Chapter 426: The Weight She Was Never Meant to Carry

Chapter 425: The Weight She Was Never Meant to Carry

Sophia sat on a low slab of broken stone near the edge of the clearing, her shoulders folded inward, her posture small in a way Orion had never seen on her before.

Snow clung to the hem of her clothes. Blood—some hers, some not—had dried in dark streaks along her sleeves. Both of her bandaged hands were filled with red, a contrast to the colour they had once been when Genevieve wrapped them up.

She was quiet. And Orion noticed the change in her demeanor.

The way her jaw was clenched too tightly.

The way her gaze stayed fixed on the ground as if she could change the outcome of what had already happened.

He turned slightly, catching Ronan’s eye, then Gregory’s.

Ronan understood without a word.

He nudged Gregory lightly with his elbow and murmured something too low for Sophia to hear. Gregory hesitated, then nodded and followed him a few steps away, pretending very poorly to be busy checking weapons... his weapons alone.

They gave her space.

Orion crossed the short distance and crouched down in front of her.

He reached out and gently took her bandaged hands into his.

His thumbs brushed over the cloth, careful not to press too hard.

Sophia inhaled shakily.

Her shoulders trembled once.

Then her voice slipped out.

"I couldn’t save everyone."

The words were barely louder than the wind stirring through the clearing.

Orion felt something tighten in his chest.

Sophia lowered her head even further.

"I really tried," she whispered. "I wanted to... I wanted to save everyone."

Her fingers curled weakly around his.

Orion lifted his head slightly, angling himself so she could not avoid him as easily.

"Shorty," he said softly.

She shook her head.

"No... don’t. I don’t..."

He didn’t let go of her hands.

"Sophia," he said again, interrupting her.

This time, his voice was firmer—but still gentle.

"Look at me."

She shook her head harder.

He leaned in just enough that she could feel his breath.

"Hey, shorty, love, look at me," he told her.

Sophia hesitated.

For a long second, she looked like she might refuse him again.

Then she stopped.

Slowly, reluctantly, she lifted her face.

Her eyes were red.

Tears spilled over before she could stop them, rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto her bandages.

Orion’s expression softened instantly.

A small, quiet smile curved at the corner of his mouth, but it was more reassuring than amusement.

He lifted one hand and brushed his thumb gently across her cheek, wiping away one of the tears.

Then another.

"You shouldn’t beat yourself up like this," he told her quietly.

Sophia swallowed.

"But someone still—"

"Sophia."

He cut her off gently.

His eyes never left hers.

"Ronan is alive because of you," he told her. "And not just him, but everyone else who survived."

"You ran into this without hesitation, shorty," he continued softly. "Your stubborn self..." He sighed before continuing. "You put yourself in danger because you wanted to save everyone. It didn’t even matter that you were injured too or that you were fucking scared—you ran here and faced Trihydras... beasts you’ve never even faced, all because you wanted to save Ronan and the others."

His voice dropped even lower.

"And you are standing here right now because you didn’t freeze when it mattered."

Sophia’s lips trembled. She understood his words, but it didn’t change the fact that she couldn’t save everyone.

"But Kingston..."

Orion nodded once.

"I know."

"I wanted to save him too," she told him as she tried to stop the tears. "I wanted to save everyone."

Orion leaned forward just slightly, his forehead nearly touching hers.

"Sometimes..." he said quietly, choosing his words with care, "...things are out of our control."

She opened her eyes again.

He saw the fight there.

The stubborn refusal to accept it, which honestly wasn’t surprising.

"Even when we know what’s coming," he went on, "even when we try to change it... sometimes the outcome isn’t in our hands."

His thumbs brushed gently over her knuckles.

"There is only so much we can do. And as much as we sometimes hate the outcome, that is reality."

Sophia stared at him without saying a word.

"Don’t focus on what you failed to do," he told her. "Don’t focus on the mistakes. Focus on what you can do, what you did do, and how to be better next time so as not to make the same mistake again."

Sophia nodded, then raised her hand and wiped the tears.

She gave Orion a soft smile. "You’re good at reassuring people, you know that?"

Orion smiled. "I try, shorty. Especially when it comes to you."

She snorted, making Orion smile again.

He squeezed her hands gently one last time before letting go.

"You need to rest," he said.

Her mouth opened immediately to argue. Orion knew the signs, and before she could utter the words, he leaned forward and kissed her.

It was brief and soft but completely effective.

Her words vanished into his mouth.

Sophia froze in startled silence when he pulled back.

Her eyes widened.

Then she scowled at him.

"That was unfair."

Orion smiled at her like he had just won something.

"I know, but I wasn’t going to let you argue with me."

She glared at him.

He tilted his head.

Still smiling.

"You’ve exerted yourself too much today," he said lightly but firmly. "And honestly, I’m mad that you didn’t keep the promise we made."

Sophia looked down. "I tried to do so. But I... I... I’m sorry."

Orion sighed. "When we get back, I’m going to have to teach you what it means to take care of yourself. You can help others without putting too much strain on yourself, shorty."

Sophia didn’t argue. Honestly, she was too tired to do so.

Orion stood up and offered her one last look over his shoulder.

"Rest, shorty. Besides, we have a lot to talk about later."

"Okay," she told him.

Orion nodded, then turned and walked toward Ronan and Gregory, who were standing a short distance away, pretending—very badly—not to have been watching the entire exchange.

Ronan was grinning openly.

Gregory was not.

Gregory looked like his entire understanding of the universe had shifted sideways.

The moment Orion approached, Gregory stared at him.

Hard.

Then shook his head slowly.

"I did not..." he began.

He stopped.

Tried again.

"I never thought that..."

His voice trailed off completely.

He stared back toward Sophia.

Then at Orion.

Then at the place where Orion had been crouched in front of her moments earlier.

"I didn’t even know what to say. I’m just shocked," he told Orion.

Then he sighed. "It seems I’ve missed a lot in the time I was gone."

Orion chuckled, then turned to Ronan.

"We need to take Kingston back to the pack."

Ronan nodded.

"Yeah," he said softly. "It’s better to give him a befitting rest at the compound."

Orion nodded.

Then Ronan inhaled slowly.

There was something different in his posture now.

"Orion," he said.

Orion glanced at him. "Yeah?"

"I killed Darius."