Free Web NovelChapter 68: Chapter 68
Gunnar’s POV
I left the wing with my mother’s words still echoing in my head, and no matter how much I tried to focus on the plan, my mind kept drifting back to Riley. The scent of her, the way she had looked at me, the fear she tried to hide.
It made something inside me tighten in a way I did not like, because emotions made people weak, and weakness had no place in what was coming.
The hallway was quiet, and the guards I passed bowed their heads, but I barely noticed them. I was thinking about the cave, about the beasts, and about the risk I had forced her into.
I had convinced myself it was the only way to protect her, but the truth was that there was no guarantee she would come out alive. That thought kept circling in my head like a warning I could not silence.
I was so lost in those thoughts that I did not notice someone standing ahead until I walked straight into her. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
The sharp scent of strong perfume hit my nose first, and I immediately stepped back with irritation.
Sapphire.
I did not even bother to look at her properly. I exhaled slowly, already annoyed, and moved to walk past her. I had no patience for this woman, not today, not ever.
But her voice stopped me.
"Gunnar Dravenmoor," she called, her tone soft but calculated, "I did not realize you hated me this much until now."
I did not turn. I kept walking as if I had not heard her.
I heard her heels clicking against the floor as she followed me, her steps confident and stylish like always. She wanted attention, and she wanted control, and she believed she could get both from anyone.
Anyone except me.
"I do not want this enmity between us," she continued. "Not with you, not with your brothers. You know that. When are you going to let it go?"
I stopped walking.
Slowly, I said, "Perhaps when your tongue is ripped out of your mouth."
There was a sharp silence behind me.
I turned to face her then, and the moment our eyes met, the fake softness in her expression faltered.
"Until then," I continued calmly, "the hate will burn you until there is nothing left of you."
I turned again, ready to leave, but her voice came out sharper this time.
"I did not kill her. It was not me, and you know that."
The moment she said those words, something inside me snapped.
My fists clenched so hard that my nails dug into my palms, and before I even realized what I was doing, I turned and stalked back toward her. The anger that rushed through me was sudden and violent, and it took everything in me not to lose control completely.
I grabbed her by the neck and pushed her back against the wall.
Her eyes widened, and her hands flew to my wrist, but I did not loosen my grip.
"If I hear you mention her again," I said, my voice low and dangerous, "I will slit your tongue myself."
"Gunnar," she choked, trying to touch me, but I slapped her hands away.
"You have no right to speak about her," I continued. "No right to even remember her."
Her breathing was uneven now, but there was still defiance in her eyes. She had always been bold, even when she should not be.
"You are still not over her," she said hoarsely. "After eleven years."
The words felt like knives, but I refused to react.
"What about your mate?" she pressed. "What about Riley?"
At that moment, I truly wanted to hit her. The urge was strong, and my wolf pushed forward, furious and restless, but I forced myself to step back. I do not hit women. I never had, and I never would.
I turned to leave again, but she was not done.
"You think you can keep protecting everyone," she said behind me. "You think you can carry everything alone, but you cannot, Gunnar. One day, it will break you."
I kept walking.
"You should reconcile with Sebastian," she added. "He is still your father."
I stopped again.
Slowly, I turned my head just enough to look at her over my shoulder.
"My father died the day he chose his selfishness over his own family," I said.
Her lips curved into a small smile.
"You say that, but you are becoming more like him every day."
That made my chest tighten with anger, but I did not give her the satisfaction of reacting.
"You made your choice," she continued. "You are sending your mate into a death trap. You are using her the same way he used your mother."
"That is enough," I said, my voice cold.
But she stepped closer instead of backing away.
"You think this Rite will protect her," she said. "But you know what it really is. A test that kills most who enter. Even if she survives, she will not come back the same way."
I did not answer.
Because she was not wrong.
"And when she goes wild," Sapphire continued softly, "what will you do then?"
My jaw tightened.
"She will not if that is what you want." frёewebnoѵēl.com
"You do not know that," she said. "You did not know it before either."
My wolf growled inside me, and I turned fully to face her again.
"You are walking a dangerous line," I warned.
But she only smiled again, and this time there was something darker in her eyes.
"I am only telling the truth," she said. "You cannot keep hiding it forever."
"I do not need your advice."
"No," she agreed. "But you should listen anyway."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice."Sebastian is watching her already."
A cold feeling spread through my chest.
"He sees everything," she continued. "And he has always had... certain interests in things that interest you Gunnar."
I stepped toward her, my presence enough to make most people retreat, but she held her ground.
"If you truly want to protect Riley," she said, "you should think carefully about your next move."
"I always do."
She shook her head slightly.
"No. This time, you are acting on emotion to what you want to gain."
I turned to leave for the last time, because if I stayed any longer, I might do something I could not take back.
But then she spoke again, her voice sharp and cruel.
"You should reconcile with him," she repeated. "Because Sebastian might be interested in Riley soon enough..."
I froze. My entire body went still.
Her next words felt like a blade driven straight into my chest.
"...just like he did with your previous mate."
