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?” 

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

it out myself. Go home, Cai,” I said, stepping past him to continue walking to the car.

of stupidity or desperation, I felt as Cai then grabbed my wrist and tried to

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, knowing someone

situation already once.

out to grab me, my instincts

quickly bring

touch me,” I growled.

both knew he could very easily swat my hand away without any issue whatsoever, but the sentiment was now there. The intention was clear.

he said, his eyes flicking back and forth from my

that still

my hand tightened

it?” I asked him, my eyes narrowing with the threat. “You‘re so

it and he was trying to call that bluff. But in

made me feel sick. It made me regret so many of my actions

was actually capable of, something he was apparently

came from. Never

spare hand, I grabbed at his shirt and pulled his

before,” I whispered. “You shouldn‘t test someone who has killed more people

you talking

I knew you in the past, Caius Knight, Alpha of the Silver Lake. Our packs were at war for months, neither one gaining

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....”

to hear. “... I did

the attention he had so brutally deprived me olu! That was what your life was wortii, Cai. That is

words hanging in the open as he slowly took it

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

it; to sever that tie that had become a lifeline for me. Cai had become a symbol in

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.

go of that delusion and prevent a

gently trying to move the dagger away.

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

to at least believe I would, to take me seriously, and it seemed this was the only way

you want to make it two for two?”

that there was

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

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.

away from him, taking a few steps backwards to

Cai,” I said, my voice finally betraying my exhaustion. “Go home and be an honourable man to your mate.” 4

then I

key in the

wrong choice. And so I just drove.

Chapter Seventy–Two 

second. 

or give in to the pain just yet... because I needed

aching inside, I tried to focus

Tytus. There was no

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

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255