything Thea could? ...That I could make him happy if he just gave me a chance?


    ¡®I shouldn¡®t do this,¡®I thought, quickly talking myself out of it. ¡®I¡®m only going to annoy him.¡®


    But my wolf whined inside, wanting to see her mate. She was too greedy sometimes, too demanding.


    Didn¡¯t she see the way he looked at us? How much he didn¡®t want us around?


    I sighed, caving to her pining.


    ¡®Fine.¡¯


    Taking a deep breath, I extended my hand... and hesitantly knocked on the office door.


    A moment of silence instantly followed, something that dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Was he


    ignoring me? Was I wrong in thinking he was even here right now?


    But no, I could smell he was in there. I¡®d followed his scent all the way from his quarters this morning


    until it lead me to the general office downstairs. He was in there, I was sure.


    ¡°...Who is it?¡± his voice then called out from the other side.


    ¡®I should turn back. It¡®s not toote. I can just apologise and leave quickly...¡®


    ¡°Umm... sorry! I didn¡®t¨C.¡±


    ¡°...Come in, Ariadne.¡± to the


    hottest The Chrysalis tits Killer


    Toote.


    The only thing stopping my hands from violently shaking was knowing that if I dropped this tray outside


    his front office, that it would be even scarier than going in to face him. I needed t o keep myposure


    or all of this was going to be so much worse.


    As best I could with one hand, I maneuvered the door open, twisting the handle, and lightly pushed it


    ajar.


    ¡­And instantly regretted intruding.


    Aleric sat at his desk, documents sprawled everywhere, and was apanied by three Elders.


    They were in a meeting... and I¡®d just interrupted.


    One of the Elders I recognised immediately as Elder Luke. How could I not know who he was? Inside the


    pack vault, I¡®d avidly read all of his political strategies from thest five years and immensely enjoyed the


    way he tackled a lot of the major issues surrounding pack rtions. He was a genius in his field and I


    held nothing but respect for him.


    Though it was a little strange I hadn¡®t realised Aleric was in a meeting. For whatever reason, I hadn¡®t


    noticed the extra scents that lead through the door. Maybe I was just too focused on just the one very


    intoxicating one of my mate.


    ¡­A mate whose cold eyes were now ring at me, piercing the small ounce of confidence I¡®d tried to


    muster up beforeing in here.


    The air was tense, serious, the sort of atmosphere you wouldn¡®t normally want to intrude on. They were


    all huddled around where Aleric sat, their eyes now all on me expectantly to exin why I had


    interrupted.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Aleric asked impatiently.


    I quickly looked down at my hands to where I held the tray, my mind flustered. This had been a terrible


    idea.


    ¡°I¨CI just umm...,¡± I stuttered.


    ¡®Pathetic.¡¯


    I couldn¡®t even speak properly now. Was this really the best I could do?


    I took another deep breath and looked back up towards him, willing myself to at least get through to the


    end of this interaction with a shred of my dignity left. I was a Luna. His Luna. I coulde to see him if I


    wanted to... right?


    ¡°I know how hard you¡¯ve been workingtely¡­ with the Silver Lake war and everything,¡°I continued,


    finally meeting his cold eyes. ¡°I just... I thought you might like something to help keep you going.¡±


    preparations of dites


    He stared back at me, his facepletely unreadable. Almost as if waiting for me to get to the point.


    ¡°I prepared it all myself¡­ apologies, if it¡®s not to your liking.¡±


    The three Elders then turned to look at Aleric, waiting to see what his reaction would be. It wasn¡¯t often


    Aleric and I interacted in public so their curiosity was probably piqued. Though I was sure they already


    knew of his distaste for me by now.


    Aleric then sighed and let go of the papers from his hand.


    ¡°Fine. You can leave it on the table here,¡± he said, pointing to an empty space on the desk.


    My heart leapt a little at his approval. He hadn¡®t instantly rejected the idea... but that could have just been


    because there were others present.


    Without wasting any more time, I quickly walked over to leave the tray where he instructed, doing my


    best not to cause any further trouble for him.


    ¡­But I couldn¡¯t stop my eyes as they naturally wandered over to the documents in front of him.


    War correspondence, schematics, and field reports littered the area before him, filling the space so much


    I was surprised there had been room for the tray.


    They¡®d been at this for months, I knew that much. After Aleric had killed Alpha Tobias, the world


    seemingly descended into madness, constantly in fear that we were going to be under attack at any


    moment.


    But I had been hiding something from Aleric this entire time too. It was wrong, I knew, but I


    couldn¡®t help it.


    The truth was that I was familiar with most of the documents here already, having snuck into the pack


    vault at midnight a few times out of curiosity, a ce reserved for ranked members only. Not that I wasn¡®t


    technically a ranked member... more so Aleric had expressly forbidden me from going in there.


    Apparently, there was no reason I needed to be involved with that side of pack management, but I


    couldn¡®t seem to stop myself.


    I¡¯d always been taught growing up that a good Luna was a prepared one. And so I had studied.


    he expectations of the Elders, beyond what any Luna should have to, but it was a responsibility ced


    on me nevertheless. Somewhere along the line, I even started learning about how intricate political


    strategies could be, how much of a fascinating puzzle they could


    be.


    Sometimes, if I focused enough, it was like I could see it all ying out in my head. See how moving


    people in certain ways would lead to corrted oues, anticipating what they may do in retaliation to


    those results. Almost as if it were a game.


    And the war with the Silver Lake was proving to be one of the most interesting ones yet. I had


    Housewho¡®in the list of a kitter


    a few theories for how it could y out but was waiting to see which side would move next. Would Aleric


    end up winning the next battle? Or would their new Alpha, Caius, prove victorious?


    The problem was Aleric didn¡®t like it when I left the packhouse for too long but there wasn¡¯t much else to


    do in terms of entertainment. Looking over the war documents had be a hobby of sorts. A passion.


    Even giving me a tiny bit of a thrill when I thought of new ways to g o about certain issues.


    ¡­Suddenly, I was dragged out of my thoughts and thrown back into reality.


    Without looking, Aleric had reached out to grab something on top of the desk and identally brushed


    my arm in the process.


    ¡­And a small gasp escaped my lips.


    Sparks immediately erupted from where our skin made contact, igniting my body inside. And, just like


    every other time, a euphoric rush shivered through me. I wanted to reach out, to touch him again, to feel


    it for just a few seconds more¡­


    ¡°You can go now,¡± Aleric said, verbally dismissing me when I stood standing there without moving


    ¡°Ah, a¨Capologies,¡± I hurriedly replied, my brain still frazzled from the bond. But I quickly took a step


    backwards to leave, not wanting to tarnish the small positive experience I¡®d already aplished so far.


    ¡°I¡®ll leave you to it. I hope¡ª.¡±


    ¡°Your name is Ariadne Chrysalis, right?¡± Elder Luke then chimed in, cutting off my final words.


    I looked over at him confused, unsure why he was asking me something he already knew the answer to.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never actually had the chance to speak before, Luna,¡± he said, taking a step forward to extend


    his hand. ¡°My name is Luke Hastings, the newest Elder on the council.¡±


    I instantly looked over at Aleric for his approval but he only stared back at me expressionlessly. Was he


    okay with this? With me talking with the Elders?


    ...But wouldn¡®t it be rude if I declined his greeting?


    I quickly looked back over at Elder Luke and epted his hand, shaking it within mine.


    ¡°Yes, I¡®m familiar with your work,¡± I said quietly. ¡°You have aplished a great deal in such a short


    amount of time. It¡®s verymendable.¡±


    He chuckled and pulled away, his eyes holding a glint of deep intelligence that made me wonder


    what vast knowledge he was hiding. I was sure there was so much more he could tell m e than just


    what I¡¯d read in the reports.


    ¡°You tter me, Luna,¡± he said humbly. ¡°Though I couldn¡®t help but notice your own


    Scanned with CamScanner


    curiosity with the work we¡¯re doing here. And given that you¡®re familiar with my history, do 1 mean to take


    that as confirmation that you, too, are well studied in this field?¡±


    I chewed on the inside of my cheek, sceptical as to whether I should confess. Aleric had always made it


    clear that I wasn¡¯t meant to be involved with anything like this. My job was managing


    small affairs and events within the pack... not politics.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I don¡¯t know. Not really,¡± I said softly, taking another step back towards the door. ¡°I should probably


    be going now though. I¡®ve already taken up too much of your¡ª.¡±


    ¡°Humour me,¡± he insisted, reaching down to hand me some of the documents from the desk.


    I stared at the field report and map he¡®d given me; two documents I was already familiar with, yet were


    two documents I wasn¡¯t meant to have seen before.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumours that our Luna is as intelligent and well versed as she is beautiful,¡± he said,


    complimenting me.


    Was this his way of getting me to feel morefortable and open up that I had been sneaking i n the


    vault? Did Aleric set him up for this? To get my confession?


    I scrutinised the pages in my hand, already having several ideas on the issues they were facing, but


    knew that my opinion wouldn¡®t matter anyway. My suggestions were just silly fantasies of a young Luna,


    not that of an experienced strategist.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°...What would a girl like me know about war?¡± I nervously replied, handing him back the documents. ¡°I¡®m


    no Alpha.¡±


    Elder Luke exhaled and took them from my hand. ¡°Ah, that¡®s a shame. We¡®ve been stuck in a stalemate


    with the Silver Lake for so long now that I was looking forward to picking your brain on the matter. To get


    a fresh perspective.¡±


    ¡®Me too,¡¯I sadly agreed inside.


    I would have loved the opportunity to speak freely with Elder Luke, to revel in a proper academic


    conversation rting to the current affairs of the pack. But instead, I gave him a small smile, leaving


    towards the door once more.


    ¡°You think too highly of her,¡± Aleric muttered quietly behind me. ¡°All she knows is books. She wouldn¡®t be


    useful for anything of this nature.¡±


    His words instantly stopped me in my tracks just as my hand rested on the door handle, stinging as if he


    had just physically wounded me.


    Was that how he really saw me? Useless?


    All Aleric ever seemed to care about was winning this war, to continue climbing in power. Why was it that


    it felt as though, between his work and Thea, there just wasn¡®t any room for me?


    ...And then a thought came to me.


    Bestilling the states that is filter


    ...If I could make myself useful to him, help him get what he so desperately wanted¡­ then would he


    finally have time for me? Finally want to make time for me?


    But I was scared. Scared that, even if I did try, he would justugh off my ideas. I had no real life


    experience with any of this. All of my theories were just based on books, old records and m y own


    imagination.


    ¡°*¡±You need to be bokler, braver,¡±* Sophie¡¯s words then echoed in my head.¡±*¡±He¡¯s never going to love


    you if you don¡¯t prove to him why he should.¡°*¡±


    ¡­Was this what she had meant?


    ¡­Was this what would make him happy?


    I closed the door once more and spun back around to face the group, doing my best to keep my


    composure.


    ¡°...Was there something else?¡± Aleric asked, his cold eyes slowly filling with disdain. I could tell that he


    wanted me to leave, and do so quickly, his patience finally dwindling.


    But I pushed aside my fear. I needed to show him that I could help him, that I could add value. That I was


    worth his time.


    No, I needed to cast aside my anxiety and fulfil my purpose.


    Because if the Goddess could stand back and allow for his cold treatment of me, then perhaps this was


    all a part of her n. That she would make it so I would have to earn his love to follow him down his


    path.


    I needed to remember that I was fated to Aleric; his other half, his mate. My role was to help him achieve


    greatness and seed. It was what the Elders had already prophesied me to do.


    So all that was left for me to do was to just do it. Just as Sophie had said.


    ¡°Actually... yes,¡± I replied to him, raising my head slightly. ¡°I just realised that there was something I


    noticed when looking at the files but I forgot to mention it.¡±


    Without waiting for his invitation to proceed, I quickly walked towards the group and held my hand out to


    Elder Luke to retrieve the documents back. His eyes were filled with intrigue as he obliged my request;


    eyes that were the pr opposite to Aleric¡®s disapproving ones.


    ¡°In my opinion, your strategies so far have been fine, but too focused on brute force... no insult intended,


    of course,¡± I said beforeying the pages out on the desk in front of them. ¡°As your previous stalemate


    battles have shown, you¡®re never going to seed against someone like Alpha Caius with just


    landscape strategies and strength alone. You need to think more outside the box. Aleric¡®s skill in battle is


    an asset, for sure, but so is the way Caius can manipte his men so easily. And an army of men who


    are motivated will always prevail over one that isn¡¯t. In fact, I¡¯m sure if we didn¡¯t have Aleric, we would


    have lost this war already.¡±


    | ¡°Ariadne!¡± Aleric growled in caution, angry at my tant insult to the pack


    Beinteil


    Thrily behind a killer


    But what I had said was true. Aleric was trying too hard to catch them in tight spots but didn¡®t have the


    full strength of the people behind him to execute it correctly. It was like ying a game of chess by


    expecting to only use the king piece. The pawns were there¡­ it¡¯s just that they were all bing more


    stagnant the longer the war drew on. They were now just going through the motions, bing fodder to


    keep the war frompletely ending.


    And the result was stalemate after stalemate.


    ¡°Alpha, with all due respect, I¡¯d like to hear her thoughts through to the end,¡± Elder Luke said, appealing


    to Aleric. ¡°We¡¯ve been out of new ideas for weeks now. I think we should at least give her a chance. The


    only thing we have to lose right now is a few minutes of our time.¡±


    Aleric leaned back in his chair, his hand balled into a fist, but nodded his head anyway. I could tell that he


    didn¡¯t like me being involved. His irritation was radiating off him even if his face didn¡¯t outwardly express


    it.


    My eyes quickly flicked back and forth between the two men, sizing up the situation, questioning whether


    this was still a good idea. Would I only aplish angering Aleric beyond repair?


    ¡°Please¡­ I¡¯d like to hear the rest, Luna,¡± Elder Luke said to me, gesturing that I proceed.¡± Taking into


    consideration what you¡®ve said so far, what would you then propose we do?¡±


    I paused for a few seconds in thought, still inwardly debating whether I should find a valid reason to


    escape. However, deep down, I knew it was probably toote to do so now even if I wanted to. It would


    cause more attention if I left now than it would if I continued.


    ¡°You need to separate Caius from the bulk of his men, narrowing them down to a smaller isted group


    for Aleric to take on,¡± I said slowly. ¡°Once it¡®s a more intimate battle, it would b e easy enough to finish


    the job.¡±


    Aleric then suddenly scoffed, causing me to flinch from the abruptness, and a humourless smile formed


    on his lips. ¡°You think it¡®s that easy? Weren¡®t you the one who just mentioned thatndscape ns


    weren¡®t going to work here? You haven¡®t said anything we don¡®t already know.¡±


    I quickly then turned to look at him directly, ignoring all the things in my head that were telling me to just


    apologise and leave. To not talk back to him like I was about to.


    ¡°Actually,¡± I corrected, ¡°what I said was that those strategies wouldn¡®t work ¡®alone¡®. Caius isn¡®t going to


    just abandon his men and he¡®ll sense a trap if you try and lure him into a secluded area. No, what you


    need to do is make him think that his intel says it¡®s safe to approach. You need to make him believe that


    closing in on us is his own idea.¡±


    .


    ¡°And how would we do that, Luna?¡± Elder Luke asked politely, a small smile of encouragement on his


    face.


    ¡°You need to infiltrate their scouts,¡± I exined. ¡°Find theirmunication route, figure out


    Scanned with CamScanner


    their encryption system¡­ and then it¡¯s just a simple matter of inserting our own misinformation into the


    mix to suit our bigger agenda. They¡®ll think it¡®sing from their own team and will follow wherever we


    lead them; especially if we mention Aleric isn¡¯t present.¡±


    The room then became deathly quiet as they all took in what I¡¯d said, showing mixed expressions


    towards my suggestion. It was unnerving, to say the least.


    ¡°Here,¡± I continued, pointing to a semi-closed off area on the map. I needed an excuse to look back down


    before Ipletely cracked under their pressure and lost my confidence. ¡°You should eventually try and


    lead him here for the final stand. The maps shows some good tree and rock coverage here as well as a


    large t area¡­ it will work well with Aleric¡¯s fighting style but it¡®ll still allow for a surprise attack once they


    show up.¡±


    The men all looked at each other, almost as if having a silent discussion with just their faces; one that I


    wasn¡¯t allowed to be privy to.


    It was risky, I knew that. If we uncovered themunication route but burnt our one chance, i t would be


    significantly harder to pull off the same thing a second time. They¡®d immediately rework the entire


    network and make it infinitely harder to infiltrate. In battle, it seemed the unexpected was most effective,


    but it was rare they would fall for the same trick twice.


    If we were to do this, we would need to do it right the first time.


    ¡°Ariadne, I don¡ª.¡±


    ¡° ¨C Don¡®t think I could have thought of something better myself,¡± Elder Luke said, finishing what was most


    certainly not Aleric¡®s sentence. ¡°Incredible suggestion... don¡®t you think so, Alpha?¡±


    Aleric¡¯s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing at me, and I felt as though I was going to evaporate from just


    his gaze alone. Isn¡®t this what he wanted? A new idea for how to win?


    ¡°...Yes,¡± he finally agreed, albeit reluctantly. ¡°Fine. We can try it. Who do we have avable to take the


    lead on digging up themunication route?¡±


    ¡°Beta Jarrod is currently on the front line, keeping the warriors in line...,¡± one of the other Elders chimed


    in. ¡°But Brayden is probably avable? Though I don¡®t know if this kind of work would be suitable for him.


    He¡®s also still grieving Gamma Oliver¡®s recent passing from thest battle.¡±


    ¡°What about Jonathan? Alexander? Anthony?¡± Aleric prompted. ¡°Are any of them free?¡±


    ¡°Jonathan is working surveince already on our side... but maybe Alexan¡ª.¡±


    ¨C¡°¨CI can do it,¡± I quickly cut in. ¡°¡­ I can uncover themunication trail.¡±


    ...What did I just say? Did I actually just ask to take the lead on this? I shouldn¡®t even be in this meeting


    right now, let alone making suggestions. They¡®d already indulged me enough by just listening to my idea.


    precari, Andito


    tuttoysalisezi a killing


    But a part of me had already decided that this was what I wanted to do, adamant on staying true to my


    earlier conviction to help Aleric. This was what the Goddess wanted, I was sure.


    ¡°...I¡®ve thought of a few trails that they could be using,¡± I continued. ¡°All you¡¯d need to do is permit me


    ess to a scouting team so I can send them out and confirm the correct one. Just one or two of the


    better trackers would be fine. They just need to know how to cover their own scents once they¡¯ve


    discovered the route.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve put an awful lot of thought into this for someone who merely nced at a few documents briefly,¡±


    Aleric said, his statement implying that he realised I had probably been looking into this much earlier


    than I led on.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ very passionate about our pack,¡± I replied, choosing my words carefully. ¡°The state of affairs has


    been weighing down on me for some time and I found sce by thinking in¨Cdepth about our current


    situation. Excuse me for keeping my worries from you.¡±


    Not necessarily a lie... but definitely not the truth. Could he tell?


    ¡°Aleric¡­ please,¡± I then found myself continuing. ¡°Please let me show you that I can do this. Put your


    trust in me just this once. I promise you won¡®t regret it.¡±


    I held my breath, waiting for his permission. Waiting for him to acknowledge me even the tiniest bit¡­ to


    allow me a foot in the door and show him I could be useful if he just let me. Not a scared young girl... but


    a partner.


    Eventually, he sighed, waving a hand towards me. ¡°Fine, whatever. Get it done. You have a week.¡±


    ¡°Alpha-,¡¯ Elder Luke started to protest, realising the time frame set was ridiculously short.


    But I cut him off before he could speak for me.


    ¡°¨CI ept,¡± I instantly agreed. ¡°Thank you for the opportunity.¡±


    It didn¡®t matter if the task seemed impossible. This was just another test of mymitment and I would


    prove to him that I could handle it.


    Already I could feel the butterflies in my stomach making me feel breathless over his small eptance¡­


    but I wanted more. I needed more. I would make him see me as the person I was meant to be, that the


    Goddess wanted me to be.


    Tomorrow would mark the beginning of something new, I was sure. Something that would set us on the


    path we were destined for.


    ...And, deep down, I had a feeling that maybe... just maybe... things were only going to get better from


    here.


    if you want to read more novel, soment me.. i will publish within 2 hour

 Chapter 109: Book 2 – Chapter 1

    Chapter 109: Book 2 ¨C Chapter 1


    ¡°Do you want to get out of here?¡± I whispered intimately into his ear.


    The question was followed closely behind by my hand moving down his leg as he sat next to me,


    leaving no room for doubt in his mind over my intentions. There was only one conclusion to be made by


    my question


    This was all it would take, I knew. A suggestion, a warm touch, a small smile from a pretty girl. Enough


    to convince them toe with me. And convince them I did as he eagerly stood up at my proposal.


    ¡°Where did you have in mind?¡± he asked as he helped me to my feet.


    He moved in close, wrapping an arm around my waist, and tried to lean in for a kiss but I instantly


    moved back to pause him.


    ¡°No, not here,¡± I said, my eyes darting around at the crowded bar. ¡°But I think there is somewhere we


    can go out back.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second and immediately grabbed my hand, allowing me to lead him


    through the backdoor to the alleyway behind the establishment. An alleyway where many less than


    honest activities took ce. The kind of spot a girl would not want to find herself alone on a night out,


    as was consistent with this side of town.


    But it was due to that very reputation that I was here now today. Some might say that I was


    ustomed to the danger.


    ¡°This is far enough,¡± I said as I pulled him to the side, cing his hands on my waist.


    ¡°¡­Here?¡± he asked confused, looking at our dirty surroundings.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to¡­ I don¡¯t know, find a motel or something?¡±


    But I simply pressed my body up against his and nibbled on his ear sensually, wrapping my arm around


    his neck.


    ¡°I like the excitement of possibly being caught,¡± I whispered.


    And I felt as his lower region quickly responded to my words, pressing through the fabric of his pants.


    Those were thest words exchanged before he moved in to hastily kiss me, his hand travelling up the


    side of my thigh, under my dress, and squeezing greedily at he found flesh there. He waspletely


    focused on me, his desire evident as he continued to touch me wherever he could.


    Something that I allowed him to do, giving him what he wanted.


    But there were also other things to consider here. Ones that needed careful preparation.I moaned a


    little for him and directed his lips to my neck, holding his head in ce there as he kissed my skin. And


    whilst his attention was entirely absorbed on the task I¡¯d set for him, I took a moment to bring my free


    hand up to my eye level over his shoulder¡­ and check my watch.


    ¡­I only had a few more moments before it started. I needed to time it perfectly.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re so hot,¡± he grunted, still kissing and groping me.


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± I asked back breathily. ¡°What else do you like?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Everything,¡± he said.


    ¡°I like everything¡­ I don¡¯t even know your name but I¡¯ve never wanted someone so much.¡±


    That was true. I hadn¡¯t told him my name but I think he¡¯d told me his. What was it again? Daniel?


    David? Dustin? No¡­ Dale. His name was Dale.


    ¡°And what do you want to do to me?¡± I asked.


    I could hear it now¡­ the sound of voices approaching down the alleyway,ing in from the direction


    of the main street. I became so focused on it that I didn¡¯t even hear what answer Dale responded with


    Something about his junk or something,


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s so sexy.¡± I replied back automatically, feeling as he was clumsily trying to pull my dress up


    more


    I nced back at my wristwatch, double-checking it for confirmation,


    ¡­And saw it was time,


    It was at that exact moment that a group of men then rounded the corner of the building, heading


    towards the back entrance of the bar. The same entrance that they always entered through at eleven


    o¡¯clock on Thursday nights, ready for their weekly poker game. A ritual I was familiar with


    It was now or never.


    ¡­And I pushed against Dale in my arms, screaming for help.


    ¡°Get off me!¡± I yelled, trying to pull away.


    ¡°Someone help! Please!¡±


    But out of sheer confusion about the situation, Dale held on, unsure what was happening.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked in shock, taken off-guard by my sudden change in demeanour.


    ¡°Please! Please stop!¡±


    I continued to try and escape, making a scene of the entire encounter. Screaming and carrying on as I


    tried to do so.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡± a man¡¯s voice called out. One of the men in the group who had just arrived.


    I quickly looked up towards him with tears in my eyes, pleading with just my gaze alone for him to


    rescue me. That someone else intervene before it was toote.


    ¡°Help me! This man dragged me out here¡­ please! I-I just want to go home.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Dale said adamantly, instantly taking his hands off me.


    As his grip released from my waist, I fell backwards to the ground and scooted a few feet away. Trying


    to get as far away as possible. A response that made Dale take a step towards me, still not reading the


    situation correctly.


    But the message was made clear when I promptly flinched away.


    ¡°I think thedy asked for you to back off,¡± said the man, breaking away from his group to approach


    ¡°She clearly doesn¡¯t want you here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Dale eximed.


    ¡°She was the one who asked me out here! She wanted it!¡±


    And I cried into my hands, my shoulders shaking with every sob.


    ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t know what to tell you, mate. I¡¯m going to say that¡¯s probably not the case, but perhaps just


    forget the whole situation and you head off home, yeah? Sleep off the drink?¡±


    ¡°What?! I¡¯m not even, that¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ fuck. Whatever, stupid bitch.¡±


    With ast huff in frustration, Dale quickly left the scene sprouting curses and insults my way the entire


    time. Something that didn¡¯t do him any favours as I continued to cower on the ground sobbing.


    ¡°Are you okay, littledy?¡± asked the man, walking over to me.


    He held out a hand for me to take, offering to assist me back up to my feet, but I simply took a moment


    to look up at the face of my saviour, my rescuer, my knight in shining armour.. my target. I looked up at


    the man known as Miles Kennedy


    And I gave him a bittersweet smile.


    ¡°¡­I owe you my life,¡± I cried, gently brushing away the tear on my cheek.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can ever repay you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. Let me help you up.¡±


    I took his hand gratefully and allowed him to lift me, shivering and holding my arms around my torso


    once done


    ¡°Y you¡¯re so kind,¡± I said, ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t worry about it. Do you have someone you can call? A ride home?¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ I came here alone on a blind date¡­ Oh, God, I¡¯m so stupid. Why did I think this was a good


    idea?¡±


    He moved and touched my shoulder kindly. ¡°Hey, now, don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. There are some


    pretty scummy people out there.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡®Just like you, Mr Kennedy, I thought to myself inside. But I didn¡¯t speak the words aloud.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let us take you home? We can make a quick drop off before poker, right boys?¡±


    And the group of men murmured in agreement amongst themselves.


    ¡°Oh, could you?¡± I gasped. ¡°That would be amazing. I¡¯m so lucky you found me. There really are some


    good people left in the world.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re parked just around the corner. C¡¯mon.¡±


    He lightly held a hand to my elbow and directed me towards the main street, the group of four men


    following behind us. To any onlookers, it might have looked strange, but that wasn¡¯t something we


    needed to worry about in these parts. Because in a ce like this, people would prefer to divert their


    gaze away rather than look too closely.


    But this was the kind of environment you found men like this. Men who had less than legal means of


    making money, scavenging in the dirt to do whatever was profitable. And, unfortunately for them, today


    was not going to be their day.


    Turns out that sometimes those dodgy business practices cane back to bite you. That, when the


    little fish starts biting at the shark¡¯s food, trying to get a cut they aren¡¯t entitled to, sometimes there are


    consequences to those decisions.


    Today, Miles Kennedy was that little fish, and I would be acting as the shark. Or¡­ maybe ¡®shark¡¯ wasn¡¯t


    the right word¡­ maybe¡­.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, by the way?¡± Miles asked as he opened the passenger side door for me.


    I sat downfortably on the plush leather seat before turning to look up at him with an overly sweet


    smile.


    ¡°You can call me Raven.¡±

 Chapter 110: Book 2 – Chapter 2

    Chapter 110:Book 2 ¨C Chapter 2


    ¡°Pretty narne,¡± Miles said, sliding into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°My apartment isn¡¯t far. If you could drop me off there, I would appreciate it.¡± Miles promptly started the


    ignition of the car and began driving per the instructions I gave him.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a very long journey but I used every second to think over all the little details in my head.


    Making sure there was absolutely no room for error.


    Because errors could mean death. However, the entire time I could feel the gaze of some of the men in


    the back, making my skin crawl ufortably. I knew what they were thinking about me. I could tell


    without even looking.


    A pretty, vulnerable girl alone in their car? Yeah, it didn¡¯t take a genius. But interactions like this were


    just a part of the job. I was used to it.


    We arrived at the location I requested before too long had passed and I turned to Miles with a now


    more timid smile.


    ¡°My ce is just around the corner¡­,¡± I started, brushing some of my long ck hair behind my ear


    nervously.


    ¡°Um¡­ if it¡¯s not too much trouble, would it be okay if you walked me to my door? I think I¡¯m still a little


    bit shaken from earlier¡­.¡±


    He looked as though he were about to decline, turning his head a few times to look between his men


    and me. As if you could see him internally debating whether he should ditch them for another errand.


    But I couldn¡¯t allow for that to happen.


    ¡°Please,¡± I stressed, reaching a hand over to gently touch his knee.


    ¡°I would¡­ really appreciate it.¡± That seemed to do it.


    ¡°Alright guys, I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡±


    Two of them instantly smiled in a way that made me feel gross, the others sighed in frustration and


    leaned into their seats instead. I didn¡¯t care though. They weren¡¯t important for what I needed to do. I


    just needed them to stay out of my way.


    ¡°If you¡¯re longer than fifteen minutes we¡¯re leaving your ass here,¡± one of them said.


    Though if that threat was enough to deter Miles in any way, he didn¡¯t let it show. We exited the car and I


    started leading us towards one of therger buildings in the vicinity. And with every step I took, I made


    sure to do little subtle movements to keep his attention. A sway of my hips, a flick of my hair. Anything


    to ensure he didn¡¯t spend too long thinking about what was really happening.


    ¡°The elevator is essible via the underground garage,¡± I said, pushing open a door to let him go in


    first.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind walking me there, Miles.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡±


    But entering into what looked to be a rundown building under construction, I was sure he was going to


    notice at any moment.


    Notice how there were no cars parked anywhere¡­ Nor was this even belonging to an apartment


    complex.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the elevator¡­?¡± he asked, slowlying to a stop.¡±¡ªWait did you call me ¡®Miles¡¯? How did


    you¡­.¡±


    And it was almost as though I could physically see the gears begin to turn in his head, the realisation


    that something wasn¡¯t right now dawning on him. ¡­


    A moment I was waiting for. Before he could turn around to face me, I came up behind him and


    grabbed his hair, quickly throwing him against the wall. Using enough force to do serious damage but


    still light enough that he should have considered himself lucky. It was far better than the alternative.


    An alternative that held a more permanent oue. No, my instruction had been clear; I was to hand


    him over alive. A hindrance more than a benefit and one that required more effort. Normally, I would


    have just been done with it in a matter of seconds.


    This way required more¡­ restraint.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± he yelled out in pain as I threw him to the ground.


    Dammit. It hadn¡¯t been enough. I¡¯d held myself back too much. I moved towards him again with now


    more serious intent in my stride and reached down to grab him by the scruff of his shirt. Immediately,


    he began struggling against me, trying to get loose, but he wasn¡¯t anywhere near strong enough to get


    me to relinquish my hold.


    ¡°Get off me!¡±


    But I held on easily, lifting him up as I measured internally the right height to drop him once more. Or


    maybe it would just be easier to hit him direct 4- What are you doing?!¡± someone suddenly yelled


    behind me. I instantly spun my head around towards the voice, Miles still held firmly in my grasp, and


    saw one of his men had walked in on us.


    Fuck


    ¡°Guys! Get in here! That bitch is attacking Miles!¡± Oh, c¡¯mon. Seriously?


    One or maybe two men would have been okay. But five heavily built men who knew how to fight?


    That was concerning.


    I dropped Miles to the ground again, hoping that the force was enough to keep him down for good this


    time, and turned my attention to the neers. The four new opponents I¡¯d worked extra hard to


    avoid dealing with.


    However, unlike Miles, I didn¡¯t have any orders for how to handle them.


    I stood up straighter, rolled my shoulders back, and quickly equipped the dagger I¡¯d stashed away


    behind my dress. A weapon of choice for its manoeuvrability and¡­ silence.


    Things were about to get interesting. The first man came rushing towards me then, swinging for my


    head which I dodged effortlessly. He mustn¡¯t have realised how agile I was since I instantly countered


    his attack by slicing my dagger along his side. It had been so quick that he wouldn¡¯t have seen me do


    it.


    ¡°Argh!¡± he cried out in pain, stumbling a few feet away. He clutched at the injury, his face contorted in


    rage.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡±


    ¡®¡®Someone trained since a child to handle men like you,¡¯¡¯ I thought internally.


    ¡®¡®Someone moulded to be a weapon.¡¯¡¯


    But none of these things were said aloud as I focused entirely on the task at hand.


    Focused on my assignment.


    I took another step towards him, intending to finish the job, but then the other men came rushing


    forward to his defence. I could tell by their faces that they were now scared of me; so contrasted to the


    looks of perverted lust they held only minutes earlier. No, now I was a threat to them, an unknown, and


    far stronger than they would have expected given my small size. I wiped the dagger de against my


    dress to clean it before slowly moving into a defensive position. I would need to y it safe. It was then


    that two of them ran towards me, probably hoping to utilise the fact I was outnumbered. They each tried


    to attack from either side of me but I still managed to dodge their punches despite that. I kept moving,


    kept eluding their advances, all the while keeping them guarded with swipes of my weapon. But it was


    as we¡¯d been doing this dance for a few minutes that something then unexpectant happened.


    The tiniest sound of movement behind me.


    Miles.


    I went to turn around and confirm for myself¡­ but I was toote.


    Before I could move even an inch, suddenly the painful impact of something hitting me across the back


    of my head greeted me. ¡­And I fell to the ground.


    Ringing instantly sounded in my ears, my vision spinning. I¡¯d been too slow and had forgotten to check


    on Miles sooner. What a stupid mistake.


    I heard as something hit the floor near me and looked over to see a broken nk of wood. This would


    be the cause of the cause of the damage, Miles probably equipping it from the construction around us.


    But this situation was still manageable. With a quick swipe of the nearest man¡¯s legs, I could


    probably regain the upper hand and try again. I just needed to stay focused.


    ¡°Stay down!¡± one of them yelled, a foot promptly being pressed into my back.


    ¡­And then I felt it.


    That pressure building up inside. One apanied by my vision flickering to ck The nauseating


    feeling of something threatening to take over. I needed to get back up immediately before it was too


    late. Right now.


    Moving as quickly as I could, I abandoned my earlier n and attempted to just stand on my feet once


    more instead. Only the men were not so stupid as to allow me any advantage. They¡¯d already seen


    firsthand how dangerous I really was. With a kick to my gut, they sent me straight back down before I


    could even kneel, and I wheezed at the air around me as a result.


    No¡­ no, no, no¡­ this wasn¡¯t good. This wasn¡¯t good for any of us. Another flicker of my vision,


    another wave of nausea. I wasn¡¯t going to be able to hold off for much longer.


    ¡°You¡­ you need to stop,¡± I choked out.


    But this was only met with a round ofughter, their naivety to the actual situation evident.


    ¡°And why should we?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°So you can finish us off? Who even sent you?¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± I begged again as another kick was dealt to me.


    ¡°Please, you need to stop or¡­ or I won¡¯t be able to stop myself.¡±


    This earned me a second of confused silence. A second wasted as I felt myself approaching the tipping


    point of losing the battle inside.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will,¡± said one of them, crouching down to look at me.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll beat you some more and make you scream until you give me the answers I asked for. If


    you¡¯re a good girl then maybe I¡¯ll make those screams more¡­ beneficial¡­ for both of us.¡±


    Moreughter, more taunts, another kick to my side as I continued to squirm and try to get up.


    Normally, this would have been rtively easy for me to ovee, but I was now fighting two separate


    battles; one internally and one externally.


    ¡­But then, finally, time was up.


    I could feel it now, feel as it took over my body and pushed me aside despite resisting it with every


    ounce of energy I had.


    ¡°Oh, God¡­,¡± I whispered.


    And I looked up at the faces of the men in front of me. I looked up and told them the only thing I could


    to ensure that maybe I could sessfully fulfill this mission another day. To give Miles even the tiniest


    chance of surviving this.


    ¡°Start running,¡± was all I said. ¡­And everything turned ck

 Chapter 111: Book Two – Chapter 3

    Chapter 111: Book Two ¨C Chapter 3


    Darkness¡­ Darkness, a damp surface and an overwhelming metallic taste greeted me.


    I knew what it was before I even opened my eyes, myst memories immediately reminding me to what


    had happened. Or, at least, what had happened before I¡¯d lost consciousness. Shaking, I pulled my


    exhausted body upright to see the damage for myself. ¡­ To see the massacre


    And it was a sight that made me want to throw up.


    Bodiesid everywhere around me. Throats torn, w and bite marks riddling their skin.


    No one had survived.


    No one had survived *me*.


    I¡¯d let it happen again, too weak to stop it. If i¡¯d just regained control sooner, I could have gotten back


    up to my feet and finished them off,pleting the mission per my instructions. But¡­ no, I was a


    failure. A disappointment.


    A monster.


    The first time something like this had urred was about four years ago, after my eighteenth birthday.


    I¡¯d been in a training session with my former tutor, practising during an intense fighting session, when I


    suddenly felt the sickening change within. ¡®Former¡¯ tutor being the key word. They hadn¡¯t survived.


    Ever since then, it had felt like a constant battle inside myself. Pushing down the creature lurking below


    the surface, hoping more than anything that I didn¡¯t lose control again. Because whilst I was used to


    death in my line of work, the sheer destructive energy of the wolf beast was so unhinged that it was too


    unpredictable to be of any benefit. It was something I had no power over.


    That¡­ and I was worried about what would happen if anyone ever found out the truth. Saw wiat I truly


    was.


    And a shudder went down my spine at that very thought. However, right now, I needed to concentrate


    on damage control. I couldn¡¯t bring Miles back to bir and I knew that I would need to face the


    punishment of that failure ¨C face *his* punishment.


    But for now¡­ for now I needed to clean up. And there was only one person to call for that. Crawling


    along the ground, I began searching for the burner phone I¡¯d concealed on my person earlier. I knew it


    would most likely be wherever my clothes had been torn to shreds but prayed it hadn¡¯t been broken


    during thepse. Thankfully, I managed to find it after some unpleasant digging *Hello?¡± sung an overly


    positive volce on the other side, picking up after only two rings. I wisud at trvlr greeting, finding it so out


    of ce given the grim scene surrounding me.


    ¡°Zac,¡± I replied. My voice waspletely serious, hoping he¡¯d pick up on the less than subtle hint.


    ¡°Rae? Is that you, girl?¡± Sigh.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve got a level five situation at the construction site on Smith Street. Immediate assistance is


    required,¡±


    ¡°W-wait, what? A level fi¡ª,¡±


    ¡°Yes. See you soon.¡±


    And I instantly hung up the phone, slumping myself back against a pile of building materials, too


    exhausted to do anything else.


    For now, I would need to wait.


    And wait I did for the next thirty minutes before a van finally pulled up on the scene, anky young man


    with blonde hair getting out from the driver¡¯s seat to assess his surroundings.


    Though after taking only one look at the mess around me, his face instantly paled.


    ¡°Oh, God, Rae¡­ Gross,¡± he started.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding about the level five. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve left such a gory scene behind


    and I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve missed it.¡±


    He walked behind to the boot of his van and opened it up to retrieve what he needed. The first item


    being gloves which he promptly equipped. Zac was a professional, after all.


    He originally had been working for his parent¡¯s cleaningpany for a few years, one that specialized


    in crime scenes, and naturally we¡¯d crossed paths with one another given my line of work. Before long,


    he was operating closely with our ownpany, treating us with a customer priority regardless of the


    time of day or how bad the mess was ¨C no questions asked, of course.


    My boss took a shine to him and he was eventually brought in full time as one of our own employees.


    Though somehow, in those years of us seeing each other, Zac had wrongly begun to assume we were


    much closer than we were. That this was more than a working rtionship and, in fact, a friendship.


    ¡°¡­Hey, I thought this one was meant to be brought in alive,¡± he added, grabbing more equipment.


    ¡°Why go to the effort of making it look like an animal attack?¡±


    Because it was one.


    But I didn¡¯t reply, the subject still too touchy right now. Instead, I merely gritted my teeth silently.


    ¡°And do you have to do it while naked?¡± he continued, still not reading my mood.


    ¡°Girl, if this is some kind of weird kink then I feel bad for anyone you sleep with.¡±


    Feeling done with the conversation, I stood up and began walking towards him. I didn¡¯t have the


    patience for his questions anymore and wanted to return home.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did you bring me some clothes?¡± I asked, still not addressing hisst statement.


    Heughed at my unwillingness to talk and turned back to the van to retrieve what I needed.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, here. Lighten up, I¡¯m just joking with you.¡± I quickly grabbed the clothes and started


    pulling them on, hating how they clung to me ufortably. All I could think about was how badly I


    wanted a shower, hoping to wash away at least some of my frustration along with the blood.


    ¡°Still so cold with me,¡± he sighed dramatically in feint offense, a hand over his heart. But I just muttered


    a ¡®thanks¡¯ and left towards where I¡¯d parked a car earlier in the day. The n had been to drive off with


    Miles as soon as I¡¯d knocked him unconscious, handing him over before anyone was made aware.


    What a disaster that had turned into.


    Zac was stillughing behind me as I left, but it was as I¡¯d walked a few feet that I suddenly heard him


    abruptly stop, almost as if pausing in thought. ¡°Oh¡­ and Raven?¡± he called out.


    His tone of voice had changed, the humour absent from where it had been only moments before. And,


    reluctantly, I turned around to face him.


    I could see how his eyes now held a sharpness to them, an intelligence there that made me freeze. Not


    the jokester, buddy-buddy friend that he¡¯d acted as upon his arrival, but the kind of man who could hide


    your body without leaving even a drop of evidence behind.


    The real face of Zac Greene.


    I didn¡¯t speak, instead just continuing to meet his gaze unwavering as he spoke. ¡°¡­The boss wants to


    see you,¡± he informed me. This had to be a joke. I couldn¡¯t see how this day could get any worse.


    ¡°You told him?¡±


    ¡°You know all scenes higher than a level three need to be reported,¡± he said.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it from him forever. He¡¯s your old man, after all.¡±


    I knew it would be reported eventually but I just hadn¡¯t expected it to be so soon. I¡¯d thought that I¡¯d at


    least have some time to collect my thoughts before facing him.


    To have a moment to breathe and calm down. Because to throw me inside a cage and be told to fight


    to the death would be far less terrifying than facing him. Than facing *my father*.


    He was the boss of ourpany and one of the most influential men in our entire country. A


    businessman with a worth higher than any one person should need¡­ and a less than honest


    means of acquiring that status. Only a man such as him would make deals in the form of death and


    deceit.


    Whatever was good for business, no matter the cost. God forbid you ever crossed him unless you


    wanted to find yourself in a situation like Miles was in no


    I swallowed back my nerves, feeling anxious for the first time in many months. The feeling of fear inside


    the deepest depth of my gut, making me have to work harder to reign in the sensations threatening to


    overwhelm me. To remind myself of my training and keep calm.


    It would be fine though. He was my father. I¡¯d just¡­ exin to him that it happened again. That they


    got the drop on me and took me unaware. That I lost control. But I groaned internally at that thought. I


    was meant to be better than this¡­ and he would know it. No, I would need to face my punishment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so grim, Rae,¡± Zac said, his face easing into a friendly smile once more. ¡°It¡¯s not the end of


    the world.¡±


    And I could only hope that was true.

 Chapter 112: Book 2 – Chapter 4

    Chapter 112: Book 2 ¨C Chapter 4


    ¡°Come in,¡± said a deep voice on the other side of the door.


    I¡¯d only had to wait a few seconds for his response after knocking, but I wished there hadn¡¯t been a


    reply at all. More than anything else, I just wanted to walk away. I wanted him to not be there waiting for


    me in his office. But that wasn¡¯t the case.


    After leaving the construction site, I¡¯d done only the bare minimum in fixing my appearance before


    coming here. Showering within a few minutes and changing into some more appropriate clothing as


    quickly as possible.


    After all, I wouldn¡¯t be able to show myself in the state I¡¯d been in after the ident.


    There was no backing out now. With one final deep breath, I pushed open the door and faced the man I


    knew would be there.


    Even in the dim light of his office, I could still make him out clearly as he sat behind his desk. His clean-


    cut dark hair and expensive suit only adding to his imposing presentation, his blue eyes having a way


    that made you want to squirm away under their gaze. This was the man many feared¡­ and rightfully


    so.


    ¡°My sweet Raven,¡± he greeted, standing up as I entered. I moved to the centre of the room and avoided


    his eyes, casting my own down to the ground in a sign of submission and apology.


    ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting, sir,¡± I said.


    ¡°I came here as quickly as I could.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ yes, understandable.¡±


    I heard as he walked around the desk to stand in front of me, his handing up to pinch under my


    chin. Instantly, my pulse began to quicken. What would be the punishment waiting for me this time?


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he instructed, pushing my head up.


    ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±


    There was no point in lying to him. He would find out the truth even if I tried to deceive him. He always


    did. There was no such thing as hiding a secret from Eric Reid.


    ¡°I failed to bring in Miles Kennedy alive, sir,¡± I answered slowly.


    ¡°I apologize for my carelessness.¡±


    He clicked his tongue three times in disapproval, causing me to flinch involuntarily in surprise at the


    abrupt sound. Despite that though, I still remained firmly in his grasp.


    ¡°So disappointing, Raven,¡± he scolded, ¡°So unlike you.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I¡­ I lost control,¡± I admitted,


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    And I felt as his grip then tightened on me, his other handing up to wipe something away from my


    temple. Upon him inspecting it closer-up, I saw that it was blood. I must have missed a spot in my


    haste to get here as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Such a pretty girl on the surface, my Raven¡± he mused, looking at his hand as he rubbed his


    finger and thumb together, removing the blood as if he¡¯d just picked up some dust.


    ¡°Yet looks aren¡¯t everything, as we well know. Did anyone see you?¡± His eyes flicked back to my own


    as he asked the question, shooting ice-cold fear through me.


    ¡°N-no, Father,¡± I answered.


    ¡°There were no survivors. Zac is the only person I¡¯ve been in contact with prior toing here and I


    had already reverted by then. He didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    He held my gaze for a few seconds, almost as though he were trying to see if I were actually telling the


    truth.


    Evidently, he felt assured by my response in the end.


    ¡°Good,¡± he simply said.


    And, finally, I felt his grip on my face ease off slightly, allowing me a moment of reprieve to breathe.


    ¡°You need to be more careful,¡± he said.


    ¡°Do you want people to lock you away and experiment on you? Never forget that you cannot trust


    anyone. A parent¡¯s love may be unconditional, but others will never understand and ept you for


    what you are.¡±


    I could feel as tears wanted to sting at my eyes but I bit them back, knowing that showing weakness


    would not help my situation or appease him in any way. If anything, it would only make things so much


    worse. But I knew I shouldn¡¯t let it weigh on me too much. It wasn¡¯t as though I hadn¡¯t heard these


    words countless times before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father,¡± I whispered.


    I didn¡¯t want to speak too loudly, not trusting my own voice. But relief immediately flooded through me


    when he took a step away, and I watched as he walked back to his desk to sit down.


    With a quick shuffle in the draw next to him, he proceeded to pull out two sses filled with what


    looked to be whisky.


    Whisky¡­ and a small stic bottle I was all too familiar with. It was my medicine to help with anxiety


    and post ¡®ident¡¯ side effects.


    ¡°Here, take it,¡± he said, holding them out towards me.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t need to worry¡­ I won¡¯t be sending you for punishment.¡±


    I quickly approached to grab the items, not wanting to test his patience.


    ¡°T-thank you, sir,¡± I stammered in shock.


    He held up the ss in a ¡®cheers¡¯ and I reciprocated the gesture before taking out one of the small pills


    from the bottle. In one swift movement, I downed the drink and the pill without wasting even a second.


    I¡¯d never been more grateful for alcohol than in that moment.


    ¡°¡­Because I will be needing your presence tomorrow,¡± he continued.


    ¡°The mayor is holding a charity event and, with Miles now gone, itplicates several issues I was


    currently dealing with. Namely¡­ there are important documents I believe could now be in the wrong


    hands. I¡¯ve been told those ¡®hands¡¯ are attending the event tomorrow.¡±


    There were only two reasons I was ever brought to these events; as security¡­ or, in rare


    circumstances, as a spy. Given his emphasis on ensuring I didn¡¯t inflict injury during punishment, I


    could only assume it was thetter option.


    A few bruises weren¡¯t of any concern if I were merely there waiting in the shadows as a security


    precaution.


    Facing important acquaintances though? Well, that required a high level of attention to my


    appearance.


    But the people at these high-ss events weren¡¯t stupid. They would already know too well who my


    father really was under his businessman fa?ade and would keep their distance.


    Most people knew but it was just that no one had the power to do anything about it. Father had his


    hand in so manyworks that it was impossible to ever pin anything on him. Given that, I wasn¡¯t


    exactly sure how I could be of any use¡­ unless¡­ unless he was hoping that I¡¯d help with a more


    *intimate* persuasion. ¡­But who¡­?


    ¡°Ah¡­ and who will I be bing *acquainted* with?¡± I said delicately, trying to phrase it the best way I


    could


    Immediately, fatherughed so loudly that I almost dropped the ss from my hand.


    ¡°Sharp as always,¡± he said, a dark smile spreading across his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m unsure of who exactly has the documents, but I have managed to pinpoint it to one family who


    Miles was close with. His warehouse bordered theirnd, a smaller town just north of here. Certainly


    not the bustling city we live in, but it¡¯s quaint. Has a certain¡­ small charm, I suppose. Their own mayor


    is meant to be in attendance tomorrow.¡±


    A town up north..? Nothing immediately came to mind, but perhaps they were too small to be


    mentioned during my studies. As far as I knew, it was mostly just wilderness up north.


    ¡°Take this,¡± my father said, handing me a mani folder.


    ¡°It has everything we know about him which, truthfully, isn¡¯t a lot. I trust in your training to handle it


    appropriately though. Just do as you do best. sh him that smile of yours.¡± I shifted ufortably at


    the thought, wondering how best this should be handled. Upon a quick nce at the folder, it looked as


    though the man, Victor, was a fair bit older. Married, even. Though no details of the wife. Widowed


    perhaps? How best to persuade a man was always a risky game without the full details. I would need


    to tread carefully.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I replied, ncing back up at him from the papers.


    Only it was then that I noticed his expression didn¡¯t match the light-hearted tone of his voice just now,


    instead finding his eyes boring into mine.


    ¡°¡­You cannot fail this time, Raven,¡± he said sternly. His words felt more like a mixture of both an


    order¡­ and a threat.


    ¡°The documents pertain to my business. Just find out if Miles sent the papers and then immediately


    disappear again. We¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, father.¡±


    That was thest thing we spoke about before I left back to my room. I already knew what would be


    expected of me tomorrow night and knew there were things to organize prior to the event. Now all that


    was left to do was prepare myself.


    But upon finishing what I could, and despite my exhaustion, I found I still couldn¡¯t sleep well,


    The entire night I was gued by fits of nausea and nightmares. Nightmares of a wolf running through


    the forest, searching for something within its depths.


    Not the kind of peaceful naivety you¡¯d expect a beast to feel as they lived out a carefree life¡­ but one


    of purpose. As if being beckoned forward by something¡­ or someone, It was as if the ck wolf and I


    were one, though I watched on only as a spectator.


    Observing silently as it sprinted through the trees with an increasing desperation, showing no signs of


    slowing. Running faster and faster ¡­ running until, finally, a cloaked figure stood before it.


    This is who they had been searching for, I could tell. The wolf¡¯s demeanor instantly changed to one of


    relief from its prior panic, walking closer until it finallyid before the person waiting there.


    But, with a jolt of surprise, it was not the wolf who the figure then addressed¡­ but rather myself.


    As their arm slowly came up, I mutely watched as a slender hand reached out towards me in invitation,


    managing to also catch a glimpse of a feminine chin from inside the darkness of the hood.


    ¡­And it was within that glimpse that I then saw her lips as they started to speak.


    ¡° Raven,¡± a different voice suddenly interrupted, cutting her off. And, with that, my eyes instantly flew


    open.

 Chapter 113: Book 2 – Chapter 5

    Chapter 113: Book 2 ¨C Chapter 5


    ¡°Raven, wake up.It¡¯s midday already,¡± continued the voice I¡¯d just heard. I pulled myself up and winced,


    touching my forehead gently. A loud thumping pulsed painfully inside as a headache immediately


    looked to greet me. It seemed this day was already off to a great start.


    ¡°Raven!¡± the voice called again.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake!¡± I yelled back.


    Two minutes. That¡¯s all I was asking for. Two minutes to wake up and process¡­ whatever the hell


    *that* had been. I could still recall it vividly, witnessing what I could only assume was the form I took


    when I became the beast. Perhaps this was my consciousness manifesting it.


    Appearing inside my nightmare due to how prevalent it had been on my mind prior to sleeping.


    After all, they say that dreams hold significance to the things you are worried about when awake.


    Nheless, it was still surprising to see its appearance for the first time; if that depiction was even


    urate at all. A coat of fur as dark as my hair with fearsome eyes. Was that truly thest thing some


    people saw before their death?


    I shuddered at that thought. Regardless, I had to do my best to push it out of my mind as there were


    more important things to worry about today.


    And with that final thought, the door then swung open revealing an older man with greying hair. He


    might have even been considered handsome for his age if it weren¡¯t for the several scars marring his


    face¡­.


    ¡°Get the fuck out of bed and get your ass to the gym,¡± he said sharply


    .¡­


    And if it weren¡¯t for his terrible attitude. My eyes narrowed slightly at the intrusion, but I kept my calm.


    I¡¯d found it better not to get angry with my new tutor, Gavin.


    Though nowhere near aspetent as his deceased predecessor, he still was a formidable opponent


    in a fight. One with a temper as short as his patience. And with that overbearing attitude, probably


    compensating for something else just as short.


    ¡°I have an event tonight, sir,¡± I exined politely, forcing myself to appease him.


    ¡°I¡¯m expected to make an appearance in front of many important people. The boss should have already


    told you that I need to look my best.¡±  He snorted in augh.


    ¡°No amount of make-up is going to help you if you keep sitting on yourzy ass. Besides, I don¡¯t see


    how training would interfere with the event.¡±


    ¡°And when I¡¯m presented to these people covered in bruises from training, how do you suppose I


    exin that without a formal investigation being started? ¡­*Sir*¡± I tilted my head and stared him down,


    waiting for his reply.


    But instead of his brow furrowing slightly in the realisation that I was correct, like what I was expecting,


    instead he did theplete opposite.


    ¡­He smirked.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯ll be any issues runningps, then?¡±. Goddammit.


    Four hourster my training session was finally done, leaving me with only a few hours to get ready for


    the charity event.


    And whilst Gavin¡¯s inability to give me even a single day off certainly was a hindrance, what was most


    important now was to ensure I looked immacte for the special assignment I¡¯d be workinge


    nightfall.


    Something easier said than done given the dark circles under my eyes. In preparation for the mission,


    I¡¯d memorised everything that the mani folder had listed on this foreign mayor, Victor Lycroft.


    But despite that information, and despite the fact I¡¯d had many missions far more difficult than this


    before, I still felt¡­ off.


    Was it because of mypse in control yesterday? Or perhaps the pressure to ensure I didn¡¯t fail


    again?


    Or was it because I knew my punishment would be the most severe to date if I came home empty-


    handed?


    And I felt as another wave of nausea ran through me. !


    ¡°Raven!¡± a voice then yelled from down the hall.


    One of the maids. ¡­A call to inform me that it was time. Not wanting to dy any further, I quickly


    gathered my things.


    ¡°Nice of you to finally join me,¡± my father said as I slid into the limousine next to him.


    ¡°¡­Apologies for keeping you waiting, sir.¡±


    ¡°Results are all that matter,¡± he chuckled, sipping on a drink in hand.


    ¡°I can see that ck dresspliments your beauty perfectly. I doubt we¡¯ll have any issues with


    tonight¡¯s agenda, then?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯m confident we¡¯ll have no issues.¡±


    ¡°Father¡¯,¡± he corrected. ¡°You¡¯re here tonight as my daughter. Remember that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right, of course,¡± I said, forcing a small smile on my lips.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    It was so rare to attend events as Eric Reid¡¯s daughter that it was easy to forget how to act during


    those times. Not to say he wasn¡¯t my father, but my training had always been very strict growing up to


    ensure I was as beneficial as possible.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    My anonymity was considered one of the best benefits I possessed. Which was why this event was all


    the more stressful.


    Tonight, I would end up being introduced to many key figures, losing that faceless edge of the past.


    Restricting my ability to perform missions in the future.


    And it also told me one very crucial thing¡­ It told me that my father considered this mission more


    important than my best asset. So just what was so special about those missing documents?


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he said abruptly, pulling me from my thoughts, and I felt as the vehicle slowed to a stop.


    It was only secondster that a well-dressed man opened the limousine door and offered me his hand


    to help me out. Not that this was strange for this type of upper-ss event. In fact, I was grateful for the


    gesture as I took him up on it, grabbing my floor-length dress together in my free hand to avoid


    tripping.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, though I was unable to stop myself from immediately looking around at my


    surroundings.


    The ce was huge. The mayor¡¯s house was more aptly described as a mansion, all things


    considered. Vines crept up the walls of the three-story building, surrounded by a meticulously


    manicured garden on all sides.


    It was stunning, even more so than the summer homes my father owned. But there was something else


    about this ce that felt¡­ different. Something in the air. Like a feeling of restlessness I couldn¡¯t seem


    to shake. Was I still feeling sick from the night before?


    ¡°Come on,¡± my father said, gently grabbing my elbow.


    ¡°Everyone will be inside.¡±


    I allowed him to lead me up the stone steps and through a set ofrge double doors that stood at the


    threshold.


    Inside was much of the same; an interior to match its impressive exterior. I admired some of the fine art


    and decorations they had on disy as my father led me through the hallway.


    But it was we reached another set of doors that I became truly surprised.


    A grand ballroom was set up to amodate therge volume of people in attendance. It was by far


    the most expensive looking event I¡¯d ever personally attended, something that probably wasn¡¯t too


    difficult to aplish given this was my first time being invited to such a prestigious event.


    Or, at least, being invited to apany my father inside, as opposed to just running perimeter security


    on standby.


    ¡°Eric,¡± someone said in greeting. I quickly refocused in as a man approached.


    A man I instantly recognised as he shook hands with my father politely. He was approximately the


    same age as him but where my father¡¯s features were dark, this man¡¯s were lighter with blonde hair.


    ¡°Mayor Lewis,¡± my father replied.


    ¡°Thank you for inviting me to your lovely home. It¡¯s always a delight whenever I¡¯m able toe visit.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± he said, smiling.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine a charity event without one of our most important sponsors. And I see you brought


    along a very beautiful date tonight! You lucky man.¡± I shifted ufortably at thement but was


    thankful that my father onlyughed it off.


    ¡°Ah, that is probably my mistake,¡± he said gently.


    ¡°This is actually my daughter¡­ Raven.¡± Lewis¡¯ face immediately went to one of surprise as he took in


    my appearance once more.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such a lovely a daughter! But I can see why


    you hide her away.¡±


    *Social*.


    I needed to be social tonight. This wasn¡¯t a job I could aplish from the shadows.


    For me, this was normally the easiest part; talking to strangers and leaving a good impression.


    So why was I finding it so difficult to concentrate?


    My father must have sensed mypse in normal etiquette, and I felt as his cold eyes turned towards


    me. As if silently prompting me to get it together. Smile, Raven,¡¯ I told myself. Those were the words


    he¡¯d told me just yesterday.


    ¡­And I quickly shook off my underlying difort


    ¡°Mayor Lewis,¡± I said, forcing my lips to respond. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you. My father speaks


    of you often.¡±


    ¡­To constantlyin or discredit his policies. But he didn¡¯t need to know that part.


    ¡°Thank you so much for selflessly organising this event,¡± I continued.


    ¡°And to even do so in your very own beautiful home. I feel as though the donation from our family won¡¯t


    come close to the generosity you are showing us tonight.¡± I held out my hand and Lewis immediately


    took it, nting a small kiss in greeting on the back of it.


    ¡°And so charming,¡± he remarked to my father.


    ¡°My word, Eric, you¡¯d be best to lock this one up.¡±


    He tries sometimes.


    ¡°She works herself so hard I barely need to worry,¡± he lied,ughing.


    ¡°She¡¯s got a knack for the family business. I basically had to tear her away just toe to tonight¡¯s


    event.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    ¡­.And now he would be wondering how much of my father¡¯s ¡®business¡¯ I was actually involved with.


    Not that he would openly ask the question. There was a reason why Lewis didn¡¯t pry too hard, and it


    had a lot to do with the ¡®donations¡¯ received at events like this.


    A corrupt, yet symbiotic rtionship of sorts. Lewis¡¯ inquisitive stare lingered a few seconds longer than


    I would have liked but I held my polite smile nheless.


    Showing him that I found his remarks wee despite his jokes essentially implying I should be


    imprisoned.


    ¡°Speaking of business, Eric,¡± he said, turning back toward him.


    ¡°Did you have a chance to overlook the new city proposal? I could really use your¡­ opinion.¡±


    He meant money.


    My father¡¯s eyes darted back to me, realising that this sort of conversation wasn¡¯t one I needed to be


    privy to, and quickly went back to the mayor.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s get a drink and talk it over,¡± he said, extending a hand for Lewis to lead them to one of the


    private studies.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t be missed if we keep it brief.¡±


    And with that, the two of them began to leave.


    ¡°Make yourself at home, Raven!¡± Lewis called back out to me, right before they became lost in the


    crowd.


    I gave him a smile and a small nod in acknowledgement, but exhaled in relief the very second they


    were gone.


    ¡­A feeling of relief that was almost instantly overshadowed by my difort settling back in. It was


    almost suffocating. A sensation of needing to escape, of being on edge.


    Something that only became gradually worse as I took in the unfamiliar faces of men and women


    around me. Seeing their mixed expressions as they judged me within just the silence of their eyes


    alone. ¡­I needed some air.


    My legs began moving on their own ord, walking automatically towards the back door where a set of


    stairs led into the gardens below, and within moments I found myself amongst the green vegetation


    outside.


    A cold wind blew by me, tousling my hair and catching my dress. Only I couldn¡¯t really feel it. If


    anything, I felt as though my head was burning up, the pulsing of my earlier migraine returning


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    But I couldn¡¯t be sure; was it because of this ce¡­ or was it me?


    I continued to walk away from the event inside, allowing my body to do whatever it needed in order to


    be satiated. To lead me wherever it needed.


    And yet the further into the dark I walked, I couldn¡¯t shake the feelings churning within. As though I


    were bing weightless, breathless¡­.


    ¡­It didn¡¯t feel too dissimr to the way I felt when I lost control. Was that what was happening? Would I


    find myself in another pool of blood when I finally came to? Because I wasn¡¯t sure if I could handle such


    an ordeal so soon.


    I immediately dove into the clutch purse I brought with me, searching for the small bottle of pills within.


    Not normally something I carried with me, especially so soon after an ident. Typically, I could go at


    least another few weeks before something happened again-.


    My ears picked up on the sound of something nearby. But it wasn¡¯t just the noise that made me flinch


    and rapidly reach for the dagger secured on my back. No, I could sense it now, even amongst the other


    feelings currently overwhelming me. I could sense something stalking me from within the darkness.


    ¡­I wasn¡¯t alone. The wind picked up once more as I frantically spun my head around, looking for the


    danger. Looking for whatever wasing for me.


    Another branch. ¡­And I threw my dagger towards the noise behind me.

 Chapter 114: Book 2 – Chapter 6

    Chapter 114: Book 2 ¨C Chapter 6


    With a thud, the dagger hit its mark perfectly Only¡­ it wasn¡¯t a threat like I was expecting. No lurking


    assant,


    No, it was a tree.


    Shit


    Truthfully, as I went to retrieve my weapon, I couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat relieved. This wasn¡¯t the


    streets, nor was this a mission requiring deadly force. I was at a goddamn party, What the hell had


    gotten into me tonight?


    It was if rational thoughts and behaviours were absent. What if the sound I¡¯d heard was simply an


    animal who wandered in from the forest nearby?


    But¡­ that feeling of something being wrong. It was rare for my gut to be incorrect. And right now, my


    instincts were still screaming at me that something was happening, that something was approaching¡­


    that someone was¡­.


    Here.


    Another sound of movement behind me instantly made me react, only now it was significantly closer. In


    fact, it was right behind me. I knew if it were only a patron from the event, they would have called out to


    me or made their presence known before approaching. But this? This was something else. This was as


    if someone was intentionally sneaking up on me.


    I pulled the dagger from the tree and wielded it immediately, spinning around to defend myself against


    whoever was there. Against whatever was going to attack.


    ¡­And, instantly, it grabbed my wrist.


    Moving faster than I expected, they managed to pull my hand backwards, disarming my dagger in one


    swift movement. A technique that would need significant speed and skill to aplish. After all, my


    own ability was unnatural.


    But there was no mistaking the situation now¡­ He had me trapped. Disarmed, alone and basically


    pinned against the tree behind me. My only chance was that I could kick him in the stomach, create


    some space, assess the situation and


    And¡­


    And then the world seemed to just¡­ stop.


    Piercing through the panic in my mind, the feeling of sparks erupting along my arm soon became


    impossible to ignore. Like pleasurable tingles dancing along my skin¡­ stemming from where the man


    still held my wrist. In confuston, my eyes slowly trailed upwards, starting from where his hand still held


    me, up until, finally, I looked upon his face. Until I met his eyes. His dark eyes, staring into mine.


    Invoking an overwhelming sense of longing and familiarity inside me. As if I knew him¡­ as if I always


    had¡­ and as if he were¡­.


    As if he were¡­. Mine.¡¯


    The word was whispered inside my head. But it didn¡¯t feel like it came from me.


    Mine¡­ mine¡­ mine¡­.¡¯


    It kept repeating, bing stronger, almost as though it was trying to force itself past my lips. To


    speak aloud, for whatever reason. But I pushed it back.


    ¡°Not quite the moment I always envisioned,¡± he said.


    His voice quickly hit me and resonated inside. Like honey melting away my pain, melting away the


    burning that had been there just moments before. Now there was only him. Only his presence that


    overwhelmed and threatened to make me forget everything I knew.


    ¡®Mine.¡¯


    What was I doing again? Those lips of his drew my attention¡­ Watching them with a newfound


    curiosity. Would they be soft? Or perhaps more coarse?


    ¡®Mine.¡¯


    And that dark brown hair¡­what would it feel like to touch? To run my fingers through it?


    ¡°Do you often pull knives out on strangers?¡± he asked jokingly, his lips turning in a smile.


    ¡­That smile.


    A small expression that made me forget how to breathe for a second. It was the most perfect smile I¡¯d


    ever seen. If that was thest thing I ever saw, I would have no regrets.


    ¡°¡­Hello?¡± he prompted when I still hadn¡¯t spoken. I quickly looked back up to his eyes, finding their


    colour now different. No longer the dark orbs I¡¯d first witnessed¡­ but hazel in colour. A mesmerising


    combination of green and brown.


    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± I managed to ask, having not taken in anything he¡¯d just said to me.


    ¡°I said ¡®do you often pull knives out on strangers¡¯?¡± he repeated.


    And I immediately pulled myself out of my trance.


    ¡­Seriously, what the hell was wrong with me? I snatched my arm away from his grip and squeezed by


    the tree, making a foot or so distance between us.


    Putting aside my odd fascination, I couldn¡¯t refute the facts of my current situation. One where I had


    stupidly let my guard down against someone who had stalked me from the dark


    ¡°Woah, calm down,¡± he said, gently holding his hands up. The sentiment was partially lost though as


    one of those hands still held my dagger.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡±


    ¡°Do you often sneak up on vulnerable women without announcing yourself?¡± I asked, turning the


    question back on him.


    ¡°Attack them out of nowhere?¡± Heughed a little at that, a sound that made my body react ordingly.


    It was almost silky, coercing me to rx despite my resolve to remain guarded.


    ¡°Vulnerable¡¯ women?¡± he queried.


    ¡°Seems to me that the only ¡®vulnerable person being attacked here is myself. I wasn¡¯t the one pulling a


    dagger. You were. I guess I didn¡¯t realise it was that kind of party.¡±


    *Party.* Oh, fuck.


    It was then that I took a moment to look at his attire and noticed the tailored suit he was wearing, one


    that was fitted perfectly to his body shape. Molded along every curve to show off every one of his


    muscle *Enough*


    I pushed away those thoughts again, just long enough to piece together what this meant. ¡­That I¡¯d just


    tried to kill a guest.


    A guest of one of the most prestigious events of the year, hosted by none other than the mayor himself.


    An event that I, myself, was meant to be leaving good impressions and working towards gaining


    information. Getting myself thrown out now would mean instant failure.


    ¡­It meant punishment. It meant¡­ I needed to get out of here. Hastily gathering up my dress in hand, I


    took several cautious steps away, never taking my eyes off him as I tested to see if he nned to


    follow. But when he simply looked back at me confused, I knew it was now or never.


    ¡­And so I ran.


    I started running back towards where the house was up ahead, cursing the heels I¡¯d been obligated to


    wear, cursing my stupidity and strange behaviour. Cursing my body, my mistakes, my emotions.


    And when I reached the steps, I started running up them without even looking back. I just needed to


    make it inside first. So long as I was the initiator, I could still maybe turn this story around.


    I¡¯d just tell them he attacked me. That I was the victim. That I left for some air in the garden and he


    pulled a knife on me. Anyone could see how he was twice my size, surely people wouldn¡¯t find it too


    difficult to believe.


    I ran through the door and into the ballroom once more, scouring the room around me until I made


    contact with a set of eyes staring directly at me.


    Cold blue eyes that made me shiver.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    My father. He took one look at me and must have realised something was wrong, if not just due to my


    short absence from the event. And to my dismay, he started making his way over to me. ¡°Raven¡­


    where were you? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I uhh¡­ I¡¯m¡­,¡± I started, feeling the confliction building inside.


    ¡°Raven?¡±


    What was I meant to say? I needed time to think this through properly. But if the man came upstairs


    andpletely exposed me, then I needed to be building my version of events now.


    However, every time I went to open my mouth to start exining the lie, it was as if something inside


    me would instantly close my mouth again. Just what was this insane obsession I had with him?


    ¡°Raven? What¡¯s going¡­,¡± my father started, but his voice slowly trailed off. It trailed off as he caught


    sight of someone entering the door behind me. The very person I¡¯d just nearly killed.


    ¡°Well, this is unexpected,¡± he mused quietly to himself, his brow furrowing. The man¡¯s eyes instantly


    locked back to my own and I felt another shiver of longing spread through me. Something I quickly tried


    to shake off given that it was definitely not the time for that.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± my father greeted, walking towards him. It was only then that those hazel eyes snapped away


    from me. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here.¡±


    ¡®Kieran¡¯.


    That was his name.


    Kieran¡­ ¡®Kieran¡¯¡­ it fit him perfectly. I kept repeating it in my head, relishing the small bit of


    information I was now given.


    ¡°Apologies, have ¡®we met?¡± he asked my father, still epting his hand to shake nheless.¡± My


    memory can be terrible.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know who my father was? I tensed up at that reaction. Managing to find someone who didn¡¯t


    know my father was pretty absurd. Who in this city *didn¡¯t* know him? Unless¡­. ¡°Not for some years,¡±


    my fatherughed.


    ¡°You were still quite young when your father and I briefly met. How is Victor, these days, anyway? Is he


    not here tonight?¡± Oh¡­ Double fuck ¡­And just when I thought things couldn¡¯t get any worse.

 Chapter 115: Book 2 - Chapter 7

    Chapter 115: Book 2 - Chapter 7


    Kieran Lycroft...


    Victor Lycroft, my target¡¯s, very own son.


    How had I managed to screw things up this badly? Within twenty-four hours, it felt like my life had gone


    from being careful, structured...


    precise, into what I could only describe asplete erratic shambles.


    And worse still, it was as if I had no control.


    Control over my situation, over myself...and *especially* no control when it came to this man, Kieran.


    "Unfortunately, my father wasn¡¯t able to make it tonight," Kieran replied.


    "He had an important mattere up and sent me in his stead to extend our town¡¯s support." I could


    smell his scent so vividly, the wind now no longer masking it from me.


    So intoxicating yet inviting...I''d nevere across anything like it before.


    "A shame.But nevertheless, I¡¯m d you could join us.I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ll be taking his ce upon his


    retirement.Is itmon to elect representatives based on family in your town?"


    Kieran gave a halfugh and looked around for a second, almost as if the question made him


    ufortable.


    "We''re just all very close up north in Ashwood.My father is a great role model and inspired me to take


    over for him.I¡¯m honoured that the people @ of my town agree."


    ...His eyes then flicked back to my own, a look of curiosity and...something else that I couldn¡¯t quite


    ce mixed in.


    But whatever it was, I wanted more of it.


    "Oh, apologies, where are my manners?" said my father, extending a hand towards me.


    "Allow me to introduce you to Raven."


    "Raven? I¡¯m d to finally catch your name," he said, then turned back to Eric.


    "You know, we actually had a moment to meet in the gardens just now."


    ...Oh no...please, no.My father raised a brow in confusion.


    "Oh? Is that where she ran off to?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t believe it but...," Kieran chuckled lightly, apparently finding the whole thing hrious, "she


    must have gotten quite the scare because..."


    And it was then that Kieran finally looked back towards me, his sentence slowlying to a stop as our


    eyes met.


    ¡° ..Because...?" my father prompted.


    "Oh...She ah...," Kieran stumbled, quickly clearing his throat.


    "...She jumped in surprise.I guess I identally snuck up on her."


    "That¡¯s certainly uncharacteristic of her.My daughter is normally a hard one to take unaware."


    "Your...daughter?" Kieran asked, confused.


    "Raven is your daughter?"


    "That¡¯s right."


    "And...and she grew up here in Lockdale City?"


    "Yes...why?"


    Why indeed, was what I wanted to know too.


    What business did he have questioning something so personal? rification once should have been


    sufficient, if needed at all.


    He didn¡¯t need to know my life story.


    Kieran was now staring at me with a more serious expression, the joking tone now gone.


    "Oh, nothing.She just...doesn¡¯t act like most of the people I¡¯ve met i n the city."


    And what was *that* supposed to mean? Butughter erupted from my father, clearly not bothered like I


    was.


    "No, I don¡¯t suppose she does.I raised her with a good head on her shoulders.I¡¯m happy to hear she


    doesn¡¯t act like most overbearing city people do."


    "Right...,"


    Kieran agreed, but his voice still sounded distant in thought.


    "Raven actually adores the outdoors and nature, something I know Ashwood has a lot of.Can¡¯t seem t


    o keep her away from wanting to always be in the fresh air.Isn¡¯t that right, Raven?"


    Love the outdoors? Sure, I went running asionally, but I wouldn¡¯t say it was a hobby or a defining


    trait of my personality.


    I was puzzled by thatment, yet still too focused o n trying to figure out Kieran¡¯s reactions, that I


    didn¡¯t immediately understand what my father was doing.


    How he was lying in order to establishmon ground between us.


    ..And in doing so, he was telling me that my target had changed for the evening.With Victor now not


    attending the event, I would be needing to utilise the closest thing to it.


    His son.I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯d been this stressed.


    "Raven?" My father¡¯s voice pulled me from my head after I still hadn¡¯t spoken.


    I wasn¡¯t acting in the way I was meant to be and he knew it.


    Hell, even if I were sessful in finding out about the documents, I wondered if I was still going to face


    some sort of repercussion for my odd behaviour all night.


    I weighed up my options quickly, debating which oue here would be worse, and ultimately, I made


    a choice I never expected to make.


