Thorn (Werewolf) ✔

Chapter Thirty-Three

THORN

I watch the burial from on top of the hill. Lucias carried Daria here almost two hours ago and it took a while until they managed to convince him to let go. I've been staying out of the way. I travelled back towards the camp to get the clothes that I left during the transition and it took a lot to resist going the full way.

I came back here. I have no idea why. I can't seem to leave this time.

Maria decides to be brave enough to approach me and she ignores my snarls of protest. She drops down to the edge beside me and watches the burial. I move further away from her.

"That could have been any of us," she says. "Aren't you just a little bit relieved that it was Daria?"

"I would have been more relieved if it had been you."

She leans back and bites on her lip angrily. "What exactly is your fucking problem with me? I remember a time when you were tearing my clothes off."

"Don't remind me," I mutter.

"We were only mates for a short time but it meant something, Thorn. We had a connection even if you believe that we didn't. Just because we lost the bond doesn't mean that the connection is gone." She rubs her hand along my knee slowly.

"You've got three seconds to remove your hand before I break your wrist."

She pulls it back.

"You're only interested in me because I gave orders as the blood alpha," I say. "And if you want to know what my fucking problem with you is, it's because I know that you were feeding information to Atticus in return for a safe alliance if I died."

She blinks. I've never told her that I knew that. I've never told the others either. She was punished with us, there's no point in letting her suffering end. She deserves to rot here.

"How can you even think that?" she says quietly. "It isn't true."

"Even the mating bond didn't stop you from thinking about your own survival, did it?" I snarl. "I never saw it. Not until Malese took the bond away. Then everything became clear."

"I would never have betrayed you," she says. "Or our pack. I only met with Atticus to try and convince him not to attack. I told him that you were a good leader, that you do what's right."

"He knew every move we were about to make before we made it. What was it? The allure of an alpha that was stronger than me?"

"You killed him, didn't you?" she mutters. "And he had a fucking witch as a mate. She could have predicted our moves. It doesn't mean that there was a grass. And if there was, it certainly wasn't me."

I start laughing. "Atticus told me, Maria. It was among his final words. Save yourself the embarrassment. If by some miracle we do ever make it out of these woods then you won't be welcome at my father's estate. You won't be coming home with us."

"Imagine being so foolish to believe that there's still a home to go back to," she says as she dusts off her trousers and stands up. "Fuck you, Thorn."

"No thanks," I mumble. "I still have nightmares."

I see her twist back angrily in the edge of my vision but she turns around and storms off. I look down at the community and I see Kira sheepishly walking around a hut. She shakes some leaves out of her hair before walking towards Balan.

I stand up, reaching my head as high as it will go. I see her 'mate' walking towards the mountain. Slowly. Like he's in some sort of daze. I breathe angrily and I start running down the other side of the hill. My plan is to intercept him before he gets to the mountain but he'll be able to hear my approach.