Chapter 683

Madeline:

“I heard your saliva can cure poisons,” I said.

Standing close to her felt strange, if I was being honest.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something about her felt different. Strange,

yet not in a bad way.

Maybe I was reading too much into it.

After all, I was leaving my best friend in her care.

“It only works on visible, fresh injuries. Stab wounds, cuts, anything that leaves an open gash,” she replied in a calm tone.

The similarity between her voice and mine immediately caught my attention.

Why the fuck did we sound so alike?

Maybe nobody else noticed it, but I certainly did.

I nodded.

“Your tears are special,” she added.

This time, I nodded again.

“They are,” I replied. “But only when it comes to children.”

An awkward silence lingered between us.

Maybe it was because I was a fucking grey wolf and she knew what kind of monster I was.

I also noticed she had recently showered. There wasn’t a trace of her scent left for me to pick up.

“My tears only work on children, just like your saliva only works on certain wounds in adults.”

I realized I was repeating something we had already discussed, but the words left my mouth anyway.

“So, can I trust you to take care of my friend?” I asked softly.

I wasn’t trying to be rude. I was simply worried.

“You can,” she replied with a smile.

“Okay, then. I guess I’ll see you soon.”

I smiled and she nodded.

“Don’t worry. The next time you come back, you’ll find your friend smiling at you.”

The confidence in her voice eased some of my anxiety.

“Okay,” I replied.

The awkwardness still lingered between us.

It was strange because she seemed completely comfortable around Nala when talking about her powers.

Nala’s warrior carried Byron inside while I watched them disappear into the building.

Then it was time for me to leave too.

I could only hope I had made the right decision.

But I didn’t have many other options besides putting my faith in her.

Byron was already in terrible condition, so it was a risk worth taking. Besides, I trusted my instincts.

As Nala and I walked back home, we chatted along the way.

“She seems like a decent lady,” I commented.

Nala nodded, smiling to herself.

“She is,” she replied.

A moment later, she glanced back toward the cabin.

“Anyway, whoever built that cabin must have done so with a lot of love for their family.”

She shrugged as we continued down the trail.

“Why does it matter?” I asked

bitterly. “The monster must have

ruined it for them. He probabynet

the father, just like he ruined my family.”

I hugged myself tightly.

“You know what I’m going to do? Once all of this is over, I’m going to kill that monster myself.”

By the time we reached the trail, I was still seething with anger.

“Why doesn’t it kill you, then?” Nala asked, voicing the obvious question.

“Maybe because it already took so much from me that it realized there left to take. Maybe I’m

was a t

already dead” swhovels

The bitterness in my voice surprised even me.

I didn’t know what had happened to me, but somewhere along the way, I had

become a bitter person.

“Well, for what it’s worth, my people

will stay nearby in tents. We were worried about the monster, but guess he’s not interested in hurting us.”

As we reached the tree, Nala looked up at the creature perched among the

branches.

The monster was absentmindedly playing with its feathers.

Then it stopped and looked directly at me.

A moment later, it tilted its head.

It let out a soft chirping sound through its beak, almost as if it were trying to say something.

I didn’t give a fuck.

“That’ll be helpful. Soon I’ll have my children back, and I’ll need people around me.”

The thought alone filled me with anticipation.

Everything was falling into place.

Within the next few weeks, Elgin’s life and everyone else’s would unfold exactly as I wanted.

Because they were walking straight into my trap.

Once we walked into the cabin, Ron was already sitting there, waiting for us.

Nala made her way to the dining table and frowned.

“You didn’t cook anything for us?”

The way she asked the question made me choke on the water I had just taken a sip

of.

Ron growled at her, looking as though he wished she would stop talking.

“You were home doing absolutely nothing. I think it would’ve been better if we’d

come back to a meal waiting for us.”

She continued speaking, leaving Ron visibly confused.

Of course, he had no idea who she was, and I could tell he wasn’t too fond of her bold attitude either.

“Well then, let me tell you something,” he snapped, making me shake my head from where I stood by the door.

“I’ll cook for Madeline any day, but never for you,” he hissed.

The two of them were already arguing, even though there was no real reason for it.

“Well then, let me tell you something,” she shot back.

“I’ll make you do exactly that.”

She mimicked his tone, making him clench his fists and glare at her.