Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Chapter 1144

Brielle felt a shiver run down her spine, her face turning ghostly pale. Almost on autopilot, she scooped up Isaac and placed him on Noir's back, giving the horse a firm slap on the rear. "Take him and go!" she urged.

Noir, smart as a whip, seemed to understand exactly what Brielle wanted. The horse turned to look back at her, feeling the pat on its neck-Isaac's little hand urging it to run.

Without missing a beat, Noir took off, quickly disappearing into the trees.

Brielle's plan was simple. Noir was a brave horse, but against a pack of panthers, it wouldn't stand a chance. The panthers were in the middle of their meal, and any intruder would be seen as a threat. If she and Isaac tried to escape together on Noir, they'd never outrun the pack. So, she stayed behind to draw their attention, giving Isaac a shot at safety.

With Noir, Isaac would be okay.

Seeing Noir and Isaac vanish into the distance, Brielle finally allowed herself to breathe. She had been holding it together through sheer willpower; the sight of the bloodied hunt would make even the toughest adult shudder.

Making such a clear-headed decision in that moment was nothing short of a miracle.

of harm's way, her legs buckled, and she

be lucky to make it a few steps before they dragged her back by the neck. The best move now was to stay still, not

on Brielle, their muzzles still stained with fresh blood. A whirlwind of thoughts stormed through her mind, the sharpest being

believed that

even had the chance to respond to his words from the night of

ever be smooth

stay King, never becoming Max again. If

Max's feelings, and now

Brielle figured she'd

distant memory. King with his childlike nature, might already be bored of her. Kids

to mourn, it

eyes and sighed, a dull ache settling in her chest. Facing death, she realized just how many things she wasn't ready to let go of. In Beaconsfield, she couldn't bear to