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.
nothing… 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
hospital,” he said desperately. “We need to get
Aleric then quickly intervened and pushed him
one hand to his shoulder. “It‘s done.
didn‘t… I didn‘t do enough,” Cai said,
on Cai only tightened and instead pulled him closer, forcing him to concentrate. An attempt
survive. She lived through two
So cold now.
so goddamn
up next to a fireplace, wrapped up tightly in a
could... close my eyes
be
I should try to hold off
was glad to 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
two men I adored. A light heralding the appearance of someone
towards me slowly, her gaze watching me as I laid on the
Scanned with CamScanner
her blood. This new body only borrowed for
cruel, merciless master.
out in
an ounce of expression or concern for her public attendance. An odd
Aleric and Cai began looking around,
was confirmation of what I already knew about her natural laws; that she could not interfere with the
time?” | continued,
in my dying breath, I could feel the effect of her presence. Feel the weight of her
Time to be at peace, child,”
as she did so. An invitation urging me to let
time for questions or arguments. I simply could only oblige the request,
everything went black.
a long, satisfied stretch in bed, feeling more content than
know. All I knew was that my
final yawn, I left my room, walking down the stairs to the only place I
reading?” I asked softly, standing in
in a soothing way. The clouds outside were also darkening the
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
“Did you have a
wasn‘t much of that happening... but it was good.
“...Is that so?”
but instead he reached out and pulled me into his lap, forcing a
sit comfortably against his broad chest, I‘d never
‘This isn‘t right.‘
Scanned with CamScanner
One Hundred &
a second frowning, wondering why
was right. I couldn‘t think of anywhere else i‘d rather
quickly cleared my throat and shook off the thought, concentrating back on the
