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?”
should have never touched me tonight knowing he
it out myself. Go home, Cai,” I said, stepping past him to continue walking
Cai then grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me to face
angry. No, I was pissed. Not because he had a mate; that was always 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,
exact situation already
reached out to grab me, my instincts
quickly bring the dagger up and hold it up t o his throat.
me,” I growled.
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
wouldn‘t,” he said, his eyes flicking back and forth from my face to the knife.
the side of me that still cared for
tightened
wouldn‘t do it?” I asked him, my eyes narrowing with the
do it and he was trying to call that bluff. But in that moment, I sure as hell didn‘t feel like being
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
was actually capable of, something he was apparently
came from. Never
my spare hand, I grabbed at his shirt and pulled his torso down so I
I whispered. “You shouldn‘t test someone
you
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
“Because of me,” I said. “I was your dooth. I killed you. I did it
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...
deprived me olu! That was what your life was wortii, Cai. That is why
of us spoke, just my words hanging in the open as
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
for me. Cai had become a symbol in my head of what I had always hoped my life
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
was time for us to let go of that delusion
to
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
at least believe I would, to take me seriously, and it seemed
two for two?” I asked
let his hand fall back to his side, acknowledging that there was nothing he could do to change the
with those eyes. As if I hadn‘t just confessed to murdering him. As if a part of him actually still wanted
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
him, taking a few steps
said, my voice finally betraying my exhaustion. “Go home
then I left.
