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 accept 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 become 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 the last, 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 to completely 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 would come 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–I... I need you.”
I would have laughed at that if I could have, knowing that he would be perfectly fine without me. Aleric would live on and become 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 become despite my condition.
Scanned with CamScanner
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 similar 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–I couldn‘t see. I didn‘t know what happened until it was too late.”
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 outcome.
xact
- me.
fine... you have nothing…
hoping to maybe pick me up, but the jostles to my body only sent fresh waves of pain through me. Small whimpers
he said desperately.
intervened and pushed
hand to his shoulder. “It‘s done. We can‘t... she won‘t make it. You’re only going to make her last moments worse.”
is my fault. 1-I didn‘t… I didn‘t do enough,” Cai said, his face contorting with
on Cai only tightened and instead pulled him closer, forcing him to concentrate. An attempt at getting him to
everyone‘s, if you want to be more accurate. Aria sacrificed herself for all of us to survive. She
So cold now.
so
up next to a fireplace, wrapped up tightly
could... close my eyes for a bit,
be okay?
hold
see evidence of a bond forming, feeling relieved that maybe they would continue to get closer. There was no worse outcome 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
brightly to my left, stealing my attention from the two men I adored. A light heralding the appearance
slowly, her gaze watching me as I laid
Scanned with CamScanner
blood. This new body only borrowed
cruel, merciless master.
I rasped out
expression or concern for her public attendance. An odd
once Aleric and Cai began looking around, trying to see who I was
confirmation of what I already knew about her natural laws;
time?” | continued,
down beside me. Even in my dying breath, I
to be at peace, child,” she
spreading through me as she did so. An invitation urging me
time for questions or arguments. I simply could only oblige the request, greedily caving into the need for an escape.
went
in bed, feeling more content than
Tuesday? Morning? Night? I didn‘t know. All I knew was that my last week had been spent
the stairs to the only
are you reading?” I asked softly, standing in the doorway
way. The clouds outside were also darkening the sky enough that, once
did so. His eyes reminded me of the
“Did you
wasn‘t much of that happening...
“...Is that so?”
he reached out and pulled me into
he positioned me to sit comfortably against his broad chest, I‘d never
‘This isn‘t right.‘
Scanned with CamScanner
One Hundred &
a second frowning, wondering why that thought suddenly popped
Of course, this was right. I
cleared my throat and shook off the thought,
like one of my books,” I said, reading the words on the page. “Only a small portion
done this
could feel it now. That feeling of déjà vu, freezing me as I tried to chase
like
I couldn‘t recall doing anything quite
stomach then began to churn, a wave of anxiety
mine alone,‘ a
Had she found me?
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
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!