    Especially not since I was so sceptical of him.


    But something inside pushed me on, and I wanted to have faith in that feeling.


    ..And so I decided to trust the man I¡¯d only just met.


    Trust in the fact that, if he hadn¡¯t instantly exposed m e as I thought he would, then he probably


    wouldn¡¯t do so.


    "Oh...right, I¡¯m so sorry," I said, acting out a small head shake and overly polite smile.


    "I seem to be a bit out of it tonight.I should have given you my name before, that was so rude of me."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly but I kept my smile in ce, hoping I could do enough to turn


    this situation around.


    And, quietly, I held my breath.


    Before the silence could pse too much though, his lips turned in a smirk and he held a hand out


    towards me.


    "No need to worry, it¡¯s never toote for introductions," he said.


    "Kieran Lycroft, pleasure to meet you, Raven." I stared at his hand for a second before extending my


    own...and instantly regretted it.


    That same feeling of sparks began to spread through the contact with his skin, making me lose


    concentration.


    And his touch...it felt so nice and warm, making me painfully aware of thoughts that I was trying so


    desperately to suppress.


    After nting a small kiss on the back of my hand, he let me go, and I found I¡¯d forgotten whatever I


    was meant to be saying.


    "See? All is forgiven," he joked.


    I took a second to blink and clear my head before scrambling to put back on the face I needed to show,


    trying to not let on just how affected I really was.


    "H-how about I buy you a drink in apology?" I managed to say, acting on auto-pilot.


    Though I silently cursed the slight stutter in my voice.


    "I would love to hear more about Ashwood."


    "Oh, you would? Sure, I¡¯d love a drink." I couldn''t be certain, but it was almost as if he found


    this...funny.


    Borderline mocking me.


    But I supposeughing at me for whatever reason was better than the alternative ways this encounter


    could have gone.


    And yet even though I knew that, I still couldn¡¯t help but feel mildly bothered by it.I didn¡¯t enjoy feeling


    like I was a joke.


    "Tl leave you two for now, then," my father said, touching my arm.


    "It would be best if I checked in with some other acquaintances anyway.I¡¯ll be around if you need me."


    His grip tightened on me without warning, though not obvious enough for anyone to notice, and I picked


    up on the double connotation of his words.


    ¡®I''ll be around if you need me¡¯...meaning he was around and would be keeping an eye on me.I gave


    him a small nod and hoped that it showed a confidence that, in actuality, I was so badlycking in that


    moment.


    "Shall we?" Kieran asked behind me once my father had left.


    And with that, the two of us walked to the bar and ordered our drinks.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    I knew now was the time to do what I did best.


    It was the time to stop letting myself be overwhelmed and just focus entirely on the task at hand.


    Something that, with my track record to date, I was yet to fail even once in doing.


    One of my specialties had always been in this particr area of intimate persuasion.


    "Dm so sorry again," I said as we waited, making sure to sound as friendly as possible.


    "I really don¡¯t know what came over me earlier and hope that you don¡¯t think I¡¯m some sort of unhinged,


    violent person now." I timidlyughed a little at myself and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, hoping


    that he was subconsciously picking up on the social cue.


    Normally, I would have reached a hand out and gently touched his arm, but the thought of those sparks


    possibly being there made me keep my hands to myself.


    "No...not at all," he replied.


    "The whole thing was a bit funny and will make for a great story."


    My smile froze in ce at that.


    ."Story¡¯? O-oh...no, you don¡¯t need to tell anyone about that, it¡¯s so terribly embarrassing...," I said


    stiffly.


    "How about we keep it a secret just between u s? Like our own little inside joke? I


    would...*really*...appreciate it."


    ¡®_..Touch his hand, Raven" I told myself, knowing I needed tomit to this.


    But I really didn¡¯t want to.


    That feeling of losing control was one I despised, and even being around him was proving to be


    difficult.


    Thankfully, the drinks arrived at that moment, and I used grabbing the ss as an excuse to do


    something else.


    "Cheers," I said, quickly taking a sip.


    Maybe another five of these and my nerves would finally be calmed.


    But Kieran was slower to follow suit, his eyes watching me closely in a way that made me nervous.


    Definitely not in the way I would expect a man to be acting around me by now.


    He seemed almost...wary.


    "you know you can drop the act already?" he said suddenly.


    It was so out of the blue that it almost made me choke on my drink.


    I coughed and quickly grabbed a napkin nearby to cover my mouth, trying to clear my airway.


    "What do you mean?" I finally managed to ask after a moment.


    "I mean that your father isn¡¯t here so you can rx," he said.


    "Or is it that you¡¯re scared of something else?" He then leaned in a little closer.


    "...Is it that I scare you, Raven?"


    Had I been too forward? Or maybe I wasn¡¯ting across genuine enough? No one had ever called


    me out for pretending before.


    ...But he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong.


    On either assumption.


    Something that only added to that fear.


    ".I don¡¯t know where you got that impression," I said, still trying to smile.


    "I¡¯ve been enjoying yourpany immensely.In fact, I was really hoping you''d tell me more about


    Ashw¡ª."


    "How about we y a game then," he said, cutting m e off.


    "How about...if I can guess exactly what you¡¯re thinking, then you¡¯ll stop the pretences and just talk to


    me normally? No more fake smiles or batting your eyelids¡­ just normal.Like that girl who pulled the


    knife in the gardens."


    "I¡¯m not pretendi¡ª," I tried to object.


    "But, if I¡¯m wrong...," he interrupted again.


    "If I¡¯m wrong, then I¡¯ll give you your dagger back...and I¡¯ll tell you whatever it is you are clearly trying so


    hard to find out about me."


    I froze for a second as I heard his terms of the bet, wondering how the hell he could have picked up on


    m y true purpose so easily.


    Would a stupid game really give me the answer I wanted? Or, at least, I *could* do that...


    Or I could just switch u p my approach.


    "Fine, fine," I said, sighing.


    "You got me.I was trying to be polite for the sake of my father.But it¡¯s true that you showed some great


    skill in deflecting though.I was surprised.Do you enjoy fighting too? Is itmon where you¡¯re from to


    learn that or¡ª."


    "And you¡¯re still acting," he said in disappointment, leaning back to take a sip of his drink.


    "But it¡¯s almost impressive how quickly you can change faces.Just a bit unnecessary, if I¡¯m being


    completely honest." My eyes narrowed at him.


    Just who the hell was he? If he was a keen fighter and could pick up my mannerisms so easily, was he


    also trained in a simr field? Obviously, there was something missing here and it was something that


    was definitely *not* mentioned i n the information folder for his father, Victor.


    "My bet still stands," he continued.


    "I don¡¯t know about you, but I would much rather have a conversation without the theatrics."


    I tried toe up with another idea, wondering if I could somehow still spin this around, but eventually I


    found myself contemting the game once more.


    "So, let me get this straight...you¡¯re going to try and guess exactly what I¡¯m thinking?"


    "Yep."


    "And I can be thinking of anything I want?"


    "Sure can."


    I was silent for another few seconds, trying to figure out how he could rig this unfairly, but ended up


    deciding that the odds were in my favour...


    Because, after all, what was the worst that could happen?

 Chapter 116: Book 2 - Chapter 8

    Chapter 116: Book 2 - Chapter 8


    "Alright, a little game sounds fun," I finally replied.


    "But you¡¯ ll be disappointed to learn there is no ulterior motive in talking to you.You¡¯ve just piqued my


    curiosity, is all." I tried tough it off but Kieran didn¡¯t seem to notice as he immediately set his drink


    down, his expression turning serious as he looked me over.


    Almost as if I could feel him scrutinising every little detail about me.But that confident look of his...


    It took all I had to just calm my heart down, the nervous thumping inside bing so loud that I was


    worried he¡¯d hear it.


    For a man who could seemingly read me so well...could he really pull this off?


    "Your eyes give you away a lot," he started, leaning forward enough that I could still hear him as he


    spoke in a low voice.


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, they¡¯re very pretty, but they also betray you."


    At this proximity, his scent was beginning to overwhelm me.Hispliment wasn¡¯t helping either.I¡¯d


    never been affected by small things like that before, but with him, it felt almost involuntary.


    "I think you¡¯re probably reading too much into it," I replied quietly, smiling.


    "Besides, I thought you were meant to be guessing my thoughts, not theorising my tells."


    "That''s true...."


    He moved in a little bit closer again, and I felt as though I became trapped by his gaze alone, unable to


    move away even if I wanted to.


    Which, of course, I didn¡¯t.


    No, at this distance, I was helpless to stop myself from thinking about how wless his features were.


    How his defined jawline was such a perfect shape that I could easily picture how my head could fit


    under it, nestled against his neckfortably.


    ¡®Mine" that word repeated inside my head, but I bit it back.


    "you''re thinking...¡®why am I so attracted to him?¡¯" he said, sending a jolt of surprise through me.


    But after quickly scrambling to find a logical exnation, I realised it was clearly just a magician¡¯s


    trick.He was influencing my thoughts with his behaviour so I¡¯d be pressured to think what he wanted


    me to.Iughed his guess off and simply called him out on it.


    "How incredibly vague yet conceited of you to thinks o," I said, amused.


    "I thought this was a game of guessing my exact thoughts, not giving yourself a backwards


    compliment."


    However, this didn¡¯t seem to deter him in the slightest and a smirk spread across his lips.


    "You''re thinking...¡®why does he make me feel this way?¡¯¡± Iughed again.


    "I just told you that you can¡¯t use ambiguous statements to win.It¡¯s like bogus fortune-telling.It¡¯s not


    going to work¡ª."


    ..And then his hand reached out and touched mine, tracing lightly against my skin.


    Spreading those sparks through my body that made my breath catch in my throat.


    I stared at his hand as he gently enveloped my own, the warmth starting to make me lose


    concentration.


    ¡®Mine"


    That same unrelenting thought kept trying to force itself aloud.He closed the final bit of distance


    between us,ing in until he was speaking almost directly into my ear.His scent making it impossible


    to breathe without his influence.


    And with one hand holding my own, his other moved to my waist to hold me in ce.


    "You''re thinking...¡®why does it feel like sparks against my skin?¡¯"


    In surprise, I sharply looked back up towards him, only I found myself now merely inches away from


    him.


    So close, I could feel the warmth of his breath against me.


    My gaze trailed down from his eyes until I became fixated on his lips, those thoughts from earlier


    starting to invade my mind once more.


    Wondering just what it would be like to feel them moving against mine.


    To taste what they looked to promise me.


    ¡®Mine"


    His hand then moved,ing up until it found my cheek and his thumb started tracing along my jaw.


    Sending more sparks through me.


    But the entire time he did that, I was still transfixed on his lips, watching them closely as he continued


    to speak.


    "you''re thinking...that you want to kiss me."


    I closed my eyes a little as the pleasure of his presence started to sweep me away.


    Letting myself rx into the touch that made me feel so many emotions all at once.I was giving myself


    over to him and there was nothing I could do.


    Nothing I wanted to do.


    Like a spell, he had me nowpletely at his mercy.


    ¡®¡®Mine...mine.."


    When he moved in closer, so close our lips were almost touching, I felt as a shiver went through my


    body.


    Tempting me to make the first move, as if promising me water after years of thirst.


    I wanted it...


    I wanted him...and I finally felt thatst piece of restraint melt away.


    I started to give in, my own hand moving forward to touch him...


    ..But just as I was about to make contact, his words stopped me.


    ¡°.Mine...," he whispered.


    ...And it was enough for reality to kick back in. I quickly took a step out of his grasp, hugging my arms


    to my chest in horror.


    "..How did you know that?" I demanded.


    "How could you possibly know that?! Out of every single word you could possibly say, you somehow


    manage to say that exact one?" Kieran held up his hands to calm me, but it did little t o soothe my fear.


    "Rx," he said.


    "It¡¯s not a big deal. I can exin."


    But it didn¡¯t feel like a light matter. It felt far from it.


    "You didn¡¯t answer me," I said, gritting my teeth.


    "I asked how you knew that. How you knew any of that ? It was then that I started to think over


    everything that had just happened, taking a moment to realise just how crazy the whole encounter was.


    Something that was so batshit insane that I could onlye to one conclusion.


    "_..Did you drug me?" I asked in a hushed voice.


    He had to have.


    My feeling of illness andck of control, my inability to make rational decisions.


    All of it could only be exined by one thing.I quickly looked over to where my drink was and eyed i t


    warily.


    It didn¡¯t exin my initial reaction, but perhaps he¡¯d also done something to me back when h e


    disarmed my dagger.


    ¡°..What did you do to me?!" I asked again.


    His eyes went wide, clearly not expecting me to say it ...


    Or maybe not expecting me to realise the truth.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Either way, I didn¡¯t trust him.


    "Wait, what? No!" he said, offended.


    "Just calm down for a second." He tried to move closer but I instantly matched his step backwards.


    "No! Don¡¯t touch me!" I warned.


    This caught the attention of a few people around us, briefly turning their heads to what themotion


    was.


    Their faces filled with confusion and intrigue as they fed off the drama unfolding.


    Acting as if they were social vultures.


    ".Raven," Kieran hissed, grabbing back my attention.


    "Give me a moment to exin."


    But thest time I let him freely talk to me, he almost made me sumb to a state of unknown.


    A state where I had no control.


    And, in my life, control was everything.


    He should be lucky that his attempt of drugging me didn¡¯t identally result in his death, because that


    was the true worst-case scenario here.


    Unleashing that creature could have ended ina massacre.


    "Raven."


    "No...," I whispered.


    "No...I¡¯m not doing this.Fuck i t."


    No amount of punishment would be worth that risk.


    Not to mention that this man was clearly mentally ill i f he could so easily drug a woman and then have


    the audacity tell her to calm down.


    My father be damned, I was done.


    The way I saw it, this was going to end in disappointing him regardless.I snatched my purse away from


    the counter and immediately started walking to the exit as fast as possible.


    Slow enough to not draw attention by onlookers, but still quick enough that I felt assured he wouldn¡¯t be


    able to chase me without looking suspicious.


    "Raven," a deep familiar voice called out, sounding from somewhere behind me.


    But I kept walking, refusing to meet the eyes of my father who I knew was watching me leave.


    Internally, I was constantly checking myself as I made my way home in a taxi.


    Checking to make sure I didn¡¯t randomly pass out or show other side effects of the drug.


    Telling myself over and over again that all I needed to do was get home and sleep it off.


    And yet, the biggest side effect I was feeling wasn¡¯t fatigue or drowsiness, as I would have expected.


    No, it felt almost like...loneliness.


    As if something was hollowing out my chest the further I traveled away from the event.


    A string tying me to what was waiting for me there.


    ..Or ¡®who¡¯ was waiting for me.I shook off the thoughts instantly and gritted my teeth.


    Whatever he gave me, I¡¯d never seen anything like it.


    A drug with such a specific yet fast chemical reaction that it didn¡¯t seem possible.


    A scientific breakthrough, for sure.


    I did my best to distract my mind as I arrived back to my bedroom.


    Doing everything I could think of to stop myself from feeling the effects.


    But, ultimately, there seemed to be no escape.


    And even as I slowly drifted off into sleep, there was still only one thing on my mind as! slept that


    night....


    Kieran.


    I awoke the next day feeling slightly better than when I''d gone to bed.


    And though the thoughts of him still lingered, I felt as though the whole thing wasn¡¯t as fresh.


    Perhaps it would take another day or so before the effects wore offpletely? I could only hope.


    This feeling of infatuation was dangerous.


    "Raven," a voice said suddenly from my door, breaking my thoughts.


    I recognised it immediately.


    Gavin.


    "Please...I¡¯m not feeling well enough for training today," I yelled back.


    I was far too tired from the whole ordeal and just wanted a day to fully recover.


    But as the door swung open anyway, revealing that it wasn¡¯t only Gavin alone...I knew instantly what it


    meant.


    "Morning Raven,"my father said.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    Oh...


    no.


    No.


    No.


    No....


    ¡°Please...please don¡¯t do this, sir,"


    I said, panic starting to rise in my chest.


    Gavin held his hand out, presenting me with the familiar handcuffs I would be required to wear.


    "Please, father, no," I begged again.


    "I was sickst night.I¡¯m sorry.I¡¯ll make it up to you, I swear."


    "Raven...don¡¯t make this more difficult than it needs t o be,"he said.


    "You know the rules.I already gave you another chance and you seemed to throw that back in my


    face.Embarrassing me in the process, no less.We don¡¯t ept that sort of behaviour here."


    Gavin started walking towards me and I quickly scooted backwards until I was up against the


    headboard.


    "No! No...no, don¡¯t," I pleaded.


    "Hold your hands out," he instructed, ignoring my cries.


    But when I still refused to budge, Gavin reached forward and grabbed my hands, cing the cuffs on


    them ordingly.


    I tried to squirm away but there was nowhere I could escape.


    "Time to go,"he simply said.


    ...And I realised then that they were really going to go through with this.It had been years since I¡¯dst


    undergone punishment.


    Years since I¡¯d made such careless mistakes.


    Yet, even knowing what was ahead of me, I still made choices that would lead me here.I made that


    choicest night, knowing the repercussions.


    ..Did I regret that now?


    "Please...I¡¯m sorry," I said over and over, a tear falling down my cheek.


    When was thest time I¡¯d cried? Truthfully, I couldn''t entirely remember, but I quickly tried to brush it


    away, knowing that my father didn¡¯t like it when I acted like a child.


    "Raven, we¡¯re going now," Gavin repeated.


    He reached out and grabbed my arms, attempting to pull me forwards, but I kept trying to evade.


    "Stop resisting!" he hissed.


    It was several more moments before he finally lost patience.


    When I still showed no signs ofplying, h e moved to my waist instead and hoisted me up over his


    shoulder.


    "NO! No, please don¡¯t!" I cried.


    "Please..."


    I didn¡¯t deserve this.I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.It was him.


    He drugged me.It was all his fault.


    With nothing else I could do, I looked up and over to the one voice that could put a stop to this.


    To the one person who could make this end right now.


    ...And I met his cold eyes.


    "Please...papa, I¡¯m sorry.I can be better, I swear." I could fix this.


    I could make it right.I just needed some time and some fresh air.


    Figure out anew strategy and I could get him what he wanted.


    Whatever he wanted.I was still his raven, after all.I was still useful.I could still help.


    ...But I was met with only silence and a stony stare.


    When it was clear that no reply would be given, Gavin took this as his cue to leave, and began walking


    us out of my bedroom and down the hallway.


    And with every step he took, I squirmed and screamed out to my father.


    Hoping that deep down he would take pity and help me.


    "PLEASE! PAPA! Please...," I cried.


    ..I just needed to be better.


    "PAPA!"


    ...I would do better.


    "I¡¯M SORRY!"


    ..But, soon, only my screams remained as they echoed through the house...


    Echoing until they were finally only heard within the soundproof basement walls.


    The basement where my punishment would begin.

 Chapter 117: Book 2 - Chapter 9

    Chapter 117: Book 2 - Chapter 9


    "Are you ready to follow the rules now?"


    ...Rule number one...obedience.


    Always follow the orders from the boss.


    No questions asked.I''d broken that rule.I knew I was breaking it the moment I¡¯d chosen to run that


    night.I knew it wouldnd me here.And yet I still did it.I pulled my body upright from the old bed, more


    sluggish than I would have liked, and hated how] still felt so sore from the injuries inflicted several days


    earlier.


    ¡®Days¡¯. That was the key word.


    That was how long I¡¯d been trapped in here, alone with my thoughts as it forced me to reflect on every


    decision I¡¯d made leading to this point.


    Because, at its core, that was the true punishment.


    It wasn¡¯t the pain.


    No, that was always over quickly.


    Gavin did a great job of making sure the damage inflicted was swift yet efficient.


    Always enough to get the point across and never seeming to even flinch as h e did what he did.


    But it was the psychological punishment that truly made it horrific...


    ¡®Days¡¯.I''d been in here...for days.


    Alone.


    In pain.


    Wondering how I¡¯d managed to convince myself that running had been worth it.


    Wondering how much longer it would take before punishment was finally over.


    And now this was the first thing spoken to me after all that time.


    This voice of my father on the other side of the door, asking if I was ¡®ready to follow the rules¡¯.


    Yes, I was ready.Of course, I was ready.I was about ready to do anything, to say anything, if it meant


    finally getting out of here.I¡¯d learnt my lesson the minute Gavin had ripped me from my bed.


    There was only one authority in my life and that was my father.


    It had always been my father.


    ..Someone I just wanted to be free of.I forced that thought away as quickly as it sprung to mind.


    It was thoughts exactly like that which led me t o this moment.


    Testing the patience of a man who had none.I wasn¡¯t exempt from the rules because of our


    rtionship.


    If anything, this punishment had been necessary.I¡¯d clearly be toocent in its absence and


    needed the reminder.


    Really, it was my fault.


    All my fault.


    "Raven?" prompted my father.


    Slowly, I swung my legs out of the bed and stood up, taking a deep breath.


    The first one I¡¯d done in so long, my chest having felt too sore earlier.


    ..And Imitted to this decision to obey.To obey *him*.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready," I replied.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I heard it.


    The sound of a key clinking for a few seconds before the satisfying click of the lock.


    Within moments, I found myself face -to-face with my father after all this time.


    "Good," he said, entering the room towards me.


    "Because there is work to be done."


    ..Already? So soon? But, no, that was another incorrect thought.I should b e thinking ¡®thank you¡¯,


    praising how lucky I was to be given another chance.


    This was a good thing for me.


    A moment to redeem myself.


    A moment to show that I was still loyal.


    My father held out a mani folder towards me and I took it, giving a small nod to show how grateful I


    was.


    Forcing myself to believe that very thing.


    "It¡¯s a clean-up job," he simply said.


    "You know what to do."


    ...And, of course, I knew only too well.


    Within the hour, I had packed my things and gotten dressed.


    A ck attire that made it impossible for anyone to recognise me; this being aplished via a


    moveable cloth mask that could be pulled up to cover both my neck and lower face.


    That was one of the most important things whenpleting a mission like this.


    Making sure that no one saw me.


    Or, at least, if they did, then ensuring that they wouldn¡¯t remember my face.


    After all, no one wanted to be recognised at a murder scene.


    I left my house and swiftly started heading to the location, choosing to stick to the shadows of the night


    and alleys along the way.


    Thankfully, my speed and strength made the journey easier, but I''d be lying if I said my injuries weren¡¯t


    interfering at all.


    Truthfully, even back in the fresh air and with slightly faster healing, I knew I would still need another


    day or so before I fully recovered.


    But I persevered regardless.


    Running with only the intent in mind of proving myself to my father.


    Telling myself that nothing else mattered.


    I made it to the location perfectly on time, intending t o enter the run-down looking apartmentplex,


    but as I did so, I felt something that wasn¡¯t just the ache of my injuries.


    It was a burning in my mind, the start of a headache.


    Simr to what I¡¯d experienced on the night of the charity event.


    One I wished would never return.


    And yet here it was again, now of all times.I gritted my teeth against the pain and pushed through it.


    This wasn¡¯t the time and I could deal with i tter once the job was done.


    For now, I just needed to focus on my mission.


    And so I slipped through the front door silently, making no noise.


    That had been the easy part; entering the public area without being noticed.


    It waste at night but notte enough that people wouldn¡¯t still be around,ing home from the local


    pubs and bars.


    Yet I knew this wasn¡¯t that big of a deal when this side of town was as neglected as this apartment¡¯s


    security wascking.


    A straightforward job, all things considered.I hadn¡¯t been given much information.


    Just a first name, a brief description, a time and a location.


    I hadn¡¯t wanted to press for more details since it wasn¡¯t something I needed to know.


    Not to mention that I didn¡¯t want to push my luck, having broken rule number one this week already.


    ¡®Rule number one; obedience.Always follow the orders from the boss.No questions asked"


    There was no need to undergo another reminder so soon.


    I silently made my way up the stairs, choosing to avoid the elevator, until I finally came upon the room I


    was looking for; apartment thirty-six.


    Located conveniently around the corner and somewhat away from the eyes of anyone arriving via the


    elevator.


    But the burning in my head hadn¡¯t subsided, something I was doing my best to ignore.


    In fact, it made lockpicking the front door harder as concentrating became increasingly more difficult.


    Just a little bit longer though.I had to hold out for just a little bit longer....


    Inside, I could hear soundsing from aT.V.and smelt the scent of someone located in the same


    direction.


    This almost guaranteeing the target¡¯s exact position.


    All I needed to do was sneak up and end this quickly.


    A job that should be simple enough toplete with the new dagger I¡¯d acquired from the armoury.


    I took a few cautious steps, testing the floor for any weakness that may create sound, and proceeded


    to move.


    Moving closer until¡ª.


    ¡®¡ªyou don¡¯t have to..."


    Out of nowhere, a faint voice suddenly spoke behind me, and I instantly crouched to the ground


    defensively...


    ...Only no one was there.


    Where the hell had thate from? It was almost like a whisper and yet I¡¯d heard it so clearly.


    As if it were right next to me.


    As if they were close enough to touch.


    But it wasn¡¯t just a voice.


    Like a needle in my brain, a new pain pierced me and caused me to wince.


    Making it more difficult to focus a s I looked around, frantically trying to spot the source.


    Searching for whoever had spoken.


    ...And yet there was definitely nothing there.


    Only the muffled sounds of people speaking on the T.V could now be heard, along with some light


    snoresing from the armchair in front of it.


    A confirmation that whoever had spoken, it wasn¡¯t stemming from the man I was here to see.


    A man by the name of Noah.I persisted through the pain and stood back up, walking to behind the


    armchair.


    Moving quietly until I stood right behind the man who fit the description given.


    It was now or never.


    I lifted my arm and aimed my dagger, going for a spot that would make this quick.


    There was no need to cause unnecessary pain, I just needed to¡ª.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this...You don¡¯t need to be..."


    There it was again.I instantly spun around andshed my dagger out towards the voice, hoping to


    silence whoever it was once and for all.


    To stop the intense, sharp pain it seemed to bring me.


    To make it stop haunting me.


    ..And yet only empty air filled the space around me.No, there was no one there...but I thought I knew


    what was wrong now.


    The same thing that had been messing with my head only days earlier.


    ...It was that drug.


    The drug that Kieran Lycroft had given me.


    The effects of whatever he¡¯d done to me must have still been in my system.


    Now, it was interfering with my work Scaring me out of doing what I needed to do.


    Just what kind of drug could do this though? Or was I wrong and I simply was just losing my mind


    finally? Had thisst punishment been the straw that finally made me break? But I didn¡¯t get a chance


    to think on it further as I was dragged back into reality, the sound of another mistake waiting to happen


    then snapping me from m y thoughts.


    "W-what the fuck?" someone yelled.


    "Who the hell are you?!"


    ...Ah, shit.I turned around once more and, sure enough, there was Noah.


    Awake.


    Watching me in his living room.


    Able to scream for help and cause other loudmotions to alert people nearby that something was


    wrong.


    Would I really be facing punishment twice in one week? But I quickly tried to not think of the


    consequences and focused instead on what I could do now.


    Letting the thoughts of failure fill me were only going to make this worse.Because I would be sessful


    this time.I had to be.


    Moving faster than he probably expected, I lunged towards him and immediately tackled him to the


    ground.


    The thud was thankfully softened somewhat b y acarpet he had, but it didn¡¯t do anything to stop him


    from iling around.I just needed to finish this quickly before¡ª.


    ¡®¡ªYou don¡¯t have to do this...You don¡¯t need¡ª."


    "Shut the fuck up!" I screamed at the voice.


    My grip tightened on my dagger as I held it against the man¡¯s throat.


    The whites in his eyes were now so clear as he froze under the touch of my de.


    "Please...please don¡¯t do this...," he whimpered pathetically from under me.


    But it was toote to plead for his life.


    Whatever he''d done to piss off my father, I knew this was now a result of his own making.


    If only the situation happening to me internally was a s simple as that logic though.


    ¡®_..It doesn¡¯t have to be like thi¡ª" it continued, but I instantly cut it off, yelling whatever I could just to


    drown it out.


    "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"


    I shook my head and gritted my teeth, trying to just get this over with and ignore the conflicting


    emotions that both the voice and man were creating inside me.


    Never before had I ever questioned my father on who deserved to die.


    So why was this suddenly so difficult now?


    "Please, just take whatever you want," Noah cried.


    "I don¡¯t have much but please...please don¡¯t kill me."


    What was wrong with me? Why couldn¡¯t I do it? It was like my hand was frozen, unable to make the


    final strike.He was right there.


    Helpless to move even an inch for fear of my knife biting him.


    This should have been so simple.


    And yet it was as though there was something inside, blocking me from finishing this.


    "Ma¡¯am...please.Please¡ª."


    ¡®¡ªYou don¡¯t have to..."


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The voices continued to speak at once, making it difficult to think...


    But it didn¡¯t take long before I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    A growl ripped from my chest in response, instantly making Noah flinch and whimper some more.


    An animalistic, guttural noise that held a threat within its tone alone.


    However, it wasn¡¯t sounded because I was following through with my orders finally...rather, it was done


    in defeat.


    With a quick flick of my wrist, I spun the dagger around and proceeded to use the hilt to strike the


    man¡¯s head.


    A move intended to make him pass out...not kill him.


    ...Because I couldn¡¯t do it.I was once again unable toplete a mission.


    And it wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault except my own.


    Somehow, I¡¯d had the perfect opportunity to fix things between my father and I, but I wasn¡¯t strong


    enough.


    Or maybe I really was just going crazy.


    With thest bit of my frustration, I embedded the dagger into the armchair, my breathing heavy as I


    came to terms with what this meant for me.


    I was broken...sick...or maybe just too weak for this job.


    Perhaps all of the above.


    But either way, tonight, I was a failure.


    I sat on the floor for several minutes, contemting what to do next and had ideas swim through my


    mind.


    A few times I even tried holding the dagger to his throat again, urging myself to just do it...


    but failed every time to go through with it.


    The more time that passed, the more I became angrier, frustrated, and it wasn¡¯t long before new


    thoughts began to fill my head.


    Ones...


    I wasn¡¯t meant to think of because it wasn¡¯t part of my assignment tonight.


    However, given the circumstances, there was only one way to fix what was wrong with me so I could


    fulfil my mission.


    To find a cure for the problems I¡¯d experienced since that night of the charity event.


    ..I would just need to go back and eliminate this from the source.


    I And, this time, I wouldn¡¯t run away.

 Chapter 118: Book 2 - Chapter 10

    Chapter 118: Book 2 - Chapter 10


    The n was simple; Track down Kieran and demand he fix whatever he did to me.


    With Noah tied up and locked inside a cupboard, I would head towards the hotel which had been listed


    i n Victor Lycroft¡¯s information folder.


    With any luck, his son had the same taste in amodation.


    Once I found him and got my answers, I¡¯d then just have him undo the effects before going back to


    Noah t o finish the job.I''dplete my mission tonight and get back home without any issues.


    As a result, Father would begin to trust me again and Gavin wouldn¡¯t need to drag me back into the


    basement.


    Everyone will be happy.


    Well...except probably Noah.He¡¯d be dead.


    But that was unfortunately just the way it had to be.


    ¡®C''est vie¡¯ some would say.Now to just pray that nothing went wrong.I hailed a taxi and gave the


    driver directions to the hotel, doing my best to make my clothes seem more casual on the way over.


    There wasn¡¯t much I could do but I worked with what I had.


    By the time I arrived, there was nothing on me that would stand out too much in a public setting.


    Upon stepping out of the car though, I found the hotel was surprisinglyrge.


    The kind of ce only the very wealthy could afford which, given he was the son of a literal mayor, I


    guess that made sense.


    Though for a small town I¡¯d never heard of before, they sure seemed to have the cash to spare.


    Whilst this was an interesting thing to note, it unfortunately meant that sneaking in was going to be


    difficult.


    The ce would have security cameras and staff walking around everywhere.


    So how was I meant to...And then I smelt it.


    That intoxicating scent that I could recall so vividly now.


    The one belonging to Kieran.


    He was here or, at least, he¡¯d been here sometime recently.I would just need to follow it and hopefully


    scope out the area before entering his room.


    But the scent didn¡¯t lead me towards the elevator as I expected.


    No, it led me to the hotel¡¯s bar area.


    A ce where far too many people would be around to witness.


    Certainly not an ideal development in this n.


    "Apologies, madam," a man at the entrance said, holding a hand out to pause me.


    "I just need to quickly confirm your name and room number, or the room number of the person you''re


    here to see." I stared at him nkly, confused.


    This hotel was apparently far more exclusive than I¡¯d realised.


    However, I¡¯d had to deal with far worse obstacles than this before.


    "Oh! Is that so?" I asked innocently.


    "That¡¯s a little awkward...You see, I was sent here to surprise Mr Lycroft but no one told me his room


    number.I guess i t was just a mix-up.Isn¡¯t there any way I could still g o inside? Just this once?"


    He looked uncertain and taken a little off guard.


    This wasn¡¯t the kind of job where you¡¯d want to identally insult the wrong influential person.


    "Oh ...Well I suppose I could quickly go in and find him to confirm.Mr Lycroft you said?"


    He took a step away as if to enter, but I knew if he did that and Kieran told them to not let me in, then


    this whole n would be messy.


    "That won¡¯t do," I said a little too quickly.


    I then walked over to gently touch his arm.


    "As mentioned, it¡¯s meant to be a surprise.We haven¡¯t seen each other in the longest time and his


    father, Victor, told m e Kieran was in town."


    "Madam...we have precautions in ce to ensure the safety and privacy of our gu¡ª."


    "The whole family will be so disappointed if it¡¯s ruined.We¡¯ve been nning this for a while now.I know


    Victor likes toe here regrly when he¡¯s here for business.It would be a shame if this one


    unpleasant experience tarnished that...Especially if I have to call the family sote for something so


    petty "


    Immediately, he became flustered, but I didn¡¯t give him any more time to process the situation.


    After all, bad decisions were always made under pressure.


    "Please...," I repeated, giving him my best smile.


    And it only took a few more seconds before, finally, h e cracked.


    "Okay...very well.I¡¯ll just need your name for the record and you can head on inside."


    A feeling of smug giddiness rose inside me as I won the small victory, and I instantly started walking


    towards the door.


    "You can call me Raven," I called back.


    And I entered the bar before he could ask any further questions.


    Inside, it was far quieter than I¡¯d expected.It was mostly a lot of people sitting close together having


    intimate conversations in low voices.


    The sort of atmosphere one would expect from a fancy establishment.


    Definitely not the kind of ce I personally liked to have a drink, but I was familiar with the vibe


    nevertheless.


    However, I wasn¡¯t here today for that.I was here to find *him*.


    And, right now, I could still catch his scent as it slowly became stronger the further inside I traveled.


    I followed it carefully, screening the faces of every person I walked past, but none were of the man I


    met days earlier.


    In fact, by the time I¡¯d done ap of the entire floor, I was beginning to worry I¡¯d walked past him


    entirely.


    Just where the hell was he? I kept walking, heading towards another small group seated...


    and that¡¯s when I finally found it.


    His scent, not within the room itself, but veering off through a door to somewhere else.


    A door that held a sign saying ¡®Staff Only¡¯.


    Well, obviously that wasn¡¯t going to stop me.


    Waiting until I was certain all the servers and staff weren¡¯t looking, I slipped through the door and


    continued to follow his scent until it led me into a back storage area.


    The space seemed pretty untouched for the most part, clearly not used very often.


    The only question I had though was why was he here of all ces...? It was almost as if he knew I was


    tracking him...but that was impossible.


    For that, he would have to know I could trace his scent, which was already unnatural in itself.


    So many questions were swimming in my head but, as I rounded the corner, everything seemed to


    just...slip away.


    And once again I found myself falling into that trance as [ met his expectant hazel eyes.


    It was hard to exin, but seeing him again made me start to feel almost calm.


    Like something inside that had been scratching away was finally ceasing.


    All because he was here.


    Because I was in front of him, within feet of being able to touch him.


    Just like the night we first met, he wore a perfectly fitted suit, his dark brown hair styled to match.


    Gorgeous in every possible way.


    Almost impossibly so.It took everything I had inside me to not just immediately rush into his


    arms...though I couldn¡¯t say the same for him.


    As soon as he caught my eye, he instantly moved forward as if to embrace me, but it was that very


    same movement that made me remember why I was here.


    A reason that was to fix this exact issue, one which was causing me to feel this way about aplete


    stranger.


    He quickly stopped himself as I took a step back warily.


    "Raven," he said, sounding almost relieved, and it caused a shiver to spread through me at the sound


    of his voice.


    "I¡¯ve been looking for you for days.Do you have any idea how worried I was?"


    Here I was thinking that I was the one losing my mind, and yet this guy was almost certifiable, acting a


    s though we were close friends.


    Was I missing something?


    "What¡­? " was all I managed to say, so extremely confused by this turn of events.


    "I wanted to give you some time to cool down before I exined a few things to you, but it¡¯s almost as if


    you don¡¯t exist," he said.


    "I asked several different people about you, trying to find out how I could contact you, but out of


    everyone I spoke to, only one person seemed to know of you.Something that they even admitted to not


    knowing prior to the charity event."


    Mayor Lewis.It would have to be him since I didn¡¯t end up ying at the event long enough to meet


    anyone else.


    "Why the hell were you looking for me?" I asked.


    "Is this your grand scheme? Drug a girl then stalk her? Why are you even doing this?"


    "I didn¡¯t do anything.What you¡¯re experiencing ispletely natural.It¡¯s¡ª"


    "Bullshit!" I said, cutting him off.


    "People don¡¯t just meet someone and instantly be infatuated.It doesn¡¯t stop them from being able


    to function...or work...or do anything.I tracked you down for the sole purpose of making you reverse


    this.I want my life back."


    No, I needed it.I needed it more than anything if I wanted to stay in my father¡¯s good book.


    "Raven, it doesn¡¯t work like that.I can¡¯t just undo it.It has to be¡ª."


    "Enough!" I yelled, and I pulled out my dagger.


    "Fix what you did to me.Right now."


    I was hoping this would be a civil conversation but he was proving to be stubborn, giving me excuses


    rather than solutions.


    If it was between drawing blood or going back to my father empty-handed, the choice Was easy.


    "Woah...slow down," he said.


    "Just take it easy fora second."


    But I didn¡¯t let him lull me into another trance, choosing to act instead.


    I charged towards him with the intent of holding him up at knifepoint; just enough to scare him into


    taking me seriously.I was quick and had training, so it should have been a piece of cake...


    I forgot that h e was also just as skilled, proving that back when we¡¯d met the first time.


    Before I could get my dagger anywhere near him, suddenly he was wielding one of his own as he


    deflected off my attack easily.


    A weapon that looked awfully familiar.


    ..In fact, upon closer inspection, it was definitely mine.He must have kept it this whole time.


    "Calm down!" he yelled.


    "I can exin everything but you need to just chill for a minute."


    But I was angry.


    Angrier than I¡¯d ever felt before in m y entire life.


    So many feelings bubbling inside that I wasn¡¯t used to, all jumbling around confused with whatever he¡¯d


    done to me.


    I was angry at him, at my own new inability to function.


    Angry at my failures, at my situation¡­ and I was scared.


    Scared of going home, knowing I would b e losing both my father¡¯s respect and my usefulness t o him.


    ..And so I swiped my dagger again, angry tears beginning to form at my eyes as my desperation


    increased.


    "I don¡¯t have to hurt you," I answered.


    "Just fix me and we can go our separate ways."


    He deflected the dagger again and proceeded to be on the defensive as I advanced.


    Moving fluidly as if he''d been doing this sort of thing his entire life.


    For me, it was the first time facing someone who was anywhere near as skilled, if not more so, than I


    was.


    Something that was both impressive and concerning at the same time.


    It meant that this might not be as easy as I¡¯d anticipated.


    I kept on attacking, aiming for areas that I thought he left open, and yet he somehow managed to


    defend perfectly every time.


    Faster and faster I moved, but nothing seemed to work.


    Soon, he was moving as quickly as I was at full speed.


    ...A speed that I knew wasn¡¯t normal.


    "Who are you! ?" I yelled in frustration.


    "Why won¡¯t you just help me?"


    Another swipe.I could feel as my angry tears started to overflow and began falling down my face in


    defeat.


    ..And, slowly, I came to a stop.


    "I don''t understand why you¡¯re doing this...What do you want from me?"


    That seemed to make him falter for a moment and I saw as he rxed in his stance.


    Only, of course, I didn¡¯t let that chance go to waste.I moved in quickly again, catching him off guard,


    and pushed him against the wall to hold the knife to his throat.


    "Go on," he said, his face so close to mine that I could feel his heavy breathing almost mixing with my


    own.


    "Go on and do it then.Just try."


    "Are you crazy?" I asked incredulously.


    "Why are you so ready to die for this?"


    "I¡¯m not."


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    "Then why...?"


    And then I felt it.His handing up and touching mine.Those same intense sparks erupting through m


    e, instantly making my head be clouded.


    "Stop that," I hissed, trying to press past it.


    Trying to go through with the threat I¡¯d issued.


    ...


    However, the more I tried to resist, the more I struggled to remain firm in my resolve.


    "Just stop telling me excuses already! You think I won¡¯t do it?" But, truthfully, he¡¯d called a bluff I didn¡¯t


    even know was an issue.


    Because he was right.


    ..I couldn¡¯t do it.


    Just like with Noah.


    Just like every time I''d met Kieran.


    He had a hold over me...and I was apparently helpless to it.


    "I can¡¯t tell you without giving you context first," he said, trying to slowly move my hand away.


    "There are things you don¡¯t understand about yourself and, honestly, I probably should have been more


    upfront about it.I guess I got carried away and found it a little amusing that you didn¡¯t know.That was


    my mistake and I¡¯m sorry, Raven.I shouldn¡¯t have teased you and, instead, I should have just


    immediately told you the truth."


    "You don¡¯t know anything about me.Stop acting like you do."


    "Don¡¯t I?" he asked.


    "Didn¡¯t I guess every single thought in your head as if I were reading you like a book? It wasn¡¯t a drug,


    Raven.It¡¯s biology.


    ¡°Your* biology."


    ¡°Stop lying."


    "What about that unnatural speed and strength you seem to have? Senses that don¡¯t evene close


    to beingparable to others? How else could I know that you would be able to follow me back here


    without seeing me?"


    I felt as my hand loosened a little from surprise and Kieran instantly took advantage of thatpse to


    grab the dagger from my grip.


    He knew far more about me than I realised, things that would be difficult to find out even after


    investigating me thoroughly.


    Somehow, he knew it all.He knew it all...and, to my surprise, he knew my secret too.


    The one I kept hidden, buried so deep from everyone for my own safety.


    The one that only my father and I knew about.


    The creature I kept locked up inside.


    ¡°And I know about the wolf," he said simply.


    A statement that made my blood run cold.


    "I bet it was a bit surprising on your eighteenth birthday, right?" he said gently, as if that was going t o


    make any of this better.


    "Having no idea what you were and then suddenly you have four paws and a tail? I can¡¯t imagine going


    through that alone,pletely in the dark about what was happening.Having no one around to exin


    it to you."


    I took a few steps back in fear, terrified over how he could possibly know that.


    Even if he had witnessed me change on ident, there was no way he could have found out that it had


    started on my eighteenth birthday.


    "I saw how overwhelmed you were over just meeting me so I didn¡¯t want to rush you into this world," he


    continued.


    "...But I also didn¡¯t expect you to use m e of drugging you or to attack me."


    "I -I don¡¯t understand how you know this," I fumbled, taking another shaky step backwards.


    But he didn¡¯t even hesitate to match my step, moving towards me.


    "You¡¯re not human, Raven.You¡¯ve never been human," he said.


    "I know...because I¡¯m the same.We''re exactly the same."


    "What...?"


    He took a deep breath, as if prepping himself for whatever he was going to say next, and looked me


    dead in the eye as he answered.


    "You¡¯re a werewolf, Raven."

 Chapter 119: Book Two - Chapter 11

    Chapter 119: Book Two - Chapter 11


    "You were never meant to grow up in a city like this.Our kind stays together for a reason."


    I could hear what Kieran was saying, but I was struggling to fully grasp it.


    ¡®¡®Not human"


    ¡®¡®Our kind¡¯.


    ¡®¡®Werewolf¡¯.


    The words kept swimming around in my head.


    An exnation that seemed too impossible to believe.


    And yet, at the same time, what he was saying somehow made sense.


    He was right.


    I wasn¡¯t human.


    A part of me had always known that, dating back to when I was a child.I was never like the other kids at


    the house.


    Turning eighteen had just manifested that part of me in the form of a beast.


    So...was this what had been missing then? I was a werewolf? Like in those scary stories? Like...in


    those *monster* movies...?


    ".How do I make it go away?" I asked after a few moments, my voice barely louder than a whisper.


    "How do I stop being...a werewolf? To be normal?"


    "Raven...it¡¯s a part of who you are.There isn¡¯t any way to remove it."


    "But I don¡¯t want to live with this burden of losing control at any moment," I argued.


    "I can¡¯t afford to have slips when things go wrong, or have this constantly interfering with every little


    thing I do.I¡¯m living in a nightmare every time Ipse."


    He took another few cautious steps towards me but I didn¡¯t back away this time.


    With every word he spoke, my resolve to push him away faded a little bit more.It was as though his


    presence had a soothing effect on m e and I couldn¡¯t deny that I needed that right now.


    "..It doesn¡¯t have to be a curse," he said slowly.


    "I can help you manage it.You didn¡¯t grow up learning about the things you needed to...but I can teach


    you.It¡¯s not toote."


    He held out a hand to me, as if inviting me to take it.


    Offering me something that no one else had ever before; A chance to live my life without fear.


    ...But what would it cost me?


    "I just need you to trust me, Raven," he said, making my gaze shift from his hand to his eyes Familiar.


    There was familiarity when I looked at him, the same feeling I¡¯d experienced when I first met him.


    As if I''d always known him.


    Whatever this reaction to him was, it was strong enough to sway every behaviour in my life.


    If I believed him and epted that this influence wasn¡¯t due to foul intervention, then did that mean that


    my body had been telling me to trust him this whole time? That it was recognising in him the same


    condition I was born with? Was that just a normal connection between what we were? However, getting


    close to someone was dangerous.


    Especially someone who I was meant to have investigated and then disappeared from entirely.


    If my father found out about this.......But wouldn¡¯t my father be just as upset if I continued to fail


    because of what I was? Medications, strict daily routines and punishments had been the only ¡®solutions¡¯


    given to me up until now.


    Solutions that clearly didn¡¯t work since it continued to happen regardless.


    Kieran wasn¡¯t pretending to offer me a solution, filling my head with false promises if I kept conforming


    to the rules.He was offering me a way to take back control despite that very issue guing me.


    A way to learn how to harness it instead.


    "..Will I be able to stop the ckouts from happening?" I asked carefully, taking a slow step towards


    him.


    "And the sickness? Will I stop wanting t o throw up every time it¡¯s about to happen?"


    His brow furrowed slightly at what I said.


    "...ckouts? I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve heard of that being amon symptom...but it¡¯s possible you¡¯ve been


    fighting against yourself too much.The more you try to stop the shift from happening, the more painful


    and uncontroble the whole process is.I can walk you through it and help you so that it won¡¯t happen."


    He sounded so genuine that I wanted to believe him.


    In fact, it was increasingly bing harder to deny those feelings inside, the ones urging me to just


    run to him already.


    But it was those very feelings that brought me here today.I still needed answers.


    "And this...thing...between us.These feelings...," I vaguely said, my cheeks starting to burn a little.


    I was used to faking romantic interest in people, but this was different.


    It was an ufortable new situation for me.


    "...The stuff you spoke about at the charity event before I left."


    "The sparks?" he rified.


    "Right...," I agreed, trying to push through it.


    "So, if you really didn¡¯t drug me, then is this a normal thing between our kind? Is that how you


    recognise others who are the same?"


    Now it was his turn to shuffle a little ufortably.


    "Ah, well, no, not exactly...that¡¯s a bit of aplicated question," he fumbled as he looked around the


    room awkwardly.


    But this was something that had been bothering me since the day we met.I needed to know if there


    was a way to manage this too so I could stop bing so overwhelmed.


    "Is there a way to make it stop?" I pressed when he still didn¡¯t answer.


    Oh.


    ...That seemed to be the wrong question to ask.


    His eyes immediately snapped back to my own, a look on his face that I was struggling to decipher.


    It was serious...but there was something else there too.


    "_.Did you want it to stop?" he asked.


    And I felt as an ache pulsed in my chest, the question bringing with it a wave of distress I hadn¡¯t


    expected.


    So much connection to someone I didn¡¯t even know.


    Surely, this couldn¡¯t be healthy.


    It was far stronger than anything I¡¯d ever felt before, a gravitation pull around him that was so hard to


    ignore.


    Was he also feeling the same thing I was? I couldn¡¯t be the only one who found this frustrating.


    But then another question came to mind, taking me b y surprise.


    ..Did I even want the feelings to go away? Truly? It was at that very thought that my head then started t


    o burn up again, my headache returning.


    "Raven?" I shook it a bit, trying to get over it, but ended up wincing involuntarily and touching my


    temple.


    "Hey, you okay?"


    I heard him ask, but I wasn¡¯t able to focus.


    "You¡¯re probably overwhelming yourself too much for one day."


    That was probably true.I¡¯d spent thest few days in a basement.


    My body was worn out and still recovering.


    "Hey," he said again, though I still didn¡¯t reply.


    Suddenly, he was right in front of me, his hands softly moving mine out of the way so he could lift my


    face up to look at him.


    "_..Are you alright?" he repeated, feeling my head for a temperature.


    His touch was so unbelievably soothing.


    Within seconds, I felt as the burning started to ease, and I shakily exhaled in relief.


    So much had happened today.So much stress, confusion and confliction.


    I must have been pushing myself too hard.


    Wait...


    today...


    today....


    Oh shit.


    I¡¯dpletely forgotten about Noah in the cupboard.


    "I-I¡¯m alright," I said, though failing to hide the slight falter in my tone.


    "But I need to leave.I have someone waiting for me.Before I go though...I just need to know one more


    thing."


    A part of me didn¡¯t want to, but I gently took a step away so I was out of his reach.


    His scent and warmth were already far too tempting.


    "I ah...I need to know how to shut out the voices," I said.


    "I can¡¯t seem to go through with what I need to d o, almost as though it¡¯s a mental block physically


    stopping me."


    ".What do you mean by¡ª."


    **BRRRRRRRRT


    * **


    BRRRRRRT


    ** ..Huh?


    **BRRRRRRRRT*


    **BRRRRRRT*£¤*


    I felt something vibrating and reached into my pocket to grab it, finding the burner phone I¡¯d brought


    with me.


    With a jolt of surprise, I saw the number sh across the screen and recognised it immediately.


    "Sorry...I have to take this...," I said turning around, and proceeded to hit the ¡®answer¡¯ button.


    "Hello? Rae?" the voice on the other end asked.


    Clearing my throat, I tried to sound as natural as possible.


    "Hi, Zac."


    "The boss said you had a job tonight but you didn¡¯t call yet.It¡¯s been a few hours.Is everything okay?"


    " uh..."


    Of course Zac would think it was strange.


    He was I meant to be cleaning up a dead body by now.


    A body that was still very much breathing.


    ...Fuck.


    "I, uh, I had to postpone," I lied, conscious of the fact that Kieran could hear me.


    "The client wasn¡¯t home s o I said I¡¯de backter.I should be heading there soon."


    "What? Rae, I thought¡ª."


    "I¡¯m actually just talking with someone right now," I stressed, praying that he¡¯d pick up on what I was


    trying to tell him.


    If he said something incriminating, then it would make this moreplicated than it needed to be.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    "I promise to call you once I have more news."


    "Who¡ª."


    "Bye, Zac."


    And I quickly hung up.


    ¡®If there was a god out there"


    I silently thought to myself, ¡®please don¡¯t let Zac tell my father about my odd absence"


    But the phone call brought yet another problem with it.


    "And what exactly do you do for work that keeps you busy until almost one o¡¯clock in the morning?"


    came Kieran¡¯s voice behind me.


    Immediately, I froze at the question.


    ¡®Espionage¡¯, ¡®assassination¡¯, and ¡®kidnapping¡¯, were the first job descriptions I thought of, but I kept that


    t o myself.


    For obvious reasons.


    ¡°..I work for my father¡¯s business," I replied loosely, slowly turning back around to face him.


    "Deadlines wait for no one, especially when there are millions of dors on the line."


    That sounded business-y enough to be believable.


    And it was probably somewhat true too...in some way, shape or form.


    "Funny how barely anyone knows Eric Reid even has a daughter," he said.


    "I wonder¡ª."


    **BRRRRRRRRT*


    **BRRRRRRT**


    I looked down and saw Zac¡¯s number shing on the screen again.


    Seriously?


    "I have to go," I repeated, taking a few steps back to leave.


    But Kieran reached into his pocket and grabbed something.


    "Wait," he said quickly.


    "Take this. Come find me when you¡¯re ready."


    I looked down and saw a hotel room keycard.


    Number one hundred and fifty.


    Pretty sure that was a penthouse level or simr for a building this size.


    "It¡¯s a spare.Just use it to get past security and say you¡¯re with me."


    Hesitantly, I reached out and grabbed it, but as I went to pull it away, he held onto it for a moment as he


    continued to speak.


    "I¡¯m only going to be in town for a little bit longer," he added.


    "If you really want to find out more about what you are and agree to let me help you...you know where


    to find me.Just don¡¯t leave it toote to make the decision.I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯1l be able toe back


    to Lockdale City again."


    My gaze lingered for a moment, meeting those eyes of his that held me in ce so easily, before,


    finally, he let go of the keycard.


    What would happen once he went home? Was that what he meant earlier by saying ¡®our kind stays


    together for a reason¡¯? Was he saying that I might never see him again?


    "Thanks...," I said, still in thought.


    "I''ll keep that in a¡±


    **BRRRRRRRRT*


    **BRRRRRRT**


    I was quickly bing more certain that someone was going to be killed tonight and, at this rate, it


    was going to be Zac.


    I sighed and looked back up onest time towards Kieran, a part of me not wanting to leave despite the


    situation.


    But I knew it needed to be done.


    "Until next time," I said, not wanting to say goodbye.


    And I quickly exited the building before Ipletely chickened out, heading through a side door into an


    alleyway.


    **BRRRRRRRRT*


    **BRRRRRRT** ..


    **BRRRRRRRRT*


    **BRRRRRRT**


    *BRRRRRRRRT*


    **BRRRRRRT**


    "WHAT?" I answered a little too angrily.


    "Do you have any idea how close you were to blowing my cover?" I fast-walked through the alley, back


    towards where I could see the main street up ahead.


    With any luck, it wouldn¡¯t take long to hail another taxi.


    ¡®What¡¯? What do you mean ¡®what?" Zac replied annoyed.


    "Do you have any idea how close I was to calling the boss?" That took me by surprise, making me


    pause a second.


    "why?"


    "I thought you¡¯d been caught and were being forced t o answer the phone.You were talking weird."


    "Please tell me that you didn¡¯t call him," I said.


    "Please, Zac."


    "No! No," he said hastily.


    "But what the hell is going o n? Was the body found already?"


    This was going to be too difficult to exin and it was something that I wouldn¡¯t be able to do alone, no


    matter how much I hated that thought.


    And so I gritted my teeth, saying something I never in a million years thought I would ever be saying.


    "Zac...I need your help," I said begrudgingly.


    And, internally, I sighed, regretting this decision already.

 Chapter 120: Book 2 - Chapter 14

    Chapter 120: Book 2 - Chapter 14


    Over the next few days, I found myself feeling anxious.


    Under the constant watchful eye of both my father and Gavin, I continued to y along with my usual


    daily routine.


    Acting as if nothing was amiss.


    Doing all the training that was asked of me.


    But, inside, I was thinking back to that keycard.


    The one I¡¯d hidden under my mattress.


    Waiting for exactly the right moment for when I¡¯d be able to use it.


    ...A moment I found finally presented itself on the night of the third day.


    With my father expected to be staying overnight elsewhere for ate meeting and Gavin only working


    until seven o¡¯clock, I saw an opportunity to take advantage of the soon-to-be quiet house.


    And I devised a n to leave as soon as the sky grew dark.


    A few hourster, I was slowly scaling to the ground from my bedroom window.


    This being something I did with ease and without being seen.


    And though I never thought to use my abilities to go behind my father¡¯s back, I certainly couldn''t deny


    that it came in handy.


    Soon, before much time had passed at all, I found myself facing the door I¡¯d been thinking of so


    incessantly.


    The door I¡¯d been wondering about every day, contemting all of the things I could possibly discover


    once I entered through it.


    A door that might just possibly change my life forever.


    And I stared at it.


    ...And stared.


    ......And stared.


    And I kept staring, even while my hand reached out several times to knock, failing every time to go


    through with it.


    ..I¡¯d been so certain in my decision ande all this way, only to¡ª.


    But then, suddenly, the door opened in front of me.


    "_.Are you just going to stand out there all night?" came a voice from inside.


    It was his voice.I recognised it well now.


    "I ah...," I started, feeling a little awkward for being caught.


    "I¡¯m sorry.I just...I¡ª."


    "It¡¯s okay.No need to be sorry," he said, his face then appearing from the other side of the door.


    Instantly, that same effect started to hit me, a reassurance spreading throughout as his presence held


    me.


    "I get it.If you need more time to think, I can just leave this open.I¡¯m not pressuring you to ¡°


    "No!" I quickly blurted out.


    "No, it¡¯s okay.Everything is okay...I¡¯m ready."


    I came here with determination to get answers.I couldn¡¯t back out now.


    Whatever happened tonight, at least I could say that I tried.


    My mistake would only lie in wanting to hope for a better life.


    "Okay...well,e on in," he said.


    I was ready to step through the door but was stopped a s he held a hand out to me.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Just as he had done so once before.


    However, thest time he¡¯d done that, I had been too overwhelmed to reciprocate.


    Too many thoughts and questions holding me back, so unsure of everything that had been happening


    at the time.


    Now, when I looked at his outstretched hand, I sawa possible beginning.


    "T just need you to trust me," he had said to me that day.


    Well, I couldn¡¯t be sure if I was ready for that just yet, but I was at least willing to believe.


    Believe that there was a chance of this being real...if only for a moment...And so I cautiously reached


    out...hesitating once or twice as I moved...before, finally, those same sparks tingled along my skin in


    greeting upon contact.


    "I''m really d you came back, Raven," he said, his voice low and eyes so intense.


    And, instantly, I felt as my cheeks began to burn ever s o slightly.


    ..Clearly, I would need to be careful in more ways than one around him.I could see how easy it would


    be to be distracted from the mission at hand.


    "This doesn¡¯t mean I trust you," I rified.


    "And I¡­ I''d like some sort of proof.I¡¯m risking a lot bying here and I feel it¡¯s only fair that you prove


    you are what you say you are."


    He gently pulled me forward through the front door and closed it behind me, his gaze never leaving


    mine.


    From where I stood, he towered over me, something that I became painfully aware of as I became


    trapped between him and the exit.


    "_..I think I can manage that," he said.


    Now that we werepletely alone, the way he looked at me only intensified.


    As if he were somehow devouring me with his eyes.


    Eyes that I could have sworn appeared darker for a split second.


    Or maybe it was just the lighting.


    "Make yourself at home."


    He finally stepped back, releasing me, and quickly I walked around him into the living room.


    Desperately trying not to let myself be toofortable around him.


    Inside, the room was huge.


    As I''d suspected the other day, the ce was definitely some sort of penthouse.


    Honestly, it feltrger than some people¡¯s houses in here.


    Room enough to host an borate party without feeling even remotely cramped.


    "I would normally advise against doing anything like this indoors but...well, the city isn¡¯t exactly an ideal


    ce to do something where people might see," he said as he walked behind me.


    "We¡¯ll just have to make do with the space we have here."


    Space? Space for what? But as I turned to look at him, I had to fight the urge t o just spin right back


    around again.


    Because he stood to the side as he watched me, slowly starting the process of unbuttoning his shirt.


    "What are you doing?" I yelled in surprise, unable to stop myself from looking.


    He didn¡¯t seem phased in any way though, his lip twitching into a smile.


    "It¡¯s my favorite shirt," he said, as if it were obvious.


    "I don¡¯t want it to get ruined."


    My eyes caught sight of his chest as he continued unbuttoning, his actions undeterred from my cries in


    protest.


    The skin that was revealed seemed moulded around perfectly sculpted muscles underneath.


    A sight I never would have expected to be hiding behind his shirt.


    Sure, I knew he was strong...but this? I swallowed and quickly tried to refocus my thoughts.


    "_..Ruined?" I asked feebly.


    "Yeah...for the shift?" he said, almost a little confused.


    "You asked me to prove we were the same, remember?"


    Oh.


    Right.


    But, wait...


    he wasn¡¯t going to do that in here, was he? And my mind immediately recalled the massacres I would


    wake up to post-change.


    "Isn¡¯t that...dangerous?" I quickly asked.


    "Do I need to lock you inside a room?"


    This immediately made himugh, much to my embarrassment.I was here for answers.


    Right now, I could only make assumptions based on the knowledge I had.


    And that knowledge...it wasn¡¯t pleasant.


    I red at the ground, bing lost in thought over my prior experiences.


    So lost that I didn¡¯t even notice when he appeared right in front of me.


    And, instantly, a shiver ran through me involuntarily.


    "Raven," he said quietly, drawing in my attention.


    "I promise you, there is absolutely nothing in this world that could ever make me hurt you.I am thest


    person you will ever need to worry about."


    And a part of me wanted so badly to believe him.


    Before I could respond though, he moved past me to start pushing couches and other pieces of


    furniture out the way, clearing an area in the middle.


    By the time he was done, there was a semirge open space i n which he stood looking at me


    expectantly.


    "Are you ready?" he asked.


    I took a step back cautiously and nodded my head.


    ..And then...something unbelievable happened.


    I stood in shocked silence as I watched him shift forms in a mere matter of seconds.


    Changing and transforming effortlessly until all that was left was a wolf.


    Arge dark brown wolf that stared at me knowingly, a look embedded within those familiar hazel eyes.


    But I didn¡¯t feel like running or feel even remotely afraid, as I thought I would.


    Instead, I felt recognition from deep within myself.


    As though this felt...right.


    Slowly, I started to walk towards him, moving until I was crouched right in front of him.


    And, in response, heid down on the ground, presumably trying to make himself appear less


    threatening.


    Was he really in control right now? Would this wolf move if he instructed it to? He looked at me as if he


    knew exactly who I was, knew exactly what he was doing.


    And, ultimately, I decided to trust that instinct...reaching out hesitantly to touch his fur.


    "So soft," I mused aloud to myself.


    His eyes closed upon contact, allowing me to continue feeling the different textures.


    And though I didn¡¯t feel the same sparks as when I touched his skin, I still felt an unexinable


    connection.


    "Will this really be something I can do?"I asked.


    It seemed impossible to think that I could go from ckouts and bloody murders to anything even close


    t o this level of control.


    But Kieran apparently disagreed with that mentality.


    To my question, he raised his head and gave me a nod, confirming that this really was something


    attainable.


    My chest ached with new possibilities.


    ".I want to learn this," I whispered.


    "I don¡¯t want to be so afraid anymore."


    I''d always felt so lonely, thinking I was a freak all these years.


    But seeing Kieran like this now...


    knowing that he could teach me and was willing to help me learn about who I really was...


    It honestly felt like the final piece of the puzzle wasing together.


    These problems I had were apparentlypletely normal.


    Natural.


    No lies or nefarious intentions...


    just purely a part of being this species.


    And if he had been telling me the truth so far¡­ did that mean I really could trust him? Abruptly, Kieran


    then stood up, shaking his fur and running off into a room I couldn¡¯t see.


    I was taken a little off guard by the sudden movement but tried not to react.


    He had clearly proven already that he had no intention of mauling me.


    When he did finally emerge again, he was back to his normal self and tugging on a shirt.


    "Your turn," he said, walking over to me.


    But this immediately made me freeze.


    "Wait, no.I thought that there¡¯d be like...exercises or something to do first.Some way to practice safely,"


    I argued, slowly getting back up to my feet.


    "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for me to just jump right in and do that here."


    "There isn¡¯t any way to learn other than to just do it.I''ll be right here to help talk you through it.Nothing


    bad will happen, I promise."


    I started to feel sick at the thought of cking out, wondering if it would be Kieran¡¯s body I¡¯d find dead


    upon waking this time.


    Or worse, what if I didn¡¯t ck out and was forced to watch helplessly as the wolf attacked? I quickly


    shook my head.


    "I...I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.You¡¯ll get hurt."


    But he just smiled as if he didn¡¯t believe me.


    "Raven, I guarantee that your wolf won¡¯t hurt me," he said.


    How could he be so sure though? I¡¯d seen the aftermath for myself, seen what happened whenever I


    shifted.To just...jump in and do it without any safety precautions.."


    It was suicidal.


    But before I could protest again, he grabbed my hands, stopping any more arguments from me.


    "I know what I¡¯m doing," he reassured me.


    I met his eyes and, slowly, I tried to calm myself down.


    He really did seem sure of himself...and he had been telling me the truth so far.


    Didn¡¯t I owe him this much, at least?


    "Okay,"


    I finally agreed.


    And we got to work.


    Within ten minutes, I was standing in the middle of the living room wearing nothing but a dressing


    gown;plimentary of the hotel, and a necessity so my clothes didn¡¯t get torn to shreds.


    I could feel the anxiety in my chest bubbling to the surface as every second passed.


    Wondering just what would happen this time.


    "Calm down.It¡¯s going to be fine," Kieran said for the millionth time.


    He stood in front of me as he gave instructions, allowing me no more time to object before starting.


    "It¡¯s important that you focus on my voice and do everything I say.Let¡¯s start by closing your eyes."


    I looked at him onest time, hoping to absorb a little of his confidence, before doing as he asked.


    "Okay, good," he said.


    "Now...you need to visualise your wolf.Reach deep within yourself and talk to her."


    Talk to her? I didn¡¯t know that was a thing.


    I hadn¡¯t ever felt another presence before.


    But...per his orders, I attempted to do as he requested, reaching out to the beast I¡¯d tried so hard to


    suppress.


    "You need to stop being so afraid of her and start viewing her as an extension of yourself," he


    continued.


    "You are both the same person.She will follow your lead if you want her to."


    Right.


    I just needed to forget about everything she¡¯d done and just...move on? What were several gory


    murders in the grand scheme of things...


    "Now, visualise yourself changing and bing her.Then rx...and let go."


    The nausea came first, making me want to throw up.


    But it didn¡¯t take long before....


    I cried out in pain as I felt something breaking inside and, within seconds, one of my legs began to


    buckle.


    "Breathe and focus on my voice,"Kieran said.


    "Just let your body do what it needs to.Don¡¯t fight it."


    But the nausea quickly turned into pain.


    Pain that was unbearable and only became worse as I continue to hear every bone inside slowly break,


    feel every bit of flesh reforming.


    Before long, I was unable to stop myself from screaming as it became too much.


    "_.Raven?"


    I vaguely heard Kieran say near me.I writhed around on the floor, wing at my body as I begged for


    the torture to just end.


    In that moment, I would have been grateful for death.


    "I thought you said you¡¯d shifted before..." he said as i f talking to himself, a tone of confusion in his


    voice.


    "..It shouldn¡¯t be this painful...."


    But I couldn¡¯t respond, my entire thoughts already consumed by the hell I was experiencing.


    Already, my vision was flickering to darkness, threatening to make me ckout at any second.It was


    taking everything I had inside to hold on for as long as I was.


    "Hey...Raven? Raven!"


    Kieran was grabbing me now, trying to stop me from hurting myself further, but it did little to help.


    Even his touch wasn¡¯t enough to stop the pain now, no longer able to feel the sparks I hade to


    expect from his touch.


    "Raven!"


    Just...a little bit...longer...I needed to do this.


    To be stronger.I...could learn to control this.


    "Raven!"


    ...But, in the end, I wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    With one final cry of agony, I felt thest piece of restraintpletely slip away.


    And, soon, I was met with only darkness.

 Chapter 120: Book Two - Chapter 12

    Chapter 120: Book Two - Chapter 12


    "Rae...I do believe this guy is alive," Zac said.


    The two of us were peering into the cupboard, looking at a very tied up and very terrified looking Noah.


    "Yep," I replied.


    "Right...right....And, just to make sure we¡¯re on the same page here, you are aware that normally I don¡¯t


    see this part, right? That Ie in afterwards?"


    "I¡¯m aware."


    At the sound of the conversation, Noah immediately started to squirm and plead to Zac with his eyes,


    hoping that he would help free him.


    Not that it would do him any good.


    "So, what''s the hold up?" Zac asked, still confused.


    "Isn¡¯t this just another Thursday for you? I¡¯ve seen you do worse."


    He was right.This really wasn¡¯t that abnormal of a job for me to do.


    But I gritted my teeth at his question nevertheless, hating how I had ended up in this situation.


    "I...can¡¯t," I said, deting in defeat.


    "I can¡¯t do it."


    "You can¡¯t...do it...," Zac repeated slowly.


    "And why is it¡ª."


    "Look, I just can¡¯t, okay?" I said, cutting him off, irritated at all the questions.


    "I¡¯ve tried.I even tried again before you got over here.I can¡¯t do it, I can¡¯t do it, I can¡¯t do it.End of


    discussion."


    "...So why am I here? Just tell your dad that ¡ª."


    "No."


    Of course, Zac would suggest that.He didn¡¯t know about every dark secret my father was hiding, only


    ever seeing as far as he needed to.


    "No, I can¡¯t tell him," I said.


    "...And you can¡¯t tell him either."


    "Rae, the boss is expecting this guy dead," he said, taking a step back to look at me.


    "I¡¯m not really sure what¡¯s going on, but you do realise he¡¯ll find out sooner orter, right? You can¡¯t just


    keep him locked up in a cupboard forever."


    "Okay, fine! Fine...," I sighed in frustration, before slowly locking up to meet his eyes.


    "...Then you do it."


    Immediately, his face paled.


    "What?! Rae, no! No," he blurted out.


    "I don¡¯t do that."


    "c¡¯mon, Zac," I whined.


    "It¡¯s not that different from cleaning up.Both have a lot of blood.I can talk you through it.Here...just grab


    this dagger like this...and then hold it in your hand facing¡ª."


    "Raven, stop!"


    I''d been trying to get him to wield the weapon but he immediately held his hands up and stepped away.


    "Just...chill," he said.


    "I¡¯m not going to kill someone."


    "Argh! I spun around and angrily started pacing the room, beginning to get more worried as every


    second passed.I didn¡¯t understand why this had to be so difficult.It shouldn''t be this hard.Any other day,


    I could have done this job with my eyes closed.Why was I struggling to kill one random man? Who


    even was this guy? A small brown wallet then caught my attention as it sat on top of a table, and I


    walked over to inspect it.


    "Hey, doesn¡¯t this guy look sort of familiar?" I heard Zac say behind me.


    However, I ignored him as I went digging through his different cards.


    He had a grocery store reward one...a rental shop...a membership to aundromat? I didn¡¯t even know


    those had memberships.


    But then, finally, I found his driver¡¯s license.


    "Rae...he sort of looks like that guy,"


    Zac continued.


    "The one from a few days ago.You know...¡ª."


    "_..Kennedy," I said, reading the name on the card.


    "Right.Miles Kennedy.Wasn¡¯t he the guy from the clean-up a few days ago?" I slowly spun around to


    look at Zac, my mind now racing with new information.


    "No, Zac...Kennedy is this guy¡¯sst name," I said.


    "Noah Kennedy."


    And, simultaneously, we both then turned to look at the man tied up in the cupboard.


    Just what was his connection to him? I¡¯d thought that Miles was an underground businessman or some


    sort of gang leader.


    Someone who''d tried to pull a fast one over my father.


    Why else would he have acquired problematic documents rting to him? But...¡®clean up¡¯.That¡¯s how


    this job had been described.


    Was Noah involved in whatever Miles had been up to? ...Or was I sent here because he was digging


    into his disappearance? ...If that were true...then didn¡¯t that mean Noah¡¯s death sentence today was


    because of me? Because of m y identalpse in control? "Ah shit."


    I walked over to Noah and pulled out the cloth I¡¯d stuffed into his mouth.


    Normally, I would have agreed that talking to the future murder victim was possibly the dumbest thing I


    could ever do...but I felt we were already past the point of no return.


    "Please, let me go, please," he immediately started begging.


    "I''ll do anything.Just...don¡¯t kill me.Please."


    "You''re rted to Miles?" I asked, disregarding the crying.


    His face nked for a moment before bing confused.


    "What about Miles?"


    But I really wasn¡¯t in the mood for people not answering my questions inly.I¡¯d already had my fill of


    that from Kieran today.


    Instantly, I crouched down to his eye level and sunk m y dagger into the wall directly next to his head,


    causing him to jump in fear.


    "I¡¯m asking the questions," I hissed, pulling the knife back out to point it at him.


    "Now.Let me repeat myself for thest time.Are.You.Rted.To.Miles?"


    He squirmed in fear but managed to huff out a ¡®yes¡¯, his head quickly bobbing up and down.


    "Howe"


    "M-my...he¡¯s m-my brother," he stuttered.


    I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, already knowing I was going to hate where this


    was going.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°And when was thest time you heard from Miles?"


    "He never showed up at the bar on Saturday.I think he¡¯s missing," he hurriedly answered.


    "I-I don¡¯t know where he is, I swear! I¡¯ve been looking for him but it¡¯s like he¡¯s just disappeared....Is that


    why you¡¯re here? Does this have something to do with him? ...Or the business?"


    That caught my attention.


    ¡®Business¡¯.


    It was something that held my curiosity and yet I knew I shouldn¡¯t ask.


    Asking the questions I had already asked was already way too far.


    My job wasn''t to investigate my father¡¯s dealings, it was just to carry out his orders.


    But...but a part of me wanted to know.


    To find out whether or not his death sentence today was actually because of me.


    ..And so I asked the question I knew I shouldn¡¯t have.


    "..What business was Miles involved with?" I asked.


    "Rae¡ª."


    "What.Business?" I repeated, interrupting Zac before he could stop me.


    He would know how bad of an idea this was, just as I did.


    After all, he was also under the same orders to not pry too hard.


    "Smuggling," Noah answered.


    "He¡¯s a smuggler for that wealthy businessman in town.Gets in supplies and rare goods from all


    over.The best at what he does, in my opinion.Even better than me."


    I should have stopped there.I knew I should have stopped.No, I *definitely* shouldn¡¯t have wanted to


    keep going....But I couldn¡¯t seem to stop myself.


    "..Which businessman?" I asked carefully.


    And he looked at me as if I were stupid for not knowing.


    "Eric Reid, of course.Who else in this city would be shady enough to need a smuggler?"


    Fuck.


    Fuck, fuck, fuck.


    An employee.


    Miles had been a goddamn employee.


    He wasn¡¯t some random criminal or a rivaling businessman.He was on the freaking payroll.


    ...I killed an employee*.


    But why had I been given instructions to bring him in at all? Was he trying to run away or snitch on my


    father? ...Did he find out something he shouldn¡¯t have? And those documents allegedly pertaining to


    the business...


    just what was in them? If they were harmful, then what could make someone want to betray aman as


    powerful as my father? Someone who would know better than most in this city what going against him


    entailed? There were too many questions already asked and far too many answers left unknown that I


    shouldn¡¯t go looking for.


    I needed to pause for a moment and stop tunnelling down a thought process that had no end in sight.


    Because, regardless of the why, I was now left with a very important ¡®what¡¯; As in, what the hell was I


    going to do about Noah? And I quickly stood back up and stepped away, my brain swimming with a


    million different thoughts as for what I should do.


    This wasn¡¯t like the jobs I¡¯d had before.


    I wasn¡¯t killing him purely for the sake of business this time...it was more personal than that.


    His blood really would be on my hands this time.


    Both physically and morally.He was, forck of a better word, a loose end.


    Someone who would go looking for Miles.


    My intervention here today was meant to be cutting off that loose end.


