Chapter 331: Delusions Beneath the Canopy

One would think that after what had happened in the office with Orion, perhaps Holly would have had a change of heart towards Sophia—but that was not the case.

By showing her the hickey on his neck, Orion had let Holly know that he was taken by Sophia, and it irked Holly deeply. She hated that Sophia had the audacity to even put her lips on Orion, who was hers.

She hadn’t lied to Orion that day in the office. Besides, he had only told her to learn what it meant to be a pack member. She never even thought that something as simple as what had happened that day at the training grounds would reach Orion. And she knew that even though Orion claimed it was because of Sophia, it was because of Sophia that he had done what he did and disgraced her in the presence of Nia, Joren, and Laia.

Orion had been right about one thing. She, of all people, knew not to lie to him, and she, of all people, also knew his lie-detection ability and knew how to bypass it.

She had given him an answer to his question, but that didn’t mean that she saw Nia and the others as equals.

And besides, Orion had only told her to learn what it meant to be a trainee and a member of the pack—not that she should become friends with them or treat them as equals. And she wasn’t going to do so.

Nia and the others were below her. They were good below her for her to do something like that, and they were friends with that demon.

She groaned as if she were being hurt from the inside, a loud, torturous sound escaping her.

Orion had been training Sophia today. His days at the training grounds were over, so he wasn’t obliged to train them, but everyone knew he was training Sophia. Some trainees even talked about how it didn’t make any sense for him to focus only on Sophia just because she had bewitched him into being her mate.

What annoyed Holly more was that she had suggested to the other trainees that they teach Sophia a lesson and let her know her place—but they disagreed, saying that after all, it was because of Sophia that they were getting the opportunity so soon to take the placement test.

That they even said something like that made her even angrier. How was it that when she brought up the suggestion, they turned into cowards, claiming that it was because of Sophia that they got the opportunity to even take the placement test?

They would have taken it either way. She could have made Orion train the other trainees too. She could do what Sophia did too—but Sophia was taking all the spotlight.

Holly didn’t consider the fact that there were still numerous people in the pack who saw Sophia as an outsider and treated her as such.

She didn’t care or even stop to reason that everything could all be in her head. No—once she had an idea, she rolled with it, especially when it came to Sophia.

She wasn’t a coward, though. Sophia was going to take the placement test, and that’s when she was going to get rid of her.

One thing every trainee was sure of was that the placement test would be taking place in the forest. Holly was sure they would be given tasks, and she was willing to forfeit getting into the ranks if it meant getting rid of Sophia.

If it meant that the pack would be free of a demon like Sophia. Her bewitching wouldn’t work anymore if she died, after all. Holly knew that.

She just had to hold on. She just had to wait until that time, until the perfect opportunity presented itself, and she would use it. She would show that she was right after all—that Sophia didn’t belong in the pack.

Holly was going to prove that, and the best way to get rid of a demon was to kill said demon. And what better way to do so than in the forest? And when she was done, Orion would finally come back to his senses. He would run up to her, embrace her, take her in his arms, and apologize that he had been wrong after all—and that Holly was the perfect one for him.

He would hold her like he had when they were younger, and he would make love to her like he did when they were younger.

Holly could actually see it. The whole pack bowing to her and thanking her. Orion telling them that it was because Holly killed the demon that the pack was finally free.

"Yes," she said delightedly. "Oh yes, that would be splendid."

She clasped her hands together as she danced in her home to a song she would have played at her wedding with Orion, where even the Moon Goddess would descend upon her and give her a crown for a job well done.

Holly danced around her home. She started slowly, just humming to herself, and then the song began gaining momentum. She danced faster, moving quicker around her home as the humming grew faster.

She imagined herself in a field of flowers, with Orion twirling her, laughing as she danced for him prettily. She imagined his hands on her waist, his soft, lingering touch as they danced faster and faster until she grew dizzy and they both collapsed onto a bed of flowers.

It wasn’t until Holly collapsed onto her bed that she realized Orion wasn’t in the room with her. There was no bed of flowers.

But that wouldn’t be for long.

It would be soon. She just had to be patient. The patient dog eats the fattest bone, after all.

She stood up from her bed and adjusted herself as she picked up her sword, heading to the training grounds where most trainees now gathered. People had grown even more serious with their training since the placement test was approaching, and she would act the part... for now.