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Chapter One Hundred and Forty Seven
I woke up with a pounding headache. It took only seconds to realize this had been a setup–and Arnanda, the girl we rescued, was part of it.
I wasn’t chained or restrained–just placed in a corner of the hall. Sitting right in front of me was Empress Cynthia, with Amanda by her side and….
“Sarah?”
It came out as more of a question. My gaze shifted between Amanda and Sarah, and the pieces finally fell into place. Amanda had been ‘adopted‘ by Sarah–this had all been a carefully planned setup.
“I am doing this for you.” She said, there was no hint of regret on her face.
Sarah was one of the few I had allowed close to me. I saw her as a friend–the last person I would ever expect to betray me. But I couldn’t let them see how much it hurt. These were people I cared about.
Alexander had wanted me to stay out of the Gray Moon Pack’s business, but I didn’t. I wanted justice for the little girl being sent against her will to marry a barbaric man like Grayson. And now, that very same girl had turned against me.
As I stared at her, I noticed something I hadn’t before. Her skin was pale–unnaturally pale–and her eyes held a chilling iciness. It was almost like she was a completely different person.
“I told you I would be back for you, and I kept good to my word. It’s a pity we had to go through all this to bring you here, but the Blackwood wolf got cameras everywhere; this was the only way.”
“Well, I can’t say I’m exactly glad to see you again.” I said to her, and a small smile formed on her lips.
“I am not here to cause any harm; I am just here to talk.”
“I told you I didn’t take the girl-”
“I’m not here for the girl; of course I knew you didn’t take her. I knew from the very first moment I questioned you.”
“Then why are you here? What do you want?”
“I want you to listen to my story.”
“Come on, you can’t be that pathetic.”
She only smiled and went on with her tale.
“After my encounter with the god of light, I returned to my village… a completely different person. The power within me drew people in–suddenly, they saw me. For years, that had been all I wanted. But I had no need for such petty things anymore.
Many curious eyes watched me that night. I went straight to the square, where I had a good audience–and then, I let them see. I ignited flames from nothing.
They gasped. At first, they regarded me as if I were a god. But too soon, the adoration in their eyes vanished, replaced by fear.
‘Witch!‘ an old woman shouted. One by one, they joined in, their voices rose in accusation. They called me a witch.
She was the first to pick up a stone. The first to throw it at me. But this time, I didn’t have to care wha
–
thought of me and I didn’t care when I set her on fire. She was the first to burn.
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+25 BONUS
Chapter One Hundred and Forty Seven
I still remember her cries–so loud. I never knew someone to old could scream like that.
Many ran, but none escaped.
I burned them to the ground–their houses, their belongings, their very existence reduced to ash. None escaped; I made sure of it, and it was easy–too easy; all I had to do was stretch forth my hands, and they were all on fire. Screaming and begging me to ‘make it stop.‘ Nothing had been more satisfying than watching the fear in their eyes when they cried.
Somehow, your mother, Lydia, heard about what happened and she believed I was behind it all. You see, I and your mother were best friends; she knew me even more than I knew myself, and maybe she had always seen the darkness in me; that explained why she’d believed I did it.
She feared for the life of her mate and the life of her unborn child too. She was being protected by your father, Alpha Trent, but I had a way of getting to her. I had loyal servants. Dear Sarah had been so young, but she had always been of great importance to my mission. No one could beat her–well, no one but one. Your Beta, Aric.”
I noticed the figure–I hadn’t realized he was standing there.
“Don’t be shy, join us.” She called to him, and Aric finally walked forward.