    ¡®Cleaning up"


    "Rae, I kinda think that this has gone far enough," Zac said, watching as I began to pace again.


    "Just kill him and we can pretend that none of this ever happened.Here, I''ll just turn around and you


    can quickly do your thing."


    "I can¡¯t," I groaned in annoyance.


    If I couldn¡¯t do it before, I *definitely* couldn¡¯t do it now.


    "Miles was an employee," I said to Zac, pausing to face him.


    "Don¡¯t you have someone you care about outside of work? What if Noah was them? Just trying t o find


    out what happened to you?"


    "Since when do you care?" he argued back.


    "No offense, girl, but seriously.We¡¯ve been in this business for...how long? You being employed even


    longer than me.I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve ever seen you even bat an eyelid at having to do something like this


    i n the past."


    He was right.I knew he was right.I didn¡¯t know why I cared so much.


    This newfound reluctance, conscience even, was so incredibly unlike me.


    But that nagging voice inside was still telling me to not do it.


    That I shouldn¡¯t.


    ...That I didn¡¯t need to.


    "We need toe up with a n," I finally said, taking a step towards Zac.


    "We!? Rae, no.There is no ¡®we¡¯ here," Zac said, moving away.


    "You finish the job or someone else has toe in and do it.


    That¡¯s how this works."


    "I-I can¡¯t fail again," I said desperately.


    "Do you have any idea what my father will do to me if Ie home empty handed?"


    "That¡¯s not my problem.I¡¯m not getting involved in your family issue¡ª."


    But his voice abruptly came to a stop as I lifted up my shirt, revealing the many different shades of


    bruises still riddling my skin.


    "I can¡¯t fail again," I repeated.


    And Zac visible gulped in disgust.I pulled my shirt down but it was another few moments before Zac


    finally found his voice.


    He coughed, clearing his throat, and did his best topose himself.


    "So...what n did you have in mind?" he asked.


    And, suddenly, I had the perfect idea.


    Something that just came to me out of nowhere.


    It was so simple.


    Why hadn''t I thought of it earlier?


    "Zac Greene..."


    I started, a smile beginning to twitch on my lips.


    "The kind of man who can hide a body without leaving even a single drop of evidence behind."


    ..And recognition slowly spread across his face as he understood exactly what I was implying.


    "Wait, Rae, no," he started to protest, almost tripping as he tried to move backwards away from me.


    "That''s not the same thing.I don¡¯t¡ª."


    ...So, anyway, that was how Zac ended up hiding Noah for me.Maybe this whole friendship thing wasn¡¯t


    so bad after all.

 Chapter 120: Book Two - Chapter 13

    Chapter 120: Book Two - Chapter 13


    I left Noah in Zac¡¯s capable hands and got his word that he¡¯d call my father to say the job was


    completed per normal.He was risking a lot for my sake, I knew that.


    A lot of risk for what seemed like absolutely no reason.


    The level of danger associated with this insane n wasn¡¯t lost on me.


    After all, thest thing 1 wanted was for Zac¡¯s name to end up in my next mani folder.I headed home


    as soon as I could, leaving enough time to arrive well before daylight, and walked towards my front


    door.


    But it was as I was entering through the front gate to our property that something caught my eye.


    It was an olddy, huddled up in a shawl, standing just on the street outside.


    She had grey hair and eyes to match, clearly at an age that would suggest a retirement home or carer


    was required.


    And yet she stood randomly outside my house at three o¡¯clock in the morning, staring directly at me.


    I paused for a moment and looked around, trying to see if she was with someone.


    But when the empty street waspletely silent and devoid of all other life, I started to wonder if


    maybe she¡¯d gotten lost.


    ...Did I really have the energy to deal with this right now though? I was already so exhausted and just


    wanted to go inside to sleep in my own bed, something that would be a first after many days.


    I could already perfectly visualise how soft my pillow would be...


    just begging to beid on and¡ª.


    "I can save her," the olddy suddenly said.


    "I can save the girl." ¡­


    What? I took my hand off the gate handle and turned back around to fully face her, part of me still


    wondering if she was even talking to me.


    "..Pardon?" I called back.


    Wasn''t itmon for older people to lose their minds at a certain age? What if she was a dementia


    patient who wandered off? I should probably just look up where the closest hospital or retirement home


    was and tell them where to find¡ª.


    "The girl.rissa," she said.


    As if that was of any real help.


    I nkly stared back at her.


    "I¡¯m not rissa," I rified.


    "I think you¡¯ve¡ª."


    "I know that," she snapped sharply, making me flinch a bit in surprise.


    "Oh...kay.Well, is that...your daughter?" I asked, still trying to be polite.


    "Or your carer? Do you want m e to call someone for you¡ª?"


    But then she started to walk towards me, her stride more steady than I would have expected given her


    appearance.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    There was something oddly strange about her too.


    A weird atmosphere around her.


    Or maybe I was just slightly unnerved by the whole creepiness of the situation.


    "Do you not know who I am?" she asked once she stood within a few feet of me.


    "Ma¡¯am, truthfully, I¡¯m not even sure if you know who you are.No offence," I said, starting to get more


    ufortable the longer this drew out.


    "If you just wait here a moment though, I¡¯ll head inside and wake up one of the maids.They can maybe


    help you out or something."


    I really didn¡¯t care about courtesy anymore and just wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    There was something about this entire encounter that just rubbed me the wrong way.


    Almost as if I could feel the hair at the back of my neck standing up.I turned around and tried to open


    the gate, but she quickly moved forward to stop me.


    "Wait," she said, and I had to bite back my instincts telling me to go.


    Rational logic would suggest that there was nothing to be worried about.She was just an olddy.


    Frail enough looking to be pushed over by the wind alone.


    "Wait, amoment," she repeated.


    ..And I reluctantly turned back around to meet her eyes.


    Eyes that seemed to hold an intelligence there that I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    And she spoke in a tone so low that I almost didn¡¯t hear her.


    "...Do you know the true story of the Winter Mist?" she asked.


    Her expression waspletely serious as I shuffled ufortably under her gaze.


    It was as though I could feel her scrutinising me, analyzing my face for any sort of recognition that I


    knew what she was talking about.


    Which, of course, I didn¡¯t.


    "Is that like a fairy tale?" I asked.


    "Was it a book you used to read to your grandkids or something?"


    But to my immense difort, she only continued to stare at me silently.


    "..Ma¡¯am...?" I really wanted to leave.


    I was so close to home, merely a foot away from being back on the property.


    Just a step forward and I could close the gate between us.


    But she was so close to me that I wasn¡¯t sure what she would do if I tried.


    Clearly, she wasn¡¯t right in the head.


    However, at the sound of bird wings loudly flying into the air somewhere, she finally turned away,


    pulling the hood of her shawl up.


    "I can save her," she simply repeated.


    "Don''t forget that." And she started walking back down the street towards town.


    ...What the hell had that just been? I didn¡¯t waste any more time in stepping through the gate and


    locking it behind me, my chest still pounding slightly from the whole ordeal.


    So much fear caused by just one crazy olddy.


    But if I had to say one thing that was far more terrifying than the old crone, I would have to answer that


    it was the man waiting for me once I finally entered inside.


    As I walked through my front door, I saw a light had been left on in the living room.


    A surprise given most people in the house should have been asleep by now.


    Naturally, after everything that had just happened, I had every intention of just ignoring it and heading


    upstairs to my room instead.


    ...


    However, I couldn¡¯t help but catch the familiar scent of someone I knew only too well.


    My father.My foot had been on the first step of the staircase as I came to this realisation, so close to


    finally being able t o go to bed, but I knew that the light had been left on for a reason.


    He was expecting me.


    With a small sigh, I stepped back...and headed towards the living room instead.


    "My Raven," he greeted me, sitting in a leather armchair.


    From where I was standing, I could only see his arma s he held a drink in his hand, the chair facing


    away from me.


    "Father," I replied.


    "I just received the call from Zac not long ago," he said, taking a sip from the ss.


    "You¡¯reter than expected."


    "Oh...Well, there was this olddy outside," I started.


    "I think she was lost.Kept trying to talk to me and wouldn¡¯t let me leave¡ª."


    "I meant the job, Raven.You¡¯re several hourste from the job.The agreed upon time should have seen


    you home a long time ago."


    "Ah..."


    "Did everything go...smoothly?"


    No.No, it had not.


    In fact, I couldn¡¯t think of many ways in which it could have gone worse.


    I''d dug into things I definitely shouldn¡¯t have, opening a door to a liability of my own creation.


    Firstly, by identally killing an employee for a kidnapping job...then by failing to take care of the


    consequences of that mistake.


    Now, I was continuing to hide that consequence because I didn¡¯t want the death on my hands.


    Though, I couldn''t mention any of this to him.


    By this point, I was already in far too deep toe clean.


    Besides...and I knew I shouldn¡¯t be...but I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little...curious.


    Just what had that smuggler managed to find out? Was it rted to the documents?


    "Yep...it ah, it all went smoothly," I lied.


    "I just had some issues getting into the building, is all.A crowd of people were drinking outside and,


    well, intoxicated o r not, they''d still be witnesses.I decided to y it safe."


    "Is that so...?" he mused.


    A nervous feeling was bubbling in my chest.He couldn¡¯t know I was lying...could he? But then


    again...there was no such thing as a secret from Eric Reid.


    I knew that better than anyone.


    The silence seemed to stretch on for what felt like an eternity, quiet enough that I was painfully aware


    of how loud even my breathing seemed inside the room.


    Could he sense how nervous I was? Hear the loud thumping of my heart? But, no, that was impossible.


    Because love him or fear him, at the end of the day, m y father was still just a man.


    Aman.


    Not a...¡®werewolf¡¯.


    And, as a normal man, he didn¡¯t have the heightened senses I possessed.


    That was always going to be something that kept us apart.


    Thinking on that now, it was a stark reminder of where I''d identally found myself now.


    Facing a crossroads of two paths.


    On the one hand, I could continue to live blindly in fear, hoping that the eggshells around me would not


    crack under my mistakes, revealing to the world just how different I really was.


    A path where I would follow the rules, taking each day one at a time.


    Forgetting about everything I¡¯d found out, everything I¡¯d seen...everyone I¡¯d met.


    All so I could continue to loyally serve my father.


    The man who raised me, doing what he thought was best for both m e and the business.


    And, in doing so, trying to save m e from myself...and others...Or I could reach into my pocket to where


    that hotel keycard nowid.


    A promise attached to it that maybe things didn¡¯t need to be like that.


    A warm hand extended towards me through the darkness, offering sparks and a light that I¡¯d never


    experienced before.


    That I never thought even possible.


    A way to take back control over the things that constantly scared m e, learning to use them for myself


    instead.


    To be a version of myself that had no limits.


    If Kieran was telling me the truth and I really was what he said I was, and he was the same, then didn¡¯t


    I have no choice but to at least try and explore that option? To at least take a chance that maybe one


    day I wouldn¡¯t need to be so afraid? My father could try a million different things to help me hide my


    secret.


    To contain the creature and keep m e protected under his umbre of power, hidden from the world, but


    at the end of the day...he didn¡¯t really know anything.


    Just like how I currently didn¡¯t either.


    He was...just a man.


    Just a human man.


    Someone who could never truly understand me.


    The only real question now was...


    Am I actually doing this for him? Doing this out of love for him and for the business I was raised in? ..Or


    am I actually doing this for myself? I heard as my father then inhaled sharply, standing u p from the


    chair he¡¯d been seated on, and turned to walk towards me.


    That fearsome gaze of his still pierced through me, as if he could see everything I was hiding from him


    inside.


    But I held my resolve, keeping my expression steady,mitted to this decision I¡¯d made.


    He walked until he stood right in front of me, staring into my eyes as he watched me carefully, bringing


    a hand up as he slowly reached for my face, and....


    ..And he gently touched my cheek.


    "Good work," he said simply.


    "You¡¯ve done well." And, with that, he walked past me, leaving towards his own room to rest.


    My shoulders rxed the minute I heard his footsteps fade upstairs, but despite that minor relief, I was


    still helpless to the thoughts swimming around in my head.


    Because for the very first time in my life, I had knowingly and willingly disobeyed my father, going even


    as far as to lie to him.


    And yet, somehow, in spite of all of that...by some goddamn miracle......I had gotten away with it.


    Or, at least, that was the case for now.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    Book Two ¨C Ch.#14


    Over the next few days, I found myself feeling anxious. Under the constant watchful eye of both my fath


    er and Gavin, I continued to y along with my usual daily routine. Acting as if nothing was amiss. Doin


    g all the training that was asked of me. But, inside, I was thinking back to that keycard.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    The one I¡®d hidden under my mattress. Waiting for exactly the right moment for when I¡®d be able to use


    it.


    ¡­A moment I found finally presented itself on the night of the third day.


    With my father expected to be staying overnight elsewhere for ate meeting and Gavin only working u


    ntil seven o¡®clock, I saw an opportunity to take advantage of the soon¨Cto¨Cbe quiet house.


    And I devised a n to leave as soon as the sky grew dark.


    A few hourster, I was slowly scaling to the ground from my bedroom window. This being something I


    did with ease and without being seen. And though I never thought to use my abilities to go behind my fa


    ther¡®s back, I certainly couldn¡®t deny that it came in handy.


    Soon, before much time had passed at all, I found myself facing the door I¡®d been thinking of so incess


    antly. The door I¡®d been wondering about every day, contemting all of the things I could possibly disc


    over once I entered through it. A door that might just possibly change my life forever.


    And I stared at it.


    ¡­And stared.


    ¡­¡­.And stared.


    And I kept staring, even while my hand reached out several times to knock, failing every time to go thro


    ugh with it.


    ¡­I¡®d been so certain in my decision ande all this way, only to But then, suddenly, the


    door opened in front of me.


    ¡°...Are you just going to stand out there all night?¡± came a voice from inside.


    It was his voice. I recognised it well now.


    ¡°I ah¡­,¡± I started, feeling a little awkward for being caught. ¡°I¡®m sorry. I just¡­ I


    ¡ª.¡± ¡°It¡®s okay. No need to be sorry,¡± he said, his face then appearing from the other side of the door.


    Instantly, that same effect started to hit me, a reassurance spreading throughout as his presence held


    me. ¡°I get it. If you need more time to think, I can just leave this open. I¡®m not pressuring you to d¨C.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I quickly blurted out. ¡°No, it¡®s okay. Everything is okay¡­ I¡®m ready.¡± I


    came here with determination to


    get answers. I couldn¡®t back out now. Whatever happened tonight, at least I could say that I tried. My mi


    stake would only lie in wanting to hope for a better life.


    ¡°Okay¡­ well,e on in,¡± he said.


    I was ready to step through the door but was stopped as he held a hand out to me. Just as he had don


    e so once before.


    However, thest time he¡®d done that, I had been too overwhelmed to reciprocate. Too many thoughts


    and questions holding me back, so unsure of everything that had been happening at the time.


    Now, when I looked at his outstretched hand, I saw a possible beginning.


    (*¡°I just need you to trust me,¡°*¡® he had said to me that day.


    Well, I couldn¡®t be sure if I was ready for that just yet, but I was at least willing to believe. Believe that th


    ere was a chance of this being real¡­ if only for a moment.


    ¡­


    And so I cautiously reached out¡­ hesitating once or twice as I moved¡­ before, finally, those same spa


    rks tingled along my skin in greeting upon contact. ¡°I¡®m really d you came back, Raven,¡± he said, his


    voice low and eyes so intense.


    And, instantly, I felt as my cheeks began to burn ever so slightly.


    ¡­


    Clearly, I would need to be careful in more ways than one around him. I could see how easy it would be


    to be distracted from the mission at hand.


    ¡°This doesn¡®t mean I trust you,¡± I rified. ¡°And I¡­ I¡®d like some sort of proof. I¡®m risking a lot byin


    g here and I feel it¡®s only fair that you prove you are what you say you are.¡±


    He gently pulled me forward through


    the front door and closed it behind me, his gaze never leaving mine. From where I stood, he towered o


    ver me, something that I became painfully aware of as I became trapped between him and the exit.


    ¡°¡­I think I can manage that,¡± he said.


    Now that we werepletely alone, the way he looked


    at me only intensified. As if he were somehow devouring me with his eyes. Eyes that I could have swor


    n appeared darker for a split second.


    Or maybe it was just the lighting.


    ¡°Make yourself at home.¡±


    He finally stepped


    back, releasing me, and quickly I walked around him into the living room. Desperately trying not to let m


    yself be toofortable around him.


    Inside, the room was huge. As I¡®d suspected the other


    day, the ce was definitely some sort of penthouse. Honestly, it feltrger than


    some people¡®s houses in here. Room enough to host an borate party without feeling even remotely


    cramped. ¡°I would normally advise against doing anything like this indoors but¡­ well, the city isn¡®t


    exactly an ideal ce to do something where people might see,¡± he said as he walked behind


    me. ¡°We¡®ll just have to make do with the space we have here.¡±


    Space? Space for what? But as I turned to look at him, I had to fight the urge


    to just spin right back around again. Because he stood to the side as he watched me, slowly starting th


    e process of unbuttoning his shirt.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I yelled in surprise, unable to stop myself from looking. He didn¡®t seem phased i


    n any way though, his lip twitching into a smile. ¡°It¡®s my favourite shirt,¡± he said, as if it were obvious. ¡°I


    don¡®t want it to get ruined.¡±


    My eyes caught sight of his chest as he continued unbuttoning, his actions undeterred from my cries in


    protest. The skin that was revealed seemed moulded around perfectly sculpted ¡®muscles underneath. A


    sight I never would have expected to be hiding behind his shirt. Sure, I knew he was strong¡­ but this?


    I swallowed and quickly tried to refocus my thoughts.


    ¡°¡­ Ruined?¡± I asked feebly.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ for the shift?¡± he said, almost a little confused. ¡°You asked me to prove we were the same, rem


    ember?¡±


    Oh. Right But, wait¡­ he wasn¡®t going to do that in here, was he? And my mind immediately recalled th


    e massacres I would wake up to post¨C


    change. ¡°Isn¡®t that¡­ dangerous?¡± I quickly asked. ¡°Do I need to lock you inside a room?¡±


    This immediately made himugh, much to my embarrassment.


    I was here for answers. Right now, I could only make assumptions based on the knowledge I had. And t


    hat knowledge¡­ it wasn¡®t pleasant.


    I red at the ground, bing lost in thought over my prior experiences. So lost that I didn¡®t even not


    ice when he appeared right in front of me. And, instantly, a shiver ran through me involuntarily. ¡°Raven,¡±


    he said quietly, drawing in my attention. ¡°I promise you, there is absolutely nothing in this world that co


    uld ever make me hurt you. I am thest person you will ever need to worry about.¡±


    And a part of me wanted so badly to believe him.


    Before I could respond though, he moved past me to start pushing couches and other pieces of furnitur


    e out the way, clearing an area in the middle. By the time he was done, there was a semi ¨C


    rge open space in which he stood looking at me expectantly. ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked. I took a ste


    p back cautiously and nodded my head.


    ¡­And then¡­ something unbelievable happened.


    I stood in shocked silence as I watched him shift forms in a mere matter of seconds. Changing and tran


    sforming effortlessly until all that was left was a wolf.


    Arge dark brown wolf that stared at me knowingly, a look embedded within those familiar hazel eyes.


    But I didn¡®t feel like running or feel even remotely afraid, as I thought I would. Instead, I felt recognition f


    rom deep within myself. As though this felt¡­ right.


    Slowly, I started to walk towards him, moving until I was crouched right in front of him. And, in response


    , heid down on the ground, presumably trying to make himself appear less threatening


    Was he really in control right now? Would this wolf move if he instructed it to? He looked at me as if he


    knew exactly who I was, knew exactly what he was doing.


    And, ultimately, I decided to trust that instinct¡­ reaching out hesitantly to touch his fur.


    ¡°So soft,¡± I mused aloud to myself.


    His eyes closed upon contact, allowing me to continue feeling the different textures. And though I didn¡®t


    feel the same sparks as when I touched his skin, I still felt an unexinable connection.


    ¡°Will this really be something I can do?¡± I asked.


    It seemed impossible to think that I could go from ckouts and bloody murders to anything even close


    to this level of control. But Kieran apparently disagreed with that mentality.


    To my question, he raised his head and gave me a nod, confirming that this really was something attain


    able. My chest ached with new possibilities.


    ¡°¡­I want to learn this,¡± I whispered. ¡°I don¡®t want to be so afraid anymore.¡±


    I¡®d always felt so lonely, thinking I was a freak all these years. But seeing Kieran like this now¡­ knowin


    g that he could teach me and was willing to help me learn about who I really was¡­ It honestly felt like t


    he final piece of the puzzle wasing together.


    These problems I had were apparentlypletely normal. Natural. No lies or nefarious intentions¡­ jus


    t purely a part of being this species.


    And if he had been telling me the truth so far¡­ did that mean I really could trust him?


    Abruptly, Kieran then stood up, shaking his fur and running off into a room I couldn¡®t see. I was taken a


    little off guard by the sudden movement but tried not to react. He had clearly proven already that he ha


    d no intention of mauling me.


    When he did finally emerge again, he was back to his normal self and tugging on a shirt.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± he said, walking over to me.


    But this immediately made me freeze.


    ¡°Wait, no. I thought that there¡®d be like¡­ exercises or something to do first. Some way to practice safely


    me to just jump right in and do that here.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡®t any way to learn other than to just do it. I¡®ll be right here to help talk you through it. Nothing b


    will happen, I promise.¡± I started to feel sick at the thought of cking out, wondering if it would be Kiera


    But he just smiled as if he didn¡®t believe me.


    ¡°Raven, I guarantee that your wolf won¡®t hurt me,¡± he said.


    How could he be so sure though? I¡®d seen the aftermath for myself, seen what happened whenever I sh


    just¡­ jump in and do it without any safety precautions¡­? It was suicidal.


    But before I could protest again, he grabbed my hands, stopping any more arguments from me.


    ¡°I know what I¡®m doing,¡± he reassured me.


    I met his eyes and, slowly, I tried to calm myself down.


    He really did seem


    sure of himself¡­ and he had been telling me the truth so far. Didn¡®t I owe him this much, at least?


    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± I finally agreed.


    And we got to work.


    Within ten minutes, I was standing in the middle of the living room wearing nothing but a dressing gown;


    I could feel the anxiety in my chest bubbling to the surface as every second passed. Wondering just wha


    gave instructions, allowing me no more time to object before starting ¡°It¡®s important that you focus on my


    at him onest time, hoping to absorb a little of his confidence, before doing as he asked.


    ¡°Okay, good,¡± he said. ¡°Now¡­ you need to visualise your wolf. Reach deep within yourself and talk to he


    Talk to her? I didn¡®t know that was a thing. I hadn¡®t ever felt another presence before. But¡­ per his orde


    continued. ¡°You are both the same person. She will follow your lead if you want her to.¡±


    Right. I just needed to forget about everything she¡®d done and just¡­ move on? What were several gory


    ¡°Now, visualise yourself changing and bing her. Then rx¡­ and let go.¡±


    The nausea came first, making me want to throw up. But it didn¡®t take long before¡­.


    *SNAP*


    I cried out in pain as I felt something breaking inside and, within seconds, one of my legs began to buck


    ¡°Breathe and focus on my voice,¡± Kieran said. ¡°Just let your body do what it needs to. Don¡®t fight it.¡±


    But the nausea quickly turned


    into pain. Pain that was unbearable and only became worse as I continue to hear every bone inside slow


    Before long, I was unable to stop myself from screaming as it became too much. ¡°¡­ Raven?¡± I vaguely


    It shouldn¡®t be this painful¡­.¡± But I couldn¡®t respond, my entire thoughts already consumed by the hell I


    make me ckout at any second. It was taking everything I had inside to hold on for as long as I was. ¡°H


    was grabbing me now, trying to stop me from hurting myself further, but it did little to help. Even his touc


    Just¡­ a little bit¡­ longer¡­.


    I needed to do this. To be stronger. I¡­ could learn to control this. ¡°Raven!¡±


    ¡­But, in the end, I wasn¡®t strong enough.


    With one final cry of agony, I felt thest piece of restraintpletely slip away. And, soon, I was met wi

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 15


    ¡°_Raven.¡±


    Through the darkness I heard a voice, piercing through the haze.


    It sounded urgent. Someone calling out to me. ¡± ¡ª Raven, shift back.¡±


    Every now and then I would see snippets. Just stilled images shing before me, showing pictures of a


    living room. Of a broken table. Of a boy.


    It felt somewhat familiar but I couldn¡®t ce it.


    ¡°Raven! ¨C Ah, fuck.¡±


    ¡­And pain. So much pain.


    The voice continued to call out to me, pleading with me to do something¡­ but I wasn¡®t ready.


    No, instead, I rescinded into my mind further to escape.


    To try and forget what was happening. ¡­To


    pretend everything was okay. And so, I hid from it all, blocking out the images


    and voices. Waiting until, finally, things didn¡®t hurt so badly.


    ¡­Until I was sure the pain had stopped.


    ¡°¡­Raven,¡°came the voice again.


    Only, this time, recognition finally kicked in.


    Kieran.


    It was Kieran¡¯s voice and¡­ and I¡®d shifted. Changing into the wolf and¡­¨C.


    Oh¡­ no, no¡­.


    Instantly, my eyes flew open¡­ and I found myself contained within his arms, wrapped up in a nket.


    He looked down at me with a face showing signs of exhaustion, his breathing heavy. And


    I immediately knew something was wrong.


    I


    wasn¡®t sure how long had passed but I was back to my normal self, implying it had been at least a few


    minutes. But¡­ there was something else too. Something I¡®de to expect from thesepses.


    ¡­I could smell the sickly scent of blood.


    Blood flowing from it. Increasingly bing worse pooling, on the ground around us,


    And, suddenly, it was as if the whole world obted,


    Everywhere I looked there was blood Red painted on every surime, on every piece of furniture, on ever


    y wall, curtain andmp, And as i frantically looked around, I felt my breathing quicken, my heart startin


    g to race,


    ¨C¨C¨CJust what had I done!


    This was extly what I had been afraid of and yet I¡®d let it happen, I turned back to Kieran, finding his fac


    e now so pale, and I quickly moved my hands to his chest to help stop the bleeding, Hands that were s


    oaked even up along, my forearms already ¡°I¡®m so sorry.¡± I whispered, ¡°I I didn¡®t mean to do this.¡± I¡®d tol


    d him that this was dangerous and a bad idea. Why hadn¡®t he listened to me! ¡°Raven, it¡®s okay,¡± he repli


    ed,


    I looked at himn incredulously, as if he were insane for not seeing the amount of blood he had lost.


    It was a miracle he was even still able to talk


    ¡°N no, no it¡®s not okay,¡± I stammered, ¡°Nothing about this is okay.. You¡®re going to die because of me.¡±


    I could feel my entire body shaking, feel the tears beginning to form in my eyes. Kieran had said he kne


    w what he was doing, that everything would be fine, and yet everything had still yone wrong, Was it bec


    ause I was incapable of being helped? Was I actually a monster? ¡°Raven, what are you talking about? I


    ¡®m fine¡±


    ¡± Pine¡®? ¡®Pins¡®!!¡± I repeated, my voice bing shrill, ¡°You¡®re bleeding out! 1 I don¡®t even have time to c


    all an ambnce Goddammit, Kieran! Why didn¡®t you listen to me!!


    I kept trying to stop the bleeding but he then grabbed my hands and held them away from him.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I screarned,


    ¡°Stop,¡± he ordered, ¡°It¡®s barely even a scratch.¡±


    ¡°N no, no, no it¡®s not. How can you say that? You¡®re,¡± ¡°Raven, calm down and look,¡± he said, cutting me


    ofl. ¡°B but I¡®ve killed you...1 I didn¡®t mean tou ,¡±


    ¡°Raven!¡± he yelled this time, forcing me to meet his eyes. ¡± I said I¡®m fine¡±


    And as I slowly looked back down at his chest, I found that the wound was barely more than a surface l


    evel injury, something that had already stopped bleeding a while ago.


    ¡°w what


    I don¡®t understand¡­¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Carefully, I then spun my head around to look at the room¡­ and found


    itpletely normal Apart from a few


    broken pieces of furniture, the ce seemned utterly the same No blood in sight


    But I had seen it so clearly, smelt the strong copper smell. There was no mistaking it.


    ¡­


    How could that all be in my head? ¡°Come here,¡± Kieran said, and proceeded to lift me onto hisp with


    ease. I was reluctant at first, still confused by what was happening, but it didn¡®t take long for me to reali


    se what this meant. I threw my arms


    around him in relief, no longer caring if my sudden attachment to him was weird. All that mattered was t


    hat he was alive. That he was safe.


    ¡°I¨C


    I¡®m sorry,¡± I cried. ¡°I¡®m so sorry. I fucked up.¡± His hand came up and gently stroked my hair, indulging m


    y abrupt need forfort. Along with the nket, his warmth


    was helping to calm me. ¡°You¡®re fine,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡®t do anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°But I did,¡± I argued. ¡°I failed. I¨CI wasn¡®t strong enough. Regardless of


    whether it was minor, you still got hurt.¡±


    Even after Kieran tried to help me, it was clear that I was still a failure. It didn¡®t matter if I was human or


    a wolf. There were some things that I¡®d never ovee.


    Somehow, it felt like I would forever be a disappointment that this was my life now; useless to my


    father, and useless at things that should have been natural for me to do.


    Just another screw-up to add to the list.


    ¡­But Kieran didn¡®t seem to like that answer.


    Immediately, he pulled me away and held my face so I was forced to look at him.


    ¡°Hey. Nothing you did was your fault,¡± he said adamantly. ¡°I mean it.¡± ¡°But 1¨C.¡± ¡°No,¡± he instantly cut off.


    ¡°Take a breath and repeat after me: ¡°this was not my fault.¡®¡±


    I opened my mouth to protest but he gave me a look that made me stop. As if telling me this exercise


    wasn¡®t negotiable.


    ¡°¡­This¡­ was not my fault,¡± I finally said in defeat. I¡®d mumbled the words quietly


    but he still seemed satisfied by my reply nevertheless. With a small nod in approval, he let go of me.


    ¡°Whatever that was¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anything like it,¡± he said. ¡°By far the slowest, most painful


    changes I¡®ve ever witnessed. But¡­ I don¡®t know. It¡®s giving me a weird feeling. Almost as if there¡¯s


    more to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­


    What do you mean? Are you saying there is actually something wrong with me?¡± ¡°No¡­ not wrong with


    you. But maybe more¡­ something external affecting you,¡± he said, his brow


    furrowing. ¡°Are you wearing any jewellery? or have anything metallic touching you like


    a piercing? I¡®d look something like silver.¡± I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head.


    essories weren¡®t a good idea for me given my day job. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ then how about diet. Do you drink any teas? Or regrly deal with any herbs?¡±


    ¡°No¡­,¡± I replied again, bing increasingly more


    confused by the strange questions. Kieran then stopped for a moment in thought, visibly trying hard to


    ¡°¡­What about medications?¡±


    And my body immediately stilled. Yes¡­ I had medications.


    I had regr medicine I took for anxiety and post¨C


    shifting side effects; mostly the pain and nausea. But¡­ that was


    something I had been prescribed for years. By a doctor. A professional.


    Or, at least, they were a


    professional¡­ employed by my father. Surely, he wouldn¡®t have though, right? Because that would me


    an¡­. ¡°Raven?¡± Kieran prompted when I still hadn¡®t spoken. ) I


    swallowed back the bile in my throat, hoping Kieran was wrong about this. ¡°¡­


    Yes,¡± I answered, ¡°Yes. I have medication.¡±


    ¡°Can you show it to me?¡±


    Almost robotically, I stood up and walked to where I¡®d left my bag, finding it on the counter. It took a bit


    of shuffling before I eventually could locate it. With everything happening so quickly, my fingers were tr


    embling uncontrobly. ¡°Here,¡± I finally said, presenting it to Kieran. He¡®d followed behind and swiftly to


    ok it from me, starting to inspect the contents immediately The whole time, I silently watched as he wor


    ked, subconsciously pulling the nket around me more for


    comfort. Wishing more than anything that this really would be ordinary medication.


    Though it was rarely ever that simple. ¡°These¡­ these are suppressors,¡± Kieran said in shock, slowly lo


    oking up at me. ¡°They were designed and used in chemical warfare. Illegal now, of course.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡®t


    understand how¡­.¡±


    ¡°Raven,¡± he continued, voicepletely serious.¡°¡­ How


    long have you been taking these?¡± ¡°Since my eighteenth. Maybe just before¡­ I can¡®t remember exactly.


    ¡°Years?! You¡®ve been taking these for years?¡±


    Thnched at the outburst, taken by surprise,


    ¡°Sorry. I¡®m just¡­ astounded you even have these,¡± he said. ¡°Suppressors were created for a specific wa


    I mean town¡®¡­ we were unfortunately the ones who originally designed them.¡±


    ¡°. Theye from you?¡± I asked, struggling to take in all the new information,


    ¡°They shouldn¡®t be,¡± he said. ¡°They stopped


    production after the war ended and it was agreed to never use them again. But¡­ I don¡®t know. Truthfully


    a kid, but these¡­ these look a bit odd. Their shape isn¡®t quite what I remember¡­.¡±


    And then to my utter disbelief, I watched as he picked one up¡­ and bit into it. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I e


    before I could take a step to stop him, he instantly spat it back out, staring at it intently. ¡°It feels


    weird,¡± he said quietly. ¡°As if there is the tiniest bit of sensation on my palm. Barely noticeable. Almost


    like¡­,¡± And he went quiet for another few seconds. ¡°Like what?¡±


    The pauses and silences were driving me insane. I just wanted to know already. ¡°I don¡®t know where


    you got these or who made them¡­,¡± he said darkly, ¡°but whoever is administering them to you knows


    exactly what they¡®re doing.¡± It was the words I¡®d feared hearing and yet he was


    confirming it to be true. The worst case I hadn¡¯t wanted to believe.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± I asked, though I knew it was redundant to still hope otherwise. Only, as he


    answered my question, it turns out that it was far worse than I¡®d expected. So, so much worse.


    ¡°Raven¡­ this has trace amounts of blessed silver in it.¡±


    ¡°Blessed¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°¡­It means they were poisoning you.¡±


    I could feel as my body started to feel light, my legs swaying, and it was only a matter of seconds


    before Kieran had to catch me, stopping me from hitting the ground.


    ¡°Woah, let¡®s get you to the couch,¡± he said, hoisting me up into his arms.


    Oncefortably seated and after my breathing had steadied, I decided to push through and ask the


    questions that I still needed answers to.


    ¡°So this whole time I really was drugged¡­ just not in the way I thought,¡± I said, feeling bad for initially


    ¡°I¡®m going to be brutally honest here,¡± he said. ¡°And I don¡®t mean to scare you but I¡®m just surprised you¡®


    over such a long period of time would have messed with you significantly, making


    using your abilities incredibly difficult I assume that exins the extreme pain, a cause for the ckouts


    and impossible to get your hands on for anything that isn¡®t approved by an elder council. The fact that yo


    ¡°But¡­ if it was meant to be suppressing my abilities, howe I still have better senses? More strength


    of removing¡­,¡± he said in thought. But then his tone suddenly changed. ¡°Actually¡­ it sort of reminds


    me of a story. Long ago, they used to say that the Silver Saintes¨C.¡±


    Abruptly, he then stopped talking without warning, quickly looking over to me a little ufortably.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, still waiting for him to proceed. But he only continued to stare, as if having a debate


    over what to say. ¡°Ah¡­ nothing. On second thought, it¡®s not the same thing,¡± he said. ¡°Just a story.¡±


    He was doing it again, I could tell. Shielding me from things he felt I wasn¡¯t ready to know about. I


    understood why¡­ but it was


    still frustrating. Sure, I was a little overwhelmed, but I had still managed to pick up things that sounded h


    He¡¯d mentioned wars, chemicals, poisons¡­ a world hidden away that was full of people just like me,


    capable of abilities I¡¯d once considered monstrous. But never once did he borate further or give


    more context than necessary.


    ¡°*¡±I saw how overwhelmed you were over


    just meeting me so I didn¡¯t want to rush you into this world,¡°*¡® was what he had said to me the other day.


    I didn¡®t end up being able to press him for more answers though as he suddenly asked me a question


    instead. One I wasn¡®t expecting. Or, at least, one I knew he would eventually ask¡­ but I wasn¡¯t quite


    ready to answer yet.


    ¡°I need to know where you got these,¡± he said, making my chest tighten with stress. ¡°¡­I need to know


    who gave you the medication, Raven.¡±


    And I instantly


    held my breath, frozen with confliction. Because to give such an answer meant admitting something I sti

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 16


    He knew¡­ he knew what I was and kept it from me.


    Why though? It didn¡¯t make any sense. But¡­ did it really matter? Even if my father did know, it didn¡¯t


    really change anything about my situation. It just added more questions that I would most likely never


    get answers to. After all, it wasn¡¯t as though I could confront him about it. If he sensed even the tiniest


    bit of rebellion from me, I was sure that he would sooner lock me up than lose me.


    ¡°¡­Raven?¡±


    Right¡­ Kieran. He was still waiting for me to reply¡­ only I wasn¡¯t sure what to do. I was in yet another


    dilemma of choosing two sides. Both of which had high prices with uncertain oues.


    To tell him the truth, the real truth, meant inviting him in to see that side of my life. A side where he


    would most likely learn the dark actions of my father, our business, and of the work entailed within that.


    This, in itself, was a dangerous thing to divulge to anyone, the information thereby cing a target on


    Kieran.


    ¡­But I had to acknowledge something else too. By bringing Kieran in and telling him all of this¡­ he


    would then be inches away from discovering the truth about me too. About all of my dark contributions


    up until now. Things that now made me feel emotions I never expected to feel.


    Because a part of me suddenly felt¡­ shame. Guilty. Afraid of what he would think if he learned of


    everything I¡¯d done in the past. Of who I was during the day. Never before had I cared about another¡¯s


    judgement like this. My life had always been too busy to worry about something like that for long. But¡­


    Kieran was different. For the first time ever, I was beginning to care what someone thought of me. He


    had been nothing but helpful, doing his best to solve the issues that had gued me for years now. I¡¯d


    attacked, used, threatened and pushed him away¡­ and yet he didn¡¯t seem to care about any of


    that. I could see a goodness in him that no one else had ever shown me. Something pure that was


    given without asking for anything in return. He was either psychotic¡­ or he did genuinely want to help


    me. Anyone else would have walked away already ¡­And it was for that reason which ultimately made


    the decision for me. One where keeping him away would still be for the best. ¡°¡­A doctor,¡± I half-lied. It


    was a technical truth, though not quite right. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about him.¡±


    But apparently, I had grossly underestimated just how much Kieran had already picked up about my


    life. ¡°¡­Was it your father?¡± he asked, catching me off guard.


    My head immediately spun sharply to look at him, finding his expression serious. ¡°¡­Why would you


    say that?¡± I replied. I was trying to make my tone sound casual despite the tension I felt. ¡°I saw how


    afraid you were of him that night we met,¡± he said. ¡°If he has hurt you, you can tell me.¡±


    By that response? No, no I could not. He¡¯d now just given me further confirmation that I was doing the


    right thing. Kieran involving himself was only going to end with him putting himself in danger as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied, ¡°He just¡­ does what he thinks is best for me.¡±


    ¡°Raven, I mean it,¡± he persisted. ¡°You don¡¯t need to put up with being mistreated. In fact, I don¡¯t think


    you should go back home at all.¡±. ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°With the suppressors and silver, I think you shoulde back to Ashwood with me,¡± he said. ¡°Be seen


    by a doctor that actually knows how to correctly assess you. Make sure there are no long-term effects


    due to what he¡¯s done to you. You can live the kind of life you want there without ever having to feel


    afraid.¡±


    Leave¡­ my father?


    He was offering me the very thing I¡¯d been too scared to dream for. Escaping from it all, leaving my


    father behind¡­ finally being free. And not just that, but to also be allowed into the world I was always


    meant to be raised into. Have unrestricted ess to answers still unknown. About who I was, what was


    wrong with me, about how I could get better.


    ¡­Only, as I kept thinking it through, I soon came back to reality. Because it was just that¡­ a dream. A


    fantasy.


    The minute I stepped foot out of this town, he would track me down and immediately drag me back


    home. There was no such thing as being free.


    Besides¡­ even if I couldn¡¯t see it myself, I was sure there had to be a reason why he gave me the


    silver and suppressors. There had to be. Everything he¡¯d done had always had a purpose. ¡­Perhaps I


    was just missing something. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t do that,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Raven, I can¡¯t just send you back there, helpless to stop whatever is happening,¡± he argued, clearly


    unhappy with my response. ¡°You don¡¯t want to tell me the truth, sure, but your face says it all. The


    bruises on your ribs say it all. I know something is going on with him. I can feel the maniption a mile


    away.¡±


    That prickled me, instantly making me be a little defensive.


    There was nothing I could do and my hands were tied. It wasn¡¯t as if this was easy for me or something


    I wanted. My ce was by my father¡¯s side. The only ce I could ever be.


    The best thing for everyone was if Kieran just epted that and let it go already.


    ¡­Which, of course, he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t thought about this? The man has a daughter who he keeps hidden away,


    rarely allowing them the opportunity to meet anyone outside,¡± he said. ¡°That sounds exactly like


    istion, ensuring that you¡¯re reliant on him, and only him.¡± ¡°Stop,¡± I quickly warned, not liking where


    this was going ¡°And then add in the fact that, despite being a rich man¡¯s daughter, you have fighting


    skills sharper than most skilled warriors I¡¯ve met. Skills far beyond any average learning. I can¡¯t think of


    many reasons why you would need such a thing in a city like this, especially with the upbringing you


    should have had.¡±


    ¡°¡­I said stop.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a genius to realise he¡¯s using and abusing you, Raven,¡± he continued, ignoring my


    words. ¡°Whether he handed you the pills or not, I already came to this conclusion days ago. If you just


    come with me, I can protect-.¡± ¡°¡ª Kieran, stop!¡± I finally yelled, tears threatening to fall from my eyes.


    Listening to all of this was too much. Both painful¡­ and terrifying. Because if he had already figured


    out this much about me, then he was dangerously close to things he shouldn¡¯t know. To pry any further


    would make it near impossible for me to keep him safe.


    ¡°¡­Please stop. Please,¡± I begged. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± He finally took a moment to


    look at me properly, pausing just long enough to see my demeanour. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Raven¡­ I didn¡¯t


    mean to upset you,¡± he said softly. But I just shook my head, still trying to bite back the tears. He was


    making this so hard. So goddamn hard. Everything inside was now screaming at me to give in and tell


    him everything. To run away with him and pretend I could be someone new. But I couldn¡¯t. It was too


    late for that.


    I went to say something else, to protest some more, but, as he continued to look at me with a face full


    of concern, eyes that held only sincerity¡­ I felt myself crack.


    ¡­I cracked just the tiniest bit under that pressure¡­ and provided a confirmation I never expected to


    give. One that didn¡¯t actually admit to anything, yet told him everything he needed to know.


    ¡°¡­If my life is truly as bad as you say it is¡­,¡± I said, unable to hide the pain in my tone. ¡°One full of


    sadness and abuse, and where I was helpless to the whims of an extremely powerful man in this city¡­


    why do you think I would stay?¡± No matter what he said to me, at the end of the day, I was still my


    father¡¯s raven. Just because my cage bars weren¡¯t always visible, it didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t always feel


    them everywhere I went. Thest thing I wanted to do was to trap Kieran inside here along with me.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ve figured everything out, but you don¡¯t know me, Kieran,¡± I continued, quickly regaining


    whateverposure I could muster. ¡°And you don¡¯t understand half of what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Raven, I¡¯m


    trying to tell you that he can¡¯t touch you so long as youe with me,¡± he said.¡° ¡­I can protect you. I


    promise.¡±.


    But if I were to ept his help, it wouldn¡¯t be *me* who needed protection. Already, I could visualise


    the mani folder now¡­ reading his name at the top¡­ knowing what it would mean¡­. 1


    I shuddered at the thought.


    ¡°I appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for me,¡± I said, already feeling my chest aching with the words I


    was about to speak. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m not interested in leaving. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Before he could say anything further to make the decision harder, I quickly stood up and walked to the


    bedroom to get changed. Focusing on anything other than what was happening so I didn¡¯t identally


    crack again. ¡°I¡¯ll stay around for a few more days in case you change your mind,¡± I heard him say,


    speaking from the other side of the door. ¡°Unlike him, I¡¯m not going to force you intoing with me. I


    want this to be your choice. Your decision. Something you clearly have never been given before.¡± Why


    was he making this so goddamn hard? I was already trembling so much, feeling my heart pulsing


    loudly in my chest. I didn¡¯t need this to drag out any more than it was.


    But as he mentioned his return back home, it did make me realise something.


    That¡­ this was most likely thest time I would ever see him. Not only because of the town difficulties


    he¡¯d mentioned earlier, but it was also unlikely that I would be able to sneak out like this again. Doing


    so once had already been too risky.


    And as for future mutual events we might find each other at¡­? Well, I doubted my father would allow


    me to attend anything like the Mayor¡¯s party again after what happenedst time


    No, this¡­ this right here, this very moment¡­ this was goodbye. ¡­And as I thought on it more,ing


    to terms with what that meant, I suddenly felt an odd sense of rity. ¡­Because whatever happened


    right now, it wouldn¡¯t matter after today.


    It was a thought that made me immediately walk to the door, opening it up to reveal Kieran on the other


    side. He had one arm up against the doorframe, his body leant forwards in a way that implied his head


    had been resting on the wood only moments before.


    And, as I came face-to-face with him again, he instantly looked sharply up as if he were about to say


    something else. An expression that told me he hadn¡¯t given up on trying to convince me yet.


    But that didn¡¯t matter to me anymore, my mind now already made up. Before he could get a single


    word out, I quickly moved forward and pressed myself against


    him, catching him by surprise. And, instinctively, I gave myself over to that relentless urge I always felt


    whenever he was nearby


    1 arched my body upwards, weaving a hand through his hair, and right as a shiver of pleasure coursed


    through me¡­ I brought my lips up to meet his.


    ¡­And it was perfect. The exact way I always imagined it would feel. Maybe even better. And though I


    could tell he was reluctant at first, possibly questioning my sudden change in attitude, it didn¡¯t take long


    before his mouth started to respond back. Moving against mine, drinking in every single sensation on


    offer¡­ turning those sparks into mes.


    When his hand moved to my waist and pressed me closer to him, an excitement of possibilities


    instantly bubbled into my mind. I could tell that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. That,


    whatever this absurd obsession was, it was definitely felt mutually.


    Was he feeling himself burning in the heat of those mes too? Intoxicated by my scent like I was his? I


    couldn¡¯t help but wonder what might happen if I truly did let gopletely at that very moment¡­ if I


    forgot everything else and gave myself over entirely. ¡­But this wasn¡¯t that sort of kiss.


    No, this one was only meant in goodbye. And, though it pained me to do so, I slowly pulled myself


    away enough to meet his eyes. ¡°I really do appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for me,¡± I said, taking a


    final moment to hold onto him, procrastinating what I needed to do. ¡°You¡¯ve given me knowledge that I


    might have gone the rest of my life without ever discovering, going about my days as I continued to


    think that I really was dangerous¡­ that I was a freak. Now I can at least try to get better, even if that¡¯s


    not in the way you want.¡± ¡°¡­I thought that kiss was because you were agreeing to stay with me,¡± he


    said quietly, disappointment heavy in his tone.


    They were words that hurt me more than I thought they would, making me ache to take back everything


    I¡¯d said and to agree to go with him. But this wasn¡¯t about me. This was about loyalty to my father¡­


    and about protecting Kieran. ¡°¡­I really am sorry, Kieran.¡± ¡­And I stepped backwards out of his arms,


    now moving towards the exit.


    I grabbed my bag from the counter and immediately headed towards the front door, but it was as my


    hand was on the handle that I heard him speak behind me.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said, making me pause. ¡°There is something you should know. Something that might make


    you reconsider.¡±


    And, reluctantly, I turned my head back to look at him, already struggling as it were with just leaving in


    light of what had happened between us. ¡°What is it..?¡± I asked. But his expression only grew more


    intense, whatever he wanted to say clearly being


    something he was unsure about. As if he was undecided whether he should tell me.


    ¡°Kieran¡­ what is it?¡± I pressed. He finally took a deep breath and moved a step towards me. ¡°I don¡¯t


    know how to tell you this,¡± he said hesitantly. ¡°¡­But he¡¯s not your real father, Raven.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ there is no biological way that Eric Reid could have fathered


    you.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 17 ¡°I mean¡­ there is no biological way that Eric Reid could have fathered you.¡±


    I stared at him nkly.


    Was this topic reallying up again? He¡®d already questioned this on the night of the charity event. A


    presumptuous perspective from someone who didn¡¯t know any better.


    ¡­From someone who grew up with real parents.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I know,¡± I said, somewhat annoyed. But, for whatever


    reason, this response took Kieran by surprise. ¡°Wait, you know?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes¡­,¡± I said again. ¡°I sho


    uld hope he isn¡®t. Because if he were my biological father, I¡®d imagine that would have


    made our first meeting very awkward. What with him picking me up from the orphanage and all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t understand,¡± he said. ¡°If you know he¡®s not your father, why are you being so loyal to him?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, unable to hide my


    irritation now. ¡°Because he is still my father. He still raised me and took care of me. He rescued me fro


    m a shitty house where I was severely bullied, one where I was just another unwanted, unloved six yea


    r old in a bad system,


    and gave me a home. Gave me skills and purpose. Protected me from¨C.¡± But I quickly stopped myself f


    rom saying the next words before it


    was toote. Because I could still recall it so vividly; that day when I had been adopted. I could


    remember because it had been the same day that I¡®dmitted my first sin.


    I¡®d been relentlessly terrorised for being different, pushed around and abused by the


    other kids. They didn¡®t know what I was but, thinking back now, they must have sensed it. Realised that


    I was nothing like them. That I held an underlying threat.


    ¡­But it was ultimately that sense of theirs, that treatment, which finally caused me to snap. Or maybe


    they ¡®snapped¡¯ was a more apt way to put it¡­ their arms and legs to be exact.


    It was precisely after this encounter that my father then found me¡­.


    Standing in a pile of four older children. Covered in their blood. Shaking uncontrobly as I tried to


    come to terms with what I¡®d just done.


    However, as he took one look at me, he didn¡®t seem even slightly disturbed by the scene before him.


    He didn¡¯t so much as bat an eyelid. No, he simply approached me slowly, crouched before me¡­ and


    extended me his hand. He offered me a shelter that I had long since given up on. A vow that if I abided


    by his rules and helped him, that I would forever be safe under his protection. That I had nothing to fear


    once I became his daughter. His raven. ¡­An offer which I quickly epted. At his best moments, it


    was bliss. His encouragement and affection were the very things that


    had been absent from my life up until then. This was someone who saw me for what I was and still


    loved me regardless. Who wasn¡¯t afraid of the unnatural strength I possessed as a child.


    And so when he eventually ced a dagger in my hand and put me to work¡­ I did everything in my


    power to make him as happy as he made me. To pay him back by being as useful as possible. 1 Only,


    as I very quickly discovered, he possessed a side to him that was far more terrifying than I could have


    ever expected.


    The day I made my first mistake was the day I learned what it truly meant to fail my father. When I was


    inevitably sent for punishment at just the young age of fourteen, I learnt my lesson the hard way. A


    lesson where beingcent and slipping had consequences. Because it was harder to


    forget the rules when they were painfully reinforced into your mind.


    In a warped, twisted way, I now knew deep down that things weren¡®t what they probably should be. Tha


    t it was unhealthy and dangerous, especially with the threat he held to both me and those around me. B


    ut¡­ he was still my father. A part of me still wanted to believe that his actions were only in my best inter


    est.


    ¡­Which was why I couldn¡¯t figure out his motive for poisoning me.


    Why spend thest sixteen years raising me, spending thousands in both money and


    resources to meticulously craft


    me into who I was¡­ only to then give me something so toxic? He gave me his name, called me daught


    er¡­ then tried to slowly kill me?


    What was the point?


    It just seemed like¡­ a bad investment. Something that I knew my father was more careful about.


    Was I just delusional about what was really happening?


    ¡°I don¡®t expect you to understand,¡± I said, pulling away from my thoughts. ¡°But he is the only family I¡®ve


    ever known. Just because he¡®s not my blood, it doesn¡®t mean he¡®s any less important. Not everyone is


    fortunate enough to have their real parents alive.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡®t¡­ I didn¡®t mean it that way,¡± Kieran said. ¡°I was just trying to¨C.¡±


    ¡°I know what you were trying to do,¡± I interrupted, holding up a hand to stop him.


    He¡®d said it with the hope that I¡®d


    suddenly change my mind about everything. That I¡®d think that I didn¡®t actually have to stay¡­ but it didn


    ¡®t make a difference. In fact, all it did was reaffirm just what was at stake.


    ¡°All I¡®m trying to say is that no one should treat their own daughter that way,¡± he said. ¡°He clearly


    doesn¡¯t love you in the way that you think. Not if he¡®s willing to do all those things. A father should


    never want to hurt their child.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess I wouldn¡¯t know then,¡± I said bitterly. ¡°But I appreciate the insight from someone more


    fortunate.¡±


    I turned my back and went to leave, but his voice quickly stopped me. ¡°¡­You¡®re not the only one with a


    dead parent, Raven,¡± he said, his voice strained. And, instantly, I felt a little guilty.


    ¡®


    I¡¯d forgotten about what I¡¯d read in Victor¡®s file. It had mentioned being married but held no details of


    the wife. Usually this implied that the partner had died too long ago for our records, something I¡¯d


    already assumed but didn¡®t give it much thought. ¡­But that was Kieran¡¯s mother. It gave it an entirely


    new meaning now that I wasn¡¯t just reading words on a page. That was a living person.


    ¡°I was just


    a kid when it happened but I was old enough to remember her,¡± he continued.¡± Truthfully, I don¡®t know if


    that makes it better or worse¡­ but I can at least understand


    your pain, if only a little. We have more inmon than you think.¡±


    I felt myself holding my breath, this whole thing only adding more confusion to my


    already conflicted head. All of this was too much to process.


    ¡­No, I needed to leave before I really did do something I regretted.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Without saying anything further, I opened the door and went to take a step over the


    threshold. ¡°Three days, Raven,¡± he called out to me. ¡°I¡®ll wait three days. I really do hope you¡®ll change


    your mind¡±


    It was


    enough to make me stop for a moment. But through gritted teeth and, with a final push of strength, I did


    what I needed to do.


    ¡­ I finally left


    ¡°Goodbye, Kieran,¡± I said quietly. And I closed the door behind me.


    The next few days felt painfully slow. With every second


    that passed, I was very aware of how it was another second wasted, knowing that Kieran was


    there. Waiting for me in that room, hoping that I¡®d reconsider. Wanting nothing from me


    other than to help me escape.


    ¡­ It took every ounce of self-restraint I had not to give in.


    After having some time to cool down and reassess, I was willing to ept now that maybe what Kieran


    had told me held some merit.


    I did love my father¡­ but I also equally feared him. It had been that way for many years


    now, but I¡®d be ustomed to it. And so regardless of the motives behind his


    actions, I had to acknowledge that perhaps my firm belief might not be true. That perhaps there wasn¡¯t


    a good reason for why he gave me the medication.


    ¡­That maybe things were worse than I originally thought. It didn¡¯t do much for my present situation


    though. I was still trapped regardless, helpless to go anywhere. If Kieran knew just how far my father¡¯s


    reach really was, he wouldn¡¯t be speaking of escape so easily. No, I was still making the right choice.


    This way, I could keep Kieran safe. This way¡­ I could continue to pretend everything was okay. ¡­Or,


    at least, I thought that was the case.


    Because on the third day, something happened that made


    my blood turn cold. I was called into my father¡®s office and saw on his desk the very thing I dreaded to


    see. ¡­Another man folder.


    ¡°Father,¡± I greeted, unable to take my eyes off of it. ¡°Apologies if you had to wait long. I only just heard


    from Gavin that you wanted to see


    me.¡± ¡°My dear daughter,¡± he said, setting his drink down. ¡°Yes, please¡­ take a seat.¡±


    Oh, no.


    I was never asked to be seated. Something about this felt¡­ wrong.


    Hesitantly, I pulled the chair back and did as he asked.


    ¡°I¡®ve been hearing¡­ some interesting stories,¡± he said. ¡°Stories¡­ about you.¡±


    At that, my entire body froze, momentarily forgetting how to breathe.


    Like a snake,


    it was as though I could feel my father¡®s hold slowly winding around my neck, constricting my throat¡­ c


    losing in¡­.


    ...And I knew that he¡®d caught me.


    I should have known better. No, I did know better. I knew all along that secrets


    were impossible in this house and yet I still tried. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡®m not sure what you¡®re referring to,¡± I said,


    though I knew it was a dangerous game to y dumb here.


    ¡°Take a look for yourself,¡± he said and proceeded to gesture towards the folder on the desk.


    Instantly, I swallowed nervously, staring at


    it intently once more. Just who¡®s name would I find in there? Was it Noah¡®s? Zac¡®s? Kieran¡®s?


    ¡­My own?


    With a shaky hand, I reached out¡­ and opened the cover to reveal the contents.


    Only, what I found there wasn¡¯t a name¡­ but rather a photo.


    A photo of me getting out of a taxi in front of Kieran¡®s hotel.


    It was the night I¡®d gone to him for answers. The day my father was meant to be out of town. Somehow,


    it looked as though I¡¯d been followed despite taking extra precautions. It meant that my father


    purposely had someone watching me without my knowledge. ¡°Do you know who¡¯s currently


    staying at this hotel?¡± he asked I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, already knowing that there wasn¡¯t anything I


    could do in this situation to make it better.


    After several moments had passed, of which I still hadn¡¯t replied, my father continued


    without waiting


    (Kieran Lycroft,¡± he answered. ¡°You might remember him from the Mayor¡¯s Charity eventst week¡­


    You know, the assignment you failed to gather intel for?¡±


    ¡°Think, Raven. Think,¡® I started screaming in my head over and over again.


    If I didn¡®t find a way to fix this right now, everything would have been for nothing. Hell, I would be facing


    simr repercussions had I just tried to run away.


    But, most importantly, I¡¯d now thrown Kieran in the firing line. cing the very target I¡¯d tried so hard


    to keep off of him.


    ¡°Now, why might you be there, my raven?¡± he asked, curiosity filling in those grey eyes of his.


    ¡­Eyes that I¡®de to know only too well over thesest sixteen years.


    But it was within that familiarity that an idea then finally came to me. A way to save Kieran.


    Because I just needed to do what I¡®d always done¡­ what I always tried to do.


    ¡­I just needed to please my father. ¡°¡­


    You¡®re right,¡± I said, finally finding my voice. ¡°I was there. I¡®m sorry I didn¡®t tell you. I kept it a secret beca


    frowned, his curiosity clearly only increasing. ¡°After my punishment, I felt responsible for my actions,¡± I q


    Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I thought that if I could still somehowplete the


    mission, then you¡®d forgive me. I felt awful knowing that I¡®d broken your trust and I didn¡®t want to tell you


    it now, I can see how my actions were deceitful. I¡®m truly sorry, father.¡±


    He paused in silence as he carefully scrutinised my face, and, in turn, I looked down at my hands in


    shame. I needed to y the part I normally would in a situation like this. One of submitting to my faults.


    ¡°If you feel I should be punished, I wouldpletely unders¡ª.¡± ¡°Were you


    sessful?¡± he asked, not waiting for me to finish. ¡°Did you happen to find out about the documents?¡±


    ¡­Interesting. So he really was determined to find them. Even more so than to worry about my actions.


    If that was the case¡­ I wondered if there was a way to spin this around¡­.


    What if¡­


    But, no, that was probably too much to hope for. Unless¡­. ¡°¡­No,¡± I answered. ¡°But I did manage to


    befriend the son. He trusts me now. Almost too much. Just like you said, I gave him my best smile.¡±


    Come on¡­ Take the bait.


    Please take it. Just this one thing. In all my years, please just give me this one thing. ¡°And you feel like


    you are close to locating the documents?¡± my father replied, unable to hide his interest now. I exhaled


    in mock frustration, doing my best to act as genuine as possible. ¡°Truthfully¡­ and I don¡¯t mean to


    disappoint you further¡­ but I don¡¯t think the son knows anything about them.¡± I could see how he


    instantly deted, unhappy with that.


    A response that was perfect for me. It meant it was working.


    ¡°That being said,¡± I continued. ¡°¡­I think his father might. Kieran mentioned something along the lines


    of Victor needing to do important business in Ashwood. A major development that just came up. In


    fact, I believe Kieran is heading home today to help. I¡®m just sorry that I wasn¡¯t able to find out


    anything else, father. I really did try.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even seem phased that I knew all of this and hadn¡®t told him yet. He was far too focused on


    just the information. Thankfully, what I had said apparently lined up with whatever those documents


    were, something I had needed to bluff based purely on assumption. ¡°It certainly is a


    shame¡­,¡± he said, lost in thought.


    ¡°Hmmm.


    But, actually,¡± I continued, innocently bringing a finger to my chin in thought.¡° Now that I think about it¡­


    did beg me to go with him.¡±


    He sharply looked back over to me, his interest now piqued once more.


    ¡°If you wanted¡­ I could maybe go there myself¡­,¡± I said. ¡°Find out about the documents from V¨ªctor


    and then possibly even retrieve them.¡±


    ¡­Please take the bait.


    ¡°¡­No one would even think that anything was strange. Just another rich boy bringing home a pretty


    girl. Someone who held no threat nor caused any reason for them to be guarded.¡±


    Please¡­.


    ¡°All I would need is your permission, of course.¡± Please¡­.


    Just this one thing.


    The only thing I¡¯ve ever wanted this bad.


    Please just let me go with him.


    And, as I met my father¡¯s eyes, I¡¯d never been so nervous as I waited for his answer.


    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± he said. It was the best news I¡¯d ever heard in my life. And though I wasn¡¯t sure what to


    do long-term, or even about the documents I¡¯d tantly lied about¡­ at least, for now, I had a chance to


    escape my cage without any fear. ¡­If only for a short time.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126


    Book Two ¨C Ch.#18


    *knock* *knock*


    C¡®mon¡­ please¡­ *knock* *knock* *knock*


    Please open the door¡­


    *knock* *knock* *knock*


    Kieran¡­


    *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *kno¨C,


    I was beginning to panic, thinking that I¡®d left it toote but then, finally, the door opened.


    ¡°Raven,¡± Kieran said, almost in disbelief. ¡°You actually came. You¡®re¨C.¡±


    But I didn¡®t wait for him to finish.


    Without missing a beat, I instantly moved forward and threw my arms around his waist. His scent


    was mixed in with soap and water, clearly having interrupted him from a shower. But it was the best thin


    g I had ever smelt. Already, I could feel my body start to rx


    from the warmthing off of him. Something much needed to help calm the adrenaline pumping thro


    ugh me.


    Hesitantly, his arms then moved to encircle me, reciprocating the hug. Almost as if he was still in shock


    I¡®d arrived.


    ¡°I was starting to think that you weren¡®t going to change your mind,¡± he said. ¡°I¡®ve been putting off leavi


    ng for a few hours now, stubbornly in denial.¡± ¡°I¡®m d you were stubborn¡­ Thank you for waiting.¡± He


    pulled away slightly so he could look at my face, bringing a hand to touch my cheek. ¡°How though? Are


    you in danger or¡­?¡± But I quickly shook my head. ¡°I¡®m fine¡­ I just don¡¯t


    want to talk about it, if that¡®s okay.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to hide it from Kieran¡­ I just wasn¡®t sure


    what to say yet. I didn¡®t entirely know myself what I was doing. Was I truly escaping? Or was I just


    merely ying along with what my father wanted? It felt like I was hedging my bets rather than actually


    making a decision. Waiting to see how things would turn out first.


    Kieran held my gaze for a few seconds, obviously trying to tell if I was lying about being


    fine, but finally he nodded.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡®ll grab my things and we can go.¡±


    I sat on the couch as I waited for him to get his luggage together, happily watching him move about.


    Every now and then he would look over at me, almost as if he were expecting me to not be there, and I


    would give him a small wave in reassurance. By the time he was done, all I could feel was intense


    nervousness fluttering inside. We took all our bags outside to his car and, once everything was loaded


    up, he then turned to me, politely


    holding open the passenger seat door.


    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± he asked. ¡°There will be a lot to learn.¡±


    But I¡¯d never been so sure in my entire life.


    I walked right up and smiled at him, now buzzing with anticipation. ¡°I¡®m d to have such a great


    teacher then.¡±


    Only, as I expected him to return the expression, instead, he seemed almost taken aback.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, thinking something was wrong.


    He looked almost in a


    daze, but my voice seemed to pull him out of it. ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± he quickly replied, but he then brou


    ght his hand up to my face and brushed


    his thumb gently against my lips. ¡°It¡®s just¡­ that¡®s the first time you¡®ve done that.¡±


    Immediately, I felt myself sumbing once more to those sparks. That feeling of being captivated by th


    e way he spoke¡­ the way he felt¡­ the way he touched me.


    ¡°Done what¡­?¡± I managed to ask quietly, though I couldn¡®t help but notice how he had moved in closer.


    ¡°_Smiled at me. That¡®s the first time that you¡®ve genuinely smiled at me.¡±


    I started to be flustered, feeling a little guilty for faking during our first meeting. But he continued


    before I could get an apology out.


    ¡­


    And it was something that made me forget whatever was in my head. ¡°It¡®s so beautiful,¡± he whispered,


    his eyes focused on my lips. *Thump*


    My cheeks started to burn and I quickly turned my head to the side, feeling embarrassed.


    How did he do that to me so easily? I could have melted into a puddle from just the way he looked


    at me alone¡­ and yet his words were making me want to evaporate entirely. I was


    experienced in persuading men to fall for me, that had been something I¡®d picked up quickly in my job,


    but that experience did little to defend myself against every little thing Kieran did. He had me


    completely under a spell¡­ one that I was finding impossible to deny.


    Carefully, his hand then moved my face, coercing me to look at him once more, and my gaze locked


    with his. He looked like he was going to kiss me¡­ and I really hoped that he did. I could still remember


    it from the other day, how perfect it had felt. But, due to


    circumstances at that time, it had been cut far too short. Now, with little else standing in the way, I


    allowed myself to wonder what more than a kiss felt like.


    Wonder¡­ what his skin would feel like as it moved against mine¡­ what his


    ¡°We should get going,¡± he said quietly, taking a step back. And, for a moment, I thought his eyes had


    appeared darker again. Was that normal or was I just seeing wrong every time! ¡°We have a long trip


    ahead of us.¡± But as disappointment filled me, having been denied the kiss I¡¯d craved, I quickly did my


    best to push it out of mind, seating myself down in the car.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡­And, as it turned out, it did end up being a long trip indeed. Even though the ¡®public¡® border was only


    a few hours¡¯ drive, ording to Kieran, the actual town itself was located a lot further up north. Along


    the journey, he did his best to fill me in on basic things I needed to know. Things like basic terminology,


    details about the ¡®pack¡¯, and a general rundown of how their weird hierarchy worked


    ¡°Okay, so¡­ Alpha, Beta¡­ and then Gamma¡­,¡± I said aloud, trying to remember the right names. ¡°And


    then you have warriors, each with their own ranks¡­ and then¡­ Elders? Which are who again?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a small collective made up of the older generation,¡± he answered. ¡°Unlike the birth


    ranks, the Elders don¡®t necessarily need to be born into an influential family. Their position


    is voted by merit and intelligence.¡±


    ¡°The birth ranks being¡­ the Alpha, Beta and Gamma, right?¡± All of this seemed a bit strange, but I was


    doing my best to understand. ¡°That¡®s right.¡± ¡°And¡­ You¡®re the Alpha¡®s son?¡±


    ¡°Right. But I¡®m also the eldest son of Victor, so I therefore get a birth title as well. Mine would be Alpha


    heir. It means that I¡®ll take over as leader one day.¡±


    My father¡®sments made more sense now;


    the ones he¡®d said during the charity event. I remember him asking if it wasmon to


    elect mayoral representatives based on family.


    It made me realise that, even though my father must have known what I was, he clearly didn¡®t have an


    understanding of everything werewolf rted. If he did, I doubted that he would have agreed to let me


    go with Kieran and his family for a while. Especially if he¡®d been trying to suppress that part of me.


    ¡°I do need to warn you that the etiquette is a bit old¨C


    fashioned,¡± he said, a little awkwardly.¡± You¡®ll see a few formalities and it might seem odd, but you¡®ll get


    used to it eventually. Personally, all that you¡®ll need to worry about is just remaining respectful to my fat


    her. Not that I think you¡®ll have any


    trouble with that. As for everyone else, they would technically be considered


    benea, ah¡­.¡± He then stopped himself mid¨C


    sentence, thinking about his phrasing. ¡°Just¡­ you don¡®t need to worry about everyone else


    as much. You¡®re my¡­ guest.¡± ¡°Okay¡­,¡± I said, frowning. ¡°¡­And one more thing.¡± His voice then


    became lower, more serious. ¡°¡­I¡®d love to be able to say that my pack is perfect but, the reality is, the


    town is still made up of varying opinions and people.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ there is a chance that some people might not like you. I doubt you¡¯ll encounter anyone brave


    enough to say it to your face, but¡­ just prepare yourself.¡±


    Oh.


    ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m Eric Reid¡¯s daughter?¡± I asked.


    But he gave me a small smile at that. ¡°No, I doubt any of them even know who your father is. I barely


    knew and I¡¯ve been allowed into the city a few times. No, Ashwood is just a very closed ¨C off ce¡­


    which is why they might be wary of you. Just ignore it as best you can.¡± I heard the warning but I was


    too focused on what he¡¯d said first; The part where no one was going to know who my father was.


    I was¡­ anonymous. No stigma or preconceived opinions, I was free to be Raven Reid without any ties.


    Only¡­ was that what I even wanted? To be Raven Reid?


    It was another reminder of the decision I was yet to make.


    ¡°We¡¯re nearing the checkpoint,¡± he then said, and I felt as the car started slowing down.


    Checkpoint? Just how closed¨Coff was this ce?


    A few momentster, a man came out of a small booth, walking into the middle of the road


    as he waited for us to stop. He looked extremely athletic and was able to see me clearly despite being s


    ¡­He was the same as me.


    But I didn¡®t feel any instant connection as I met his eyes, nor did I particrly think


    anything special about the man. No abrupt urge to kiss him. To me, he just seemed like apletely no


    And yet, as I looked back over to Kieran, I felt that same little jolt of longing I felt every time I saw him.


    Just as I always did.


    So¡­ that strange connection really wasn¡®t a way to recognise others of our kind. But if that was the


    case, then what made Kieran so special?


    What was this thing between us? He¡®d said it was plicated¡® but never actually exined.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Kieran instructed as we parked, and he proceeded to get out to speak to him.


    The entire time that I watched him approach, I felt the intense stare of the man waiting. As if he were


    trying to figure out who I was. Something that was probably just a part of his job, but it made me a


    little ufortable regardless. It was only once Kieran walked up that


    he finally looked away. And though I couldn¡®t hear what they were saying, I could see a few of the man¡®s


    I was at a loss for what Kieran was telling him.


    After a few minutes had passed, it looked as though everything was cleared up and Kieran finally


    started walking back towards the car¡­ but, as he was halfway back, he quickly stopped again.


    Because it was then that a howl ripped through the air, so close that it made me jump in surprise.


    Everyone instantly became defensive. Within seconds, the man was wielding a dagger and even


    Kieran started scanning the area, concentrating on the nearby trees.


    Were we in danger? It certainly seemed that way.


    I quickly moved to open the passenger door, but before I could even open it, suddenly


    someone was running towards Kieran. They appeared out of nowhere and moved so fast. beelining in


    his direction without any hesitation. Too fast to stop them.


    And it was then, in frozen terror, that I watched as they tackled Kieran to the ground¡­ a fight ensuing.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 19 ¡°KIERAN!¡±


    I screamed, throwing the car door open. After the initial shock of watching the scene unfold, my senses


    finally kicked back in and I jumped into action. There was no longer any hesitation within me. I just


    immediately sprinted towards him.


    Moving as fast as I could, I was already reaching for my dagger before my feet had hit the ground, And


    the closer I got, the more of themotion I could hear.


    There was growling, a significant amount, and grunts of pain as the two rolled along the ground


    engaged inbat. But it was only as Kieran finally ced the man in a headlock that something truly


    bizarre happened.


    Strange enough to make me instantly skid to a halt, now only a few feet away.


    ¡­Because despite the attacker being madepletely powerless, he just easily gave up the fight


    without a fuss¡­ and started tough.


    I stood wide-eyed with adrenaline as I tried to figure out the situation, however Kieran proceeded to just


    smile and help the assant to his feet. A man with dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes.


    ¡°I see you didn¡¯t lose your touch during the city vacation,¡± he said jokingly. ¡°For thest time; it wasn¡¯t a


    vacation,¡± Kieran argued. ¡°I was working. At least one of us has to take our job seriously because you


    clearly like abusing yours.¡± He then raised an eyebrow.¡± A warning howl, Daniel? Really? Was that


    absolutely necessary?¡±


    The man named Daniel rubbed his neck and smiled guiltily. ¡°I just wanted to make sure our fearsome


    future leader didn¡¯t get soft whilst hanging out with the humans.¡± ¡°Why? You looking to take my job?¡±


    But Daniel justughed at that and grabbed his shoulder inradery. ¡°No thanks. I already have it


    hard enough keeping you in check as it is. I don¡¯t need more responsibi¡ª.¡±


    Abruptly, he then stopped and turned towards me. ¡°Woah, I didn¡¯t even notice you. Where did you


    come from?¡±


    Realising that there was no danger, I quickly sheathed my dagger before he could see it. Whoever this


    was, he was evidently a part of the town. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be a very good first impression to be seen


    attacking him.


    ¡­After all, I¡¯d already done that once with Kieran, ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m here with¡­ -.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t get the words out though as Daniel then sniffed at the air and looked confused.


    ¡°You reek of Kieran,¡± he said as if that were a perfectly normal thing to say.


    Immediately, my mind went nk as I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. Should I be denying it or brushing it


    off? It wasn¡¯t as though we were officially dating or anything. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t even know myself what


    was happening between the two of us, let alone be able to startbelling it. If they really were old-


    fashioned here, did people need to be married first?


    Were werewolf weddings a thing? ¡°She¡¯s with me,¡± Kieran finally answered, taking a step forward.


    ¡°What? Like¡ª.¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­ *with me*,¡± Kieran repeated, emphasising the words. I couldn¡¯t see his face


    but I got the feeling he was trying to tell Daniel something. A little irritating, to say the least, but I was


    still too confused by the whole situation to press for answers.


    Recognition seemed to cross Daniel¡¯s expression though. Whatever had been said was apparently


    enough to quell any prior issues as he then promptly turned to Kieran and threw his arms around him in


    a hug. ¡°Oh, man, I¡¯m so happy for you,¡± he said. ¡°It took you long enough.¡± Kieran patted his back a few


    times, giving a light chuckle, but tried to pull away as soon as possible. Clearly attempting to downy


    what was happening. Something I was still very perplexed about


    Only it didn¡¯t stop there either.


    Daniel then turned his attention towards me and walked right up, bowing his head slightly as a hand


    covered his chest.


    ¡­And I simply stared at him.


    What was he doing¡­? Was this what Kieran had meant by saying the people here were extremely


    formal? I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to do as he had failed to mention it in the car. ¡­Should I be bowing


    back, or..? I stood there a little awkwardly but thankfully the whole thing onlysted about a second. As


    he finally came back up, he proceeded to smile and held a hand out for me to shake. A gesture I was


    much more familiar with and one I quickly reciprocated.


