Chapter 144: Her Final Command

"God, no...," Della’s eyes spilled tears. Her body must have started producing more again.

"Father was the one who devised the whole plan on the night of the wedding. The Moonrot ash inside the necklace you gave, the Moonfire and the trap too. Including the cloak that contained the marking of Clawfang. Everything was provided by him, Della,"

Her vision was blurred with tears.

Her father might have neglected her for most of her life, but she never knew he despised her existence this much, too.

"I think he works with someone else who provided him with the Moonfire we needed for that night, but who cares right?"

Della remained speechless.

"What else?" Beatrice asked no one in particular, gently tapping her chin with her index finger in deep thought, "Oh, that’s right!" Her eyes sparkled again, "Remember the blood pack you made with my husband? He was never gonna keep his side of the agreement,"

"...what?"

"He tricked you, Della. There was a hidden pouch in his palm filled with animal blood. He never had any intention of saving your cousin or doing any of that shit. He knew I had a hand in the torn banner because apparently, he’d also watched the exchange between you, Selene and I along with Cassian...and he’s too obsessed with me to let anything happen,"

It was just shock after shock for her right now.

"You know how happy I was when you walked into that interrogation room and admitted you did everything? I was proud of my little, obedient dog of a husband that he actually pulled it off. And now, guess what? He’s probably gonna declare war on Nightveil. Can you imagine Cassian dared to lay his hand on me because of you?! My husband didn’t take it lightly. Two drops of tears, and he’s going into an angry frenzy. Pretty sure he’s speaking to Malachi about it as we speak,"

Beatrice looked so utterly proud of herself. Like, she was so elated with herself that she could probably sprout out wings right now and take off flying.

"Jaime told me that your little escort is dead,"

Della’s eyes sharpened into spiteful sharp daggers.

"I’m so sorry for the loss," Beatrice sighed, pouting a little, "You must have loved her so much. You were probably friends, right? Although I can’t think of another reason why someone would sacrifice their future for someone like you, and I could only imagine how you felt when she was slaughtered like cattle before your eyes!"

"She wasn’t my friend," Della replied quietly, then her eyes sharpened again, "She was my sister! The only one I’ve ever had,"

"Ouch!" Beatrice looked deeply offended, placing a hand over her chest, "You had no right to say that, Della. Take it back,"

"Your audacity makes me wanna vomit. I wish someone would just gag me with a spoon!"

Beatrice’s anger flared again, and her eyes turned golden yellow, "You know...," She growled, pulling out a small dagger from her dress, "I was gonna kill you with just one stab straight into the heart, but I’ve changed my mind," Her eyes glowed even more, "I’ll keep stabbing you over and over again, and I’ll watch the light leave your eyes. Then I’ll leave you here. For wild animals to find you, to feast on your corpse,"

Della stared at the sharp edge of the dagger, her eyes dancing between fear and rage. She knew Beatrice wasn’t kidding at all, but she still chose to remain defiant.

She wouldn’t beg for mercy from her.

But she also didn’t want to die.

"This time," Beatrice’s grip tightened around the blade as she gripped Della’s neck with all her strength, tilting her head backwards to expose more of her chest, "I’ll make absolute certainty that you are dead, Adelaide,"

The blade drove into her chest, and Della’s entire body convulsed. Before she could even draw another breath, it came again.

And again.

"Does it hurt, Della?" Beatrice questioned almost softly, her eyes boring into Della’s tormented ones.

Each thrust tore through her with a different kind of agony. The first had been sharp. The second was crushing. The third felt as though something inside her chest had been ripped open and twisted apart.

Her heart seemed to stumble beneath the blade.

Another stab landed again, and Della’s back arched violently, but there was nowhere to escape.

"You look like you’re in pain," Beatrice grinned, her eyes malicious as blood from Della’s heart rolled down the blade and onto her hands, "I’m really sorry about this, sister. Will you please forgive me?"

Another stab forced its way into her heart again, and Della’s lungs spasmed. Her fingers curled uselessly. Her vision flashed white, then black, then white again.

And Beatrice enjoyed watching it all. She bathed in the feeling of her sister’s warm blood trickling down her hands and turning cold.

Blood filled Della’s mouth as she tried to breathe, but even breathing hurt now. Every heartbeat dragged the agony through her chest again, as though the wound itself were pulsing.

Della’s vision began to collapse into darkness around the edges. The room blurred, and sound became distant.

She could no longer feel her burnt fingers.

Her knees weakened tremendously, and her head dropped.

And yet, somewhere inside her, something was still screaming.

Something that had been sleeping inside her for weeks.

No!

Della’s eyes fluttered, and suddenly she remembered Cassian’s words.

Your wolf doesn’t own you. You own it.

It can’t sleep forever if you wake it up.

Her breathing trembled as his words echoed through her fading consciousness. She had always thought her wolf was something separate from herself, something she needed permission to use.

But perhaps she’d had it backwards all along.

Perhaps her wolf has been waiting all this while.

Waiting for her to stop begging.

Waiting for her to stop fearing.

Waiting for her to finally command it, as she should have from the beginning, so it doesn’t go back to sleep.

Della’s lips parted to say something, but no sound came out. Her body was already failing.

Her heart gave one final, weak beat, and in that final moment, Della reached inward.

Past the pain.

Past the fear.

Past every voice telling her that she was weak and cursed.

Then, she found something enormous.

Something... furious.

And completely, undeniably hers.

Wake up.

Nothing.

Della’s consciousness slipped further, and with her final strength, a final push with every emotion tearing through her veins, she screamed:

I said... wake up!!!

Then, her body went completely still.