Chapter 007\u00a0<\/p>\n
I balked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shivering with cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My injured shoulder pulsed,oozing with blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cold crawled over the injury sending shivers down my lungs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,I can\u2019t die here. I really can\u2019t die now\u201d I muttered,dragging my tired legs along.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My clothes are torn; my hands are raw from running.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I keep walking. Hoping I\u2019d find a safe cottage. The only safe place in the forest that I know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the moon rises, I stumble on an old cottage -roof caved in, herbs long dead. I know this place. It\u2019s where my grandmother brewed healing teas for half the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I push open the warped door. The air smells of ash.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt my body quivering with fever. My mouth ghostly paled with dark blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped into the cottage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It reeked of abandonment. Just like me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both pathetic and disgusting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Easily discarded when not needed anymore. I\u2019m no different from this abandoned cottage. Sitting on the ground, I undid my clothes and cleaned my wound with some herb water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the fever burned hotter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My whole body burned with uncontrollable heat. Head spinning with pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to get up but my legs tripped and I fell face down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mustering my energy, I tried again but then my face snapped to the wooden bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something caught my eye.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under the bed, something glints beneath the soot \u2013 a silver locket with a little wolf and crescent carved on the back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I instantly recognised it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It belonged to my grandmother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eveline Nightshade. My grandmother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat burns. She\u2019s been gone three moons, yet the ache still splits me open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was the only one who ever held me after my nightmares, the only one who believed I had a purpose beyond serving the Alpha\u2019s will.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a healer because healing is what your soul remembers, child,\u201d she used to whisper.\u201cEven when they hurt you, don\u2019t let their darkness stain your hands\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the time, I thought she was rambling. I promised anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, under the cold stars, I understand. The moon hangs higher than I\u2019ve ever seen it;perfectly aligned north.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I buried the locket under my skirt and tried to get up again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This time, I managed to get back on my feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dragging my aching body to the wooden bed. A bed where grandmother and I shared a cold. Lonely nights away from Silvermoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each step hurts, but the silence hurts more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without my grandmother, I was lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 007\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pain of losing her was unbearable. She was everything to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father. My Mother. The only family I ever knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Three moons. Yet, the pain feels so raw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Painfully bleeding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thanks to Draven and Liora, I would never get over it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barely a month after grandmother died, Draven shook my whole world to the ground with his affair with Liora.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even in mourning, Draven and Liora didn\u2019t spare me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grandmother died, and my heart shattered to pieces thanks to my Alpha\u2019s betrayal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If Grandmother were here, she\u2019d know what really happened. She\u2019d stand for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sink to the bed in the half\u2013collapsed cottage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My hand tracing the edge where she slept, her favourite spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she wasn\u2019t there. She was long gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dead,\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, it almost feels like she\u2019s here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world isn\u2019t exactly kind to the softhearted, Kaia,\u201d she used to say, brushing a strand of hair from my face..\u201d But that shouldn\u2019t stop you from showing love to everyone\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I agreed with her back then.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But no, she was wrong. Completely wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t afford to show love to everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That amount of love is a luxury I can\u2019t afford to spend on trashy people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t afford it anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not after what he did. Not after what they did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A low growl crawled in my throat, but it died there. Wolves without packs don\u2019t get to snarl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We survive. Quietly. Carefully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I press the locket to my chest and whisper, \u201cYou told me to keep my heart open. But how can I do that, when everyone I love leaves me bleeding?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The wind sighs through the broken roof like an answer I can\u2019t hear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the first time since my exile, I let myself cry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not the silent kind I\u2019ve grown used to, but the raw, shaking kind that tears something loose inside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t hold back. I let out all the pain I\u2019ve built up the past three months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Grandmother died, I didn\u2019t get to mourn before Draven shattered me even more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And when I was accused, imprisoned and casted out, I wasn\u2019t allowed a chance to cry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alone. Severely injured. Burning up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everything came crashing down, I can\u2019t help myself anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the sobs fade, all that\u2019s left is the sound of my breathing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest heaving with pain I couldn\u2019t get out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clutch the locket until my palm bleeds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Grandma,\u201d I whisper. \u201cYou left before I learned how to fight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish you were here with me, grandma. I don\u2019t want to live anymore. I want this pain to stop. Please make it stop\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 007\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every breath bruises against the fever clawing to my soul like a stubborn fly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every word coming out of my mouth was burning hot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My body trembles with pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If Grandmother were here, she\u2019d press a cool cloth to my forehead, mutter about stubborn girls who never rest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d scold me for letting it get this bad but at least she would be here with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d hum that old lullaby under her breath -The one I could never make sense of.