    ¡°I¡¯m Daniel Cooper. The Beta heir of the Ashwood Pack,¡± he said. ¡°And Kieran¡¯s best friend¡­ though


    he will sometimes vehemently deny it.¡±


    Right. I knew what that was¡­ it meant that he was the eldest son of the second in charge. The son of


    the Beta.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I said, giving a small, polite smile. ¡°You can call me¡­ Raven¡­ Raven Reid.¡±


    I felt a little uneasy saying it, especially in light of the conflict with my father. But I knew the reminders


    would continue to haunt me until I made a final decision. A choice to be left for another day and another


    time.


    ¡°Reid¡¯?¡± Daniel asked, his brow creasing. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with any northern families with that name.


    Which pack are you from? Is it from the east?¡± I shuffled a little ufortably. ¡°Oh, well¡­ I don¡¯t


    actually belong to a pack¡­.¡± Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. Instantly, Daniel¡¯s demeanour


    changed. I saw as his eyes sharpened and all trace of the friendly persona vanish. Almost as though


    he were apletely new person.


    ¡­A person who was dangerous. And I took a step back, my hand instinctively starting to twitch towards


    where my dagger was waiting. ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying you¡¯re a rogu¡ª.¡±


    But before he could get the question out, Kieran then suddenly stepped in and threw a hand over his


    mouth, pulling Daniel away. It happened so quickly that I flinched in surprise.


    Was it a bad question¡­? I had no idea. But whispering was soon the only thing I could hear, and


    although it was too quiet to pick up anything important, I did manage to catch a few words. ¡®Human¡¯


    and ¡®Father¡¯ being the most significant.


    ¡­Spiking yet another re of irritation from me. I didn¡¯t enjoy being kept in the dark.


    ¡®Calm. I need to be calm,¡¯ I told myself.


    And, internally, I sighed, pushing it out of mind. Not knowing enough about this ce, and wanting to


    avoid a fuss, I needed to do my best to not let things bother me.


    When they did finallye back over, I admittedly felt a little stunned to see Kieran push a very


    ashamed-looking Daniel towards me.


    ¡°Apologise,¡± Kieran said, appearing annoyed. Daniel scratched his head and chuckled guiltily. ¡°Sorry,


    Raven¡­ I hope I didn¡¯te across as rude. We¡¯re just a little strict on¡­ outsiders. The war might


    have ended a long time ago but I guess you can¡¯t be too careful.¡±


    It was simr to what Kieran had already told me; the closed-off nature of Ashwood. But I couldn¡¯t help


    but pick up the mention of a war again. I assumed this had to be the same one the suppressors were


    initially designed for.


    The very medicine that was still in my system.


    Cautiously, I just nodded my head in response, still wary of whatever had just transpired.


    ¡°Let the others know that we¡¯ve arrived,¡± Kieran said, his friendly tone now gone. ¡°We¡¯ll head to the


    house soon for introductions. Please also make sure that my father is advised.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s expression instantly became serious at that, a look exchanging between them that ended with


    a nod in understanding. It didn¡¯t take long before he left to do what was asked.


    Despite not stepping foot in the town yet, I already could sense the drastic differences from the city I


    was raised in. The manner, the speech, the terminology¡­ it was crazy how swiftly it could change into


    something entirely foreign. I was merely a few hours¡¯ drive away and yet it felt like a whole different


    country. And Kieran seemed¡­ different too. Though not in a bad way. I was used to seeing him being


    caring and funny, but this was my first time seeing him in a new light. The light of someone who was a


    leader. A definition that seemed vastly contrasted to what I knew of human mayors. He walked to my


    side and I could tell he was still angry. Whatever Daniel had tried to say was


    apparently bad enough that Kieran seemed outraged on my behalf. ¡°I really am sorry if he freaked you


    out,¡± he said, looking at me with genuine concern. ¡°Your situation is a little¡­ *unique* and I didn¡¯t have


    any time to send word that you wereing.


    He¡¯s not a bad guy, I swear. He just¡­ doesn¡¯t really think sometimes.¡± Though I still wasn¡¯t sure what


    Daniel had said, i¡¯d only be guarded due to the circumstances. But if he really was Kieran¡¯s friend,


    then there was probably no danger at all. Just a misunderstanding. If anything, this was a good


    reminder that I didn¡¯t need to act so cautious. That I wasn¡¯t in constant danger and didn¡¯t have to treat


    this like a job if I didn¡¯t want to. I could just¡­ be normal


    Be¡­ someone new. Maybe someone less grim and a bit more positive. And so I reached out and


    grabbed his hand gently, instantly making his shoulders visibly rx. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I said, weaving my


    fingers with his, ¡°I know better than most when ites to people with trust issues. After all, how long


    did it take you to convince me?¡±


    I gave him a small smile to lighten the mood, trying to persuade him that I really was fine. And, to my


    relief, it seemed to work. He quietly exhaled, releasing thest bit of tension he was holding on to ¡°I


    haven¡¯t even made it to Ashwood yet,¡± I joked. ¡°You can¡¯t be getting this worked up already. Besides,


    I¡¯m tougher than I look.¡±


    He finally cracked a small smile at that, his normal manner returning.


    ¡°Come on then. Let me show you around.¡±


    And we returned to the car.


    After being waved across the border, Kieran began driving us up to the town. Only, it was nothing like


    what I expected. In my mind, this ce had been a tiny settlement of houses and a few facilities, as


    would be expected from somewhere I¡¯d barely heard of. But it was actually far from it. Though not quite


    asrge as Lockdale City, the town still had a bustling life about it.


    After driving through a suburban area of nice houses, we finally made it into the heart of the town


    where it wasplete with shops of all different varieties and even restaurants. If I didn¡¯t know any


    better, I would have just assumed it was the wealthy outer suburbs of Lockdale,


    How they managed to keep this ce a secret though baffled me. A town this size so close by? I could


    easily see it being a popr holiday area. And yet they¡¯d kept up the illusion of being a small country


    town¡¯this whole time. It was impressive.


    Along the way, Kieran was pointing out notable things,ndmarks and other interesting ces, but it


    was as we rounded a corner onto a new strip of shops that I saw something. A building thatpletely


    absorbed my attention.


    ¡°Wait, slow the car,¡± I quickly said, unable to look away.


    He pulled over to the side as requested and I spent a moment taking in the detail. Though nothing


    more than a restaurant, the ce looked far fancier than all the others we had passed. Even from


    within the car, I could vaguely make out an open floor and beautiful furnishings, something I normally


    wouldn¡¯t care about. But with this ce, I felt an indescribable pull.


    Kieran leaned over to see what I was staring at andughed. ¡°Ah, yeah, that¡¯s Rose & Thorn. Really


    great food. It¡¯s actually my favourite restaurant.¡±


    ¡°It is?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take you sometime.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would like that.¡±


    It was then that I finally tore my eyes away from the building to look over at him, only I found him much


    closer than expected. And, instinctively, my gaze moved to his lips. Almost as if I were subconsciously


    drawn to them.


    That urge to kiss him was now stronger than ever, but I knew it was most likely caused by just the


    excitement of everything happening. A new ce, a new world of possibilities. I was giddy from it all.


    ¡°Um¡­ did you say we were meeting people somewhere?¡± I managed to ask quietly.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± he said, moving back over to the wheel. He hadn¡¯t seemed to notice my momentary


    change in focus. ¡°Everyone should be there by now.¡±


    And so we continued back on our journey, driving for another few minutes until we finally pulled up at a


    large property. Based on the gardens surrounding it, it seemed almost like a residential lot. Except,


    instead of a normal house, there was a multi-levelled structure that seemed a little strange.


    ¡°What is this ce?¡± I asked.


    But he just turned the car off and gave me a smile.


    ¡°This is my home,¡± he said. ¡°¡­Wee to the Ashwood Packhouse, Raven.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 20


    We exited the vehicle and I began walking to the front door, thinking that Kieran was next to me. Only,


    as he called out to me, I realised he was still at the car.


    ¡°Come here for a second,¡± he said, crooking his finger for me to return.


    1 did as he asked and he stood in front of me, a smirk on his lips.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t find this too weird,¡± he said, and I merely raised a brow in question.


    He then gently grabbed my hand and ced it actoss my chest. ¡°It won¡¯t be a very formal setting but


    you¡¯re still going to meet my father. It means I need to teach you this. It¡¯s the same thing that Daniel


    did. You ce your hand here and bow your head a little. It¡¯s a sign of respect for those ranked above


    you, as well as those amongst allied packs.¡±


    Oh, I did remember the gesture. Though I hadn¡¯t known what to do at the time and just stood there.


    Was I meant to have done it back? Was I considered ¡°allied¡± despite not being from a pack?


    ¡°Like this?¡± I asked.


    And I mimicked what I¡¯d seen.


    But it instantly made Kieran¡¯s lip twitch, looking as though he were trying not tough. ¡°Was that¡­


    wrong?¡±


    I thought back on what I¡¯d done but couldn¡¯t work out which part I¡¯d messed up.


    He quickly cleared his throat though and smiled. ¡°No, no, it wasn¡¯t wrong. It was perfect. It¡¯s just


    amusing to see you do it towards me. I never thought I¡¯d be in this situation.¡±


    ¡°What situ.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± he said, guiding me with a hand to my shoulder. ¡°Everyone will be waiting.¡±


    I didn¡¯t pry for more answers.


    From the minute we walked inside, I became painfully aware of just how much I stood out.


    There were a few people around, all of whom were staring at me or¡­ whispering. Every time they


    identally caught my eye, they would instantly look away. A little unnerving, but I did my best to shrug


    it off. I had a feeling this was going to be the norm everywhere we went.


    ¡°Alpha heir,¡± ady said, approaching from another room. She then did the bow that Kieran had shown


    me moments earlier. ¡°¡­Miss Reid.¡± Another bow.


    She knew my name. I took that to mean Daniel had already made it here and the people were gathered


    to meet us.


    I ced a hand over my chest, thinking that bowing back was the respectful thing to do amongst


    ¡®allies¡¯, but Kieran¡¯s hand shot out so quickly to stop me that I almost didn¡¯t see it. ¡°If you can please


    have the luggage from the car put away, it would be greatly appreciated,¡± Kieran said, giving the girl a


    polite smile. ¡°Please also have the room arranged to ensure Raven has afortable stay.¡±


    ¡­An employee. Maybe a maid? I guess it would have been strange to do it as a guest. Thedy


    looked at me, breaking her guise of formality to momentarily crease her brow, but she soon recovered.


    With another quick bow, she left to do what she was asked.


    ¡­Just to my father,¡± Kieran whispered, reiterating what he had said earlier. And I nodded my head.


    I¡¯d gone from being able to navigate high society etiquette with my eyes closed to¡­ feeling like a


    clumsy child. A much steeper learning curve than I anticipated.¡±


    We walked through some hallways, the ce being even bigger than I initially thought, until we


    eventually arrived at a set of double doors. It was here that Kieran stopped for a moment and gave me


    one final look.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect on the other side, but I had been imagining like an antique-style living area


    with a bunch of people in formal attire. Or maybe something like those old fashioned cigar rooms.


    But, as the door opened before me, I found it to be¡­ normal.


    Sure, it was furnished really nicely, but everything seemed somewhat modern. Closer to the sort of


    living areas I had back at my house than anything else.


    Several people stood inside the room, it beingrge enough to amodate it. Three adult men


    around my father¡¯s age, Daniel, and a few other older gentlemen who seemed more elderly. All dressed


    nicely but not the zered suits with ties I¡¯d pictured.


    ¡­However, as we entered inside, their eyes all instantly fell on me.


    Kieran was the first to move, walking up to the man who stood at the centre. I already vaguely knew


    what his father, Victor, looked like, having read it in my folder weeks ago, but seeing him in person was


    another thing entirely. Based on looks alone, it was easy to see the resemnce. They had the same


    dark hair and build, the only real difference being their eyes Victor¡¯s were brown as opposed to Kieran¡¯s


    hazel.


    And there was something else too. He had a sort of¡­ air about him. Almost as if you could feel the


    importanceing off of him. Even if I came in here blind, I was sure I could have pointed to who was


    in charge. Or was¡­ ¡®Alpha¡¯, as Kieran had told me.


    ¡°Father,¡± Kieran said, giving a small bow. ¡°Apologies for the short notice. I hope you weren¡¯t busy.¡±


    But with the short formality out of the way, I was taken aback by how Victor just immediately stepped


    forward and brought his son into a hug.


    ¡­Something that induced a pang of longing inside me, one that I¡¯d thought to have buried long ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back,¡± he said, pulling away after a pat on the shoulder. ¡°And please don¡¯t worry


    about any of that. I just appreciate you going in my absence to the event. Besides, how could I possibly


    be annoyed? What with you bringing home your¡­.¡±


    There was a pause as everyone looked to Kieran¡­ and then to me.


    ¡°¡­Guest,¡± he finished.


    I took this as my cue and stepped forward, doing the bow in respect. ¡°Allow me to introduce you to


    Raven Reid,¡± Kieran said, gesturing a hand back towards me.


    I felt an itch of difort over hearing the name, but smiled nheless.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± I said to Victor. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how much it means to me just being here,


    and I sincerely appreciate the generosity of amodating my abrupt visitation, This is all new to me


    so I hope you¡¯ll forgive any faux pas I may make. I¡¯ll do my best to learn


    quickly.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t quite the same thing, but making a good impression was still something that felt more natural


    for me to do. Being able to quickly put on the face I needed to show was


    important to ensure my assignments werepleted.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just so charming,¡± his father said, walking up to me. ¡°And so beautiful too. Those eyes


    and smile of yours are stunning. I¡¯m sure you hear that all the time though.¡±


    He then held a hand out for me to shake, which I quickly did.


    ¡°The pleasure is all ours though, I assure you, so please make yourself at home,¡± he continued. ¡°I¡¯m


    very much looking forward to getting to know you and hope you¡¯ll excuse all my questions. I just find


    your situation a little fascinating. It¡¯s not often that children of our kind are raised by humans.¡±


    However, just like his son, I found him a little difficult to read. He either genuinely wanted to know¡­ or


    he was trying to suss out if I was actually telling the truth. Maybe both. Either way, I held my smile in


    ce and remainedposed. ¡°These are my second and third in charge,¡± Victor then said, pointing to


    the men of simr age. ¡°Reece, our Beta, and Neil, our Gamma. As well as three members of what we


    call Elders. Elder Atticus, Dous and Roy.¡±


    I gave them each nods of acknowledgement and smiles as they were introduced one by one.


    ¡°¡­And I believe you¡¯ve already met Reece¡¯s son, Daniel?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, meeting Daniel¡¯s guilty eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already had the pleasure.¡± No one else apart from


    Kieran seemed to notice the small tension there. Probably for the best. ¡°Perfect. Then there is also


    Neil¡¯s eldest son, Camren, but he¡¯s currently patrolling. You¡¯ll probably meet him at some point.¡±


    This was entirely too many names to remember at once, but I did my best to retain what I could.


    Already, I knew I would have to ask Kieran to remind meter.


    I looked around the room one more time, internally memorising their faces, however it was then that I


    noticed something else.


    ¡­They were all men.


    Didn¡¯t they have any female leadership?


    It was an ufortable thought that made me start to wonder just how archaic the values here might


    be.


    But in the end, I wasn¡¯t able to think on it for long¡­ as then the door burst open.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± a female voice squealed behind me.


    . And a wave of nausea instantly hit me, the voice piercing through.


    Slowly, I turned around to see who had entered¡­ and saw a young girl with blonde hair and hazel


    eyes.


    But it was difficult to pay attention to anything other than what was happening in my head, Because


    every part of me was now screaming, urging me to reach for my dagger. To not waste any time in just


    ending it.


    ¡­And I took a step back. Shocked by my own thoughts.


    ¡°You¡¯re home!¡± she said, immediately running to hug Kieran. ¡°I was starting to think you weren¡¯ting


    back.¡±


    ¡­Al¡­ Alli¡­


    It was at the tip of my tongue. As if I should have known it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Kieran sighed, pulling away to pat her head affectionately. ¡°Of course I was


    coming back.¡±


    I stared at the two of them, doing everything I could to keep myself away. Whatever this weird


    sensation was, I clearly wasn¡¯t in a right state of mind.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡­But then she turned to look at me.


    Her eyes meeting mine.


    And it suddenly came to me.


    It was her name.


    ¡°Raven, meet my little sister¡­,¡± Kieran said.


    ¡­ ¨C Allison


    ¡°¡ªAllison,¡± he finished.


    The girl didn¡¯t seem to notice anything off though. No, she seemedpletely normal. Just a young


    girl, maybe barely older than eighteen, who appeared nothing but sweet. What the hell was wrong with


    me?


    I needed to say something. Anything. Everyone was staring at me. But I was internally having a battle


    inside myself as I tried to restrain those thoughts screaming at me.


    Allison just smiled brightly though, clearly unaware, and, before I could get any words out, she did the


    one thing I wished she hadn¡¯t.


    ¡­She walked up and threw her arms around me. ¡°I¡¯m so excited to meet you!¡± she gushed. ¡°As soon


    as I heard you were here, I ran the entire way! I almost couldn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡®Move, Raven,¡¯ the sane part of my mind yelled inside. ¡®Move or say something.¡¯ And, very robotically, I


    managed to bring a hand up to pat her shoulder. Making sure to control the movement as much as I


    could.


    ¡°Give her some space, Allie,¡± Kieran said, pulling her off me. ¡°She¡¯s already got a lot going on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Goddess, I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said, her eyes wide as she looked up at me. ¡°I must have gotten carried


    away. You¡¯re just so beautiful though! Ahh! I can¡¯t believe I finally have a sis -.¡±


    ¡± Alright,e on,¡± Kieran said, pushing her out the door. ¡°There¡¯ll be plenty of time to talk to Raven


    later. Let her settle in first.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ W-wait, Kieran-!¡±


    She kept struggling, protesting her forced departure, but did finally manage to get a nce at me from


    around his arm, giving me onest smile.


    ¡°It was nice to meet you, Raven!¡± she called out.


    And, finally, the door was closed.


    ¡­What was that?


    I momentarily stood in a daze, still trying to collect my thoughts. I¡¯d never had such an adverse reaction


    to someone before. It seemed almost insane. And did I know Kieran had a sister? He must have


    mentioned her at some point for me to know her name.


    ¡­Hopefully I had that doctor¡¯s appointment soon. The faster the drugs were out of my system, the


    better.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a long journey,¡± Victor said, pulling me from my thoughts. ¡°We should let you get some


    rest. Tomorrow night I¡¯d like to have a proper dinner to introduce you to Ashwood¡­ if that would be


    okay with you.¡± ¡°Move.


    ¡­I forced my lips back into a smile.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said automatically. ¡°I¡¯d love that.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you to your room,¡± Kieran said, gently touching my shoulder.


    He managed to walk me a step before I quickly turned back around to face everyone in the room,


    remembering my manners. ¡°It was lovely to meet you all. Thank you again for the warm wee.¡±


    They each gave me kind smiles and a wave, and we proceeded to leave. Heading to the ce I would


    be sleeping for the foreseeable future. I allowed Kieran to lead me through the house, walking through


    therge building that felt more like a maze, but I couldn¡¯t seem to focus on anything around me.


    Because, inside, I was still struggling toprehend what had just happened. Wondering why I¡¯d had


    such a violent urge to hurt his sister¡­ and whether, deep down, I was an unknowing threat to the


    people here.


    ¡­If perhaps maybe, just maybe, I was already too far gone in the darkness of my past. That I really


    couldn¡¯t be changed.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 21 ¡°Here you go,¡±


    Kieran said, showing me to a door. ¡°You¡¯ll be staying in here. All your luggage should be inside


    already.¡± I snapped myself out of my thoughts to give a smile. ¡°Thank you. I really do appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°And if you need anything, I¡¯m just across the hall in the room over there.¡± There was a door where he


    pointed, and I promptly nodded.


    ¡­And then¡­ silence. Not quite awkward but not entirely natural either, but it spread between us


    nevertheless.


    ¡°Um¡­ well, I guess I¡¯ll get some rest¡ª.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± he said quickly. Almost as though he¡¯d been


    holding onto it. ¡°Today could have gone a lot smoother and I think I may have overwhelmed you a little.¡±


    I stared at him, a little shocked that he was the one apologising to me rather than the reverse.


    ¡°What? No, no, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for. I honestly am thankful just to be


    here.¡±


    ¡°Well, just with the whole thing with Daniel being a bit aggressive¡­ and then Allison maybeing off


    a little strong. I wish that you¡¯d had a better start here.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ no, they¡¯re fine. Really, it¡¯s my fault for


    showing upst minute.¡±


    I was trying to brush off the topic, but the Allison situation was apparently bothering him. A crease


    formed between his brows as he seemed almost conflicted.


    When he did finally start to speak again, his tone was far more serious.


    ¡°I could tell that she made you ufortable, but I hope that you¡¯ll give her a chance. She is a really


    nice girl when you get to know her. I¡¯m not sure if you noticed but there aren¡¯t many other girls around


    here. I think she just got a little excited and forgot about personal space.¡± I was starting to feel even


    worse about my reaction to her, a pang of guilt slowly chewing me up inside. ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°She


    was lovely. I¡¯m looking forward to spending time with her.¡± But then he searched my face and my heart


    quickly sank, knowing that he was probably able to read ine. Just like he always could. I¡¯d never hated


    that ability of his more than I did right then. And the worst part was that I didn¡¯t even know why I felt that


    way about her. There shouldn¡¯t even be a need to have this conversation right now.


    ¡°¡­She means a lot to me,¡± he finally said quietly. ¡°After my mother died, she took it the worst of all of


    us. Wouldn¡¯t eat, wouldn¡¯t sleep¡­ just a little kid, walking around everywhere in a daze. For a while, we


    were worried we¡¯d lose her as well.¡± He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath, looking


    away. ¡°It was years before she finally came back and it wasn¡¯t without a lot of work. She found sce


    by connecting with her faith, which I was happy about, but she still relies on me heavily.¡±


    I felt so guilty that I could have thrown up. Hearing all of this was so incredibly heartbreaking.


    But the way he was venting¡­ I could tell this was something that had been weighing on him for a


    while. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if he was telling me about her for my sake, or if he just felt the need to


    finally talk to someone about it.


    Perhaps I was the first person he felt could truly understand, given my personal history with grief.


    ¡°I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ I hope that you¡¯ll warm up to her,¡± he said. ¡°Which is probably not


    my ce to ask, especially considering everything you¡¯re probably going through right now. Hell, it¡¯s


    actually pretty selfish-.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± I said, grabbing his head gently in my hands. It was enough for him to


    stop and meet my eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to worry about. Your sister was nothing but sweet.


    I¡¯m just ¡­ tired from a long day.¡±


    It was probably a once-off anyway. Just a bad reaction or re from the drugs. The next time we met, I


    was sure things would be better.


    ¡­And if they weren¡¯t, then I¡¯d just make it work. Somehow. I was determined.


    Kieran was giving me so much by allowing me toe here. To help me get better and learn more


    about myself. The least I could do was be nice to his sister. Not that this should have


    even been an issue. The girl hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. She just¡­ hugged me.


    But it apparently meant a lot to Kieran hearing me say it. And, truthfully, that was all that mattered. He


    seemed to quickly rx under my touch and I took a second to study his features, momentarily


    absorbed by all the different emotions that always filled me when we made


    contact.


    He wasn¡¯t like anyone I¡¯d ever met before. He was caring, understanding¡­gentle. He was everything


    that I felt I wasn¡¯t¡­ and it made me gravitate to him like a moth to a me.


    I felt myself then slowly lean in closer, arcing upwards as my body moved on its own. My craving for


    him now turning into a hunger, needing his warmth around me.


    His face was still within my grasp but I found that I didn¡¯t need to coerce him. Already, his gaz was


    changing focus, flickering up and down between my eyes and mouth. Inching ever closer as his hand


    then found my waist, pulling me towards him.


    And then, finally¡­ his lips met mine.


    Tuming those sparks into mes, a sensation I¡¯d found myself withdrawing from thest few days,


    missing it after experiencing it just the once. His touch, his taste¡­ it was an addiction


    I deepened the kiss, my mouth starting to move against his hungrily. Needing more¡­ Needing to feel


    everything


    And as I tralled a nd down his chest, leeling every muscle hidden behind his shirt, I wanted nothing


    more than to find the liem and irace a hand back up under it.


    But the moved before I could


    with a small pusha, I felt as my back then found the door behind me, his grip on my body ughtening, his


    fingers pressing into my skin As every second ticked by, I found that I was losing myself a lutle bit more


    ¡°Kieran,¡± I splied as his mouth moved to my neck


    His hand then moved down my waist, wandering lower until he held a firm grasp of my leg from behind


    my thigh. Squeezing it once before lifting it up against him. But I needed to be higher than this to wrap


    myself around him properly, something that we both must have realised. Only, as he went to lift me, it


    was then that we heard it.


    Footsteps.


    And we instantly broke apart.


    Simultaneously, we both looked down the hallway and caught the startled eyes of an embarrassed-


    looking girl. The one I recognised as the maid from earlier today. ¡°Alpha heir,¡± she fumbled out, quickly


    averting her gaze. ¡°Apologies.¡± And Kieran immediately let me go, taking a step back. She definitely


    wasn¡¯t the only one embarrassed though. Whatever she was feeling, I was probably ten times more


    mortified. This wasn¡¯t exactly the kind of impression I wanted people to gossip about after one day.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked her.


    If he was annoyed or upset in any way, it wasn¡¯t noticeable. He somehow soundedpletely neutral


    as he spoke to her. However, unlike Kieran¡¯s demeanour, she shuffled ufortably where she stood.


    ¡°I um¡­ I came to ask if you or Miss Reid required any food brought to your rooms.¡±


    Kieran looked towards me and raised a brow, silently asking me the question, but I quickly shook my


    head. Up until a minute ago, I¡¯d only been hungry for one thing¡­ and it wasn¡¯t food.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± he called back. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The girl quickly gave a bow and left without another word. Truthfully, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever seen


    someone so eager to leave before.


    But with it now just the two of us again, Kieran looked back over to me and a silence fell once more.


    Though I was still a little embarrassed over being caught, a part of me still wanted to continue from


    where we¡¯d left off. To invite him into the room with me and ask to spend the night together. I had the


    feeling that, whatever this thing between us was, I¡¯d only just scratched the surface of how good it


    could really be.


    But as he inhaled deeply with a sense of finality, I realised he wasn¡¯t of the same mind.


    ¡°You said that you were tired¡­ I should really let you get some rest.¡±


    ..But I wasn¡¯t so tired anymore.


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed, contradicting my thoughts. ¡°I did say that.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll probably have another long day tomorrow too.¡±


    only, I was still eager for today not to end yet.


    That¡¯s true¡±


    I stared into his eyes and proceeded to silently plead for him to lean back over and resume ourExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    moment¡­ but I wasn¡¯t so lucky.


    ¡°Goodnight, Raven,¡± he said.


    ¡­And, with that, my first day at the Ashwood ¡®pack came to an end.


    The next morning, I awoke to a light knock on the door, finding ady there to¡®assist with getting ready


    Though confused, I allowed her into the room; a spacerger and grander than any guest residing I¡¯d


    ever seen. But it was through her that I was able to learn a little bit more, like how her job was referred


    to as a personal attendant¡¯. Something that apparently was a bit different to a normal maid.


    I declined the offer of letting her help me get changed, finding that a little too weird, but was grateful for


    her showing me to the dining area afterwards. This being the ce where I was to meet Kieran for


    breakfast.


    Kieran and I made small talk as we ate but didn¡¯t mention the night before at all. Though I wasn¡¯t sure if


    that was a good or bad thing. A part of me was wondering if he¡¯d treat me differently today; greet me


    with a kiss or touch my hand as we spoke. But he seemed to act normally.


    To be fair, I still wasn¡¯t entirely sure what we were. For all I knew, public disys of affection were off


    limits or frowned upon here. Or maybe he just didn¡¯t think we were serious enough to announce it to


    anyone. All of which I could totally understand and respect.


    For now, I would just follow his lead.


    ¡°Time to go,¡± Kieran then said, looking down at his watch. ¡°I said we¡¯d be there by ten.¡± I drank thest


    sip of my coffee and ced the mug down. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked, having not heard about any


    ns yet. Kieran scanned the area, looking at the people in the dining room with us. There were a few


    scattered around, either eating breakfast or working, but none of whom looked to be paying us any


    mind. Or, at least, there were none who *looked* like they were actively listening in. Though I knew all


    too well how looks could be deceiving.


    ¡°Come on,¡± was all he said, avoiding the question¡­ and I followed behind him.


    It wasn¡¯t until we were back in his car that he finally gave me the answer I was looking for.


    ¡­And it was one I was both grateful for yet nervous about.


    ¡°Kieran¡­ where are we going?¡± I repeated, getting a little worried by his aversion. ¡°Sorry¡­,¡± he said,


    turning the car on. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea to make it public knowledge. I¡¯ve set the


    appointment up to protect your privacy as much as possible.¡± And though I had an inkling of where we


    were going based on just that response, he very quickly confirmed it before I could ask ¡°We¡¯re going to


    the hospital,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re going to do a full evaluation of your condition.¡±


    And off we went.

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 22


    ¡°Please sit down on the bed over there,¡± said the doctor, pointing in the direction.


    She was an olderdy and quite pretty for her age, her most notable feature being her gentle eyes. She


    had introduced herself as Doctor Melissa Chambers. ¡°Kieran, did you want to sit in the chair?¡± she


    asked without looking. A question met with a second of awkward silence between the two of us.


    We hadn¡¯t discussed him being in the room whilst I was examined. I¡¯d just assumed that, like human


    doctors, they normally were more of a private thing unless the person was a spouse or rtive.


    But before any of us could talk, the doctor quickly shook her head. ¡°Oh, right, I forgot¡­ I suppose just


    wait outside then.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ hang on,¡± I said, hesitating. ¡°Kieran should probably be here. You know¡­ in case I don¡¯t


    understand parts of what you tell me. I may need him to help exinter¡­.¡± I then turned to look at


    him. ¡°If that¡¯s okay with you?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°Whatever is mostfortable for you.¡±


    And without any further dy, I went and sat on the bed as the doctor began examining me.


    There was a small privacy screen, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about Kieran seeing anything, but I was just


    grateful to have him there. Truthfully, I was more nervous than I cared to admit and having him close by


    helped soothe my anxiety a little.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear the whole story from Kieran, but I was told there was something about potential


    suppressor usage¡­ and silver,¡± she said. ¡°If that really is true then we should do an internal


    investigation as soon as possible.¡±


    She poked and prodded at my skin as she conducted different tests, but her words caused a stir in me.


    An investigation could lead back to my father¡­ which could lead back to me. All of which I didn¡¯t want


    uncovered. My past was still something I hadn¡¯t divulged to Kieran yet.


    I didn¡¯t argue with her though, choosing to remain silent. My head was now already thinking of ways I


    could avoid the situation. But I was promptly pulled from my thoughts after she finished taking my blood


    pressure,


    Because upon lifting my shirt up, a small gasp left her, Just how bad did it need to be for a doctor to be


    surprised?


    ¡°However..,¡± she continued, her eyes not leaving the old scarring on my skin. ¡°Kieran told me a little


    about your situation Told me about the potential abuse. As a personal favour, he¡¯s asked me to give


    you some time to adjust here before we let officials go digging into your personal life I can see merit in


    that Mental wounds are just as important to heal.¡± It felt strange to have someone talking about me like


    this. Myst doctor never seemed to show more interest than was absolutely necessary,


    ¡°¡­Were these scars originally caused by a silver object?¡± she then asked.


    It was a difficult question that brought up some less than pleasant memories, but I bit back any


    difort I had.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered, keeping it simple.


    The truth was that most of these were from my victim¡¯s pocketknives, training daggers or¡­ whatever


    instrument Gavin felt like using during punishment. All normal metal from what I could recall.


    ¡°Adult scarring like this is rare for our kind. You should havepletely healed from these. It¡¯s true the


    suppressors would limit ability but I¡¯m more inclined to think this might be from the¡­ silver


    consumption.¡± She seemed to struggle to say thest part, almost as though the idea of it made her


    sick ¡°I¡¯m going to take a blood sample now. You can pull your shirt down.¡± I did as instructed and


    allowed her to do what she needed. She spoke a little as she worked.


    ¡°Kieran already told you about blessed silver, I hope?¡± she asked, taking the sample to a workbench of


    different testing machines.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. So, then I don¡¯t need to tell you how lucky you are to be alive then.¡±


    ¡°Melissa-,¡± Kieran started to protest, but I cut him off. ¡°¨CYes, I¡¯ve been told.¡± She turned around to look


    at me, the vial behind her having turned ck. And though her eyes were now sharper, I could tell her


    blunt response had good reason behind it. ¡°There isn¡¯t any point in sugar coating it. She needs to


    understand just how bad this really is,¡± she defended. ¡°¡­And I don¡¯t say that lightly. This is the worst


    case I¡¯ve ever seen in all my years as a doctor. Worse than even the things I saw during the war. We


    stopped production of the suppressors exactly for this reason. To ensure that it wasn¡¯t adapted or


    developed into something far more terrifying. And now look¡­¡± She held a hand up towards me, her


    voice bing emotional. ¡°Look at what it¡¯s caused. This pack¡¯s future Luna-,¡±


    ¡°Enough, Melissa,¡± Kieran said, a warning in his tone.


    ¡°Luna¡¯? What was that? I wasn¡¯t sure what she was referring to, but it was a term I wasn¡¯t familiar with


    Internally, I made a note to ask Kieran about itter.


    The two of them stared at each other and I could have sworn that, for a moment, I saw tears in the


    doctor¡¯s eyes. But with a long inhale of recovery, she then turned back around and began mixing some


    small vials or liquid on her workbench. Working until she was able to produce a syringe full of whatever


    she¡¯d made ¡°This is the best I can give you,¡± she finally said, walking back over to me. ¡°The external


    damage already done will most likely never heal and, for that, I am truly sorry. But what I give you will


    help to eliminate the chemicals in your system, hopefully allowing your full strength to return It should


    also mean that non silver injuries will healster without further


    permanent scarring.¡±


    ¡°How quickly?¡± I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.


    I already thought my ability to heal within a few days was quite quick, but she made it sound as though


    I were only harnessing a fraction of my potential. ¡°For bruising and wounds¡­ usually within a day. Of


    course, this also depends on the severity, the person, and the body¡¯s condition. Broken bones though


    are usually fairly quick thanks to our natural shifting affinity.¡±


    She then leaned over and stabbed me with the needle.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say we have much research on this exact scenario, but I believe this should help with the silver


    in your body. I¡¯mi hoping that it will bind it like a metal, allowing for it to leave your system without issue.


    And, as for the suppressors¡­.¡± To my dread, a bottle of pills were then handed to me. A sight I now


    loathed after discovering the truth regarding my medical care all these years. ¡°This will help to absorb


    and flush it out. Once a day for two weeks. I would also like to see you again soon to check your


    progress. In the meantime though, I¡¯ll do some further testing here to screen for long-term internal


    damage. With any luck, we¡¯ll get you up and running at full strength in no time.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she didn¡¯t seem to realise I already held significant ability despite the


    suppressors and silver. Did Kieran not tell her¡­? But I proceeded to take the pills from her anyway,


    deciding not to mention it. ¡°I appreciate your help,¡± I said, trying to give her a smile. Only her eyes


    seemed to tear up a little again.


    ¡°¡­I truly am sorry this happened to you,¡± she said, reaching for my hands. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to


    make this right.¡±


    And though the statement appeared like a standard thing to say, I couldn¡¯t help but hear a tone of


    genuine sincerity. Almost as if the apology were more personal. I frowned a little but thanked her


    nheless, doing my best to stay neutral. Another several minutes then passed before Kieran and I


    were finally leaving the hospital. The entire time we walked, I kept thinking back to the doctor¡¯s words,


    questioning the intention behind it. Wondering if there was more to it.


    Was she perhaps involved? But that didn¡¯t make any sense. She was the one who brought up needing


    to do an investigation. Then¡­. ¡°.. Are you okay?¡± Kieran asked. I hadn¡¯t said anything since we left her


    office so it probably did seem odd. His voice quickly snapped me out of my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little confused,¡±


    ¡°About¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, l¡¯in probably just overthinking,¡± I said, biting my lip. ¡°But¡­ did the doctor seem like she


    was apologising a little too personally?¡±


    To my surprise though, Kieran went quiet. Something that made me think he knew something I didn¡¯t.


    Immediately, I stopped walking so he would turn to look at me,


    ¡°Kieran?¡±


    ¡°I took you to see her because she¡¯s an old family friend. She was close with my mother before her


    passing. But¡­ there was another reason too.¡± He then paused, a crease forming between his brows.


    ¡°She was one of the lead developers who originally designed the suppressors. I figured she would be


    the best person to help you.¡±


    That exined a lot.


    ¡°I know she¡¯s not proud of it and harbours a lot of guilt,¡± he continued, ¡°but it¡¯s not like she can undo her


    past. Back then, she didn¡¯t really have a choice either. Meting you now and being able to see how the


    effects are still present even after all these years¡­ I think she feels somewhat responsible for what


    happened to you.¡±


    It created a conflicting chain of thoughts in my head. Did I resent her? I wasn¡¯t sure. She knowingly


    helped create something that had the sole purpose of hurting others. Even in her old age and whether


    it was voluntary or not, surely she had to be culpable for her actions even a little bit. She might not


    have made the exact pills I took but it was her original contribution that led to the event.


    I tried to push it out of my mind though, knowing it wouldn¡¯t do much good to mull on it. There wasn¡¯t


    much I could do about what had already happened. All that mattered now was making sure that my


    future was better.


    A thought that made me recall her words regarding the need for an investigation.


    Ipletely understood the importance of finding out where the drugs came from, especially if there


    could be others out there just like me, unknowingly affected. But¡­ letting them follow my trail back to


    my father was the worst possible oue.


    ¡­There had to be a way to find out where they came from before it got to that point.


    ¡°Alpha heir,¡± someone said nearby.


    We both looked up sharply to see a man. They reminded me of the person we¡¯d met at the border


    yesterday; a simr sort of athletic authority about them. A ¡®warrior¡¯ perhaps? I remembered Kieran


    mentioning that term before.


    ¡°Give me a few minutes,¡± Kieran said to me. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you outside.¡±


    And he walked over to talk to the man.


    I assumed that, whatever it was, it was work rted since I wasn¡¯t meant to be privy.


    However, it did get me thinking about my own work¡­ and my assignments¡­ and¡­ Zac.


    ¡­Which gave me an idea. No, it gave me more than an idea,


    It gave me a connection. One I¡¯d failed to see up until now,


    How had I not realised it sooner?


    Once outside, I found somewhere private and quickly pulled out my cell phone. If I were to do this then


    I couldn¡¯t let Kieran hear the conversation. An unfortunate added time pressure but I


    would make it work


    Only, as I pulled out my phone, I discovered that there was barely even a single bar of service. How


    could that be though? Didn¡¯t they ever have to make calls?


    I kept walking, trying to get a stronger signal, but eventually gave up and decided to just try it anyway.


    ¡­And I dialled the number I knew only too well.


    ¡°H-lo?¡±


    I cringed at the quality, trying to walk another few steps in the fleeting hope it might help. ¡°Zac, it¡¯s me,¡±


    I said. ¡°Can you hear me? I need a favour.¡±


    ¡°Rae? It sounds like you¡¯re in a t-nnel. Where are y¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. Just out of town working a job,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t aplete lie. In a way, it was


    partially true. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. I need your help.¡± ¡°What? What did y, say?¡± ¡°Help. I need your


    help,¡± I said loudly, getting frustrated.


    ¡°What-ith?¡±


    ¡°Noah. Tell Noah I need information. He mentioned he was a smuggler like his brother. Ask him to find


    out if Miles was transporting any strange drugs.¡± ¡°D- you say drugs?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Drugs. They won¡¯t be like anything you can find on the market. They will contain weird ingredients


    that might not even seem to have a noticeable effect. I need to know who Miles was getting them from.


    Tell Noah he owes me this.¡±


    If they were specific to werewolves, there was a chance they might bepletely harmless to humans.


    That was a good thing though. Hopefully, they would stand out on an inventory list. ¡°Rae, I don¡¯t kn- if


    this is a g-d idea.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice, Zac. This is extremely important,¡± I argued. ¡°¡­Please.¡±


    After a few seconds, I thought I heard a sigh on the other end. I took this to mean that he agreed


    ¡°Thank you, Zac,¡± I said, feeling relieved. ¡°This really is important. Just call me as soon as you know


    anything, I¡¯ll try and get better reception next time.¡± ¡°Where you?¡± he asked again, but it was still a


    question I avoided.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say But I really an okay. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be even better when I can find that info


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let y know.¡±


    And then I heard it someone moving I quickly turned and saw Kieran rounding the corner, his gaze


    searching the area for me. will soon found * Raven?¡± he asked, confused, ¡°Who are you talking¡­¡±


    But his voice trailed off as we made eye contact.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± I said quietly into the phone. ¡°Bye, Zac.¡±


    And it was as I hung up that understanding crossed Kieran¡¯s features, realising that I¡¯d just been on a


    phone call. Looking between my face and the device still in my hand.


    ¡­Something that, if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would have thought he just caught me doing something


    illegal. ¡­And it just so happened that I *didn¡¯t* know any better.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 23 ¡°¡­Is that a phone?¡± he asked, still appearing shocked.


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    And he immediately walked over to me, starting to scan the area around us. Almost as if he were


    checking to see if anyone else had seen me. ¡°Quickly put it away,¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kieran?¡±


    I asked the question but still did what he requested, stuffing it back into my pocket.


    ¡°Communication and recording devices like that aren¡¯t allowed here,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the only way we


    keep ourselves safe. They potentially jeopardise our entire kind¡¯s secrecy. You¡¯d be best to just leave it


    switched off in your suitcase and don¡¯t let anyone know you have it.¡±


    ¡­I guess that made sense. I¡¯d been wondering myself how they¡¯d managed to keep their existence so


    unknown all this time. If someone started taking videos of people turning into wolves, I could see how


    that would quickly uncover the truth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°My friend was worried about


    where I disappeared to. I just called to let them know I was safe.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologise. It¡¯s my fault. I should have told you before we got here.¡± He then exhaled


    and rxed himself, the danger now gone. ¡°It¡¯s slowly bing a little better ever since we started


    business with humans. We even have andline phone for that reason now. I guess if you wanted to


    call someone, I could ask permission for you to ess it. Its use is monitored by the Elders.¡±


    I thought about it for a moment but realised that if I used a public phone, I would have limited freedom


    in what I could and could not discuss openly. Especially if mentioning things rted to my father or the


    drugs, it could make all of this effort to keep it hidden pointless.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to let you know.¡±


    I didn¡¯t enjoy lying to Kieran but, for now, this was the only way. So much was riding on that call from


    Zac that it didn¡¯t leave me with many options. No, I would need to keep my phone nearby and hope for


    the best


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, touching my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll show you around some more ces. We¡¯ll need to be


    back at the house by about five o¡¯clock though. We¡¯ve got that dinner tonight.¡± In amongst everything


    happening, I¡¯d almost forgotten about the dinner nned for tonight. It sounded as though everyone


    who was even remotely important would be attending, which was a little nerve-wracking.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said


    And we left soon after, It was a fun day in the end, all things considered. After a stressful morning with


    the doctor¡¯s appointment and the cell phone incident, it managed to recover back into an enjoyable


    time spent with Kieran.


    And though it was slow, I was starting to learn more things by being around him. Like his sense of


    humour¡­ his smile¡­ the way heughed. And I noticed how easy it was for me to open up because of


    that.


    Every now and then I would find myself stopping after realising howfortable I seemed to be, so


    contrasted to my normal guarded nature¡­ and I would sneak a look over at him. But every time I would


    do so, I would find him already watching me, his hazel eyes instantly sending little butterflies through


    me.


    ...And I would wonder what he saw when he looked at me.


    By the time five o¡¯clock came around, I was almost sad to see the private part of our daye to an


    end. Now, with the expectation of meeting important figures tonight, I knew that I would need to be on


    my best behaviour, careful about how I presented myself.


    ¡®Best behaviour¡¯¡­ no, that was how I used to describe working assignments for my father. But I wasn¡¯t


    going to the dinner tonight for him. I was going¡­ for me.


    This was something that *I* wanted to do. ¡°¡­You look beautiful,¡± Kieran said as I approached a little


    whileter.


    My cheeks burned in response, his words catching me off-guard.


    I¡¯d spent thest hour quickly getting ready for the dinner, so I was relieved to hear he thought so. But


    he, himself, looked exceptionally handsome too, something that made it hard for me not to stare. It was


    as if every time I saw him, I was struck a little bit more by his features.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Everyone will be waiting already.¡±


    And so we began walking to where I remembered the dining area was. Only, as we entered back into


    therge space, I was amazed by how different it appeared.


    It had beenpletely rearranged and now resembled a fancy restaurant more than the casual eating


    area I recalled. Everywhere I looked, I saw pristine white-clothed tables with candles and flowers. Many


    nicely dressed people were also already seated and chatting amongst themselves.


    ¡°Kieran!¡± a voice said, and I turned to see a young man speaking. ¡°It¡¯s good to finally see you. Sorry I


    couldn¡¯te by earlier.¡±


    ¡°Camren,¡± Kieran greeted. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. I¡¯ve been busy showing Raven around anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± said the man, his eyes turning to me. ¡°The talk of the pack. It¡¯s lovely to meet you, Raven.


    I¡¯m Camren, the Gamma heir.¡±


    He did a bow and I gave him a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    The conversation then reverted to the topic of things Kieran had missed whilst in Lockdale City, all of


    which I didn¡¯t really understand, but perhaps it was caused by myck of concentration. Because in the


    corner of my eye, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the stares I was receiving from a group of girls seated


    nearby.


    Or maybe ¡®res¡¯ was a better word for it.


    Immediately, the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I watched them. Almost as if I had a weird


    urge to re back at them. I wasn¡¯t sure why though. It wasn¡¯t the same as the feeling I¡¯d had with


    Allison. This felt less dangerous and more¡­ protective?


    ¡°Ignore them,¡± Kieran whispered to me. I jumped a little in surprise, him addressing the encounter I was


    having with the girls; much to my embarrassment. I¡¯d been so absorbed by the whole thing that I hadn¡¯t


    even realised Camren had left. It was now just the two of us once more. ¡°¡­Did I do something to


    offend them?¡± I asked, confused. But upon Kieran looking over at them, they instantly turned their


    heads, acting as if they were merely talking to each other. ¡°They¡¯re just jealous,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not worth


    your energy.¡± ¡°Jealous? Jealous of who?¡± ¡°Of you. Seriously, don¡¯t give it any thought. Nowe on,


    we¡¯re expected up the front.¡± I didn¡¯t ask anything further but it stuck with me regardless, wondering just


    how anyone could feel jealous of me. I would happily trade ces with any person in this town if it


    meant avoiding the upbringing I¡¯d had. Hell, if it meant avoiding the issues with my father both past and


    still pending.


    Though¡­ ¡­Though what if they were jealous for a different reason? Like¡­ how I was here with


    Kieran? Were some of them perhaps ex-girlfriends? Lovers? I could see how he¡¯d be incredibly


    popr. He was bound to have a history here. It would be silly to think otherwise.


    But then another thought came to me. One creeping into the back of my mind.


    ¡­If I somehow managed to stay here, to find a way to move my life to Ashwood without fear of my


    father, would I, too, find myself at that table one day? Scornfully looking over at whatever woman


    Kieran came to dinner with? ¡­Was I just thetest obsession? A pet project to help fix? Was that


    maybe why he didn¡¯t feelfortable telling anyone that we were romantically involved? My chest hurt


    a little as that thought invaded me, but I pushed it back as much as I could. He¡¯d been nothing but


    sweet to me so there was no reason to assume the worst. Not yet anyway.


    As we made our way up to the front of the room, I recognised a group of familiar faces already seated.


    It consisted of the people I¡¯d met the other day, plus a few more that I was sure were equally as


    important.


    We did standard greetings to everyone, plus formalities to Victor, before taking our seats. But to my


    immense difort and dismay, I discovered that Allison sat near me. Upon eye contact, I once again


    was ovee with the impulse to attack. A sensation that had no founding or exnation. Just¡­ pure


    instinct telling me to end her. ¡­But I held myself back. I¡¯d promised Kieran that I would spend time with


    her. I needed to stay true to my word. And so I gave her a smile, a wave, and took my seat to chat to


    her, all the while biting back the


    What was it I had told myself yesterday? That I wasmitted to being someone new and more


    positive? Well, talking to his sister nicely was surely a step in the right direction.


    In fact, over time, I may even be close to many of the people around me now. I would need to


    tread extra carefully in these early days to not step on any feet due to my new social ignorance.


    ¡­But¡­ first I needed to navigate how their strange government worked. A struggle to say the least, as


    I continually discovered.


    ¡°Sterling,¡± said a man, holding a hand out to me. ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡±


    He sat himself down in Kieran¡¯s chair and looked at me expectantly. And though I was confused, I still


    shook it, discreetly trying to look around the room.


    Kieran had gotten up from the table only a minute prior and I now felt a little out of ce without his


    presence. Especially with the ever-constant threat of making a mistake in this new environment.


    en


    ¡°¡­Raven,¡± I replied politely. He had familiar looking features and my mind quickly began trying to work


    out who he might be. Only, before I coulde to any conclusion, he answered the question weighing


    on me. ¡°I¡¯m Victor¡¯s brother. Kieran¡¯s uncle,¡± he said, pointing towards where Victor was seated further


    down.


    Upon turning to look, I saw there was an active conversation happening amongst the ¡®ranked¡¯ members


    who I¡¯d already been introduced to. Allison included. None of them paid us any mind.


    However, this did now leave me in an awkward predicament.


    I was required to show formal respect to Victor and I knew their hierarchy here was based around


    family lines. Did that then mean Sterling was under that same umbre? Should I be bowing?


    I attempted to look around the room once more for Kieran but he was still nowhere to be seen.


    Shit.


    ¡°Oh wow, the resemnce is uncanny,¡± I said in an attempt for conversation, choosing to risk


    1. it.


    Heughed and took a sip of his drink. Though not before shooting me a wink. ¡°I got the looks,


    thankfully.¡±


    It was ament I wasn¡¯t really sure how to reply to, one that made me ufortable.


    ¡®Smile, Raven,¡¯ I scolded myself inside,


    And I managed to force a smile in lieu of words. There was something about him that was giving me a


    bad vibe. Though that was apparently bing the norm with many people I mettely. Perhaps all


    my difort was just due to my insecurity; what with me being in an entirely new world. Internally, I


    reminded myself to stop being so guarded and judgemental.


    ¡°Human city, right?¡± he asked bluntly. ¡°What was that like? Terrible, I imagine.¡± Was he drunk? The


    longer the conversation went on, the more I felt like he was saying whatever popped into his head. ¡°It


    was¡­ very different from here,¡± I replied carefully. He snorted at that and took another sip of his drink.


    ¡°Yes, obviously.¡± What was he expecting me to say? But as I went to open my mouth to reply, it was


    then that Allison came back over, her eyes shifting between Sterling and myself. ¡°Ah, my favourite


    niece,¡±Sterling cheerily greeted. ¡°It¡¯s always so wonderful to catch up. Please, take a seat.¡±


    Though confused, Allison took her seat once more. The one she had already been sitting at basically


    the entire evening. ¡°Sterling¡­,¡± she said, frowning. Could she tell that he was a bit off too? It was the


    first time I¡¯d seen Allison so serious. Up until now, she had been very peppy all night. ¡°How has the


    packhouse been? Did you go to the temple today?¡± ¡°Our Great Mother, Selene, blessed us with a


    bountiful feast today,¡± she replied. ¡°I chose to stay here and help with the preparations for that.¡± ¡°Of


    course, of course¡­,¡± Sterling said. ¡°Then I guess I can¡¯t let the Moon Goddess¡¯ blessing go to waste,


    right?¡± And he proceeded to down the rest of his drink in one go. I assumed that this was the religion


    Kieran had briefly mentioned to me, the one his sister had be involved in due to her grief. But it


    was a topic I didn¡¯t end up getting a chance to ask about.


    Because it was then that Sterling chose to ce his empty ss in front of me, sparing me only the


    quickest of nces. ¡°Get me another one, will you, sweetheart?¡± he said, turning to resume talking with


    Allison.


    ...And I stared at the ss in shock.


    Weren¡®t there attendants working for that reason? Was this a normal thing to ask?


    But as I mulled on it for a second, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was due to the ranking system. Maybe


    he really was important and I¡¯d shown disrespect by not bowing earlier.


    ...And it was a thought that ultimately made me reach out to grab the empty ss, forcing another


    smile on my lips.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°Raven, no,¡± Allison blurted out. But I interrupted her by waving off her


    words.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind,¡±


    Good impressions. I was trying to make good impressions. Looking at Allison, she was only a


    reminder of that very thing. Showing courtesy to people couldn¡¯t be a bad thing, surely.


    ¡°See? She doesn¡¯t mind,¡± Sterling repeated pointedly. Only, the way he said that made me start to


    wonder if maybe there was something I was missing


    Nevertheless, I left the table and went looking for the kitchen. A quest where I could feel the eyes of


    many people as I walked, but I attributed it to being an outsider in their town. It wasn¡¯t until I finally


    found the relevant hallway to the kitchen that I began to question that motive.


    Because as I rounded the corner, I finally bumped into Kieran¡­ and the look on his face held the same


    confusion I was used to seeing now. The one that told me I was doing something strange.


    And immediately I sighed. ¡­Here we go again.

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132


    Book Two ¨C Ch.#24 ¡°What are you doing back here?¡± Kieran asked. ¡°Did you get lost?¡± I took a small


    breath and tried to think on my words, but there wasn¡¯t really any way around this. It was pretty obvious


    what I was doing.


    ¡°Your uh¡­ Your uncle asked for a drink,¡± I said, holding it up a little to show him. ¡°I was looking for the


    kitchen.¡± ¡°And he asked you to get it for him?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Silence.


    I tapped my nails against the ss in my hand as I awkwardly stood there, unsure if I was about to get


    another lecture about something I was never told about. A reurring situation that was bing


    more frustrating.


    ¡°Raven¡­ that¡¯s not your job. Especially not as my¡­ guest. We have attendants to help with that which


    he should already know.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ but *I* didn¡¯t know that and you weren¡¯t there,¡± I snapped back. ¡°I was trying to be polite. In a


    human city, it¡¯s not that umon for someone to ask this. Especially for people who are important.¡±


    Countless times in my life had I fetched influential men drinks in order to gain favour. Some people just


    expected it. How was I meant to know it would be met with this much pushback here? It was just a


    freaking drink.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll try and stay by your side more,¡± he said. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about the drink or about


    Sterling. I¡¯ll speak to him about pulling that sort of thing again.¡± He went to walk past me to the hallway


    door, but it was then that my frustration finally came to a boil.


    ¡­I¡¯d had enough.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the issue here, Kieran,¡± I said, stopping him. ¡°You can¡¯t be with me twenty-four seven.


    That¡¯s just¡­ unrealistic. The problem is that I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    He turned back to look at me and his eyes quickly softened.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. That¡¯s my bad. I should exin the culture here to you more,¡± he said. ¡°Thest thing I


    want is for you to feel ufortable. We can do lessons or¡ª.¡±


    ¡°No,¡±


    1 ced the ss down on a side-table and took a step towards him.


    ¡°No, what I don¡¯t understand is¡­ me. Where I fit into all of this. Where I fit into your life and this town.


    You say that I¡¯m here as a guest and yet that seems to have unspoken social rules I¡®ve never heard of.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­plicated,¡± was all he said,


    ¡°Complicated in the same way this thing between us is?¡± I asked, thinking back to what he¡¯d


    once told me. ¡°Because you never exined that to me either. Just left it as ¡®aplicated question¡¯.


    But these sparks¡­ these abrupt feelings¡­ the connection¡­ It¡¯s all so intense. I need to know if this is


    just a part of my sickness or¡­ if this is real.¡±


    At that, he instantly moved back over to my side, his hands grabbing mine. I could feel the warmth and


    sparks spread through the contact, trying to calm me, but my uncertainty inside prevailed.


    ¡°It¡¯s real,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Of course it¡¯s real.¡±


    ¡°Then why won¡¯t you tell me what this is? Or tell anyone else for that matter? Are you hiding it from


    people because you think this is temporary? Or casual? I¡¯m confused about what you want from me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong,¡± he said quickly, seemingly shocked by what I was saying: ¡°I¡¯m not hiding


    anything. I don¡¯t need to tell people anything¡­ because everyone already knows, Raven. Everyone


    knows because you¡¯re my¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Guest?¡± I offered when his words trailed off, raising a brow at him. But


    he then took a deep breath, rubbing a hand against his eyes. Almost as if he was having an argument


    with himself inside. One he seemed to leave feeling defeated. ¡°Because you¡¯re my¡­ mate,¡± he said


    reluctantly. I stared at him nkly, not understanding what that meant. Clearly, this was something he¡¯d


    been hesitant to tell me and yet his answer provided no new insight into my concerns. ¡°..¡¯Mate? I


    don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± I said, a crease forming between my brows.


    ¡°It¡¯s-.¡± But before Kieran could borate further, an attendant then walked through the hallway with a


    tray full of sses in hand. He spared us a quick curious nce as he passed by but didn¡¯t pause,


    promptly continuing through to the dining area. ¡°Come on,¡± Kieran said, tugging on my hand to follow.


    ¡°We should talk in private.¡±


    I allowed him to lead me for a minute until we came upon a room. It looked to be a small, contained


    suite;plete with both a bedroom and lounge area.


    He took several feet inside but I quickly crossed my arms, growing impatient. ¡°Tell me,¡± I said.


    And he looked at me with conflicted eyes, as though he really didn¡¯t want to have the conversation. But


    it was now past the point of hiding this. I needed to know. I needed answers.


    Only, I could have never anticipated the way the conversation started.


    ¡°Do you believe in Gods?¡± he asked randomly. The question took me by surprise but I answered it


    honestly. ¡°No more than the average guy on the street, I guess. It¡¯s not like someone can prove their


    existence.¡± It was difficult to believe in a divine power after experiencing the things I had, after seeing


    the things I¡¯d seen


    ¡°What if I was to tell you that there lived a Goddess who created and oversaw our kind? A Great


    Mother who we refer to as the Moon Goddess, Selene?¡±


    ¡°...Am I being indoctrinated into a cult right now?¡±


    Whilst I¡¯d been warned of his sister¡¯s strong faith, I hadn¡¯t expected Kieran to bring it up like this now of


    all times. Especially since faith was something personal, not something to be shoved upon another by


    force.


    But heughed at my response and shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just exining our kind¡¯s history.


    Unlike humans, we actually have reasonable evidence to support our deity¡¯s existence. One of those


    things being¡­ destined mates.¡± ¡°Destined mates?¡±


    ¡°A destined mate is¡­ someone chosen by the Goddess to be your other half. A soul mate,¡± he


    exined. ¡°The Moon Goddess saw to it that our kind never had to suffer alone. So she created two


    halves of our souls. Upon finding the other half, we are instantly connected to them. It¡¯s why you feel


    and experience all the things you do around me. I feel them too.¡± I¡¯d already thought werewolves were


    something out of a fantasy book, but now there were soul mates? Someone who was apparently


    irrefutably connected to you? But if his deity had decreed this¡­ thing¡­ between us, why pretend like it


    didn¡¯t exist?


    ¡°Why would you want to hide this from me?¡± I asked, my head still whirling with information.


    ¡°¡­Because I wanted you to have a choice,¡± he said.


    And it was then that I started to understand his actions.


    Kieran slowly walked over to me then and brushed a stray strand of hair away from my face. His eyes


    studied my features before finally meeting my gaze. ¡°Without any added pressure, I wanted you to


    have the freedom to decide if you didn¡¯t want this,¡± he said. ¡°If¡­ you didn¡¯t want me.¡± My chest ached


    in pain over hearing him say that. Even in the short time we¡¯d spent together, it was clear just how


    attached to him I already was. I was lying to myself in thinking that I could ever return to my normal life


    the same now. That I could return to my father happily without any regrets. Kieran had a hold over me


    that was intoxicating, a light I¡¯d craved for as long as I could remember. Being near him made it feel like


    I was able to breathe for the first time.


    So if what he was saying was true, if he really was my ¡®mate¡¯, then did that mean he really would stay


    by me?¡­Could I dare to hope that this was maybe permanent? I reached my hands up and gently


    touched his face, his eyes immediately rxing under my touch


    ¡°Kieran¡­ you saved me from a world of pain and abuse, one where I was blind to just how bad it really


    was,¡± I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the overwhelming emotions churning inside. ¡°How


    could you possibly think I wouldn¡¯t want you?¡±


    He averted his gaze then, looking across the room. ¡°Because it¡¯s not that simple. There are¡­


    responsibilities with being involved with me. My role within this pack basically dictates the future of


    whoever I be mated with.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°An Alpha¡¯s mate is referred to as a Luna and


    they¡¯re seen as a mother figure. A symbol of kindness to everyone who resides here. Where an Alpha


    typically rules with strength, his Luna


    is meant to bnce that.¡±


    There was that term again. ¡®Luna¡¯. Doctor Chambers had expressed guilt when referring to it. So she


    had been referring to¡­ me. To what she had inadvertently done to me.


    ¡°So it¡¯s like a¡­ queen?¡± I asked, trying to understand.


    ¡°Simr, yeah.¡±


    That was¡­ a lot to take in.


    I wasn¡¯t by any means a good person. I wasn¡¯t a symbol of kindness nor a leader. In fact, I was so


    incredibly far from those things. I¡¯d done¡­ terrible things in my life, controlled by a father I still couldn¡¯t


    help but feel love for despite everything he¡¯d done. Just what part of that said I was capable of being a


    ¡®Luna¡¯? Of having any sort of responsibility for other people?


    It had to be some sort of mistake. This¡­ Goddess, or whatever she was, had to have made an error. If


    she was even real.


    After all, who would want a criminal as a queen? ¡°Hey¡­ don¡¯t stress,¡± he said, pulling me from my


    thoughts. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it then¡­ I don¡¯t know, maybe we can think of another option. Right now, all


    I care about is making sure you get better¡­ and, though it may be wishful thinking, I¡¯d like to not


    jeopardise what we have over something stupid like future titles.¡±


    He was always so aware of me, so adept at reading me. I guess it made sense now why he was the


    only person I¡¯d met who could do that.


    He was my¡­ other half. No, my *better* half.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    It seemed almost too good to be true. But that didn¡¯t mean I could be what he wanted me to be one


    day. All I could offer was myself. Myself and nothing more. So was it okay for me to exploit this mistake,


    to want to be with him even though I didn¡¯t want the additional responsibilities? Because I knew for a


    fact that I wasn¡¯t fit for the role expected. I could never be¡­.


    And as I continued to think on it, my eyes then trailed from his, slowly moving down until I was staring


    at his lips; a small shudder coursing through me as I began to crave his touch once more. Like an


    addict needing their fix. Well¡­ I mean¡­ surely it would be okay to reap the benefits a little? We could


    come to another solution, just as he had said.


    And it was with that thought that I then made up my mind.


    I wanted to stay here. I didn¡¯t want to go home yet.


    And as I looked back up to him, my next words held only conviction.


    I want to be with you too,¡± I said, finishing the thought in my head.


    It was with thosest words of eptance that he then moved in closer, leaning down towards


    1. A new drive igniting within his actions as he reached out, almost as if he were now unable to stop


    himself, and the colour of his eyes quickly darkened.


    And though I wasn¡¯t an expert by any means, I was beginning to think that maybe I¡¯d worked out just


    what that darkening meant. ¡­And a shiver of anticipation swept through me.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 25 Everything moved quickly.


    It was as if all the things keeping us apart were now gone, and all that was left was the unsatiated


    desire that had been left to grow unchecked every day.


    And it¡­ was a lot.


    A lot of pent-up emotions and yearnings. A lot of needs that were ignored. But, finally, it was time.


    Kieran had one hand pressed into my waist, his other holding my face as our lips moved in sync


    hungrily against each other. And all the while this was happening, I ran a hand down his chest,


    clutching at his shirt to bring his body closer. Pulling at him to envelop my entire body.


    There was nothing gentle in the way we grabbed at one another. No, it was urgent. Desperate. Almost


    as if we¡¯d both been starving and there was now only one thing able to satisfy it.


    Just¡­ pure instinctual lust. Nothing else.


    ¡°Mine.¡±


    The word left my lips involuntarily. It was met with a growl of approval from him; the deep sound doing


    all sorts of inexplicable things to me inside. Already, I could feel that I needed more than just this.


    And he must have been of the same mind.


    He pushed me against the wall, the movement prying a small gasp of excitement from my lips, and his


    hand started to travel along my thigh. It moved upwards, sending tingles along my skin, up until the


    fabric of my dress prevented him from going any further. But he didn¡¯t let that deter him. With one,


    sharp movement I heard the sound of fabric tearing, allowing him new ess to explore my lower


    body; now a hot trail of mes burning wherever he touched. ¡°I hope that wasn¡¯t expensive,¡± he said,


    his warm breath tickling my neck. But, truthfully, he didn¡¯t sound very apologetic over ruining my


    designer dress. He seemed more amused than anything. Which was fine by me. Because instead of


    words, I decided to reply in other ways.


    ¡­I hooked a finger at the top of his shirt and proceeded to slide my hand quickly down his front,


    forcefully ripping away all the buttons to unveil his chest underneath.


    It was important to even the score, of course.


    ¡°I hope that wasn¡¯t expensive,¡± was all I cheekily replied.


    But he swiftly stole the devilish smile from my lips as he spun me around, my body pinned to face the


    wall. I could feel the heat radiating from his bare chest as he encircled me from behind ¡­ though that


    wasn¡¯t the only thing pressing against me. No, with a shiver of delight, I was now able to feel his own


    excitement through his pants as he held me this close.


    I¡¯d be lying if I said this was my first time. I, of course, had been intimate before. But never in


    my life had I ever experienced anything close to what I was feeling now. This was¡­ beyond anything I


    could have possibly imagined. And all he¡¯d done so far was touch me.


    So, if it was already this good now¡­ then¡­.


    with one hand, he started to rub and squeeze at the skin of my sensitive inner thigh, his teeth grazing


    against my shoulder. The movement alone was enough for a small moan to escape my lips, hungry for


    more.


    ¡°Please,¡± I whimpered, almost begging.


    And I squirmed backwards against him impatiently, trying to incite him with the small amount of friction.


    Hoping that it would be enough for him to relieve me of this waiting.


    ¡­ But then I felt it.


    His hand moving up, finding its way to the hem of my underwear, teasing me with the mere


    possibilities. And, before I couldpletely lose my patience, he then slid under the fabric, granting me


    my wish.


    ¡­A motion that stole another moan from my lips as I felt his fingers move, relishing in the small


    reprieve granted by his touch.


    ¡°Kieran¡­,¡± I sighed in pleasure.


    His free arm had wrapped around my torso, holding me in ce. Though, more urately, it was


    supporting my weight, now not entirely sure if I could even remember how to stand.


    But it was as I spoke that he instantly became encouraged. His actions sped up, his fingers somehow


    knowing exactly what I needed without having to tell him. An ability that made me start to think that


    perhaps it *was* possible for a God to exist, because how else could he be so good at doing this to


    me? Hell, I could see myself subscribing to that religion if these were the perks associated. Sign me up


    for the cult.


    I could feel myself trembling within his grasp as his movements started to quicken. He now held me


    inches away from that final moment I knew was within reach. Getting closer¡­ and closer¡­ bing


    more and more lost within the euphoria¡­ just needing a little bit more¡­


    ¡­ Just¡­ the tiniest¡­ bit¡­ more¡­.


    ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± I cried out.


    ...And the waves of electricity immediately wrecked through my body, clouding my mind in a haze of


    bliss.


    I held a hand up against the wall, futilely trying to stay upright as the tremors swept me, but thankfully


    he held me tight against him through my shaking.


    It was several seconds before I could coherently think again, but I knew things had only just started. In


    fact, this was just the tip of the iceberg


    Because as I turned back around to look at him, the expression of pure desire on his face told me that


    he was now starving¡­ and I had made him wait long enough.


    His dark eyes watched me lustfully, no longer resembling the hazel colour I¡¯de to know so well.


    No, he was seemingly almost animal-like now as he studied me, waiting for his cue to strike¡­ but I


    pulled him towards me before he could do so.


    I quickly recaptured his lips once more, drinking in his taste, relishing the mes of his touch


    against my body. And as his fingers pressed into my flesh with renewed urgency, I took this as my


    chance.


    Without wasting too much time, I trailed my hands down the front of his bare chest, only stopping once


    I came upon his belt¡­ and with one swift movement, I removed the obstacle between us. It fell to the


    ground with a satisfying ¡®thud¡¯. Another growl sounded from deep within him at this, the vibration


    tangible as I stood so close. It was a noise that I would listen to on repeat if I could. But I didn¡¯t let it


    distract me for long And as my fingers made quick work of unzipping¡­ I soon released his length from


    his pants, taking a few seconds once done to appreciate his body. Because he was perfect¡­ his entire


    physique somehow sculpted. So much so that a part of me was a little in disbelief that he wanted me.


    But his actions spoke for themselves.


    At my touch, he immediately stilled, looking as if he was bing lost in the sensation I provided him.


    A response that told me I was capable of creating the same effect on him; that he felt everything so


    extremely just as I had.


    That he wanted me just the same.


    His forehead came to a rest against mine as I slowly moved my hand on him, his body starting to softly


    rock forwards¡­ and, to my utter delight, a groan soon left him. Hopefully, it was a sign that this felt


    even half as good as what he¡¯d given me.


    Only, I knew this wasn¡¯t going to be sufficient for long.


    ...And it didn¡¯t take long for that moment to arise.


    After what couldn¡¯t have been more than a minute or two, his eyes then snapped back to awareness,


    meeting my gaze once more. A look contained within that immediately told me he needed more than


    this


    That he needed much, much more. And before I could do anything else, he picked me up with ease


    and held me with my back against the wall.


    There was a moment after that. A moment in which we paused to look at each other, silently speaking


    without words. A connection between us as we realised what was about to happen. He looked as if he


    was giving me one final chance to back out, asking the question that I knew there was no returning


    from. But of course that was insanity. As if there was any chance I¡¯d want to stop now. Not when I was


    this close.


    And so, with a nod of confirmation from myself, he quickly obliged that very need.


    ¡­He pressed his length in¡­ and a moan of pleasure sounded from me.


    Clinging onto his shoulders was the only thing I could do as my mind went nk with ecstasy. I


    understood it now; this ¡®mate¡¯ system he¡¯d spoken about. How it was shared with only someone chosen


    for you. Because now that we were finally together in this way, it was impossible to think that there


    could ever be someone else able to make me feel like this again.


    Even those sparks¡­ tingles¡­ sensations from being around him thesest few weeks, they all paled


    inparison to this very moment. To this feeling of moulding around him sopletely in every way,


    both mind and body.


    It was slow at first between us as I adjusted to his size, but that didn¡¯t make it any less intense. He held


    my gaze as he moved, pushing in¡­ and back out¡­ inciting quick pants from my mouth as he moved¡­


    continuing to fill me with a burning heat at the ce our bodies joined.


    ...And it wasn¡¯t long before he began to speed that rhythm up, steadily increasing in force.


    That urgency from early hadn¡¯t dissipated. It had merely been on hold as the rational side of our minds


    had surfaced. But there was no need for that anymore.


    And things swiftly sped back up. With a grunt, his thrusts then became more hasty, pushing in further


    with every stroke. Forcing my moans to soon turn into cries as I wrapped my arms around his neck,


    needing to hold him closer.


    Beside me, I could see the picture frames on the wall begin to shake, his roughness threatening to


    make them fall. But at this rate, I was sure that I would probably shatter sooner than they would. Not


    that I wasining.


    ¡°Kieran¡­,¡± I whimpered, already losing control.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    But he didn¡¯t show any sign of slowing.


    His mouth moved to my shoulder, his teeth gently grazing my flesh there, and it sent a surprising surge


    of exaltation from the movement. A shiver sweeping through me.


    ¡°¡­Yes¡­,¡± I moaned, wanting more of that.


    I immediately weaved my fingers through his hair, holding his head closer. Hoping that he would


    understand. And he indulged my need perfectly.


    He continued to nip and lick at my skin there, slowly working his way closer to my neck. His pace never


    slowing as he did this, continuing to thrust into me mercilessly.


    ¡°¡­ Yesss¡­,¡± I cried again.


    I hadn¡¯t known I was so sensitive to this spot, but it was pushing me closer to my limit the more he did


    it. As if the nearer he got, the more excitement inside me it built.


    I could feel my release so close now¡­ so within reach.


    It was just around the corner.


    ¡°¡­ Yesss, Kieran, please¡­.¡±


    ...And he came to a spot on my neck that instantly felt right. That with just a little more pressure, I could


    get there.


    And I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling this way either.


    I could tell he was close to his limit too, my voice probably only making things more frenzied. His grip


    on my thighs had tensed, his heavy breathing turning into groans¡­ And I knew, any second now¡­.


    But I needed thisst thing. Thisst piece to make me get there.


    And I gripped his head tighter, ordering it ordingly.


    ¡°Bite me,¡± I cried out. And as a guttural growl ripped through his chest in reply, his mouth responded to


    my words. I felt as his teeth instantly pressed in, clearly just as eager. Only, before he could truly bite in


    the way I had craved, he eased off from going through with it


    But it was still enough.


    With one final thrust, I experienced my entire body convulse in pleasure. Rippling tremors erupting


    unlike anything I had thought possible, sending me into a state of euphoria. ¡°Fuck,¡± Kieran grunted.


    And his own release was only moments behind mine, sharing in the bliss that was still overwhelming


    me. Our bodies experiencing the highest level of gratification together.


    ¡­And it was at that moment I knew. I knew there was no returning from here.


    That the way he had been so instantly familiar, so recognisable from the minute we¡¯d met. It made


    sense now.


    He was¡­ my mate. We were always meant to find each other. This was exactly where I was supposed


    to be.


    He continued to hold me close for some time as we caught our breath, but it was as he next spoke that


    I knew my fate was truly sealed.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he said with finality, affectionately touching his nose to my cheek.


    Yes¡­ yours, Kieran.


    I was yours.


    I always would be. 1

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 26


    I awoke to the feeling of Kieran¡¯s finger lightly tracing a pattern on my back.


    It was delicate, and yet I could feel the sparks follow wherever he touched, leaving a trail of warmth


    behind as he moved. It felt so nice that I could have easily fallen back to sleep again right then and


    there.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said quietly behind me. My change in breathing must have given me away.


    But it was certainly a good morning, indeed. A very, very good morning. My body ached in all the right


    ways, the night¡¯s exercise being a workout that scratched every itch imaginable. I was exhausted¡­ yet


    so energised at the same time.


    ¡°¡­¡¯Morning,¡± I mumbled. I took a deep breath in and stretched my body out, feeling the full extent of


    my aches. However, unbeknownst to me, this was apparently an unspoken cue¡­ because Kieran


    immediately moved in closer to encircle my body, holding me as weid on our sides. And I turned my


    head to look up at him, meeting those hazel eyes. At some pointst night, we had made it into the


    bed¡­ though most of our clothes had unfortunately not survived the battle. A noble sacrifice, if I ever


    saw one. But it meant we were nowpletely bare as our skin touched, the heat of his body fully


    surrounding me.


    ¡­Knowledge that was enough to elicit a small stir of excitement inside me. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me,¡± he said


    jokingly, leaning down to kiss my cheek. He must have realised what I was thinking without me having


    to say it.


    But¡­ maybe I wanted to tempt him. Maybe that was exactly what I wanted to do.


    ¡­And I captured his lips before he had the chance to pull away, kissing him slowly¡­ enjoying the


    feeling of his mouth against mine.. sparks fluttering through me..


    Last night¡¯s urgency had been a necessity, a desperation that was inevitable, but it had also meant I


    couldn¡¯t really take my time. Like a fine wine being consumed as a shot, rather than appreciated in


    sips. And he was the finest of wines I¡¯d ever met.


