CHAPTER 266: 266-MY WISHES MATTER

Oriana:

I watched the three of them fight those creatures like they were born to do it.

There was no hesitation in them whenever they struck the monsters. Clementine was impeccable, just as I’d imagined her to be.

She was perfect in every way.

Her squadmates weren’t bad either, but my eyes stayed on Clementine.

I wished she could see me, and only me. as her friend. But that wasn’t going to happen. I had seen how she cherished their touch.

Then I remembered the way Yorick gave her his coal, the way Troy kissed her. They treated her like a queen.

There was no way any monster could even scratch her. The alphas with her would tear them apart.

Then fear took over, and I ran in the opposite direction. Even when I saw her friends trying to save me, I was terrified.

"How far can we go?" my wolf uttered shakily.

At some point, I felt like my wolf would come out, but that would draw the monsters’ attention, and they’d all gather around me.

I didn’t want that. I was too scared.

"Ria, I don’t think we can survive like this," I told her, little whimpers escaping my lips.

"But we must. We have to go back home. We have to get justice for our father. Remember how Clementine got justice for Haiden’s mother? She’ll help us. We just need to go back."

Ria tried to push me, giving me courage, but I felt broken, completely shattered.

My father was my whole world. Even if I got justice for him, what then? My life was over.

"Get justice for my father and then go where? Even when Clementine managed to have her father arrested, she was left with no home. Now she can’t even return to her pack or take a vacation. I don’t want to live like that."

A small cry escaped me as I remembered how important the pack had been to me.

It was my father’s hard work that made our pack flourish. But now, he was gone.

My steps began to slow down. I was clutching the bag by its strap, dragging it along the ground.

With every few steps, my body hunched lower and lower. I no longer had the strength to keep going.

Eventually, I dropped to my knees, my head hanging low. I didn’t even see where I was.

I just gave up.

"I can’t," I whispered, letting go of the strap and placing my hands on the ground.

"Did you see how they were treating her? She’ll never leave them and be our friend alone. Who in their right mind would let that kind of love and affection go?" Ria pointed out, referring to the care her squadmates showed her.

I remembered that even Haiden seemed fine with it.

"Of course Clementine is special. No wonder her own mate doesn’t want to restrict her. He must be afraid of giving her an option and her leaving him, so he’s willing to share her," I murmured after carefully observing her dynamic with everyone.

"What about us now?" Ria questioned.

My wolf wasn’t weak, but we were emotional. We were pink. Pinks were always sensitive and deeply emotional wolves.

"I can help you," a soft, gentle voice whispered, and my head snapped up.

"Who said that?" I asked in fear. My eyes darted around anxiously, big tears still streaming down my cheeks.

But I couldn’t see anyone nearby. The voice seemed to come from nowhere.

"I heard it too," my wolf spoke before I could convince myself it was just my imagination, confirming the voice was real.

"Don’t look around. I’m right here," the voice continued, and I looked up, noticing something moving within the shadows.

It was frightening how soft that female voice was. It sounded motherly.

"Who are you? Why won’t you come into the light?" I demanded, rising to my feet and tightening my grip around the spear.

"Don’t hold that evil thing. You’re not like the others, so drop it," the woman urged, humming softly at the end.

Her voice echoed from all directions.

I could tell she was crawling along the walls and ceiling in the dark, but every time I tried to spot her, she disappeared.

"You don’t know me. I’m worse than the others. I’m a coward and a selfish person who’s let others die before and I’ll probably do the same again," I cried, clenching my fists and biting my bottom lip at the realization of my own nature.

I was the worst crusader, worse than Suki.

"I don’t believe that. I can sense a soft and innocent aura around you," she murmured, her voice echoing faintly against the walls.

My grip on the spear loosened.

"I’m innocent?" I asked, still straining to catch a glimpse of her.

"Why do you think you’re not? I haven’t seen you kill anyone here, unlike the others," she replied, making me feel slightly better about myself.

"They all have each other. I’m alone. And yet, I can’t fight to protect myself as if I’m waiting for someone else to protect me," I muttered, shaking my head at my own delusions.

But her soft tsk, tsk, tsk stopped me.

"You’re not wrong to be hopeful. Let me tell you something," she said as she started crawling down the wall in front of me.

There were open paths to my left and right, but she came from the closed wall ahead.

I stepped back slowly, but she kept moving toward me until she came into the light.

My eyes widened, and a silent gasp escaped my lips. I was so terrified I couldn’t move or look away.

I just stared at her, frozen, my jaw slack.

"I prepare jewels from coal. They’re special—just like you. And special people like you deserve to have their wishes granted. You don’t want to be alone, and you won’t be. But you’ll need to work hard for it. Are you willing to do that?" she asked, her eyes, mouth, and skin sending shivers down my spine.

When the fear of her appearance faded a little, I focused on her words.

She was right. It wasn’t wise to give up. I had to keep fighting.

"I’m willing to do anything to survive," I declared, and she smiled.