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Despite everything, that knowledge gave her strength

"You were lucky you got out when you did," Simon said, then closed his eyes and shook his head He looked so defeated as he stood there, so unlike the man she’d known for s could He had been there If he thought there was no hope…

"Was it the Ptolemy?" Jaden asked "Have theypuzzled "No, those haven’t been seen since that group attacked you No, this is all Eric"

"What’s all Eric?" Lyra asked, her sto her cousin would do so terrible And now to have that coo sohed, a hollow, ed Dorien right after you two left, saying he should step down since his daughter’s actions had ruined his credibility Dorien had to accept There was nothing anyone could do"

"But… I thought Dad left," Lyra ht of her father’s back walking away froet far And, as you can see… it didn’t go well"

"How?" Lyra asked "How could Dad not have beaten Eric? No one could beat my father! There wasn’t another Alpha in the country who could take him on This makes no sense, Simon"

"Poison," Jaden said quietly, and all eyes turned to hiaze "That here the Ptolemy came into all this They provided some of that damned poison Dorien would be a lot easier to beat if his wounds didn’t heal"

"That’s right," Sih I didn’t knohere it had come from Are you sure?"

"I’, thick scars on his back He, of anyone, would know

"Eric got you, too, I see" Lyra sighed "Sied "I tried to help Dorien when I saas happening It was the least I could do I think it ht, though The croas not exactly… with hih supporters to stay in place, for now I’ve been taking care of Dorien all week, but the wounds aren’t healing, and he got sicker and sicker When I was asked to find you, I had to bring hi for you"

Lyra felt the unwanted sting of tears and tried to blink theet her feet back under her, and she felt as though the world were tilting on its axis and trying its best to knock her off

"I’ht him to me," Lyra said

"We’ll do all we can for him," Lily added "And you, if you’d like to stay But as far as the affairs of your pack, if you’re looking for so I want the Lili as a dynasty, the Va to find out that your kind likely wouldn’t appreciate the"I wouldn’t want you to think that And I wouldn’t ask It’s not your job to fix what’s happened But like I said, I was asked to come find Lyra" He looked Lyra in the eyes, and she kneas coht Not now, after all this

"The pack is restless, Lyra Eric knows that they’ll never see his went down, and he’s aoutcry over Dorien… and over you So Eric sent ainst hiht way"

"Bullshit!" Jaden snarled, surprising Lyra with the heat in his voice "You were there, you sahat they did The whole damned pack turned their backs on her And now they want her back because they don’t like the alternative? They don’t deserve her They do deserve what they get"

"Jaden," Lyra said gently, putting her hand on his ar one, and a very old one I’m not sorry I did, but did you really expect that they would all just turn around and go against the law, not to mention their Alpha? It’s the way the wolf pack operates Strong leader, loyal followers And with the Thorn, strict rules"

"Don’t tell me it didn’t hurt you," Jaden said "Don’t make excuses for them either I can understand the bloody cultural differences, Lyra, but you were banished and not a one spoke up They have no right to ask you to come back and put your neck on the line for theet that poison fros You want to condes, Jaden?"

Simon’s cool, disaffected tone surprised Lyra as s bared in his anger

"It’s easy for you to stand here and ask her to do this You didn’t see what it did to her You didn’t sit here and worry she was going to stay a zombie and never snap out of it I blame every damn one of your pack, and Dorien hter He should have known to value herfor her if everything had stayed the sale" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>