Am 1 intruding?‘ Time’s valce Falled from the hallway.
Betjet crashed through nie so powerfully i nearly dropped my glass. do, you are not, I called back, perhaps too eagerly.
Frost entered, his eyes taking in my attire and the intimate setup before looking away quickly. I just need to speak with the Alpha, but i could come back later.”
It must be an emergency, so go ahead. I moved between them and the table, desperate to keep Kaius from drinking
This better be something really important, else, you ll be spending other night with the patrollers, Kaius warned, though there was no real heat in his voice,
As they spoke, her words kept ringing over and over in my head. “Make sure he drinks it, she warned, and I placed both of my hands on my ears, but that didn’t stop me from hearing her words.
I had to do something, Frost’s interruption was only temporary, Once he left, Kaius would drink the poisoned juice, and I would be responsible for whatever happened next.
Moving as if to join their conversation, I deliberately bumped the table. The glasses toppled, apple juice spreading across the polished wood and dripping onto the floor,
I’m so sorry! 1 exclaimed, grabbing a nearby cloth to mop up the mess. “How clumsy of me.”
Kaius shook his head, amusement replacing annoyance. “At least it wasn’t wine.”
Frost moved to help me clean up, but I waved him away. “It’s fine. You two talk.” I knelt to gather the broken glass, hiding my face so they couldn’t see the relief and terror warring in my expression.
Before I could gather more than a few shards, Kaius’s hand closed firmly around my upper arm, pulling me abruptly to my feet to
face him.
“What is wrong with you?” he demanded, his amber eyes boring into mine, searching for the truth I couldn’t give. “You’ve been acting stranger and stranger lately.”
“Nothing,” I choked out, trying to pull my arm free. “I’m just… tired. Like I said. Everything’s just… a lot right now.”
But the lie felt paper–thin, and the expression on my face must have screamed otherwise – a bizarre mix of sadness, desperation, and a helplessness I couldn’t voice. He didn’t loosen his grip, but his gaze softened slightly, confusion warring with concern. It wasn’t anger I saw in his eyes, but something else… a flicker of understanding, perhaps? As if he could sense the invisible cage I was trapped in, even without knowing its shape or key.
Whatever he saw, it made him release me abruptly. “I… I’m sorry,” he murmured, stepping back slightly.
His apology, his warm gaze, only amplified the wave of shame washing over me. Shame for what I’d almost done just moments before, for the poison that still felt cold against my skin where I’d hidden the vial. Tears I’d been desperately holding back finally spilled over, hot and stinging.
“Just… please,” I choked out, unable to meet either of their eyes. “Just go. Both of you. I need… I need to be alone right now.”
Kaius, stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable – a mix of worry, frustration, and that unsettling flicker of understanding. Then, with a curt nod, he turned. Frost lingered for a second, his brow furrowed in concern, before following Kaius out of the room, leaving me alone with the shattered glass and the crushing weight of my secret.
1/3
Chapter 246
Once they were gone, I sank to the floor, my back against the bed. No more. I was done letting her use me. If Thalia could reach me in my dreams, control my body, and force me to harm those I loved, there was only one solution.
I had to end her. Permanently.
The silver dagger I’d hidden beneath the mattress felt cold against my palm as I withdrew it. Silver might not kill an Elder immediately, but enough damage to vital organs should at least incapacitate her. And I knew exactly how to lure her in.
I waited until midnight, seated calmly on the edge of the bed when she finally appeared, materializing from the shadows as she always did.
“Tell me some good news,” she demanded, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
I swallowed hard, keeping my face carefully neutral. “I thought it had been a dream; how… how did you do it?”
“Some tricks on your mind, and that’s it.” She waved dismissively, as if controlling someone’s consciousness were a simple parlor
trick.
“So I had actually been to the warehouse.” I needed to draw her out, get her talking about her methods to keep her distracted..
“How else would I have passed the bottle of wolf’s bane extract to you?” Her smile was cold, satisfied.
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