Chapter 23

• I was barely recovering from the fight when Nate managed to smuggle a letter to me. He must have allies in the palace because I picked up the letter on my doorstep and no one was there. It had Nate’s familiar scent, I could tell it was him before opening it. Even his signature was on it. I opened the letter and read it;
• “Olivia, you’re strong—far stronger than you realize. But your power is dangerous, uncontrollable. Bustan will never be comfortable with you by his side as long as you pose a threat to the pack. He may love you now, but he’s afraid. He’s afraid of what you’ll become. Come to me. I can teach you to control it. Only I understand the depth of your potential. I know what it feels like to be misunderstood… rejected.”
• I scoffed, crumpling the paper in my hand. Nate had no idea what he was talking about. I had left him behind for a reason, and he thought he could waltz back into my life and offer me guidance as if he hadn't abandoned me before?
• I lowered my head and continued reading the letter;
• “Bustan will never be able to give you what you need. You see it, don’t you? How he still keeps Bianca close? You think he’s yours, but deep down, he’s still in love with her. That will never change.”
• That part got to me, but I refused to believe them. Bustan loved me—he had fought for me, protected me. Still, a tiny seed of doubt buried itself in my heart. Nate knew how to manipulate, to plant insecurities where there shouldn't be any. Bianca saved me. Oh, but she saved me so I could alert Bustan.
• I folded the letter tightly in my hands, feeling the paper wrinkle beneath my fingers. I had to show this to Bustan. He needed to know Nate was still scheming, still trying to drive a wedge between us plus I didn't want any secrets between us.
• But as I almost entered the strategy room, I came to a halt, the breath catching in my throat. There they were—Bustan and Bianca. She stood close to him, too close, her hand brushing against his arm as they spoke in hushed tones. Bustan wasn’t pulling away. In fact, he seemed completely at ease, as though their intimate conversation was the most natural thing in the world.
• My heart clenched painfully in my chest.
• Bianca leaned in, her voice low but still audible in the quiet night air. “You can’t protect her from everything, Bustan. Olivia’s powers are growing, and it’s only going to get more dangerous. What if she can’t control it?”
• Bustan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know, Bianca. I’m worried, but she’s strong. She can handle it.”
• My breath caught. He was worried. About me. About my powers. Nate’s words echoed in my mind, repeating like a haunting melody. “He’s afraid of what you’ll become.”
• Bianca’s voice softened, her hand resting on his shoulder now. “I care about her too, Bustan. But you and I both know that if she loses control again, the pack could be in danger. Maybe it would be best if you kept her away from the palace. Maybe put her under someone who could teach her outside the palace.”
• “Who, Bianca?!” Bustan snapped, his frustration clear. “What if Nate gets to her?”
• “What if you send her off to Nate, he'd see it as a peace offering but she'd go there as your weapon because she's loyal to you.
• My heart twisted at the mention of his name. Bianca paused for a moment before speaking again. “He knows about power like hers. He could train her. I’m just saying… maybe it’s worth considering. Then after training her, she'd betray him and come back to you. He deserves that after rejecting her.”
• Bustan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stared off into the distance, a troubled expression clouding his face. The silence between them felt suffocating. He wasn’t denying it. He was actually thinking about sending me to Nate, to the very person who had betrayed me. The very person who could kill me.
• I couldn't bear to watch any longer. By the time I reached my room, the tears were falling freely, and I slammed the door behind me, collapsing onto the bed. I buried my face in the pillow, trying to stifle the sobs that wracked my body.
• I thought about the way Bianca had touched his arm, the way he had let her comfort him. My stomach churned with jealousy and hurt. Nate’s words had been cruel, but now they seemed like they had been rooted in truth. Bustan was keeping Bianca close, and no matter how much I think he cares for me. Bianca was still his rightful mate, just as Nate is mine.
• My powers surged inside me, responding to the emotional storm raging in my heart. I could feel the energy pulsing through my veins, wild and uncontrollable. It wanted to be unleashed, to break free of the confines I had tried so hard to keep it in. But I wouldn’t let it. Not now.
• I sat up, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. The letter from Nate still lay crumpled beside me, a reminder of the offer he had made. He wanted me to go to him, to let him teach me how to control this power. But at what cost?
• My hands trembled as I unfolded the letter once more, reading his words again. “Bustan will never be at ease with you around.” The thought gnawed at me, pulling me into a pit of despair. Maybe Nate was right. Maybe Bustan was afraid of me. Maybe he did want me gone, but he was too kind to say it outright.
• I shook my head, trying to clear the doubts from my mind. Bustan loved me. He had to. But the image of him and Bianca together replayed in my mind like a cruel taunt, twisting the knife in my heart even further.
• I curled up on the bed, clutching the letter to my chest as though it held some answer to the turmoil inside me. Tears flowed again, silent and bitter, as I let the weight of my doubts crush me. I was supposed to be strong, supposed to be in control, but right now, I felt more lost and alone than ever.
• There was a knock on the door, soft but insistent. I didn’t answer. I didn’t have the strength to face anyone, least of all Bustan. If he was here to reassure me, I wasn’t sure I’d believe him. And if he was here to tell me the truth—that he really did fear me, that he still had feelings for Bianca—I wasn’t sure I’d survive hearing it.
• The knock came again, louder this time. “Olivia?” Bustan’s voice called out softly from the other side. “Can we talk?”
• I stayed silent, my heart pounding in my chest. He was here to take me, he was here to give me up…