Giselle clutched her cheek, eyes wide with shock.
I raised my bow again, ready to release the arrow, ready to end this. My hands didn’t shake. There was no hesitation.
Giselle cowered, hands shielding her head as she screamed, “Alpha! Save me! I still carry your child!”
The arrow never landed.
Griffith moved faster than I expected, stepping between us. The arrow lodged into the ground at his feet. His face twisted with
agony as he shielded Giselle behind him.
“Ellia, wait,” he pleaded. “Just… wait. Let her live until she gives birth.”
1/2
Chapter 8
+15 BONUS
My breath came fast and shallow. “Griffith, do you even hear yourself? This woman murdered our children.”
His gaze dropped. He couldn’t meet my eyes. But he didn’t move.
“You wanted those children just as much as I did,” I said. “You loved them. And yet you’re standing here, protecting her?”
Shame flickered across his face, but his stance remained firm.
I gritted my teeth and pulled back the bowstring once more. I didn’t care about the child in her womb. Call me heartless, call me cruel–revenge was the only thing I had left.
Then Griffith shouted, “The newly mined ironstone from Avalora Pack!”
I stilled.
He exhaled sharply, seizing the moment of hesitation. “The entire stockpile,” he said. “I’ll hand it over to the Lumina Pack. It was meant to be an offering to bring you back, but now… I offer it in exchange for Giselle’s life. Let her live until she gives birth.”
His gaze locked onto mine, desperate, unwavering. “I swear, once she delivers, I will avenge our children myself.”
Beside me, Talassa’s voice rang out in protest. “Don’t listen to him, Ellia! We don’t need his damn iron!”
But I couldn’t ignore it.
Lumina Pack lacked weapons. With that iron, Talassa could forge the strongest shields and arm our warriors properly. She wouldn’t have to exhaust herself running across nations, scouring for resources.
My fingers loosened. The bowstring went slack.
I lowered my weapon.
I cast one last, piercing look at Griffith and Giselle. “You’d better keep your word.”
Then I turned and walked away with Talassa fuming at my side.
Behind us, Giselle exhaled, relief washing over her. But just as she lifted her head, she met Griffith’s gaze.
His expression was dark.
“Giselle,” he said, his voice quiet and lethal. “You’d better pray you stay pregnant.”
His eyes glowed with something murderous.
“Because, the day that child is born-” he leaned in, his breath a whisper of finality-“will be the day you die.”
