Chapter 669: The Wolf That Did Not Deserve The Punishment

Chapter 668: The Wolf That Did Not Deserve The Punishment

Selene’s gaze didn’t shift away from Orion, not even for a moment.

"It is already known to you," she said quietly. "Noctis is Dolion’s wolf. That alone should be enough explanation for what you are asking."

Orion didn’t move.

"That’s not what I’m asking though," he replied.

His voice stayed controlled, but there was something firmer beneath it now, something that made it clear he wasn’t willing to let her redirect this.

"I know what Dolion did," he continued. "That part is obvious. I am not confused about that."

A pause followed as his gaze sharpened slightly.

"I’m asking about Noctis himself. What did he do to warrant the punishment you gave him?"

Selene watched him for a moment longer without speaking.

Orion exhaled through his nose lightly.

"Is staring your default mood?" he asked.

Selene didn’t react.

She only continued to look at him, as though waiting for him to either change his question or stop asking it altogether—but Orion did none of that.

And instead of answering him directly, she asked, "Why are you so interested in the wolf?"

Orion’s expression didn’t change.

But something in his eyes tightened.

"Because I need to understand something very clearly," he said. "Corruption and intent are not the same for everyone."

Selene didn’t interrupt.

Orion continued, his voice steady, measured.

"For the most dangerous ones, their wolves encourage them," he said. "They push them forward, reinforce every decision, even when it leads straight into destruction of themselves and everyone around them."

His gaze darkened slightly.

"But not all wolves are like that."

A brief silence settled before he went on.

"Some are different," he added. "Some act as a counterweight. A voice of reason. A restraint. They would rather push one onto the correct path than let them burn bridges until there is no path left to turn back to."

His eyes flickered briefly, as though recalling something only he could see.

"Noctis is like that," he said. "From everything I have experienced with him—and mind you, it’s a lot—he doesn’t push me toward chaos. He pulls me away from it instead. He makes me think. He forces me to slow down when I don’t even want to. He makes me look at things differently when I would otherwise rush past them. He points out things I may have even missed."

His gaze returned fully to Selene.

"So tell me," he said. "What exactly did he do that warranted punishment from you?"

Selene remained quiet.

Noctis stirred faintly within Orion, a subtle pressure at the edge of his awareness.

*Stop asking that,* Noctis’s voice brushed against him. *The restriction has already been lifted. I can tell you everything you want.*

Orion didn’t respond to him.

His focus stayed fixed on Selene.

Selene’s expression shifted only slightly, but there was something there now, something quieter than before.

"I thought I understood you," she said at last. "In the same way I believed I understood Sophia."

A faint pause followed.

"But both of you continue to prove otherwise," she added. "You continue to act in ways that challenge what I believed I knew."

Orion gave a small, indifferent shrug.

"That still isn’t an answer," he said.

Selene’s gaze steadied again.

"Noctis failed to keep Dolion in check," she said.

Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"How?" he asked immediately.

The word came sharper this time.

Selene didn’t respond right away.

The silence that followed was heavier, not because it was empty, but because it felt like something was being weighed behind it before being spoken aloud.

Orion’s voice stayed firm.

"How exactly did Noctis fail to keep Dolion in check?" he asked her.

Selene stared again, the space between them quiet, without any spoken words, and then finally, after what felt like hours but was only a few minutes, she spoke.

"When Dolion strayed from the path that was set for him," she said slowly, "Noctis did not stop him."

Orion blinked once. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Then his expression changed; he was barely holding on to his anger.

"...and that is his fault?" he asked quietly.

Selene didn’t answer immediately.

Orion let out a short, almost disbelieving breath.

"That is what you are basing this on?" he said. "That he failed to stop Dolion?"

His gaze sharpened further.

"This is quite funny, you know," he continued. "I suspected before that whatever punishment was placed on Noctis was based on a flawed judgement on your part, but now I am certain. It’s no longer a speculation."

A pause followed as he took a step forward.

"You are telling me," he said, voice lowering slightly, "that because Dolion refused to listen, it is Noctis who is at fault? That Noctis is the one who gets punished?"

"Noctis failed to do what he was meant to do," Selene said firmly.

Orion chuckled, but the sound was devoid of any humour.

Selene watched him, unmoving.

Orion’s voice stayed steady, but there was weight behind it now.

"People make their own choices," he said. "Wolves can guide, they can warn, they can advise, but they cannot force obedience."

His eyes didn’t leave hers as he spoke.

"You can stand beside someone and tell them every possible consequence," he continued, "but if they choose to ignore it, that decision is theirs. Not yours. And definitely not the one advising them."

His expression tightened slightly.

"So explain it to me in a way that makes perfect sense," he said, quieter now. "How is that Noctis’s fault?"

Silence followed his words, and once more Selene just stared at him.

Orion wasn’t going to back down from this. Selene knew that, and even Orion himself knew that.

"You should probably listen to Noctis and get him to tell you everything," Selene told him.

"I would," Orion said, "but I also know just how well guilt works. Sophia is also going through it. Sometimes we know we are not at fault, but the weight... the feelings we hold regarding that will not go away. It will stay there."

His gaze hardened slightly.

"And I am certain Noctis has guilt regarding what happened, which is why I want to know from you. How exactly did Noctis do wrong?"