Page 69 of Supernova

“Venus, we have some news about your hometown,” she started, motioning for me to join them in the empty seat next to him. So I reluctantly did.

“Upon further investigation into the Saint Claire pack, as well as a few neighbouring ones, it seems the rogues have encroached on their territories. It looks like they have been a problem for those packs for some time now. And somehow they had run under our noses. The packs have had to clean up their messes in hopes that the Knights wouldn’t get involved and wrongly accuse them for the rogues’ crimes against the humans.” My mouth fell upon, my breath still.

“There have been more deaths in Saint Claire. It is likely that your wolf friends were not responsible for those deaths but have in fact been trying to handle the rogues on their own.” She said the word ‘friends’ with minor disgust, like it pained her to call them that, looking at me with that cold mask she wore. But I could have sworn I saw the corners of her mouth soften ever so slightly before she added, “I thought you deserved to know.”

I looked at her with a stupid, bewildered expression. Brows knitted together as I tried to comprehend what this meant. All I could think to say was, “And Amelia?”

Thea looked at me knowingly. “Was likely a victim of the rogues' attempt at creating an army. I believe her death fell on a full moon?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s more than likely.”

Griffin’s body was still. He didn’t say a thing as I wordlessly got up, my eyes distant. Dismayed. Not making eye contact as I numbly walked out of the room.

???

Sleep didn’t come easy to me. My thoughts racing and my heartrate still beating at a rapid pace. My chest felt tight as my anxiety gripped me with its unrelenting talons. What did all this mean? River was probably innocent? He hadn't killed Amelia but a rogue had? And he’d been helping her? Bringing her body back to probably take to her parents? And I’d assumed the worst. Left him. Blamed him. Hated him. Wanted retribution against the wolves.

But I wasn’t wrong about wolves. I’d just been wrong about one. One who may have actually tried to stop this from happening. One who I branded as guilty. A murderer.

My friends had tried to talk to me when I’d gotten back to the bunker, but taking one look at my blank face, they knew I wasn’t there with them. Not really. I was deep in the recesses of my mind.

Kitana heard my tossing and turning, the rustling of my sheets as I restlessly rolled in bed. Before I knew it, a small frame lifted my blanket up and nestled behind me in bed.

“I need to go back,” I whispered as a single tear forged a path down my cheek.

“I know,” she replied. “It’s okay.” She held me, patting my hair as she comforted me until sleep finally came.

CHAPTER 39

I awoke with sadness constricting my heart. As much as I didn’t want to, I had to leave. I knew it as soon as Thea had broken the news to me. I needed to check on River. I needed to tell him I was sorry and that I was wrong.

Thanks to Kit’s comforting presence, I was able to fall asleep but not without tears streaking my face. Weirdly enough, I was starting to find that when you cried yourself to sleep, you ended up falling into a deeper slumber. Like your body had consumed all its energy and could no longer handle your emotions, forcing you to fully shut down and rest. It was a bleak realisation. Clearly, I had cried myself to sleep too many times.

To my surprise, I had woken up feeling sure of my decision. But the thought of leaving Griffin made my aching heart cry out even louder. I was a mess. A mess who had to make a choice that would help one boy, only to hurt another. Another who I had grown so fond of.

The stupid, stubborn part of me pondered whether he would even care if I left. We weren’t serious anyway. It wasn’t like he was my boyfriend. But I knew better than that. I knew deep down he cared more than he’d ever admit. I knew deep down that we were more than we ever dared to voice.

I needed to talk to him.

Making my way to his room, I tried to recall how he’d reacted last night, but my mind blanked. The shock of it all had rendered my brain useless. I couldn’t help but think that he must have known about it all. He was a captain. He was in the loop. He would have known the rogues were attacking before the rest of us found out. Was he keeping it from me this whole time? I vaguely remembered him going still after Thea had revealed that it was likely Amelia would have been killed as some sort of collateral damage in this budding rogue war, but maybe his reaction was the result of me finding out the truth and the implications that would have on our relationship. Implications that were already beginning to transpire.

With that thought seeded, I rushed up the stairs like a girl on a mission until I reached his door, knocking forcefully.

It opened to reveal a dishevelled Griffin, still as glorious as ever with that messy dark hair and those molten eyes, but the tiredness that settled under them was clear.

He smiled down at me. “Hey.”

Sculpted, delicious abs momentarily distracted me as he opened the door wider before I snapped out of the trance.

I tried to glare at him. Tried not to be fragile right now. But as his beautiful eyes softened when they looked at me with concern, my countenance threatened to crumble.

He reached out to cup my face. “Are you okay, Supernova? I know last night was tough—”

I broke, cutting him off. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Suddenly I was in hysterics and I couldn’t help it.

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