CHAPTER 185: THE END

Michelle

The door creaked open just as I was about to blow out my candle. I gasped, clutching the blanket tighter around my shoulders. Liam stood in the doorway, his shadow spilling across the floor like a stain I couldn’t scrub out.

"Liam," I hissed, glancing toward the corridor. "Are you insane? If anyone sees you—"

"No one will," he interrupted, shutting the door behind him with deliberate slowness. His voice was low and sharp, threaded with something dark. "The rest of the maids are asleep. Deep sleep."

My stomach dropped. "What did you do to them?"

He smirked. "Don’t act so innocent, Michelle. You wanted privacy, didn’t you?"

I stared at him, my pulse thudding in my ears. There was something in his eyes I didn’t like—an edge that hadn’t been there before, a wild glint that told me he was far too comfortable crossing lines.

"What do you want?" I snapped, trying to keep my voice from trembling. "You could’ve waited until morning. Everyone’s suspicious of me already, and you sneaking in here isn’t helping."

He moved closer, his boots whispering against the stone floor. "Morning’s too late. Our plan isn’t working. The confusion we wanted to cause?" His laugh came out like broken glass. "It’s backfiring. The Alphas aren’t turning on Josie—they’re obsessed with her. Taking turns with her like they’ve forgotten their damn duties."

The words hit me like a slap. I felt the heat rise to my face, a mix of disgust and disbelief. "You’re lying."

"Am I?" He leaned in until I could smell the metallic tang of blood on his breath. "You think I enjoy watching them parade around her? I can barely stomach it. Every time I pass her scent in the halls, they’re not far behind—hungry, feral."

I shook my head, stepping back. "I didn’t see them go to her after the... the juice incident. I thought—"

"You thought wrong," he cut me off sharply. "You’ve been too busy playing your stupid little maid games. You poured juice on her head, and what did that get us? Sympathy for her, not hatred."

My throat tightened. "I didn’t mean for—"

"Shut up." His voice was low but laced with fury. "You’re useless if you can’t think beyond petty tricks. This was supposed to break her, not amuse the Alphas."

I clenched my fists. "You think you can do better? You think your half-baked curses and shadows will destroy her when nothing else has?"

He sneered. "At least I have the guts to act."

Before I could answer, he turned sharply, his cloak flaring. "You’d better start using that brain of yours, Michelle. We can’t afford mistakes. I’m losing patience—and I won’t wait for you to catch up."

And then he was gone. Just like that.

The door clicked softly behind him, and the silence that followed felt heavier than before. I exhaled shakily, pressing my hand to my chest. My heart wouldn’t slow down.

For a moment, I considered running after him, demanding he explain what he meant, but something stopped me. A faint creak, the whisper of movement. I turned slowly toward the corner—and froze.

A figure stood in the dim light, just at the edge of the doorway. I recognized her before I could even breathe her name. Josie.

My entire body went cold.

She wasn’t looking at me. Her gaze was fixed where Liam had stood moments ago, her expression unreadable in the shadows. I realized, with dawning horror, that she must have seen everything—or at least heard enough to know I wasn’t the innocent maid I pretended to be.

I didn’t move. Neither did she.

My mind raced. Did Liam sense her there? No—he would’ve said something, attacked her. That meant she’d managed to hide her presence. Clever.

When she finally shifted, it was only slightly—a turn of her head toward me. The moonlight brushed her face, and for a second, I thought I saw pity there. Pity.

I bit my tongue hard enough to taste blood, forcing myself to stay silent. If she knew, if she suspected anything, I couldn’t let her see my fear. Not now.

After what felt like an eternity, she turned and slipped away, her bare feet soundless against the stone.

Only then did I let myself breathe. My knees gave out, and I sank onto the floor, trembling. The walls seemed to close in around me.

I stayed like that until dawn.

---

By morning, I had made up my mind. I couldn’t wait anymore. I needed to know what Josie was planning, what she and Thorne were up to. The way she’d looked last night—it wasn’t just suspicion. She was preparing for something.

I wrapped a cloak around my shoulders and slipped out before anyone could stop me. The hallways were eerily quiet, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and sleep. I caught a glimpse of Josie’s red hair through the window as she and Thorne left the main house. They were heading toward the forest path.

Perfect.

