The Lightning Wolf Chronicles Novel

Chapter 23: She's Going to Leave Us Evelyn's POV *But..." "This pack needs strong wolves, needs warriors, needs leaders," I cut him off. "And me? I'm just a walking reminder that their mother is dead. Living proof that Dad's in pain and that you're stuck in an impossible situation." Elliot's face went white. "That's not - "If it wasn't for this Beta blood keeping me tied to the weak kids here, I would've bailed ages ago." My voice stayed weirdly calm. "You know what keeps me?

Every time I see those kids getting their asses kicked, I think about how much worse it'd be if I wasn't around to take the heat instead." "When I graduate, I'm gonna become a warrior. Then I'm out." I could already picture it. "I'll find packs that actually need help. Maybe somewhere I can actually belong." A real smile tugged at my lips. "Maybe I'll even find my mate. Someone who doesn't know about all this baggage. Someone who won't hate me or pity me because of who I am." Elliot's face shifted from pale to gray. He grabbed my shoulders so hard I winced. "No!" He practically roared.

"You can't leave! This is your home - we're your family!" "We get it now," his voice cracked with desperation. "We'll change. We'll treat you right. No one's gonna hurt you anymore..." I gently pushed his hands away and stepped back. "You still don't get it." "Get what?" 80 "You think I'm some victim who just takes beatings." My voice got quieter but every word hit like a punch. "Truth is, I choose this. Every hit, every humiliation that was me making a choice. Because if it wasn't me getting hurt, it'd be some other kid." "That's what breaks my heart.

Not that you ignored me, but that you ignore everyone who needs protecting. I kept going. "You can't see the Omegas shaking in corners. Can't see the weak ones getting treated like toys. Can't see how many broken kids there are." "We can fix this..." Elliot said desperately. "Can you?" I shot back. "When you're leaders, you gonna trash this whole system? You gonna tell all the high-ranking wolves that everyone gets treated equal now? You willing to piss them off for the 'weaklings'?" Elliot went quiet. 1/4 11:36 Thu, Jan 8 M...

Chapter 23: She's Going to Leave Us ชล 80 "Everything you guys worship? I hate it. Exhaustion crept into my voice. "Survival of the fittest, strong picking on weak... We're werewolves. We've got brains, feelings, the ability to choose kindness. But you picked the most basic animal bullshit instead." "Even the weakest Omega has value. I looked straight at him. "Maybe she can't fight, but she might cook amazing food for tired warriors. Maybe she's not strong, but her voice could comfort someone who's hurting.

Everyone matters, not just the tough ones." "If I took your help now, what's the difference between me and you? I'd just be another person benefiting from this screwed-up system. I'd become exactly what I can't stand." Elliot's shoulders sagged like he'd aged ten years in ten seconds. 'I hope when I leave, it reminds you of something. My voice softened. "Stop always looking up at the stars. Look down at your feet sometimes. You'll see completely different stuff there." I turned toward my room. At the door, I glanced back. "Thanks for breakfast, Elliot.

It was really good." Then I closed the door softly. Elliot's POV That door closing sounded like a gunshot in the silent house. I stood there like my feet were glued to the floor. Evie's words kept playing in my head. Every sentence was like a knife, cutting open everything I thought I believed in, showing me the rot underneath. She was leaving. My sister, my only real family, was walking away from this pack. From me. And the worst part? I couldn't think of a single reason to stop her. Because everything she'd said was right. We had ignored people's pain.

We did worship 'survival of the fittest' like it was some sacred law. We really... had never actually seen her. Not until now. Not until she was ready to walk away. I collapsed into a chair, head in my hands. The breakfast dishes were still on the table, the cocoa had gone cold. Just like everything else. I needed to talk to someone. I needed... hell, I didn't know what I needed. Maybe just someone to tell me there was still a way to fix this mess. I cleared the table on autopilot, washed the dishes, then left the house. The sunlight was so bright it hurt, but I kept walking.

The pack house wasn't far. The others should be there by now. Maybe they'd have answers. Maybe they'd have hope. I pushed through the front door, familiar scents hitting me. Straight to the second-floor lounge where we always hung out. 2/4 11:36 Thu, Jan 8 M... Chapter 23: She's Going to Leave Us They were all there. Magnus and Lucian playing chess, Orlon rending by the window, Milo chatting with Nadia. When I walked in, everyone stopped. (60) "You look like hell," Milo said first. "What happened?" Also, his voice dropped, "that wolf we saw this morning...

the scent on those clothes was familiar. Was that Evie? When did she awaken?" I shook my head, dropping onto the couch like dead weight. "She said she never left her room this morning." "But she never oversleeps," Nadia frowned. "That's weird..." I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head. "What did she tell you?" Orion closed his book, sharp eyes locked on me. I sat there forever. Long enough that the air felt heavy. Finally, I took a shaky breath. "She said she's leaving. Leaving the pack." The room exploded.

"What?!" "Leaving?" "Are you serious?" Voices crashed together, but I just sat there, letting their shock wash over me. "Shut up!" Magnus's Alpha voice cut through the noise. The room went dead silent. He turned to me, expression deadly serious. "Tell us exactly what happened." I looked at these guys I'd grown up with. Their faces were full of concern, but I knew that after they heard everything, that might change to something else. Guilt? Self-blame? Or the same hopeless feeling crushing my chest? 'Here's what went down..." I started from the beginning. Every detail, every word.

I tried to get it all exactly right. Watched their faces change from confusion to shock, shock to deep thinking, and finally to something I couldn't even name. When I got to the part about "looking down at your feet instead of up at the stars,' Orion's hand actually shook. 3/4 1136 Thu Jan 8 An Chapter 23: She's Going to Leave Us When I mentioned her taking pain to protect other kids, Lucian went pale. When I talked about her trashing 'survival of the fittest," Magnus's jaw clenched. And when I mentioned her plan to become a warrior and leave, Nadia's eyes filled with tears. "She really...

Milo's voice came out rough. "She's been choosing to take all that? To protect other kids?" I nodded. "She said if it wasn't her getting hurt, it'd be someone else. She couldn't live with that." "Damn it," Orion shot to his feet. "Are we all blind? How did we miss something so obvious?" "Because we only saw what we wanted to see," Lucian said quietly. "We lived in our little bubble, never actually looking around." Silence fell again. Everyone lost in their own thoughts. "So she's leaving, Magnus finally spoke.

"Because we disappointed her." Comments 4 Write Comments SHARE 80 4/4 11:36 Thu, Jan 8 M... The Lightning Wolf Chronicles admin