Chapter 125 I Found Home
Chapter 125 I Found Home
ARDEN
Elias?
Elias was here?
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My eyes widened, heart racing in my chest when I saw him step toward the clearing, bold and unbothered. a phone held up high in his hand.
A bright red dot blinked in the corner of the screen, and the realization hit me hard, but the good kind.
He was livestreaming everything.
“Tell that again, Mr. Winters, Elias said coldly, his voice booming across the clearing. “The part where you said you’d manipulate the world. How you plan on killing these two ladies? How you would win no matter what and no matter who your opponent is? Say it louder for the entire country to hear.”
Mr. Winters froze, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. The usual smugness he had was gone, and the satisfaction was much more than I had ever expected.
Cade turned to him sharply, blood dripping down his knuckles, and still holding me tightly. He looked to Rowan, and Rowan gave him the smallest nod. A silent message passed between them
So Rowan had called hum.
No wonder Rowan appeared the calmest out of all of us. Although I could see how his eyes darted to Tessa
time, his concern hidden yet unmistakable. from time to
Elias being here made a lot of sense. The East was closest to the South. The route was pretty dangerous, but with Elias leading his army, they had made it in time.
Mr. Winters didn’t expect it. He probably assumed the divide between True Alphas–between territories and factions–was enough to isolate us. To keep us disjointed and unorganized. Jaxon agreeing with him was the testament to that.
However, he underestimated another thing he would never understand–friendship and loyalty.
I let out a soft, choked breath
Relief
Hope.
A sob escaped before I could hold it back.
From behind Elias, more figures emerged. Uniformed wolves of the Eastern army. Dozens. No, hundreds surrounded the clearing in silence, coming to a halt with Elias‘ command.
It was a reckoning.
We were no longer outnumbered. They were.
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Chapter 125 I Found Home
Mr. Winters cursed under his breath, his towel barely clinging to his waist now. Something passed through. his eyes when he stepped back, I knew he was trying to escape.
He turned to bolt, but Elias lifted his arm.
“Capture them!” Elias shouted. “Don’t kill. Take them alive. Every one of them will be tied.”
The chaos erupted in an instant.
Wolves shifted, metal clashed, and people screamed. The traitorous students–the ones who followed Winters, Kieran, Jaxon–they tried to run. But the East had anticipated that. They were surrounded.
I fell to my knees, the sudden motion knocking the wind out of me. I had felt tired for a while, but I held it out because I wanted to make my point.
Cade was there instantly, arms catching me before I collapsed completely. His touch was warm, trembling. his breath ragged against my temple.
“Arden,” he choked.
I looked up at him. The war raged around us, but at that moment, there was only him and me.
I reached up with every ounce of strength I had left and touched his cheek.
“We did it,” I whispered.
He shook his head, tears already falling, “Don’t. Don’t talk like that.”
“No.” I smiled, even as pain surged through my body, “Cade, listen. You did it. We did it. You always thought you weren’t enough. That no one would believe in you. But I always did.”
“Stop it, please, Arden. Breathe for me. It’s okay. You’re going to live.”
“I always believed in you,” I said again, firmer this time, even as my voice cracked. “Even when you didn’t You gave me a reason to live again. You gave me Honey. You gave me family. You gave me you.”
His arms tightened around me like he could hold my soul in place.”
“I’m not losing you,” he breathed. “You’re not going anywhere. Don’t do this.”
“I’m proud of you,” I murmured, my head resting against his chest. “Take care of Honey. She’ll miss me. And you–1 looked up at him, tears streaking down both our faces. “Make the world better for me, baby.”
“Don’t say goodbye,” he said, his voice cracking, utterly broken. “Please. Don’t say goodbye.”
Bethany stumbled toward us, falling to her knees beside me. Her hands cupped my face, her breath shallow and rapid
“No,” she cried. “My daughter. Please. I’m your family. I’m here now. I’m here. Don’t go yet, my daughter. You can’t go before me.”
heart stop
for a second, but it felt good. I didn’t think I would receive this kind of love ever in my I felt life. It was just unfortunate I got to experience it too late.
my
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Chapter 125 I Found Home
My eyes mer hers.
And I smiled.
“I’m happy,” I whispered,
Her tears fell freely now. He
hand trembled as she cradled my cheek.
“I knew it in my heart that you were mine,” she sobbed. “Even with the short time we spent together, I care for you. So much.”
I took her hand in mine. “Me too, I really do…”
It took everything in me to say the last word.
Mom
Bethany let out a sob that cracked the sky.
“You’re not allowed to say goodbye,” Cade muttered again, holding me tighter. “You’re going to make i okay? We’ll find the antidote. We’ll save you.”
But I knew.
I could feel it.
Something inside me was giving up. I was tired. So tired. I had fought so long, so hard. And I wasn’t scared anymore.
My heart was full.
“And you,” I whispered to Cade, my vision blurring. “I love you. I love you so much.”
He bent down and kissed my forehead with such tenderness that I felt it in my bones.
“I’ll fight,” he whispered against my skin. “I’ll never stop.
I nodded weakly. “Take care of my mom.”
My world began to dim. The sounds of war turned muffled and distant. All I could hear was Cade’s sobs and Bethany’s cries.
And in that darkness, I wasn’t afraid.
Because I had found love.
Because I had found home.
Because I knew Fenra was
was saved!
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Chapter 125 I Found Home
My eyes met hers.
And I smiled.
“I’m happy,” I whispered.
Her tears fell freely now. Her hand trembled as she cradled my cheek.
“I knew it in my heart that you were mine,” she sobbed. “Even with the short time we spent together, I care for you. So much.”
I took her hand in mine. “Me too. I really do…”
It took everything in me to say the last word.
Mom.
Bethany let out a sob that cracked the sky.
“You’re not allowed to say goodbye,” Cade muttered again, holding me tighter. “You’re going to make it, okay? We’ll find the antidote. We’ll save you.”
But I knew.
I could feel it.
Something inside me was giving up. I was tired. So tired. I had fought so long, so hard. And I wasn’t scared
anymore.
My heart was full.
“And you,” I whispered to Cade, my vision blurring. “I love you. I love you so much.”
He bent down and kissed my forehead with such tenderness that I felt it in my bones.
“I’ll fight,” he whispered against my skin. “I’ll never stop.”
I nodded weakly. “Take care of my mom.”
My world began to dim. The sounds of war turned muffled and distant. All I could hear was Cade’s sobs and Bethany’s cries.
And in that darkness, I wasn’t afraid.
Because I had found love.
Because I had found home.
Because I knew Fenra was saved