Chapter 145

Adelaide

All heads turned at once, but I didn’t crumble. I pushed the knife against Claire’s neck as she walked with me, trusting me completely.

“Claire,” Greg gasped. He, of course, had no idea what was going on, and a part of me hoped that he was smart enough to know that I would never, ever hurt her.

The Alpha King barely even glanced at her. His eyes were only on me. “That’s one out of the three,” he mumbled.

I dragged Claire with me into the center of the square, making my way beside Aelius. My eyes flickered to my people, my friends, mom—who smirked like everything was going exactly as she had planned—I stared at basically anyone but Angela’s detached head.

“You are going to let the villagers go,” I demanded, “or I’ll slit her throat.”

The Alpha King cackled loudly. “Then do it!”

“What? No!” Elyx cut in quickly. “She is a Bloodrose!”

After those words had left the king’s mouth, my friends, who had already looked uneasy, now looked sick