said, reading the words on
this
feel it now. That feeling of déjà vu, freezing me as I
sat like this before?
last few days had been a blur, but I couldn‘t
stomach then began to churn, a wave of
choice... and mine alone,‘ a voice alike my own then spoke inside
this Thea? Had
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
T1I1m3NXdXgIPzD30L7jFN3KHJI4aZEtkukZn7qVO+Se8ZnCsm2gwAcJBqoUYTWzZyx+qpUEXcOC8jTcjNZZtlaDUmM+llb4UKeBpC4PzzxoYmXbXu7IYVCFapbld+rwuv3VKVd1RDOVIJ/cVgbwsNVaQqR8wcFufmPLEpkoJFAEIqw2WbNnzNhOmPC5kdyv9XIWk9CLEnEoyB6dz+8xCpMI/1fP/gn8hW9qAsg9dEH5KsOff2gpVsTm1ua8r86SUhMSHtawQ/6/q9jqcUxpyJewaBI21G0hq7ohrQ7yz3tZhmmu0N5aMNxKEtdAhhGcIpv33o/u5KeXjTNyUT6toriJLQ3eSjBND8RGBMzL9eNUkcPK3MM6nAMMMrw7z7nE2qCRYjSSGSn9TcoTMHH22midIWAoWqLSse650oYrOtGifyS/jC/qUdivNb/+RYp+3AOKVKyi8TdTlc58oh2GDPBq8EkNW1AFgjU6vI8kvD44j4RPAHfna1TG3tbWt+Fnbises6bmEBroGqxdaH6V+G/1v89NFh5U1LT7PHOpflORq1K2JwTpJLYTk9gpvg7+LovlOvshJRDqUHCQNKzyOykhUU2QtzZJhkwJaE/EgmjTjM09ZLukRMcuS7+0k6LxmvoPRKptkptf7Q0G3HYQBIZCyWxDMt3S6VYl8lKEKh2Y7EVxoFnW78LrYd2HFd13itb/lzEyymoy4J4korhsyPRl//HAF5UyQ6mC43nQaws6QeHi6gVDhxeBbxhmW+RMg/CuVXuqffgtx3v6MjS8hYNnEfeqR9/RXFfUn94jazAQtYM11HrJHvey7wb+jZteihrMyGZwGoOmrQHfYwid0PpfdHwspEF3rNoQkIhrvswKm3RCsRXRAfJTtfFyY4OlZ3QvuSzs9daIYo1SSSKLkR4i7hhbKKn0Zl/G6BGmPO/owv/rY9KEoJlxpqWpS6O7ccW04eSAzAMQG1X6/soXM2bgxxpGNwBJVwAAPE5Kok18vjvONqo378iq/UlZjSmhSzoxE0BRWAf79xAiCKQAE6Nwyiueyv/l/tqIKAtGd1J1kZtO/0s0pOVYgPIIDyY5oSdloibUSJPAVD8o1lpk1ABg+XCakNGXc8S0esk9e39zB3jXXplrlRK90UWIrRlUgUjoy6rhMGatqOSBLYj3hKCZG/adkURUchuErJjEOvO+qn6QjICdxqQOqvG2z+Poif+BACSXf2uToyCqXWW6dz2QGkVJ3YL7n2Fs8erQ7Iq094T64OS0h7SCdiCHlVl/hyGV17HpVxDkViNJJ9HWCAgXjdeMCSCx423Dc7f4o0V1fAbZuAUf2kOvTK71OLyfnBtYZhXnMNtMJXzAXdIAKHfOrzYbVx5ExU2F16Il4NTznBhTyf2FKkG2rhBvHfXNX9KakE+0fB9ZrRCFvEQywAiT3Czb2r9DpZozAWF47uHUNv1AzFfSeKaemVo6swnDVnpcOwTZWGtwoEKzHcFLM8iOXfUoNFQPYWqYHEsLCAqxdZHWX8aH39jUfZEltp7mwuewXnjtvcLDoe4+6GPfqAqPU7NIOUuAnImOZatFGJ6vjB+oU7BRnQzB9hCaUigeBoFII9qAFjOTcvpAHcFc7ljReL8i5KmW+SmYtaZ42E0ryNXJLdHeCRzALLDEWkpw9cnGSnWtvINZkcnuVIH/S89jE6SkUo1ptrUbOaqpiMyMARUCz5M8oVt4DU4eraSr3nCdHVBJ2/9byVN4X+mEqw+t3wKLIFRluCWtkVmEPNN9TQ4SYZwjBiBtS3wodn7hRTXFpJKk90lPD+pC0Sj5GUn7U4TzywYar/Ea/0Sj98Xby7ywjraAJKIo+4omuPG31YxLGDGS1m5D8l8gK/FN75MTyTlnLKctz7eaXSbwWiLgdP5U+kLre/9+/Z3sb2ywEjmSiGXe7Ll+I51sF0vH5+goKElpqHWTywk0eKggzuRhlm7rzGZpMa05L+nD3Kiq3if9jNDtXBXWYqglnjibr2LaaD4jXhNW1ITEq3FxrotInjB/PgqGAM5u1oHw/B6cvFYNdsV3m5+V35XyzctJyIhNvM/GiVx5iw8FY1EJpCQ2vHJJkWF8NsV95JdxaY8zX+Qi0SFCp6c3X3/oEcPoBXpG4oUMr82+EKDVIqMjC8tnDESh90musBO5MUG214QEXhbXeqrNEJTraVvaKx1+gJOis3WJ3mgtBC1+SLU0nof5cQsaNC5sScaFeufZAXiG7J7cE3hbYbFPWcYwfZ86VNJtNagtRzZDaTAdZO8+F1Z5BCnaFHWWm8+U9xQqkQSdY4kxS2t+siAaTJV5ck11pKjfLOVI6U2m5GmzsrfL0yE+cwSH7GyeCwVCDxf/GcWS+jiRmRV5QCdQrWV61JzdwHuXTQbkVX8QZpbspXAmM9MV+pwbUPqHFGZN4VcIPfMCF5s/Rv+y3/X1445rxOr3k4wJkmU3mxjrDVndKgvVuEDoCgdAi9wiiKEhPVf1WCildlvD481aganuuSqKyMctyytM1Aw5ost89w8KRYetWvv5RvPa7kbyCqSOc85D+nUEs68QbiY/P//TmMugWLJ9fl7LbQomJxLUXvCJjRY92pHND49jtBQFqOJxELVKrkkDsUQitBJ+IROjOUjfPTbA8Gd18yXARR/o1Be27w+slthbpxhnCzW4zPOFmk8eCu4Dqexl9FoLlUgzv8EP3eN2tTUZra9IJ8WikEtzin2hMv8W164ArJZbGSbdxqYkGOrn3/gv+znvIeVXAi+gdg1vMB3X+V9GZ9h5UiZSgXMpTNv6h8DSwZpM9Zn4fYQ/ty9iHTRAYnFPo+ZvMcqchZxA+WyXJOxnD4a23JZqAVOCXfr5mFGF4i+82/izZ4MPtqtK+ooQ1pI/yzbsEuArnIr/vuL1ZW+94er/TNBTTELbnQDfj8aKaNy+fIinlp0PxqcNSUvK9ByW9ii3khh+/1SpxUEhLhClF1thPLB96IVxpAlT2RCFgZ/+kT2td43GyzJ30TXuUKrDOlItcDNoLXrJ9jmz5GxjA/23A5Y3/sCaTsGr2CITxW6mOONa7XhCgLCI2nGCtgvdXT4WrHIw2vV/dkdJR5du8f/T/lsm+boXGNbUGO651KsQ13nS8O0yqrV3nYqLBI894Owbbl3oK1E8fzeW4CXfw/wjRdkNAbMb1IA7+yyjnGDpgiRAMGCKOW/aa6wkXlnjTGKQElhDu8Yeu703bEBffA1VI/5idO7sFEfNNSvBSGOwoi59hcFJQuiDTKUHLg8PLVHIN5edQZGWQuJCu4KmBMdHAM3w0KExo/ZtUCmQIhF3tBGa08zfi76Kfo37kyWfI3zPJpFRHnVzIcXljXCIbNut2Sj4cNYkwsCNL46QWdKsIAJLv3de5lyQFhPD+fWuKf9sEVz5QWC4RVQEDT1rrIwwYOvSc6Mv6el/RRuVRkg/inhF+iNucjdVOMYV3+JYiJ364ntGwuYyjNFxu7Cmrr/uuDPogYTrCZw0JJexaj5j+jrjsA4hdEycPXoi/qiQZRenfaBbbdW+zCae4xUAizRu1oq+Wuo9j1GAArwHlKgCVM4V2I/kPwWfbfX/QuT70RZuXuQ67CRAenFt7oqFamU7qT3FXl3p/iMzWrHQOYTa+63SV7Pa/pkBkNm7g4VfUNkzWfBFBHxHmFWtzVbi6GAbMmrd88uKontv7Xm1uC+QqgDkLvla73TFNrTNexJGNYjI5soNeNvI1iYYFy0KwfORcQdI8unDcWld4SwtGskbMmoAI4IISODvadNY9isrNJT05T0GO5YzBNm5luSs0Ezff6/OV7GoFZG/87modwM/NYsE6+cm0rjwpqetqL0AoVj4eSv4gfIZoxsEqLqCBgQMwYbdXihvieXkOMqlBlnF2fr3c4fJZYIcBa6LCd9mwxoU+z9Kn4RkyCKw+bpS853Z7ojO17I9GgHFMjmDHrzHD88+YCO0LcNEmaU3mgsHi5sdVOsErX2JL6vyBPqV6jbbH1sVmLtXPEkh8QDnhPaY9vPCoM8C9DcerUqJGxps6bMy1OiSL62ptxIlRRJPSV2gMhm1VIxspbkd/aVjdZyxhr83K0cqUoCdDmo52Oot31aVoHFQIzFkVfrjODgmv5fRBEKhB7YjB0bPOFclV243nJqJsjKrJLwT4jLYwpUJ7WHFQtaVakVdzju5C9dCgYu6HlikT759gU24xvC5jr7A+COBY/V3Q3wroxq+AWe2h7UbuOs1oM27+8aESeonNXPVlunI3keAyVhiGxY+qdycgv6nzLjLqWu4aIaQo/jWnGhCLEwwjB3iVJNCRclK7wYH0TEmrSdUN66NH0VPz4YvV9qu/LU62j0+eu7Geqma8MGmCg6XEck1iQKMEA/728RSz2u8w3Pdp5O9lNiUq8A8QVfhOx0Ekt1DPtWYmU0jcrFW5jvr6n0FPMpVcQqHa9CHbbZJ1XFDgP0XwkKnA9iZtyEauJlQJg7efAGgIKSj4HsFTGP53y4PFywDD253nmfSlioQbKeEWlX2gNwJtQd6TBquByNrIv0jM9V6O+bhYJh5RJ+sqTSp/oEFV5w1dsTwjtdchrD3OzmNfbRMlFzFZhJhsdsRIaMhy5Wz/PnJEMgsd7Rr6t0oE5LVIjBQmMZUG8SFR5sAO9yR3MyvqwnkAzxieOd+WX46//qxFBqh+7nDuHDje8nG9Z09Y9u6hDh5qpxYK4/2BoCry68T1bigi9Y7pM2P6MTVftEkLjxCG4j33AzreVYSyi5UGyz5ksjcdltfKgxP/Rq8AWwZDRP/laDvW1eVv7+0DgjbAb3pTrID32vulJvGO21YQ/1gEFmwmq6T+7ahQKEC8A2BXVypd/UAajn1PFxJeq2GMgTNJpiwdH2HlxWZ0Ix6QTCgJhfirs2CYBGDGFELqkBu5eYHMcBQ0L57CysQZPknKg3Ngp3uASGwES/EtZGYS7XiyixGhDnk/F7kNIzJoVhbfT53sJwTQ6wn+0Ql8wguHUS5TNjiKm5vTeX4lULBnKCQUhjxZhOBPpv/yEr/GBmg9XiIVDRnmeAsEQNvi4zF58hTIH8f79UQ1lot0KByLrM2MpSf/e9oN8yZ+aXNAz7sTRwclF+UWb45rdkIMnXsUsPBycoOuMDXajy2Gi/zTgi0nDGu1c6VivSUyd8aM3TKVVrZIfPb+s+4y3Z49jy17okQo2agcdEZ/t1tQzQl3r4vv+QQuxQac87THmV0WpjEvcqQDFH+04uJKOCTQsOxazXoQ1K5wL+JDfa1lzfcdntvecaGQqdlLMQZpJo9FZsKYLwrDM5+xjz0IuI/IIDdKO26yJ1+sdx8XZjjjv83lR4Rrrg+O1pNjcSmOtiRInZeEg+sALz5yGF70bvZIX0hMOD+F4Si4P093lXd3SjGvdAvEsgYLFQQpWZaoFQx48HnZUPyEZFmpI4iVl7GHhR1n4Ue6jmIzEBHJ+wdhPmX8SjI9CFgCa6vDloOr4bxXlKY2Z9CYAW7si1Epsq6FaKKEth3alBE+jKs7S3BkgMLLEWI7enXZdo6QwKwMie2Hsa+kDaR2iz+/77AfFOveo0VL2pug0Hv7fbjBm/7PXdcFQwnDHQzbQUmY6Vk6toMWX1qUE4SvN+tz4DoqzAzuDSazEkCoHRkK47M4m1mzLjclH5lJ9WTN93wzlyqhpw/9AFZq7CzO9dYObWKJHW7MW1Mo1NJzQmv4j/vbsDlIS3YhmKzwjOGFeVpuTkyE/B/mFFhFugPWAzRi+9x4AXEx+rk7JW3PvsFg2sAlS+B8Oes4F24l1+6ZxhrJTyGUBnU7r84m3i97RxyhPVvBcveOJEnOQwAUDcjCtUiDxqCdNJ32qmKK2kRa/XDYOyM2kEZDKnTmS+eBsMu9S8P40OPluUcdM3RnMGoLDs8sUDlOyIi1pXd4XcG2IIaLamK0xWHyMNWw/TVD15AmrSbbfCkYxPvDdKcgDDzKoySPYVdHjjP35uIvbukrUNcF4foJvVhVx1ZIgRByHJvbsyGDP4mvAY/WIGXBRQ4Wk11Xkx4SY0dctaz+OHK+SGzynjo+pL+0qtL8Q1J6g2RhiJIjWnkN/lafLwXhyInXMMt9YnbghA2SwlI6pDNigU8Y1RuvaeqquC9U5LJiy6mfk9IfYVUCNQZL2SZHw7++qUzlziAg+klVQaDGnjOQRDbPxZjHXLWTfC6YDA/zlmTOqaxgQ/DTdMJUdnvCg1U6SKKMJTSLn5+ARoz2U/vSiypr4CCaj4vdJzxyA9sejPBd3QmyMSgqZrIAZlN9bMZ+7QzxvxwVtP5c4zP5l8ZTjMZl8dsY6sFtgkDgn6A3Ra9vh9TpstUTn/xK+at2XQcx/eGijUPS2j/vIlkaOOfLvn2P8O+YFNvMkVXRoxnevi0NwTdUNZRbh4W3nbXxviKWFxw4xdU8HrcI5Kik4Wgg5CFxcHuPuClnbi/ca3riPtVQ5zt/95U8/qCADitpZrHPf9L3mHECnhpHOTdXrXhgO5ZCzKlt4bk3seDZWLOlI1JKQRCg6sHJiqDvE7FqdJKum2qmXEjBPBrgjsEfO5r4mFB4lzfy6A5GofxpA7XCMxbUWlegp3PqBuIE9ecF2KX53A0lBiQ9pm6otVyFncxP+1M6dWNrFOuv1GX5IYyISmyEf073Re0095DNhFR0jlEuSiI45zd1Qb77CsX3Uy5SRGy7pNpayIivLooeGGcbm9k+NZcufamk1lDUakT6Vrq2CSqeylTPhlWsBdwIlp54J66EZ/OYQyF/4d2LfHAQoTVGLV8x/nKCdL6Gpwg5CvrqYuT8JvJ6hYQ4u5sxEgTxBXc6KUEnIi1vnm/Viyw7TCelasl9jh03uBQRaF1ScCfLuxWdVdyvjBJDNQXXt/UUCikqSzvzazQxGhNM7q1p+3W5sX4TJnsLkaj3kMlP1d0t9o0oU1CiGcScJWDbcvlj32U+r4rjst3aUCPJLY2vYKmH1PYU+L5o9I98u2HCVY6D8cwUr1OVeBlpZks1VnZ1BlR0UmyfLEgXFek/gC27gMXfH1+garSH+P1H0jxCWhT6J68EYj4PqXzGf6iuGBsKR0LRT2byUxIcXpK9/e//3AgBgm48v3v0A1Bvpgew+ntwSkuzK59QEk5VpDI7k29wZU4JyErTZwijGOcG40H1etFgPfaJekRPKMFqTsoL5UDqERgcRPLyHdhscMm3BjDox/kH1/zZCZP40u68VMxJfFOT3oHBoflGvpr4FOeTzVZNW4DWPVhZhJqvX9H8pZOYndBmtKgu+Qozpgvri7raNxdM79lWQnghusVAw9gKOiinElY+5pdRdACsnQUoxaqvJlVrPozUaJd6voj74rP1T0rbM9Acpg++7S/axdlU+YZXgf8nGLPWxpWGotZCm/NQHG6QZg7cn6ez79GZbBeu6jUmtpe5goEV/TxBzVjyW3TiZ5Xeen8zsRM+ANU8C0Vg6nrYkymYPqG+tHGtMfXQQVeD3aFYSIpk/6ktyd7lvbKxFTqly1N0dpi3r9oSXVjU3z9x7+9jMJe/ulB38nAlsqnz4LPUZXI9fCQfyoS1+cRubaf8h7UJ3y/KLIlqQ==
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!