I followed at a distance, careful not to draw attention. The morning mist clung to the trees, swallowing the sound of my footsteps. Every few seconds, I could hear Thorne’s deep voice drift back to me, muffled and low.

They were going to see a seer. I didn’t know how I knew—it was just a feeling, a cold twist in my gut that told me this meeting could ruin everything Liam and I had worked for.

I had to warn him.

By the time I reached the edge of the forest, the damp had soaked through my shoes. I pushed forward anyway, the undergrowth scraping at my legs. Liam’s hideout wasn’t far—an abandoned cabin half-buried beneath vines and moss.

When I finally reached it, the smell hit me first. Copper and decay. I gagged, pressing my hand to my mouth as I stepped inside.

Liam sat at the table, tearing into a rabbit with his bare hands. Blood streaked his chin, dripping onto the wooden surface. He hadn’t even bothered to skin it.

"Gods," I whispered, fighting the urge to retch. "You’re disgusting."

He didn’t look up. "You came fast. Something wrong, little snake?"

I flinched at the nickname. "You were right," I said quickly, forcing my voice steady. "Josie and Thorne are meeting a seer. I don’t know what for, but it’s bad. If she learns too much—"

He chuckled, low and humorless. "If she learns too much, she’ll die. Simple as that."

He tossed the carcass aside, the wet sound making my stomach twist.

I was about to speak when something hard slammed into my back. I gasped, stumbling forward into the table. Pain flared through my spine.

"What the—" I spun around—and froze.

Kiel.

He stood in the doorway, eyes blazing like liquid gold. And he wasn’t alone. Behind him, shadows shifted—wolves, snarling softly, their teeth glinting.

"Kiel," I stammered, taking a step back. "Wait, I—"

He didn’t wait.

"You really thought we wouldn’t find you?" His voice was low, dangerous. "That we wouldn’t notice the difference between Carolyn’s simpering voice and yours? You’ve been playing a dangerous game, Michelle."

Panic shot through me. I turned to Liam for help—but the space where he’d been seconds ago was empty. Gone.

He’d left me.

My heart dropped to my stomach. "You don’t understand," I said quickly, desperate. "Liam—he’s the one behind all this! He used me—"

Kiel’s hand shot out, seizing my throat before I could finish. The pressure made stars burst behind my eyes.

"Save it," he snarled. "You’re done lying."

He shoved me hard, and I crashed into the table, splintering the edge. I gasped for air, scrambling backward. My hands brushed against something cold and metallic—a knife. I grabbed it and slashed wildly.

Kiel dodged easily, fury twisting his expression. "You think you can fight me?" he growled. "After everything you’ve done?"

I screamed, lunging again, but he caught my wrist, twisting it until the knife clattered to the floor. Pain exploded up my arm.

"I’m not going down without a fight!" I spat, swinging my other hand at him. My nails raked across his cheek, leaving crimson trails.

That only made it worse.

He slammed me into the wall, his forearm pressing hard against my chest. "You’ve caused enough damage, Michelle. Confusion, betrayal, chaos—you think I don’t see it? You wanted the pack to tear itself apart."

My breath came in ragged gasps. "You don’t know what you’re talking about—"

"Shut up!"

His roar shook the air.

Something behind him stirred—the wolves. I could hear them growling, restless, feeding off his fury.

"Kiel, please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I was only trying to—"

"To what?" he snapped. "Destroy Josie? Or destroy us?"

I tried to speak, but the sound caught in my throat. My entire body trembled.

Kiel turned his head slightly, his eyes glinting. "You know," he said almost softly, "I could let them have you. It’d be easier that way."

My blood went cold. "You wouldn’t—"

He whistled.

The wolves moved.

They came from every shadow, fur bristling, eyes burning with hunger. I screamed as they lunged. Teeth sank into my arm first—white-hot pain that tore through me. I kicked, thrashed, but another wolf clamped onto my leg, dragging me down.

"Kiel!" I shrieked. "Please! Stop them!"

He didn’t answer.

I felt the world dim around me—the snapping of bones, the tearing of flesh. My vision blurred through tears. I tried to crawl toward him, reaching out with a trembling hand.

"Please," I sobbed. "Make them stop..."

But his face was like stone, cold and merciless.

The last thing I heard before the darkness took me was the wet sound of my own scream breaking apart in the air.