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it was soothing. Very soothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she\u2019s gone. Three moons gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bite down on a whimper as the pain flares again. My body trembles, sweat soaking my clothes, but I cling to her memories like treasures.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to survive, Kaia,\u201d she muttered to me the last time.\u201cPromise me, you will survive\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI already am trying,\u201d I mutter, biting back tears.\u201cBut I can\u2019t do it\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know how to survive anymore, Grandmother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clenching my fists, Draven\u2019s bastard face crept into my mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t forget how he cast me out of the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Throwing away everything we built together for another woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because he couldn\u2019t keep it in his pants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And Liora? She wanted everything I had.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, she has it. I can\u2019t let her eat it and still have it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I will make them suffer for everything they did to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For this, I have to survive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Survive. Just survive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still shivering with cold. My eyes drooped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I found myself falling asleep in no time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dreams drag me in to the last night of her life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grandmother lies beneath her quilts, skin pale, breath shallow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sit by her si, feeding her spoonfuls of honey broth. She squeezes my hand, eyes clouded but fierce.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia, child, ten to me,\u201d she mustered.\u201cNever show them your mark, don\u2019t do it. Some secrets draws blood faster than a sword\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears drooped from her eyes, her breath caught.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know grandmother, I won\u2019t show anyone my mark.\u201d I agreed. You\u2019ve told me a thousand times in the past. What is the mark on my back about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coughed.\u201cI wish I could tell you, little wolf but I don\u2019t have the answers. Only the moon goddess has the answers but remember the moon goddess can only do so much. You have to find your own path\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head, confused. \u201cI don\u2019t understand what you\u2019re saying,Grandmother\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grandmother replied. \u201cYou are not meant for this Pack, little wolf. The moon has other plans\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw light dimming from her face. Grandmother was dying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, I have no idea the secrets she talks about.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But you were right, Grandmother. The moon did have other plans for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s the worst plan known to the wolf kind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been stripped of everyone and everything I hold close to my heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 007\u00a0<\/p>\n
There is nothing left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nothing. Just void.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou died before I needed you the most, Grandmother. And now, I have no one left\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt my body trembling with tears from my dream. I couldn\u2019t stop myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandmother, please take me with you. I can\u2019t live without you\u201d I clung to Grandmother\u2019s dying feet, pleading.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDont say that, little wolf\u201d Grandmother patted my shoulders.\u201cIts my time to go to the moon goddess but you still have a long life ahead of you\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will face storms, Kaia but don\u2019t let them subdue you. One day, when the moon shows you a path, don\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
hesitate\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw life going out of Grandmother. She didn\u2019t speak anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was gone. Completely gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A growl crawled my throat. \u201cGrandmother!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked and the dream faded away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I came out of my dream, reality crashed back, harsh and cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My skin is drenched, clothes clinging to me, but I\u2019m shivering. My shoulder feels like it\u2019s been set on fire from the inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A low gasp escapes me half\u2013groan, half\u2013breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I try to move, but my limbs won\u2019t listen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everything aches, heavy and wrong, like my body\u2019s sinking into the earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The wound\u2019s reopened. I can smell the blood before I see it \u2013 metallic and rot mingling in the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heartbeat stumbles in my chest, slow and uneven.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A tear slips down my temple.I try to speak but the words choke to my throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The ache in my shoulder pulses, my body trembling with the fever\u2019s grip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I close my eyes again, wishing I could fall back into that dream \u2013 Back into grandmother\u2019s arms, her warmth, her sweet voice telling me I\u2019ll be alright.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the darkness that takes me this time isn\u2019t gentle. It\u2019s heavy. And it hurts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A shadow moved ahead; tall, broad, steady. I blinked through the haze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a heartbeat, I thought it was death itself coming for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then came the voice\u2013hoarse, disbelieving, achingly familiar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The last thing I saw before everything went black was a pair of eyes, wide with shock and something like relief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shadows Follow Lonely Minds \u2014 Christopher Harris 7 Chapter 007\u00a0 I balked.\u00a0 Shivering with cold.\u00a0 My injured shoulder pulsed,oozing with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-nightshade-heir-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27252\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}