298 As Long as She Breathes

    ~bThird /bPerson~ 1

    “If anything happens to her,” Wanda continued bitterly, “he will know. And he will trace it back to me, to us.”

    Her body shook as anger swelled, drowning out the sting of pain. She remembered the morning’s

    confrontation, and Meredith’s voice still echoing in her ears. ‘I iam /iiDraven’s /iimate/i!’

    When Wanda had first heard that Meredith was Draven’s mate, she had doubted inside, believing Draven had

    spun that lie to silence the council and protect Meredith’s ce because of his ns.

    But now, she understood that Draven hadn’t lied.

    Her hands clenched until her knuckles nched, fury clouding her thoughts.

    The image of Meredith’s smug face burned into her mind. And without resistance, she cursed inwardly,

    “That icursed/ii, /iwolfless, ipurple/ii–/iieyed/ii, /iirude /iibitch/ii. /iiHow /iidare /iiher /iisteal /iieverything /iiI /iiwas /iimeant /ito iim/ii?/i‘

    Just the thought of this had Wanda envisioning strangling Meredith to death. It pained her so much that in

    the end, Meredith got Draven for herself, right under her nose.

    Wanda’s lips twisted, her voice low with venom. “She stole him. And I will never forgive her for it.”

    Reginald’s face darkened as his eyes zed with fury. “Useless!” he spat, his voice echoing through the sitting

    room.

    “All the years I invested in you, training you, brooding you to be more than just another foolish daughter

    in this family… Even sending you into Draven’s arms early, and still, you return with nothing but excuses!”

    Wanda flinched. Her shoulders hunched lower with every word.

    “You shame bthis /bfamily every time you open your mouth!” Reginald’s hand shot up, the whip uncoiling with a

    sharp hiss. “Perhaps pain will remind you of your ce-”

    But the strike nevernded.

    Levi’s hand caught the whip mid–air with a sharp snap. His body straightened to its full height as he turned,

    cing himself squarely between his father and sister.

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    298 As Long as She Breathes

    His jaw was set, his voice steady butced with fire. “Father, leave her be

    For a moment, the air burned with tension. Reginald’s re sliced into his son, his nostrils ring as though daring Levi to challenge him further.

    Then, with a violent tug, he yanked the whip free from Levi’s grasp.

    “Both of you test my patience,” Reginald growled. His eyes flicked coldly to Wanda, bleeding and trembling on

    the floor. “Don’t let me see your face again if you value your life.”

    With that, he turned sharply and strode out, his footsteps echoing like thunder down the hall until the sound

    faded.

    The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by Wanda’s shaky breaths. Levi immediately crouched back

    beside her, sliding an arm beneath her shoulders to help her sit up.

    Then his gaze fell to the blood streaking down her cheek, and his throat tightened.

    “Are you alright?” he asked quietly, his voice gentler now.

    Wanda winced, her hand hovering near the wound. She gave no answer, just a faint nod. She was too shaken

    to speak.

    Levi’s jaw gripped as he turned his head sharply. “Someone bring a cloth. Now!”

    A servant who had been lingering at the edge of the hall scurried forward, bowing quickly before hurrying

    away to fetch it.

    Levi steadied Wanda against him, his grip firm. “You will be fine,” he muttered softly, more to reassure her

    than himself.

    A few momentster, he guided her carefully up the grand staircase, his arm steady around her waist. She limped slightly, her leg still raw from the whip. But she said nothing about that pain.

    Behind them, a servant followed quickly, bncing a folded towel and a basin of warm water in her arms, her eyes dropped to avoid intruding.

    They all reached Wanda’s chambers arge, ornate room draped in dark silks and velvet, far too extravagant for how small she looked as Levi helped her inside.

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    298 As Long as She Breathes

    Approaching the bed, Levi eased her down onto the edge, her breath trembling as she settled against the

    cushions.

    The servant hurried in, setting the basin and towel on a side table before bowing quickly. Levi gave her a curt

    nod, dismissing her, and she slipped out silently, leaving the siblings alone.

    Levi dipped the towel into the warm water, wrung it out, and crouched before his sister. “Hold still,” he

    muttered in a soft tone.

    Then he pressed the cloth gently against her cheek, cleaning away the blood. Wanda winced but didn’t flinch

    away. Her father’s wrath had been brutal.

    But even though she could take the pain, she still wanted to draw more sympathy for her brother who cared

    about her. He was her support system now.

    For a long moment, the only sound was the water trickling softly back into the basin. Then Wanda whispered,

    her voice tight with both pain and bitterness.

    “All my life, I’ve done what father wanted. I’ve followed everymand, endured every insult, just to prove I

    wasn’t worthless. And for what?”

    Levi’s hand stilled briefly, his jaw tightening, but he said nothing. He let her spill her anger.

    Wanda’s eyes burned with unshed tears. “Meredith.” She spat the name like venom. “She ruins everything. He

    sent me to destroy her, and instead she made Draven stronger–made them stronger. And now, because of

    her, I’m the one broken.”

    Levi resumed dabbing her wound gently, his gaze fixed on her face.

    “You are not broken,” he said firmly, though the weight in his tone betrayed his anger at their father more

    than her words.

    But Wanda wasn’t listening. Her fingers curled into the sheets as they trembled with rage. “I saw it in her

    eyes this morning. The way she looked at me when she said she was Draven’s mate, as if she had won, as if 1

    was beneath her

    Her breath quickened, bitter and sharp. “She doesn’t deserve him. She doesn’t deserve that bond. She is

    nothing but a worthless creature. The Moon goddess made a mistake here. That bitch doesn’t deserve the

    best.”

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    298 As Long as She Breathes

    Levi lowered the towel as he studied her closely. “Wanda…”

    Her eyes flicked to him briefly, wild and glistening. “I will never forgive her, Levi. Never. Not as long as I

    breathe.”

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