in the ignition, and 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
Chapter Seventy–Two
second.
to the pain just yet... because
compartmentalise the aching inside, I tried to focus on what to do
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
of the Winter Mist, who was in contact with Iris, one person who I could trust my life
T1I1m3Ob28pyLz6iv0BsTZ+ETv1APII9/rJN9u6JNq2d9cvU/Unl0B0PHqgUaTHyaXIxsJpPU4DBYtFh5b8KsUOQVHI/0g63HarJpSEKi31kYmePHfXWYQKbbJ6pf7OjtPzUaEJvCyndDJ/bVhy++dIaAYJxxZJ9cz5g3csrdBpmTbAtDjWJNfxRlf+nk9LI9XcdlJmbH3AozROL0aA+F5II41DZqmCrk3M/Dc1oY034Jkhxxjo4SsCqyeihpcTcEQgTSsu2Wei+pW4iJA1+hbOUekJp8ylnvaMx6Qrvg0MVqju00okOMc0EU89FygOLKda/45Sr7SB2cWA2Tiyx8byDORjFWCZDQvUCQZzU8/NCncnEkshzhgcMFfUjjryQmKiNLHGeHmuxxiToRXDs2mnOZ3Y1D/bStar8z50vLcDqdyysyTjoTdLhcPGpR5F70UMP9FUFInsZl5ECzU2PEmaFTHwTRwINj246no8np67dN58aDTjlI0WDzMyT+ukxKRAF/qvzDhamGeNafnDPviimc41+ZVkIytiEY2i53b1oSYbibVS2QM9YhpRIpwutrXhjU70iOF/1XX3DfgElaSYwG2f38mYEtEwWKVjExzu6ycY9cO/lRYI/V7+1hOe9PT1SBfon97EQ+FYllHxFFM9A1eGuisjS6Vg+6BbJPFGT/khsux/N9c72L9fSAt0yj9KidfJigHt+yvJqveuuIANcsPGIJt0+TD9wDm6VfU4xSfar5w4LiRPEYlZpWbFdhfbrA3OtYPIumS/dM3+8goQiQuq+TYucThiUxZely8VV4Z8/1GrTBeC/qge/l5oCy4otJGElA9q6rk3UOk6AyPlfdnsl7UV/oN8eHXrTEAlXwmFcz3eIUZvYWxlWfcaaZ2R3uSHn7c/UKc8LLnb4kQ5w7QoFJCgGnvwSvVCxIoSM3u6hR52UophxsODmUbG7fs7146WdykIGTla1ysoWYXzghgxKcwPO+7gSc1FGvUY7/zSAf6E56Jy3/QdQhGWjDjY3SwlfWkrg60R2AbIACawk1y/K1PH4vhhBxF8RZEQ0jphaul4rrPlagOkGTiVxtzwwuSPJins5UG8l2UVvk0wl1HuanN2dcY26aoUgNTl0HCufWpkmkl381QqToBlVm0iugoHwdX/ssqLWFsfxgiY537OZjEROYViu6ZzSYOO/+HWMyIyUlqAQOBRKl+PykbCBAyjbeWkURty3E2r7bi3ETk1MmA5ba2t69bjD4JH194Xxp7SlhbbMLI0Hzx9h3QvyjuG20vEReWoAJ5tA7ecXhN7AVmGs7yjYeLfu4lo6aUfdsgAFnwKjULH0M6ra0RdWL5lH2P5IbnqPXcxUI2Gbqn4TTBUAoo9yJRXpuJVhIoot1e/e6LNP8RplTcuCFdPZjj2wZVTJTO/V6g1/kRGenTuLj5JL4JwyByN4//7CIuNAzcE6hPL38AkurhnOXz9acARIsJZLqUnyDN2ncXQHAymio6rfYzGAR2F2XBXjPp+XZIKV0cGYdsNjpJLuh/y2Xnj/vNOPpL1q92OMuQnJED6+xKlNxYabN9IqU4b01CnI0EBDmL5fwDXWHBxdGpMEH9qDGiLdausJHcdL+QrbYLg85reW7yPbtetujEA3id/MLcTFTEjFIPThVFYj6Y+VVnK/+YMci9h+oHzoS8l+B6WoFI9i+/FaNau5x9WMCBpW3pU0uxwrA01b+a6in2SeWF1Kl+4UhkEwWaaYoEamxlKSIFR9oyK8lUCPK5pkT0ALJMVrLnR8DNPtJjTiCB+495D20QxYBv5FlGzoAVLhBYzyihEB+r4b9R3i9tKen7qtgviGfQH6ossz9YiTK1xJZC7BuRAX6w+liyA55J0SR92RvQfH0vCQTGS3EXTMdMUR4Eb1Oftusob3ODY9ssU/BptRoKgEF6sWFRXXmNRhPEN28T3Wm01p1mlxjPE7vAmunDBcN6A5L+XB3K+wjSe1mcyoCw7Dc6ghkiTcxvcylT9vFAlQ1ITOtSFyrpdehCF7LkOBD4ov14u86Vuft1YHdsY2lZHY2YmrjpxHm9FJpdHzxkAxggNJbhAMpH13pTdQlnYlZNli59fH6cR1W7LqeyEd6dAdMSr8QXIL/GAI8IBCrIS+F662Cu4CDctlDljzUYD28YEHoz+q0NspQlfTfOGfefvveQjmfgR7nIKj93OG3Gx+TRdxGr0+LkLlKhNFUAQkVtioc+PdDTvH65TcCXVIJKAOWMAzONkqWtwme+0/R2RUPDdJJf1yHRdoRSXIVW/Em8/c7hU+wgmQeIIxSw7TMnpcUsofFAgl+ICGavRF6RDyhn2k+qbHmiV3cA3UoHSYFUxlSED/HsWI+imV21lEQWATrHA0wJbd13+XDBLpWDTyqczjoSZJGYkQsMdHG52HImlHtVsKPdMFUp1wEfazxvW/AUMyy+6mufVBkDpy3hOngLRhYkzV9Q61DAFBhc4jw5t6bV60RnLxPFCOlNFXjfPg8WrPwZZa2n9MmV077otq80UKSzxiE/TnF43woVe4TfnUf8YZ9D5CoqoOWyA+P+belNDyTPdzdgqSZRA9aR2RXeOeBLbRxpHdApkqkRhUPgee8lgf8k0Tee4i61wTTnX6JxO4kf6ds34lng+YUETZmALzqC74wsNcqVYoFiDqz+eCiwtNBuNMs+AgoFFKhEIxt5IRiLBhvCVcqKxWJ4Ljlkoh2ni3KKwcz+VSk4tdESTWn+cxEO3rkfBh9TnvLexRAnOgQgptYBnK6VoDIZddBzhLhmJmAKazoIPAjptI9JnUfpYp5GZhXDMPNnVb5u9jJdHEwJgO7mHVcP9nE8P13pp1AB+MHO3y3BCB/zq42fT/e5tco6dJr5oM1p080DbvE/0w05Lu7fSjb3Tps+37RtZSQM48G0nJxGJFJpYswiRvCtEe/7lvIgPfrnGHuTL+lgkt+RGiwV9tJhH3Mxd0PLxtb2uKsglF2g2Pl5/rlzusO8jK2Dp7lCqnULXLJwZuazIuL2DM+nawsz9RB/rjV4525YWFB4ChyXEXwzqnd6Zb4X5T1KyJ1WKd5TTQHCJXrDskj/U3elZJXpp98KrS+Qcm5aYRTclf/x7tm7sG3X6V7PYytbVzld6LQ8wzrf4GaBjxJhgnaHiLrzrDj+dqW8wGDrsMjIB8u3GdkGS91ihAJ2CzdWvPa+wkeRzyUjeBXUJDp8sd7rk/dQ9MPlRSObFzObz3Qw2IMHDWVy6Sr2Z7lp//jaaAHPZ0BF4eZ9Zki7PEFZyHSeoXtoS8Ss9QT43+hKNo4uN0FWwcxqcgnASa08zEi67DY47kkzOfMHzeKpFEGHRzPcLkgTyMbtewl2XUJIEx2YmKfZmFW8ShbwUF6zERyVXVEBLBofWuIOk+BxThWXy6RlQeDT19ocliZeXcYqM46etg9dTLC11loB8cqnJKOKH1ylHmNgCZx5L7qRgvlfp1/9hnu4nzqKTkqXTokNakC9UtI5viT3d05z3nrEpgaRjRMDV15bKRNlnmf+sIa9TwgTDYrhQLnTRmyJe5Sas+j0qGDPmTcUYiT9MOlp+tNgXMZa6sf+Tu1UU9S/on5yIEajcs48WdMzIysjWMSx/k9WdnD7CROZraurKdEf/N/MQW34X+j9VDQZE1UbcRCXUUvBey0VcgB5ZeZG3H/cyQontkuGPwlGuGu1DgLqpMo2XIJ+zNZg5GM4KL7M5fesaWkxEDUipJjPHYZQNFubDbbW8VsjhuH94NMiJJItcaRezpbJQMzWM5Osi/jHIJdsI6Qca1wv+03QneKq3MSrq3FZjsp72mdgElOz3Mtrx2ld2PuqD6mL0EtxTpb27wn+5cslZSH2jNTBhU6/+ODnRIgvu9YoKESQ3V2+r3YZDFbYBCBa6LCd9qwhoJ+y5Php56yATm/asG8pTQooaPy7p4EwHMfT+VHredSttvenGob8ddwqawd6iyF4hXSetv1GGLdD0H6s3a/XPOS1ENyrAFMgdyqUXow+qT9LqP7uUIpH0VpVjHClJj8uc6hvSLeaei7B0pRlpEBUawfB/3XoZ35rVAH3AsL43j4MwrOllnHcmLBnR4guUvwAGxqDUWPyxkcb+7r8rV+rrRA0utQ/UgHBLaL0o8QCQ5UDQ1kzHqJ7wL4HyLwo8NpGXFWZ+UbgoWp2+hQtZXgYPqDFTjUaIxjE/pxefwib6O+S+ZcvsgfWEv7we4AyukybINuuo4qc+7+dnXAucrfzaQ1vmFhEKCyU5sWBB76oqXlaijzbjM5nGwfoaFrfORy3VeIQUsyQjmWI5JRc5Fqg0J1iBuNovsOuGLCM68OMZqJMqx4qhyBJLIZL+H70hrw9qtDFrDNMMok0eOh+EKhox9z2apmCD5p7nynN2R+YUlUlvgOVhBiItGasnOk1U9L6dQvTL3qn5Ib9ZbPxPEc5GQe/IM2ndSxfUGyA/oMZCIvmhToMxQOk/cZE35NudfOXsFWTDNumdfXhEYBmV41jL/lDccNbaYHwzth5UK4Qx3Q1HvHC53desvfMprO+HnLp91AfbjrzaosA7qvY07O+S+m9VKlvHuMXeeOLQD0kTYPUAVtslfcrF4wp7k4vTJSII6c/gy/J705G5l8GUQmthiPp2YR0XlyqvG2dbrt0juGiI/ceYvWTF/v+r8Xgfq9riE+WryaoHN9Ih1JsryjDp5pgqw09alD4nn1r0G3fGoitYnqp+M4dvfcIav2sh0AYn3whrqaRNZgzldF2n22o3QaEUKcR1Opl+6TnUWFAy00dTzUVeFsuy4AFPNAfipXv9QgmrmhtabZyhCGPQiEHG3mq2a4eXgBLcK6QzBHE/7YbwVczShOlUHI6OHYFDKNNbgeH+HlhSLjQvaqJ08f1Ws//unOQyDZRQO4QMhrLsOOY0flb8kKXBXIeVsKw/Si5KrFnKgEzfEtcSZR/elnyFPhzvmuVmrKIrL8W0GOzU654RYESfER38x5U0vBQz8FcP46JqfWqConlnYmqKEXln3LwCBL4S39Er+GFXlvDXPTCT3fFhiW0Zs2ouR78dLdXcdo8lW2VI+yPl6M/R4KYje6OM7OM2MtbSFFXH0QFYEh0XAQew5vpcYemnvHcGIwpNH9beOPWHqEaBN6hn5wCb7lMzY1/6OyN8bcTj/VBeRFOvJroaFy3Z49nIjBnRE73Gmc9YbrcQsWTU8xbVuv+5U8xwEd8SdX3JvE5rP7ou1QBXz1pxFatjbTdDnDlCnVlPb8rGDDfa1lDnAdnp5N9HYDZogKdkeqphxCskDYukhAZh60SqxJ+prJ5PYJr+wyN5v+c40XpqsmOJikFYZs/AzMxYI2pn6f93OaHpdS0L9Svn5k2o4yaLdIHoodaXgRZekp6lm3krDgCPPo88/EtkEc1QS6zZa7QtvrIimZA6hB9liu9lzEUKID1k/oIhb7GDN1h9DaKFYi/qIqiWJ7yR7BOj8Y1cZvYjvUgaMnN7y4Ff7tj9u356vC4GEQYxtfh4d+SK4sy3QkRMUIEWL5q2DaJY9SQf6MnnTFN7y3zPIhjn8r6zbeknjUpUJc+GN/APXovnhVwqcIXAKkv7edXMjbRM7eaBt/JYDGC1mXB4RsZquSG1L+GMptHOB2QAI4yMxKY2dvCQ0hP3c02JhKYiVK4Crwl76xdmpHPRuo+XaaNRZKeWLaSmpMSERqUsTmge64iegeNOrYCHWz3Cq1TOQW+1nK9HWojkg1k0zZcJQR0dfbx3RFemQrmwBFZS3J/0FxWVc3AELBF+vr0TrhhL0O1cibnmECHjW7/46mnO07Rt1wep/RtSfZpEibhFEQjgPR5J7CwXSOd84xuGAZjVMbfPT8AMtN4RIHbaAs1HNVokV+WMY5EeCwr1UcIOBg9C5LHos+UP0Y3Uj1oiN/XBN2KtVN+aKwxibyOsFj9KUCVNDkvGRbbngNB3yDcSejC7mfpeUPocKP789e5rF8L/n4wVfE9qxJ7Z/W0sAfxhYnidkZNK40lHbtRg3RJuWS0Q/Twt/Qkx/SY0Lf5+jt+jf8Sevjjvz4N7umqIC5gQRrxmWnz9PnCxO8rdVafBv4mx3BPg2uNrdghMnWltN5oiI2hY7LEMhDH624fXgMOuclH602YJKfMlFZ7MbYz+9AVejuas7zSSRgaBqG02VVyuLBAyQH1g4HW2bD7T3an8/wkOfc6W3xQONS8pBFJjsCw1C8jKLJ5/adyplHRQ2zkKrEIZss82AO19AJsyrReCCdGmHNllp04X5p8iRAoEA/6Bcr6hzg+E8VMawIbPTqlYWX3yTNzkgRfgX8EA5hjuW0Rb/fP7rvI5OD23sK+b0jXgWxvWcyXwnRW62uZI3b7OCJf2yOMS+KFMrYENWAZMoYvH+N4Iy7PtWfh4U0GKcJDmWE0ksnT0c6CXqdo7jgdb5r8TA39qrLuDhzbSvNfGks+EaAp7guddB8/PHF3e1rZrGNrpCyyTVHDw2ScubXaj9gO1VXy6r48Tsh4KWbW/emt9gJhdUkqZKNzaDtkTD6tpLumq/hWstSdxrlz8UPf9q5ihA4RiKhLgyGoj3swOWAsod2oekbB2e/kvbcLPERz0TC40amVGL+8Hyy4F8FHcpJP1Ru9nDpVr8pViC+cklbj38EKUu1Ru0lpFPIglR2CJD/CyesZqVwRjn4CQUikL2HhGu75N/aHZ7urt6PGaddXhvr95duee5m1JPx0Hr6Vrv3Gi1fzNDMFvdRKtGKw8r5p29B5yAdxDBrIRwefXHC4jTW7E2gbPLFYapF4pl42AJbd7P49Cwk08E/NRr1UgBxQbbvOwE1Yix6nS1UWmjqCuVlbco4X0/kNAW4nIsRsfEVoNKcQFA9iFYFtwWXtnGUCaqr36un6/D2j5BNvoiUxVnZpalHMGDU1q7j3QiOFdJ/98p8khCgXJAdonLbeqgnjKW+aghH2fPdg6CNv8rr9C3WxLOBuKxtc83vLqDFBkuC9tlevFKSaF4r9UhnVOXwlZN0l39YaNhVELp8Q28+x5FOmV+h63OWv7jUVn2EmNI75f7DZLiOKW9Cqiv/WN8dEAMVD2HiwsBLGVV7Pa2uDphs8j2uf27zwcBGwYew+ntwSku2PlCQE48U41ZU/eo1sY5YTBsCo0w3D7aTtcfxpFOybaBc6hQO6RR6EA6LdhNr1l3aBPWnn4tssMrxgLEqAi6ExLmeS4G6B6w/1I2PvkQXj4YXtGkHP455lSJQjxaNXVLHeVlcQknv2hQuz2AcypYw7DevaUm/IV37zb5f5tdKbJmVwr6w7MAW1ghL/n6mAFL5JxUC6NBoHsOsgHsotEboaR2UexL8/I474qMl3Q7Y9hGacNbn+37S0EtQfZAUAek0CHTTBpdSYdRXnCZFXuxQQ6WmWPEzuwFYb0X+eDc09gW515ATuDqbruKP2zeiZpaPvXhmZEc9FdU7ykEi7bgPQALtLLG59X8zoOcXypKCTGYZ2Y21vS563IrgauMzEf9lGROmYhl1vdvBiZ7Cyuo0qu9gs5D/V+Ok9yA2LiW04KQYZnEu/XPK3pDeioN+ruR7FT+bzu+L+R6wVcHNTkNXJI2NYD92Mm8We6n7pls675abJbd3XI52DUjgRAWdHQ/jO4gPKvFUMyXoC9+dC0WmjO0BFvKOlkdvo7D2ek4omlwfxip3C3hcuXHF153yehhkIEJy6Enxhn92pGuFi8QHvxgl/9MK2PQ4S2pzduJ/1VPoZ7sk6VNSdlCjZsVAPqyXxaD5m8HYvDDDAtXRyvB9Yewa/A7pBwNEDeDvpxlHnnyZ668DAxhuUzCMY1bzvx41mahbLtbKseEnrvldghQVJipatauXlMSnx5QPpa+lzQDqazlwOXqHcLmVEZvikkN+Mpg3m+ffQDLFaKWj/U9hUyJPjka8+fBQH1ecx70r3gjCyNnEgY2wuCZiTIzTO1eXTj8a4+RCBVRBkRHW3DLIPEkYXIg9DJenh4GS8UJKkCaQc8U/q8NC+mB4RHvmcs7GQpVI7WpGeR/NE3b/rvVFKsAvhlFA4IHTVYp61eho2pGcqRiP9sKsDd8/ccqymWlqeDCYtGHF6pQ00V7fEpkp4UjLYb3NlqKVjRC2oTYfW3CxKHZXmI+yKsW7J7vZwJyTr+TDCkkrFFpQRN617lFvN1uwXhYo9LVEdrHQ3ztIfD3VCRys8N+gLuwG6GLwLKL0+qiQQ==
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!