Chapter 432
Oriana:
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I demanded, trying to ease my breaths. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I muttered.
“I asked you a question,” I added when he did not respond to me.
I was getting annoyed, but also overly concerned by what he had said. The way he curled one lip upward to form the scariest smile I had ever seen.
I turned to look at the Shadow Earth Eater, then back at Joshua, before looking at her again.
“You know what—-we can find another body p>
I did not know if it was some kind of self-awareness inside me that made me speak so anxiously and give ideas without being asked. It was just happening on its own. I snapped my fingers as if I had just come up with an idea.
“If you cannot get Clementine, you can get Mira,” I suggested.
“I mean, she’s right there, and she’s kind of stupid,” I continued.
“It will be so much easier to get her here,” I added, chuckling to overcompensate for the anxious feeling I was having.
I looked at Joshua and then back at the Shadow Earth Eater, waiting for them to tell me it was a brilliant idea. However, they were still watching my face with such weird eyes.
I could tell Joshua was not interested in Mira.
“He has two friends who know her very well,” Joshua clicked his tongue to dismiss the idea. The shadow earth eater moved around the walls, putting ideas into his head.
At this point, I was no fool. I recognized their stares. The way Joshua adjusted his body, when I was moving, had already shaken me.
“Okay, then how about I give you my wish too?” I asked, turning toward him with a wide smile, trying to act confident even though something felt off.
Joshua tilted his head slightly as he looked at me.
“I don’t know,” he remarked. “It seems like you are someone nobody ever understood properly. Someone nobody even knows well enough to pay any attention. If anything is wrong with you, nobody will figure it out,” he added, watching my reaction closely.
At this point, I had already started working on this idea, even if I had not meant to.
“Wait. Step back. Let me tell you something,” I warned, lifting my hand slightly as he moved closer.
When he did not stop, panic crept in.
“Have you lost your mind, Joshua?” I snapped, my voice rising. “Don’t you see what she is doing? She is coming between two friends,” I added, shaking my head.
I warned him, but his smile did not fade. He kept staring at me, stepping closer one slow step at a time, closing the distance between us.
“Listen, I am a marked woman now,” I said, stepping back. “My mate will be angry, and he will recognize the difference, my stepfamily—” I continued, trying to stop him from making a mistake.
Joshua shook his head.
“Your mate does not want to do shit with you,” he replied flatly. “He will never recognize you. As for your stepfamily, do you take me for a fool?” he went on. “I know they don’t want you. I know they don’t even know you. I’m sorry, Oriana, but it seems like you are the only option left p>
Those words hit hard. My heart sank in my chest.
“Joshua, don’t do anything stupid,” I pleaded, glancing around. “I am the one helping you. How could you do this to me?” I asked hastily.
I noticed then that the Shadow Earth Eater was standing back, not really taking part in whatever she had started.
“Aren’t you the one who believes in stealing opportunities?” Joshua asked, his eyes fixed on mine. “So what if I am doing the same?” He took another step forward. “I cannot go back to get anyone. You know we cannot even leave the north until we have performed our mission. And I am not leaving until I have fulfilled my wishes p>
“I want my Suki back,” Joshua whispered, his expression no longer steady.
“Not only am I going to bring Suki in your body, but I will ask her to use your wish too,” Joshua told me.
The words shocked me so much that I almost tripped as I stepped backward, trying to put distance between us.
“Joshua, don’t let this Shadow Eater get into your head,” I warned, raising my voice. “Before you know it, she will start demanding sacrifices. She never leaves like that. She will eat you up. She will threaten to expose you p>
I finally began telling him the secrets I had never shared with him, the dangers of making wishes. As I spoke, his lips curled into a quiet chuckle.
“Oh, Oriana,” he replied, shaking his head. “So suddenly you want to remind me of all the consequences. Well, it’s a little too late.” He pouted slightly, then shrugged his shoulders.
I noticed then that he started stepping forward faster than before.
“You cannot do this,” I pleaded. “I have a perfect life outside. I planned everything for myself. You can just go and get Mira. I will help you, please p>
I kept stepping backward, moving away from him more quickly now, my feet struggling to keep balance.
“No, I’m not risking anything, Oriana,” he replied calmly. “I know you’re the perfect one for it p>
As soon as he said that, he lunged at me.
I dodged him just in time, watching him collide with the wall as I turned and ran forward. I did not know where I was headed. I only knew I had taken a left.
As I ran, fear settled deep inside me, the fear of dying in the north, something I had been trying so hard to avoid.
Then my wolf spoke.
“All you had to do was tell the headmaster you didn’t want to continue. The choice was always in our hands, but we got too greedy. We got too careless. Why did we make Clementine the reason for our entire existence p>
My wolf let out a strained howl as an alpha began chasing after us. Not just any alpha, but a murderous one.