Chapter 165: A Dead Woman’s Plans

The room was dark and empty when Malachi returned to his chambers. His body was covered in claw marks and deep wounds, and every step he took left a trail of blood behind him.

That’s what he gets for going against rogues with his mind in a complete disarray. All he could think about was her. All he could see was her. Lifting a simple sword that was usually like child’s play was now like trying to pull out a buried sword from stone.

He had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, and they weren’t cold anymore. They were filled with regret and devastation.

It wasn’t even half as bad as this when he’d lost Katherine. At least Katherine had done something wrong.

Many things wrong.

But Della? She had been innocent.

And the mate bond had repeatedly pointed it out. Her feelings had always been genuine, but he had twisted it all in his head. Irritation. Disgust. Rage. Annoyance. Dismissal. Broken promises.

Name it.

That was all the affection he ever gave her.

And he knew he deserved this.

This right here was his punishment, one that would haunt him for eternity.

Cassian did say he should go after her, but Malachi was so scared. He couldn’t bear to see her again. He was afraid the heaviness in his chest would break him completely.

But he had to remind himself...that no matter how broken he felt, she’d felt even worse than that before.

This isn’t about him.

It’s never been.

It’s about her.

It’s about—

"A few barrels have gone missing," A dead, toneless voice said.

Malachi looked up immediately, his pupils dilating as he saw her standing there. She was leaning against the wall, close to the shut window. The colour of her eyes now fit perfectly with the darkness in the room.

She straightened up and repeated herself, "The Cave. I think humans have been stealing Moonfire, but Gideon isn’t aware,"

Malachi’s lips trembled.

A second ago, he was still trying to convince himself to go after her again, and now she was standing in front of him.

"I don’t know what they want with Moonfire, and I don’t care. I just don’t want anyone hurting Gideon," She continued.

She waited for him to say something, and when he didn’t, she finally spared him a short glance. He was standing there like a fragile piece of glass. One slight nudge from anyone and he would go crashing to the ground and shatter to pieces.

The side of his face was covered in blood, and there was a bloody sword on the ground next to him. The Della of the past would have rushed forward by now. She would have approached him, and tried to tend to his wounds.

Now, she looked at him like he deserved it.

"I’m here to keep the promise I made to you the other day,"

He took a step toward her like he wanted to say something and swayed a bit instead.

*So needy* Asteria groaned again inside of her, *Can’t we just kill him?*

"I should be able to merge you back with Gideon. He’s safer inside of you. And you, well..." She gave him a mean once-over. "You don’t have to return from the woods like that again,"

He suddenly fell down on both knees.

Frail piece of glass.

*So freaking needy*

"I did as you wanted," He cracked, eyes lifting to meet hers again. His voice sounded like something that had gone through an extreme form of torture, "I...released them all,"

"Are you expecting a Thank You?"

"No. I...," He swallowed, his voice hoarse, "I just wanted to let you know,"

"Noted,"

She was still looking pale. Still emitting a deathly cold. And her hair was shorter than before. It was now at shoulder length. Every day, she seemed to get worse than the last. Her hatred grew even more roots and branches, digging deep into the cold void that now sat in place of her soul.

"Della..." He drawled heavily, "I’m sorry..."

*Oh, here we go again* Asteria rolled her eyes.

Weirdly, the words of her wolf were always had exact thoughts. Thoughts she would be having if she wasn’t feeling empty and...dead.

"Unfortunately, I cannot merge you with Gideon while you’re in such a bad physical shape,"

"Della—"

"Have a Healer tend to your wounds properly. Don’t fight any rogues for the time being. If any of them get too close to the tunnels or anything, I will take care of them. I’ll be back in two weeks to take you to Gideon,"

"I’m—"

She was already gone. He heard the window open and close almost at the same time, and the spot she was standing was now empty again.

There was no scent.

She didn’t have a scent again. Or maybe she was just that good at stealth.

.

.

.

Della sat by the edge of the cliff, her feet dangling. She stared into the distant horizon, watching the setting sun.

Behind her sat Lian’s grave. A fresh bouquet of flowers sat quietly next to the grave, unshifted by the dancing wind.

She had agreed to go to Nightveil with Cassian. They would be leaving in the next few days. But, she had no intention of actually living there permanently. If anything, she just wanted to be in Nightveil so she could be closer to Selene.

It didn’t mean she wouldn’t continue to visit IronRidge.

Speaking of IronRidge, Della knew Beatrice would have received her little gift by now. The wooden horse with the little message she had left on it. Della planned to mess with Beatrice’s head for a while, making the insane woman go even more maniacal.

Della also knew IronRidge was seeking a marriage alliance with Riverrock, and it’s a no-brainer that Alpha Conan would request that Augustus gives out his daughter.

Beatrice would definitely get angry at that. Conan is like a female bitchy whore, and Beatrice wouldn’t be able to stand him.

Evangeline would not support her husband and would try to get her daughter out of the situation some way, somehow. The marriage might happen — for IronRidge’s future — but what happens after that would be the fun part.

Della could think of a thousand things

Beatrice somehow brainwashes Emmett, Conan’s son, into hating, and eventually killing his father.

Beatrice befriends Agatha, Conan’s daughter, easily, poisons her and eventually uses her as leverage once the rogue problem has been solved so she can get out of the marriage.

And third, Conan dies. Beatrice kills him. Then Emmett becomes Alpha, and she, Luna.

Whichever way they chose to do it, Della was ready.

She was ready to sabotage it all.

And as for Selene, well, Della has a very special plan waiting for that arrogant Pack Princess.