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Beyond redemption - Chapter 34


Chapter 34

Kora’s POV

The word cut through me like a blade. Which.

The hunters’ voices picked it up, shouting it over and over, their hatred burning hotter with every repetition. Their eyes weren’t on the pack anymore. They were on me.

I stumbled back from the riverbank, my heart hammering so loud I could barely hear anything else. The herbs had done something—I didn’t even know what exactly—but the hunters had seen it, and now I was no longer just prey. I was a target.

Edward’s voice thundered across the battlefield. “Protect her!”

The command ripped the pack into motion. Luka surged forward despite his injuries, swinging his axe with brutal force. Mara was at my side in an instant, her body a shield between me and the hunters.

But there were too many of them.

Arrows flew, swords clashed, and the meadow became a storm of blood and screams. I pressed myself against a boulder, clutching what little remained of the herbs in my fist. My mind raced, desperate, searching for some way out of this.

Then I heard him. Not Edward. Not a hunter. But that voice. Aaron.

Do you see it now, little wolf? Do you see what you are? Even they know. Witch. Monster. Nothing more.

My breath caught. I whipped my head around, but he wasn’t there—only mist and battle and death. Still, his voice slithered inside my head like venom.

You can’t hide behind Edward forever. One day, he’ll see it too.

“No,” I whispered fiercely, my grip tightening on the herbs until the stems snapped. “You’re wrong.”

But doubt gnawed at me, raw and sharp. What if he was right? What if Edward looked at me the same way the hunters did—like something unnatural, something cursed?

I didn’t have time to sink into the fear. A hunter broke through the line, charging straight for me. His blade gleamed, his eyes wide with fanatic fire.

I raised my dagger on instinct, but he was too fast, too strong. His sword came down—and stopped.

Edward’s blade was there, catching it mid-strike. Sparks flew as steel clashed. With a snarl, Edward shoved him back and drove his sword through the man’s chest. Blood sprayed hot across my arm, and the hunter crumpled at my feet.

Edward turned to me, his face carved with fury and fear. “Stay with Mara! Do not move from her side, do you hear me?”

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

He didn’t wait for an answer, just turned back into the fray, cutting down anyone who came too close.

The battle stretched on, relentless. More hunters poured from the trees, their war cries echoing across the meadow. For every one that fell, two seemed to replace him.

But slowly—painfully slowly—the tide began to turn. Edward fought like a man possessed, his blade never missing, his strength unyielding. The pack matched his fury, their howls rising above the screams of men.

Finally, the hunters began to falter. Some pulled back, dragging their wounded. Others broke and ran, their chants of witch fading into the trees.

When it was over, the meadow was a graveyard. Bodies lay everywhere, hunter and wolf alike, the grass painted red. The river carried blood downstream, the water dark and sluggish.

I stood frozen, unable to breathe, unable to move. My hands were still tight around the herbs, though they were crushed and useless now.

Edward strode back to me, his chest heaving, his face streaked with blood that wasn’t all his own. His eyes locked on me, sharp and unyielding.

For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. Just stared at me. Like he was seeing me for the first time. Finally, his voice came, low and rough, “What did you do out there, Kora?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came. Because I didn’t know. I truly didn’t know.

The only thing I knew was that the hunters had seen me—and they would never stop coming now.

And maybe Edward... maybe he would start to see me the way they did. As something dangerous. Something else. Something less than human.





Chapter 35


Kora’s POV

The meadow stank of blood and smoke. The cries of the wounded bled into the silence left behind, a silence heavier than the mist itself.


Edward didn’t move from in front of me. His blade hung at his side, dripping red into the grass, but his eyes stayed fixed on me, unblinking. It was like he was waiting for me to confess something I didn’t even understand.


“I...” My voice cracked. I swallowed, trying again. “I don’t know what happened. I just threw the herbs into the water, and they—”


“Collapsed.” Edward’s tone was flat, unreadable. His gaze flicked to the river, then back to me. “Hunters don’t collapse from herbs, Kora. Not unless the herbs were meant for them.”


I shivered, the memory rushing back — their bodies jerking, their eyes rolling back white, the word witch echoing over the field.


“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered. “I was just... trying to stop them.”


