Chapter Seventy–Two
“...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 gone completely numb, falling into autopilot responses as I struggled to come to terms with what Cai had just told me.
He found his mate.
But he was only nineteen. He shouldn‘t have found her so soon.
‘Caius knight dies at the age of twenty–one 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 slap 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 become Thea. 1
“No,” I said flatly, 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 plan 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 place I‘d go.
“Tell me, Cai, what exactly was the plan? 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 since last year.”
A cynical laugh escaped my lips. “This is actually ridiculous. The first place 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.”
Lilapler 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?”
tonight knowing he had someone bonded to him. I was
it out myself. Go home, Cai,” I said, stepping past him to
desperation, I felt as Cai then grabbed my wrist and tried to pull
going to be a possibility and I had already accepted 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
exact situation
to grab me, my instincts got the
still managed to quickly bring the dagger up and
touch me,” I growled.
hand away without any issue whatsoever, but the sentiment was now
wouldn‘t,” he said, his eyes flicking back and forth from my face
had meant to come off as appealing to the side of me that still cared for him, but now they only came off as though he wanted to
instantly, my hand tightened on the
think I wouldn‘t do it?” I asked him, my eyes
was no way I would actually do it and he was trying to call that bluff. But in that
very fact he could even ask that of me made me feel sick. It made me regret
was a reminder of who I really was, what I was actually capable of, something he was apparently still blissfully
came from. Never forget
at his shirt and pulled his torso down so I could speak directly into his ear.
I whispered. “You shouldn‘t test someone
...What are you talking about?”
You see, I knew you in the past, Caius Knight, Alpha of the Silver Lake. Our packs were at war for months, neither
my lace away just enough so I could look him in the eye. “Because of me,” I said. “I was your dooth. I
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
olu! That was what your life was wortii, Cai. That is
words hanging in the
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
done this a long time ago. But had been too weak to go through with it; to sever that tie that had become a lifeline for me. Cai
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
of that
to move
hand and push me away already. He could have overpowered me within seconds without any effort on his part...
though I didn‘t want to, needed him to at
it two for two?” I asked darkly.
back to his side, acknowledging that
to still look at m e with those eyes. As if I hadn‘t just confessed to murdering him. As
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
from him, taking a few steps backwards to create some distance.
“Go home and be an honourable man to your mate.”
then I
car, the key in the
the wrong choice. And so I just drove. Without a destination, into the dark, and with my
Chapter Seventy–Two
second.
in to the
my best to compartmentalise the aching inside, I tried to focus on what
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
was in contact with Iris, one person who I could trust my life and whereabouts with... and it was the same person I
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!