Chapter 429

[ 914 words ]

Arya’s POV

I lay curled up on my bed, knees tight against my body. The sheets were bunched

up and wrapped around my legs, making it hard to move. Outside, the sky was gray and rainy, just like how I felt inside.

‘You can’t hide away like this forever,’ my wolf said.

I ignored her and put my head down on my arms. Geoffrey’s dying eyes kept haunting me.

‘It wasn’t your fault, Arya,’ my wolf tried again.

‘How can you say that? I stabbed him. I killed him,’ I said.

‘You did what he asked you to do. You are not to blame for this,’ my wolf insisted.

‘Why couldn’t he have listened? Why did he have to try to kill Walden? If he hadn’t…’

‘He made his choice, Arya,’ my wolf said.

I shook my head and hugged myself tighter. ‘He could have made a different choice,’ I whispered. ‘He could’ve chosen me.’

“Geoffrey did,” my wolf said. “He just did it the wrong way. He wanted things to end like this, and he wanted you to be the one to end it. You know how proud he was. He couldn’t bear the humiliation of the trial.”

I started to cry again. ‘I wish it wasn’t me,’ I managed to say. ‘I wish someone else had done it, or that he found a means to live with the shame.’

‘I’m sorry, Arya,’ my wolf whispered.

A loud crash from my living room brought me out of my thoughts. My wolf bristled as we both thought the same thing.

Alpha and Luna sent warriors to arrest me.

‘We have to deal with it,’ my wolf said.

‘I know,’ I muttered as I made myself get out of bed and peek out of my room. I was surprised to see Henry. He was soaked from the rain, trying to climb through the window, and he slipped a little, looking embarrassed.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Henry jumped in surprise, nearly falling again. “Your door was locked. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Henry explained, and then he looked at the broken glass on the ground. “I will fix your window too.”

“My door was locked for a reason,” I said flatly.

“I know…..but… Um, do you want to go for a walk? Maybe some fresh air would help?” Henry said.

I stared at him like he’d lost his mind. What was he thinking? Why was he acting as

if he hadn’t just watched me kill my own brother?

Henry started to reach for the curtains to pull them fully open. “Stop,” I snapped. “Just stop!”

Henry froze and started, “I’m sorry. I was just…”

I turned away, feeling embarrassed and guilty. “You should go,” I said quietly. “I’m a

murderer. You shouldn’t be around me.” I let out a short, awkward laugh. “You really should have figured that out already.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Arya,” Henry

said gently as he walked over to me. “You’re not going to scare me off.” felt his hands grip my arms, and tense I wanted to resist, but the mate bond came to life from his touch. His ginger-and-cinnamon scent filled my senses, calming me. Henry pulled me into his arms, holding me from behind. I turned around to lean into his chest and started crying again.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” Henry said as he gently rubbed my back.

Eventually, exhaustion from crying caught up with me, and my stomach growled, embarrassing me.

Henry stepped back and smiled softly. “You should eat,” he said.

I nodded and followed him into the

kitchen like a stray pup. He looked through the fridge for a moment, then made us some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “This is all we’ve got for now unless you want to go to the dining hall,” he told me.

I took a bite of my sandwich, but right away I thought of Geoffrey’s last words. “Henry will be a good mate,” he had told me. I tried to push that memory away, but it stuck with me and made my chest ache.

Henry slid a glass of water toward me and sat in the chair across from me. “You okay?” he asked, watching me as I chewed slowly. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

“I couldn’t have messed up peanut butter jelly sandwiches,” Henry joked.

“No, it’s fine,” I replied. Actually, the food tasted like nothing to me, but at least my

stomach was full. When I finished eating, I pushed my plate away.

I rubbed my eyes and felt exhausted. “I just want to sleep,” I said.

Henry nodded and got up. “Then let’s get you back in bed.”

He came over and picked me up, much to my surprise.

“Put me down, Henry. I can walk,” I said, but Henry ignored me, and I was too tired

to resist.

Henry brought me into the bedroom and laid me down on the unmade bed. He pulled the blanket over me and I glanced up at his face searching for any hint he was upset with me. But his eyes were soft and understanding, not angry or scared at all.

“Our mate isn’t lying to us. He accepts us no matter what,” my wolf said, and I didn’t

know how to process it. I was a monster.

Henry gently moved some hair away from my forehead and let his hand linger for a second. He sat next to me, not too close, making sure I had room.

“I’ll be in the other room. Just call if you need something,” he told me.

When he started to stand up, I reached out and held onto his sleeve. “Please don’t leave,” I whispered. “Stay…stay with me.”

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