Chapter 23

There wasn't much to talk about after everything poured out of King. After our conversation, Raven invited him for dinner. I wasn't in any position to help, so King and Raven took care of everything. After having our meal, I went straight to sleep. My body was tired and wired at the stime. I want to say that I had a peaceful sleep, but I didn't. My brain couldn't shut down, no matter how hard! tried. I was still awake long after Kingsley and Raven fell asleep. Waking up slowly so as not to wake them up, I got out of my sleeping bag and wandered around. I was the rest it surely deserved. I so fucking tired and sleepy, yet my damn mind refused to let my body get felt frustrated and bitter. Pushing my tears back, I spotted a big boulder, and I went and sat on it. The moon was out today, and seeing it just madeangrier. Why me, moon goddess? First, you take away my parents deprivingof the chance to get to know them and be loved by them. As if that wasn't enough for you, you let all that happened tohappen. Why? If you're so caring and love your children, then why let all this happen to me? Of course, there wasn't any answer from her, and that just mademore bitter. She took away life I had built, the people I love, and my dignity, yet she doesn't have the guts to tellwhy. When we were younger, we were taught to always trust and believe in the moon goddess. We were taught not to question her and to just trust that she does everything for our good. I used to trust her, and I used to believe that there's always a silver lining because the goddess had everything under control. Now my trust is broken, and my eyes are opened. The faith and love I had for her slowly faded in the months that my life turned to shit. We were supposed to trust her no matter what, but how could I when I was fucking tortured by the very man I was in love with? How could I continue to trust her after Alec banished me? Ordered my death and almost killed my unborn child? How could I continue to blindly trust her when she turned my life upside down? I touched the scar on my cheek, remembering the day Alec put it there. The day he branded me. It will always be a reminder of what I went through at the hands of his and that of his pack. Sighing, I got up and walked back to our little camp. I lie down and close my eyes, I didn't expect it, but finally my body shuts down. "Wake up, Sadie. We need to leave." Raven's voice pulledfrom my steep. I rested, but it wasn't a peaceful sleep. My dreams were a nightmare, reliving my tin the dungeon and when I killed the hybrid yesterday When i was in the pack, I knew that one day I would need to defend myself, but I never once believed in killing 1 thought it was merciless and uncalled for. I told myself that i would never take a life, if ever I was in danger, I'd weaken them, but not kill them. I broke that promise yesterday. They madebreak that promise. Alec madebreak a promise to myself, and that's something else I won't ever forgive him for. 1 got up, and Raven handeda cup of steaming tea and bread. Surprisingly, King was still here. "I thought you would've left by now," I told him, sipping the comforting tea. He sighed. "I thought so too, but for sreason I can't." "What do you mean you can't? No one is stopping you from leaving: just stand up and leave. It's that simple." That cfrom Raven, who was drinking her coffee as usual. I loved coffee; it was my fucking lifeline, but since we learned I was pregnant, Raven has limited the amount I take. His things were already packed, but he was seated, and he looked mighty frustrated. "I was going to leave, I'd even gotten my things and was about to leave, but something insidestopped me. For sstrange reason, I feel like this is where I'm meant to be. That I should stick by you." He was staring straight atas he said that. Out of habit, I touched my hair (I do that when I'm nervous), but there's nothing there. I released a deep breath when I remembered Alec cutting it all off. Fuck, I hate him. "Destiny," Raven mumbles, looking at her now-half cup. "What are you talking about, Rave?" I questioned her. "Destiny. Intertwined destiny," she says, looking up at the both of us. "I think his destiny is intertwined with yours, just like mine and yours are." A chill passed down my spine, and I shivered. "Rave?" I look at her, deeply staring into her eyes. There's something there. Something I can't even begin to explain. "I started having dreams about you years ago. I didn't get why or who you were, but I always pushed it to the back of my mind. It continued for years, snippets, but I brushed them off. That was until a couple of months ago, when the dreams turned into nightmares and I saw the girl I've been dreaming about suffering." She looked at King and stopped. We didn't know him well, so we couldn't fully trust him. She doesn't need to explain the rest to me, I already knew because I lived the nightmare. "During those times, I didn't know who you were or where you were. I didn't even know if I should trust them. You were just a girl in my dreams, one who couldn't be real. Well, that is until I found you in the forest surrounded by rogues." Both Kingsley and I were quiet the whole time. I was shocked, honestly, but King was thoughtful. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked in confusion. "You'd already been through enough. I didn't want to spring this on you when I didn't understand it myself." My thoughts were rushing too fast forto grasp all of them. My head was a jumbled mess. Raven continued. "I believe it's destiny. Beth pretty much toldthe same. If you believe that you are meant to be here with her, then this is where you should be." What she said would explain why I trusted him despite him being a complete stranger. "Who is Beth?" King asks after a while. "She's my mentor." He nodded his head and looked into the distance. It seemed like he was deep in thought. Lost in thought h didn't know what to feel. This was all overwhelming. Everything that has happened since yesterday has been heavy on me, and then to learn that Raven has been having dreams aboutfor years? Well, that just tipped the scale. "So, what are you going to do?" Raven asked Kingsley, but it felt more than just a question; it was almost as if she was challenging him. He stared at her and then shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to trust my gut and go with you wherever it is you're going." At first, I was shocked that he would follow two strangers, but after a while, I nodded, accepting his decision. I no longer believed in the goddess or destiny, but somehow, this whole thing felt right.