Chapter 731: Burdens That Were Never Theirs 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

*Perhaps not just you, but me too,* Noctis told him in reply, and there was something softer in the wolf’s voice now—something that sounded like relief. *Anyway, I must let you know that I had every intention of helping you with whatever knowledge I have. You did not have to ask me.*

"Let’s just say it was for formality’s sake then," Orion said as he stood up from where he sat, stretching his limbs until his joints popped. The chair had been comfortable, but he had been still for too long.

*Also, do you think perhaps you and Sophia and maybe the other members of the council should map everything out? The things that need answers—preferably before the war occurs?*

Orion paused mid-stretch, his arms still raised. He lowered them slowly.

"That’s actually a good idea." He turned to look at Sophia again, still sleeping peacefully. "It will help keep us focused. And I, for one, feel like we are too relaxed. War isn’t just the word—it’s more than that. Days have passed from the timeline Sophia gave us, and the only thing we’ve been able to achieve is getting to know the traitor."

*True. But you should also know that sometimes giving yourself unnecessary pressure will make you lose sight of the things that matter. That said, I do agree that we have been quite relaxed when it comes to the preparation for what is to come. And we cannot leave all the burden on Sophia. We must help in every way we can.*

"Yeah," Orion said in agreement.

---

While Orion was in his home, Ronan was with Annabeth.

He had taken her to his place after everything that happened in the cell. He thoight she wpuld protest bit she didn’t.

It wasn’t as big as Orion’s but it was enough. The walls were lined with paintings of his mother and brother, their faces frozen in time, smiling at him from frames that had grown dusty at the edges. There was also one of him and his friends, though he had drawn whiskers on Orion’s face years ago and never bothered to clean it off. Annabeth did not notice.

Ronan gave her a cup of water, then took the seat opposite her, watching her calmly as she drank from it. She held the cup with both hands, as if she needed something to anchor her.

When she was done, she placed it on the table next to her with a soft click.

The house was warm due to the fire in the hearth. The flames painted the room in shades of gold and orange, chasing away the cold that had followed them from outside.

"I’m sorry," Ronan told her, breaking the silence that had stretched between them for too long.

Annabeth shook her head quickly, almost violently.

"This isn’t your fault. It’s..." She sighed, the sound heavy and tired. "Actually, I have no idea whose fault it is. I’m just sad that it was one of my people."

Her voice cracked on the last word.

"The same man who spoke up against Sophia when he found out that she was Victoria’s daughter. The same man who helped fight the beasts when we were en route to the pack. The same man who... fuck."

She pressed the heel of her palm into her closed eyes, as if trying to make the tears stop. But no matter what she did, they continued falling. They slipped down her cheeks in warm streaks.

The worst part was the what-if situations flooding through her brain. What if Sophia had not had the vision? What if it had been too late? Then they would have lost the new home they had found. The sacrifices of others wpuld have been for nothing. They would have lost families again. They would have lost everyone again. The thought made her stomach turn.

"How did I not notice?" Her voice was raw, scraped clean of its usual warmth. "How was it that I didn’t take note of it all? How was I so blind to what was going on? How is it that I had no idea when it started, and I did not put a fucking stop to it? How?"

The questions were directed at herself, each one a knife she twisted into her own chest. She had been so focused on rebuilding, on leading, on keeping everyone fed and housed and safe. She had missed the rot growing from within.

Ronan closed the small distance between them. Then, with a soft but firm grip, he pulled her hands away from her face.

"Look at me," he told her.

Annabeth shook her head, her chin trembling.

"Sweet girl... look at me," Ronan said again, gentler this time.

She finally did, staring into his eyes. Her own were red-rimmed and swollen, her lashes clumped with tears. She looked exhausted. She looked broken.

"You would not have noticed, because that’s how Victoria is." Ronan held her gaze, not letting her look away. "My best friend’s mate had remnants of black magic on her, and none of us noticed. We didn’t suspect a thing. Not until now. I’m no expert at black magic, but from what I’m beginning to understand, it’s quite mischievous. It sneaks in and takes and continues taking without anyone noticing. Perhaps that’s why the plague could spread the way it did—because it wasn’t obvious. It was more like a silent killer."

He paused, letting his words settle.

"And also, you should not take blame for something you could not stop." His thumbs brushed gently over the backs of her hands. "I have someone who blamed himself for years—until my sister-in-law came around. He felt he was the one who caused the destruction of our pack twenty years ago. But the truth is, he wasn’t. And he could not have known that the Enclave would use it to destroy our pack. The same way you could not have known that Josiah was in cahoots with Victoria through whatever fucking method she was using on him."

Annabeth sniffled, her breath hitching.

"This is not your fault," Ronan said firmly. "Do not carry the burdens of others, nor their guilt. Rather, let them be held accountable for every mistake they made. Josiah—though he’s not in his right senses—caused whatever happened by himself. And I bet you, sweet girl, if not for Sophia, none of us would have known not even the most observant."