MIA’S POV
“Mia…”
Sean’s voice was weak, barely a breath above the howling wind. But I
heard it. And that was the problem.
I heard the desperation in it.
I heard the regret.
“Mia…”
Sean’s voice was weak, barely a breath above the howling wind. But I
heard it. And that was the problem.
I heard the desperation in it.
I heard the regret.
I heard the part of me that still wasn’t as heartless as I wanted to be.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body trembling with restraint.
“Please…” His breath hitched, and when I turned slightly, I saw him
struggling to move, his hand reaching for me. “Save them… If not for us,
for you…”
I clenched my jaw.
For me?
What a joke.
My nails dug deeper into my palms, drawing blood.
“You think I’d save you after everything?” My voice was laced with
venom, but I didn’t move closer.
Sean coughed, his body jerking violently from the pain. “I don’t deserve
it… I know I don’t. None of us do…” His breathing grew shallower. “But…
they… they’re dying… If you leave now… it’ll be over.”
I swallowed hard, my throat thick with emotions I refused to
acknowledge.
Over.
That word should have made me feel relieved, triumphant even.
But instead, it sent a strange pang through my chest.
I turned fully now, my gaze locking onto his. His eyes, usually full of
arrogance and mischief, were hollow and pleading.
“I-” He coughed again, his body curling slightly in pain. “I know you
hate me. You should. You should hate all of us… But don’t let us die like
this… Don’t let it end this way…”
A war raged inside me.
One part of me wanted to walk away and never look back.
The other part…
Damn it.
I took the steps further and walked away from the cottage as far as I
could. Each step felt lighter, each breath freer.
This was it.
This was my chance.
I should keep walking.
I should leave them to suffer the way they made me suffer.
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms as the memories flooded
in-every insult, every humiliation, every wound they had given me. The
pain, the fear, the betrayal. They didn’t deserve my kindness.
They didn’t deserve me.
Yet, just as I reached the tree line, something inside me hesitated.
I could still hear Sean’s strained breathing in my head, the way he had
begged me, pleaded for their lives, not his own. I could still see the pain
in his eyes, the way his body trembled, how his pride shattered as he
lowered himself before me.
Why did it bother me?
Why did I care?
I forced myself to take another step forward, but my legs wouldn’t move.
Damn it.
I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the war raging inside me. If I let them
die, it would be over. No more pretending. No more memories haunting
me. I could be free.
But would I really?
I sucked in a shaky breath and turned around, cursing under my breath.
I hated this.
I hated that I was going back.
The moment I stepped inside, the scent of blood mixed with the rain-
drenched air. The room was dimly lit, the flickering fire barely holding
on as the storm raged outside.
They were all unconscious now.
Xavier lay motionless, his breathing shallow. Rolex’s body trembled
slightly, his face contorted in pain. Nathan was barely hanging on, his
lips parted as if struggling to breathe.
And Sean…
His face was pale, his body drenched in sweat. He looked so different like
this, so vulnerable. Nothing like the arrogant, cruel man who had once
tormented me.
I crouched beside him, hesitating.
I could still leave.
I could still walk away and let fate decide what happened to them.
But something in me already knew I wouldn’t.
I let out a heavy sigh, pulling the dagger from my thigh holster. The
sharp blade gleamed under the dim light, and I pressed it against my
palm without hesitation. The sting was nothing compared to the pain
they had given me before.
As the blood pooled in my palm, I tilted Sean’s head back slightly,
pressing my bleeding hand to his lips.
“Drink,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.
His body shuddered at first, resisting, but then his lips parted, instinct
taking over as he swallowed. The moment my blood entered his system,
his breathing changed, his body relaxing slightly.
I moved to the others, repeating the process.
I wasn’t doing this for them.
I was doing this for me.
Because if they died, I’d have to explain everything to my uncle, to
Damon, to the entire Blood Moon Pack.
If they died, my revenge would end too quickly, and I wasn’t ready for
that.
I wiped my bloody hand on my dress, watching as their wounds slowly
started to close, their bodies mending with the strength of my blood.
I sat back, feeling exhausted.
A part of me wished I had been strong enough to leave them behind.
But another part of me…
A part I didn’t want to acknowledge…
Knew I never could.
The storm was relentless, but I didn’t care. I had done what I needed to
do.
I left a note for them, brief and direct:
“Go home. Stop following me. Stop pretending to care. We are nothing to
each other.”
I didn’t sign it. I didn’t need to. They would know who it was from the
moment they opened their eyes.
Without looking back, I stepped out into the storm, the cold rain soaking
through my clothes instantly. My wolf whined in my mind, uneasy about
me walking alone, but I ignored her. I needed to get away.
Each step was slow and difficult, the wind pushing against me as if
nature itself wanted to stop me from leaving them behind.
It took longer than I expected, my body exhausted from everything that
happened, but I pushed through. By the time I reached the Blood Moon
Pack’s estate, I was drenched, my entire body aching, but at least I was
home.
Just as I stepped inside, I froze.
My uncle and cousins were waiting.
Damon’s sharp gaze swept over me, his brows furrowing in concern. My
uncle’s expression was unreadable, but I could feel the tension in the air.
“You’re hurt,” Damon pointed out, stepping forward. His eyes flickered
with a mix of worry and confusion. “Where have you been?”
I hesitated for a second before straightening my spine. “The men you
assigned to protect me abandoned me in the woods.”
A heavy silence followed.
Then, fury.
My uncle’s fist slammed onto the nearby table, making the room
tremble. “What did you just say?”
“They left me,” I repeated, forcing my voice to sound hurt, weak. I
wasn’t actually lying, not entirely. “When the storm got worse, they ran
off to save themselves.”
Daisy gasped, shaking her head. “I knew we couldn’t trust them.”
Damon’s eyes darkened. “They left you alone in the middle of a storm?
You could have died.”
My uncle’s jaw clenched, his power rolling off him in waves. “Those
bastards.”
“They don’t deserve to be part of this cooperation,” Damon muttered,
his fists tightening. “We should kill them.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, keeping my expression neutral.
That was exactly what I wanted.
Let them suffer the way they made me suffer. Let them taste betrayal.
“They need to be dealt with,” my uncle growled. “No one betrays the
Blood Moon Pack and walks away unscathed.”
I didn’t stop them.
I didn’t correct the lie.
I simply stood there, watching as my family prepared to hunt them
down.