Edward finally looked away, dragging a hand through his hair. For a moment, I thought he might say nothing at all. Then his jaw tightened, and his voice came low, controlled. “Whatever this is, it makes you a target now. More than before. Do you understand?”


I nodded, my chest heavy.


It wasn’t just Aaron anymore. It wasn’t just rogues or jealous Lunas. Now the hunters knew my face, my name. They’d seen what I could do, and they’d never stop chasing me.


Edward turned back to the pack, his tone shifting back into command. “Gather the wounded. Burn the rest. We leave in twenty minutes.”


No one argued. They moved like ghosts, silent and grim. Mara lingered near me, wiping her blade on her sleeve, her sharp eyes studying me in a way that made me uncomfortable. Luka staggered past, blood soaking his side, but he still managed a faint, reassuring smile when he saw me.


I sank onto the boulder again, my knees weak. My stomach twisted, not just from the memory of the fight, but from the life inside me. The baby. My hand drifted to my belly, half-conscious, protective.


Would the baby feel this fear? This darkness? Or was it safer in there, shielded from everything I couldn’t control?


The thought barely had time to settle before Edward was back, crouching in front of me. His hand cupped my chin, tilting my face toward his. His eyes softened just slightly, but his voice stayed firm.


“Listen to me, Kora. I don’t care what they call you. I don’t care what the hunters think they saw. You are mine. Do you understand that?”


My throat tightened. “Even if I’m... different?”


His grip tightened just enough to make me feel it. “Especially then.”


Something in me broke at his words. My eyes stung, tears threatening, but I forced them back. I didn’t want to cry here, not in front of all the eyes watching us from the shadows.


I just nodded.


Edward exhaled slowly, then stood, pulling me up with him. His hand didn’t let go of mine as he turned to the others.


“Move out,” he commanded. “We’re heading north. We’ll lose them in the highlands.”


The pack obeyed, gathering what little they had left. Smoke rose from the meadow as they set fire to the hunters’ bodies, the flames eating away the evidence. The smell clung to us as we walked away, another ghost added to the countless others trailing behind us.


As we left the river behind, I glanced over my shoulder.


For just a moment, I thought I saw someone standing in the mist, watching. Tall, dark, too far to make out.


But I didn’t need to see his face to know.


Aaron.


My skin crawled, and I tore my gaze away, focusing on Edward’s hand in mine. If Aaron was watching, then he’d seen everything.


He knew now.


And that meant he would never stop.





Chapter 36


Kora’s POV

The highlands rose before us like a jagged wall, peaks draped in mist and shadow. The path upward was narrow, uneven, the stones slick beneath our boots. Each step pulled us farther from the meadow, farther from the battlefield that still clung to my skin.


But the silence never left.


Even with the crunch of boots on rock, the hiss of wind through the cliffs, everything felt hushed. Tense. Every pack member kept their eyes low, their voices buried. No one wanted to say it out loud, but I could feel it pressing down on us all.


Witch.


The word still echoed in my ears.


Mara walked close behind me, her presence sharp as a blade. She hadn’t spoken since the fight, but I could feel her watching me, measuring me. Not with hatred, not exactly—but with something I couldn’t name.


Edward kept me at his side, his stride steady, his hand brushing mine often like he needed to remind himself I was still there. His expression was unreadable, but his shoulders were iron, his jaw tight.


When the sun dipped low and the air turned colder, we stopped at a rocky overhang that would shield us for the night. Fires were lit, small and cautious, their smoke carried quickly away by the wind.


I sat near the edge, watching the last light fade from the horizon. The mountains stretched endlessly, wild and vast. It should have felt freeing, but instead it felt like a cage of stone.


Edward came to sit beside me, lowering himself with a quiet groan of exhaustion. His hand brushed mine again, deliberate this time. “You’ve been quiet.”


I let out a bitter laugh. “After everything today, what am I supposed to say?” His gaze turned to me, steady, searching. “The truth.”


I shook my head. “I don’t even know what the truth is. Those herbs—what they did—I’ve never seen anything like it. I don’t know why it happened. I don’t know how it happened.”


His hand covered mine fully now, warm and grounding. “Then we’ll figure it out. Together.”


The words together should have comforted me, but all I could think of was Aaron’s voice. One day, he’ll see it too.