    His arm then moved around me more, a hand sliding up to my breast and, ever so gently, he started to


    tease the skin there. Sending my mind into a haze and forcing a small gasp from my lips.


    He¡¯d told me not to tempt him and yet he¡¯d conceded so easily. Giving in without any fight whatsoever.


    Already, I could sense his own obvious excitement, feeling as it began to press against my thighs,


    begging for entrance. Which was a request I was powerless to deny him.


    ¡­And I promptly allowed for him to slide his length through, grinding along my sensitive lower flesh


    from the outside.


    His thrusts were gentle, creating just enough friction between my thighs that hit the perfect spot. But


    there was no need to rush, no desire to move quickly. Just the two of us enjoying the proximity of the


    other. Lost in the moment of being together as we slowly kissed.


    Only, soon enough, the rhythm building between us demanded more.


    I pulled away from him a bit, just enough to nt a peck on his cheek, and silently told him with my


    eyes that it was time. ¡­And with his hand working its way down my body, I felt as he then readjusted¡­


    and proceeded to push his length inside me.


    I was still sore from the night before, but his movement was tender, slowly moving in to give me ample


    time to adjust. Yet the sensation still made me softly pant regardless, needing a few seconds before the


    pleasure could rece the pain.


    He watched me carefully as he entered, his eyes sensing for any difort. But he didn¡¯t need to


    worry for long. No, it only took a moment before a quiet moan left me, my mind relishing the feeling of


    his body joining with mine. A state that felt right, as if this was how we belonged


    ¡°Kieran¡­,¡± I sighed.


    His pace started to increase at the sound of my enjoyment, building that pressure as I felt every thrust.


    It was forceful, yet still gentle, a clear contrast to the events ofst night, though this didn¡¯t detract from


    the experience in the slightest. No, as I vividly felt his body move within me, I felt just as lost in his


    embrace.


    ¡­ Just as consumed by everything he offered me.


    His teeth nibbled at my ear as he held me firmly against his chest, and I knew then that I was reaching


    that point soon. The point of bliss. But¡­ there was something that would make this perfect, recalling


    the earlier discovery I¡¯d made.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    And, with a quick movement, I brushed my hair away from my neck¡­ and presented myself to him.


    Hoping he would get the hint. However¡­ this didn¡¯t go as nned.


    Rather than do what I expected, he immediately paused instead. The opposite of what I¡¯d wished for¡­


    and I looked up curiously to meet his eyes. Eyes that were now dark orbs staring back, the animal-like


    gaze returning.


    ¡°Kieran?¡± I asked quietly.


    It was weird for him to stop so abruptly that I wondered if I¡¯d done something wrong. But at the sound of


    my voice, it was as if he came back to his senses.


    His lips twitched into a half-smile and he chuckled lightly to himself, nting a kiss on the very spot I¡¯d


    craved his teeth. ¡°I swear¡­,¡± he said under his breath, shaking his head. ¡°You have no idea what


    you¡¯re actually asking for.¡± It sounded almost as if he were trying to tell himself that very thing too.


    And though I wanted to ask what he meant, he quickly stole the words from my mouth with another


    thrust¡­ and I decided the question could probably wait.


    His pace and force increased significantly from before as we resumed, a new energy sparking that I


    hadn¡¯t expected. It seemed he had other ideas for how we would proceed, ones that held new urgency.


    With one, quick motion, he then pushed me onto my front, his thrusts barely stopping in the adjustment.


    I could feel the weight of his body on top of me now, his chest against my back¡­


    276


    his legs enclosing mine¡­. It stirred a whole new type of excitement within me as Iid helpless under


    him, gripping onto the sheets firmly as I moaned out in pleasure.


    I was close. I was so damn close. And he was too.


    His breath turned into grunts in unison with my moans, his pace bing more aggressive, and, just


    when I thought things couldn¡¯t possibly feel any better¡­ his hand then found its way between my


    thighs¡­ his fingers rubbing at the perfect ce¡­.


    ¡­And I instantly came undone around him.


    A strangled cry of bliss left me, my body shaking violently. I could feel the waves of electricity shooting


    through my entire body, sending me into a haze of gratification; an unparalleled experience.


    And he hit his own moment of release just seconds after mine. I could hear as his groan filled my ears,


    his hands grabbing onto me roughly wherever he could.


    ¡­And it was perfect.


    We ended up lying in each other¡¯s arms for a long time after that, silently enjoying the proximity of the


    other. I had never been allowed to be so close to someone like this before and so I didn¡¯t want to waste


    a minute of it. Not even a second.


    It was almost strange to picture what my father would think right now, seeing me this way. He would


    probably call me weak or be possessive over my attention. Either option would lead down a path


    of pain for me. A path I would rather avoid.


    As Iid with my thoughts, Kieran had resumed his tracing of patterns on my back. So intently fixated


    on it. Almost as if it were an important task to draw the little imaginary lines with his finger, leaving the


    sparks where he touched.


    But the focus held some difort for me too. And though I couldn¡¯t exactly ce the feeling, I


    assumed it was to do with what I knew he could see.


    ¡°I like your tattoo,¡± he finally said.


    And I squirmed a little in response.


    It was of a small raven I¡¯d had done when I was younger. A reminder to myself of who I was¡­ and who


    I would always be. A way to never forget my ce.


    ¡­My ce as my father¡¯s raven. I was slowly beginning to loath the name now. It was something I¡¯d


    felt since arriving; the uneasiness whenever someone addressed me. A reminder of my invisible cage.


    ¡°¡­.Raven?¡±


    I flinched.


    Almost as if on cue, Kieran had called to me. I realised my silence had probably been odd, however the


    timing couldn¡¯t have been worse.


    Hearing him call me that now felt¡­ wrong.


    That name was for my assignments, for when I was working¡­ it was a branding on my soul from my


    father. All of which were things I didn¡¯t want to connect with Kieran. No, I refused to associate those


    things with him anymore.


    ¡­Besides, he made it feel as though I didn¡¯t need to be Raven here. That¡­ I had a choice.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    He leaned over my shoulder to meet my eyes and I bit my lip, conflicted.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    How was I meant to say this?


    ¡°I, ah¡­,¡± I started, hesitating. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­. I don¡¯t want you to call me Raven anymore.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ I can tolerate others saying it¡­ but not you. I don¡¯t want to hear the reminder from


    you.¡±


    He understandably seemed confused by the request, but he could tell it was important to me. Enough


    to thankfully not ask the painful questions I was hoping to avoid. But he paused nheless, appearing


    unsure. ¡°Okay¡­ well¡­ what would you like me to call you then?¡±


    Oh. Right ¡­I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. It was the only name I¡¯d known for so long that it was hard


    to think of something else, something that would feel like¡­ me.


    I suppose there was always ¡°How about¡­ Rae?¡± he offered, interrupting my chain of thought. ¡°I


    overheard your work colleague call you that on the phone.¡±


    And at the sound of the nickname from his lips, a flutter of butterflies filled me.


    It was a surprising reaction to even myself, thinking that I had despised being called that from Zac. Yet


    somehow when he said it, it felt right.


    ¡°¡­Say it again,¡± I said, turning over to look at him better.


    He stared down at me affectionately before nting a kiss on my cheek. ¡°¡­Rae,¡± he repeated quietly.


    It sent a shiver through me, his warm breath tickling my ear.


    ¡°¡­I like the sound of that,¡± I said, a smile slowly spreading across my lips.


    And he proceeded to repeat it to me several times, forcing an outburst of giggling from myself until I


    had to beg him to stop. Which he, of course, ignored. It took a pillow being thrown at him before he


    finally conceded.


    But I wasn¡¯t upset in the slightest. No, in fact, I couldn¡¯t be happier. ¡­Which was why I was


    disappointed when he then got out of bed. ¡°As much as I would love toy around with you all day,¡± he


    said, reaching for his pants. The


    only garment of his that survived. ¡°I, unfortunately, am expected at training. Not that I would need the


    additional workout after all of this. But s, I have responsibilities.¡±


    At the mention of¡­ strenuous activity, I felt an urge to start up a different sort of workout between us


    again. But he quickly shut the idea down with a stern look and a ¡®no¡¯, all before I could even open my


    mouth. Well¡­ couldn¡¯t me a girl for trying.


    Though¡­ I really wouldn¡¯t mind doing some real exercise. It had been a while since I¡¯d done training


    with Gavin and, whilst I didn¡¯t care for the man himself, I did enjoy the feeling of pushing my body.


    ¡°Could Ie with you?¡± I asked. ¡°It would be good to maintain something from my routine whilst I¡¯m


    here. A little normality in my life.¡±


    But the question was met was far more hesitation than I expected. He looked¡­ ufortable.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re still recovering from the


    suppressors.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t stop me from almost beating you in a fightst week,¡± I pointed out.


    Apparently, that fact didn¡¯t seem to help much with easing his worries. ¡°I¡¯ll be free again in a few hours,¡±


    he said. ¡°We can do some private training then instead. Just the two of us.¡±


    And though I was a little reluctant to agree, I nodded my head anyway. It was most likely another one of


    those social ¡®pack¡¯ things I didn¡¯t understand yet.


    ¡°Hey¡­ don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± he said, walking back over to hold my face. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you, I


    promise.¡±


    A deal which was then sealed with a slow kiss, making me melt under his touch. It was an unfair move


    to pull, but I allowed it.


    ¡°This afternoon,¡± I said, repeating it to him.


    And he nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°What did you want to do until then?¡± he asked. ¡°I could¡­ have someone bring you breakfast and¡­


    some clothes.¡± We both then turned to look at the pile of torn remains that was once my dress. One of


    only two nice dresses I¡¯d brought with me, my suitcase having limited space. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ll have someone


    come by to help you buy a new one,¡± he said.


    ¡­I quickly agreed.


    Within the half-hour after Kieran had left, I¡¯d had a shower and changed into some clothes that an


    attendant had brought me from my room. I had initially thought that she would be the one to take me to


    the shops so I could buy a new dress.


    But¡­ I had been wrong.


    I had been so very wrong.


    Because the person who then appeared at the door, a smile and peppy attitude in tow...


    ¡­Was Allison.


    ¡°Ready to go shopping?¡± she asked. Goddammit.

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135


    Book Two ¨C Ch.#27 ¡°What about this one?¡± Allison asked, holding up a floor-length red gown.


    It was a little more borate than I normally wore. Typically, I leaned more towards subtle coloured


    dresses, ones that showed off my body without needing to be the brightest in the room. But this¡­ this


    one was definitely a statement.


    ¡­Not that it really mattered here, I guess. Maybe the new me could like brighter colours.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just add it to the pile,¡± I said, nodding to where I¡¯d thrown a few others. They were all


    laying on the cash register¡¯s bench, ready for when I quickly checked out. I didn¡¯t want to drag this out


    for any longer than I had to.


    But she gave me a strange look at that and hesitated instead. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not going to try it on first? I¡¯d


    hate for you to buy something so expensive only for it to not fit. Or¡­ we also have a few other stores


    that you might like. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    Oh, but I did.


    I was learning to suppress that feeling inside, the difort I felt from being around her. But it didn¡¯t


    mean I wanted to test my fortitude on the matter. Besides¡­ I could always return themter. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry about the price,¡± I told her. ¡°My father can just write it off as a b¡ª.¡±


    And I almost choked on my words as I bit my sentence short, stopping myself from saying¡¯ business


    expense¡¯. As in, implying I was working right now. Which I wasn¡¯t.


    ¡­Was I?


    I internally shook my head. No, I definitely wasn¡¯t working. I didn¡¯t know what to do about my father¡¯s


    missing documents but I had no ns of leaving Kieran anytime soon. Not now after I¡¯d had a taste of


    how good things could be. I waspletely hooked and had every intention of staying here for as long


    as possible. ¡­And so I cleared my throat as a cough, attempting to disguise my slip. ¡°-¡­Birthday


    present,¡± I slowly finished.


    ¡°Oh, that sounds nice,¡± she smiled.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she picked up on thepse or if she was just being polite. Either way, I returned her


    smile with a forced one of my own and quickly turned my attention back to the row of garments.


    And a silence filled the air.


    What did girls normally talk about in situations like this?


    Even putting aside my own issues, I didn¡¯t know how to initiate a normal conversation with her. What do


    wer


    s discuss? Her¡­ Goddess? Pack?


    TICI. VV l UU VVCICVVULLBI1IJU.


    ¡­Shifting?


    I shuddered at thatst one, the nausea filling me. Truthfully, I could do without ever experiencing that


    one again. Not after everything I¡¯d been through. It was probably the topic I least rted to her on.


    Probably right next to how it feels to kill a man, assuming she had no personal knowledge of that one


    herself.


    I sighed.


    We were¡­ very different. And though that wasn¡¯t enough to justify the strange way I felt around her, it


    certainly didn¡¯t help.


    ¡°It¡¯s been nice having you around,¡± she then said, breaking the silence. I looked up in surprise. ¡°In the


    pack, I mean. Everything has been feeling very¡­ lively. You¡¯re the talk of the whole town.¡±


    ISITH


    Right¡­ that wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d been told that. But I guess I could somewhat piece together why


    now. ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m Kieran¡¯s mate?¡± I asked, a little unsure over using the term for the first time.


    This seemed to take her off guard though.


    ¡°Wait¡­ you know?¡± she asked, a tone of excitement in her voice. ¡°Did he finally tell you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    And she made a squealing noise that was so piercing it made me wince. ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± she quickly said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just so happy to be able to talk to you about it now. After you arrived, I was given strict instructions


    to not say anything. In fact, we all were.¡± She thenughed a little. ¡°Kieran even went as far as to give


    us all a list of things we could and could not discuss around you.¡±


    ¡°¡­He did?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Mhmm. It was the sweetest thing I ever saw, if you ask me. A mate trying to ensure you


    aren¡¯t overwhelmed, making an entire pack conform just so you¡¯refortable.¡± She sighed


    whimsically. ¡°I hope my mate is like that one day.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, I hope so too¡­ for you, I mean.¡±


    I was a little shocked to discover the lengths Kieran had gone for me, all so I could have the smoothest


    of transitions and not feel pressured. Hopefully, people didn¡¯t resent me for having to give special


    treatment. ¡°It¡¯s been a good thing for everyone though, don¡¯t worry,¡± she continued, almost reading me


    as her brother did. ¡°And it¡¯s been a really positive change for Kieran. He¡¯s¡­ showing a side to him now


    that he hadn¡¯t previously shown publicly.¡±


    ¡°..What do you mean?¡± *Well¡­ I mean he¡­¡± And she giggled at my question before pausing. ¡°Mmm,


    actually, I probably shouldn¡¯t gossip. He wouldn¡¯t want me to embarrass him.¡± But my curiosity was


    piqued now.


    ¡°Allison?¡± I pressed, wanting her to continue.


    Her site was sly as she looked at me, a devilish intent showing as she debated with herself¡­ and Ujen


    promptly seemed to cave,


    ¡°Oh, okay, fine,¡± she conceded, walking over to me. ¡°The truth is¡­ before you came along, Kieran¡¯s


    public image was a bit¡­ standoffish. Sort of arrogant and cocky at times; just usual immature boy


    attitude. But your presence has made him show a caring side publicly that only I had ever seen before.


    And it¡¯s¡­ nice. It¡¯s nice to not be the only one he¡¯s worried about now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­,¡± was all I said.


    I guess I could see how that was the case. He¡¯d been a bit cocky to me too when we¡¯d first met,


    treating myck of understanding as a game to have fun with. It was only once he realised the true


    damage of my life that he switched up his approach.


    ¡­ Though, he still had that sense of humour. Not that I really minded. It usually meshed perfectly with


    my own¡­ just so long as I was in on the joke, of course.


    I became lost in thought at her words that I almost missed when Allison¡¯s face then turned a little sad,


    her fingers starting to fidget with a clothes hanger. ¡°He does care a lot. Sometimes a little too much¡­


    especially when he treats me like ss. But I¡¯ve got a life to live too, ya know?¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a


    mate out there somewhere waiting for me and it gets a bit lonely here. I¡¯m not a kid anymore¡­ I¡¯m


    neen. I have a wolf and everything!¡±


    And my lip twitched, finding her enthusiasm at the end a little amusing. Because despite being only


    three years younger than me, I felt like I was a generation older; both physically and mentally. At her


    age, I was off on assignments almost every day, doing¡­ unpleasant things. Whilst she¡¯d had the luxury


    of a much more sheltered upbringing, even despite her mother¡¯s passing. ¡°Ah¡­ I went on a rant,¡± she


    said hastily, shaking her head. ¡°Sorry about that. You don¡¯t need to hear that stuff. You¡¯ve already got


    enough on your te.¡±


    ¡°No, no it¡¯s fine. I¡­ enjoy hearing stories of Kieran; even the bad.¡±


    Because that was what had beencking; a conversation point. And suddenly, we had just that. A


    commonality in the person we both cared deeply about. Perhaps this would be enough to focus on from


    now, something to help push down the other¡­ negative feelings.


    And so, for the very first time, I smiled at her. Genuinely.


    ¡°On second thought, I don¡¯t like any of these dresses,¡± I said, putting down the one in my hand. ¡°Did


    you want to show me the other stores? Maybe get some breakfast on the way?¡±


    Well, I can confidently say that I¡¯d never seen someone¡¯s face light up in excitement so quickly.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s this way,¡± she said eagerly. ¡­And she abruptly grabbed at my hand.


    A reaction I hadn¡¯t prepared for.


    Because as a low warning growl sounded from my lips involuntarily, I had to swiftly pull myself back


    away¡­ leaving us to both stand a little in shock at my response.


    ...And I did the only thing I could think of in that very moment; I tried to mask it as another cough


    ¡°Sorry, I think I¡¯ming down with something, ¡°I lied, patting my chest. ¡°Probably just the change in


    environment. Don¡¯t worry though. Let¡¯s just go.¡±


    She gave me another odd look, her confusion clearly evident, but I lightly touched her shoulder for her


    to lead the way, hoping to leave before she could dwell on it.


    This was all I could do for now.


    Once outside, we resumed our friendly chatter, talking about the town some more and about her family.


    I enjoyed learning new things and hearing stories of the two siblings growing up. Plus, the historical


    information she gave me was interesting too; giving insights about the town as we walked.


    However, it was once we came upon a more popted area that something triggered my instincts. Like


    the feeling of being¡­ watched. ¡°¡­And this is the town square,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Kieran already


    showed you it, but it¡¯s the ce people usuallye to eat lunch during the day¡­ or toe to look at


    the fountains. That one in the middle there, the one with the statue¡­ that¡¯s meant to be a depiction of


    Selene, the Moon Goddess. It¡¯s my favourite.¡±


    I turned to look at where she was pointing but, before I could do so, I then felt as the presence


    approached.


    ¡­And my eyes snapped to the perpetrator.


    It was a man, his face somewhat covered by a hoodie, but I could still see his eyes. Eyes that held a


    tinge of malice, the kind I was no stranger to. It was the look of a man who was both angry¡­ and had


    given up. As if they¡¯d already lost the fight and were taking as many people down with them.


    He charged towards me with purpose in his stride¡­ and I instinctively reached for my dagger. ¡­A


    dagger I wasn¡¯t equipped with, having thought I wouldn¡¯t need it here.


    Shit.


    I was out of time.. I was out of time and knew Allison was too close to me, in range of being hurt during


    closebat. And all I could think about was how Kieran would never forgive me should something


    happen to her.


    And so I did what I could.


    ¡°Get back,¡± I quickly yelled, and pushed her out the way. A movement that happened barely a second


    before I was then attacked by the man.


    By getting Allison to safety, I¡¯d left myself open to the assault, his knife grazing my arm as I brought it


    up defensively. But I¡¯d rarely let a scratch stop me before. No, before he had time to even blink, I then


    disarmed the knife from him easily¡­ and, in one quick movement, held it up to his throat.


    But he didn¡¯t look scared. Not even a lite bit. Even now, he just stared back at me with so much


    animosity. He was defenceless, the threat to his jugr obvious, and yet his hatred still prevailed above


    that


    ?No, he didn¡¯t seem to care¡­ and he promptly spat in my face. ¡°Filthy outsider,¡± he hissed. ¡°I will never


    bow to a rogue Luna.¡±


    ¡­And he forcefully shoved himself out of my grip, running out of the square immediately before I could


    think


    Because, truthfully, I¡¯d been too stunned to stop him. I¡¯d just¡­ let him get away. I didn¡¯t know what a


    rogue was, but I could get the gist of what he was saying. I¡¯d learnt enough for that, at least.


    ¡°Raven, are you okay?!¡± Allison screamed next to me.


    I turned to look at her, still a little dazed, but nodded my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but you¡¯re bleeding,¡± she said, pointing to my arm.


    I looked down at the scratch along my skin, the ce still trickling a little with blood. Though, in my


    opinion, it wasn¡¯t that bad. I knew it would heal soon enough and maybe even faster than normal, that


    being if Doctor Chamber¡¯s medicine had kicked in yet.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve had worse,¡± I shrugged.


    And the look of horror on Allison¡¯s face was a reminder that I needed to be more careful with my words.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I mean, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I corrected, reassuring her. ¡°I feel perfectly fine. It looks worse than


    it feels.¡±


    She looked as if she didn¡¯t believe me but thankfully didn¡¯t push the issue.


    ¡°We need to go report it at the packhouse immediately,¡± Allison said. ¡°They¡¯ll want to find the guy who


    did it.¡±


    ¡°Do you know them?¡± I asked.


    But she shook her head. ¡°Not personally, no. But I think he worked as a low-tier patrol guard.¡±


    And that was thest thing said before we made our way back to the house, finding Kieran already


    returned from training upon our arrival.


    Understandably, he was outraged. After exining the situation, he immediately started a witch hunt for


    the guy, demanding he be brought in for crimes against a ranked member. At first, I¡¯d originally thought


    that he was referring to Allison, but it turns out he¡¯d actually meant me. Because of who I was


    apparently supposed to be one day. A¡­ Luna.


    Which was a thought that churned an uneasiness inside me, remembering the words of the man.


    So by the time I was finally alone once more with Kieran, there was only one question on my mind. A


    term that had stuck with me, unable to shake since the attack


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s a¡­ ¡®rogue¡¯?¡± I asked him quietly, nestled against his chest. We sat on the couch, his arms


    holding me as we enjoyed the small silence. A break from the day that had be so chaotic. ¡­Only,


    his hand seemed to instantly freeze at my question, stopping from where he¡¯d just been gently patting


    my back. ¡°¡­Where did you hear that?¡± he asked instead.


    ¡°The man who attacked me. He referred to me as a¡­ ¡®rogue¡¯ Luna. I wasn¡¯t sure what that meant.¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said defensively. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean anything. He¡¯s clearly just out of his mind,


    Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    But this wasn¡¯t good enough. He still hadn¡¯t told me.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Kieran¡­ what does it mean?¡±


    And I felt him softly sigh. ¡°A rogue is¡­ someone who doesn¡¯t belong to a pack. They¡¯re usually people


    who wander alone, unable to join anywhere due to their past. A past that is unforgivable and where


    they¡¯vemitted atrocious, inexcusable acts. They¡¯re all¡­ criminals.¡±


    Instantly, I felt as my breathing caught in my throat, hearing the definition. ¡°But that¡¯s not you,¡± he


    continued, resuming his movement on my back, however the soothing effect of his patting no longer


    seemed to hold. ¡°Unlike rogues, you were born into a world of humans which was why you were


    packless. You¡¯re not like them. I guess some people just can¡¯t understand the difference.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right,¡± I said, forcing the reply from my lips. ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to worry about. Seriously.¡± But,


    inside, my heart was racing. It was racing so loudly I was worried he could hear it.


    Because that¡¯s exactly what I was.


    I was a criminal. I had done terrible, terrible things in my life.


    By all ounts of his definition, I was¡­ a rogue.


    So what would happen if they discovered that very truth? My past history and everything I¡¯d done?


    ¡­And suddenly the stakes of me staying here felt all the more grim.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136


    Book Two ¨C Ch#28 Over two weeks had gone by since I first came to the Ashwood pack.


    And things were going¡­ pretty good, to be honest. There hadn¡¯t been any major incidents since my


    arrival and, though there were certainly still a lot of adjustments yet to be made, I was settling in quite


    nicely. I was learning more every day and even had a routine now. Sort of. Most of my mornings were


    spent reading or exploring; though thetter entailed an escort after what happened in the town square.


    I¡¯d also found a library inside the packhouse that helped educate me a little more, albeit there were still


    a lot of gaps in my knowledge. But I was getting better. Slowly. And I was getting healthier too. In fact, I


    couldn¡¯t even remember thest time I¡¯d felt a wave of real nausea. My head was finally starting to


    feel¡­ clear.


    And as for Kieran¡­? Well¡­ things between us couldn¡¯t be better. Every day we had grown closer,


    discovering new things about the other. And when we weren¡¯t shacked up in bed, we were usually out


    sightseeing or training.


    Which was where I was heading; a private one on one training with Kieran. The usual way I¡¯d spent my


    afternoons over the course of my time here. It was the thing I usually most looked forward to, the


    exercise being both something I enjoyed as well as something familias. I grabbed my sports bag from


    the table, and with one final look around the room, I left to go meet up with him. We normally met at the


    ce we trained, himing directly from whatever Alpha heir work he needed to do in the morning.


    However, as I began mymute through the packhouse, I was surprised by one of the faces I saw.


    Not that he wasn¡¯t allowed here, just that¡­ it wasn¡¯t normal for him to frequent this ce.


    Nevertheless, I Nashed him my best smile. ¡°Afternoon, Sterling,¡± I said without stopping.


    It was intended to be just a quick greeting and nothing more, knowing I had somewhere to be.


    After myst encounter with Kieran¡¯s uncle, I¡¯de to learn that only the eldest of ranked members


    were given titles, thus Sterling had no actual authority. The move he¡¯d pulled on me during my wee


    dinner was apparently a power y in spite of that. Not that I let his pettiness get to me.


    I continued to walk past him towards the front door¡­ however, his words behind


    me then gave me pause.


    No¡­ they made me freeze. ¡°Where are you off to in such a rush, little bird?¡± he asked.


    And my mind shed to memories of my childhood; of during my early years with my father. He used to


    say simr things to me back then. His little bird¡­ his raven.


    IT


    I shook it off.


    This analogy was to be expected when introducing myself with a name like Raven¡¯. I might not like it


    anymore, nor feel as though I wanted to be that person ¡­ but it wasn¡¯t all that strange for a guy like


    Sterling to say it.


    I couldn¡¯t let small things like this get to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m ah¡­ I¡¯m meeting up with Kieran now,¡± I said, keeping it vague. ¡°He¡¯s expecting me any minute.¡±


    He held my gaze for a moment, sending a small chill through me, before finally nodding. ¡°Fair enough,¡±


    he said. ¡°Better not keep my nephew waiting then.¡± And with another polite smile, I left before he could


    say anything else, grateful for a valid excuse to leave.


    It wasn¡¯t as though there was anything wrong with him, but the tension with his family was obvious now


    I knew the truth. From my perspective, I thought it would be best to just not get involved. Ranks and


    titles were still a learning curve for me and I didn¡¯t want to identally slip up like I had the first time.


    Well, that¡­ and I tended to avoid the topic of titles, especially around Kieran. The reminder of what a


    ¡®Luna¡¯ was still made me ufortable.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Kieran said upon my arrival. ¡°How was your morning?¡±


    And I found myself stopping to smile like an idiot, just as I did every time I saw him these days. It didn¡¯t


    seem to matter if only a few hours had passed, seeing him always filled me with a rush of emotions that


    exhrated me.


    It was feeling even more intense ofte, as though there was a scratching in my head to go find him as


    soon as we parted. A need to go be close to him that, at times, felt a bit strange. Almost as if it weren¡¯t


    entirely me thinking it and it was More¡­ instinctual, perhaps?


    But I was learning so many new things every day, both about the world and about my body, that it was


    natural for there to be dissonance. I was sure that one day 1


    would look back on this and wonder how I could have been so in the dark about it all


    ¡°It was good,¡± I said,posing myself. And he walked over to my side, immediately wrapping his


    arms around me as he ced a kiss on my lips. Tender enough for me to melt at his touch, the scratch


    inside soothing¡­ but my mind was still focused on the task at hand.


    ¡°Ready to have your ass kicked?¡± I asked, biting my lip fiendishly He raised a brow at me. ¡°We¡¯ll see


    about that.¡±


    And we proceeded to jump straight into it. I¡¯d thought that my time here would make me softer, no


    longer under the strict training regime of Gavin. But, if anything, I felt even more skilled than before.


    Kieran was one of the only people I¡¯d met able to fully keep up with me, his technique almost as good


    as my own. It inade him into a great training partner. He was able to show me new ways of lighting and,


    in turn, I shared my own knowledge. It was a way for us to both improve


    Though¡­ing into this, I did have one major disadvantage against him. But it was one that I was


    slowly closing the gap on at an unexpected rate. A revtion that seemed to surprise us both.


    Because as I managed tond a kick squarely across his chest, I hadn¡¯t intended to send him flying


    backwards the way I did, his back roughly hitting the wall. ¡°Kieran!¡± I yelled in shock, instantly running


    towards him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Are you okay?¡±


    Without meaning to, it seemed i¡¯d put way too much force into the movement. Yet it didn¡¯t feel like I¡¯d


    done anything too different from normal.


    I reached out to him in concern, but he justughed off the whole thing.


    ¡°You¡¯re ah¡­ you¡¯re getting pretty strong now, huh?¡± he said, trying to sound light-hearted.


    Yes¡­ strength. Before, Kieran had still held an edge of strength against me, making up for what he


    lacked in matching my speed. But I was getting stronger now too. So quickly that I was struggling to


    adjust my own movements to amodate it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologised again. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± But he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It just took me by


    surprise more than anything.¡±


    I would have felt relieved to hear that if it weren¡¯t for the slight unmistakable


    winer he did as lu move ¡°Seriously, Kac, l¡¯?n inic,¡±le said. ¡°Don¡¯t kwik soup


    ¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t look so hurt,¡± I replied back. ¡°II¡¯s ard not to feel terrible here.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ then I guess you could kiss it wtter luat would probably six the problem.¡±


    And I lookerl up at him, my lips tugging back into a smile,


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Iughed. ¡°And where were you hurt again? Here¡±


    I pointed to the spot on his chest wielrecalled my leg hitting


    ¡°Munti¡­ pretty sure it was higher up. Like probably tear my mouth,¡± he said


    ¡°Mmmm¡­ pretty sure I hit you in the chest. Think you knocked your head a little too hard there, buddy¡±


    ¡°All the more reason for you to kiss ir better then,¡± he said slyly.


    Iughed but still moved in slowly, nting a trail of small kisses from his corbone to where my leg


    had hit. And, as I did so, I could feel a small shiver run through him under my touch, feeding the


    excitement building inside me.


    When I finally ced thest kiss at the perfel spot, I then looked back up al him, lempting him with my


    eyes. ¡°And your lips as well..?¡± I asked inoxently.


    And he quickly leaned forward to catch my mouth, enveloping me against his


    Which was exactly how we became absorbed for ile next (rw minutes that passed, his hands holding


    me to him as we embraced. A need for his bly burning within me,


    But, eventually, I managed to pull myself away. Just enough lo tease him some mose.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve inade a full recovery,¡± said. ¡°Tlus method of medicine inaybe has some inerit after all.¡±


    But instead of immediately resuming where we¡¯d just stopped, he then seemed to pause, a crease


    forming between his brows.


    ¡°¡­What is 11?¡± I askerl, confused by the abrupt change.


    ¡°Your eyes¡­,¡± he said quietly, but then paused. It was only after a few seconds had passed that he


    then seenied to realise something, his face bing happier, ¡°Coine with me,¡± he said, quickly


    grabling my hand, ¡°Kietan?¡±


    But he had a firm grip as he started to lead us outside, heading toward where a thicket of trees were in


    the distance. It was a small woods area that we promptly entered into, walking until we came to a small


    clearing within it.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me now?¡± I asked as we came to a stop.


    And he turned back to look at me, now excited.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over two weeks,¡± he simply said.


    Which was something that didn¡¯t really help rify much,


    ¡°Two weeks? Like¡­ two weeks since I arrived?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Well, yes, but I mean it¡¯s been over two weeks since you¡¯ve gone to the doctors,¡± he rified,


    ¡°Melissa said that it would be about two weeks needed for the medicine.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ right,¡± I said. ¡°¡­And?¡±


    ¡°And¡­ have you been feeling anything weird? Like an almost foreign weird feeling in your head that


    doesn¡¯t quite seem to belong to you?¡±


    Always¡­ but I was pretty sure I knew what he was specifically referring to. That new itch to be near


    him whenever he¡¯d just left¡­ like a whining inside. Yes, I¡¯d noticed it recently.


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± I answered. ¡°Is it important?¡±


    But his smile seemed to only grow more at the confirmation.


    ¡°That¡¯s your wolf, Rae,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s finally able to break through the damage the suppressors left. It


    means you¡¯re actually healing and the medicine is working.¡±


    However, rather than reciprocating the excitement he felt, instead, I could feel as iny body froze up a


    little at his words, my face paling.


    Because whilst I knew this was probably going to happen eventually with the medicine, I didn¡¯t expect it


    so soon. It was a renewed liability that I wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with.. and that scared ine. Ever since


    I¡¯de here with Kieran, I hadn¡¯t experienced that sickening feeling of almost losing control or


    cking out. Not even once. In fact, things had been pretty peaceful. So much so that I¡¯d almost


    forgotten about the threat it posed.


    But¡­ hearing this now? Knowing that it was actually just growing stronger inside without me realising?


    Well, the very idea of it having more free reign over my body was disturbing. Especially after what had


    happenedst time.., all the pain¡­


    all the blood. What is next time it wasn¡¯t just a scratch? What if its next victim was Kieran?


    And so, whilst I may have wanted to learn how to live amicably with it once¡­ I now had my


    reservations about that.


    ¡°Okay¡­ so then how do I learn to keep it out?¡± I asked.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    But it seemed Kieran wasn¡¯t on the same wavelength as me, his next words contradicting my thoughts.


    ¡°Keep it out¡­? No, you learn to be one and embrace it,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s how you truly get better.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­,¡± I started, my voice trailing off in uncertainty.


    But he interjected by then holding both my hands in his


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± he asked.


    ¡­It was that question.


    That same damn question. The one I¡¯d heard from him now twice before. Both times prior I¡¯d been


    unable to tell him what he wanted. But things were different now. He¡¯d easily proven how he had my


    best interest at heart, making good on the promises he made me. And so I finally caved and answered


    truthfully.


    I answered truthfully¡­ even though I had a feeling I was about to instantly regret


    ¡°Yes¡­,¡± I said. ¡°Yes, Kieran¡­ I trust you.¡± And with apletely serious look on his face, he then held


    my gaze¡­ ¡­And asked a question that instantly filled me with dread. ¡°Then let me help you to shift,¡±


    he said. ¡°The proper way, this time.¡±

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    Book TWO ¨C Ch.# 29


    ¡­I couldn¡¯t believe I was actually thinking of doing this.


    Again


    I should have already learnt niy lesson by now¡­ no, I really shouldn¡¯t be trying to make it stronger. I


    already knew how dangerous that side of me was. And yet Kieran looked at me with those puppy dog


    eyes, making it feel impossible to deny him.


    ¡­So here I was.


    Contemting doing the very thing I was sure would make him happier than it would make me.


    I knew he wanted me to bepletely healthy again, to be able to do the things he could do, to try


    and¡­ fix me. Which wasn¡¯t a bad thing, per se. It was great. It¡¯s just¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready for that


    yet. This wasn¡¯t like asking me something trivial. He was asking me to connect with a beast who had


    terrorised me for years.


    A shiver went through me as I recalled every time it had happened, remembering the blood and bodies.


    Remembering¡­ the pain. Not even Kieran had been salest time, it havingshed out at him as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right here with you, I promise,¡± Kieran said, disrupting my thoughts. It won¡¯t be like thest time.


    You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Right.


    Because the medicine should have stopped the suppressors by now¡­ which should theoretically stop


    the pain¡­ which should then stop the ckouts¡­ and the death toll after it.


    So simple. Logical


    Surely nothing bad would happen again. I could do this.


    And so I held my breath tentatively. ¡°¡­Okay, Kieran,¡± I said, feeling numb. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± And I agreed to do


    the very thing that terrified me.


    I stood a foot or so away from him as we got started, watching him carefully. A small tremor was shaking


    through me, but I did my best to push through it. Now, more than ever, I needed to focus entirely on what


    Kieran was trying to tell me.


    It quite literally could mean life or death.


    ¡°Deep breath, Rae,¡± he said, doing it himself as if to remind me how.


    Yes¡­ thank you for that.


    But I still did it regardless.


    ¡°Okay, now¡­ close your eyes¡­ and reach deep inside. Try to connect with her,¡± he instructed


    I wanted to be sick.


    ¡°Rac¡­ close your eyes,¡± he repeated, seeing me hesitate.


    ¡­And I did as he asked.


    So basic. This was meant to be straightforward biology. Because turning into a woli was meant to be


    normal. Yep, just a totally ordinary thing to do.


    But as I reached down towards it inside, I felt a spark of revulsion. One that stemmed from the idea of


    letting it control me once more. It was like temptingte, opening the door to allow it to hurt others;


    something that I had sworn to leave behind as I began my new life.


    And so I said¡­ no. No more Never again.


    If we were to do this¡­ then we were going to do it my way


    And I quickly grabbed ahold of the creature lurking, its teeth bared at me from the shadows of my mind


    and I threw it to the surface. I threw it to the surface and held it in ce, forcing it to do what I willed it to.


    An action that was then swiftly followed by the sound of my joint cracking.


    SNAP


    ¡­And another¡­


    *SNAPPpo


    ¡­And another¡­.


    And soon I felt pain ovee me, my body shifting and twisting in all sorts of ways I didn¡¯t think


    possible. Contorting into new shapes, burning with every modification ¡­ a loud orchestra of flesh and


    bone moving that overwhelmed my


    ras


    ¡°Are you still with me?¡± I heard Kieran say.


    III


    Yes, I was still here the pain wasn¡¯t as bad as thest time. It felt manageable¡­ And I kept if that way.


    Though it was something that took my entire


    concentration to achieve.


    At some point, Kieran had moved to my side, I could tell that much. Maybe to try and get a reply from


    me. But it wouldn¡¯t matter for long. No, I could feel the end soon ahead, just within reach.


    ¡­And it only took another moment before everything stilled. The world stopped moving, my nausea


    slowly passed¡­ and, finally, it was over.


    ¡°Rae?¡± Kieran asked.


    IP


    FDE


    I looked up towards him, my vision now different. Though truthfully, it wasn¡¯t just my vision. As I moved


    my head, it seemed as though everything was now¡­ sharper, my senses feeling heightened tenfold.


    ¡°Are you okay? You still in there?¡± Barely.


    I was still holding the creature hostage inside, its teeth snapping at me for control. But not this time. This


    time, I wouldn¡¯t allow it even an inch of leeway. I was stronger now.


    Perhaps Kieran had found a way to be with his wolf in peace, which was great for him¡­ but that didn¡¯t


    mean it had to be that way for everyone. Whatever I was doing was clearly working and it meant that I


    could feel more reassured. Reassured that it wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone ever again.


    I looked at Kieran in a way that I hoped conveyed my presence and nodded my head.


    This is what he wanted. To prove I was better. Well¡­ here I was.


    A wolf.


    Moving in the skin of the monster I loathed.


    ¡°Did you want to try going for a run?¡± Did I?


    No¡­ not particrly. I think I mostly just wanted to change back.


    +


    1


    However, it seemed that running was the assumed next step as he proceeded to start shifting himself.


    And, before too long had passed, his dark brown wolf was soon greeting me.


    I could tell the difference now. How there was Kieran and then there was his wolf. When I¡¯d first seen him


    in this form, It had very clearly been Kieran in control so to not scare me. But now¡­ I guess with him


    presuming that I was the same, I


    could feel as his wolf was more in charge. It felt more¡­ animalistic and yful as he moved.


    Could he tell I was holding that side of me back? That there was something a bit¡­ off?


    Well, if he could, he didn¡¯t show it.


    And though he wanted me to follow him, I could feel my anxiety building inside instead.


    It built¡­ and built¡­ and built¡­ and by the time I was finally taking my first steps, moving for the very first


    time as myself in this form¡­ I felt as my hold began to


    thin.


    Thinning until, suddenly¡­ it broke. **Shift back. NOW*,¡¯1 demanded inside.


    2.2


    The beast was trying to take control, attempting to push me aside so quickly it was like an stic band


    that had snapped. But I managed tomand this onest thing, saying it a second before it was too


    It was over¡­ for now. ¡°What was that?¡± Kieran asked, a few momentster. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± He¡¯d


    been much faster at shifting forms than me, as was to be expected.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ learning.¡±


    My body was now shaking uncontrobly as I spoke, unable to hide the adrenaline that fear had shot


    through me. I¡¯d been so close to losing control¡­ so close to letting it loose.


    ICT


    ¡°Hey¡­ you did so well,¡± he said,ing over to hug me.


    But, even in his arms, I was unable to rx.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be shifting like a pro in no time. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Oh, but I was worried. Of course, I


    was. This was yet another thing I needed to ovee. Another thing to prove my worth to stay here.


    And so, just as I learned to fight, I was determined to learn how to conquer this as well.


    Conquer¡­ *t*


    The beast inside.


    ¡°Are you ready to leave?¡± Kieran asked as I left my room.


    We had another formal dinner tonight, the first since the one held for my weing. I assumed it would


    be easier than thest given I knew a lot more now. I¡¯d had time to get to know the people better and


    settle in, and, though I was still a bit shaken from the events earlier that day, I was relieved for a


    distraction. Anything to take my mind off shifting


    ¡°Ready.¡± I smiled.


    And we left for the dining hall to meet the others.


    It was a pretty normal dinner, all things considered. Allison was seated next to me once again, happily


    chatting away. I was thanksul that she could carry the conversation easily without much help needed on


    my end. Truthfully, her presence still put me on edge, but I¡¯d been getting better at focusing my mind.


    Now, I could sit here talking to her without paying it much attention at all. Like an annoying buzzing


    background noise that I¡¯d learned to live with, but instead of noise, it was an urge tosh out at her.


    Putting it to the back of my head was just a way to enjoy herpany in a weird, convoluted way.


    Whatever worked though, I guess. ¡°¡­And then after I went to the temple, I went for lunch at that caf¨¦ I


    showed youst week,¡± she said, finishing the incredibly detailed recount of her day.


    ¡°That sounds nice,¡± I said, meaning it genuinely.


    But it was her next words that then took me by surprise, not expecting the topic.


    ¡°Oh, and I went for a run,¡± she added casually, much to my difort. ¡°I love having the time to do that.


    The wind always feels amazing against your fur, don¡¯t you think? Anyway¡­ what did you get up today?¡±


    My mind instantly shed to the shifting incident, feeling sick at the whole thing. And suddenly I felt the


    burning need for a drink. Or perhaps some air. Or maybe


    both.


    ¡°Oh¡­ um, nothing much. The usual,¡± I vaguely replied.


    ¡°Did you ¨C ,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to go to the bathroom quick,¡± I said, cutting her off. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I felt a little bad about the abruptness, but I hadn¡¯t meant it maliciously. I was just starting to feel


    suffocated.


    ¡°Rac?¡± Kieran asked, probably realising it was odd timing,


    But I smiled at him. ¡°Back in a minute,¡± I reassured. And I left towards the bathroom, moving before


    anyone could stop me.


    As I walked, I was consumed by my own thoughts, feeling¡­ unsettled and inadequate. Like I was out of


    ce. I knew Allison hadn¡¯t intentionally meant any harm, but her words had been a badly timed sting. I


    didn¡¯t know the feeling she spoke about, I didn¡¯t know how it felt to casually go running¡­ I didn¡¯t even


    know how to enjoy those things. I wasn¡¯t¡­ normal.


    ¡°Always in such a rush,¡± then came a voice to my left. 11 had interrupted my concentration so harshly


    that it made me jump, and I looked up sharply to find Sterling there.


    Great


    He had a drink in hand, bis eyes watching me in a way that sent a cold shiver through me. The veryst


    person I wanted to talk to right now.


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a busy gal,¡± I said, smiling politely


    ¡°A busy gal indeed, and a pretty one at that,¡± he said. ¡°Your dress is very beautiful and yet it pales in


    comparison to you.¡±


    He was drunk. He had to be. There was no way he would say these things to me in a sober inind,


    knowing I was Kieran¡¯s mate


    ¡°Thank you. Have a great night,¡± I said, brushing it off to leave.


    But his words stopped me. They stopped me¡­ and caused a panic to start filling inside


    ¡°Inmver expected you toe here,¡± he said. ¡°Though¡­ I can¡¯t say I expected you to go anywhere. Not


    with your upbringing.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    1 instantly spun back around to look at him, any heart pounding loudly in my


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Iar smiled ¡°I meant no harm¡±


    And he told his drink up at me as though iw ware toasting to something giroul


    ¡°HAVE¡¯ pleasant overing, Raven,¡± he said and leisurely turned around to look


    out a window


    It took a minute before I could start to walk again, my breathing shallow as I processed what he¡¯d just


    said. But the more I thought on it, the more I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was something in his


    words. As if he knew more about me than he led on, more than just how I was raised by humans.


    ¡­And soon I found myself heading in the opposite direction of the bathroom, my pace slowly increasing


    in speed until I was almost running, darting through the hallways of the packhouse, narrowly avoiding


    attendants as they watched me pass by in shock.


    IT


    I ran until I finally reached my room, quickly throwing open the door and grabbing my mobile phone. The


    phone I hadn¡¯t checked in a few days, almost forgetting about it amongst everything that had happened


    with Kieran recently. I immediately turned it on¡­ the screen shing up¡­ and it showed me I had


    missed calls. Seven missed calls and four text messages, to be exact. All from Zac.


    Fuck.


    I dialled the number straightaway, grateful to see I had two bars of service in here, though my fingers


    trembled uncontrobly as I tried to maneuver it. ¡°Rae? Where have you been? I¡¯ve been trying to call


    you,¡± Zac¡¯s voice then said on the other end.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ I don¡¯t have great reception here, remember? I haven¡¯t been able to check my phone until


    now.¡±


    A half lie.


    *Did you find out anything? Did Noah give you a name for the supplier of the drugs?¡±


    I heard Zac sigh. ¡°Yeah, yeah, it was a whole ordeal. We had to go track down Miles¡¯ old ledgers which


    was an adventure in itself. The guy kept it in some remote ass ce in the middle of nowhere. Since


    Noah is meant to be dead, it took us a week to just get to the office safely and sift through all the junk-¡±


    ¡°A name, Zac,¡± I said, quickly interrupting. ¡°I need a name.¡± ¡°Right, okay, jeez, I was getting to that,¡± he


    said defensively. ¡°Anyway, we got the ledger, found the drugs and yeah, the ingredients were a bit weird.


    And¡­ yes, there was a name. Someone supplying the drugs from a ce not too far from where we


    found the ledgers.¡±


    ¡°Who? Who was it?¡±


    My hand was gripping the phone so tightly I probably could have broken it. But


    this was it. The most important information that could make or break my chances of staying here.


    To stop anyone investigating into my past.


    To be allowed to remain by Kieran¡¯s side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, some dude I¡¯ve never heard of .¡±


    ¡°Who, Zac?!¡± I almost screamed in frustration.


    ¡°Freaking hell, chill,¡± he said. ¡°Ah¡­ I think his name was¡­ Sterling.¡±


    And my breathing immediately choked to a stop in my throat.


    ¡°Sterling Lycroft.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sterling¡­ Lycroft¡­?¡± I repeated slowly, hoping I was just hearing wrong.


    But before Zac could reconfirm, I then suddenly heard footsteps behind me.


    ¡°You called for me, little bird?¡± the voice said.


    ¡­And I watched as Sterling entered my room, closing the door behind him.


    *Click

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 30 ¡°¡­Never mind. I¡¯ve got to go,¡± I said quietly into the phone. ¡°Rae, wait. What¡¯s-.¡±


    But I hung up before Zac could finish his sentence.


    Sterling¡¯s eyes looked from my face¡­ to where I held the phone in my hands, and slowly clicked his


    tongue in disapproval. ¡°That would be a cellr device, I assume?¡± he asked, gradually approaching.¡±


    Are you aware that it¡¯s quite a serious offence to use that here? A crime punishable by permanent


    banishment from the pack¡­ or worse.¡±


    I swallowed back the bile in my throat, feeling sick from just looking at Sterling. And yet he had the


    audacity to threaten me. I wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d been selling illegal drugs for years. ¡°I know it was you,¡±


    I said. ¡°I know you were the one selling the suppressors to my father.¡±


    And his approach then came to a stop, his head nodding in understanding.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see,¡± he said. ¡°Then I suppose you¡¯ll be wanting an exnation? A reason for why I did what I


    did? Maybe then you¡¯ll be able to see this from my perspective. How¡­ I¡¯m not entirely the bad guy in


    all of this.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply. It seemed too good to be true for him to just start telling me what surely had to be his


    darkest secret. Did he believe he had leverage over me now, knowing I had used the phone here? Or


    was this something else? ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to know this, but Victor and I are actually twins.


    Fraternal, of course,¡± he started. ¡°Our mother had aplicated birth and, as a result, the two of us


    were delivered by C-section. Do you know what that means?¡±


    I hesitated but shook my head. I wasn¡¯t sure where he was going with this or how it rted to the


    drugs, but I thought it best to just go along with it. ¡°It means that the doctor who ripped my brother out


    first was the one who decided which of us would be Alpha. A fact that has gued me my entire


    life. I was always not quite good enough in the eyes of everyone else.¡±


    Right¡­ because only the eldest was given the title. I¡¯d been told that ranks were based on birth, not


    merit. ¡°It¡¯s due to that unfortunate reality that I¡¯ve coveted many of the things denied to me, things only


    bestowed upon my brother and nephew,¡± he continued,


    looking away as if in deep thought. ¡°I watched as my brother was praised as a strong leader, saw his


    sess, his victory in battles. I saw as he brought stability and peace to, not only this pack, but to an


    entire nation that had previously been divided by war for almost a century. And when he was finished,


    his work finally done¡­ I found myself happy. Not for his aplishments or his triumphs No, 1 was


    happy¡­ because his mate then fell into aa¡­ and eventually died. It was due to his actions that


    ultimately led to her demise, reminding the world that the perfect man did in fact have ws. And it was


    on that day I realised I could carve my own destiny, my own future. I could¡­ create my own pack. One


    where I would be the Alpha. Just as I always should have been.¡±


    His own pack? It was clear that he¡¯d been wallowing in his own envy for so long that he couldn¡¯t see


    what he already had. A pack and family who I was certain loved him. A ce to call home. Things that


    were denied to me for almost my whole life.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°¡­So I got to work immediately. Of course, I needed my own money to be able to fund such a feat and,


    as a result, I started selling the very drugs my brother had ouwed. This is what I did for years,


    working hard on establishing a small ck marketwork that specialised in suppressors, a secret


    form known only to our pack. But, at the end of the day, it still wasn¡¯t enough money.¡± He then


    paused, his eyes moving back over to meet my own. ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough¡­ until one day, I was


    approached by a smuggler, one looking to acquire some customised silver suppressors on behalf of a


    wealthy human businessman.¡±


    ¡­Miles. That had to be Miles, working as a smuggler on behalf of my father. ¡°Of course, I was wary;


    after all, blessed silver is not an easy thing to get your hands on,¡± he said. ¡°But he¡¯d found the right


    man for the job. Because it¡¯s notpletely impossible when you¡¯re the son of the previous Alpha,


    ranked or not. Luckily, I¡¯d grown up surrounded by the very people in charge of the resource¡¯s


    management.¡± ¡°So you decided to poison me?¡± I asked.


    He chuckled darkly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know who you were, little bird,¡± he said. ¡°I dug only so deep as to discover


    Eric Reid had a secret daughter and I put the pieces together. My information stopped at basically your


    name and, ultimately, I didn¡¯t care to look further. The deal was for the money and nothing more. It


    wasn¡¯t¡­ personal. Truthfully, I thought you¡¯d be dead in a month anyway from the silver. So imagine


    my surprise when you, not only survived all these years, but then also somehow found your way here,


    mated to my nephew no less.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ wliy are you telllug me all of this now?¡± I asked,


    still


    LI


    confused about why he was being so candid. There was only one exnation I could think of for why


    he would tell me¡­ and it wasn¡¯t pleasant. No, it was one that made my eyes dart to where I¡¯d


    concealed my dagger, only a few feet away under the mattress of my bed. I focused my mind, quickly


    preparing myself to move¡­ and asked the question. ¡°¡­Are you nning to kill me?¡± However, instead


    of a fight instantly breaking out like I anticipated, he simplyughed instead. I jumped in surprise, the


    abrupt noise making my chest race. ¡°Like I said¡­ I¡¯m a man who has always coveted the things I


    couldn¡¯t have,¡± he smiled. ¡°Truthfully, I had nned to kill you the day we met. When I realised who you


    were and the threat of information you posed, I knew it would be important to cut off the loose end.


    But¡­ but then everything changed.¡±


    TILTE


    IL


    LI


    ¡°¡­What changed?¡± I asked slowly.


    And I knew I was about to regret asking when the way he looked at me then changed. His gaze


    scanned over me as if he were undressing me with his eyes, churning a feeling of revulsion inside me.


    ¡°What changed? Well¡­ you smiled at me,¡± he said, taking another step towards me. ¡°You shook my


    hand and¡­ genuinely smiled at me, making me feel something inside I had never felt before. And


    when I still couldn¡¯t shake that feeling for several days, no matter how hard I tried, it was then that I


    conceded that, when I did create my new pack, I would be in need of a Luna. One to continue my


    legacy.¡± I stared at him incredulously, in disbelief I was really hearing this right now. That he actually


    thought I would ever consider going with him. ¡°You, little bird, were chosen by a higher power to


    be a Luna,¡± he said, holding his hand out towards me in invitation.¡±¡­And I want that for myself.¡±


    Silence. Had he really just said that? I knew there was only one way to react to this, the most


    appropriate response for this very situation. ¡­And I spat at the ground by his feet. ¡°You¡¯re disgusting,¡± I


    hissed, taking a step backwards. But he then moved that hand over his chest as if in mock pain. ¡°Am I?


    It hurts me to hear you say that. I thought we¡¯d really connected,¡± he said sadly. ¡°Perhaps


    you¡¯ll change your mind eventually. Maybe after a few pups, you¡¯ll find a way to love me too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re


    insane. You don¡¯t love me. You just love the idea of screwing a girl who is already mated to your


    nephew; the future alplia,¡± I snapped. ¡°This is just some twisted way of feeling like you got what you


    always wanted; what your brother¡¯s birth denied you.¡±


    I


    However, he didn¡¯t seem perturbed by my words in the slightest, as if he didn¡¯t see any issue with what


    I was pointing out. No¡­ he already knew and epted itpletely.


    ¡°I see no mark upon your neck,¡± he said. ¡°He has yet to im you as his. After tonight, he¡¯ll no longer


    have that choice. Not when I take you as a chosen mate.¡±


    He started to close the distance between us and I matched his step backwards, confused by what he


    was saying. Another example of myck of knowledge worsening a situation. ¡°¡­What? Mark? I don¡¯t¡­


    I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    1 kept trying to move away, walking until I eventually felt the wall behind me. There was nowhere left to


    go.


    I was trapped.


    ¡°A mark is the final step in solidifying a mate bond,¡± he exined. ¡°Think like human marriages where


    it¡¯s a vow between two people¡­ except, instead of being able to divorce one day, a marked mate can


    only be parted by death. As opposed to the conventional method of mate bonds, ones fated by the


    Goddess herself, a chosen mate is simply when two people mark each other by choice in spite of that


    system. A bite to the neck, iming the other as theirs. That is the future I see for us, little bird.¡±


    ¡­A bite to the neck¡­ that¡¯s what my body had been craving from Kieran. So¡­ it was a biological


    response. A result of the mate bond between us. That must have been why he was holding off,


    knowing the level ofmitment involved. If a human proposed marriage after only a few weeks of


    dating, they would be seen as crazy. So I could only imagine how serious a mark would be. ¡°Don¡¯t fight


    it,¡± Sterling said, still moving towards me. ¡°Come quietly and I¡¯ll be gentle. I have everything ready for


    the new pack; my suitcase is in the car and I¡¯ve already left a note. All that remains now¡­ is you. The


    final piece to my perfect world awaiting ine.¡±


    He was close now. Too close. And with me having nowhere else to go, I could only react on instinct


    when he reached as if to caress my cheek.


    ¡­And I quickly pped his hand away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± I warned. But my words fell on deaf ears.


    And, as he attempted to reach for me again, I instantly shoved him backwards. Just hard enough for


    his legs to hit a table behind him, the corner looking as though it scraped his skin harshly.


    ¡°¡­You bitch,¡± he winced in pain, his teeth gritted. ¡°I¡¯m trying to do this without hurting you, don¡¯t make


    me regret that sentiment. If you don¡¯te with me, you¡¯ll be kicked out of Ashwood for the phone


    anyway. Really, I¡¯m helping you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Sterling. Don¡¯¡­..¡±


    1


    1


    .


    .


    .


    But, of course, he didn¡¯t listen. And when he tried to move towards me again, aiming to grab at me


    more forcibly this time, I made sure he got the message.


    LU


    ¡­And I punched him across the face so hard that I heard his nose crack, blood immediately


    proceeding to seep from the area. ¡°I said don¡¯t touch me!¡± I growled. Hunched over, he looked back


    towards me, up through where his hand was trying to stop the bleeding, and I watched as a new


    determination then came over him. A look that told me this wasn¡¯t over¡­ but, in fact, just beginning,


    Something that then quickly came to fruition as he pushed me to the ground. He tried to overpower me,


    relying on the extra weight he had over me to keep me down, but he had severely underestimated just


    how strong I really was. Within a matter of seconds, I had twisted my way back around to be on top,


    and swiftly


    mmed his head against the ground. ¡°Enough, Sterling!¡± I said, holding his head down by his hair. I


    could feel him squirming under ine, trying to get free, but I had him overpowered.


    ¡°You were meant to be weak,¡± he huffed out slowly. ¡°A poisoned whore ripe for The taking. Yet your


    strength doesn¡¯t strike me as someone who¡¯s been ingesting blessed silver and suppressors for four


    years.¡± Aroldugh left me at that, amused by his new choice of words for me. How quickly his attitude


    changed.


    ¡°Then maybe up the dosage next time,¡± I said. ¡°Seems to me that your attempt al poisoning me was as


    pathetic as your life story.¡±


    ¡­ That hit a nerve.


    A low growl sounded from his chest as he looked at me with icy hatred.


    ¡°I should have killed you,¡± he said. ¡°I should have taken the deal Miles proposed, killed you, and then


    stolen whatever was left of your father¡¯s fortune.¡± But the mention of Miles took me off -guard. I didn¡¯t


    know anything about a new deal but¡­ I wondered if maybe Sterling was more involved than I originally


    thought.


    ¡°Deal?¡± I asked. ¡°This being Miles Kennedy, I presume?¡±


    His lip twitched into a bitter smile. ¡°That¡¯s the one. He works for your father so I guess you would know


    him too. How is he doing these days?¡±


    But now it was my turn to smile.


    ¡°Dead,¡± I answered honestly.¡±¡­I killed him myself.¡± Sterling¡¯s face immediately paled.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­ He¡¯s not dead. He only told me a few weeks ago that he¡¯d gotten his hands on the


    documents. We¡¯re meeting in a few days.¡±


    ¡­Wait¡­ did he say¡­ documents? And I felt myself freeze as realisation hit me. The contact for Miles


    had never been Victor¡­ it¡¯d been a different Lycroft all along, It had been¡­ Sterling. ¡°Documents¡­?


    What documents?¡± I asked. But of all the times for him to stop answering my questions, he chose now.


    Now, just as I was finally discovering the information that had started all of this.


    Because he then bit his lip and did his best to look away despite my grip. ¡°What documents, Sterling?


    Where are they? What is in them?¡±


    ¡°None of your business, little bird.¡± ¡­And, just like that, I felt as something inside me then¡­ snapped.


    Because it was my business. It was my family¡¯s business and I knew those documents were important


    enough for my father to jeopardise so much to get them back. The very reason for me being allowed to


    come here.


    And whether it was brought on by an umted hatred for everything Sterling


    HA E


    had done to me, or.. my own overwhelming feelings of inadequacy that, despite working so hard to fit in


    at Ashwood and be better, had built up slowly every day, or¡­ Whether it was just an ingrained loyalty


    to my father that would never truly leave me¡­ I felt that darker side of me awaken, now at my limit for


    just how much more I could handle.


    I started to feel like¡­ my old self. And I¡¯d never had very much patience. ¡°¡­That¡¯s ¡®Raven¡¯ to you,¡± I


    corrected quietly, a calmness washing over me. And as I proceeded to snap his finger along the joint,


    only his cries of pain sounded out in reply to my words. Not to worry though. I would have him talking


    soon enough.

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139


    Book TWO ¨C Ch.# 31 *CRACK*


    ¡­Another finger joint. The third now in under five minutes, him still refusing to answer mne.


    Truthfully, I was a little surprised he was holding out for as long as he was. He was still determined to


    resist my questioning and refused to cooperate. Was this really the hill he wanted to die on? After


    everything he¡¯d been working so hard on for at least a decade? ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯ve been doing a lot of


    researchtely,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks to you, my health has be a point of focus for me and I¡¯ve actually


    learnt a lot about our kind¡¯s anatomy.¡±


    And I grabbed another finger, pressing it tightly in a way that conveyed the threat. Just hard enough for a


    pathetic whimper to leave him.


    ¡°Like for example¡­ did you know that our joints heal faster than all other injuries?¡± I asked. ¡°Faster than


    cuts, gashes¡­ faster than even bones breaking? It¡¯s something to do with how our joints rte to our


    ability to shift. They naturally have to heal quicker in order topensate for that.¡±


    *CRACK*


    Another finger. ¡°¡­But evidently that doesn¡¯t mean it hurts any less,¡± I added.


    ¡°Please¡­ stop¡­,¡± he cried.


    Though it did him little good. He already knew what I wanted to know and could end this whenever he so


    desired.


    ¡°I did the math¡­,¡± I said, ignoring him. ¡°I could hypothetically dislocate all of your fingers about five times


    within the next hour without any issues. That means I can repeat this process approximately every


    twelve minutes. The only question is¡­ how long will it take before you finally answer me? Another


    round? Another four? ¡­Ten?¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­ enough¡­ I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    *CRACK


    And I leaned in, right next to his ear.


    ¡°Then tell me where the docuinents are, Sterling,¡± I whispered. ¡°Tell nie what they contain.¡±


    Only his cries replied, screaming out from the pain. Something that merely annoyed me enough to then


    grab his next hand, ready to start again with a fresh set of digits.


    But, finally, it seemed that was enough for him to speak. ¡°Why do you care?!¡± he shouted back. ¡°You¡¯re


    angry at me but I wasn¡¯t the one who dosed you. I was just the supplier,mission to make them. The


    man you¡¯re trying to protect right now is the one you should be torturing,¡± I knew that. Of course, I did. To


    a certain degree, I should be pissed at my father.. and I was. But this went beyond simply protecting him


    now. This was my only chance to locate the documents and¡­ and, well, after that I could choose what to


    do with them. An internal debate for myself another time. All that mattered right now was getting the


    information¡­ and making Sterling pay. ¡°I¡¯m the one asking the questions,¡± I reminded, ¡°You¡¯re not in any


    position to be arguing right now.¡± ¡­And I grabbed another of his joints firmly¡­ readying to snap it at any


    second¡­ giving him onest chance¡­. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± he yelled. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll tell you. Just¡­ please.


    Please stop. I-I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± I wasn¡¯t keen on wasting any more time.


    Despite being several floors up from the dining hall, there was every possibility someone could hear


    should they wander this way. Not that they should have a reason to. It was meant to be a private level for


    the Alpha heir and all the attendants would be on duty serving the dinner guests.


    ¡°Where are they, Sterling?¡± I repeated again, himn taking too long to answer.


    ¡°I¡­ I think they¡¯re in Miles¡¯ warehouse,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s located near the border between Lockdale and


    Ashwood.¡± Right¡­ I already knew about that warehouse. My father had been the one to originally tell me


    about it. But if it was that simple, the documents would have been retrieved already. The first thing he


    would have done is send someone to look there.


    ¡°Where exactly in the warehouse?¡± I asked. ¡°In a safe? A hiddenpartment?¡±


    Il seemed he thought that simply mentioning the warehouse would be enough to Satisfy my question, liis


    eyes bing more stressed as I pressed for details.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure. All I know is that it¡¯s in the warehouse,¡± he said. ¡°Please¡­ let me go now. I told you all I


    know.¡±


    Did he think I was stupid? This wasn¡¯t amateur hour, I¡¯d had plenty of experience in situations like this. I¡¯d


    been taught to be an expert in getting answers, no matter how I went about it. If he actually thought that I


    would believe him so easily, then he really was na?ve.


    And so I snapped another finger¡­ making sure to get my point across. ¡°Tell me where exactly in the


    warehouse they are,¡± I repeated. ¡°I¡¯m losing patience.¡±


    Instantly, he cried out again, squirming under me enough that I had to press my knee harder into his


    back. A reminder that he was still overpowered. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± he whimpered pathetically.


    And I grabbed another finger. ¡°One¡­,¡± I simply replied, holding it firmly. His denials sped up in speed,


    bing more frantic. ¡°¡­Two¡­,¡± I continued, bending it backwards slowly. He was almost screaming


    now, shouting that he didn¡¯t know as if it was somehow going to save him. Which, of course, it wouldn¡¯t.


    Oh, well. He did it to himself.


    ¡°¡­ Three-¡±


    But before I could finish, he then cut me off. ¡°A FLOORBOARD!¡± he yelled. ¡°A floorboard in his office,


    under a rug! He always kept all of his important things in there, but¡­ 1-I don¡¯t know anything else. I


    swear.¡±


    I sighed in exhaustion.


    ¡°Now was that so hard?¡± I asked, leaning back a little. ¡°Funny how your memory seems to work better


    when subjected to pain. So, I wonder then¡­ if that¡¯s the case, have you finally had enough? Or do I


    need to keep going until you remember what¡¯s inside the documents too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t .,¡±


    ¡± Do you really want to finish that sentence?¡± I warned. ¡°Because if you knew


    about some deal Miles wasing to you with, then you would definitely know what the documents


    contained. Please don¡¯t insult my intelligence by telling me you don¡¯t know. I feel like we¡¯re past that point


    now.¡±


    He only huffed and cried in response, a sight that was truly pitiful to watch. And yet he wanted to be an


    Alpha? I was only just beginning to learn what that was and even I could tell he was far from fit for the


    job.


    It was something that made me almost thankful for the upbringing I had, for the skills and strength I


    possessed. Because I knew that is some poor, inexperienced girl had been in this situation, facing the


    insanity of this sick perverted man, then this situation might have yed out very, very differently. An


    oue that made me shudder to think about. ¡°Sterling,¡± I prompted. He still hadn¡¯t replied, ¡°I swear¡­ if


    you don¡¯t tell me right now, I¡¯l¡­.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ wait¡­,¡± he begged. ¡°I-l only know what Miles told me. Just that


    it.¡±


    H-¡­Rae?¡±


    A voice then spoke from behind me.


    I instantly recognised it. ¡°¡­Kieran,¡± I gasped, turning to look at him. ¡°What are you¡­ what are you


    doing? Is that¡­ Sterling?¡± he asked, confused by what he was seeing in front of him. How I had his


    uncle pinned to the ground, crying uncontrobly. ¡°It was Sterling all along,¡± I quickly said. He was the


    one selling the suppressors. He tried to atta-.¡± But, somehow in the time I¡¯d been distracted, Sterling had


    gotten his hands on one of my spare shoes that I¡¯d left by the bedside table. And before I could finish


    exining to Kieran what was happening, he then swiftly embedded the heel of the stiletto into my thigh.


    ¡°Rae!¡± Kieran yelled, watching as Sterling then pushed me to the side,


    | screarned out in pain as I pulled the shoe out, but it was toote to pin Sterling back down. He¡¯d


    already gotten back onto his feet, moving towards me as if he were going to serve a kick straight into my


    gut.


    However, Kieran then moved in quickly to intercept. ¡°Don¡¯? louch her,¡± he growled, pushing Sterling away.


    ¡°That bitch bas iting,¡± he spat. ¡°Do you have any idea what she did to me?


    What she is truly like? I bet that image of a beautiful, sweet girl will be shattered once I tell you what


    she¡¯s capable of.¡± ¡°He nned to kidnap me,¡± I said, cutting in before Sterling could say anything else.


    ¡°He followed me upstairs and told me he was going to mark me. Force me into bing a Luna for


    some new pack he was going to start. He tried to im me as a chosen mate.¡±


    1


    ¡°Lies!¡± Sterling yelled.


    ¡°How else would I know what marking is? What a chosen mate is?¡± I asked. ¡°You never told me about


    that, Kieran. Think about it.¡± But Kieran¡¯s eyes had already darkened in a threatening way, my


    exnation alone already being enough for him to turn on his uncle. ¡°¡­You tried to do what?¡± he


    demanded. And Sterling¡¯s face paled. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s lying. She¨C.¡±


    *Tell me the truth. Right now.¡± Kieran ordered.


    But there was something in the way he spoke. It wasn¡¯t like anything else I¡¯d experienced. He wasn¡¯t


    simply asking the question, more so there was an almost ¡­ tangible force behind his words, one that


    even I could feel. A weight thatpelled without room for argument. All directed at Sterling.


    ¡°I¡­,¡± he started, squirming under the pressure. ¡°I¡­ goddammit¡­.¡±


    He was fighting it. Whatever it was, it looked as though he was physically struggling against the order,


    refusing to answer Kieran. ¡°I¡­ J¡­ renounce my loyalty to the Ashwood pack, its Alpha, Victor Lycroft,


    and the heir, Kieran Lycroft,¡± he finally spat out. ¡°From this day forth, I no longer serve you.¡±


    And, just like that, it seemed he freed himself from whatever Kieran had done.


    ¡°This is the road you¡¯re choosing?¡± Kieran asked, ¡°After everything we have done for you?¡± ¡°You have


    done nothing but look down at me, pup.¡± Sterling spat. ¡°And had your whore not been a freak, I would


    have relished every second I spent looking down al *her¡± as she writhed under me in pleasure.¡±


    ¡­That did it.


    That was enough.


    And as Kieran moved towards Sterling, intending to begin a fight¡­ he hadn¡¯t quite been quick enough.


    Because in the second after Sterling had spoken, I immediately retrieved my dagger and moved towards


    him. Going so fast that he didn¡¯t even see me.


    No, he didn¡¯t see me¡­ nor did he see my dagger as it swiftly sliced through his throat.


    T


    Ast, lethal blow that there would be noing back from.


    ¡­ It was done.


    LI


    I breathed heavily as I pulled the knife back out slowly, shaking with rage as I did so. Because unlike


    Sterling¡¯s reasoning for why he had poisoned me, this had in fact been personal. Personal *for me*.


    And I had wanted him dead. Unable to hurt anyone ever again. Not me, not Kieran ¡­ not any other poor


    soul he mighte across one day.


    I wanted him gone. Gone for good.


    ¡­*nk*


    The dagger fell from my fingers, loudly hitting the ground, and the noise was then enough to break me


    from my trance.


    It crashed me back into reality¡­ and I started to cry.


    Sobs shaking through my chest as I realised Kieran had seen what I¡¯d done, how I¡¯d just killed his uncle.


    How¡­ no matter how hard I tried to be different, I would always have this side inside me. But instead of


    being upset or angry, instead, I then felt as Kieran walked up¡­ and wrapped his arms around me.


    He stroked my hair soothingly, allowing me to cry into his chest. I hadn¡¯t realised I¡¯d needed it so badly


    but I clutched onto him as if I were clinging on for life. Holding on like he would suddenly disappear the


    moment I let go.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± he said quietly. ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡± And I only cried louder.


    Next Chapter

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 32 The time that psed after Sterling¡¯s death was intense. Both internally and


    externally. Because the longer that went by, the more I began to wonder what the full implications of my


    actions would be. Already, my reputation in town had been dubious, being attacked once before for


    being a ¡®Rogue Luna¡¯. So just what would happen this time when word got out that I¡¯d killed the Alpha¡¯s


    brother? I could hear Kieran saying something in a hushed voice from outside the room, leaving me to


    stare at the motionless corpse that may very well be my undoing. It seemed almost poetic that Sterling


    would find another way to potentially ruin my life, now from beyond the grave. Though I couldn¡¯t me


    him for dying. That had been entirely my doing. In that moment, it had felt as if everything overwhelmed


    me all at once, vividly imagining what he would be capable of doing should he have been allowed to


    live. And though morally that wasn¡¯t my decision to make, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what my life would


    have been like had he not been so greedy. Had I been allowed to shift normally and connect with my


    wolf as everyone else seemed to have.


    S


    But no matter how I looked at it, murder for the right reasons was still murder. And it was something


    that I was all too familiar with


    ¡°Rae,¡± Kieran said, breaking me from my thoughts.


    I tore my eyes away from Sterling¡¯s lifeless stare to look up at him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.


    I nodded.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting things ready to move the body,¡± he said. ¡°We can move your luggage into my room if


    you¡¯d like.¡±


    Since Kieran and I had be intimate, I¡¯d spent my nights with him in his room anyway and only


    used this ce as a glorified wardrobe. Moving my things there wouldn¡¯t be that big of a change. But


    as I turned to start packing my belongings, it was then that I heard footsteps rushing towards the room.


    Moving quickly with a sense of urgency, and I had a feeling I knew who it belonged to. ¡°Sterling?!¡±


    Victor¡¯s voice boomed. He stood at the entrance, his pace stopping the second his eyes found his


    brother


    on the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± he demanded, ¡°Who did this to him?¡± A knot twisted in my stomach at


    the thought of telling him. Would he believe me? He was very clearly upset, as was to be expected. But


    I swallowed back my fear¡­ and stepped forward, knowing I needed to do this. ¡°Victor¡­ I¡¯m so sorry


    this happened,¡± I said gently, lowering my head. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the pain you must be feeling but¡­ the


    truth is¡­ Sterling¡± ¡°Sterling attacked her,¡± Kieran interrupted, walking back over to my side. ¡°He stalked


    her to this room and intended to force himself on her¡­ to mark her as his.¡±


    Victor¡¯s eyes widened in confusion, ¡°What¡­? Then who¡­¡± And before I could get the words out,


    Kieran then spoke, his words instantly making me look sharply up at him. ¡°I killed him,¡± he said. ¡°L¡­


    killed Sterling¡± ¡­He was taking the fall for me. Lying to his father no less. Didn¡¯t he realise what that


    meant? That he would be foreverbelled as someone capable of killing their own family? The real


    reason behind his death wouldn¡¯t really matter to some. I knew too well how people could specte


    and gossip¡­ how they could twist the truth for their own narrative. If people wanted to believe


    something, they would, no matter how urate it was. He was simply jeopardising his own reputation


    for mine.


    ¡°¡­You did this, Kieran?¡± Victor asked, the pain on his face contorting. ¡°He renounced his loyalty to


    Ashwood, intending to start a new pack,¡± he said calmly. ¡°And after he admitted his disgusting


    intentions towards Rae, after he stabbed her right in front of me¡­ ¡­ I lost control.¡± ¡°¡­Kieran,¡± I


    whispered, grabbing his hand to hint he should stop protecting me. But he wouldn¡¯t look at me. He just


    held firm in his decision, never looking away from his father. ¡°The blood on your leg.¡± Victor then said to


    me. ¡°That is yours?¡± In amongst everything happening, I¡¯d almost forgotten about the hole in my thigh.


