bChapter /b81

Nyssa pow

As I walked down the path through the woods, I wrapped my arms around bmyself/b. My steps were slow and steady, not from the cold, but from the way trembled. The image of Aria’s lifeless body kept shing through my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, couldn’t push it away

At this point, I knew I wasn’t necessarily feeling guilty about what happened. I had done what needed to be done. But I guessed you could call it a kind of sadness.because I had killed someone, My hands were stained with blood, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

“It’s not your fault, Nyssa. You did bwhat /byou had to. She was the breason /byou died before and you know what would happen if she and Kieran were allowed to live. You made the right choice, and I’m proud of you for that.”

The corner of my lips twitched at She’s words, and I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. Even my dumb wolf seemed to understand better than dd.

No, what was I saying? Shells wasn’t dumb. bShe /bwas anything but dumb

She’d been the one toe up with the n. Since I couldn’t kill Kieran, he was stronger and I didn’t have the time to deal with both of them, not with me leaving for the king’s pack tomorrow, she had suggested the poison, Poison A, kill her, and make it look like Kieran did it.

Kieran killed Aria in a fit of bjealousy /band rage.

It was the best n we could manage tonight.

In our pack, most murderers were executed. That meant there was a good chance Kieran would die too. But what I didn’t want, what I couldn’t afford bwas /bfor him to be banished instead. If that man was banished, bhe’d /be back. He’d attack the pack again.

So everything had to go ording to n especially Kieran’s bdeath/b, tomorrow.

“Thank byou/b, Aria,” I muttered under my breath with a small smile, grateful that in this second lifetime, I bactually /bhad a wolf She was someone I could trust, someone I could tell everything to even if she could already read my mind.

“You’re wee. But you need to move faster or you’ll bete before the guards start their final rounds,” She reminded me, and my eyes widened in

rm.

-Shit! Shitt Why didn’t you remind me sooner? How many minutes do I have left?” Lasked, my voiceced with panic

“You have about fifteen minutes before the rounds,” she replied calmly.

I was surprised she even knew the time, more so that she hadn’t bothered to tell m

“Ugh, I take back what I said about you being smart” I groaned in frustration, preparing to bolt toward the puckhouse. But just as I was about to run, i

froze.

My eyes narrowed at the sudden sound of branches snapping nearby… and a familiar scent.

jerked my head in that direction, ready to check it out until She’s voice Interrupted me again.

“You have fourteen minutes now if you don’t start running, you won’t make it.”

I gasped Without another word, I took off toward the packhouse.

Oh goddess, I have to get there fast before the guard shift changes.

As I ran through the woods, the moonlight seemed to follow my form, and even though I still felt a little off about what I bhad /bjust done, a strange sense of relief flooded my body.

A single thought echoed through my mind if things went as nned, everything would be okay.

Soon, I managed to arrive just in time before the guards changed shifts, partially because I was about to copse and die from exhaustion, and mostly thanks to She, who kept counting down in my head, making me run like I’d never run in my life.

“Yay, we made it!” She cheered happily in my head, and I would’ve smiled… If I wasn’t doubled over, panting like I’d just escaped death itself

“yes, we made it,” I breathed out, struggling to steady myself between gasps and fighting the urge to copse to the floor.

“Mhm, but you might want to jump through your window right now. They’re heading this way for the sih,” she warned and my eyes widened.

I turned to the left, just in time to hear the rhythmic march of boots echoing toward me.

“Shit muttered.

I didn’t even know how I managed it, but I leapt straight through the bwindow /band tumbled into my room with a bthud/b.

A sharp groan escaped me bas /bbpain /bshot through my body, bbut /bmaybe it was the relief or the adrenaline, of getting back just in time without anyone noticing. Either way, I barely felt it. I sat on the floor and grinned.

“Yes! I made it just in time,” I whispered under my breath, clenching my fists in quiet triumph,

Almost immediately, I heard the march of the guards outside. I pushed myself up from the ground and walked to the window, leaning slightly to peek out and watch the men making their rounds bbefore /bone finally stayed behind to guard the area,

I smiled to myself, pulled away from the window, and walked over to my bed. bI /bsat on the edge, staring at nothing in particr as I tried to process everything that bhad /bhappened tonight, How I had poisoned Ana

And how, tomorrow, I nned to frame Kieran for it.

I flopped onto the bed and took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the ceiling, lost in thought.

After I got what I bwanted/b, Kieran’s execution, I would leave for the Lycan King’s pack and bbegin /ban entirely different journey.

Something unlike myst life

This time, bI /bdidn’t know what to expect I didn’t know who my enemies would be or if I should trust anyone at all. But one thing was certain babout /b

tomorrow!

Whatever happened, I would not be the girl I was before

I wouldn’t let anyone hurt me again

And I wouldn’t let myself be used.

Not by Kieran.

Not by the Lycan King.