I pulled my hand back, hugging my knees to my chest. “What if the truth is something you can’t accept, Edward? What if the hunters were right?”


He didn’t flinch, didn’t blink. “Then I’ll burn the world before I let anyone use it against you.” My throat tightened, and I turned away before the tears could spill.


For a while, we just sat there, the crackle of the fire behind us, the whisper of wind ahead. It should have been peaceful. It wasn’t.


Because I could feel it.


The eyes.


Somewhere out in the dark, beyond the cliffs, beyond the mist—he was watching. Aaron.


I knew it in my bones, the way the air shifted, the way my skin prickled.


And when the wind carried a faint voice to me, low and taunting, I didn’t doubt it. You can run to the ends of the earth, little wolf. I will always find you.


I pressed my hand to my belly, protective, terrified.


Because it wasn’t just me anymore.


And Aaron knew.




Chapter 37


Kora’s POV

The night stretched long, the firelight dancing on stone walls, shadows flickering like restless spirits. Sleep wouldn’t come. My mind spun too fast, my body too tense. Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined Aaron’s smirk in the dark, his voice winding through the cliffs.


I wrapped Edward’s cloak tighter around me, though it wasn’t the cold that unsettled me—it was the knowing. He was out there. Somewhere in the vast wilderness of the mountains, Aaron was watching, waiting.


The pack had scattered in small groups, some sleeping against the rocks, others standing guard at the edges of the overhang. Edward was awake still, leaning against a boulder not far from me, his eyes fixed on the shadows beyond the fire. He hadn’t spoken much since we set camp, but his silence wasn’t from weariness. It was the silence of a man who already knew the war wasn’t over.


I finally forced myself to stand and walk over to him. His gaze shifted to me, and even in the dim glow of firelight, I saw the flicker of worry in his eyes.


“You should rest,” he said softly.


“I can’t.” My voice came out small, cracked.


He shifted, making space for me to sit beside him. I lowered myself slowly, hugging my knees again like a child, staring out into the mist.


“They’re whispering,” I murmured. “Who?”


“The pack. The Lunas. Maybe even your warriors. I hear them. Witch. Cursed. Dangerous.” I swallowed, my throat raw. “They don’t say it to my face, but I feel it in the way they look at me.”


Edward’s jaw tightened, the muscle ticking. “Let them whisper. It means nothing.”


“It means everything,” I whispered back. “They’ll never follow me. Not as their Luna. Not if they believe I’m... wrong.”


His hand slid over mine again, fingers curling, anchoring me. “Then let them believe what they want. I didn’t choose you because of what they think. I chose you because I know who you are.”


I wanted to believe him. I really did. But my chest still burned with doubt.


Silence lingered, heavy, until I forced myself to ask the question clawing at me. “What if... what if Aaron is right?”


His eyes sharpened instantly, his whole body stiffening at the name. “Don’t.”


“Edward—”


“Don’t give him that power,” he cut me off, his voice low, dangerous. “He thrives on fear. The moment you start doubting yourself, he’s already won.”


I looked away, my eyes stinging. “It’s not just me anymore,” I whispered, pressing a hand to my belly.


His gaze softened, just slightly, as he followed the motion. His hand hovered above mine before finally covering it. Strong. Firm. “Which is why I won’t let him touch you. Either of you.”


The fire crackled, throwing sparks into the dark. And for a fleeting second, I let myself lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder. His warmth, his steady heartbeat, they grounded me in a way nothing else could.


But the peace was short-lived.


Because from the edge of the cliff, one of the guards whistled sharply—an alert. Every warrior was instantly on their feet, weapons drawn, eyes scanning the mist.


I froze, my breath caught.


Edward rose smoothly, pulling me up with him. His grip on my hand was iron, unyielding. “Stay behind me.”


Shapes moved in the fog. Shadows that didn’t belong to stone or tree. The sound of feet scraping rock echoed faintly, and then—laughter.


Low. Cold. Familiar.


Aaron.


“Edward,” I breathed, my chest clenching.


His posture never wavered. He pulled me slightly behind him, his voice steady but lethal. “If he shows himself, he doesn’t leave this mountain alive.”


The laughter grew, weaving through the fog, taunting. Then it stopped, just as suddenly as it began. Silence pressed in again, heavier than before.