    The entire situation we were in had made me feel numb. ¡°Yes¡­ Alpha. A heel of a shoe embedded by


    Sterling.¡± And lie nodded his lead in understanding. ¡°Then you should get it seem to by a


    doctor immediately.¡±


    Without wasting any time, he then gestured for an attendant toe over.¡± Please escort Raven to the


    hospital. Make sure she¡¯s looked atter.¡±


    ¡°I should stay with her,¡± Kieran said quickly. ¡°She was just attacked by someone twice her size. It must


    be incredibly traumatic for her.¡±


    Not that it wasn¡¯t trauinatic, but Kieran knew full well that Sterling wasn¡¯t a match for me. It was a little


    odd that he was changing the story to this degree,


    even to the point of hiding my own capability. Would Victor assume it was me if Kieran told him I was


    able to fight?


    IT


    ¡­And, as I thought on it some more, I realised then that no one in the pack even knew I was skilled in


    combat. Kieran had made a point of ensuring our Training sessions were always private. Was it just


    another archaic viewpoint to do with women? Or¡­ was there another reason?


    ¡°You need to stay here until I can confirm what¡¯s happened,¡± Victor said. ¡°Take responsibility for your


    actions, Kieran.¡±


    But Kieran didn¡¯t seem to like that response, him already moving to argue again.


    However, if he thought that I¡¯d let him endure the entire scrutiny without helping, he was sorely


    mistaken.


    ¡°A letter,¡± I said loudly before Kieran could speak. They both turned to look at me. ¡°It feels as though


    you want evidence and answers for what happened to


    your brother, Victor, and Ipletely understand that. So you should know that, when Sterling spoke of


    his ns to kidnap me, he mentioned already having packed a suitcase¡­ and leaving a letter. You¡¯ll


    find his luggage inside his car¡­ and I assume the letter will have been left somewhere you frequent.¡±


    And though his eyes were full of anger and pain, a moment of understanding seemed to wash over him


    as I provided him with what he needed¡­ a way to ept that his brother truly was the despicable man


    he was used of being


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said to Kieran, pressing his hand infort. ¡°Be with your father. He needs you more


    than I do.¡±


    That was thest thing we said before we shared a meaningful look and I left for the hospital. Leaving


    Kieran behind to clean up the mess of my own making¡­ toke the me for my actions.


    And, in doing so, potentially altering the future forever. Both inine¡­ and his


    Four daysd passed since Sterling¡¯s death.


    The evidence was located, the record set straight, and his funeral was held two days after his passing.


    An event that was heavily contended by some given the weight of his alleged crimes, not to mention


    the fact he¡¯d formally voiced his rejection of Ashwood. Nevertheless though, he was still the brother of


    the Alpha, son of the prior one, and, despite his actions, some were still saddened by his death.


    I¡¯d spoken to Kieran after the events, protesting his protection of me, but he¡¯d told me that if I hadn¡¯t


    killed him, he would have anyway. That he hadn¡¯t entirely lied to Victor about losing control and that I¡¯d


    simply beaten him to it. It made me feel slightly more reassured¡­ though I still couldn¡¯t shake the


    feeling of guilt. Whether that was now guilt over killing Sterling, or for continuing to hide things about


    myself from Kieran, I wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    This felt especially the case now that the location of the documents was revealed It was like a nagging


    in my head, wondering what I should do with the information. Even if it was purely curiosity over what


    they contained, I knew that 10 go looking for them was a slippery stepping stone towards my father. But


    then to simply disregard the information made me wonder just how long I could continue to ignore the


    prevalent issue still ahead, the one of cutting ties with my father entirely. It was a jumbled mess of so


    many thoughts in my head that all weighed on me.


    And¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Raven?¡± I heard someone ask.


    I looked up to see Allison.


    I was sitting outside the packhouse, enjoying the sun as I tried to think on my dilem?na. It seemed


    Allison had found me on her way to go somewhere, looking as though she was leaving for the day. ¡°Hi


    Allison,¡± I said, giving her a gentle smile.


    But she tilted her head a little at me, frowning ¡°You seem worried,¡± she said. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    Goddanin siblings. Their ability to read me was almost unnerving, ¡°Oh¡­ yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied. ¡°How are


    you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± she said.


    And I knew that was the truth. We hadn¡¯t spoken too much, but the signs were


    there.


    Lately, Allison had been particrly quiet. A strange demeanour to see on her for so long. Truthfully, I


    think she had loved her uncle but, after hearing the news of his transgressions, she hadn¡¯t acted overly


    surprised. Not shocked, just¡­ sad.


    ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s just life, I suppose,¡± she continued. ¡°It¡¯s conflicting to feel upset yet angry by someone I


    loved. Things aren¡¯t always so¡­ ck and white.¡± Truer words had never been spoken. ¡°What is


    upsetting you?¡± she then asked. ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t mind me asking. Is it to do with Sterling?¡±


    But I hesitated, shifting ufortably. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me,¡± she softly smiled, ¡°But you don¡¯t


    need to feel so alone either. If you want, you could apany me. I¡¯m on my way to the temple.¡±


    L


    ¡°The temple¡­ for the Moon Goddess?¡± I asked.


    S


    L


    She nodded. ¡°I find that sometimes talking to her about my problems helps to clear my mind.¡±


    ¡°Does she talk back?¡±


    Kieran had mentioned their deity was allegedly real, not just faith-based. The question sounded


    ridiculous as it left my mouth, but it was meant with sincerity. However, a small giggle lest Allison¡¯s lips.


    The first time in many days. I was so relieved to see her happy that it overshadowed my


    embarrassment.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, covering her mouth. ¡°But we all need to make our own decisions in life. It¡¯s not for


    Selene to tell us what to do.¡± And though I didn¡¯tpletely believe in their religion, I thought that


    maybe there wouldn¡¯t be any harm in going with her. At the very least, it would be a nice distraction


    from the turmoil in my mind. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll join you,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    And Allison¡¯s face sparked a little with life, excited by my intention to go with her.


    It took us around ten minutes to arrive at the temple and it was a sight that definitely took my breath


    away. The ce seemed ancient, a sort of ageless beauty about it as the white walls glistened in the


    sunlight. But above all else, there was arge collection of stones mounted at the entrance that stole


    my attention. It seemed to reflect a rainbow within its surface, ced in a delicale swil design.


    ¡°They¡¯re moonstones,¡± Allison exined, seeing my interest. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t


    it?¡±


    Of course, I agreed.


    Inside was just as stunning with paintings and stained-ss windows lining the walls. But it seemed


    almost empty in terms of seating options, much to my surprise.


    ¡°Do¡­ not many peoplee here?¡± I asked, a little awkwardly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s space here


    to seat a whole town.¡± ¡±Traditionally, we perform most rituals outside,¡± she said. ¡°When the moon is at


    its highest in the sky, looking down upon us, that is the point in which we are most connected to our


    Great Mother. We have a sacred spot in the woods where we go for those asions. But this is just a


    temple. Somewhere wee to be


    surrounded by her life force during the day.¡±


    T


    Well, that exined that. I suppose it made sense when she was literally referred to as a ¡®Moon¡¯


    Goddess.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go grab us some candles from the back,¡± Allison said, turning to leave. ¡°Feel free to look


    around. I¡¯ll be a few minutes.¡±


    And so I did just that¡­ spending the time she was gone to look at all the paintings on the walls. Most


    were of a woman who I assumed was Selene¡­ depictions of wolves and blessings. All staged within a


    light from the moon.


    But it was as I was nearing a dustier corner that something then caught my eye. Because where the


    other paintings had all been positive, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the images here were a lot more¡­


    darker.


    They seemed to be telling a story of a battle, one with many casualties and pain. I was taken aback by


    just how different these were and how horrific they seemed. And yet one stood out amongst them all,


    centred within the middle with a light within its darkness.


    LI


    It was of a woman with flowing silver hair, so bright in colour that it seemed possessed by moonlight


    itself. She stood with her arms outstretched as she stared up to the sky, an expression of contrition


    across her face. And yet¡­ and yet, inplete contrast to that, she was depicted with blood covering


    her clothes, standing atop a pile of bodles. I frowned as I continued to analyse it, feeling ufortable


    by its graphic tone. ¡°Oh¡­ horrible, right?¡± Allison¡¯s voice spoke behind me, making me jump. 1 sharply


    turned to look at her, finding hier staring at the painting with distaste.


    LI


    ¡°¡­Who is she?¡± I asked. ¡°This one seems very¡­ different to the others.¡±


    But Allison just approached slowly, her eyes fixated on the picture as if it had a hold over her.


    IL


    ¡°This is of the Silver Saintess, Ariadne,¡± she said quietly. ¡°¡­ The false prophet who walked amongst us


    one hundred years ago. She was a creature who dered themselves an embodiment of the Goddess,


    and yet saw to change the world to her will. A world in the image of her insanity.¡± Her eyes then finally


    snapped back to my own, showing me the hatred burning within them. ¡°She was an evil that has never


    been forgotten¡­ A Devil of the Mist.¡±

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 33


    ¡°Two packs aligned under her rule,¡± Allison continued. ¡°An umtion of two Alphas, the Saintess


    and a Luna. Each one more monstrous than thest. A collection that broke our sacred traditions, and


    dealt with those who would not join them via irrefutable orders ¡­ and death.¡±


    She then pointed to another painting of four people; the Saintess with her silver hair and violet eyes,


    and a fearsome- looking male next to her with ck hair and green eyes. Then a male with dark brown


    hair and molten gold eyes¡­ and a girl who seemed depicted as an angel with shadow-like wings. Her


    brte hair willowed in the wind as her eyes shone like sapphires.


    ¡°Their spawn continued their legacy, but it wasn¡¯t until the Saintess¡¯ death that a revolution was finally


    able to begin. A revolt against their rule and one to reinstate the ways of old. A war thatsted nearly


    fifty years. The Great Silver War.¡±


    (( ¡­Was this the same war that the suppressors were designed for?¡± I asked.


    She looked at me in surprise. ¡°You know about the suppressors?¡±


    And I fumbled, unsure how to answer. Kieran hadn¡¯t told me if it was meant to be kept secret or not.


    ¡°I uh¡­ I¡¯ve been doing some reading at the packhouse. I think I remember something about them.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, yes. It was thanks to our invention of them that our pack rose up to be the strongest


    rivalling force against The Mist. It was actually my father who devised the n to finish them. Once and


    for all.¡± T


    ¡°The Mist¡¯¡­.? That sounded familiar.


    Hadn¡¯t someone said something like that to me recently? What was it again? The¡­ ¡® Winter Mist¡¯?


    But¡­ where?


    However, I was more focused on what


    Allison was saying. Because, as someone who had firsthand experience with the drugs, I felt a little


    sick hearing how she idolised its usage. Not to mention it was yet another reminder of Sterling, him


    being the first to tell me of Victor¡¯s sess in war.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had peace for over a decade now,¡± she said. ¡°A blessing from our Great


    Mother to tell us we¡¯ve done her work. We eradicated the false believers and restored true order. Just


    as it always should have been. But¡­ we unfortunately lost my mother in the process.¡±


    ¡°Kieran never told me what happened to her,¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to talk about it if it¡¯s too difficult. I


    know it was hard on you.¡±


    But she bit her lip as if trying to keep a strong face. ¡°Some things in life really show the malicious


    nature within. The


    Devils of the Mist were a testament to that very fact. That is why we have their pictures here; a


    reminder of the evil out there so we never forget.


    And I left it at that, not wanting to pry further to upset her.


    The topic was already incredibly ufortable even before her mother was brought up. I¡¯d definitely


    had my fill of learning history for one day and it was enough to give me a headache, the gory nature of


    it all being deeply disturbing.


    However, it seemed Allison wasn¡¯t quite ready to move on.


    ¡°Traditions are important, Raven,¡± she then said, grabbing my hands. ¡°There are reasons why we have


    a strong male hierarchy within the pack, why all rogues are to be treated as scum. Order is only


    maintained through keeping our values alive. This is what we are taught and what we will teach to our


    children one day.¡±


    ¡°Allison, you¡¯re hurting my hand¡­,¡± I said softly.


    Her grip was getting stronger, almost too strong to pull away. The topic had clearly upset her without


    me intending it to and her eyes locked onto mine intensely.


    ¡°When people im they are embodiments of the Goddess and seek power through mocking our


    ways¡­ that is when doom will befall us. And it almost did. Back then, the Devils were almost invincible,


    capable of impossible feats of strength, of swaying the minds of others, of defying death¡­.¡±. 2)


    ¡°Allison¡­,¡± I said again.


    But she held on.


    ¡°Even blessed silver was not enough to purge them from this world,¡± she continued. ¡°Because that is


    how the


    Saintess got her name. Not for her hair, though the colour was apt¡­ but for her ability to survive


    multiple wounds by weapons crafted in our most lethal substance. No person should survive such a


    thing. Her insanity alone saw the death of her own Alpha by her hand, all in order to take that title for


    herself. She made the entire world fall to their knees before her in submission.¡±


    ¡°Allison¡­ please.¡±


    ¡°My mother had to die in order for the Devils to be finally extinguished. We live in a world of peace now


    thanks to her sacrifice.¡±


    But it seemed there was no getting through to her and, though I didn¡¯t want to, I ended up doing


    something I told myself I never would.


    ¡­I yelled at her.


    I yelled at the girl who was Kieran¡¯s little sister.


    ¡°Allison, enough!¡± I shouted. ¡°Let go of me. Right now.¡±


    And, finally, it looked as though some sense came over her.


    She blinked a few times and looked down at our hands, my fingers having turned pale from being


    constricted in her grip. If I¡¯d forced my hands away, it would have caused her harm, and that, I knew,


    would be far worse than simply yelling.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I sometimes go on a bit of a rant.¡± 1


    ¡®A bit¡¯ seemed like an understatement for what that was, but I was relieved when she finally released


    me nevertheless. It was as if she had no understanding of just how terrifying she had be merely


    seconds before.


    As if everything was¡­ normal.


    ¡°I appreciate youing with me today, Raven,¡± she then smiled brightly. ¡°I really enjoy yourpany.


    Makes it easy to not dwell on the negative things.¡±


    And though that nagging in my head was now screaming at me, the feeling of difort strengthening


    tenfold, I did my best to still push it aside.


    Her mother¡¯s death had broken her.


    Kieran had already told me this. Clearly, the girl needed a therapist but that was not something for me


    to tackle. For now, all I could do was be respectful and understanding. I knew only too well what it was


    like to carry trauma and she had just lost another family member she loved.


    And so I didn¡¯t bring it up, ying the situation off as if everything was fine. But after I did eventually


    leave the temple that day, my head was filled with only more questions.


    More than what I had arrived with.


    ¡°I have a surprise for you,¡± Kieran said the next day.


    He¡¯d arrived hometer than normal and cancelled our training. I hadn¡¯t thought anything of it as he


    had been busy all week thanks to Sterling.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I said.


    He walked up and kissed my hand tenderly, sending those sparks through


    ¡°Wear something nice,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯lle grab you in an hour.¡±


    And a smile spread across my lips, not having expected anything special to happen today. Truthfully,


    the whole week had been horrific and a distraction with


    Kieran was the best thing I¡¯d heard in so long.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.


    But he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise, Rae. I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    He let go of my hand and, with one final wink, left me to get ready.


    And I made sure not to disappoint.


    I fished out a new dress for the asion, paying extra special attention to my looks. Which, by the time


    Kieran had returned, I knew had paid off. Because his stare trailing down my body alone was enough


    to send a shiver through me.


    ¡°You¡¯re the most beautiful girl I¡¯ve ever met,¡± he said, slowly walking over.


    I stared up at him lovingly as he encircled me in his arms, proceeding to ce a kiss on my lips. It


    made me want to suggest skipping whatever he had nned and spending our night inside instead.


    Just the two of us as we did¡­ other activities.


    But, s, he seemed determined to go.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to bete,¡± he said, pulling away. Much to my dismay.


    ¡°Late for where?¡±


    However, he just smiled at me secretively. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    And see, I did.


    Because as we pulled up in the car a few minutester, outside a familiar looking building, I was


    reminded of the words Kieran had said to me on my first day here.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Rose & Thorn¡­,¡± I said quietly, feeling that same pull towards the ce. ¡°Your favourite restaurant.¡±


    ¡°You remember,¡± he said, a little surprised. ¡°I did say I was going to take you here.¡±


    Yes¡­ he did say that. But in amongst everything happening, it hadpletely slipped my mind. It had


    felt like there was always something going on, too busy to Book Wo actually go.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, opening the passenger door for me.


    And he helped me out of the car, holding my hand as we walked inside one of the most eloquent


    looking establishments I¡¯d ever seen.


    It was obvious that they had gone to great lengths to amodate us. Even to the point of ensuring


    our privacy by seating us in an exclusive area. Everything was perfect down to the most minute detail.


    Just as amazing as Kieran had said.


    We enjoyed our food,ughing and smiling properly for the first time in what felt like forever, forgetting


    about everything else we¡¯d left behind at the packhouse. It was so easy to be captivated by everything


    he did, every different way he made me feel. He was a lifeline in my life I¡¯d so badly needed, one that I


    adored. Never before had I felt like this about another person.


    He was mine¡­ my mate.


    ¡°Dance with me,¡± he said abruptly after dinner.


    Our conversation had died down and I hadn¡¯t expected the request. It was something I had never done


    before for leisure¡­ only for work. Dancing had been drilled into me as a skill, a necessity to enchant


    men. Doing so here felt¡­ strange.


    ¡°Please, Rae¡­,¡± he said, watching me hesitate with those puppy dog eyes.


    Which, of course, I was helpless to deny.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little rusty,¡± I said honestly, remembering it had been a while.


    But this didn¡¯t deter him in the slightest as he pulled me against him, our bodies starting to sway slowly


    with the music ying nearby.


    His warmth was enveloping me as we moved, enjoying thepany of the other. It felt¡­ natural.


    Perfect. A moment in time I wished I could relive forever.


    No worries¡­ no stress¡­ just Kieran holding me to him as we danced in a restaurant. Two people


    doing something so mundane, so normal. A dream I never would have thought was possible for me.


    ¡°Rae¡­,¡± he said quietly near my ear.


    His body rumbled under my touch as he spoke, my head leaning against his chest.


    ¡°¡­Mmm?¡±


    ¡°Thank you foring to Ashwood with me,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would have done had you


    decided to stay behind.¡±


    I lightly chuckled at that. ¡°You would have been better off probably,¡± I said honestly. ¡°I only seem to


    cause trouble wherever I go.


    But he pulled away at that, cupping a hand under my cheek so I would look up at him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t cause trouble,¡± he said, his face serious. ¡°And I promise you¡­ I¡¯m not going to let anything


    happen to you. Ever.¡±


    But the way that he said that, he made it feel as if there was more meaning in his words.


    ¡­Did he know about the problems waiting for me? About how I was originally only meant to be here


    temporarily?


    ¡­ About how my father would probably try to kill him if he ever discovered just how attached I was?


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­,¡± I started, unsure if I should ask or not.


    Only, he kept talking before I could do so.


    ¡­And spoke words I never expected to hear in my life¡­ the first time I had ever heard such a thing.


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be a shock but¡­ I¡¯m so helplessly in love with you, Rae,¡± he said. ¡°I have been since


    the moment I met you.¡±

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    Book Two-Ch#. 34


    !!!AUTHOR NOTE: Apologies again for the recent issues with Chapter #33, the one where Ch# 32 and


    #33 were published within it. This should now be fixed so, if you still haven¡¯t done so already, please


    double-check you¡¯ve read Chapter #33 before reading this #34 here.


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    Novel ount or, if that doesn¡¯t work, ¡°Clear Cache¡±) for your local phone copy to be updated. Both of


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    IS THERE, but you just needed to scroll down in order to read it. People unlocking it new from now on


    should only see the one chapter; #33.


    Really sorry again that it happened. I was rushing to publish it that day and then I didn¡¯t have the power


    to edit it once published. Unfortunately, G don¡¯t work on weekends either. Thanks to everyone who


    commented to bring it to my attention. I¡¯ll do my best to ensure this doesn¡¯t happen again. 1


    ¡°¡­What? ¡­What did you just say?¡±


    I instantly looked up at him, unsure if I¡¯d even heard him right.


    Because he didn¡¯t just say what I thought he did¡­ right?


    ¡°I¡¯m in love with you, Rae,¡± he repeated.


    ¡­No, he¡¯d definitely just said it.


    My heart thumped loudly in my chest.


    ¡°I want to spend every morning waking up next to you¡­ every night kissing you until we fall asleep,¡± he


    continued. ¡°I love your eyes, your smile, yourugh¡­ I love the way you make me feel as if I matter.


    Not just because of my position or the mate bond, but because of me. Of who I am.¡±


    I felt frozen in ce, unsure how to react.


    Because I had strong feelings for him as well, of course I did. But¡­ there was another thought in my


    head. More important than anything else.


    Because did Kieran even love me? Truly? Or did he just love the girl I¡¯d been pretending to be this


    whole time?


    I was unsure if he still would have said this to me if he knew the truth. The whole truth.


    ¡­Including my dark past.


    ¡°¡­Kieran¡­ I¡¯m not, ah¡­,¡± I started.


    How do I tell him I¡¯m not as perfect as he probably thinks? ¡­That, up until recently, my day job was


    espionage and murder?


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not¡­ as great as I might seem,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve loved every moment spent with you, every


    single minute you¡¯ve given me. In fact, I struggle to think about what my life would be like without you


    now. But¡­ the truth is¡­.¡±


    I shakily inhaled, forcing myself to do so since it felt as though I couldn¡¯t breathe. This was something


    I¡¯d been putting off for so long now that I couldn¡¯t believe it was finally happening.


    Everything was about toe crashing down¡­ but I didn¡¯t want to lie anymore.


    And so I closed my eyes for a second, epting it had gone on long enough.


    ¡°The truth is¡­ I¡¯m not who I seem,¡± I finished, meeting his gaze again. It was hard to keep a strong


    face. ¡°I¡¯m not a good person. And¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Sorry for keeping it from you¡­ for leading you on¡­ I¡¯m


    sorry for letting myself be so wrapped up in wanting to be with you that I selfishly ignored it.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯ve done truly horrific things,


    Kieran,¡± I said honestly, my eyes beginning to water with tears. ¡°I was raised to handle the dirty side of


    my father¡¯s business, no matter what that entailed. Sterling¡¯s death was just a reminder of how that side


    will always be a part of me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Sterling tried to assault you. That doesn¡¯t make you a bad person


    ¡°-But Killing more people than I can count probably does though.¡±


    The words left my mouth too quickly to stop them¡­ and they hung in the open between us.


    ¡°¡­ You deserve better, Kieran. So much better,¡± I said quietly. ¡°¡­Better than a rogue.


    He held my gaze for a moment and it was the first time I¡¯d ever seen such confliction in them. A look I


    never wanted to see. Not from him. Never from him.


    ¡°Rae¡­,¡± he started.


    But then he sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead.


    ¡­Rae, your past doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡±


    he finished. ¡°It never has. When I brought you here, I made a vow to keep you safe and protect you


    from those who wanted to hurt you. That included your father, someone who I had already assumed


    had you doing some shady stuff.¡±


    ¡°But that past is still a core part of who I am. You can¡¯t just¡­ ignore it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Honestly? If the biggest issue we ever have to face publicly is just crimes your father forced you to do,


    then I think we¡¯ll be fine. No one in a right mind would me you for that. In fact, if I had it my way, I


    would have already confronted that monster for what he did to you. The fact he¡¯s still allowed to


    breathe¡­ it boils my blood. Just remembering the bruises. and silver suppressors are enough to piss


    me off every time I think about it.¡±


    ¡°But I still did all those things,¡± I argued. ¡°I¡­ wanted to.¡±


    ¡°No, Rae, you didn¡¯t. You just wanted to please a man who only sees you as a weapon.¡±


    However, I only bit my tongue, trying to sort through the mess inside my head. I didn¡¯t even know what I


    wanted. At what point can I say it was no longer ignorance but simply innate nature to do what I did?


    That I¡¯d been dangerous even before my father had adopted me?


    ¡­I was never a good person and I had never even tried to be. Not before Kieran, at least.


    Meeting him gave me a reason to do better but¡­ if we¡¯d never met? I would have probably kept on


    serving my father unquestionably until the day one of us finally died.


    Was that really the kind of woman Kieran wanted to be with?


    ¡°Hey¡­,¡± he said gently, breaking me from my thoughts. ¡°All that matters to me is who you are now.


    Who you want to So¡­.


    And he lightly touched my cheek, the warm sparks no longer feeling like afort right now.


    ¡°So¡­ tell me what you want, Rae¡­ who you want to be. And I promise I¡¯ll ept whatever your


    decision is.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat, constricted with guilt.


    ¡°I¡­,¡± my voice trailed off.


    He was an assignment. A person of interest to befriend for information.


    Information rting to documents I had just located. From that perspective¡­ I was done. I should have


    already left and returned back home to my father.


    Mission sess.


    But¡­ I¡¯d had a glimpse of how good life could be with him now. How we were fated together and how


    this was some fantasy dream of saving me from my old, terrible life. A prince raising a girl from the


    ashes to lead as his queen. A Luna. A¡¯ happily ever after¡¯ fairy tale.


    ¡­But I was no queen.


    I was¡­ a Raven. A harbinger of death¡­ just as I had been named for.


    There was no room here for a Rogue Luna.


    And so I knew that, if I really did care for him as much as I thought I did, then perhaps the kindest thing


    I could do would be to leave. Because maybe the next time I brought trouble here, it would be far, far


    worse than simply an uncle who had iting. That sometimes people are born as something they


    can¡¯t undo. 2


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± I finally said.


    My heart was racing as I spoke, wanting nothing more than to tell him what he wanted to hear. But¡­ I¡¯d


    told myself I was done lying to him. And the truth was that I really didn¡¯t know what to do¡­ or who I


    was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I repeated, firmer this time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kieran.¡±


    And I wish I could have burned from my memory the way he then looked at me. A look of hurt and pain,


    and one that instantly made me want to remedy things.


    ¡°Ok¡­ well, let me know when you figure it out,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you. I always will be. There


    is nothing you could do or say that would ever make me feel differently about you, Rae. Nothing.¡±


    But as I did my best to blink back tears, I knew it was words like that which only made this more


    difficult. He was deserving of a mate who could be what he needed. Not¡­ whatever mistake I had


    been.1


    Surely a paperwork error by their Goddess.


    In the end though, those words of his were thest spoken about it for that night. The atmosphere was


    tense, my head was pulsing with a headache, and everything felt¡­ wrong. And as the night came to a


    close, I felt myself breaking a little bit more as we slept separately. The first time in almost three weeks.


    How quickly I¡¯d be used to his warmth, to his touch. It was clear just how dependent on him I


    really was now. A dangerous thing for someone as conflicted as myself, where I wasn¡¯t sure what the


    correct thing to do was.


    ¡­Was I truly deserving of someone like Kieran? Was it possible to change? 1


    Or would I find myself slipping back into old habits one day, unable to distinguish between right and


    wrong in a moment ofpse?


    Though, hisplete eptance of my past did prove one thing to me however;


    That he was a genuinely good person, through and through.


    Something I would never be.


    The next day, I awoke feeling alone.


    With the bed empty, I was left to dwell in my own thoughts, the sheets feeling colder than I


    remembered them to be. 1:


    How was I meant to guarantee that I would never be that person again?


    Did a way even exist to erase that part of me? To start fresh with no looming threats from my past?


    I wanted to be ¡®Rae¡¯ for Kieran¡¯s sake, but what if that was also just a lie?


    And so I sighed, my head hurting once more.


    Regardless of the confusion, I would need to make a decision sooner rather thanter. Dragging this


    out was only going to hurt both of us. Clearly, he was just as determined to fix my past as he was to fix


    my wolf-shifting problems. But I wasn¡¯t too sure if this could be fixed so easily.


    ¡°Still having troubles?¡± Allison said, catching me off guard.


    I¡¯d wandered to the kitchen to grab breakfast, feeling in a daze as I did so. I hadn¡¯t even sensed her


    nearby.


    ¡°Oh¡­ hi, Allison,¡± I said quietly, giving her a small smile.


    But her head tilted in innocent confusion, her sweet nature showing through. 1


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°Did something else happen?¡±


    ¡°No, no, nothing to worry about¡­ just. tired, I guess.¡±


    However, this apparently wasn¡¯t good enough of an answer as she pressed for more details.


    ¡°¡­Is it to do with Kieran?¡±


    And I looked at her more attentively. ¡± How¡­?¡±


    ¡°He looked strange when I saw him this morning,¡± she exined. ¡°Maybe more tired than you.¡±


    Oh.


    It pained me a little to hear that. Thest thing I wanted was to hurt him. All of this stress was because I


    was trying to avoid that very thing from happening one day, though far worse in the future, I was sure.


    ¡°I know what might cheer him up,¡± she said. ¡°A little surprise to make him feel better.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s going to fix this, Allison. It¡¯s a bit¡­plicated.¡±


    But she just smiled brightly. ¡°No, no, I promise, it¡¯ll be good. Plus, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it too. There¡¯s no


    way you¡¯ve never been curious about it.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Though, instead of answering, she merely held out her hand for me to take.


    Something that made me eye it warily after thest time.


    ¡°Come on, Raven,¡± she said. ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡­ And I felt myself concede, grabbing her hand as she then led us through the packhouse.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To the archives,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a special restricted area of the library.¡±


    I was pretty sure I¡¯d seen it before. There was a locked door at the back with a keypad and a guard. I¡¯d


    assumed it had confidential documents inside, something I¡¯d made a note of before Sterling had told


    me the information I needed.


    But why would Allison be taking me there?


    ¡°Hello, Finn,¡± she said to the guard there today. ¡°We would like to go into the archives, please.¡±


    The man looked down at her, puzzled by her request.


    ¡°Allison? Why do you need to go in there?¡± he asked. ¡°You know the rules¡­ ranked members and


    Elders only.¡±


    Though she simply pouted, undeterred.


    ¡°But Raven is ranked, she¡¯s going to be our Luna one day,¡± she argued. ¡°Why else would have Kieran


    told her to go grab him some things from inside?¡± 2


    And as Finn¡¯s eyes travelled over to me, I immediately shifted ufortably. This was definitely not


    something I wanted to deal with today.


    ¡°Why exactly do you need ess?¡± he asked.


    Why, indeed, was a good question. An answer to which I didn¡¯t have since I was only a blind participant


    in all of this.


    However, Allison really wanted to go in, adamant that this was all for a surprise for Kieran. And¡­ I


    don¡¯t know. Perhaps it was because I didn¡¯t have the heart to disappoint yet another Lycroft sibling


    today, but¡­ I decided to go along with it.


    ¡°Kieran is busy this morning and asked me to retrieve some documents for him,¡± I lied. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry


    for all the short notice but¡­ would it be okay for us to quickly go in just this once¡­ please?¡±


    He still didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡±


    And I smiled at him as best as I could muster. ¡°It would really mean a lot to me after all, I¡¯d hate to drag


    Kieran away from his work just toe all the way down here¡­.¡±


    That seemed to do it.


    With a flustered reply, the guard named Finn got to work opening the archives and allowed Allison and I


    in. For which, I still wasn¡¯t sure why we were even here.


    Inside, the ce was filled floor to ceiling with shelves of papers, books, documents, and a few


    valuable looking items. Seeing it now, it definitely looked like the kind of ce that warranted a guard.


    ¡°Give me a minute to find it,¡± Allison said, grabbing a book from the shelf.


    And I left her to do her thing, walking around the room to explore instead. Most of the books were dusty


    from never being used. It seemed like no one really came in here, which made sense with its strict


    rules for ess.


    I scanned my eyes along the shelf in front of me, but I did find one thing slightly odd. One of the books


    had been moved recently. Unlike the others, the dust was disturbed around it.


    A book with a familiar looking title that enticed me to pick it up.


    ¡°Dammit, I can¡¯t find it,¡± Allison said behind me in defeat.


    ¡°What were you looking for?¡± I asked, turning back around to look at her.


    ¡°Well¡­ I thought we could surprise


    Kieran by finding out which pack your family belonged to,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he ever told you


    this but¡­ most of the time, ranked members mate with other ranked members. Meaning your family


    might have been very influential at some point. I thought I could find which pack they belonged to but¡­


    I can¡¯t seem to find any record of ¡®Raven Reid¡¯ or ¡®Reid


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    And suddenly I had an overwhelming feeling to leave.


    That this was a bad idea and I shouldn¡¯t havee here.


    But¡­.


    But this was Allison. I needed to get over those feelings about her already.


    Especially when things were already so rocky with Kieran. Thest thing I needed was to upset him


    further.


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ that probably won¡¯t work,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I was adopted by humans, remember? ¡®Raven


    Reid¡¯ is just my adopted name.¡±


    Or, at least, my working name. Bestowed upon me by my beloved father. Though it had been mostly a


    nickname at first, I became so used to being called his Raven that it wasn¡¯t long before I¡¯d cast my old


    name aside entirely. It sounded simr enough, I guess, and these days I wouldn¡¯t even turn around if


    someone shouted my birth name on the street.


    Though her face instantly perked back up at this. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t realise. Do you remember your old name


    then?¡±


    ¡­And I wanted to vomit. A choking that slithered around my throat, telling me to stop.


    A feeling I ignored.


    ¡°My name¡­?¡± I asked, my heart pounding.


    Leave. I needed to leave.


    Now.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    And, instead, I introduced myself as someone I hadn¡¯t been in over sixteen years.


    ¡°My name is Rheyna¡­,¡± I said. ¡°Rheyna Knight.¡±

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 35


    ¡°My name is Rheyna¡­,¡± I said. ¡°Rheyna Knight.¡±


    How strange to say it after all this time. It wasn¡¯t something I felt all that connected to nor had any


    particr fond memories of. It was simply the only thing I could recall when the orphanage had asked


    me who I was. Just my name and nothing else. Not even my parents.


    ¡°Allison?¡± I asked when she still hadn¡¯t spoken.


    Something about the whole situation seemed off. The rms in my head were still screaming at me to


    run¡­ and yet I did my best to keep ignoring it.


    Only¡­ Allison now hadn¡¯t moved. Almost as if she were frozen in ce.


    ¡°Allison? Did you hear me?¡± I asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­ aren¡¯t you going to check your book?¡±


    But with her eyes cast down, her lips started to whisper something very quickly that I couldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°¡­Allison? What are you¡­.¡±


    And it was as I took a step towards her that her eyes then suddenly snapped upwards, staring at me


    with an expression that took me aback. A hatred within them unlike anything I had ever seen.


    ¡°¡­A Devil of the Mist,¡± she finished quietly.


    ¡°What? What do you mea-.¡±


    But before I could ask, she then stood up and began talking as if reciting from an old book.


    ¡°Beware the Silver Saintess, her hair as silken thread. With her consort mate of power, the people wept


    and bled.¡±


    ¡°Alli-.¡±


    ¡°And beware the Siren¡¯s call, his eyes as gold as ore. With whispers of maniption, they¡¯ll hold you in


    their thrall. And if you breathe despite this, a devil still awaits.


    Because forever lives another, the deathless angel mate.¡±


    ¡°Allison!¡± I yelled, beginning to panic. Stop!¡±


    And I took a step back in confusion, unsure what was happening.


    ¡°You were meant to be dead,¡± she hissed. All of you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Just stop and-.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± she screeched. ¡°Your words won¡¯t work on me. I should have seen it earlier, the signs were all


    there. But I see you now. I see what you¡¯re doing. Your power won¡¯t work so long as I stay true to the


    Goddess¡¯ path.¡±


    And before I could do anything else, she then walked over to a ss cab, only turning back around


    to face me once she had retrieved a dagger.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been influencing all of us to ept you. You with your silver tongue and golden eyes,¡± she


    spat. ¡°Is this some sort of infiltration mission? Here to finish us off in revenge? Because I already lost


    my mother because of you. I will not go down easily.¡±


    She moved into what looked to be an amateur defensive position, shakily holding the dagger up


    towards me. Me¡­ who was still frozen in shock over what the hell was happening.


    Because my mind was trying to piece together what she was saying¡­ why she suddenly wanted to


    attack me¡­ and the reason slowly dawned on me.


    My family, the pack I must have once belonged to¡­.


    I was¡­ a Devil of the Mist.


    The same pack who had gone to war with Ashwood, who had apparently caused countless deaths and


    tarnished their traditions. Who were all allegedly insane.


    ¡­The ones who had caused the death of Kieran¡¯s mother.


    But there were bits I didn¡¯t understand.


    Allison was talking about some sort of maniption¡­ only I wasn¡¯t sure what that meant. I couldn¡¯t


    remember ever doing such a thing.


    Maybe she was mistaken or¡­ or I was like some distant, twice removed cousin. Maybe I didn¡¯t even


    share the same blood and was just a child of someone married into the family name.


    ¡­Though I¡¯m not sure if that mattered right now.


    Because it was clear that Allison had made up her mind¡­ and she took a few steps towards me.


    ¡°Allison¡­ don¡¯t do this,¡± I warned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to identally hurt you.¡±


    But she merely screamed at me angrily.


    ¡°Enough! That aura around you¡­ That presence of reverence. Adoration. I¡¯d thought this whole time


    that you were just easy to get along with, somehow feeling as if we were always meant to be best


    friends. Sisters. But it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s all a lie. Everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not intentionally doing anything, Allison, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Were you even my brother¡¯s mate or was that just another trick? Does he know? Did you bewitch him


    as well, Child of the Siren?¡±


    She was getting closer and closer now, too close forfort. Soon, I would run out of room within the


    small space of the archives. A situation that would demand a decision being made.


    ¡­Fight or flight.


    Neither of which felt right.


    ¡°Stop, Allison, please.¡±


    But as my back then hit a shelf, I knew it was toote.


    She approached me slowly, her intention clear, and moved to strike. A sloppy attempt if I ever saw one,


    but I did my best to dodge it, using the book still in my hand as a shield.


    ¡°Die Devil!¡± she screamed at me, forcing me to push her away.


    A little too strong as she almost fell.


    What the hell was I meant to do here? Attack her? She was blocking the exit now so running would


    mean more conflict.


    However, as the archives door then swung open, I was relieved to see the guard, Finn,e to


    hopefully intervene.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± he asked, shocked by the sight he was seeing. ¡°Allison? What are you¡­¡± })


    ¡°Help me, plea-.¡±


    But during my focus on the guard, I hadn¡¯t paid attention to Allison¡¯s advance. And before I could plead


    for assistance, her dagger then came swiping towards me. Something I didn¡¯t have time to properly


    deflect¡­ and I caught the de in my hand.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cried in pain, persevering through it to pull it out of her hand.


    The cut was deep as my blood began to flow, but it had been worth it. At least I¡¯d disarmed her for now.


    ¡°She¡¯s a Devil of the Mist!¡± Allison yelled to the guard. ¡°Her real name is Rheyna Knight. This entire


    time she¡¯s been deceiving us with her siren¡¯s call.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been doing anything!¡± I argued. I didn¡¯t even know what The Mist was prior to a few days


    ago. Please, you have to help me. Allison has gone insane. She¡¯s-.¡±


    But it seemed my pleas fell on deaf ears as Finn¡¯s face immediately changed. A darkness falling over


    him as he listened to Allison¡¯s words.


    ¡°A Devil¡­,¡± he said, taking a step closer, and I cursed under my breath.


    ¡­I was screwed. Based on this reaction, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t just Allison who would prove to be a


    problem once the information got out.


    And I knew that this was it. I was done.


    Ashwood was no longer safe for me.


    And now¡­


    Now I needed to leave. Leave quickly and hopefully with my head still attached.


    A gasp left Allison¡¯s lips then, drawing my attention back over to her, and I found her staring at my


    hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ the stories are true,¡± she said. ¡± Look! Look how her hand has already stopped bleeding!


    Her cut was dealt by a dagger of blessed silver. Such an injury should take hours before our ability to


    heal works. And yet for her, merely minutes were needed. Only Devil¡¯s have been known to withstand


    the effects of silver.¡±


    ¡°Allison! You¡¯re crazy! Your fucking uncle was poisoning me with blessed silver suppressors for years.


    I¡¯ve been on medication to counter it ever since I arrived at Ashwood. It¡¯s probably just helping the


    process along by still being in my system.¡¯


    ¡°Lies!¡± she screamed, and she tried to grab at me again.


    Only¡­ only this time I¡¯d had enough.


    I knew now that there was only one way out of this, and it entailed getting the hell out of here by any


    means. And so, with one injured hand, the other holding a book and dagger, I did what I had to¡­.


    I dodged her attack¡­ and countered with a kick to her gut, sending her flying backwards.


    ¡°Allison!¡± Finn yelled.


    And his face then turned to me, a warning growl rumbling through him as he walked forward.


    ¡°Please¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone,¡± I said. ¡°Just let me go and I¡¯ll leave. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Devil¡­ You will not be leaving here alive,¡± he said, and he charged towards me.


    Goddammit.


    He wasn¡¯t like Allison, a girl who had clearly never experienced any sort ofbat herself. Finn was a


    warrior, someone I assumed had probably trained with Kieran at some point.


    I did my best to avoid his attacks, manoeuvring around them, but I knew at some point I would either


    need to counter or make a run for it.


    And as I quickly brought my hand up to prevent a jab from hitting my shoulder, it momentarily left me in


    a defenceless position. Because the wound instantly opened back up, causing me to cry out in pain.


    This was my first time experiencing a silver weapon¡¯s cut and I hadn¡¯t anticipated its full painful effects.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    However, in the second of mypse, Finn immediately took advantage to grab me and throw me to the


    ground, using his weight to then keep me that way.


    ¡°Let me go¡­,¡± I struggled.


    But, of course, that wouldn¡¯t work.


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay here until the Alpha arrives,¡± he said, pulling something out of his pocket.


    And I caught a glimpse of the shiny silver cuffs as they came out, dangling with a threat before my


    eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t let him put those on me. Whatever else happened, I could not allow him to use those. All


    hope of escape would be lost.


    My breathing quickened in panic, my body continuing to squirm. But there was nothing I could do


    against him. He had me perfectly positioned under him to render mepletely helpless.


    ¡°Let me go¡­ please, let me go¡­,¡± I continued to beg.


    But he was trying to turn me over onto my stomach now, the intention of cing the cuffs on me.


    ¡­And something inside me then clicked.


    A calm washed over me¡­ my body stilled¡­.


    ¡­and I looked up at the eyes of the guard as instinct took over.


    ¡°*Let me go, Finn*,¡± I said in a foreign feeling voice. ¡°* Let go of me right now*.¡±


    And as his eyes seemed to rx, he proceeded to move off me.


    Just as I¡¯d asked.


    I didn¡¯t waste time questioning why it happened. Instead, I quickly got back onto my feet, grabbing the


    dagger and book from the floor.


    I knew I needed to leave. Now.


    And with one final look behind me, I dashed out the door. Just as I saw Allison getting slowly back onto


    her feet.


    This was a race against time now. I needed to get to the bedroom, grab Kieran¡¯s car keys, and make it


    back to the car before she could start a witch hunt.


    ¡­ My chances were looking grim. No, in fact, they were looking downright impossible. But I had to try.


    That¡¯s all I could do.


    I speedily walked through the packhouse hallways, doing my best not to draw too much attention to


    myself. Something easier said than done as I attracted a lot of attention anyway. Most likely from the


    blood stains covering my hand and clothes.


    I thought I¡¯d sessfully gotten away with it though as I came to thest staircase, the one to lead to


    Kieran¡¯s room. But it was as I was about to ascend that I heard something behind me.


    ¡°Miss Raven,¡± came a small voice.


    I spun around defensively but only found a young attendant there.


    ¡°Miss¡­ you seem to be bleeding. Can I get you anything?¡±


    And I looked down at my hand. ¡°Oh¡­ this? No, it¡¯s okay. I was just trying to cut some fruit to eat but I


    hurt myself by ident. It¡¯s already healing, see?¡±


    But their brows were still creased. ¡°No, I was actually referring to your nosebleed. Would you like a


    tissue?¡±


    Confused, I brought a hand up to my nose and, sure enough, there was blood trickling down. Odd. I¡¯d


    never had anything like that happen before.


    ¡°Oh um. No, I¡¯m fine. I have tissues in my room. Thank you though.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how about some-.¡±


    But before they could ask another question, I quickly turned back around to climb up the stairs. I


    couldn¡¯t afford to risk wasting any more time, even if the behaviour might have seemed slightly odd.


    Hopefully not bizarre enough to be worth mentioning to others.


    Once I was finally on the private floor though, I sprinted to Kieran¡¯s room, swinging open the door¡­


    and froze for a second.


    His scent hit me immediately, it clinging to the space he lived in. His clothes, his bed, his


    possessions¡­ all of it reminded me of him. It threatened to make me finally break down, to cry and


    give up. Because I knew that this was goodbye¡­ and, if he was just like his sister, he would hate me


    after today.


    I cried out loudly in a mixture of anger and sadness. Just one short sound to help push aside my


    feelings and focus. Because I needed to survive this. I needed to escape. There were more important


    things right now than farewells.


    And so I quickly grabbed his car keys, leaving everything else behind.


    But I should have known that it could never be that easy.


    For when I turned back around to leave, it was then that my eyes met theirs.


    Met his.


    Standing in the doorway, watching me with confusion as he took in my appearance; dishevelled and


    bleeding, his car keys in hand.


    ¡°¡­Rae?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡­ And my heart broke at hearing his voice.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 36


    ¡°Rae¡­ What¡¯s happened?¡± he asked.


    I opened my mouth to reply but the words wouldn¡¯te out. My body was running on pure adrenaline


    for survival now and I was doing my best to push through the overwhelming urge to cave into my


    emotions.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­,¡± I fumbled.


    My eyes were trying to water but I gritted my teeth against it.


    I didn¡¯t want to fight Kieran¡­ I didn¡¯t know if I could live myself if I were to see the look of hatred in his


    eyes. Anything but that.


    ¡°Rae?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Kieran, someth-.¡±


    But before I could finish speaking, I was suddenly cut off.


    ¡°RAVEN!¡± Allison¡¯s voice shrilly screamed.


    And I cursed. She was here. Probably at the staircase looking for me.


    This was game over.


    Kieran frowned but turned around to investigate, walking towards my only avable exit. One now


    manned by his insane little sister.


    ¡°Kieran! W-wait¡­ don¡¯t¡­.¡±


    However, as I futilely trailed behind him, I was further stressed by seeing that Allison had recruited


    help. Help in the form of Daniel, the Beta heir.


    ¡°Hand yourself over, Raven,¡± Daniel said, stepping cautiously forward. ¡°Let¡¯s not drag this out any


    longer than we have to.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Kieran demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, man, but she¡¯s been lying to you,¡± he said. ¡°Allison said that she admitted to being one of


    them. Called herself by a name that belonged to The Council of the Silver Mist. She¡¯s a Knight. Rheyna


    Knight.¡±


    But as Daniel enlightened him to the situation, it was Kieran¡¯s reaction that was the most unsettling.


    Or,ck of, to be precise.


    Because there was no shock or surprise that crossed his features at all. Just¡­ remainingpletely


    silent as he held Daniel¡¯s gaze.


    Almost as if¡­


    Almost as if he knew.


    ¡°¡­Kieran?¡± I whispered. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you¡­.¡±


    And his face then confirmed it, closing his eyes in guilt for a moment.


    Everything made sense now. Why he kept our training sessions private, why I was never allowed to talk


    about my health problems publicly, why he¡¯d said those words to mest night. They¡¯d struck me as


    odd, but I¡¯d had more important things to worry about at the time. But his phrasing had been weird.


    ¡°*¡±Honestly? If the biggest issue we ever have to face publicly is just crimes your father forced you to


    do, then I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡±*¡¯ That was what he had said. ¡®Biggest issue¡¯ being my past. Because he


    knew that my birth family would cause a reaction like this, far greater than any other uproar I could


    possibly create.


    ¡°How could you know? Let alone keep this from me? Why bring me here at all?¡±


    ¡°I had my suspicions after I found out about the silver suppressors,¡± he said. ¡°You kept up with me


    during a fight whilst taking them, Rae. It meant you had to be from a powerful pack, one stronger than


    even Ashwood by a considerable margin. Of which, there was only one other in modern history. But¡­ I


    thought you didn¡¯t remember anything about your birth family. I thought I could protect you.¡±


    The betrayal stung me unlike anything I¡¯d felt before. He¡¯d known this entire time and kept it from me,


    knowing full well that this might happen one day. That it was information that could likely lead to my


    death.


    And I felt myself sink deeper inside, thest shred of hope dying.


    It seemed we¡¯d both been keeping things from each other. Secrets that had dire consequences.


    Perhaps our rtionship really was irreparable now.


    ¡°She lied and bewitched you, Kieran!¡± Allison chimed in. ¡°She¡¯s a descendant of the Siren. Maniption


    is in her blood.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything, Allison!¡± Kieran snapped angrily. ¡°She couldn¡¯t even shift before I brought her


    here. She didn¡¯t even know what werewolves were. She was an orphan of war, somehow surviving


    long enough to still be tortured by our pack despite her situation. Sterling was selling silver


    suppressors, Allison. Illegally.¡±


    ¡°She has you covering up her tracks, believing her fabrications,¡± she said. ¡°Now I¡¯m starting to wonder


    if Sterling¡¯s death was really as justified as you imed. She probably had you kill him as well. Swaying


    your mind to do her bidding.¡±


    ¡°Allison. Stop and listen to what I¡¯m trying to tell you. Raven isn¡¯t a devil like we were always told. She¡¯s


    just a girl, an innocen-.¡±.


    ¡°-I killed Sterling,¡± I said quietly, my voice cutting through the room. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Kieran


    ¡­ it was me. I killed him.¡±


    ¡°Rae!¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°Whether it¡¯s because I¡¯m a so-called ¡®Devil¡¯ or due to my past crimes, I¡¯m no


    innocent, Kieran. Pick a title; Rogue or Devil. Because the same meaning still applies. I don¡¯t belong


    here. I never did. There is nothing I can do to suddenly change who I am.¡±


    I¡¯d given up and was feeling¡­ exhausted. Exhausted of pretending to be someone I wasn¡¯t¡­ and


    exhausted of now defending myself against something I couldn¡¯t change. My body felt numb to


    everything as the truth was unravelled.


    I was done.


    Allison cried out over hearing my confession, tears starting to fall down her face.


    ¡°Listen to her, Kieran! She is literally admitting that she¡¯s evil. She-.¡±


    ¡°Sterling assaulted her,¡± he interrupted. Stalked her to her room and tried to force his mark on her. If


    she hadn¡¯t of killed him, I would have. He overstepped a line and was trying to abandon Ashwood,


    breaking our rules in the process. He was a bad person, Allison.¡±


    Though I interjected before she could reply.


    ¡°Right¡­ but if you check the coroner report, you¡¯ll find that his finger joints were repeatedly broken


    prior to his death,¡± I added. ¡°I tortured him before I finished the job. Because that¡¯s what he was. What


    you were too. A job, Kieran. You really think I was allowed toe here of my own volition? With a


    man like my father? My leash has only ever been long enough to serve his interests.¡± 1


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    And, finally, Kieran looked surprised.


    ¡°You were an assignment, Kieran,¡± I said, swallowing back my emotions. ¡°You always were, even from


    the very beginning when we first met. I was sent to retrieve documents once in possession of a


    smuggler I¡¯d killed, believed to be handed over to Victor Lycroft. Documents that I then discovered


    Sterling knew the whereabouts of. After he attacked me, I turned the tables on him and tortured him


    into admission. This shouldn¡¯t be a shock. I already told you that I¡¯m not who I seem. I¡¯m¡­ not a good


    person.¡±


    ¡°Rae-.¡±


    ¡°Raven,¡± I corrected. ¡°¡­Rae is a lie. She doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    His jaw tensed as he looked at me, making me want to take it all back. But even if it hurt, these were


    the facts.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± he said. ¡°You wanted to stay here with me, I know it. I saw it in your face every day we


    were together. I promised to protect you, and I still intend to do that. You¡¯re still my-.¡±


    But hisplete denial at letting me push him away was only making this harder. Too hard to deal


    with¡­ and I suddenly cracked.


    A bubble of frustration and sadness surfaced all at once, a cumtion of both the revtions today and


    the confliction fromst night.


    ¡°¡ªYOU CAN¡¯T FIX ME, KIERAN,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°I can¡¯t change my birth family nor change my past. This isn¡¯t something you can mend like my


    poisoning or shifting. Stop trying to always fix me.¡±


    ¡­Stop trying to always be such a kind and genuinely good person, believing the best still exists inside


    me,¡¯ I added in my head. ¡®


    Because it¡¯s not there. It never will be.¡¯


    However, nearby, Daniel stirred as I finally raised my voice in anger. It must have made him


    ufortable, unsure probably if I were about to perform some other devil magic. Whatever the hell


    that even was.


    He took two steps towards me, taking an aggressive stance to suggest a fight, and I sighed. I was


    letting my emotions seep in again, something that was a snowball that would probably end badly. Right


    now, me leaving as soon as possible was the best- case scenario.


    The only problem now was¡­ how.


    Because Daniel and Allison were still guarding the stairs, yet we were too many floors up for me to


    safely utilise a window escape. I was trapped unless I intended to fight my way out. Something that I


    wanted to avoid where possible.


    ¡°We need to take her to your father,


    Kieran,¡± Daniel said. ¡°Let him decide what to do with her.¡±


    But Kieran wasn¡¯t having that. He looked¡­ pissed. Probably rightfully so given the circumstances.


    ¡°Touch her and I swear to the Goddess, Daniel¡­,¡± Kieran warned.


    ¡°You¡¯ll what? You really want to defend her? A child of the monsters who killed your mother? Our other


    pack members? So many died in that war because of them.¡±


    ¡°What about Rae¡¯s mother? Huh? Her father? Siblings?¡± he argued. ¡°Because her entire family is dead


    because of us. Did you think about that?¡±


    ¡­I hadn¡¯t.


    He was right. This went both ways.


    Everything had been moving too quickly for me to think about it before but¡­ but if it weren¡¯t for


    Ashwood, perhaps I would have grown up normally. I might have known what it was like to have a real


    family.


    ¡°There were no winners in that war,¡± he continued. ¡°Just people who lost those they loved. All for


    myths, fairy tales and spections. For traditions that are probably more outdated than those exact


    stories.¡±


    ¡°You mean ¡®what about the other spawn we rightfully vanquished¡¯?¡± Allison spat.


    Listen to yourself, brother. You¡¯ve bedded a devil and now want to protect it. But it¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t me


    you. You just need help undoing what she did to you. Step aside and we¡¯ll get you that help. You can


    find salvation with the Goddess.¡±


    And it was then that Daniel stepped closer again, his eyes watching me like a hawk.


    Well¡­ if we were on the topic of me apparently being evil, then I suppose there was no added harm in


    doing what I had to.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Kieran,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡­And I matched Daniel¡¯s step forward, equipping the dagger in my good hand.


    If I understood the hierarchy correctly then, so long as Kieran didn¡¯t join the fight, I should be able to


    take on Daniel easily by himself. I¡¯d just need to stay focused, mind my injury, and, most importantly,


    cast aside any hope of leaving here amicably. Because the only way I saw myself getting out of here


    now was if I didn¡¯t hold myself back anymore.


    ¡°Rae¡­ don¡¯t,¡± Kieran said, probably realising I would win.


    But I was already moving forward now, sizing up Daniel like a snake about to strike.


    ¡°Rae.¡±


    They wanted a devil.


    ¡­I would give them one.


    And as Daniel and I moved, readying to attack, I saw as he then tried to make the first move. Bold of


    him to do so¡­ and exactly what I was hoping for.


    He brought his hand towards me quickly, and though it was faster than expected, it was still far too slow


    to be of concern to me. I moved out of the way effortlessly and used his momentum to grab his wrist,


    forcing him into a submissive position instantly as the dagger went to his throat.


    He struggled against my hold, able to loosen my hand for merely a second, but I simply proceeded to


    kick his leg back out to checkmate him once more. All I had to do now was finish the job.


    ¡­Just a little more pressure into his neck and I¡¯d be free.


    ¡­ Yep¡­ Just¡­ just a little bit more. One sharp slice.


    Okay, Raven. Now. I really needed to do this now.


    But it was as if my hand was frozen.


    Frozen like an invisible barrier was stopping me¡­ just like that time I¡¯d tried to kill Noah


    Kennedy. Back when I¡¯d heard that voice in my head. What had it said again?


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Something like-.


    ¡°-You don¡¯t have to do this¡­,¡± Kieran said behind me. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be Raven.¡±


    And I spun my head around so quickly that I momentarily forgot what was happening.


    ¡°¡­What did you just say to me?¡± I whispered in shock.


    Because as he spoke the exact same words, suddenly, it was as if the walls began to move, a


    nauseating headache hitting me unlike anything I¡¯d experienced in weeks.


    ¡­A moment which Daniel swiftly took advantage of as he pushed me to the ground, disarming my


    dagger for himself.


    ¡°Give it up, Devil,¡± he said.


    And suddenly my vision was filled with only the sh of silver metal as it came crashing down towards


    me

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 36


    ¡°Rae¡­ What¡¯s happened?¡± he asked.


    I opened my mouth to reply but the words wouldn¡¯te out. My body was running on pure adrenaline


    for survival now and I was doing my best to push through the overwhelming urge to cave into my


    emotions.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­,¡± I fumbled.


    My eyes were trying to water but I gritted my teeth against it.


    I didn¡¯t want to fight Kieran¡­ I didn¡¯t know if I could live myself if I were to see the look of hatred in his


    eyes. Anything but that.


    ¡°Rae?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Kieran, someth-.¡±


    But before I could finish speaking, I was suddenly cut off.


    ¡°RAVEN!¡± Allison¡¯s voice shrilly screamed.


    And I cursed. She was here. Probably at the staircase looking for me.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    This was game over.


    Kieran frowned but turned around to


    investigate, walking towards my only avable exit. One now manned by his insane little sister.


    ¡°Kieran! W-wait¡­ don¡¯t¡­.¡±


    However, as I futilely trailed behind him, I was further stressed by seeing that Allison had recruited


    help. Help in the form of Daniel, the Beta heir.


    ¡°Hand yourself over, Raven,¡± Daniel said, stepping cautiously forward. ¡°Let¡¯s not drag this out any


    longer than we have to.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Kieran demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, man, but she¡¯s been lying to you,¡± he said. ¡°Allison said that she admitted to being one of


    them. Called herself by a name that belonged to The Council of the Silver Mist. She¡¯s a Knight. Rheyna


    Knight.¡±


    But as Daniel enlightened him to the


    situation, it was Kieran¡¯s reaction that was the most unsettling.


    Or,ck of, to be precise.


    Because there was no shock or surprise that crossed his features at all. Just¡­ remainingpletely


    silent as he held Daniel¡¯s gaze.


    Almost as if¡­


    Almost as if he knew.


    ¡°¡­Kieran?¡± I whispered. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you¡­.¡±


    And his face then confirmed it, closing his eyes in guilt for a moment.


    Everything made sense now. Why he kept our training sessions private, why I was never allowed to talk


    about my health problems publicly, why he¡¯d said those words to mest night. They¡¯d struck me as


    odd, but I¡¯d had more important things to worry about at the time. But his phrasing had been weird.


    ¡°*¡±Honestly? If the biggest issue we ever have to face publicly is just crimes your father forced you to


    do, then I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡±*¡¯ That was what he had said. ¡®Biggest issue¡¯ being my past. Because he


    knew that my birth family would cause a reaction like this, far greater than any other uproar I could


    possibly create.


    ¡°How could you know? Let alone keep this from me? Why bring me here at all?¡±


    ¡°I had my suspicions after I found out about the silver suppressors,¡± he said. ¡°You kept up with me


    during a fight whilst taking them, Rae. It meant you had to be from a powerful pack, one stronger than


    even Ashwood by a considerable margin. Of which, there was only one other in modern history. But¡­ I


    thought you didn¡¯t remember anything about your birth family. I thought I could protect you.¡±


    The betrayal stung me unlike anything I¡¯d felt before. He¡¯d known this entire time and


    kept it from me, knowing full well that this might happen one day. That it was information that could


    likely lead to my death.


    And I felt myself sink deeper inside, thest shred of hope dying.


    It seemed we¡¯d both been keeping things from each other. Secrets that had dire consequences.


    Perhaps our rtionship really was irreparable now.


    ¡°She lied and bewitched you, Kieran!¡± Allison chimed in. ¡°She¡¯s a descendant of the Siren. Maniption


    is in her blood.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything, Allison!¡± Kieran snapped angrily. ¡°She couldn¡¯t even shift before I brought her


    here. She didn¡¯t even know what werewolves were. She was an orphan of war, somehow surviving


    long enough to still be tortured by our pack despite her situation. Sterling was selling silver


    suppressors, Allison. Illegally.¡±


    ¡°She has you covering up her tracks, believing her fabrications,¡± she said. ¡°Now I¡¯m starting to wonder


    if Sterling¡¯s death was really as justified as you imed. She probably had you kill him as well. Swaying


    your mind to do her bidding.¡±


    ¡°Allison. Stop and listen to what I¡¯m trying to tell you. Raven isn¡¯t a devil like we were always told. She¡¯s


    just a girl, an innocen-.¡±.


    ¡°-I killed Sterling,¡± I said quietly, my voice cutting through the room. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Kieran


    ¡­ it was me. I killed him.¡±


    ¡°Rae!¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°Whether it¡¯s because I¡¯m a so-called ¡®Devil¡¯ or due to my past crimes, I¡¯m no


    innocent, Kieran. Pick a title; Rogue or Devil. Because the same meaning still applies. I don¡¯t belong


    here. I never did. There is nothing I can do to suddenly change who I am.¡±


    I¡¯d given up and was feeling¡­ exhausted. Exhausted of pretending to be someone I wasn¡¯t¡­ and


    exhausted of now defending myself against something I couldn¡¯t change. My body felt numb to


    everything as the truth was unravelled.


    I was done.


    Allison cried out over hearing my confession, tears starting to fall down her face.


    ¡°Listen to her, Kieran! She is literally admitting that she¡¯s evil. She-.¡±


    ¡°Sterling assaulted her,¡± he interrupted. Stalked her to her room and tried to force his mark on her. If


    she hadn¡¯t of killed him, I would have. He overstepped a line and was trying to abandon Ashwood,


    breaking our rules in the process. He was a bad person, Allison.¡±


    Though I interjected before she could reply.


    ¡°Right¡­ but if you check the coroner report, you¡¯ll find that his finger joints were repeatedly broken


    prior to his death,¡± I added. ¡°I tortured him before I finished the job. Because that¡¯s what he was. What


    you were too. A job, Kieran. You really think I was allowed toe here of my own volition? With a


    man like my father? My leash has only ever been long enough to serve his interests.¡± 1


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    And, finally, Kieran looked surprised.


    ¡°You were an assignment, Kieran,¡± I said, swallowing back my emotions. ¡°You always were, even from


    the very beginning when we first met. I was sent to retrieve documents once in possession of a


    smuggler I¡¯d killed, believed to be handed over to Victor Lycroft. Documents that I then discovered


    Sterling knew the whereabouts of. After he attacked me, I turned the tables on him and tortured him


    into admission. This shouldn¡¯t be a shock. I already told you that I¡¯m not who I seem. I¡¯m¡­ not a good


    person.¡±


    ¡°Rae-.¡±


    ¡°Raven,¡± I corrected. ¡°¡­Rae is a lie. She doesn¡¯t exist.¡± His jaw tensed as he looked at me, making me


    want to take it all back. But even if it hurt, these were the facts.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± he said. ¡°You wanted to stay here with me, I know it. I saw it in your face every day we


    were together. I promised to protect you, and I still intend to do that. You¡¯re still my-.¡±


    But hisplete denial at letting me push him away was only making this harder. Too hard to deal


    with¡­ and I suddenly cracked.


    A bubble of frustration and sadness surfaced all at once, a cumtion of both the revtions today and


    the confliction fromst night.


    ¡°¡ªYOU CAN¡¯T FIX ME, KIERAN,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°I can¡¯t change my birth family nor change my past. This isn¡¯t something you can mend like my


    poisoning or shifting. Stop trying to always fix me.¡±


    ¡­Stop trying to always be such a kind and genuinely good person, believing the best still exists inside


    me,¡¯ I added in my head. ¡®


    Because it¡¯s not there. It never will be.¡¯


    However, nearby, Daniel stirred as I finally raised my voice in anger. It must have made him


    ufortable, unsure probably if I were about to perform some other devil magic. Whatever the hell


    that even was.


    He took two steps towards me, taking an aggressive stance to suggest a fight, and I sighed. I was


    letting my emotions seep in again, something that was a snowball that would probably end badly. Right


    now, me leaving as soon as possible was the best- case scenario.


    The only problem now was¡­ how.


    Because Daniel and Allison were still guarding the stairs, yet we were too many floors up for me to


    safely utilise a window escape. I was trapped unless I intended to fight my way out. Something that I


    wanted to avoid where possible.


    ¡°We need to take her to your father,


    Kieran,¡± Daniel said. ¡°Let him decide what to do with her.¡±


    But Kieran wasn¡¯t having that. He looked¡­ pissed. Probably rightfully so given the circumstances.


    ¡°Touch her and I swear to the Goddess, Daniel¡­,¡± Kieran warned.


    ¡°You¡¯ll what? You really want to defend her? A child of the monsters who killed your mother? Our other


    pack members? So many died in that war because of them.¡±


    ¡°What about Rae¡¯s mother? Huh? Her father? Siblings?¡± he argued. ¡°Because her entire family is dead


    because of us. Did you think about that?¡±


    ¡­I hadn¡¯t.


    He was right. This went both ways.


    Everything had been moving too quickly for me to think about it before but¡­ but if it weren¡¯t for


    Ashwood, perhaps I would have grown up normally. I might have known what it was like to have a real


    family.


    ¡°There were no winners in that war,¡± he continued. ¡°Just people who lost those they loved. All for


    myths, fairy tales and spections. For traditions that are probably more outdated than those exact


    stories.¡±


    ¡°You mean ¡®what about the other spawn we rightfully vanquished¡¯?¡± Allison spat.


    Listen to yourself, brother. You¡¯ve bedded a devil and now want to protect it. But it¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t me


    you. You just need help undoing what she did to you. Step aside and we¡¯ll get you that help. You can


    find salvation with the Goddess.¡±


    And it was then that Daniel stepped closer again, his eyes watching me like a hawk.


    Well¡­ if we were on the topic of me apparently being evil, then I suppose there was no added harm in


    doing what I had to.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Kieran,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡­And I matched Daniel¡¯s step forward, equipping the dagger in my good hand.


    If I understood the hierarchy correctly then, so long as Kieran didn¡¯t join the fight, I should be able to


    take on Daniel easily by himself. I¡¯d just need to stay focused, mind my injury, and, most importantly,


    cast aside any hope of leaving here amicably. Because the only way I saw myself getting out of here


    now was if I didn¡¯t hold myself back anymore.


    ¡°Rae¡­ don¡¯t,¡± Kieran said, probably realising I would win.


    But I was already moving forward now, sizing up Daniel like a snake about to strike.


    ¡°Rae.¡±


    They wanted a devil.


    ¡­I would give them one.


    And as Daniel and I moved, readying to attack, I saw as he then tried to make the first move. Bold of


    him to do so¡­ and exactly what I was hoping for.


    He brought his hand towards me quickly, and though it was faster than expected, it was still far too slow


    to be of concern to me. I moved out of the way effortlessly and used his momentum to grab his wrist,


    forcing him into a submissive position instantly as the dagger went to his throat.


    He struggled against my hold, able to loosen my hand for merely a second, but I simply proceeded to


    kick his leg back out to checkmate him once more. All I had to do now was finish the job.


    ¡­Just a little more pressure into his neck and I¡¯d be free.


    ¡­ Yep¡­ Just¡­ just a little bit more. One sharp slice.


    Okay, Raven. Now. I really needed to do this now.


    But it was as if my hand was frozen.


    Frozen like an invisible barrier was stopping me¡­ just like that time I¡¯d tried to kill Noah


    Kennedy. Back when I¡¯d heard that voice in my head. What had it said again?


    Something like-.


    ¡°-You don¡¯t have to do this¡­,¡± Kieran said behind me. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be Raven.¡±


    And I spun my head around so quickly that I momentarily forgot what was happening.


    ¡°¡­What did you just say to me?¡± I whispered in shock.


    Because as he spoke the exact same words, suddenly, it was as if the walls began to move, a


    nauseating headache hitting me unlike anything I¡¯d experienced in weeks.


    ¡­A moment which Daniel swiftly took advantage of as he pushed me to the ground, disarming my


    dagger for himself.


    ¡°Give it up, Devil,¡± he said.


    And suddenly my vision was filled with only the sh of silver metal as it came crashing down towards


    me

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146


    Book Two-Ch.# 37


    ¡°NO!¡± Kieran roared.


    And right as the dagger pierced the surface of my shoulder, Daniel was promptly pushed off me.


    ¡°I said *don¡¯t touch her*,¡± he growled.


    The weight of his words fell over everyone in the room, and once again I experienced the tangible sway


    of his order.


    ¡°Kieran,¡± Daniel huffed out, unable to get back up to his feet. ¡°She-.¡±


    ¡°No, enough! You¡¯re hereby forbidden from moving until further notice,¡± Kieran said. ¡± That goes for you


    too Allison. Sit down. Now. And I don¡¯t want to hear another word from either of you.¡±


    Allison gritted her teeth but did as she was told.


    ¡°What¡­ What is that?¡± I asked. ¡°What did you do to them?¡±


    Kieran looked defeated as he straightened back up, unable to meet my eyes. He simply stared at two


    people he held dear as they were trapped on the floor.


    ¡°An Alpha heir order,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯ll only hold them long enough until a full ranked member arrives


    though.¡±


    ¡°Kieran-.¡±


    ¡°Leave¡­ Rae,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything else for you now.¡±


    The pain in his voice was clear, an echo in it that stung me. I didn¡¯t want to upset him further, and so,


    with one hand covering the shallow new wound to my shoulder, I hobbled back to my feet to grab the


    book and dagger.


    ¡°There¡¯s a cupboard to your left which has an emergency hidden staircase inside it. Use that and follow


    it all the way down. It¡¯ll take you to the car park outside safely without being seen.¡±


    Just as he¡¯d said, upon inspecting the cupboard, there was indeed a staircase inside. But as I stared


    into the dark passage ahead, I hesitated once more.


    ¡­This was thest time I might see him. Did I really want to leave things like this? With lies intended to


    push him away and a head full of questions?


    ¡°Kieran¡­ I¡­,¡± I said, my voice trailing off.


    So many things I wanted to say, to exin, to ask about. All of which would take too long to get


    through. And so, in the end, I settled for one thing.


    Just one line.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered.


    And I slipped through the doorway without another word, beginning the descent down.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over, Rae,¡± he called out behind me. ¡°I¡¯ll find you. I promise.¡±


    But I just wiped at the stray tear that had escaped my eye and kept walking.


    There were a lot of promises that were madetely. Too many.


    ¡°Do yourself a favour for both our sakes, Kieran,¡± I said quietly. ¡°¡­Forget about me. My survival might


    just rely on that very thing.¡±


    I knew what awaited me now. The only remaining path left.


    A path that would lead me to the one ce I ever truly belonged.


    Back into the shadow of my father.


    But first¡­ first I had a job to do.


    And as I got into the car and drove like hell out of Ashwood, I was reminded of the fact that my absence


    had been long. Perhaps too long for an impatient man such as my father. I knew it would be punishable


    to return like this empty-handed.


    I felt numb as I went through the motions. I wasn¡¯t quite ready to acknowledge everything that had


    happened, simply just trying to get through the day without breaking down. To keep moving without


    remembering his face or how much¡­.


    -No. I couldn¡¯t think about Kieran anymore. He didn¡¯t exist as of today.


    Now, it was only me vs¡­ them.


    Long gone were my naive days of the past. Now, I¡¯d need to work even harder to hide my presence, an


    entire species probably soon intending to hunt me down. Because if a war could span over fifty years


    because of one pack, then I was sure that they weren¡¯t keen to just let me die of old age naturally.


    The look of hatred on Allison¡¯s face still haunted me every time I blinked.


    ¡°Here you are¡­,¡± I said to myself in the confines of a dark office.


    The safe stared up at me from within the floorboard, promising to give me the very thing that had


    started all of this. What my father had been desperate to get his hands on all this time.


    ¡°My entire life was ruined because of you. Perhaps if you¡¯d never existed, I could have lived my life in


    ignorance until death came for me. That sounds better than this¡­ than now living with this pain.¡±


    I bit my tongue. There was no pain because I was fine. Completely fine. Just¡­ a girl doing her job. And


    I pushed back the feelings threatening to break me.


    It only took a couple of minutes to crack into the lock, Miles clearly not investing enough in security, but


    soon enough I caught my first glimpse of the coveted contents.


    ¡­The documents my father had been after.


    And I could see why.


    It was years worth of business transactions, photos and other pieces of evidence that would be enough


    to crumble my father¡¯s business to dust. Yes¡­ Miles was a smuggler, but at some point he must have


    switched sides. Probably working for someone who had it in their best interest to see my father finally


    go to jail. Some of the information in here would have taken years to acquire.


    This was¡­ everything. Enough to risk it all to get back¡­ even if it meant losing his daughter. All to


    save the business.


    Though, as I was shuffling the papers back together, I did catch one thing. Something that wasn¡¯t quite


    like everything else. It looked almost like a journal entry in my father¡¯s handwriting, one dated a few


    years ago.


    Miles had written pencil notes around it, wondering if the passage pertained to an associate or partner


    in crime but¡­ but I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡®¡­ The woman came to me against night and I basked in her glory,¡¯ it read. ¡®What I have, I owe to


    her, and I am reminded of that fact every day by my fortune; with my business and my Raven. It is


    through her continuous instruction that I have loyally served and been rewarded for my efforts.¡¯


    I frowned as I read the snippet, confused by who he was talking about. Because for as long as I could


    remember, my father had always been alone; both in business and in personal life. Never even so


    much as bringing a casual one-night stand over to the house, let alone ever speaking about a woman


    with such adoration; not like in the way he did in this entry.


    No, the way he wrote here¡­ it was nothing like the man I knew of. Not the cold-hearted, business


    focused father who I¡¯d lived with for years.


    Not Eric Reid.


    ¡­And I instantly snapped the folder of documents closed, no longer wanting to read anymore.


    I shouldn¡¯t have gone looking through it to begin with, such a thing would get me in trouble. But I¡¯d


    figured since I¡¯d already broken every rule, that adding ¡®snooping¡¯ to the list wasn¡¯t that bad.


    However, it seemed I¡¯d been wrong about that, if only for unexpected reasons. The new information


    merely added more questions to my already confused head.


    And I sighed.


    It felt like the more I looked into the reality of my world, the more dark truths I discovered. Truths that


    would only lead me into situations I was better avoiding. Just like how chasing after Kieran had led me


    to the state I was in now.


    Feeling¡­ broken¡­ evil¡­ a mistake. Undeserving.


    I gritted my teeth and got back into the car, throwing the documents on the passenger seat. My father


    could have them back and secure his business, just as he wanted. It was a testament to my loyalty, if


    nothing else.


    But it was as I threw them down that the juxtaposition of my life really came into focus.


    ¡­Because it fell next to the book I¡¯d stolen


    from the Ashwood Archives. One I¡¯d picked up out of curiosity at the time but then somehow hung onto


    during the chaos.


    And it now opened a new path of opportunity for me to take, one that could possibly lead to more


    answers.


    I stared at the two choices as theyid side by side.


    My father¡¯s documents¡­ or a book with a title topic I was slowly starting to despise.


    ¡°The Council of the Silver Mist¡¯ the front cover read. ¡®A history of The Winter Mist and


    Silver Lake¡¯.


    A book of my birth family¡¯s history. Or¡­ as was told by Ashwood, at least. I could only imagine the bias


    I would find inside upon reading. Though some information was better than nothing. Better than¡­


    being spat. at for being a Devil.


