Chapter 5

Aria's POV

My brain stutters for a moment, like it was on pause, just trying to process what I just heard.

“What did you just say?” I breathed out, not believing the words I just heard.

“You heard me right. Kill Jaxon Rivera, my mate,” she repeated, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

What in the goddess' name was going on here? Of all the things she could ask me to do was to kill her mate?

“Why?” I forced myself to ask.

“That's for me to worry about,” Zie said. “You want to prove yourself? Well then, that's your task.”

“But–”

Zie was gone at the drop of a hat

My entire thought process was invaded by Zie's words like an endless loop. I laid in bed thinking about what she said until my eyelids could no longer stay open and I drifted off to sleep…nightmare as this case maybe.

I don't know if it's my mind playing tricks on me, or if it was Zie’s doing so as to make me do what she said, but my dreams were plagued with me reliving the moment I was burnt at the stake, but instead Curtis, the person behind the fire was Alpha Jaxon.

He had a sinister grin on his face as he watched my body go up in flames.

I woke up at the first sign of light with my entire body drenched in sweat, and my heart pounding like I just had a marathon race.

For a brief moment I could perceive the smell of my burning flesh.

I sucked in a sharp breath, before getting out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom.

I turned on the faucet and splashed water on my face a couple of times like it could wash away the nightmare I just had.

I stared at my new reflection at the mirror as I dabbed a towel over my wet face.

“Lyra,” I tried reaching out to my wolf but was met with the same wall as yesterday.

“Tick. Tock,” Zie responded, indirectly telling me time was a luxury I couldn't afford as Lyra's life was on the line.

I thought about trying to reason with her but I knew it would be pointless, her mind was made up, and it was up to me whatever actions I took next.

It would either lead to my death–for real this time, or I'll succeed, but whichever the case may be I won't know until I take the first step.

I walked back to the room and grabbed a robe, before heading out.

This wasn't my Pack, and Jaxon wasn't my mate so I shouldn't feel bad for what I'm about to do, I was doing this for my wolf, Lyra. Someone who has been with me even in the darkest of days.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed away every thought screaming at me that what I intended to do was wrong.

Even though it felt wrong, I needed to do it right, and the first step towards achieving that was to have a good idea of my surroundings. This would aid in whatever plans I'll come up with later on, because for now my mind was coming up blank.

I took a left turn the last time I left this room and it led to me bumping into Jaxon, so this time around I took a right turn, taking notes of every turn and everything of importance I saw on the way.

After about thirty minutes of walking into every turn, and taking notes of where it leads to, I retraced my steps and headed back to my room

The moment I stepped into my room the scent of freshly baked bread, and venison stew wafted into my nose.

My stomach rumbled embarrassingly at the scent, and that was when I noticed Jaxon was in the room. He was setting up the table.

“Where did you go?” He asked, his voice carrying a certain tenderness that wasn't there yesterday. His eyes weren't any different either.

“I went for a walk,” I muttered cautiously.

Something was up. I just knew it.

You can't be showing cold indifference one minute and the next you're acting all tender.

“Come eat, I had the kitchen make this specially for you,” Jaxon beckoned at me.

“Don't eat anything from him,” Zie warned, confirming my suspicions that Jaxon was up to something. But what?

“Come, before it gets cold,” Jaxon said, his voice shifting this time.

I exhaled slowly, and took cautious steps towards him.

There's no way I'll eat this food. I just needed to come up with an excuse.

Jaxon pulled out the chair for me and I sank into it, my brain scrambling for a good excuse to reject the food.

I couldn't say I wasn't hungry, as my stomach that rumbled when I walked in was a dead giveaway that I was hungry.

“Here, let me feed you,” Jaxon held out a spoonful of Venison stew, and before I could even blink my hands moved of their own accord and I slapped the spoon out of his hands.

I froze, having realized what I had just done.

Jaxon sighed, and looked me dead in the eye. “You're not Keira.”