No attack came. No figure stepped forward. The mist swallowed everything.


And that was worse.


Because it meant Aaron wasn’t here to fight. He was here to play.


Edward’s warriors fanned out, tense and waiting, but nothing happened. After what felt like hours, Edward finally signaled them back, his hand tight on mine as he led me closer to the fire.


I could feel my pulse in my ears, my body trembling. “He was here,” I whispered. Edward’s eyes were hard steel. “I know.”


I waited for him to reassure me, to say we were safe. But he didn’t. And that told me everything I needed to know. We we

ren’t safe. Not here. Not anywhere. Not as long as Aaron still breathed.




Chapter 38


Kora’s POV

By morning, the mist had thinned, but the unease had not. The pack moved quietly, the usual chatter absent as we prepared to continue up the mountain trail. Every pair of eyes scanned the cliffs, every hand lingered near a blade. No one said his name, but we were all thinking it.


Edward walked ahead, his strides sure, his presence steadying the group. I followed closely, my hand clutching the edge of my cloak, my stomach twisting with every step. The baby kicked lightly, and I pressed my palm to my belly, whispering silently: Hold on. Please, just hold on.


Mara approached me at one point, her gaze sharp as always. “You slept?” she asked. I shook my head.


Her lips pressed thin. “Neither did I.” She didn’t elaborate, but her meaning was clear. None of us had truly rested. Not with him so near.


The path narrowed again, hugging the cliffside where the drop stretched endlessly below. One wrong step, and it was over. I tried to steady my breathing, tried not to think of Aaron lurking somewhere unseen. But the wind carried whispers—whether real or imagined, I couldn’t tell.


Halfway across the ledge, Edward stopped abruptly, raising a hand. The pack froze. Silence fell, broken only by the howl of wind. Then I saw it.


Blood.


A smear of it along the rock ahead, dark and fresh.


My throat tightened. One of the warriors crouched, examining it, his expression grim. “It’s not an animal,” he muttered. “Too clean. Too deliberate.”


A message.


My legs wobbled, and I grabbed Edward’s arm for balance. He didn’t flinch, didn’t speak. His face was carved from stone, but the fury in his eyes burned.


“Keep moving,” he ordered finally, his voice low but commanding.


We obeyed. Step after step, each one heavier than the last. The trail seemed endless, the air thinner with altitude. But the blood stayed with me, staining my thoughts.


When we finally reached a plateau large enough to rest, Edward pulled me aside, away from the others. He stood tall, arms folded, but I could see the storm in his gaze.


“He’s baiting us,” I said softly.


“Yes.”


“And you’re letting him.”


His eyes snapped to mine, sharp as blades. “I’m letting him?”


“You’re not striking back,” I pressed. My voice trembled, but I forced the words out. “He keeps coming closer, testing us, testing me. And you just... wait. What if one day he doesn’t stop? What if he finally takes what he wants?”


The silence that followed cut deeper than any shout. Edward’s jaw flexed, his fists clenched at his sides. Finally, he stepped closer, his voice low but fierce.


“You think I don’t want to tear him apart? Every breath he takes is an insult to me. But rushing into his traps puts you at risk. And that—” he caught my chin gently, forcing me to meet his eyes “—is the one thing I will never gamble with.”


I swallowed hard, heat pricking my eyes. He meant it. I knew he did. But fear still gnawed at me, relentless.


Before I could reply, Mara’s voice cut through the air. “Alpha.”


We turned. She was pointing to the far edge of the plateau, where a stone had been marked. Scratched deep into its surface was a single word.


Kora.


My breath caught, my chest seizing.


It was my name. My name is carved into the mountain itself, waiting for me.


The pack shifted uneasily, murmurs rising, but Edward silenced them with a glare. He moved to the stone, examining it, his face unreadable.


I couldn’t move. My legs refused. All I could do was stare at those letters, jagged and cruel, as if the mountain itself was mocking me.


Aaron was closer than ever.


And he wanted me to know it.


Edward finally turned, his expression grim, his eyes burning into mine. “He’s not hiding anymore.”


The wind howled across the plateau, scattering loose stones, rattling the fires we’d tried to light. I wrapped my arms around myself, trembling.


Because in that moment, I understood. This wasn’t a hunt anymore.


It was a game.


And I was the prize.


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