    But was I really going to chase down another search into who I was?


    And as I thought about it some more, my heart ached for Kieran for the millionth time. It felt as though


    I¡¯d had a part of myself torn away when I¡¯d left, tearing more and more the further I went.


    My other half.


    My¡­ mate.


    The person I lo-.


    No.


    No, I wasn¡¯t going down this path. Not again.


    I wasn¡¯t Rae or Rheyna¡­ I was Raven.


    And it was time for me to go home.


    Which is exactly what I did.


    It took several hours of driving before I finally got back to Lockdale City. The familiar scent of my home


    greeted me as I entered the house, the ce quiet now within thete hour of the night. This was my


    longest time being away and it felt almost¡­ safe being back here. An odd feeling considering the


    nature of my life, but a wee one.


    A needed one.


    Atop of the staircase, a light shone brightly through, emanating from down the hallway. I knew what it


    meant.


    ¡­My father was awake.


    I felt nervous confronting him. Would he be angry? Had he somehow discovered what I¡¯d been up to in


    my absence?


    A part of me resented him for everything he¡¯d put me through and yet, despite that, I still craved his


    presence now. Because if his cage could keep me trapped this whole time, then it could keep others


    out. Only he had the power to make me disappear once more. He¡¯d already done it once, doing so


    without realising just how important it was to my survival growing up.


    I was only alive because of him. Because of his name.


    And had he not put me through the rigorous training and pain he had, I never would have made it out of


    Ashwood in one piece.


    I needed him.


    He was¡­ all I had left.


    ¡­And so I knocked on his office door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± said his voice.


    I took a second to calm my breathing before entering, the documents in hand.


    ¡°Father¡­ I¡¯m-.¡±


    ¡°Raven,¡± he quickly said, looking almost surprised to see me. ¡°You¡¯re home¡­ You¡¯re ¡­ bleeding?¡±


    I looked at my clothes, now covered in my blood from where the silver dagger had pierced both my


    hand and shoulder. Both thankfully healing¡­ albeit painfully.


    However, the physical pain was the least of my worries.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, brushing off the concern. ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle. I¡¯m sorry it took so long but I-I got the


    documents for you. Here ¡­ see?¡±


    Looking upon his face again, those grey eyes. ¡­ I hated howforted I felt. But, at the end of the


    day, he was still my father. The person I¡¯d loved for over sixteen years.


    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± he said, walking over. ¡°The boy?¡±


    But I shook my head, feeling as my eyes started to water over the mention of Kieran.


    I couldn¡¯t cry here though. My father hated it when I cried.


    Just a little bit longer and I could go to my room to be alone.


    ¡°Was it Victor? Someone else in the town?¡±


    But I just shook my head again to both.


    ¡°I need to know, Raven. I thought this was just infiltration. If someone attacked you whilst undercover


    then I ne-.¡±


    ¡°Please, daddy¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± I said as tears escaped me involuntarily. ¡°Please let it go. I- I got what you


    wanted. I got the documents. I -I did it¡­ I did it for you.¡±


    And as I feebly held them out towards him, he simply took them from me and ced them back down


    on the chair next to us.


    ¡­He ced them down¡­ and proceeded to pull me into a hug.


    I tensed in his embrace for a few seconds. until everything crumbled inside, sobs wracking through my


    body. It was as if all my pain surfaced all at once, everything I¡¯d pushed down deep inside.


    Kieran¡­ Ashwood¡­ my birth family¡­ the confusing devil revtions¡­.


    ¡­The fact that I was finally home, safe, under the protection of my father. The only person able to now


    protect me from being hunted.


    All of it overwhelmed me as I clung to him, crying into his chest.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you wereing home,¡± he said. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from you in weeks.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re back, my Raven. You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    And as he patted my head, I momentarily let go of my anger towards him. Long enough to lie to myself


    that there was at least one person who could truly ept me for what I was. One person who knew of


    everything I¡¯d done, of what I was, and could still love me.


    Yes¡­ this was fine. 5


    This was my life. The only one a devil deserved.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 38


    Two months had gone by since my escape from Ashwood. 1


    The day still haunted me whenever I thought about it, remembering the faces of loathing, remembering


    the fear and confusion¡­ remembering the pain of leaving Kieran.


    It was that pain which was still the hardest. to deal with, like an aching that never left me. A constant


    thorn in my side to remind me how we couldn¡¯t be together¡­ and it wasn¡¯t just thoughts either.


    With the suppressors assumedly nowpletely worn off, for the first time I was experiencing living


    with what I imagined our entire species did; feelings that belonged to a creature inside you. Every


    single day it was like I could feel its pain crying for Kieran, whimpering internally as if I¡¯d amputated its


    arm off. It was exhausting¡­ and it only made it more difficult.


    Sometimes, in my darkest hours, I contemted taking the suppressors again. There had been one


    bottle left behind which now stood atop my bedroom dresser, staring at me with the promise of making


    the wolf go silent once more. To numb myself to the extra feelings that came with being a werewolf and


    fall back into my days of ignorance.


    I would reach my hand out towards the pills ¡­ but stop myself every time.


    And, instead, I would drink.


    Alcohol. No fancy ingredients required, just good ol¡¯ liquor. Just enough to take the edge off. Enough to


    distance myself from the chaos in my head as I continued my work, slipping back into routine with my


    father.


    Things between us had been better, my absence clearly a needed one. He seemed more aware of me


    now, even more¡­ gentle?


    If that was even possible for him. But nevertheless, I was certain that Ashwood would have found me


    already had he not done such an extensive job at hiding my existence all these years.


    And in return for that protection, I did what I always did.


    ¡­I did my job.


    ¡°Raven, can I get you another drink?¡± asked the man, Jack Hamilton.


    I sat on a plush expensive couch inside a high -end bar, attentively chatting closely with the man


    seated next to me. He owned the establishment that we were now tucked away in the private corner of.


    Just the two of


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°Thank you though.¡±


    ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯ve never seen eyes quite as mesmerising as yours before,¡± he said, leaning forward.


    ¡°The golden colour is fascinating.¡±


    ¡­ And it was then that his hand reached over to touch my thigh, the intention obvious.


    I knew that this would be the case. In fact, I¡¯d been trying to establish this connection. I was here for


    information today and that was always made easier when a man stopped thinking with their head.


    However, it unfortunately caused a stir of something else inside me¡­ because I felt as a small growl


    rumbled through my chest in warning. A low threat in the tone. Not my doing, of course¡­ but my wolf¡¯s.


    Now choosing to make my life difficult with her inability to let me work. To her, only Kieran was allowed


    to touch us.


    I quickly coughed to disguise it and smiled.


    ¡°Apologies¡­ I think I might actually get that drink after all,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll go get it though. Stay right here


    for me.¡±


    And as I stood up, I gently touched his cheek to seal the promise. A gesture that caused another stir


    inside me, taking all my control to push the wolf back.


    Goddammit. They were making this so unnecessarily difficult.


    ¡°Your strongest whiskey, thanks,¡± I said to the bartender. ¡°Add it to Jack Hamilton¡¯s tab.¡±


    They gave me an odd look but did as I asked, and I downed it the second he stopped pouring.


    ¡°The person you¡¯re pining for has a family trying to kill us,¡± I said quietly to my wolf. ¡± Stop making this


    harder than it needs to be.¡±


    And slowly, I closed my eyes briefly as I let the alcohol wash over me, feeling as the wolf quietened


    inside once more. It wasn¡¯t as good as the suppressors had once been, but it was enough.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not the only one who misses him,¡± I whispered sadly.


    No¡­ not the only one. But some things were more important than desires.


    Things like¡­ surviving.


    And it was with that very thought in mind that I then walked back over to my assignment.


    ¡°Tell me, Jack¡­ is this the only bar you own?¡± I started, touching his arm intimately. ¡°I just adore it so


    much. Please tell me you have others in the city. Perhaps closer to town on Central Avenue? I¡¯m dying


    to visit more often but this one is a little far from my home.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ now that you mention it,¡± he said, leaning in closer. His gaze was switching from my eyes to my


    lips, but I bit back my difort. ¡°Just between us, I happen to be cing a bid to purchase an


    uing lot shortly. It¡¯s too soon to publicly announce it but¡­.¡±


    And as he proceeded to tell me all of his ns for purchasing, I felt myself regress into my mind a little


    bit more, going through the motions of doing what I had to do. Giving him my attention in exchange for


    the information my father asked for.


    ¡­Wishing he was Kieran whenever he touched me.


    I left the bar that night feeling hollow inside but with a job sessfullypleted. Which is all that


    mattered in the end.


    Just¡­ living to see another day.


    Doing what I needed to do.


    ¡­What I had to.


    I stumbled back home with a headache, taking a taxi back to my house. I was weed home by the


    sight of my front gate, the smell of familiarity in the air stemming from the ce I grew up. It was here


    that I took a moment to finally rx, breathing in deeply several times to calm myself.


    Because I was fine. I could do this. Just¡­ one day at a time.


    But as I went to open the gate, I heard as someone then called to me. My mind immediately jumping to


    who had spoken.


    ¡°Rae.¡±


    I looked up sharply, my heart pounding. An overwhelming rush of adrenaline pumping through me over


    who it was, needing so badly to see him again. To touch him, to tell him I was sorry for leaving. To tell


    him that I lo-.


    ¡­But as I turned around to face him, I found that it wasn¡¯t Kieran who had spoken¡­ but Zac.


    I¡¯d been so desperate for him to be here that I¡¯d tricked myself into thinking it could be real. That Kieran


    somehow knew where I lived and hade for me.


    But this wasn¡¯t a fairy tale. Not anymore.


    ¡°¡­Hi, Zac,¡± I said, the disappointment thick in my voice.


    I¡¯d been avoiding him sinceing back, not wanting to deal with the line of questions I knew he had.


    Truthfully, I just wanted to be left alone. To wallow in my own self-pity by myself.


    Something that apparently wasn¡¯t very subtle as he immediately called me out on it.


    ¡°You¡¯re avoiding my calls and refusing to meet with me,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get a hold of you


    for weeks.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a new phone,¡± I said. ¡°Thest one was lost.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer any of my questions, especially when I¡¯ve called your house phone a thousand


    times asking for you. I highly doubt the extensive list of excuses the maid gives me are all valid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busytely.¡±


    ¡°I know you have¡­ which is exactly why I needed to talk to you,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve had me covering up


    Noah¡¯s existence for months now, had me do errands for you that jeopardise my own life. I need some


    answers on what exactly you expect me to do from here. Or¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ some help? I¡¯m doing this


    all by myself and I¡¯m freaking out.¡±


    Irritation red inside me as I didn¡¯t want to deal with this right now. I¡¯d had a long night entertaining a


    rich man for some business ns and just wanted to sleep.


    ¡°Not now, Zac,¡± I said, turning back to go inside. ¡°Just drop it and we can talk another time. I¡¯ve just


    finished a job.¡±


    ¡°No, not again,¡± he said, stepping closer. ¡°If I let you go inside, you¡¯re going to start dodging my calls


    again. Give me some answers. Just¡­ at least tell me why we¡¯re doing this. Just give me that.¡±


    ¡°Another time.¡±


    But as I went to push open the gate, he walked over and grabbed my hand to stop


    ¡°No. Seriously,¡± he said. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair that I have to-.¡±


    And he suddenly paused mid-sentence, his nose scrunching.


    ¡°How much did you drink, Rae? I thought you said you just came from a job? Since when do you-.¡±


    ¡°*Don¡¯t call me that stupid name*,¡± I snapped angrily, ripping my hand away. Just leave me the fuck


    alone already*.¡±


    It had triggered something inside me, my frustrationing to a boil over hearing the nickname again.


    It was as if everything from tonight and the past few weeks hit all at


    once, erupting in a mess of emotions that I wasn¡¯t sure how to process.


    But as I said the words, it was if something came over Zac.


    He froze in ce, his eyes rxing as his whole demeanour then changed. Instantly, his attitude


    switched.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said, stepping back. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Raven. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have pressured you into talking to me, please don¡¯t be mad at me. I didn¡¯t mean to upset


    you.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing? Is this sarcasm?¡±


    His eyes widened in genuine concern. ¡°No! Of course not! I really am sorry. I¡¯ll leave you be. I hope


    you¡¯lle talk to me soon though. I¡¯d hate for this to have ruined our friendship.¡±


    I stepped closer towards him cautiously, to which he kept moving backwards to give me space. Just as


    I¡¯d originally wanted.


    ¡­But not like this. Not in this way which felt so¡­ wrong.


    ¡°You were just arguing with me and rightfully so,¡± I said, immediately sobering up. ¡°I have been a


    complete bitch to you for weeks.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± he said. ¡°You clearly have a lot going on and it was my fault for bothering you.¡±


    ¡°Zac, stop this.¡¯


    ¡°Stop what? You¡¯re absolutely right that I went too far.¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± I argued. ¡°I was being unreasonably horrible because of things going on in my life that


    are not your fault.¡±


    What was this? He wasn¡¯t acting like Zac at all. It was like he¡¯d been reced by an overly polite doll


    who just said whatever I wanted to hear.


    Was this an ¡®order¡¯ of authority like what


    Kieran had done to Sterling, Allison and Daniel?


    ¡­But, no, that couldn¡¯t be the case. That was a system built on hierarchies of werewolves, able to be


    broken by leaving the pack as Sterling had. Zac was human and hadn¡¯t sworn loyalty to me. This didn¡¯t


    feel like he was obeying an order, it felt more like he was trying to¡­ please me.


    And it was then that Allison¡¯s words all came back to me, her description of the Devil¡¯s ¡® siren call¡¯ and


    how it influenced those with an aura of reverence.


    And I realised what it meant.


    ¡­That this was my doing.


    Proof that I really was what they said I was.


    A monster¡­ a devil.


    Had my life actually improved at all since discovering the truth of my identity? Or had


    I been better off before all of this? Before


    Ashwood, before Kieran¡­ before I knew what else was out there?


    ¡°Go home, Zac,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ call you when I can.¡±


    ¡°Of course! I hope we can talk again soon!¡±


    And I quickly opened the front gate, entering my house to head directly to my room.


    I knew what could help with this. What could stop me from doing this ever again.


    I just needed to go back to where it all started. Back to when my biggest problem was making sure my


    wolf didn¡¯t misbehave, scared of my father¡¯s punishment. Back when I was weakened¡­ when I was


    more contained. When it was just me. Only me.


    I opened the bottle and stared at the pill in my hand:


    ¡­Just one tiny thing to make half of my problems go away.


    To lessen the burden.


    To be¡­ almost human again. Or close enough.


    I could put the blindfold back on and pretend like all these months had just been a bad dream. Just a


    mistake.


    Hesitantly, I brought it up to my mouth, closing my eyes¡­ and, right before I was about to take it, I felt


    a force of something protest inside me, freezing my hand.


    ¡­.Like an invisible barrier stopping me. Just like when I¡¯d tried to kill Noah and Daniel.


    It was only more confirmation that something was deeply wrong with me.


    My father had known all along that I deserved to be taking this medication. He¡¯d known just how


    dangerous I really was. I¡¯d resented him for it and yet I didn¡¯t realise just how much I¡¯d needed it. I¡ª.


    ¡­Wait.


    He knew.


    ¡­*He knew*.


    This wasn¡¯t just to do with me being a werewolf anymore. Somehow, he¡¯d known the extent of my


    abilities and had perfectly countered how to suppress it. Almost like he was aware just how problematic


    it could be.


    ¡­And the words from his diary entry then came to mind.


    ¡°¡­I am reminded of that fact every day by my fortune; with my business and my Raven, ¡®it had read. ¡®It


    is through her continuous. instruction that I have loyally served and been rewarded for my efforts.¡¯


    ¡°¡­Her continuous instruction.¡¯ As in, someone else was helping him. Could she have been the one


    telling my father who I really was?


    ¡­Was my adoption perhaps more nned than I thought?


    I leaned backwards, my back hitting my dresser with a loud thud, and, slowly, I sunk to the floor.


    I hadn¡¯t been back to the orphanage since the day my father hade for me. Whenever I thought


    about it, I still recalled the blood of the children I¡¯d hurt. My time there had not been pleasant. Only full


    of fear and pain. Longing for a family I couldn¡¯t remember.


    ¡­But what if I was missing something? What if my records had information in them that could help me


    learn more?


    ¡­What if¡­ what if there were others out there who knew what I was? That alone could be incredibly


    dangerous information.


    My eyes nced over to where I¡¯d stashed the stolen Ashwood book under a pile of clothes. Out of


    sight, out of mind. Or so I¡¯d thought.


    It was clear that there were still many pressing questions that were left unanswered. Questions that I


    knew my father would not answer easily. And, besides, if all of this was a misunderstanding, I didn¡¯t


    want to drag him into the mess I¡¯d created. If I was going to use, then it was best I understood more


    first.


    Well¡­ if I was really going to go down this path, then I guess I should stop being self- destructive.


    And it was with that new determination in my head that I then slowly picked myself back up, grabbed


    the book¡­ and left a note for my father.


    ¡®I¡¯m going back to where it all began,¡¯ it read. ¡®Be home soon.¡¯ 2


    ¡®Sincerely,


    Your Raven.¡¯

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 39


    This was the riskiest venture I¡¯d done since returning from Ashwood.


    Not only was I now leaving the protection of my father¡¯s reach, but I was willingly jumping down a rabbit


    hole that could potentially bring more problems in its wake. Opening myself up to secrets I might


    eventually regret uncovering.


    But I couldn¡¯t go on like this anymore.


    To continue as I was would only lead to destroying myself or others, possibly bringing more harm than I


    knew how to fix. *If it was even fixable. I could only hope that Zac would recover and stop treating me


    like¡­ whatever that was.


    However, it was clear that there were things at work behind the scenes that weren¡¯t immediately


    obvious. Things that mighte back to bite me whether I liked it or not.


    And so I had to start with what information I did have.


    ¡­ Information that led me to staring at an old iron woven gate, a chilling familiarity about it.


    Because it was this very gate that belonged to the ce I¡¯d called home for some time.


    The orphanage I¡¯d been adopted from.


    I took a moment to calm my nerves, contemting whether this was really a good idea. But the drive


    here had already taken several hours to arrive, it now being morning already, and it was time that I¡¯d


    spent mulling over this very dilemma.


    And, ultimately, I went through with what I came here to do.


    ¡­.I entered through the gate.


    The orphanage looked to still be in business, several children running around in the distance on a


    grassy green field. From the path, I could hear theirughter, hear how they were all enjoying


    themselves. A vastly different experience than what I could remember of my own. time here.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    I was greeted inside by an olderdy attending the counter. She looked vaguely familiar, assumedly


    someone who had been here during my residency. I hoped that was a good thing.


    Upon walking in, her eyes immediately scrutinised me.


    ¡°Hi¡­ yes,¡± I said, approaching. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you, but I was just looking to get some information. I


    ah¡­ I used to live here and was hoping that you might have my old records still avable. My name


    is-.¡±


    ¡°Rheyna,¡± she finished, her face lightening in recognition.


    ¡°You remember me?¡± I asked, a little shocked.


    It¡¯d been sixteen years since my adoption.


    She had to have seen thousands of childrene through these doors since then.


    ¡°Yes¡­,¡± she said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s not often kids leave such an¡­ impact¡­ as you did.


    Your time here was as memorable as your distinctive appearance. It¡¯s hard to forget golden eyes such


    as yours.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­,¡± was all I could say.


    I was sure the memorable impact was referring to the incident I¡¯d caused. Hospitalising children was


    sure to traumatise a person.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you¡¯ve grown up well despite having a difficult time here,¡± she said, a small smile on


    her lips. ¡°A sessful adoption is all I can really hope for the kids here. To this day, it still breaks my


    heart whenever I see any return. Failed adoptions happen only too often. Though¡­.¡±


    She then paused to look at me closer, confusion showing on her face. ¡°I am a little surprised to see you


    back here. Mr Reid paid a significant donation to our facility upon your adoption. It was clear that the


    lifestyle and devotion he could provide for you was a head above the rest for candidacy. I would have


    thought that you¡¯d have all but forgotten about your time here.¡±


    Something about what she¡¯d said struck me as odd and, as I took a moment to think about it more, I


    realised what it was.


    ¡­ ¡®Head above the rest for candidacy.¡¯


    As in, there was more than one candidate asking to adopt me.


    In a ce where children were lucky to have even one person express interest, this seemed very odd


    to me. Especially considering the behavioural record I must have had here.


    ¡°My father provided me with a¡­ fulfilling life,¡± I said carefully. ¡°To this day, I continue to work for the


    family business with him closely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I naturally have questions about my past,¡± I continued. ¡°If possible, I was hoping to look at my


    records. Perhaps anything to do with my adoption or¡­ how I came to be here.¡±


    She looked serious as she listened to my request, the lines on her face creasing.


    ¡°¡­You are of age now,¡± she said slowly. This request is within your rights. Please wait for a moment as


    I find them.¡±


    And with that, she disappeared through a back office door where she remained for some time. I paced


    in the lobby as she searched for the records, doing my best to remain as patient as possible despite


    the loud thumping in my chest.


    I¡¯d stopped caring for my birth family once I¡¯d been adopted. I never so much as had an itch to go


    looking for them. To me, only my father had mattered. The one who had lifted me out of this ce and


    given me shelter. Given me a life and purpose, someone to nurture the issues I¡¯d presented with as a


    child rather than fear me for it.


    Now I knew that some things couldn¡¯t be ignored for long. That I couldn¡¯t change my blood, change


    who and what I was. Ashwood had made that perfectly clear.


    ¡°I should start off by apologising to you first,¡± said thedy, entering the room once more. ¡°From the


    very beginning, your time here was filled with difficulties outside your control. I can see you¡¯ve grown


    into a well-adjusted, beautiful youngdy, and I tell you these things now not to upset you, but to


    provide you with some understanding.¡±


    I walked back over to the desk and saw she¡¯d retrieved my records. Only, in the ce where my name


    should have been, it looked like someone had gone over it with a ck marker to censor it. Almost as if


    someone was removing my identity from it. Perhaps just another way my father hid my existence.


    ¡°Please tell me,¡± I said, tearing my eyes away from the folder.


    She took a deep breath in, her expression bing solemn.


    ¡°From the very beginning, you were treated¡­ different,¡± she started. ¡°It was something I was aware of


    but not in its entirety. I now know that the extent of that treatment went beyond the norm¡­ and I need


    to sincerely apologise for myck of vignce. I should have tried to protect you better.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You mean the bullying from


    the older children?¡±


    She paused before shaking her head. ¡°¡­]


    wish it had just been from the children. After your adoption, I started to hear whispers of how happy the


    staff were to see you gone. I was appalled. Especially since the horrific incident that day could have


    cost us significantly in potentially losing Mr Reid¡¯s donation, something we were in dire need of.


    Immediately, I began looking into it and realised that I¡¯d missed all the signs. It became obvious that


    most of the bullying was being orchestrated by the staff, urging the children to be cautious of you. All


    because


    She paused, looking unsure how to proceed.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hold any resentment towards you,¡± I said, trying to encourage her to continue. ¡°I can¡¯t change


    the past now. All I¡¯m looking for is the honest truth. No matter how difficult that might be.¡±


    Slowly, she nodded her head in understanding.


    ¡°¡­It was because of the circumstances surrounding your arrival,¡± she finished.


    ¡°How I came to be here?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­,¡± she said. ¡°The staff were¡­ spooked, I suppose. You were found by a truck driver on the side


    of the road, miles away from here. Nothing in sight for as far as the eye could see. Just an area


    completely overrun with deserted woods. You were brought to us covered in blood¡­ and wouldn¡¯t


    speak a word.¡±


    I looked down at my hands and, for a split second, thought I could remember a sh of the memory.


    The feeling of being numb and afraid.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t speak a word for two whole months, no matter how hard the police and I tried to find out


    where you came from or what happened,¡± she continued. ¡± You¡¯d just¡­ stare at us with those intense


    eyes of yours silently. An air about you that unnerved many with uncertainty, wondering what your true


    origins may be. It wasn¡¯t until we found you ying with arge dog one day that you did eventually


    speak.¡±


    ¡­Arge dog?


    ¡°¡­You spoke¡­ and told us your name, she said. ¡°But it was unfortunately toote to stop the rumours


    and superstitions from the staff at this point. I found outter that this bias would go on to create the


    foundation of your mistreatment. I wish I¡¯d known back then how bad it really was. Maybe then I could


    have stopped¡­ no, maybe I could have helped you feel more epted, having no need tosh out as


    you did.¡±


    I swallowed back the difort from her words and tried to focus on what I¡¯de here to do. But it


    was difficult not to realise what she was saying. I¡¯d been so worried that the incident was going to make


    getting answers problematic but, instead, she was the one apologising to


    ¡­She was saying that it hadn¡¯t been my fault.


    ¡°Did you¡­ Did you ever find out anything about my birth family?¡± I asked, clearing my throat.


    But she shook her head. ¡°No¡­ nothing officially.¡±


    Though I found that a strange way to phrase it.


    ¡­What about¡­ unofficially?¡±


    And she immediately hesitated, confirming my hunch.


    ¡°We normally can¡¯t disclose information rting to other parties¡­,¡± she said slowly, cing a hand on


    my file. ¡± However, I feel as though your time here was filled with¡­ special circumstances.¡±


    And I watched as she then opened my folder up and began rifling through the papers inside.


    ¡°There was one other person bidding to adopt you,¡± she said as she looked through it. ¡°They¡­ imed


    to be rted to you.¡±


    My breathing stopped at hearing that.


    ¡°She seemed like a sweet girl, albeit looked very young, however we unfortunately couldn¡¯t verify her,¡±


    she said. ¡°She had no papers or identifying documents. Nothing to prove her rtionship to you.


    Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t hand you over and she was subjected to the normal channels of the


    adoption process. Of which, she failed in almost every aspect. She couldn¡¯t even hand us a driver¡¯s


    license.¡±


    ¡­She was a werewolf. She had to be.


    Kieran had mentioned that Ashwood had only opened up trade with humans in recent times. Before


    this, they had keptpletely to themselves. So, of course she had no paperwork¡­ their entire lives


    were separate and secretive.


    But it still left one very important question;


    ¡­Who was she?


    The same person who was helping my father? But if that was the case, why hide her existence from


    me? She was clearly trying hard to adopt me. Seems like a lot of effort for someone to go through


    before erasing themself from my life entirely.


    Perhaps there were more people involved in this than I realised.


    ¡°¡­Did they leave any contact details? A name?¡± I asked. ¡°A phone number?¡±


    That seemed like wishful thinking considering it was a punishable offence to use a cellr device, but I


    had to try.


    ¡°No¡­ it was too long ago for me to recall her name. She also didn¡¯t have a phone.


    Yet another of her oddities,¡± she said.


    And my heart sank. I knew it had been too much to hope for.


    ¡°That being said¡­,¡± she continued, and my eyes immediately snapped back up to look at her. ¡°¡­She


    did leave an address. If that¡¯s what you can call it. It was the only bit of information she filled in on her


    application.¡±


    ¡°¡­Where is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll help much,¡± she said. ¡± There¡¯s no specific street name provided. Just the name of a


    ce I¡¯ve never heard of before.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± I pushed anxiously.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    And she proceeded to turn the folder around for me to look at the form in question.


    Just three words printed there that I wasn¡¯t expecting to see, knowing immediately what it meant.


    ¡°¡­¡±The Silver Mist¡¯,¡± she read.


    And, instantly, I felt myself freeze up.


    The Council of the Silver Mist, created by the forming of two packs: The Winter


    Mist and The Silver Lake.


    The ce of my birth family¡¯s pack. A pack said to all be dead now after losing the war with Ashwood.


    It was information that therefore meant one very crucial thing¡­. 1


    Either, someone had left this here as a trap to one day bait me into showing myself or¡­.


    ¡­ Or I might not be the only survivor. 3

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    Book Two-Ch.# 40


    The possibility of having family still alive felt a little too good to be true, though it was hard to disregard


    what thedy was saying. A lot of time had passed since I was a child, yet there was potentially


    someone out there iming to be rted to me, to be from the same pack I apparently once belonged


    to.


    ¡®iming¡¯ being the keyword.


    It would be na?ve topletely believe it so easily. I¡¯d already been burnt by Ashwood for trusting too


    much and I didn¡¯t wish to repeat this.


    But if she *was* my family¡­ could that maybe mean¡­?


    ¡°Be careful, Rheyna,¡± thedy added in my silence. ¡°I can see you¡¯re eager to find whoever this is but¡­


    I wouldn¡¯t get your hopes up. Even putting aside her inability to provide documents, she was also


    vague on *how* she was rted to you, something that seemed a little strange. I know you might wish


    her to be your mother, but there wasn¡¯t much resemnce between the two of you.¡±


    She pointed out the same concerns I¡¯d already thought of, killing the small piece of hope I¡¯d had that


    maybe my birth mother was still alive. If anything, she now made me warier about tracking her down.


    ¡°I appreciate the insight and your time,¡± I said genuinely. ¡°You¡¯ve been extremely helpful.¡±


    And as I said my goodbyes, I then turned around to leave, heading back to my car with a feeling of


    relief. I didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer than I had to, the ce still making me ufortable.


    Even if things really hadn¡¯t been my fault as she¡¯d said, it still didn¡¯t magically make me reminisce


    fondly.


    As soon as I was back in the driver¡¯s seat,


    I reached over to grab the stolen Ashwood book and began skimming through it for information, hoping


    to try and find something to tell me the location. This was the only source of information I had ess to


    that might shed some insight into the Silver Mist.


    From what I was able to read, the town within the pack was supposed to bepletely abandoned


    now, having been destroyed during the war. And, just as I¡¯d already assumed, the book mostly boasted


    about Ashwood¡¯s sessful victories against them more so than any real information. A few notable


    figures, a few strategies used¡­.


    ¡­But then I found it.


    A map.


    A way to get to the remote location, seemingly miles into what I¡¯d thought was just woods my whole life.


    This was it. My way of finding the Silver Mist.


    ¡­And as I ced the book back down, I immediately started driving towards it.


    Getting to the Silver Mist was significantly more difficult than I¡¯d anticipated. I suppose I should have


    expected this given they¡¯d gone forever undetected by the human world, but I¡¯d thought there would still


    be some easy way in and out avable to those who needed to know.


    Of course, I¡¯d been wrong.


    ording to the map, the Silver Mist was surrounded by packs on all sides, itsnd on top of a


    mountain deep within the woods. And, though there was awork of roads that travelled


    independently between these packs, there was still the issue of *getting* to those roads.


    Roads that were seemingly guarded by other packs to gain ess to them. Almost like gatekeepers


    scattered along different entry points where it bordered human territory.


    It seemed a little crazy to think that they needed to travel through someone else¡¯snd just to enter the


    human area, but I suppose they had no need to go there. Or, as I thought on it more, I realised there


    possibly was another option¡­ though it was not avable to me. An option of shifting¡­ and running


    through the unimed woods as a wolf.


    s¡­ I was going to be reliant on my car for this one.


    The closest gatekeeping pack wasn¡¯t too far from the orphanage, just a few hours¡¯ drive west. With any


    luck, this ce had a way for me to drive through it without any problems.


    However, this immediately proved difficult as the first major obstacle revealed itself; being able to just


    find the pack¡¯s entrance.


    From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it looked like an average dirt driveway to someone¡¯s house. But after


    going past it multiple times, I realised that it was in fact what I was looking for. The only possible option.


    And, cautiously, I proceeded to drive up it.


    Already, it was clear how different it was from Ashwood. Where one had opened trade with humans


    and established a way to ess it easily, this pack appeared to want to keep people far, far away. I


    was several metres down the road when I started to see the signs that were posted.


    Big red ones with the words ¡®private property ¨C keep out¡¯.


    But I remained undeterred.


    Slowly, I crept up the road as quietly as possible, going only far enough until I could see a structure in


    the distance. It was here that I parked and began to look around.


    If I had to take a guess, I¡¯d say that the building was a house for border control. What I needed to find


    though was an alternate route around it¡­ maybe try to find a-.


    *knock* *knock* *knock*


    I violently jumped in my seat as someone tapped on my window, taking me byplete surprise. They


    must have walked up in my blind spot as I was focused forward.


    ¡°Hello? Miss?¡± said the man. ¡°Can you wind your window down please?¡±


    Okay¡­ okay¡­ time to think fast.


    My mind started to whirl with what to do as Iplied with his request, shing a bright smile in the


    process.


    ¡°Oh! You scared me!¡± Iughed. ¡°Sorry about that. I was lost in thought.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to share my enthusiasm. though, maintaining his stoic expression.


    ¡°What are your intentions here?¡± he asked, cutting straight to the point.


    ¡°Oh¡­ uh, I¡¯m just trying to pass through. Hope that¡¯s not too much trouble.¡±


    His eyes narrowed as he peered at me closer, sniffing several times.


    ¡°Which pack are you from? The Silent Forest wasn¡¯t informed of anyoneing through here today.¡±


    Oh, fuck.


    I didn¡¯t exactly take the time to memorise the geography and knew that looking down at the map next to


    me would probably be a dead giveaway.


    ¡­Which only left one option. The only ce that came to mind.


    My smile tensed as I forced it in ce.


    ¡°Ashwood,¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯m from¡­ Ashwood.¡±


    ¡°Ashwood?¡± he repeated. ¡°What brings you through here then? Ashwood has their own ess point.¡±


    ¡°R-right,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I just came from doing business in Lockdale City and I¡¯m heading directly south


    now. Was hoping to avoid driving all the way up north again first.¡±


    ¡°They allowed you into Lockdale?¡­Who are you anyway? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Were unranked members not allowed in the city? That sounded vaguely familiar but didn¡¯t think it would


    be this much of an issue. It was starting to feel as though I were sinking in quicksand with these lies,


    my knowledge sorelycking to navigate the situation.


    ¡°¡­My name?¡± I dyed, thinking through my options, but it was clear there was only one choice here.


    Only one female from Ashwood who could possibly pass as important enough. ¡°My name is¡­ Allison.


    Allison Lycroft.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Victor¡¯s daughter?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yep¡­ that¡¯s me. I¡¯m¡­ Victor¡¯s daughter,¡± I said. ¡°Uh¡­ Kieran¡¯s¡­ sister.¡±


    He seemed taken aback by my im, only adding to his confused expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s down south for you?¡± he asked. ¡± I didn¡¯t think Ashwood had any business in that region right


    now. If there was an alliance meeting, we would have been made aware.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ visiting a friend.¡±


    ¡°From which pack?¡±


    Goddammit. This wasn¡¯t going to work.


    Time to switch approaches.


    ¡°Is that any of your business?¡± I asked pointedly. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you who I am and why I am here.


    This interrogation is incredibly disrespectful.¡±


    Kieran had said that Ashwood climbed to power after the war. Since this person mentioned an alliance,


    I was hoping that it meant the Lycroft name came with some weight and associated perks.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t help me,¡± I continued, ¡±


    then just say so. But I¡¯ll be sure to let my father know about my experience here toda-.¡±


    ¡°No, no, please, I apologise,¡± he said quickly. ¡°I meant no offence. It¡¯s just we can¡¯t be too careful with


    outsiders these days. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the inted rogue problem since the war.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­,¡± I said. ¡°Those¡­ damn devil rogues.¡±


    The man spat on the ground. ¡°Good riddance. Best damn thing Ashwood ever did was create those


    suppressors. Your father is a hero.¡±


    The book had mentioned something about the rogues, this being the issue I assumed he was referring


    to. After the war, the unranked who didn¡¯t repent for their loyalty to the Silver Mist were condemned to


    live the life of a rogue.


    1M23


    Given the size of the pack, this created a ratherrge shift in the prior poption.


    And as for the ranked members¡­? Well, there wasn¡¯t a poption issue there anymore.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m so blessed by our Great Mother to have him as my father,¡± I said, hoping it sounded like


    something Allison would say.


    To my relief, he nodded inplete agreement.


    ¡°Praise Selene,¡± he said.


    I thought that this was a good sign that he would finally let me through¡­ but then he took a step


    backwards.


    ¡°Well, I hope you don¡¯t mind waiting. I¡¯ll just need to grab one of the ranked members here to verify


    you,¡± he said. ¡± Should be a friendly face. You would have met Beta Kevin a few months ago when he


    came to visit. Give me a-.¡±


    ¡°WAIT,¡± I said, a little too loudly.


    He turned back around at my outburst in surprise.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I, uhh¡­ I think you should just let me through.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even think of any more lies and was in full panic mode.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Let me through,¡± I repeated. ¡°¡­ Please.¡±


    ¡°I will, but I need to get Beta Kevin first


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No¡­?¡±


    If there was ever a time I wanted to use this stupid ability, it was now. This thing that made me the devil


    they saw me as, yet couldn¡¯t seem to control.


    Was there like an on-switch or something ¡­?..


    ¡°Why are you protesting this?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s awfully suspicious¡­.¡¯


    And as he moved to retrieve a weapon, I knew I was out of time. The jig was up.


    This was it.


    Sink or swim.


    But right before I was about to ept thatbat might be my only choice, I thought I felt something


    inside.


    A spark. Something that calmed me as I reached for it, my body stilling just like that time in Ashwood


    with the guard.


    ¡­And as I grabbed it, a burst of energy flowed through me.


    ¡°I said¡­ *let me pass through*,¡± I repeated. ¡°*Right now. No more questions.


    His body then seemed to hesitate, his hand rxing on his weapon.


    ¡°¡­Of course,¡± he said, his voice distant.¡± My apologies, Miss Lycroft.¡±


    I stared at him for a moment to make sure it was real, not wanting to risk being exposed. But when I


    was confident that he really was going to let me pass without issue, I didn¡¯t waste any more time.


    I stepped on the gas and started driving through the Silent Forest pack as quickly as I could. Driving


    without stopping until I finally found the main connecting road leading out. At which, I began my long


    journey south, silently praying that this would all be worth it.


    That I hadn¡¯t just jeopardised myself for the sake of a trap.


    And so I drove.


    And drove¡­ and drove. For what felt like hours. Probably made worse by constantly checking my rear-


    view mirror in fear, but I was in apletely new world now, no way to escape easily if I were caught.


    ¡­Which, luckily, I wasn¡¯t.


    There was no mistaking when I did finally arrive, the Silver Mist fitting the description from the book


    perfectly.


    ¡­Because as I was greeted by the sight of destroyed buildings everywhere, I was reminded of how


    this ce was now said to be cursed.


    It was an abandoned ghost town, a silent eeriness about it that sent a chill through me. Reverted to just


    a wreckage of what looked to have been a thriving town once upon a time.


    Was this really the ce I had been born?


    Somewhere in this¡­ rubble?


    I parked the car and decided to travel on foot, searching for signs of life. But, as I explored, I only felt a


    hollow aching inside, a sadness from being here. I might not have consciously remembered this ce,


    but as I walked by a park full of dead grass, it seemed at least a part of me deep down did.


    A line of what looked to be restaurants and cafes then passed me by, their windows now shattered and


    paint all faded. Just a broken shell of what used to be there. Across the street, it was much the same,


    some clothing stores mirroring a simr appearance.


    It was overwhelming to look at.


    People had lived here once. This was their home.


    ¡­And it was all gone.


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    All¡­ destroyed. Nothing left.


    I walked in a daze, allowing my feet to move on autopilot. Wandering aimlessly through the empty


    streets of the ce I should have been allowed to call home growing up. But it was as I walked that I


    eventually found myself standing before a building.


    ¡­One appearing somewhat untouched, unlike its neighbours.


    There was something about it, a certain quality that felt different. Almost as if it was¡­ maintained.


    As if someone had been here recently.


    I sniffed at the area, checking the perimeter, and it wasn¡¯t long before I found a trail to confirm my


    suspicion.


    ¡­Someone was living here.


    Was this the girl who had tried to adopt me all those years ago?


    I guess there was only one way to find out


    And, silently, I pulled out my dagger¡­ approaching the front door carefully.


    Despite my attempts of stealth though, it seemed I hadn¡¯t been subtle enough.


    Because before I could even make it to the first step, I watched as the door then swung open before


    me.


    It swung open¡­ and revealed a young girl with brown hair standing there, a weird familiarity about her.


    She didn¡¯t look much older than me, possibly mid- twenties.


    ¡­This meant she couldn¡¯t have been the girl from sixteen years ago.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± she demanded, holding a dagger of her own towards me. ¡°You have some nerve


    coming here-.¡±


    But as she finally took a moment to really look at me, her blue eyes instantly grew wide, the dagger


    slipping from her fingers.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh, Goddess¡­,¡± she whispered. Rheyna? Rheyna, is that you?!¡±


    Tears started to fall down her cheeks, a sob leaving her chest, and all the while this happened, I felt


    frozen in ce. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do or how to act.


    ¡°Goddess¡­ it is you¡­ it is you¡­,¡± she continued to cry. ¡°Those eyes¡­.¡¯


    And she immediately ran forward, pulling me into her arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re home. You found your way home ¡­ I can¡¯t believe it. I was starting to lose hope that I¡¯d ever


    see you again.¡±


    I remained tense as she held me, not immediately recognising her, and yet unable to deny her clear


    affection towards me. She wasn¡¯t acting like an enemy¡­ so did this mean my family really was still


    alive? Perhaps she was a slightly older cousin?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­,¡± I said a little awkwardly, pulling away. ¡°But I, um¡­ I don¡¯t know who you are.¡±


    However, she didn¡¯t seem offended in the slightest and simply wiped the tears away from her face.


    ¡°No, I should be the one apologising,¡± she said. ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t recognise me. We never had


    the chance to meet properly when you were a child.¡±


    And as she grabbed my hands in hers, she proceeded to introduce herself as someone that made me


    think I¡¯d misheard her.


    No, I had to have misheard her¡­ because¡­.


    ¡°¡­My name is Myra,¡± she said, gently smiling. ¡°¡­I¡¯m your great-great- grandmother.¡±

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 41


    ¡®Beware the Silver Saintess, her hair as silken thread. With her consort mate of power, the people wept


    and bled.¡¯


    ¡®And beware the Siren¡¯s call, his eyes as gold as ore. With whispers of maniption, they¡¯ll hold you in


    their thrall.¡¯


    ¡®And if you breathe despite this, a devil still awaits.¡¯


    ¡®Because forever lives another¡­.¡±


    ¡®¡­The deathless angel mate.¡¯


    The words of Allison¡¯s recited passage repeated through my head, echoing like a bad dream. An


    impossible dream. How could she be¡­?


    But there was no mistaking it. With the confirmation of who she was, I realised why she looked so


    familiar. I¡¯d seen a painting of her inside Ashwood¡¯s Moon Goddess temple.


    They¡¯d depicted her with sapphire-like eyes and shadowy wings.


    So¡­ did that mean she really was¡­?


    ¡°¡­I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m following ¡°I stuttered out, struggling to wrap my head around the new


    information. ¡°Did you say¡­ great-great-grandmother? ¡­How are you alive?¡±


    Myra justughed though and moved a hand to cup her cheek. But despite this abashed outward


    demeanour, I thought I caught something in her eye. A look of¡­ sadness. As if she¡¯d seen many things


    in her lifetime.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been asking myself that question for a long time¡­,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions


    and I¡¯m happy to exin everything I can. First things first though¡­.¡± She then tugged on my hand


    gently, indicating for me to follow. ¡°Come inside. and have some tea. You look tired.¡±


    And, stunned, I followed mutely behind her, unable to do anything else.


    This was a so-called Devil of the Mist? The way Allison had spoken, I¡¯d assumed my entire family were


    bloodthirsty savages, the worst of the worst.


    However, Myra seemed so sweet, so¡­ normal. Well, except for the fact she was iming to be over a


    hundred years old.


    That bit felt a bit¡­ surreal.


    She walked us through the front door and into a living room, a cosy vibe about it. I¡¯d assumed this


    ce was maybe an apartmentplex but it seemed more open and¡­ homey.


    ¡°Make yourselffortable,¡± she said before walking into the next room.


    I could hear as she began brewing tea, just as she said she would, and I was left to stare at my


    surroundings. I looked around at the old furniture, but it was a set of portraits on the wall that drew my


    attention the most.


    ¡°My parents,¡± she answered a few minutester, returning with two cups. ¡°Thest generation to live


    here. After my children were born, things got a little¡­ busy. The family business wasn¡¯t as important in


    the grand scheme of running a pack.¡±


    ¡°And what business is that?¡± I asked, taking the tea from her.


    ¡°This used to be an orphanage,¡± she exined. ¡°Though¡­ I imagine we ran it a little differently than


    the human one you lived at briefly.¡±


    ¡°So that really was you then? All those years ago?¡± I asked. ¡°You were the one who tried to adopt me?¡±


    Her expression became forlorn and she looked away.


    ¡°¡­I did everything I could¡­,¡± she said quietly, her voice sounding distant. ¡°When they refused to listen


    to me, I began trying to get my hands on some forged human documents. However¡­ when you¡¯re


    being hunted by even your own kind, it¡¯s not easy to find friends willing to help you. When I inevitably


    gave up on official methods, I decided to try and steal you away instead¡­ only I was toote.


    Someone had adopted you and miraculously it was as if all trace of you had vanished.¡±


    My father. So, he really had been responsible for covering it up at the orphanage too. I¡¯d had a feeling


    the censored-out folder was his doing. Therge ¡®donation¡¯ made sense now.


    ¡°Where did you go, Rheyna¡­?¡± she asked, looking back to meet my eyes. ¡°I searched everywhere I


    could.¡±


    My mind shed with the answer, recalling the upbringing I¡¯d experienced, and immediately felt


    ufortable. It wasn¡¯t an easy topic.


    ¡°¡­I was adopted by a human,¡± I said vaguely.


    ¡°And were you happy? Did they treat you well?¡±


    Not really¡­.


    But it was clear that she felt guilty for not being able to find me. She was looking at me as if she


    needed me to tell her that I¡¯d had a great life, that I¡¯d beenpletely fine despite losing my real family.


    That I hadn¡¯t suffered at all.


    And so I just smiled, hoping I looked believable enough.


    ¡°Oh¡­ it was okay,¡± I answered. ¡°Pretty average. Nothing you need to worry about. Just your typical-.¡±


    *CLAPP*


    I-flinched backwards as Myra abruptly pped loudly in front of my face, taking me by surprise.


    ¡°Why did yo-.¡±


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    ¡°No influencing,¡± she said crossly, scolding me as if I were a child. ¡°Not under my roof.¡± But then her


    features quickly softened, a small sigh leaving her. ¡°Please don¡¯t feel like you need to lie for my sake,


    Rheyna. You don¡¯t need to sway me with reassurance. I¡¯m tougher than I look.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, still stunned in ce. ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing anything¡­.¡±


    ¡°I raised generations of Knight children. It¡¯s very obvious what you were doing.¡±


    And she gave me a stern look.


    ¡­.Had I actually been doing something? I had nned to lie about my upbringing, sure, but I hadn¡¯t


    intended to try and ¡®influence¡¯ her. Not intentionally. Did this mean I was doing it without realising?


    ¡°You seem quite skilled at it, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± she then pointed out, her head tilting a little. ¡°Had I not


    been on guard, you might have actually fooled me. That would have made you the first since¡­.¡±


    Her face then turned sad once more, a pain showing in her eyes. Perhaps someone she lost?


    ¡­Though if she had lived for as long as she¡¯d said, I imagined that list was quite long.


    After a minute went by, she quietly sighed to herself and shook her head, breaking her own chain of


    thought. When she did finally look back towards me, I knew she was trying her best to lighten the


    conversation. ¡°With those eyes, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that you¡¯d manifest with it. Though, truthfully, I


    don¡¯t know if that makes me happy or sad.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, curiously.


    This was something I¡¯d been wanting to know for a long time. About my ability and what made us


    ¡®devils¡¯. Hell, even an exnation for how I was able to talk to her at all right now would have been


    appreciated.


    ¡°Our lineages are a bit muddled currently,¡± she started. ¡°But whenever a child is born, the universe sort


    of¡­ flips a coin. A fifty per cent chance that the eldest will manifest with one ability or the other. The


    second eldest child will then inherit the remaining one. That is if they even show signs at all. Merely


    having the potential inside isn¡¯t always enough to harness it. Some of the children never show any


    aptitude at all.¡±


    ¡°So that means I could have ended up like you?¡± I asked. ¡°Would I also not¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not age?¡± she provided with a small smile. ¡°No, my circumstance is a little¡­ unique. At most, those


    who take after me. remain looking youthful for a bit longer¡­ but, unlike me, they do eventually pass


    on¡­ everyone always does.¡±


    There was a hollowness in the way she said that. I could feel the weight of her grief, imagining what it


    was like to watch everyone she knew slowly die.


    ¡­To have loved ones, and yet to always be left behind when they passed.


    It must be horrible.


    ¡°Tell me more,¡± I said, pressing for answers. ¡°I want to know everything about what we are and why I¡¯m


    like this. Why¡­ I¡¯m a devil.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± she snapped suddenly, a crease forming between her brows. ¡°No. We don¡¯t use that term.¡±


    ¡°What?¡­¡¯Devil¡¯? Isn¡¯t that what we are though?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you heard that, but we don¡¯t use thatnguage here,¡± she said.


    It was a bizarre feeling of being continually told off by someone who looked around my age, yet spoke


    like someone much older. She somehow managed to keep making me feel like a child despite her


    appearance.


    ¡°The lies that spread, due to fear from small -minded people, do not make you a devil,¡± she said, still


    frowning. ¡°What we did here¡­ we made history. Amazing strides of equality that revolutionised our


    kind¡¯s archaic ways of life. But as with all greedy people in power who¡¯d prefer what only benefits


    them¡­ they chose to rely on rumours and half-truths to weaponise their agenda. Our abilities that they


    feared so much gave us a position to dictate change in our world unquestionably, unable to be


    defeated in battle nor denied¡­ so they resorted to methods belonging to cowards. An effect that


    rippled through the generations until it resulted in what it unfortunately did.¡±


    ¡­So, we¡¯re not evil?¡± I asked. ¡°These abilities weren¡¯t used to hurt innocent people?¡±


    And she immediately set her tea down and held my head in her hands.


    ¡°No,¡± she said firmly. ¡°Our abilities are merely a manifestation of our lineage. Ties to the original


    werewolves, the embodiment of Thea¡¯s power. Or¡­ that is true for you at least. I am not a direct


    descendent¡­ more like an adopted one.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t making any sense to me,¡± I said honestly.


    And she rxed, moving back once more as her smile returned. ¡°I had the same reaction when I was


    your age.¡±


    Before I could ask her to rify further though, she moved onto the sofa and patted the space next to


    her, indicating for me to join her.


    ¡°Let me exin¡­,¡± she said, taking a deep breath in.


    ¡­And what she proceeded to say only made me more convinced I was losing my mind. That perhaps I


    was asleep and this was some wild, made-up dream I was in.


    ¡°At the beginning of our history, werewolf kind was birthed by the revival of five children, each imbued


    with a piece of the now dead Goddess Thea, Selene¡¯s mother,¡± she exined. ¡°One child held the


    ability of strength, another with foresight; one with perception maniption, another with influential


    reverence¡­ and one with youthful longevity. These are the five abilities that made up the original


    lineages, of which, only three had initially survived into modern history. The other two had been lost


    after being reimed by Thea in her quest


    Once she saw how confused I still was, she waved her hand. ¡°That one is a long story. Perhaps too


    complicated for now.¡±


    ¡°But I still don¡¯t understand how this works,¡± I said. ¡°How is it that you¡¯re able to remain ageless if you¡¯re


    not from these¡­ lineages?¡±


    Though that question seemed to be met with some hesitance, causing her to shift ufortably.


    ¡°Ah¡­ well, you see¡­,¡± she said slowly.


    When I was sixteen, I¡­ died.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    I tensed up, wondering if I was really hearing this right.


    ¡°When one is brought back from the dead by Selene, they are marked upon their back with a double


    crescent moon. This gives them an ultimate authority with the title Saintess,¡± she said. ¡°But it is a piece


    of a God that allows the person to return to the living. The original children manifested with abilities


    upon their revival and, like them, this same process was applied to myself. One of the lost pieces Thea


    had reimed was then bestowed upon me during my restoration. The mark itself amplifies whatever


    latent ability is inside, making it so


    I could not age.


    ¡°How is it possible to return from the dead though?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Thest Saintess, Aria, was distraught by my death and felt responsible,¡± Myra said. ¡± She petitioned


    Selene to gift her with my return¡­ but I don¡¯t think she realised the full consequences of doing so. And


    don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯ve had a very long, fulfilling life ¡­ however, as awful as it might sound, I


    sometimes wish she hadn¡¯t of done it. I harbour a lot of regrets, a lot of pain¡­ losing you just being one


    of many.


    Aria¡­ that was Ariadne, the Silver Saintess?


    The one said to be insane?


    If Myra was telling the truth, it seemed none of the things Ashwood had told me were urate. Just


    what else was false?


    ¡°I had a choice to make,¡± she continued. ¡± When my closest friends all died, I soon realised that, even


    though I may look young, I didn¡¯t feel like it inside. My time had already passed even if my body


    remained. I was tired and just wanted to grieve in peace. It was therefore my decision to leave the pack


    to the next generation, to let it go on as was intended¡­ and I left the Silver Mist. I hid myself away in


    istion, needing a break from it all. It was only once I returned to briefly meet my great-great-


    grandchildren that I discovered the ce was entirely destroyed. I was¡­ toote.¡±


    She must have left before the war, not even realising it was happening.


    ¡°I should have done more to find you, Rheyna,¡± she admitted. ¡°I wanted to keep scouring every town for


    you, to not sleep until I did, but¡­ things quickly changed. I had another choice to make¡­ an


    impossible one at that.¡±


    ¡°And what would tha-.¡±


    But before I could ask, I then heard something from upstairs. It sounded almost like¡­


    ¡­Coughing?


    Immediately, I stood up on high alert.


    ¡°Is someone in the house?¡± I asked, reaching for my dagger.


    But Myra was quick to follow and hold her hands up to stop me.


    ¡°Woah, it¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not an intruder. Let me introduce you.¡± Introduce me? Was this another


    family member? The ce was so quiet that it seemed strange for someone to be in the house and not


    come down upon my arrival.


    They would have had to have heard Myra and I talking.


    But I decided to not question it and, instead, followed behind Myra as she led us up a flight of stairs and


    down a hallway, walking until we finally reached a door. It was here that she then lightly knocked and


    opened it


    There was a bedroom on the other side, nothing too special, but it was a lump under some bedsheets


    that instantly drew my attention.


    ¡­Because it was those bedsheets that then moved¡­ and a girl heaved herself upright into a sitting


    position.


    Her appearance instantly made me take a step backwards in shock.


    She looked just like the Silver Saintess depicted in the temple. Possessing unnatural features that


    made it hard not to stare. With long silver hair and violet eyes, the simrities were uncanny. But, unlike


    in the painting, this girl seemed a lot younger and sickly.


    Dark circles ringed her face, herplexion as pale as her hair. And she was weak¡­


    incredibly so. Appearing to have trouble just sitting up, with no strength to support her tiny frame.


    ¡°¡­This is rissa,¡± Myra said next to me. Born to the other lineage line. She is a descendent of Aria


    and her mate, Aleric.¡±


    However, before I could speak, the girl just simply coughed painfully and looked up at mepletely


    unimpressed.


    ¡°Rheyna,¡± she wheezed out slowly. ¡°¡­What took you so long?¡±

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 42


    ¡°You know me?¡± I asked, surprised.


    She¡¯d somehow known my name and implied we¡¯d met already once before. Had we been childhood


    friends maybe? But that would have been back when I was five years old, her maybe even younger


    than me. That would be such a long time ago to recall.


    Despite this though¡­ I had a nagging in my head as if I¡¯d heard her name recently. Somewhere I


    couldn¡¯t quite ce¡­ At Ashwood perhaps? No¡­ that didn¡¯t seem right.


    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to think on it for long though.


    At my question, rissa instantly looked even less enthused, her eyes narrowing slightly.


    ¡°¡­What kind of dumb question is that?¡± she replied curtly.


    ¡°rissa!¡± Myra snapped. ¡°Where are your manners? Apologise. Right now.¡±


    ¡°But, Myra¡­,¡± she whined. ¡°It¡¯s not-.¡±


    However, rissa wasn¡¯t able to finish her sentence, another coughing fit wracking through her chest.


    ¡°¡­Stupid girl,¡± Myra sighed, walking over to her bedside.


    She wrapped the tiny girl back in her nket and forced her to lie down once more.


    ¡°Rest¡­ you can talkter when you¡¯re feeling stronger,¡± Myra said. ¡°You won¡¯t do yourself any favours


    by pushing yourself.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not feeling that b-.¡±


    Assumedly, the new fit of coughing contradicted whatever she was about to say.


    ¡°Rest,¡± Myra ordered.


    And all I could hear was mumblingints from the bedsheets as I was ushered back outside the


    room.


    ¡°Sorry about her. She can be a bit¡­ blunt sometimes. Thinks she always knows better than everyone


    else.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. No offence taken,¡± I said, waving off the apology. ¡°I am curious though¡­ would it be okay to


    tell me what¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Myra¡¯s face then grew serious, her eyes casting down.


    ¡°I wish I knew¡­,¡± she said slowly. ¡°She¡¯s been prone to sickness ever since I found her. Over the years


    it got progressively worse, though it was still manageable. But then, one day, it was as if she suddenly


    couldn¡¯t get out of bed at all anymore. Like a switch overnight. She was still mostly okay one day¡­ and


    then the next she became what you see now. The poor thing¡­.¡±


    Since Myra found her¡­? So, that meant¡­..


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t keep looking for me all those years ago¡­ because you had to take care of rissa,¡± I


    stated, putting the pieces together.


    Myra became quiet and, after a moment had passed, reluctantly nodded her head.


    ¡°¡­You had to choose between us.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t drag a four year old around, especially whilst we were being hunted,¡± she exined. ¡°And


    rissa isn¡¯t like you¡­ her appearance wouldn¡¯t pass as normal as I knew yours would be able to.


    Then adding into the mix that she was sick as well¡­.? It meant I would be endangering her life for the


    small chance that I would be able to find you. A chance that felt slimmer than finding a needle in a


    haystack.¡±


    ¡°¡­rissa needed you more.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say it with a tone of understanding, more so like it was an irrefutable fact.


    ¡°I¡¯m all she has. Everyone else from her family has died,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I might not be rted to her


    by blood but¡­ every time I look at her¡­ it¡¯s like I can see my best friend still alive. I couldn¡¯t just


    abandon her.¡±


    Myra was all I¡¯d had as well, my only blood family remaining. Didn¡¯t that count for something?


    I felt as tears began to sting at my eyes over hearing this, listening to how I¡¯d had to suffer growing up


    because rissa was made a priority. Did I resent her for that? I wasn¡¯t sure. If I did, then I knew it was


    incredibly selfish of me to think so. It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault, least of all rissa¡¯s.


    ¡°¡­But I know now that I made the right choice,¡± she continued, looking back towards me. ¡°It¡¯s a relief to


    finally see that.¡±


    I frowned. She was happy that she chose her over me?


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Myra moved closer and touched under my chin, lifting my face up.


    ¡°You clearly grew up to be so smart¡­ so beautiful,¡± she said. ¡°I can feel an aura of strength


    surrounding you, something that tells me you were more than capable of looking after yourself. It¡¯s


    obvious that you didn¡¯t need me, Rheyna.¡±


    I bit back at the tears threatening to fall, holding my face firm.


    Because I¡¯d never intended to be strong. I¡¯d had to in order to survive. Every single day was


    another trial, another test¡­ another assignment. Failure was considered worse than death.


    And not just that, but being poisoned¡­ to have no control over my wolf. To not understand my ability,


    nor myself. To be unworthy of my mate. My life was a mess¡­


    I* was a mess. A danger to anyone who got too close.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m far from perfect, Myra,¡± I said honestly, trying to keep my voice steady. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t praise me for


    anything. My upbringing was incredibly challenging, one where I had to do terrible things¡­ a basis for


    many of the issues I¡¯m still battling to this day. I have almost no control over any of it.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I might not be able to fix what is already done¡­,¡± she said, looking as if she was about to cry


    herself. ¡°But I can perhaps help you with what I can. Like for example, your ability¡­ It¡¯s important that


    you learn how to keep that in check. Firing it off without realising can be dangerous, especially when


    you¡¯re quite gifted with it as you seem to be.¡±


    ¡­Yes, that was just one problem of many guing me.


    However, part of me wanted to argue back, to point out that things couldn¡¯t be fixed that easily by just


    helping one thing. But I knew this would be a very petty reaction, one stemming purely out of my


    exhaustion and from the emotionally charged atmosphere of the situation.


    No, just as she had said, she couldn¡¯t fix the things already done. There was no point ming her for


    everything that had gone


    Book Two-Ch. # 42 wrong in my life.


    ¡­And so, I just sighed, forcing myself to rx.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± I said quietly.


    Just one problem that was able to be helped ¡­ yet what felt like a million others still waiting for me.


    ¡°You should rest,¡± Myra said, clearly picking up on just how tired I was. ¡°I imagine your trip here was


    probably not easy.¡±


    ¡°That would be an understatement,¡± I replied.


    She nodded in understanding. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare you a room. Tomorrow, I can help you with your ability and


    answer any more questions. you might have.¡±


    And that was thest thing we discussed that day.


    Before long, I found myself in a strange room, staring up at the ceiling as I waited for sleep to take me.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    There had been so much information thrown at me, most of which was hard to digest. A lot of


    revtions and discoveries. that I couldn¡¯t make up even if I tried. A part of me still wasn¡¯t sure if this


    was even real.


    What did this mean for me now¡­? Did I stay here with Myra and rissa, hiding myself away in the


    ruins of my birthce?


    What about my father? I left him a note saying I would be home soon. There was no doubt in my mind


    that he had people out there trying to find me currently, unhappy with my abrupt departure.


    Well¡­ it was clear I couldn¡¯t change the past ¡­ and I couldn¡¯t predict the future. For now, I was here.


    That was all that mattered.


    And as I drifted to sleep, I dreamt of the same thing I always did these days. The very thing that always


    made me long for something I couldn¡¯t have.


    ¡­I dreamt of Kieran.


    It was veryte into the night when I awoke.


    The house felt quiet, the window showing me just how dark it was outside. And, all the while Iid in


    bed, desperately trying to fall back to sleep, the feeling of my wolf whimpering inside was bing


    unbearable.


    ¡°I know,¡± I groaned in frustration. ¡°Please¡­ stop.¡±


    Their cries for Kieran weren¡¯t as easy to deal with now I wasn¡¯t at home. Normally, I could have had a


    ss of something to soothe me, but here¡­? Well, I doubted they had much luxury when it came to


    supplies. Myra was probably having to hunt for their food.


    Annoyed, I tossed onto my side, trying to drown it out. But, in the end, it proved too much. Between the


    dull pain from a headache and the wolf crying, it really did feel like it was impossible to sleep.


    Maybe some fresh air would be better?


    I heaved myself out of bed and slowly made my way out of the room, heading back to where I


    remembered the front door. As I walked, I noticed how there was something about being here that


    seemed so eerie. Like an unnatural silence about it. Though I suppose that was due to being so far


    away from civilisation. Unlike Ashwood and the city I¡¯d grown up in, this ce was almost entirely


    uninhabited.


    But as I made it back to the living room, my ears did pick up on one thing.


    ¡­The sound of quiet snoresing from the sofa.


    As quietly as I could, I inspected the source of the noise and found Myra had fallen asleep there. With a


    book in hand, her body was curled upfortably, looking as if she¡¯d passed out even before turning


    off themp next to her.


    She looked¡­ so young.


    Perhaps even younger than me as she slept, a peacefulness about her that erased the signs of pain


    she carried whilst awake. Just what did someone over a hundred years old even dream about anyway?


    So many things. must have happened, so many different people met.


    But as she shifted her body slightly on the sofa, I seemed to get my answer.


    ¡°¡­Cai,¡± she whispered. 2


    They must have been incredibly important to her, able to still consume her thoughts even after all this


    time. I could only hope to be that important to someone one day.


    And as my mind flicked back to Kieran, I was reminded of why I¡¯de downstairs.


    I swallowed back the painful thoughts threatening to remind me and decided to continue on my way


    outside. However, before doing so, I stopped to pull a nket over Myra, grabbing the book out of her


    hand.


    ¡­Something that identally caused her to stir.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­ what?¡± she mumbled sleepily, waking up. ¡°Cai? ¡­Oh. Rheyna?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to wake you. Was just going outside for some air.¡±


    She sat up and rubbed at her eyes. ¡°No¡­ you¡¯re fine. I must have fallen asleep whilst reading. I find


    books help get my mind off of things.¡¯


    An escape. I could definitely rte to that right now. Only, her idea sounded far healthier.


    ¡°Anything good?¡± I asked, sitting down next to her.


    But she gave me a small smile and shook her head. ¡°Just a dumb fantasy novel. It¡¯s my favourite


    though. I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve read it.¡±


    I could see that. The book looked like it was barely holding together, possessing several makeshift


    repairs with duct tape. I guess she really didn¡¯t want it to fall apart.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± she asked, bringing my attention back.


    ¡°I slept a little,¡± I admitted. ¡°Just¡­ there is a lot on my mind.¡±


    And she nodded. ¡°It can be an adjustment at first. When you¡¯re not used to it, the information can make


    you feel like you¡¯re drowning.¡±


    Yes¡­ That was urate.


    ¡°I was unranked before¡­ all of this,¡± she continued, filling the silence. ¡°No one even looked my way


    most of the time. I went from what felt like the very bottom of the pack, barely knowing anything¡­ to


    being one of the core people involved in its management, a keeper of our kind¡¯s oldest forgotten


    secrets. It was a hard learning curve, particrly when I thought the biggest highlight of my life would


    just be settling down with a mate one day.¡± 1


    ¡°¡­Did you ever get that wish?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes¡­ and much more,¡± she said. ¡°My Cai gave me a life beyond anything I could have hoped for. He


    was one of the first people to make me feel like I mattered, that I could be more than¡­ just the girl who


    worked at their parent¡¯s orphanage. My happiest days were back when we were all together at high


    school. Just Cai, Aria and myself. Back when things were a lot more¡­ simpler. For me, at least.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does it still hurt? Being away from him, even after all this time?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± she answered. ¡°A mate will give you the highest of highs¡­ but their absence will bring you to


    your worst. When they die, it really is as if a piece of yourself goes with them. Like an aching in your


    soul¡­ a void you cannot fill.¡±


    ¡­Did that mean I had to feel this way forever? Right now, it was just a constant longing to return to


    them, but the way Myra exined it, it sounded as if it would only get worse as time went on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever let them go,¡± she said, a hollowness in her voice. ¡°Hold onto that feeling they bring you,


    cherish it for as long as you can. One day it will be gone whether you want it or not.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ what if they belong to another pack?¡± I asked hesitantly. ¡°What if¡­ what if their family is the


    enemy?¡±


    Her face turned towards me slowly, holding an expression that reflected the pain in her tone. ¡°A


    destined mate is selected at the time of one¡¯s conception, it cannot ever be changed. They are your


    other half, the person chosen to bnce and improve you. If you¡¯re not open to that possibility, that is


    entirely your decision. Your decision, and no one else¡¯s. This is regardless of prior history.¡±


    I turned my eyes towards the ground, staring at a rug intensely.


    It sounded as if she were telling me to find him. That being with him wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. But


    could I really¡­?


    ¡°Be warned though, Rheyna,¡± she then added. ¡°Just because a deity chose them for you, it doesn¡¯t


    always make it correct. In my experience and from what I¡¯ve been told, Goddesses are no more perfect


    than mortals. Merely people with a higher power who are still very much fallible in their actions. A


    destined mate is still a choice¡­ but just a choice by Selene.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m following,¡± I said.


    But as she then turned to look out the window, a slight frown forming between her brows, she simply


    continued to speak as if in a daze.


    ¡°Regardless of how far away it is, the moon still controls the tide¡­,¡± she mumbled, almost as if


    speaking to herself now. ¡°You might like to think it cannot touch you¡­ but it could nevertheless cause


    you to drown.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure I knew exactly what she meant by that, but I didn¡¯t press the topic anymore for that


    evening. It seemed that perhaps some things were best left unsaid for now, there always being


    tomorrow.


    ¡­And I had a strange feeling that the day was going to mark a new beginning in my life.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 43


    ¡°Breathe,¡± Myra said, gesturing with her hands for me to inhale. ¡°Breathe and hold it.¡±


    We¡¯d been at this for a few hours now, Myra doing her best to teach me what she could. She seemed


    to know a lot about how the ability worked despite not possessing it herself. Though, as she had


    already previously pointed out, she¡¯d raised a few generations of Knight children.


    Truthfully, I didn¡¯t expect to feel asfortable around her as I did. We¡¯d only just met but there


    seemed to be a deeper connection, something that was drawing me to her. A feeling of safety and


    reassurance in her presence, perhaps.


    ¡°¡­I am,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Then ask me for this pen,¡± she said, holding it up in front of me. ¡°Remember to dig deep inside,


    connect with that spark, and pull it forward.¡±


    I did as she instructed, doing my best to reach for it. But it was difficult, increasingly so. The more we


    did this, the worse a headache was pulsing in my mind, slowly bing worse.


    I reached¡­ and reached¡­ and reached¡­ and when I thought I could feel the spark, I grabbed a hold


    of it.


    ¡°Myra¡­ could you please give me the pen?¡± I asked, trying to maintain it.


    I watched as her eyes dted for merely a second, her hand twitching towards me. However, she


    quickly snapped out of it, pping her hands to sever the link.


    I¡¯d learned this was a method of breaking the influence, the loud noise intending to startle me. Though


    she had warned me that this may not always work, especially once I be ustomed to the abrupt


    distraction.


    ¡°I know you can do better than that,¡± she said, pursing her lips.


    And I sighed in exhaustion.


    ¡°You¡¯re struggling to connect,¡± she noted. ¡± Are you holding yourself back? Don¡¯t be afraid to rely on


    your wolf if you need to. They can help if you let them.¡±


    And I bit the inside of my cheek, ufortable.


    ¡°I¡¯d¡­ rather not,¡± I said.


    She tilted her head. ¡°Why? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ we just don¡¯t, ah¡­ get along, I suppose,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°But you¡¯re the same person?¡± she said, as if it should have been obvious. ¡°Your wolf is just an


    extension of yourself.¡±


    And yet I hated that creature with a passion.


    ¡°If you are warring with your wolf, Rheyna, then it just tells me you have a lot of conflict inside. To hate


    her is to hate yourself. And to put me on her for something she did is merely a method of


    scapegoating her for your own mistakes, your own guilt.¡±


    I let her words sink in, unsure how to feel.


    ¡­Could that really be true? I guess I had med the beast for most of my problems despite my own


    actions being not much better. Anything it had done, I had technically done as well.


    My struggle was born out of fear, out of anxiety that things would go wrong if I allowed it even an inch.


    It was out of a hatred for losing control¡­ out of feeling a painful longing for things I missed.


    ¡°How about trying¡­ an emotional stimulus,¡± she then said, making me look up confused.


    She held a finger to her chin as if she were thinking.


    ¡°Aria had trouble with her wolf also. She once told me that she learnt how to use her ability by using


    emotional energy,¡± she continued. ¡°This is why stressful situations tend to heighten the effect. Perhaps


    try thinking of something that conveys a strong emotional response for you¡­ then hold onto it as you


    go again.¡±


    The only strong emotion I was feeling right now was immense defeat and a keen desire for a rxing


    bubble bath¡­ but I doubted that would be good enough for this exercise.


    And so I paused to think a little deeper.


    I had no shortage of emotionally charged memories. I¡¯d lived through enough pain, fear and heartbreak


    tost me a lifetime. But they were dangerous to use, requiring me to dredge up feelings I¡¯d purposely


    buried for my own protection.


    Though¡­ I guess there were some more recent events that could work¡­.


    ¡°Think¡­ then breathe,¡± Myra instructed. ¡± Hold it in your chest and concentrate. Connect.¡±


    Connect. Right. Okay.


    Connecting deep inside myself¡­ to the newer emotions surrounding my time here¡­.


    Something that simply caused my headache to worsen, but I pushed through it.


    ¡°¡­Can I please have the pen?¡± I asked.


    Only¡­ it came out t.


    ¡°Hold it, Rheyna!¡± Myra instructed sternly.


    And she shoved her hand roughly against my chest, almost forcing the air out of my lungs as a crease


    formed between her brows. I knew she was just trying to help illicit an emotional response from me.


    ¡°You¡¯re not concentrating enough.¡±


    I thought about my time here, about my connection to Myra. How she felt somewhat like a mother


    figure, something I¡¯d never known. A gap in my life being filled without even realising it had been sorely


    missing.


    ¡°¡­Please¡­ give me the pen,¡± I repeated, gritting my teeth.


    ¡°No,¡± she replied, and shoved her hand against me once more, clearly not convinced. ¡°Try harder.¡±


    And so I dug deeper, to the feelings I was suppressing.


    To the pain of being abandoned¡­ to the anguish of having to grow up alone¡­.


    ¡­To the jealousy over rissa, that she had been allowed to grow up with someone who treated her


    with love and kindness. To the betrayal that Myra had chosen her over her own blood.


    ¡°¡­Give me the pen.¡±


    Tears were starting to sting at my eyes now, but I did my best to hold on to the emotions, hoping that


    this was enough.


    And, finally, Myra seemed to hesitate. Only if slightly.


    Her body paused, a confusioning over her¡­ but it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    I needed more¡­ I needed to push past the barrier in my head¡­ to grab a hold of the deepest corners


    of my mind.


    ¡­And I saw shes of memories as I did so.


    Memories that made no sense.


    Of blood¡­ of wolves¡­ of a night filled with stars above.


    And running.


    So much running.


    ¡°Give me the pen,¡± I huffed, unable to stop the tears from flowing now. ¡°Give it to me, Myra.¡±


    Her hand twitched towards me, ever so slowly¡­.


    ¡°Give me the pen, Myra!¡± I yelled.


    ¡­And she finally gave me what I¡¯d asked for.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, her voice in a dreamy state. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    But I¡¯d dug into something inside that went beyond anything I¡¯d intended to, the memories starting to


    sh with more frequency. Just still images that perplexed me, snippets that I couldn¡¯t piece together.


    But¡­ I could feel it. Feel the emotion instilled within it.


    And it was unbearable. All stemming from the memory¡­ one where¡­


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t leave me,¡± I cried. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t stay behind.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure who I was talking to anymore but Myra¡¯s expression changed to one of confusion, the


    influence clearly still working but the context of the request unclear.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she then asked.


    ¡­And I blinked.


    At the sound of her question, I blinked and pulled myself out of the memory, my body now shaking


    uncontrobly.


    Too far. I¡¯d gone too far.


    I knew now that there was a barrier there for a reason, things I didn¡¯t want to recall. And as retribution


    for this carelessness, the excruciating pulse of the headache only became worse.


    I took a moment to breathe and then, slowly, I looked back up towards Myra, finding her still quietly


    watching me in a daze.


    It had worked. Maybe too well. An aplishment in itself given how resistant she was to being


    influenced.


    It was ufortable to see her like this, to bepletely docile and willing to do anything I asked. In


    the wrong hands, an ability like this could be used for terrible things.


    The kind of uses my father would make quick work of utilising. I knew that adding this to my already


    fatal skillset would only make the damage I could create far worse.


    A cost maybe too great.


    ¡­And, as I took one final look at Myra¡­ I proceeded to p my hands.


    ¡°Oh¡­ what?¡± she said,ing back to reality. ¡°Did it work?¡±


    She looked around the room, getting her bearings before finally focusing on my face.


    ¡°Rheyna? What¡¯s wrong? Oh¡­ you¡¯re bleeding,¡± she said, and began to fuss over me with a tissue,


    dabbing it against my nose.


    I didn¡¯t move as she worked, instead choosing to further calm myself down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to force it so much,¡± she scolded. ¡°You¡¯ll learn how to use it eventually. It takes practice.


