Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 241

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Chapter 241 He pulls back just enough to look up at me, his face a mix of anguish and guilt. "She said she didn't realize what she'd done. But it doesn't matter, does it? Whether she knew or not, she let him in and still helped them. She betrayed Jacinta. She betrayed Max." He trails off, his voice thick with emotion.

"You didn't have a choice," I tell him firmly, cupping his face in my hands. "Soren, look at me." His eyes meet mine, and I see the torment there, the self-loathing he's trying so hard to hide.

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"You did what you had to do to protect your staff, to protect your family," I say, my voice steady. "She made her choices, Soren. Not you. This isn't your fault." He shakes his head, his jaw clenching. "She helped raise Max. She was a part of this family, Aubrey. It still feels wrong, Jacinta loved her, Max loved her, everyone did. They all saw, all of them. Mary may never forgive me." I kneel in front of him, taking his hands in mine. "She's gone because she made a terrible mistake, and she knew that, she just made sure you didn't live with the consequences of killing her," I say gently. "You've done everything possible to protect this kingdom, Soren. And sometimes that means making impossible choices. But you did the right thing." His eyes search mine, slowly, he nods, but I can see the weight of it all still pressing down on him.

00 111 0 I lean forward, pressing lips to his forehead. "Max won't forgive me." "And I think that is the main reason she did it, it wasn't just for you, it was for everyone here. She was atoning for what she did." His arms wrap aroundagain, pullingclose, and I let him hold me, let him draw whatever comfort he can frombecause other than that I can't offer him anything else. For now, that's all I can give him. And I know Max won't take this news well tomorrow. He may have thought she was old and slow, and smelled funny, but he did love the woman.

The Next Day The castle feels quieter than usual today, though it's anything but peaceful. It's the kind of quiet that hums with tension, where every creak and every distant sound feels amplified, stretching the silence even further.

Max didn't take the news about Mavis well, and I don't blhim. He adored her, trusted her, and to find out she betrayed all of us-it shattered something inside him. He spent most of the morning locked in his room, refusing to cout. When I tried to comfort him, he turned away, clutching his stuffed wolf close to his chest. Maribel finally coaxed him out. The two of them have been playing quietly in the garden under the watchful eyes of the guards. I stood by the window earlier, watching them. Max's laughter is still missing, his usual sparkle dimmed. Even from this distance, I could see the heaviness in his little shoulders, the way his movements were slower, like he was just playing for Maribel's sake and to make everyone leave him alone.

It breaks my heart.

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Damian dealt with Mavis's body early this morning. I didn't ask for details, and he didn't offer any. But the weight of what happened lingers in the castle, the staff are quiet going about their chofes but barely talking like they usually do. Soren threw himself into the wedding preparations as soon as the sun rose, barking orders and double-checking every detail. I know it's his way of coping-of focusing his energy on something he can control-but I can see the strain on his face, the way his jaw tightens when he thinks no one is looking.

He hasn't spoken about Mavis since last night. Not to me, not to Damian, not to anyone. And while I push him to him while want to tell him he doesn't have to carry it alone, I also know Soren well enough to understand he doesn't want that. It will take tto process, tto grieve, tto bury the guilt that I know is eating away at him. But I can't help worrying about him.

And then there's tomorrow. Our wedding day. The content is on novelenglish.net! 717

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Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

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