Chapter 289: Holly’s Continued Delusion

Meanwhile, Holly was moving about her home in anger.

Her footsteps were sharp, frantic, restless — the kind of movements that made the floorboards complain beneath her weight. Her breaths came out in harsh bursts, her chest tight, her heart racing so fast it felt like it was trying to tear itself out of her ribs.

She reached her bedroom and, without thinking, grabbed the nearest pillow from her neatly-made bed. The second her fingers dug into the fabric, rage surged so violently through her that she didn’t even try to hold it back — she pressed the pillow to her face and screamed into it.

The sound was raw, ugly, and desperate.

Her whole body trembled as she squeezed her eyes shut. Tears spilled down her cheeks immediately. The pillow muffled her scream, but it didn’t soften it. It didn’t stop it from vibrating through her entire chest.

Then suddenly, she threw the pillow aside as if it had betrayed her, her hands shaking.

This wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Holly dragged her hands through her hair, nails scratching her scalp as her breaths became uneven.

"She was not supposed to be the one with Orion," she whispered hoarsely to herself, her voice breaking. "It was supposed to be me. Me. Not her. Me."

Her knees weakened. She sat on the edge of her bed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, only for more to fall.

She was perfect for him. Everyone used to say so — that Holly and Orion made sense. That she was exactly his type. That she was stunning, loyal, obedient where necessary... she fit the role. She fit him.

But now?

Now the whole pack was buzzing with something else entirely.

Them.

Every corridor, every home, every communal space — voices whispered endlessly, swirling through the territory like a storm she couldn’t escape.

People talked about how Orion and Sophia were perfect for each other. They talked about how she was so good with him.

Holly pressed her hands over her ears as if she could block out echoes of conversations she had overheard. At first she thought people were delusional, but then the conversation increased, spreading through the whole pack.

Her jaw clenched so hard it ached.

Some people were against the pairing, yes. Some muttered about how Sophia didn’t fit Orion and how she was still a stranger in the pack and how Holly was the better fit.

But the majority... oh, the majority...

The majority were thrilled.

The majority liked Sophia. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The majority supported them.

And worst of all, the majority had the nerve — the audacity — to say Sophia was perfect for Orion.

Perfect.

The word made Holly’s stomach twist violently.

"She’s not perfect," Holly hissed, standing abruptly. "She’s not. She’s dangerous. She’s— she’s wrong. She doesn’t belong here. She doesn’t belong with him."

She grabbed the pillow she had thrown earlier and hurled it across the room. It hit her vanity stool and fell to the ground as Holly continued pacing, her breath shortening again.

"She’s taking everything," Holly muttered. "She’s taking him."

Then her eyes fell on the object sitting on her dresser.

The book.

The book she had stolen from Sophia’s home.

The book she had been trying — and failing — to interpret for days.

The book she had convinced herself held the proof she needed.

Her lips curled into a snarl.

She moved toward it slowly, as though it were mocking her, and snatched it up. The dark blue cover with its silver embellishments shimmered faintly in the dim light.

A reminder of her failure.

Her fingertips trembled around the leather.

"I should’ve figured it out," she muttered shakily. "I should’ve been able to read it. I should’ve cracked it. I should’ve—"

Her frustration exploded.

"—I should be the one with him!"

She hurled the book toward the hearth, not caring about the sudden spark of panic that jolted through her even as it hit the burning logs.

The flames licked the edges of the leather at once, hungrily, eagerly, silver runes flickering as if in protest before the fire devoured them.

Holly didn’t move. She watched as it burned instead.

She stood there, breathing heavily, watching the fire consume the pages that had once felt so important.

Then realization hit her like an arrow.

Her eyes widened.

"No. No—no, no, no—wait!"

She lunged toward the hearth, reaching into the flames with reckless desperation. Heat seared her skin immediately, but she didn’t stop. She grabbed at the burning remains of the book, pulling out a half-charred, warped lump of blackening pages.

A scream tore out of her as the fire licked her palm.

She dropped the remains onto the floor, clutching her now-red, blistered hand.

"FUCK!"

Her voice cracked, the sound half-wail, half-growl. Tears streamed again, but this time from pain and fury combined.

Holly banged her injured hand against the floor, pain ricocheting up her arm. She didn’t care. She hit the floor again.

And again.

And again.

Her breaths grew ragged, shoulders trembling as she finally slumped backwards, staring at the ruined book with tears streaking down her face.

"It wasn’t even any good," she whispered to herself shakily. "It was useless, completely useless."

She looked at the half-burned, half-melted remainder as if it had betrayed her personally.

"It didn’t help me. It didn’t prove anything. I couldn’t even translate it. I couldn’t show anyone. I couldn’t—" Her voice wavered. "It didn’t do anything."

Her eyes darkened.

This time... she would do things differently.

This time... she needed something else.

Something better.

Something undeniable.

She stood shakily, her injured hand held close to her chest, and began pacing again — slower, but more intense. More focused. Her muttering returned, low and frantic.

"I need to prove she’s a demon. I need to prove she’s not supposed to be here. That she’s evil. That she’s dangerous. That she’s—"

She shook her head, hair whipping behind her.

"This book didn’t help. So I’ll do something else. Something that will show everyone. Something they can’t ignore."

Her expression sharpened.

Her muttering quickened.

"She’s a demon. She’s trying to take my mate. She’s manipulating him. Controlling him. He’s supposed to be mine. Mine. He always was—"

She paused mid-step.

Her eyes lit up as an idea formed in her mind.

She pressed a hand against her temple, her lips curling into a slow, twisted smile.

"I can do something else," she whispered. "I can find something else."

She thought of the medical facility. She imagined sneaking inside, searching for Sophia herself and getting rid of her.

Her pulse quickened.

But then the realization hit her like a slap.

She wouldn’t be able to sneak in.

Orion was there, always. Ever since Sophia collapsed, he hadn’t stepped away from the medical facility. And if Holly even attempted to claim she needed to visit Sophia as a friend...

She almost laughed at the thought.

"No one would believe that," she muttered.

She resumed pacing, steps sharp.

"She’s always with him. Always protected. Always in someone’s sight. She’s never alone long enough for me to—"

Her breath hitched.

Her muttering grew louder.

"I need to prove she’s a demon. I need to make them see. She doesn’t belong here. She shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t be with him."

Her voice wavered, then lowered to a chilling whisper.

"She needs to leave."

The words hung in the air.

Heavier than anything she’d ever spoken.

She stopped walking. Her fingers curled in determination.

"She needs to leave the pack," Holly murmured. "She shouldn’t be part of us. She’s wrong. She’s wrong for Orion. She’s wrong for all of us."

Her eyes sharpened dangerously.

"If I cannot prove she’s a demon," she whispered, "then I’ll get rid of her."

Her smile widened.

Soft at first.

Then deranged.

"Because she doesn’t belong here," Holly said, voice trembling with conviction. "Because she’s a demon. Because she’s trying to take what’s mine."

She pressed her burnt hand against her heart.

"And I’m not going to let her."