    These things aren¡¯t overnight.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to have any memory of what had just happened, much to my relief, but it still didn¡¯t


    make me feel better overall.


    It was clear that this had more potential for harm than I ever realised.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be training this anymore,¡± I announced. ¡°I appreciate your help though.¡±


    She looked instantly taken aback, her hand freezing. ¡°What? Why? Rheyna-.¡±


    ¡°Raven,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I go by Raven these days. It¡¯s¡­ fitting.¡±


    I expected her to ask more about it but, instead, her expression became confused before slowly


    spreading into a small smile.


    ¡°With all the beauty from your Sullivan mother and the Knight eyes of your father,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m almost


    sad that you don¡¯t take after me at all, but¡­ it¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing. Just like that nickname of


    yours.¡±


    ¡°Myra¡­?¡±


    ¡°Your maternal great-great-grandmother sat upon the original Council as well,¡± she continued. ¡°She


    hailed from the Hidden


    Moon pack, situated in the east. By far one of the most beautiful women I¡¯d ever seen.


    And, just like the rest of us, the people forcefully assigned her a nickname upon joining¡­.¡±


    She then stood up and retrieved a book from the bookcase, bringing it over to show me a picture


    inside. It contained the four faces I recalled from the painting in Ashwood, Myra¡¯s unchanged one


    included, but also two other individuals that were new.


    ¡­One of which looked a lot like¡­ me.


    ¡°The Silver Saintess, The Handler¡­,¡± Myra said pointing them all out. ¡°The Siren¡­ The Angel of


    Death.¡± Myra had sighed before saying her own, clearly unhappy with it. ¡± And then The Spider, who


    was Elder Luke Hastings¡­ and The Raven.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Raven?¡±


    ¡°Iris Sullivan,¡± she said. ¡°With pitch-ck hair as dark as a raven¡¯s wing and all the intelligence to


    match it. Your great-great- grandmother. She was a vital person in the establishment of the Silver Mist


    but, after her father passed, she did eventually return home to lead as Alpha there.¡±


    I stared at her picture, the resemnce unquestionable.


    ¡°¡­Did Iris hurt people?¡± I asked cautiously. ¡±


    A raven is¡­ it¡¯s a symbol of death.¡±


    But Myra simply ced a hand on my shoulder, making me look up.


    ¡°A raven is a symbol of change. After all, that is all death is anyway. It is the end of one thing¡­ and the


    beginning of something new, something better. A rebirth. Iris lived her lifepletely devoted to seeing


    the revolution of our kind. The death of the old regime.¡±


    A symbol of¡­ change?


    This was my first time hearing this interpretation. I¡¯d always associated it with the worst qualities of


    myself, using the name as both a justification and a reminder of who I was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fear yourself¡­ and don¡¯t allow people tobel you,¡± she said. ¡°You are exactly whoever you say


    you are. No one else has the power to tell you otherwise.¡±


    I wanted to reciprocate her smile, but it came out more like a twitch of my lip, my heart not really in it.


    ¡°We continue tomorrow,¡± Myra said, noticing my exhaustion. ¡°Rest for now.¡±


    And I was grateful for the reprieve.


    After she left, I continued to stare at the photo of the council, questions continuing to swirl.


    Questions like¡­ did my mother also look like Iris then? Were there photos of her and my father


    somewhere in this ghost town?


    And then another thought crept in, one I hadn¡¯t considered yet¡­


    ¡­Did this mean my mother¡¯s family was still alive? Hailing from the Hidden Moon?


    ¡­Or were they also destroyed due to their alliance?


    It was a lot of information and entirely too much to process for now. Perhaps something for another


    day.


    ¡­And, slowly, I closed the book.


    It was veryte when I awoke once more.


    Just like the night prior, it waspletely dark outside, the world feeling still as Iid in the strange bed.


    I tossed and turned for some time, agitated, but I couldn¡¯t seem to shake the feeling of difort.


    Something that ultimately led me to decide on getting some fresh air to soothe my tension.


    ¡­And I headed out the bedroom door once more.


    However, unlike the day before, there did seem to be one key difference on this evening.


    ¡­It wasn¡¯t so quiet.


    ¡°Rheyna¡­ Rheyna¡­,¡± someone called out, over and over again.


    The voice wasing from down the hall, approximately in the direction I remembered rissa¡¯s room


    to be.


    Was she calling for me¡­?


    I approached slowly, following the sound all the way until I found myself outside her door. And it was


    here that I opened it¡­. finding her inside.


    ¡°rissa?¡± I asked hesitantly. ¡°Was that you yelling my name?¡±


    She heaved herself up and coughed a few times. ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± she snapped. ¡°I was


    waiting for you all ofst night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­? Did you ask Myra to see me or something¡­? I wasn¡¯t told.¡±


    But her eyes simply narrowed at me, her frown deepening. ¡°What? No¡­ we¡­.¡±


    And then something seemed to hit her, a realisation spreading across her face.


    ¡°Wait¡­ you really don¡¯t remember me¡­ do you?¡±


    I tried to recall back to my childhood but unfortunately came up nk. I truly didn¡¯t have any idea who


    she was.


    ¡°Ah¡­ no¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°My memories are a bit faded. I don¡¯t remember much from when I used


    to live here. Were we friends?¡±


    Though this seemed to be the wrong thing to say, her face somehow looking even paler than before as


    her eyes turned to the ground.


    ¡°So¡­ if she doesn¡¯t¡­,¡± she mumbled almost inaudibly, talking to herself. ¡°Then¡­.¡±


    And her gaze then snapped back up to mine, now wide with panic.


    ¡°The guard!¡± she abruptly blurted out, making me flinch. ¡°The guard who stopped you at the Silent


    Forest¡¯s gate. Was it a man with blonde hair or brown? What method did you use so he¡¯d let you in?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°W-what? What are you talking about?¡± I stuttered, taking a step back. ¡°How do you


    ¡°FUCKING TELL ME, RHEYNA,¡± she screamed, an urgency in her voice unlike anything I¡¯d heard


    before. ¡°DID YOU PERSUADE HIM OR-.¡±


    But her sentence was cut short.


    Because in the eerie silence of the destroyed town, a ce where not even a mouse dared to


    squeak¡­ it was then that the sound of inhabitants loudly filled the air.


    ¡­The call of wolves howling in the distance. And it didn¡¯t sound so friendly.

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 44


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± I tried to ask.


    But I didn¡¯t get the question out as I heard rissa begin cursing next to me, doing so whilst struggling


    to get out of bed.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I gasped, seeing her shaking with the sheer effort required.


    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± she snapped. ¡°Fucking help me up already.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Stop being so rude to-.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she yelled, cutting me off. ¡°From here on out you shut up and listen to my instructions. Now pick


    me up.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Pick. Me. Up. Onto your back. You¡¯ll need to carry me for this.¡±


    Stunned, I started to help her out of bed, but couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking another question anyway.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, rissa? Are those howls¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening is that we¡¯re going to run and get Myra,¡± she said, speaking as if I were a child.


    ¡°Hopefully before it¡¯s toote.¡±


    ¡°Toote for what?¡±


    And she paused then for a moment, just long enough to look up and allow me to feel the full gravity of


    her words.


    ¡°¡­They¡¯re here,¡± she said. ¡°The hunt begins.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask anything else after that, simply following her instruction. Something told me that I probably


    needed to listen to her if we were going to make it out of this.


    ¡°Myra is asleep on the couch,¡± she directed as I lifted her up onto my back. Her arms immediately


    wrapped around my shoulders to hold on. ¡°Once we find her, we¡¯ll only have two minutes to get out of


    the house.¡±


    ¡°How do you- Nevermind.¡±


    And I started running down the stairs to where Myra¡¯s tiny frame had passed out, just as rissa had


    said.


    ¡°Myra, we need to go,¡± rissa yelled.


    They¡¯ve found us. This idiot led them to our doorstep.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Myra mumbled, waking up. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re running. Come on, we don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Myra¡¯s eyes instantly became alert, the situation finally settling in. ¡°Who?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Silent Forest.¡±


    Evidently, Myra knew exactly what this meant without further exnation and nodded her head.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    But I hesitated, unsure how best to leave here safely, especially noting that I had rissa on me.


    ¡°I have a car,¡± I provided. ¡°It¡¯s parked a few streets away. If we can make it there, I can


    ¡°No,¡± rissa cut off. ¡°We have to go out the back and into the forest. They find us before we get to the


    car, not to mention it¡¯s too easy to track.¡±


    ¡°They find us¡¯¡­? Didn¡¯t she mean ¡®they *will * find us¡¯?


    The way she kept speaking, it was almost as if she knew what was going to happen. But that was


    impossible, right¡­?


    Unless¡­


    And Myra¡¯s words then came to mind, listing off the different abilities of the original children.


    ¡®¡­One child held the ability of strength¡­ another with foresight¡­.¡¯


    Foresight.


    Could she really¡­?


    ¡°MOVE, RHEYNA,¡± rissa then yelled in my ear, snapping me out of it. ¡°Time to run.¡±


    And I found my legs kicked into gear automatically, sprinting towards the back door where Myra was


    heading.


    We ran into the night, the crisp air holding a chill within it, and at the pace we were going, it wasn¡¯t long


    before we entered into the forest. The branches and sticks tore at my clothing and skin, stinging me.


    But all I could really feel right now was the adrenaline pushing me to run faster.


    ¡°About one minute,¡± rissa then said suddenly.


    ¡°One minute¡­?¡± I huffed out. ¡°Until what?¡±


    ¡°¡­Until the first encounter.¡±


    I swallowed back my difort and kept my head straight, forcing my legs to keep moving.


    Was I meant to fight the person off? That was going to be difficult with rissa on me. Maybe Myra


    was stronger than she looked?


    But as I recalled her defensive greeting from the other day, I realised she hadn¡¯t appeared that natural


    when holding the dagger. Perhaps I could give her rissa to hold instead?


    ¡°Can we maybe swap-.¡±


    Only, I didn¡¯t get the question out.


    The sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling quickly caught my attention,ing from somewhere


    to our left. Just as


    rissa had said.


    ¡°Myra!¡± I yelled. ¡°Get back!¡±


    She had been running ahead of me to lead the way, her clearly knowing the woods far better than me.


    This had been the ce she¡¯d grown up, after all.


    At the sound of my voice, she slowed down to regroup and turned to the direction of the noise.


    ¡°Someone is here,¡± I said, my eyes scanning the area.


    The only light source was dim,ing from the moon above through the leaves. It wasn¡¯t nearly


    enough to spot anything through the thick brush.


    ¡°Where?¡± she asked.


    But the question was then quickly answered as a wolf leapt towards us.


    ¡°MYRA!¡± I screamed


    She noticed the wolf a second after I had and reached towards it, grabbing it by the throat mid-air.


    Despite her looks, she did seem to have a lot of strength in her small body. It was just her skill that was


    lacking in terms of actual fighting technique¡­ as was evident in how she clumsily put the dog down.


    ¡°Time to keep going,¡± rissa hurried once it was done.


    And Myra quickly nodded her head, running to the front to continue leading the way.


    ¡°The others find the body soon,¡± rissa said, a few minutester. ¡°We need to make sure that we¡¯re


    already past the clearing by the time the main group finds it.¡±


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t get past the clearing?¡± I asked.


    But rissa didn¡¯t reply.


    I took that to be an answer in itself.


    Faster and faster, I pushed my body to move. Putting more into this than anything else I¡¯d ever done,


    the weight of their lives on my shoulders. Because I had done this. It was my fault. Clearly, whatever I¡¯d


    done at the Silent Forest pack hadn¡¯t been enough, leaving a trail right to our location. It probably


    hadn¡¯t taken long for my im of being a Lycroft to be proven false, it then bringing a revtion from


    Ashwood that a devil was still alive.


    ¡­And why else would a devil be heading south?


    No, I had to keep going¡­ keep moving¡­ but, just as I saw the clearing up ahead, I then heard


    rissa¡¯s voice behind me. Words I hadn¡¯t wanted to hear.


    ¡°¡­We¡¯re not going to make it,¡± she said quietly.


    And my heart dropped.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, panic rising inside me. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    But she didn¡¯t reply, her silence incredibly foreboding.


    ¡°¡­rissa?!¡± I yelled. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen?!¡±


    However, she just wrapped her frail arms around me a little tighter.


    ¡°¡­Keep running,¡± was all she said.


    And I tried to do just that.


    ¡­Holding on to hope that she was wrong and things really would be okay.


    Because everything was going to be fine. ¡­Right?


    A chorus of howls then sounded in the far distance behind us, assumedly finding the body we¡¯d left


    there. They were only minutes behind us¡­ and their numbers wererge. I didn¡¯t need to see it for


    myself, the noise


    alone was enough to tell me that we were outnumbered.


    Severely so.


    ¡°¡­Myra!¡± rissa then called out.


    ¡°We need to keep moving,¡± I insisted. ¡±


    Don¡¯t distract her.¡±


    But she didn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°Myra!¡± she yelled again.


    And I watched as Myra came to a stop in front, turning around to face us.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°An ambush,¡± rissa apred. ¡°Up ahead, behind those trees. They¡¯ve been hunting in two groups and


    now the second one has caught up, cutting off our escape. We¡¯re trapped.¡±


    ¡°Well, then¡­ Myra can look after you, rissa,¡± I said. ¡°Let me fight them off.¡±


    ¡°There are too many. Before you¡¯re even halfway through, the rest of their pack shows up behind us.


    Fighting all of them takes too long.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you saying?!¡± I yelled. ¡°Just speak inly, goddammit! I don¡¯t know-.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± Myra said quietly, interjecting with a nod towards rissa. ¡°I understand.¡±


    There was something in the way they looked at each other, as if saying something without speaking.


    Something I wasn¡¯t privy


    ¡°Wait¡­ what¡¯s happening?¡±


    But everyone seemed to ignore me as Myra began walking towards the trees ahead of us. To where


    the ambush was waiting. The only thing I could do was follow behind, the sounds of howls still catching


    up in the distance behind us.


    Just as rissa had said, arge number of wolves then emerged to block our way as we approached


    the tree line. An impressive number that must have been at least half their pack.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this difficult, Devils,¡± someone then shouted from within the forest. ¡±


    Surrender to your death peacefully.¡±


    This didn¡¯t seem to deter Myra though.


    No, she kept walking confidently, her head held high. Almost like a shimmer around her as the


    moonlight streamed down, now bright in the open space of the clearing.


    ¡°¡­What is she¡­?¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± rissa said. ¡°Just¡­ wait here and let her do what she needs to do.¡±


    Apparently, what she ¡®needed¡¯ to do was continue walking towards the enemy,pletely unarmed


    and allowing herself to be surrounded. The wolves encircled her with warning growls and bites


    snapping towards her, though all of them were too afraid to get close to her. It seemed they were just


    as confused as me.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    But then before too long had passed¡­ it finally happened.


    Just as Myra had majority of the ambush wolves around her¡­ something impossible urred.


    ¡°¡­Myra,¡± rissa whispered quietly. ¡°¡­The forgotten second Saintess.¡±


    And I watched as Myra then nted her feet firmly on the ground, breathed in deep¡­ and yelled.


    Only¡­ it wasn¡¯t any normal kind of yell.


    ¡°*DISARM YOURSELVES AND YIELD*!¡± she ordered, her voice ringing out clearly. ¡°*I COMMAND


    YOU ALL TO KNEEL*.¡± 1


    ¡­Immediately, the air rippled with her authority, waves of pressure washing over the wolves


    surrounding her. Something that


    I could feel the weight of despite it not even being directed at myself.


    And it worked.


    One by one, the wolves slowly surrendered, submitting themselves to Myra. It was truly amazing to


    see, to watch her power as shemanded so many at once.


    Such a thing seemed impossible, too powerful for one person to possess. Was this the ultimate


    authority she had spoken of? The true power of a Saintess?


    It was¡­ incredible¡­ yet terrifying.


    However, not everything was apparently as it initially seemed.


    Because after a minute went by¡­ it was as if an exhaustion overcame Myra.


    She fell to her knees, her legs giving out from under her. Even from the distance I was behind her, I


    could clearly see her breathing heavily, struggling to cope with whatever she¡¯d just done.


    ¡°¡­Myra never wanted to be a Saintess,¡± rissa said. ¡°She never learnt how to harness its full power;


    her caring nature loathing the true authority it gave her. She believed its potential for oppressing others


    wasn¡¯t her ce to dictate. History now only remembers her as a Luna, as an Angel of Death¡­ yet


    always forgets Saintess.¡±


    ¡°We need to help her get up,¡± I said, starting to move towards her. ¡°We need to¡­.¡±


    Though, to my horror¡­ I then saw as a man appeared out of the woods, running towards her with a


    dagger in hand. Clearly unphased by the order Myra had given, or, at least, able to have broken out of


    it.


    ¡°¡­MYRA!¡± I screamed, my pace quickening. ¡°MYRA, GET UP! YOU NEED TO GET UP!¡±


    They were gaining on her, clearly going to make it before I could. But I couldn¡¯t allow for that¡­ I


    couldn¡¯t¡­.


    But as rissa¡¯s grip then tightened on me, her head moving closer to my ear¡­ she proceeded to


    speak words that made me momentarily forget how to breathe.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t watch this part,¡± she whispered.


    And as her hands tried to cover my eyes, I was forced to wrestle her off just so I could resume running.


    ¡°No, stop! NO¡­ No¡­. I¡­.¡±


    I had to do something¡­ This couldn¡¯t be¡­ I¡­


    But the second I turned back around¡­ the worst possible oue happened.


    A literal waking nightmare.


    Under the moon and stars of the night sky above, the bodies of frozen submissive wolves surrounding


    us¡­


    ¡­I was forced to witness as the man¡¯s dagger came crashing down towards Myra¡¯s weak body. Now


    too exhausted to even raise a hand in her own defence.


    There was nothing I could do.


    ¡°NOOO!¡± I screamed, the sound blood- curdling.


    It had really happened. It really¡­


    And I watched as myst living family member was killed right in front of me.


    ¡­No¡­ no¡­ no¡­ this wasn¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­


    My vision then quickly turned red¡­ my body beginning to shake¡­ as if reality itself was slipping away.


    ¡­But the universe cruelly refused to give me even one minute to breathe.


    Because it was then that five others emerged from the forest slowly, some shifted, others. not.


    Assumedly stragglers who hadn¡¯t been in range during Myra¡¯s order. But all of them now looked


    towards me as I approached, readying themselves forbat.


    Except I didn¡¯t see them*¡­.


    No¡­ I only saw their deaths.


    ¡°*Don¡¯t move another fucking inch!*¡± I screamed, feeling the spark inside. ¡°You¡¯re all going to pay¡­ I


    swear¡­.¡±


    And, like a woman possessed, I found myself moving on instinct with lightning speed.

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 45


    I was a devil.


    Never before in my life had I felt those words to be truer than in this moment. This very second as I


    stood above the bodies of several enemies as they bled out around me. Nothing but rage and pain


    consumed me inside, feeling absolutely no remorse as I had ripped them to shreds.


    From one person to the next, I had methodically ended each of them, an incredible speed in my


    movement as if I were maneuvering purely by muscle memory alone. Not that I had really needed to


    act so quickly. Because the entire time I had attacked, they had just stood therepletely still,


    awaiting their turn. Likembs to the ughter, unable to move even an inch¡­ just as I had told them


    to. Only a sh of fear in their eyes betrayed them as I stole theirst moments.


    Now, I breathed heavily, still shaking from the ordeal¡­ stillpletely in human form, yet feeling as if


    I¡¯d had no control over myself¡­. Nor had I wanted it.


    No¡­ I might have moved without being fully aware of my actions¡­ but I didn¡¯t fight it.


    I¡¯d relished it.


    But as I started toe to grips with what was happening, there was apparently one thing that was


    finally able to break my trance.


    Just one sound capable of bringing me back to reality.


    ¡­The soft whimpers of Myra behind me.


    Immediately, I spun around and ran to her, finding her body growing colder as the wound gaped open.


    A sight that made me sick to look at.


    ¡°¡­Mmmm¡­ Cai? Is that you¡­?¡± she asked, struggling to really see me.


    I quickly reached for her wound, trying to apply pressure.


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s Rav- it¡¯s Rheyna,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m going to get you out of here.¡±


    But her lip twitched into a faint smile, her eyes turning upward towards the sky.


    ¡°Rheyna¡­ I¡¯m not immortal,¡± she said softly, her voice so quiet. ¡°Youthful longevity does not make me


    invincible. Besides¡­ I think this is the universe¡¯s way of finally correcting itself. I think¡­ I think I was


    always meant to die in this clearing. No ¡­ I was told that I did die here once. In another timeline.


    How¡­ poetic.¡±


    ¡°Myra¡­ Myra, you¡¯re not making any sense,¡± I said desperately. ¡°Timelines? I don¡¯t¡­. I don¡¯t


    understand.¡±


    And she closed her eyes, shaking her head ever so slightly.


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t suppose you would¡­,¡± she said, slipping away.


    ¡°Hey! Myra! You need to open your eyes now


    I¡¯m going to get you out of here,¡± I cried, trying to shake her a little. ¡°I¡¯m going to save you. I¡¯m going


    to¡­ I¡¯m¡­.¡±


    ¡°Rheyna¡­ leave me¡­ behind. My time¡­ is done¡­,¡± she rasped, her breathing bing more


    shallow. ¡°Please¡­ save rissa. Promise me¡­ you¡¯ll save her.¡±


    ¡°NO! Don¡¯t say that¡­ I refuse. You¡¯re not allowed to stay behind¡­.¡±


    It was getting harder to see her through my own tears, yet it was clear that she was quickly losing


    consciousness despite everything I was doing to try and save her.


    ¡°Did you hear me, Myra?!¡± I choked out. ¡°I said you can¡¯t stay here. You can¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t leave me.¡±


    Her body then seemed to rx, a calm washing over her¡­ and as I felt herst breath slowly leave


    her, I could have sworn I heard something whisper from her lips¡­ Something like¡­.


    ¡°¡­Cai,¡± she sighed.


    ¡­And it was over.


    She was¡­ gone.


    A strangled sob escaped me as I knelt over her, choking with so much agony and yearning. To have


    had something so briefly, something that gave me hope and filled a hole that had been sorely


    missing¡­ only to be taken so soon.


    ¡­This world was too cruel.


    Almost like a game of giving me what I¡¯d always wanted¡­ only to rip it away. Just like with Ashwood.


    Just like with Kieran.


    It was sickening.


    ¡°Time to go,¡± rissa then said to my left, limping towards me. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    It looked like I¡¯d hurt her during my attempt to run to Myra, having thrown her to the ground in haste.


    But¡­


    But now she walked up to me as if nothing had happened, her focus remaining only on the trees


    ahead. Never looking at Myra. As if the woman who had raised her didn¡¯t just die.


    It was enough to reignite that same spark of fury inside me from earlier.


    ¡°You knew¡­,¡± I said, thinking back to how she¡¯d tried to cover my eyes. ¡°You knew and you didn¡¯t say


    anything. If you¡¯d just told me sooner, I could have helped¡­ I could have saved her.¡±


    At this, her eyes finally snapped to meet my own, irritation ring within.


    ¡°And then what?!¡± she bit back. ¡°You¡¯d miraculously carry both me *and* an exhausted Myra to safety


    whilst we¡¯re being hunted? Get all three of us killed when you¡¯re inevitably slowed down severely? I


    know you¡¯re strong, Rheyna, but even you have limits. Stop taking this out on me and realise that this


    was the only way. That this was¡­ what she wanted.¡±


    Her attitude quickly made me angrier, standing back up to confront her.


    ¡°Are you insane?! What she ¡®wanted¡¯?¡± I shouted. ¡°Are you actually implying that she wanted to get


    killed? Because that¡¯s-.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± she interrupted calmly. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m implying.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you even saying right now?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that, for Myra¡¯s entire life, she had always put family and friends above everything else.


    Everything. Even to the point of living these past sixteen years purely for us,¡± she said, turning her


    attention back towards the trees. ¡°But she grew tired of being alive a very, very long time ago, Rheyna.


    She knew thatmanding all of these wolves would mean she¡¯d be incapacitated, and she was


    prepared for this very oue. She was ready. And now she has died in a way that honours the very


    thing she always held dearest; hermitment to those she loved, the only thing that has kept her


    going for so long. Don¡¯t discredit her sacrifice due to your own selfish desires for a mother figure.¡±


    ¡°Take that back! Right now!¡± I growled, barely able to stop myself from attacking her. ¡°How dare you


    bring up my upbringing! At least you had someone, rissa. At least you got to know what it felt like to


    have a-.¡±


    And as I finally caught sight of her face once more, just the tiniest of glimpses from the side, I could


    have sworn I saw a bit of moisture near her eyes.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, I did know the feeling of a loving mother figure. And no matter how many times I see


    her death, it never gets easier,¡± she said quietly. ¡°However, at the end of the day¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    But she ignored me, rubbing her face before turning to look at me once more. ¡°At the end of the day¡­


    all of this is going to be in vain if we don¡¯t leave. Right now. Did you really want her to die for nothing,


    Rheyna? Surely, not even you are that petty.¡±


    And I gritted my teeth, the tiniest morsel of sympathy I¡¯d had for her instantly diminishing.


    ¡­Though I did realise she was right. On one thing, at least.


    I didn¡¯t want to make Myra¡¯s sacrifice mean nothing.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she snapped. ¡°Pick me up. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Truthfully, she should feel lucky if I didn¡¯t just leave her ass behind for how she was treating me. But¡­


    Myra had wanted me to save her. It was herst dying wish.


    ¡­And so I felt like I had no choice.


    Something that ultimately led me to do as she instructed, the two of us quickly sprinting into the woods


    once more.


    ¡­Where am I going?¡± I asked after a minute, though I hated to do even that.


    Myra had been my guide and now, without her, it really was like I was running blindly in the dark.


    ¡°Turn left here,¡± rissa said. ¡°We¡¯re going to start looping around the edge and heading south now.¡±


    ¡°South?¡± I asked confused. ¡°Why? We¡¯re already so far north.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she muttered, irritated. ¡°As we speak, they¡¯re sending people to the northern border. They¡¯re


    expecting us to try and cross there since that¡¯s the direction we¡¯ve been running up until now.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll just track our scent and follow us,


    I pointed out. ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t run forever¡­ they¡¯ll catch up eventually.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Rheyna. And I¡¯ve already got a n for that. But, just for now¡­ keep running.¡±


    And I did as she said, choosing not to argue further.


    We ran for some time, a length that


    surprised even me since I expected my endurance to give out long before it did. But somehow I


    managed to push through it, unwilling to fail again. Even if it was just for an entitled, bratty girl who I


    was quickly starting to loathe.


    It was only after an hour or soter that a new scent finally did hit me, something clean and refreshing.


    Like¡­ water.


    ¡°You can slow down now,¡± rissa said, much to my relief.


    I really was at the end of my rope at this point, pain shooting down my legs and back. rissa was


    quite tiny but even her weight was quickly taking a tax on me.


    ¡°There is a creak just up ahead,¡± she instructed. ¡°You need to walk into it and continue south.¡±


    ¡°¡­Into it?¡± I rified, panting.


    ¡°Yes¡­ it¡¯s so they can¡¯t trace our scent,¡± she said. ¡°The water will make it incredibly difficult for them to


    follow, especially if they don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going in the dark.¡±


    ¡°¡­And where *are* we going?¡±


    ¡°¡­To an unmarked cave,¡± she answered.¡± An old rogue¡¯s den. They won¡¯t find it on any of their maps.¡±


    ¡­I didn¡¯t have the energy to ask any more questions after that.


    As it turned out, trekking through the water was exceedingly tough in my exhausted condition. At


    several points, I found myself almost tripping on the slippery rocks under the surface, the almost knee-


    high current constantly pushing me away. It took everything I had just to keep putting one foot in front


    of the other, knowing that if I slowed too much, I mighte to regret it.


    ¡°¡­It should be somewhere here,¡± rissa said after another twenty minutes had gone


    By this point, I didn¡¯t even have the strength to reply, justpletely focused on moving as she


    searched the area around us.


    ¡­A task that didn¡¯t take too long.


    ¡°There! There it is,¡± she said, pointing over my shoulder. ¡°Behind those bushes, you can sort of see the


    outline of a cave entrance behind it.¡±


    And she was right. Just barely visible and easy to miss, I could sort of make out where the cave was


    meant to be. A good hiding spot considering that it was so hard to see.


    ¡°You¡¯re almost there¡­. Just a little bit further, Rheyna,¡± she said, pausing to cough a few times. ¡°There


    is arger opening at the end of the main tunnel. We¡¯ll find some old beds there. Nothing too fancy but


    it¡¯s better than the floor. We can rest there safely for the night.¡±


    ¡­Just a little bit further. I needed to go¡­ just a little bit more.


    I could do this.


    These were the thoughts I kept repeating in my head as I forced myself through the intense pain I was


    now in. Never had I pushed my body to this level of extreme exhaustion, not even close. Which was


    saying something considering my long history of extensive training.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re almost there¡­,¡± she encouraged a minute into the dark tunnel.


    And I gritted my teeth.


    So close now. I was so close.


    Close enough to vaguely see where the darkness opened up ahead, indicating arger space was


    there.


    ¡­Close enough to see the outline of walls¡­ of furniture¡­ the basic shape of beds.


    ¡­Close enough to find myself then copsing on top of one, unable to move another muscle.


    Soon, the only sound in the cave was that of myboured breathing filling the air, my body at its


    absolute limit and crying out for rest.


    And as I found myself quickly passing out, the sweet relief of sleep swiftly approaching to release me, I


    felt as rissa¡¯s hand then gently touched my head.


    ¡°¡­Sleep well, Rae,¡± she whispered.


    ¡­And then the darkness took me.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155


    Book Two-Ch.# 46


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long had passed, but I did eventually awaken to the sound of violent coughing near


    me.


    ¡­A noise that instantly reminded me of my current situation.


    ¡°Wakey, wakey,¡± rissa said nearby.


    And I groaned, rolling onto my side as the pain returned.


    My entire body was aching,pletely stiff along every joint and bone. I would have given anything for


    even the tiniest bit of pain relief medication.


    ¡°Come on, Rheyna,¡± she nagged. ¡°You can¡¯t stay in bed forever.¡±


    ¡­However, the more I did slowly wake up, the more I took in.


    I could vaguely hear her shuffling around nearby, coughing every few steps she took. Clearly feeling a


    bit better despite her limp earlier. And not just that either. I could also smell¡­ something. Food, of


    some sort.


    ¡­ Was she cooking?


    At that, I mustered all my energy to pull myself upright, hissing from the pain that shot through me. And,


    sure enough, there she was.


    Like a little cave goblin waddling around a fire. It seemed she actually was making something to eat.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± she asked, crouching down to stir the pot.


    I stared at her in disbelief.


    ¡°¡­How did you manage to find something worth cooking? I doubt you went out hunting.¡±


    But she pouted a little and kept stirring.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a soup made out of some nts I found. Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to go far.¡±


    I curiously got up to inspect the inside contents, discovering some sort of green¡­ goop within. I


    couldn¡¯t help but scrunch my nose at the sight of it.


    Definitely not my definition of ¡®food¡¯¡­ but I suppose it was better than nothing.


    ¡°Yeah, okay, would like to see you do better, princess,¡± she snapped, reading my expression. ¡°Can¡¯t


    always live off daddy¡¯s five-star meals, like some people. Just be grateful you¡¯re getting a meal at all.¡±


    That was awfully¡­ specific. Had I mentioned my father at the house?


    Nevertheless though, I frowned at her attitude, my irritation already starting to quickly spark, and I


    hadn¡¯t even been awake for five minutes by this point.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± I argued, sitting down by the fire begrudgingly. ¡°Besides, I¡­ appreciated the


    effort.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah¡­,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Like I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    But I was far too tired to put up with this today, especially since I was in so much pain right now due to


    saving her stupid ass.


    ¡°What the hell is your problem with me anyway, rissa? Like stop mumblingints all the time


    and just tell me already. Or are you just being a bitch for the sake of it? Because it feels like you¡¯ve had


    it out for me since I first arrived.¡±


    Her eyes instantly snapped up at me then, a quiet rage within her gaze.


    ¡°Oh, *I¡¯m the one with the problem?¡± she asked, her voice as cold as ice. ¡°You have no freaking idea


    how ironic that ising from you of all people. I¡¯dugh if doing so wouldn¡¯t make me die from


    coughing. Think you¡¯ve already killed enough of our kind for one day. Wouldn¡¯t want to give you the


    satisfaction of another so soon.¡±


    ¡­That did it.


    It hit a spot deep inside, hurting enough to make me stop caring who she was.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me, you stupid brat!¡± I yelled. ¡°And even if you did, what good would knowing me as a


    five year old be? What¡­ did I push your face in a sandbox too hard? Tug on your pigtails? Trip you


    during hopscotch? Get over yourself already. Imagine holding a grudge for sixteen years. Ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU,¡± she shouted back. ¡°In fact, I know you better than you clearly


    know yourself! The absolute audacity you have to say that to me when I¡¯m not the one cowardly


    pretending as if nothing happened, Rae.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± I growled. ¡°And how do you even know that name?!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are we still in the disliking ¡®Rae¡¯ phase?¡± she mocked. ¡°Then which name are we choosing today,


    huh? Rheyna Knight? Raven Reid?-.¡±


    ¡°-How could you possibly kn-.¡±


    ¡°How about what others call you? The Rogue Luna? Devil of the Mist? The Lycroft heir¡¯s whore?! -.¡±


    ¡°-I¡¯LL KILL YOU-.¡±


    *


    ¡°-YOU ALREADY ARE!¡± she screamed back, taking a few seconds to cough before continuing. ¡°¡­But


    don¡¯t you dare say I don¡¯t know you. I know EVERYTHING about you. Everything*. I know about your


    father and his abusive treatment. I know about Kieran, about how you still dream of him every night. I


    know about the day you were adopted, the children you hurt¡­ I know about your first kill, how when


    your father handed you that man folder, it caused you so much anxiety that you threw up in the toilet


    for hours afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Have you had someone spying on me this


    whole time?! What the fuck is wrong with


    ¡°-I know about your wolf¡­ your poisoning ¡­ I know about your greatest fears, your biggest regrets,


    and about every single secret you have ever harboured. And once you finally decide to wake the fuck


    up, we can stop these stupid pretences and get back to work.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all of this?!¡± I screamed, terrified. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you could possibly-.¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME!¡± she shouted. ¡±


    YOU. TOLD. ME.¡¯


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡±


    And she cried out in frustration, turning back to the pot in front of her with a look of defeat.


    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic, Rheyna,¡± she spat. ¡°I bet this is just your way of hiding from reality instead of facing


    the truth. You think I don¡¯t want to do that too? y ignorant? I already told you that this was it from


    now on. I¡¯m not going to enable you in this memory loss crap.¡±


    All of the screaming had done nothing except give me a pulsing headache, umting with my


    already painful muscles and joints. And now, on top of that, I wasing to the realisation that rissa


    was probably not quite right in the head.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re insane,¡± I said in a daze, staring ahead at nothing. ¡°Like¡­ certifiably insane. Weren¡¯t you


    descended from that alleged crazy Silver Saintess? Was it hereditary? Your ability probably¡­ I don¡¯t


    know, gives you insight into people¡¯s lives and now you¡¯ve deluded yourself into thinking we know each


    oth-.¡±


    -*SLAP*


    My face instantly spun to the side, shocked more than anything that it had happened. Sure, it stung a


    little where her hand had connected, but her strength was far too weak to really do anything.


    No¡­ it didn¡¯t hurt.


    But it did piss me off.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t-.¡±


    ¡°No, YOU don¡¯t,¡± she interrupted. ¡°You should know better than anyone how it¡¯s exactly lies like that


    which are part of the problem. The reason we¡¯re trapped in this dumb cave right now.¡±


    And I did feel a little bad.


    She was right. It was misconceptions and rumours that had apparently brought our pack to its doom, its


    fall from grace. Even implying it was true during the heat of an argument was too far. After all, so many


    people had died because of that very thing.


    A thought that then made me bite my tongue, stubbornly looking away as she continued to stir the


    soup. Every few seconds she would grumble under her breath, doing so between coughs.


    Truthfully, by this point, my vision was getting blurry, my headache only bing worse. I probably


    needed rest more than I needed food. But before I could voice this observation, my ears did manage to


    pick up on something from her unintelligible quiet rambling.


    ¡­Something hard to miss.


    ¡°¡­Going through this again¡­ suffering for nothing¡­,¡± she mumbled. ¡°¡­Should have let her stay


    dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡± I asked, turning back to look at her. ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Dead!¡± she repeated loudly, her expressionpletely serious. ¡°I should have let you stay dead! I


    don¡¯t have the energy to babysit you through this again. I needed you on your A-game, your peak, the


    infamous Raven who could make people shake in fear by just the mention of your name alone. Not¡­


    whatever this is.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean¡­ ¡®dead¡¯?¡±


    And I felt as another pulse in my head caused me to wince, needing to bring a hand up to touch my


    temple.


    ¡°So, you do know!¡± she used. ¡°I can see it all over your face!¡±


    ¡°No, I don-¡­ ahh.¡±


    shes.


    My head started to sh with images that caused more pain. Pushing against the barrier in my head.


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± she insisted. ¡°You have to. Just think, goddammit!¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH.¡±


    But the response had been automatic, leaving my lips without realising. A force behind it that remained


    adamant.


    ¡­ Though I attributed it to her pushing this absurd narrative on me.


    I quickly stood up and walked towards the bed, now needing to lie down more than anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare walk away! Remember, Rheyna!¡±


    ¡°NO.¡±


    ¡°How have you been lying to yourself all these months? Haven¡¯t you found it weird that you seem to


    know things that happen? Feelings of recognition with people you¡¯ve never met? Echoes of memories


    you can¡¯t seem to recall where from?¡±


    Blood. Pain.


    So cold¡­ I¡¯d been so cold.


    ¡°Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Look at your back, Rheyna! You want to deny that too, huh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing there. Just a raven tattoo.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? You truly believe that?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­,¡± I said, struggling to breathe.


    Only, she didn¡¯t seem deterred in her relentless quest.


    ¡°Then prove it,¡± she snapped.


    And she shakily stood up, walking over to a corner where a nket covered an old mirror. She pulled it


    off and simply pointed at it, gesturing for me to approach.


    But I immediately felt as tears began to fall from my eyes, shaking my head slowly.


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t need to. I don¡¯t¡­.¡±


    ¡°Do it, Rheyna.¡±


    ¡°No. I-I¡­.¡±


    ¡°DO IT.¡±


    ¡­And I cautiously stepped closer, the pain in my head increasing.


    Because I shouldn¡¯t look. I didn¡¯t need to. I only had a raven tattoo, I knew that.


    There was nothing there.


    There was nothing wrong.


    rissa was just crazy. She was¡­.


    And I slowly pulled my shirt up, turning my back towards the mirror¡­ my tears continuing to fall¡­.


    ¡°Rheyna, the infamous devil Saintess,¡± rissa said. ¡°The Raven. Known as the harbinger of death.


    Marked in her rebirth, granting ultimate authority within her title. And yet, in all her glory, eventually


    came to a slow, excruciating end. One where she, despite her best efforts, was unable to prevent the


    death of our lineage.¡±


    ¡°¡­No¡­,¡± I whispered.


    But she was right.


    I could keep lying to myself, keep refusing to look¡­ but there was certainly more than just a raven


    tattoo there¡­.


    It was almost like¡­ bite marks. Semi-circles littering my skin, ovepping in their design to the point


    where it was almost impossible to make out what they were.


    ¡­Unless you knew. Unless you knew exactly what you were looking at.


    And if someone is marked with a double crescent moon upon their rebirth then¡­


    ¡­How many times?¡± I asked, the air choking in my throat. ¡°¡­How many times. have we done this,


    rissa?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t look away, my heart racing as I stared at the irrefutable evidence¡­


    ¡­The branding on my skin impossible to miss¡­.


    ¡­And I proceeded to hear words I never expected to hear.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°¡­Seven,¡± she answered. ¡°This is the seventh time¡­ and it is thest.¡±

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 47


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Seven times?!¡± I gasped. ¡°H-how¡­? How is this possible? And why can¡¯t I¡­.¡± 1


    I could see the faintest traces of memories, but they were all nonsensical, just painful shes of


    random images rather than providing any sort of insight. Yet the more I tried to dive deeper to look, the


    more it pushed back at me.


    ¡°Come on, Rheyna! Look!¡± rissa demanded, pointing at my marks. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this look familiar? Don¡¯t


    you remember?!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I just ¡­¡±)


    ¡°GODDAMMIT!¡± she yelled, a fury in her eyes that made me flinch. Though it only shed for merely a


    second. Just a second before her gaze then slowly fell to the floor, a look of defeat washing over her.


    ¡°¡­God- fucking-dammit. Why now?¡±


    It was the first time I¡¯d seen her look so upset. Not angry anymore, just¡­ sadness. An emptiness as


    she epted that I wasn¡¯t able to tell her what she needed to hear. A change from her normal bratty


    attitude.


    ¡°rissa¡­ There¡¯s no point in wasting time if this really is all true,¡± I said awkwardly, doing a bad job of


    trying to navigate her mood. ¡°You¡¯ll just¡­ need to exin to me what¡¯s happened. Does this mark thing


    have something to do with why you¡¯re sick?¡±


    Her little body sighed and was quiet for a moment, assumedly trying to pull herself together. The news


    of my amnesia had hit her incredibly hard.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sick, per se,¡± she started after a minute had passed. ¡°Sick implies you can get better. The


    truth is that I¡¯m just¡­ slowly dying. Again. The first time being when I was just a small child with my


    parents. The war was soon ending and we were ambushed. There was nowhere we could go, nowhere


    we could hide. I remember being scared¡­ and then there were enemy wolves surrounding us. But


    we¡¯d drunk that spiked suppressor water. Everyone had for months. And inevitably we were all cut


    down.¡±


    ¡°But if you were brought back, doesn¡¯t that also make you a Saintess then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ not quite,¡± she said. ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a bit different.¡±


    I went to ask what she meant but, before I could, she pulled aside the top of her pyjama shirt so I could


    see her skin better. And though the small campfire light wasn¡¯t great, I could still make out what I


    needed to. I could still see her inmed red skin, her veins spreading in an incredibly painful- looking


    manner.


    ¡°rissa¡­,¡± I whispered, having too many questions.


    ¡°I contain the immense power of a God, yet it¡¯s trapped within the frail body of a mortal. Not just a tiny


    piece to help revive such as you, but enough so that it burns away at me from the inside.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°Selene,¡± she answered as if it should have been obvious.


    ¡°The¡­ Moon Goddess? The one that apparently created werewolves?¡±


    ¡°The one who broke her naturalws to create us, yes,¡± she corrected. ¡°My great- great grandmother,


    Aria, had been the one to originally discover her dirtyundry. Turns out that making a sub-species of


    humans breaks whatever contract she had with the new Gods for neutrality. It¡¯s how Aria bargained for


    Myra to be brought back to life. ckmail, if you can believe it.¡±


    ¡°This is a lot¡­,¡± I said, struggling to follow.


    ¡°Look, long story short, Selene needed a way to hide. From what I¡¯ve been able to piece together, the


    Gods were on her back and wanted to start digging into what she¡¯s been up to. And she knew what


    they would find. So when the war inevitably killed off the ranked Silver Mist members capable of being


    a vessel, she chose me of all people to be the guinea pig. Shoved arge portion of her power into me


    so she could pass herself as a mortal to hide. Got the idea from what she did to her dead mummy-


    dearest, Thea.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re a Goddess now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. As I said, I¡¯m a mortal. I don¡¯t have any omnipotent higher understanding and the things that I do


    know, I only know because we¡¯ve both been figuring the puzzle out slowly with every timeline. But I did


    pick up her ability for rebirth, assumedly since foresight at its core foundation is just a type of time


    maniption. Though it¡¯s not as strong as Selene¡¯s, of course. Not to mention that every time I use it, I


    burn up my insides. more and more. Which is why we can¡¯t fail this time, Rheyna. I-I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do


    this again. One way or another, this is my final battle.¡±


    ¡°So then how does it end? What do we need to do?¡±


    And her expression slowly became dark, a cloud of hatred forming around her. A seriousness to her


    that took me off guard.


    ¡°More than anything¡­ at whatever cost¡­ we need to stop Allison.¡±


    If I¡¯d been surprised by her quick change in manner before, I was far more surprised by this revtion


    now. To think the young girl could do anything that warranted this kind of reaction was hard to


    comprehend.


    ¡°¡­Allison¡­ Lycroft?¡± I asked confused.¡± Kieran¡¯s sister? What? How is she involved in all of this?¡±


    ¡°Because no matter what we do, no matter how many wars we win, something always happens¡­ and


    the little psycho brings forth doomsday.¡±


    ¡­ It must have been the reason why I¡¯d hated her from the beginning, an exnation for why I¡¯d


    always had the urge to rip her to shreds. I must have retained some sort of recollection. Deep down, I


    must have known that I needed to stop her. But in my ignorance and forgotten memories, I hadn¡¯t gone


    through with it. I¡¯d yed nice with her for Kieran¡¯s sake.


    ¡­.But something still seemed strange.


    ¡°How could she even manage to start doomsday, anyway?¡± I asked slowly. ¡°From what I can tell, she¡¯s


    just a kid¡­ a bit religious crazy, sure, but that¡¯s not entirely her fault, I guess. I don¡¯t see how she


    could. be some diabolical mastermind, thwarting our ns in all the past timelines.¡±


    rissa scoffed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, I¡¯m certain that ¡®kid¡¯ is the key to stopping all of this.¡±


    ¡°But how?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Because something always happens¡­.¡±


    ¡°What happens?¡±


    I was getting agitated at this point, but it was her next words that made me freeze up, a fear chilling its


    way through my body.


    ¡°¡­To Kieran. Something always happens to Kieran.¡±


    I stared at her, too scared to ask for details, yet also wanting so badly to know. A confliction that


    brought a sharp stinging pain to my head, making me wince.


    She took a second to allow her words sink in but, after a moment had passed, slowly proceeded.


    ¡°Whether he goes missing, is killed, gets captured¡­ it¡¯s always enough for Allison. She wastes no time


    in praying to Selene for vengeance,¡± rissa said. ¡°She prays for the demise of all us ¡®devils¡¯. Only¡­


    Selene isn¡¯t taking calls right now as she¡¯s living her best mortal life. And so, instead of Selene hearing


    the prayer¡­ another receives it instead. A Goddess by the name of Nemesis, one who presides over


    bnce,w and retribution. Of course, it doesn¡¯t take her long before she discovers what Selene has


    been trying so hard to hide. No, worse than that, it doesn¡¯t take her long to discover *us


    *, two creatures worse than simply mutated wolf people, but mortals who hold pieces of Gods.


    ¡®Abominations¡¯ as she kindly put it.¡±


    ¡°You spoke to her?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°To this Goddess, Nemesis?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she answered. ¡°She is doomsday. The end. It¡¯s not the wolves who kill us, they¡¯re not


    nearly powerful enough to stop us, but there is nothing we can do against a fully powered-up Goddess


    with the ultimate authority to bring bnce to the world. And she wins. She always wins. And at that


    point, I¡¯m forced to burn myself up inside more and more just to bring you back in time a few months to


    try again. Or, at least, that was the case before. No¡­ as I already mentioned, this is it, Rheyna. No do-


    overs. I can barely even stand up anymore.¡±


    I stared her up and down. It was true, she looked in terrible shape. I could only assume then that the


    dramatic overnight change in her health, the one Myra had spoken of, was therefore because of me.


    Because of the day we must havee back in time to. Though this did tell me something else as well.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell Myra,¡± I stated as a fact. ¡± You didn¡¯t tell her what was happening. Why would you keep


    this from her? She could have helped-.¡±


    ¡°You think I hadn¡¯t tried that?¡± she snapped, pain filling her eyes. ¡°You think I¡¯d keep it from her without


    a good reason? Simply knowing what will happen doesn¡¯t make things always end perfectly, Rheyna. If


    so, we would have already fixed our mistakes the second time. No, at best, we¡¯d only figured out how


    to prolong her life for a month before the universe finds some way to im her.¡±


    She maintained eye contact, staring at me intensely for a moment, before finally breaking.


    ¡°So, you tell me. Should I have let her die thinking she had unfinished business in stopping doomsday?


    That she was leaving us to fend off more danger?¡± And she turned around to seat herself by the fire,


    clearly exhausted from the duration of standing. ¡°¡­ Or should I have let her die in peace, allowing her


    to reunite with her Cai without worrying about us? Because I know that¡¯s all she had truly wanted.¡±


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    It was something I couldn¡¯t answer, which she already knew. To make such a decision on Myra¡¯s behalf


    was one I was sure she didn¡¯t want to have to make. But¡­ if she was right, and there really was no


    way to guarantee she lived every time, then¡­ then maybe it was the kinder thing to do.


    Though, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of emptiness. Because if we really had managed to prolong her


    life even for a few weeks, then that was time I¡¯d spent getting to know Myra. Time that I now couldn¡¯t


    remember. It was no wonder I had felt such a connection to her.


    ¡°¡­We have a lot of work to do, Rheyna,¡¯


    rissa then said, breaking me from my thoughts. ¡°So much to catch up on and organise. I won¡¯t be


    able to do this alone¡­ but your missing memories are going to make this so much harder. Especially


    since that now means you can¡¯t fill me in on the small details of how thest timeline ended.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said feebly. I wasn¡¯t sure what else I could say. ¡°I¡¯ll just do my best to make up for it.


    No more questioning anything you say, no more fighting. Just¡­ tell me what I need to do, and I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    So much had changed in just a few weeks. From simply living as a weapon for my father, to then


    learning of my real past and purpose¡­ to now nning to stop the end of a whole species. This


    seemed more like the sort of thing a great hero in a story would be qualified for, not¡­ someone like


    me. But if it meant I could save Kieran¡­ save lives¡­ then maybe this was my redemption. Maybe in


    the past I¡¯d been fighting to redeem myself.


    ¡­So just who was I back then? A version of me who had lived through six timelines of pain.


    ¡°We need to start from the beginning,¡± rissa said. ¡°If you have no memories, then I can only assume


    that this timeline aligns closest with the original one; the timeline in which we were living through the


    events for the very first time.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That makes sense. If we can pinpoint the issues in that one then we can apply it here and


    build a n around it.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ then I assume Allison personally knows who you are? You would have met her after following


    Kieran to Ashwood for answers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I confirmed. ¡°¡­But does that make a difference?¡±


    She looked grim at my reply. ¡°Yes¡­ yes, it makes her more emotional. Fragile. She feels betrayed that


    you lied to her about who you were, not to mention angry from seeing how you treated Kieran. We¡¯ll


    need to be careful to n around that.¡±


    ¡®How I treated Kieran¡¯? What did she mean by that? Like how I was reluctant to involve myself? From


    what I could recall during my time at Ashwood, Allison had never given off any vibe that she


    disapproved of our rtionship. No, in fact, it was quite the opposite, or, at least, that was the case up


    until she learned who I really was. Though I guess rissa would know best.


    ¡°Okay¡­ so then how did the first timeline end?¡± I asked, now curious. ¡°If all this is following true to what


    you know, then how does she get triggered? ¡­What happens to Kieran?¡±


    And my heart started to beat loudly, asking the question I¡¯d been dreading since hearing rissa


    exin all of this. To think that anything would happen to him hurt enough, let alone thinking that I


    might not be able to do anything to stop it. Six times I¡¯d apparently failed to do just that.


    But rissa simply stared at me a little strangely, looking up and down as if analysing me. Almost as if


    she was trying to figure out who I was and how to answer.


    ¡°rissa?¡± I pressed when she didn¡¯t speak. ¡°¡­What happens to Kieran?¡±


    And then she stopped, looking me dead in the eye as her head tilted slightly. Seeming as if she were


    conflicted by my question.


    ¡°To Kieran?¡± she started. ¡°Well, in the first timeline¡­ you killed him.¡±

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 48


    ¡°What?!¡± I yelled, feeling as if my legs were going to give out from under me. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡­ You killed him,¡± she repeated, stating it in a matter-of-fact way. ¡°Why are you so surprised? I don¡¯t


    think I¡¯ve ever seen you look so queasy about killing someone before.¡±


    Was this some kind of sick joke? How could I not be surprised to hear that? I owed so much to Kieran


    that even the thought of ever physically hurting him seemed unthinkable.


    ¡°¡­Rheyna¡­ the way you¡¯re acting¡­,¡± she started, looking confused again. ¡°It¡¯s almost like¡­ well, it¡¯s


    just¡­ you don¡¯t have feelings for him, do you?¡±


    Instantly, I became flustered feeling put on the spot. This conversation had taken such a turn that I


    didn¡¯t know how to react.


    ¡°Well, I¡­ I-I mean¡­,¡± I stuttered. ¡°He did so much to help me¡­.¡±


    And rissa¡¯s face paled even more, clearly not expecting that answer. ¡°¡­I thought you were just


    joking. I never expected you of all people to fall for him, let alone give a shit about the mate bond.


    Rheyna, his sister literally tries to kill you, not to mention she brings doomsday. He¡¯s just like the rest of


    them-.¡±


    ¡°-No,¡± I said, cutting her off. ¡°No, he¡¯s not. He¡¯s different.¡±


    But rissa just shook her head slowly in disbelief. ¡°¡­This is a bad dream. I can¡¯t believe this is


    happening right now,¡± she whispered to herself.


    How could I be so different to my past self? None of this was making any sense. If this timeline was


    meant to align with the first one, then how was it that we hadpletely different mindsets towards


    Kieran? Let alone have it in me to¡­ do that to him.


    ¡­Almost as if I¡¯d never changed from the Raven I¡¯d been for my father.


    ¡°You need to reject him as soon as possible,¡± she then said. ¡°I mean it. There is a waring, one that


    we will emerge victorious. But I can¡¯t have you distracted from what needs to be done in order to


    achieve that.¡±


    ¡°Reject¡¯? I already told him we couldn¡¯t be together¡­,¡± I said, unsure of her meaning.


    However, she sighed, clearly annoyed by my ignorance. ¡°I mean you need to break the mate bond.


    Officially reject him. Normally, it¡¯s one of the first things you do upon returning. Once there is no


    connection between you, it removes one more catalyst for Allison. Plus, it¡¯s not like you usually care


    about magical bonds anyway.¡±


    ¡­But it wasn¡¯t really the mate bond that had made me fall for Kieran. It was merely something that


    added to it.


    ¡°I need to warn you that it¡¯ll be incredibly painful,¡± she added. ¡°But the pain will be bearable if you


    just don¡¯t pay attention to it. After a while, it¡¯ll¡­ sort of be like background noise. Or so you told


    me. Though I don¡¯t think the dreams. ever truly stop, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°That sounds horrific¡­,¡± I pointed out. How the hell would that help either of us?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because if therees a time where you finally have a chance to end Allison once and for all¡­,¡±


    she started darkly, ¡°¡­then I need to know you won¡¯t hesitate in doing what needs to be done. We can¡¯t


    have anything holding you back from our mission.¡±


    I stood perfectly still, confliction flowing through me. She wasn¡¯t wrong in thinking it had been Kieran¡¯s


    influence that had stopped me from attacking Allison sooner, but¡­ that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to go


    through with what she was proposing.


    ¡°Rheyna,¡± she said, snapping me from my thoughts. I looked towards her tentatively. ¡°I need you to


    promise me that you¡¯ll do this.


    Book Two Ch.# 48


    That you¡¯remitted to the cause and doing whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°I¡­,¡± I fumbled.


    Hadn¡¯t I told rissa I¡¯d stop fighting her and do exactly what she said? To put my faith in her? And


    whilst I hadn¡¯t expected this¡­ wouldn¡¯t my pain still be worth it if it meant ultimately saving so many


    people?


    ¡°I¡­ Okay,¡± I said, though my voicecked any real confidence. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll reject Kieran when we next


    cross paths.¡±


    rissa immediately looked relieved. ¡°Good. I¡¯m d at least some sense can get through to you.¡±


    She continued to talk after that, rambling off about how the rejection process worked, but the entire


    time she spoke, I just stared down at my hands. Almost as if I were seeing them coated in the blood of


    doing something unspeakable to Kieran¡­ and it reminded me of something.


    Weeks ago, when he had convinced me to try shifting in the Lockdale City Hotel, the time I had awoken


    from the ckout believing I had killed him¡­ it had felt so real. I¡¯d seen the blood everywhere, saw the


    large gash across his chest.


    ¡­Had that image of him actually been a¡­ memory?


    And a cold shiver then went through my body, nausea filling me.


    Perhaps it was for the best I didn¡¯t recall my past lives.


    ¡°Rheyna!¡±


    I looked up sharply again.


    ¡°Are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­,¡± I stuttered, trying hard to stop thinking about the memory any further. ¡± Sorry¡­ just trying to


    process everything. It¡¯s a lot of information.¡±


    ¡°I know, but you need to stay focused,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve still got a long journey ahead, though¡­


    speaking of which, we¡¯ll need to start moving soon.


    My body ached at just the thought of carrying her again so soon.


    ¡°To where? Aren¡¯t we still being hunted? It¡¯s not like we can go back to the Silver Mist¡­,¡±


    I pointed out.


    But she shook her head.


    ¡°Obviously, there is only one ce we can go to stay hidden,¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t need your memories


    to figure that one out.¡±


    Internally, I went through the options presented, but none of them seemed right. The safest ce to


    hide from Ashwood had recently been with my father¡­ though I wasn¡¯t sure how to exin who


    rissa was, nor if I even wanted him to meet her.


    But she sighed before I coulde to an answer, annoyed by myck of deduction.


    ¡­Who else knows how to hide a body? Or¡­ in this case, two?¡±


    ¡­And recognition instantly clicked¡­ followed by confusion.


    ¡°Wait¡­ you don¡¯t mean¡­.¡±


    We set off two hourster. Just long enough to eat the soup and mentally prepare myself for the long


    trek ahead.


    rissa exined about the territories we¡¯d pass through, detailing how we¡¯d find a car within the next


    town to help us travel but that we would need to make thest part of the journey on foot. She didn¡¯t


    need to exin further about why. My first attempt at crossing the human border in a car had already


    gone terribly. Something madepletely impossible now due to the fact that they were actively


    hunting us.


    But it did lead to an interesting exnation.


    Because I learnt about the differences between influence and orders. This had been something


    nagging at me ever since rissa had demanded answers about the guard during the escape.


    Apparently, to order someone was within the authority of a Saintess, one holding the power of the


    Goddess. An irrefutablemand that forced the other to do as they wished, regardless of the pack


    they hailed from.


    However¡­ my birth ability, this influence over others¡­ it was something that made the person believe


    it was their own decision, their own choice. Completely undetectable as they took all responsibility for


    their actions. And this had been the deciding factor in how long we were able to stay at the house in


    prior timelines¡­ how long Myra had lived for.


    ¡­I¡¯d just needed to influence the border guard.


    In my fear of being caught though, I¡¯d ordered them. Demanded that they allow me through. Something


    that was noticeable to those around them, instantly alerting them to the discovery of someone capable


    of cing alpha orders over a person who was not from their pack.


    ¡­An ability only a Saintess could do¡­ or, more specifically in recent times, someone from the Silver


    Mist.


    And I knew then that it really had been my fault.


    The entire journey ended up taking around three days. A day to make it to the next town where we


    stole the car, a half day to then drive as close as we could to the Silent Forest pack¡­ and then, finally,


    one and a half days of trekking until we eventually made it safely across the border. A task that was


    made exceedingly difficult as we had to constantly be on the lookout for patrols.


    ¡­But we did sessfully make it.


    ¡°What now?¡± I huffed, continuing to walk down the main road out of habit. ¡°It¡¯ll be another few days if


    we try to walk on foot to the closest human town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± rissa said.


    ¡°So, then what¡¯s the n? You¡¯re not actually expecting me to walk all the way there, right? I¡¯m already


    exhausted¡­.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to. We made it just in time.¡±


    And, just like that, I could hear the sound of a vehicle then approaching behind us. Arge one at that.


    ¡°We¡¯re hitchhiking?¡± I asked incredulously.


    But she simply answered by holding out her little thumb over my shoulder.


    ¡°How am I meant to exin why we¡¯re out here? There¡¯s nothing around here for miles.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll think of something,¡± she said.


    And I watched as a huge transport truck then started to slow down, pulling over to the side of the road.


    ¡°Goddammit, rissa¡­,¡± I mumbled, walking over to the passenger side.


    ¡°You kids okay?¡± asked the man. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡±


    ¡­Think¡­


    ¡°Hi, there! Ummm¡­ we were camping and my little¡­ cousin¡­ got sick,¡± I said awkwardly. ¡°Car battery


    died and I¡¯m trying to get her back to Lockdale City. Are you heading that way?¡±


    ¡°Poor things¡­,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m heading back to Lockdale. But wouldn¡¯t it be better to drop you off


    at Swanston? It¡¯s a lot closer and there is a hospital there.¡±


    ¡°Oh! She has a¡­ rare medical condition. Her specialist lives in Lockdale,¡± I said.


    ¡°If she really is that sick though, then wouldn¡¯t it be better to get her checked-.¡±


    ¡°*Please*,¡± I interrupted. ¡°If you could help us get to Lockdale, we would *really*


    appreciate it¡­.¡±


    He held my gaze for a few moments, his expression softening as he took in my request, and then


    finally he nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°Right, Lockdale,¡± he agreed. ¡°Better to see the specialist. I¡¯ll give you a hand to lift her into the truck.¡±


    And I sighed in relief.


    Without wasting any more time, I pulled rissa off my back and waited as the man started to get out


    of the truck to assist.


    ¡°You could have helped me,¡± I grumbled quietly to her.


    ¡°Why?¡± she whispered back. ¡°If I¡¯d told you what to say, you might not have been able to influence him


    to take us to Lockdale, the literal worst-case scenario. Failure meant he would have driven us to


    Swanston hospital and he even alerts the police too, fearing for our safety. The guy thinks we¡¯re


    runaways or escaping from something darker. So, I get you might not like it, but stress is an emotional


    energy and you¡¯re having to learn how to fluently influence from scratch again. You should be thanking


    me.¡±


    Somehow, I had the feeling this wasn¡¯t thest time she would use my ignorance as a teaching


    method.


    It took a few minutes and a little maneuvering, but the man and I did finally manage to lift rissa into


    the truck, and it wasn¡¯t too long afterwards that we then began our final journey to Lockdale.


    ¡­To a ce I never expected to find myself given the recent events.


    *Knock* *Knock* *Knock*


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, Rheyna, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± she assured. ¡± We do this every time.¡±


    ¡°But what if-.¡±


    ¡­And the door suddenly swung open, cutting me off before I could say anything else.


    It caused an odd feeling of relief and stress to rush through me all at once as I came face -to-face with


    the familiarnky, young man with blonde hair.


    ¡°¡­Raven?¡± Zac asked surprised. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you. You know, I¡¯ve been so worried aboutst


    time and whether I offended-.¡±


    **CLAP**


    rissa had jumped off my back as he¡¯d spoken and waddled to the door quietly. It seemed she knew


    about the influence without needing to be told and pped in his face, breaking whatever I¡¯d


    identally inflicted on Zac from thest time we¡¯d met.


    ¡°What are you¡­. ))


    And his attention then slowly moved away from my face to the one of rissa¡¯s instead.


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    She didn¡¯t say anything immediately, just simply looked up at the stunned boy. Which I could only


    imagine the thoughts going through his head as he looked at her. It was obvious how unusual her


    appearance was, not to mention it was odd for me to show up suddenly with a random girl in tow.


    ¡°Who¡­?¡± he tried to ask.


    But rissa spoke before I could exin.


    ¡°Hey, Zac,¡± she said, a tone that would imply they were close friends. ¡°How¡¯ve you been?¡±


    And without even waiting for a reply, she then waddled right past him to go inside the house, a


    familiarity in her movement that suggested she could have lived there.


    Zac and I simply stared as she did so. Him. probably out of confusion from the whole situation, me


    more so over how I was going to even begin exining her behaviour or what was happening. And,


    after another few seconds passed, he finally turned back towards me.


    ¡°Uhh¡­? What¡¯s going on?¡± he managed to ask. ¡°¡­Who¡¯s the ghost-looking girl?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my¡­ um¡­ cousin,¡± I answered, feeding the same lie I¡¯d told the truck driver. ¡°Long lost blood


    rtive.¡±


    It was close enough. We were once from the same pack, I guess.


    Though the exnation didn¡¯t make him look any less confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± I quickly added, brushing it off. ¡°But it¡¯s understandably a weird. situation now.


    Especially given my father, you know? So, we were kind of wondering if maybe¡­ Well, would it be


    okay if we stayed. with you here for a-.¡±


    ¡­But then I heard it.


    A piercing screaming from somewhere inside the house, a shrill to it that made me flinch. One that


    I immediately knew wasing from rissa.


    And though I instantly sprinted into action, running to find her without any hesitation¡­ there was one


    thought that did manage to cross my mind.


    Because for a girl who knew exactly what was going to happen next¡­


    ¡­Just what could make her so afraid?

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158


    Book Two ¨C Ch.# 49


    ¡°rissa!¡± I screamed, pushing past Zac to run inside.


    He was still too confused to move, struggling to understand the situation. Only,


    I did know the situation. I knew that something had to be so very wrong.


    ¡°rissa!¡± I yelled again, scanning through the rooms.


    And, finally, her voice called back.


    ¡°Rae!¡± she cried.


    The kitchen.


    I bolted to her location and found rissa on the ground, shaking as she stared up at a man holding a


    knife.


    ¡­A man I knew as Noah Kennedy.


    ¡°Who is that!¡± she screamed. ¡°How did he get in here? H-he shouldn¡¯t be here. He could have killed


    me!¡±


    Noah simply appeared stunned by the whole situation and slowly looked down at the


    knife in his hand. A kitchen knife that he was using to cut an apple.


    ¡°This is wrong,¡± she whispered to herself.¡± No one is ever at Zac¡¯s house. How is there someone here?


    It¡¯s supposed to bepletely private.¡±


    ¡°Woah, calm down,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing is going on. You¡¯re fine. This is Noah.¡±


    The way she had moved around in Zac¡¯s house, it really was as if she were walking into her own home.


    I suppose it would give her a fright to suddenly see someone after six prior lifetimes of the same empty


    house.


    ¡°Who?¡± she asked, still confused. ¡°Who the hell is Noah?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­,¡± I started. ¡°Well¡­ he¡¯s the younger brother of Miles Kennedy¡­.¡±


    ¡°The smuggler? Why the hell is the dead smuggler¡¯s brother here? You¡¯ve never even mentioned he


    had a brother.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know? I didn¡¯t know where else to


    put him after I didn¡¯t kill him. Thought he¡¯d be safer here at Zac¡¯s house rather than somewhere my


    father would find him.¡±


    And she immediately looked at me as if I had two heads, her eyes wide in confusion.


    ¡°¡­What the hell is up with you?¡± she whispered. ¡°This timeline¡­ it¡¯s all wrong.


    ¡°Um¡­ hi,¡± Noah then said next to us, quietly watching all of this unfold. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    It was enough to break the intense staring contest rissa and I were currently having. Though, she


    still refused to acknowledge him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to my room,¡± she finally said after another few moments passed, and slowly picked herself


    back up. ¡°I-I need to rest.¡±


    I didn¡¯t try to stop her and she rejected my attempt of trying to help her up. Clearly, she needed some


    time to figure out what was going on, and even I felt too exhausted to deal with this right now.


    ?*¡° ¡ª You don¡¯t have to do this¡­ You don¡¯t need to be Raven. ¡°*¡±


    Kieran¡¯s words. The voice in my head that had stopped me on multiple asions. Like a buzzing in my


    brain that had been incessant, stilling my hand from killing both


    Noah and Daniel, the Ashwood Beta heir.


    It had been his influence that had changed me from who I was before. A change that I¡¯d thought was


    for the better.


    ¡­So just what had I done in my past timelines?


    Maybe something had happened in thest one that even rissa didn¡¯t know about.


    How else could things have diverged so much?


    ¡°Raven, right?¡± said Noah, his tone awkward. ¡°Nice to finally meet you without the¡­ you know¡­ the


    whole trying to kill me thing.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°A pleasure,¡± I said dryly.


    Thankfully, Zac found his way into the kitchen at that moment. Though, I knew he would be wanting


    answers.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? For real?¡± he asked. ¡°Where¡¯d that girl go? Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine¡­ everything is fine,¡± I said, unsure if I were trying to reassure him or myself. ¡°But¡­.¡±


    And as I looked around his fancy house, I did wonder something. Particrly, something to do with


    rissa.


    ¡°Hey¡­ how many rooms does this ce have anyway?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s-.¡±


    However, his voice was then cut off by the frustrated scream of rissa down the hall.


    ¡°My room!¡± she whined in the distance.


    It seemed as though Noah had moved into what normally would be her bedroom. An assumption that


    was then confirmed by the sound of what must have been Noah¡¯s possessions being thrown outside.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Really?¡± Zac then asked, a seriousness to him despite the absurdity of


    rissa in the background.


    I quickly bit my tongue, hesitating. How did I begin to exin? From werewolves to wars, to Gods and


    abilities. It was a lot to casually exin to someone in one sitting. Hell, even I barely understood.


    ¡°Just¡­ we¡¯re in a bit of trouble and need to hide out for a bit. Not even my father can know I¡¯m here,


    okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ this has already gone pretty far,¡± he said, uncertainty thick in his tone. ¡°First Noah¡­


    now this?¡±


    I could influence him, sway his mind to convince him that we could stay. It had worked once before to


    make him ease off with his questioning. Only¡­ only it somehow felt wrong to do that.


    ¡°Zac¡­ I¡­,¡± I started. ¡°Look-.¡±


    **BRRRRRRRRT** **BRRRRRRT**


    **BRRRRRRRRT** **BRRRRRRT**


    His phone then rang, cutting me off. But it was his expression that I was most worried about as I


    watched it then pale, his eyes deliberately shifting back up to meet mine.


    ¡­There was only one person it could be.


    The person who had been paying well enough for Zac to afford a house like this.


    ¡°Zac¡­ no¡­ please, don¡¯t¡­,¡± I begged.


    And he slowly picked up the phone, holding it to his ear.


    ¡°¡­Mr Reid,¡± he answered.


    My heart sank.


    ¡°Did you need some cleaning done? -At City West hotel? And what time would this be?¡±


    But then it happened. A moment right towards the end where Zac paused and frowned at me, almost


    as if debating onest time if he should do it. Come clean and remove the risk of being caught in a lie.


    ¡°Zac¡­.¡±


    And his eyes closed.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ sorry, sir. I¡¯ll be there tonight.¡±


    He hung up the phone and a wave of relief instantly washed through me, knowing it was one less thing


    I¡¯d need to worry about.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be the death of me, Rae,¡± he sighed. ¡°Literally.¡±


    Well, I wasn¡¯t sure if rissa could confirm that, but I at least hoped it wasn¡¯t true. However, for now at


    least, I could rest.


    I was safe.


    Zac¡¯s house was prettyrge and nicely isted from the main part of the city. I hadn¡¯t been expecting


    that, but it turned out to be pretty beneficial for us.


    The upstairs consisted of three bedrooms, the downstairs a study and living space¡­ though, most


    interestingly, Zac told me about a secret dungeon area at the very bottom. A space where he


    apparently kept the majority of his cleaning supplies and¡­ anything else he didn¡¯t want people to find.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to know the exact details of that one.


    rissa, without asking, had forced Noah to move into the study downstairs. He seemed a little


    annoyed until he looked over at me, probably remembering the night I had found him. After all, as


    rissa had said, he wasn¡¯t even supposed to be here.


    Things around here were¡­ certainly going to be interesting.


    ¡°I need you to send a letter,¡± rissa said, seating herself down on the couch next to


    She had a pen and paper in hand.


    It was the first time I¡¯d seen her so lively in two days. Before now, I had briefly been dropping food off


    for her but she¡¯d been bedridden for the most part as she recovered.


    ¡°To who?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To your cousin,¡± she answered. ¡°The Alpha of the Hidden Moon pack. They swore to cut ties with the


    Silver Mist after the war but that was under the assumption you and your mother had perished in the


    fighting. Even if you didn¡¯t grow up in the Hidden Moon as she did, this loyalty should naturally extend


    to you, her daughter.¡±


    Right¡­ my mother. Myra had told me she was born to the Hidden Moon pack. Though,


    I wasn¡¯t aware of any cousins.


    Yet it still didn¡¯t sit quite right with me. Almost as if believing I had more blood rtives seemed a little


    too good to be true. I didn¡¯t really want to get my hopes up after what happened with Myra. Not after¡­.


    I swallowed back the memory of her dying.


    ¡°¡­Cousin?¡± I managed to ask, pushing past


    ¡°Alpha Jax Sullivan,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s about ten years older than you and, like those in the Silver Mist,


    he was raised with the true knowledge of werewolf origins, Selene, and our abilities. Their alliance to


    our pack was once thicker than even blood.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to write him a letter?¡± I asked. ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t even know who I am, let alone


    will believe me. I can¡¯t exactly verify my identity.¡±


    ¡°But you can,¡± she said, taking my hand. ¡± You¡¯re the spitting image of your great- great grandmother,


    Iris, with the golden eyes of a Knight. You can¡¯t fake that.¡±


    ¡°rissa¡­.¡±


    I was getting tired of being described this way. As if it bestowed some greater responsibility to live up


    to.


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    ¡°Hey¡­ only you can do this. No, you have done this. Multiple times. We need their support if we¡¯re to


    commence preparations. An army behind us is crucial.¡±


    Right¡­ for the war that she mentioned. It sounded like some big battle full of casualties. The kind of


    thing that ruined our lives to begin with. Just thinking about it left me feeling a little ufortable.


    Because even if rissa knew we would be victorious¡­ was this really the right way? ¡±


    ¡°I need you to trust me,¡± she then said, churning the confliction inside me further. We¡¯re racing against


    the clock to stop Allison, but there¡¯s no way in hell we can just waltz into Ashwood as we are currently.


    We¡¯re not strong enough to take them all on alone. But with the Hidden Moon behind us? In all their


    power and wealth? Well¡­ we be unstoppable.¡±


    I could believe that. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the issue making me hesitate.


    ¡°¡­Write the letter, Rheyna,¡± she said, holding out the pen. ¡°Be who you are meant to be and let


    me help you. Stop hiding from your past and embrace it. Do this and I know we won¡¯t fail this time.¡±


    Slowly, I took the pen from her hand, but I could only stare at it tentatively.


    ¡°You are Rheyna Knight, the infamous devil Saintess,¡± rissa said. ¡°Blessed with a title that honours


    both your life struggles and your true heritage. A symbol for the Hidden


    Moon to rally behind, one that reminds them of their alliance.¡±


    And I knew what she was referring to. The only name that encapsted my entire life, my pain, my


    fight. A name that had haunted me, yet protected me. A way for me to always push aside the


    wrongdoings I had done, to me it on that side of me.


    And it was a name that had once belonged to Iris Sullivan. A symbol that, to the Hidden Moon pack,


    was one of allegiance, of hope, of change. A promise now of the tide in war finally changing, and one


    that foretold the return of our old ways. The ways of the Silver Mist Council.


    I knew rissa was right.


    ¡­Only I could do this.


    And so I sighed, closing my eyes in eptance.


    I guess there really was no running away from it now. No way to truly change. This was who I was


    always meant to be, who I am now meant to be.


    It was thest thought I had before I took the paper from her, beginning to write¡­


    ¡°Keep it short and go easy on the specifics,¡± rissa said. ¡°Should the letter get intercepted, we don¡¯t


    want to leak any details that might screw uster.¡±


    ¡°Got it¡­,¡± I mumbled.


    But it ended up being briefer than even she probably expected. Just a short note that was sweet and to


    the point.


    ¡­And one that was signed under a name I knew they would recognise¡­


    ¡®Rheyna Knight¡­.¡¯


    ¡®¡­- The Raven.¡¯


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