Chapter 111
+5
SAGE
The man escorted us down a dimly lit hallway to our rooms. When we reached the end, I hesitated, glancing back just in time to see Titus and Anna step into two separate rooms. My curiosity sparked, but I quickly shoved it aside. It wasn't my business, and I had no reason to get tangled up in whatever Titus was doing.
I pushed open the door to my room and stepped inside, letting out a loud sigh as I closed it behind me. The silence wrapped around me like a heavy blanket, and I pressed my back against the door, trying to gather my thoughts. It hadn't even been a few minutes when I heard a soft knock.
person
you expected to to see, he
Startled, I straightened, figuring tall frame filling the doorway, his expression unreadable. it must be Elara checking in. I moved quickly to open the door, but when I did, I froze.
," he said, a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at his lips.
stood on the other side,
"I'm probably the last
his
"Holt" I breathed, my voice a mix of confusion and disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
I
"Can I come in?" he asked, his tone calm, but there was an undercurrent of something heavier-urgency, maybe.
I
I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe, narrowing
my eyes slightly. "That depends. What's the purpose of this visit?"
"I just want to talk," he said, his gaze steady, like he was trying to convince me of his sincerity. anything to talk about?" I countered, my words blunt but not harsh.
"DO
we ever even have
"A lot, actually" he replied, a flicker of something I couldn't name crossing his face. "You're probably wondering why I'm here."
I studied him for a moment, my
Finally, I sighed
calm but hesitant, like he wasn't sure how to proceed. I closed the door behind him and turned to face him, crossing
Holt asked, his
I didn't want this to turn into a deep
chuckled, the sound light but edged with disbelief. "You
had always been able to see through me, no matter
its rightful place,"
didn't quite reach his eyes. "I know," he
"That's why I'm here,"
confusing me. "What
His Majesty," he began.
his voice that made my chest
I said, my
softer
now.
he continued,
his voice breaking slightly. "She took her own life." My breath caught, and my hand flew to my mouth in shock. I'd been angry at his family for so long-for how they treated me, for the chaos they brought into my life-but I'd never wished for anything like this. "I'm
"It's not your fault," he said firmly. "We brought this
in his
voice
on, but when she heard about our mother... it was too much. She completely fell apart. I resisted at first-I didn't want to admit she needed help-but
it tugged at something deep inside me. "How's Annika?" I asked cautiously, remembering his sister. "She's... struggling," he admitted, his She's
your
ached at his words, and for the first time in a long while, I felt something other than anger toward him and his family. "I had no
own
I've done so
resolute. "Now, I
said, his voice steady.
speechless, and for a moment, all I could do was stare at him. Holt had changed-there was no denying that-and I couldn't help but wonder if his presence might be exactly what we needed. of the chair in my room, his shoulders tense as if he were carrying the weight of the world. "After everything fell apart, I had to rebuild. Swearing loyalty to Alpha Homer wasn't
eag His voice was steady, but there was an edge of vulnerability in
my t
against t the e table, my arms crossed. "And now, he's
I
just words. To him, this duel isn't just about power-it's about trust. He needs to know I'm committed to
Holt nodded, his
gaze
asked, my chest tightening
eyes meeting mine
fight isn't just a test for me-it's a test for Titus too. The winner earns the Alpha's trust and, by extension, his support for the war against
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