Destined for Vengeance ✔️

Chapter 56

Double update! Make sure you've read chapter 55 before reading this one :)

Ryleigh had been silvered seventeen times, but she had never known pain until that very moment.

The words left her mouth and her heart left her body. Her wolf's howl turned into a desperate yelping, and then turned into a deafening silence that made Ryleigh worry whether the animal had died. Was that possible?

She remained standing. How, she didn't know, but she stayed on her feet. Her eyes found Austin. She had to see if he, too, was feeling like the Goddess had come down with her pack of wolves to rip him to shreds. She clutched the windowsill with all her might. It was the only thing grounding her to reality.

A gasp had escaped Austin as she spoke the words - the last breath of a romance that never quite got to be. He trembled on his feet, then sagged back onto the bed. His eyes found hers and for a moment he looked like maybe he wanted to say something. His eyes darkened and filled with tears. His wolf, like hers, seemed to take it harder than he did. Her own animal crawled inside of her, holding onto their sanity with teeth and nails. Or at least to what was left of it.

It was odd looking at him then. She knew, technically, there were twenty-four hours to undo their rejection, but already their bond was decaying. She always imagined it as a thick thread tied to both their ribcages, and in her mind's eye, she saw it snap. The backlash hit her so hard she stumbled.

She wanted to say he didn't look exactly the same, but he did. And she wanted to say she didn't feel what she felt before, but she did. That is: it wasn't the same. When she looked at him before, she would feel calm, she would feel a pull, she would feel like whatever happened, she would always have a little bit of home wherever he was. He was a comfort. He was no longer a comfort. Whether that was because he had broken their bond or because he had broken her heart, she didn't know. Either way, this was it. Whatever chance they might have had, it had dissipated in the air between them.

She felt perhaps she should say something. Not because there was anything left to say, but because she knew this was the last time she'd ever see him. Did he know as much? Did he realise what he had asked for? Did he realise that he had not just broken their bond, but broken every connection existing between them? Did he realise that by kicking her out of his heart, he had kicked her out of his pack? He hadn't just thrown her out, he had thrown her right back into the life she didn't want.

He was breathing heavily, and she realised she was too. With more determination than strength, she removed her hand from the windowsill and remained standing on her own. Austin looked at her, his eyes hazel again, yet still filled with tears. A single drop slipped from the corner of his eye and trickled down his cheek.

She nodded. She knew. He'd never wanted it to turn out like this. She understood. Neither did she. It would have been the perfect moment for an I told you so. She had told him so. But for once she would gladly have been wrong.

The door seemed a world away but she reached it somehow. Her body knew what to do, even while her head was stuck on Austin. Once at the door, her feet allowed her to halt for just a second. One last look. She wanted to hear his voice. Wanted to hear him say her name just to be sure it didn't send a jolt through her body anymore. Just to know that he was like any other stranger now.

He didn't speak. Neither did she.

The door clicked closed behind her and for a moment, she stood in the hallway, her hand still clutched around the handle. She could walk back in there, fall to her knees, and beg him to take her back. She had twenty-four hours to mark him. If she did, it would be like nothing had even happened. Only it had. And even if she could restore their bond, she could never restore her trust.

The carpet tickled her feet and she realised she wasn't wearing shoes. It didn't matter. She wasn't going to be in her human form for much longer. She trailed down the stairs and strayed towards the parlour. Ellis, Julie, Conall, and Carry were gathered there.

"Hey," she said, halting in the doorway. They were her friends. It was an interesting realisation. She'd never had friends. She'd only had family, and that wasn't the same. Her family had no choice but to accept her. These people did have a choice, and they had accepted her anyway. They all looked at her and she felt tears burning right behind her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she couldn't stop the floods anymore. Best to get out of there before that happened.

"Everything alright?" Ellis asked.

"Yes," she said, and she smiled. If it had ever been convenient to be a good liar, it was right then. "I just wanted to say I appreciate everything you've done for me. Not just letting me stay here, but being my friends. The past few months have been very odd and in many ways very difficult, but in some other ways, they have been really good."

"You're sure you're okay?" Julie asked.

"Yes."

"It sounds like you're saying goodbye," Carry said.

She smiled again. It wasn't a happy smile - she had none of those left. The kid was clever. She'd miss her and all her annoying bluntness. She'd miss all of them. Even Conall. Goddess, she really was in a melancholic mood.

"I don't do goodbyes," she said. "They're awkward." She took a step back, letting her eyes flit over all of them. "Tell Ridge thanks for me, please. And Sky."

"You are saying goodbye." Julie rose from her seat. "What happened? You can't leave."

"I have to. It's time."

"But you can't go without rejecting Austin," Carry said.

"I just did. No need to look at me like that. He asked me to." She swallowed, tears brimming in her eyes. Don't cry. Don't cry. "It's better this way. Um." She drew in a sharp breath. No crying. She didn't do crying. "Yes. So. He's upstairs. He's fine. Well, not fine. I didn't think it would hurt this much. Physically, I mean. I mean, I knew it wouldn't be a breeze, but it hits hard."

"Ryleigh." Julie was looking at her with slightly glassy eyes and Ryleigh shook her head.

"No, no. No crying. No hugs. No pity. I don't do that. I deserve this. I did this. It's my fault. I'm not a lovable person. I knew I wasn't. He tried. He did. I'm better off on my own. And you're better off without me, trust me."

"You don't have to go," Ellis said. "There's still a place for you here. And you can still undo this. There's twenty-four hours -"

"Even if I had twenty-four years, it would not be enough." She set another step back. The last thing she needed was for Austin to come downstairs and find her still standing there. She needed to get out. Fast. "You people are a good bunch. Take care." She nodded and turned her back on them - on everything they represented. On everything she could never have and never be.

She shifted the moment she left the mansion. She didn't even wait till she was down the stairs. The moment her paws hit the floor, her wolf was gone. She sprinted towards the forest and never looked back.

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A/N: These last few chapters were pretty tough to write, but we're not done yet. Or rather: Ryleigh isn't.

Thank you for reading :)