Alpha Klayton | ✔️

32 |

"Even if you manage to kill me, the transition will kill you too. The chances of you surviving are so slim no number can quantify it,"

I felt my breathing cease and my heartbeat slow. This couldn't be true. She was just trying to mess with me, I assure myself.

"Then why are you trying so badly to kill me?" I mean for the words to come out harsh, but they instead come out as a small squeak. I hate myself at that moment for proving that I was as weak as she said.

"If you remember, I didn't try to at first. I tried to block you from the supernatural —from Klayton, your mate. But once you made contact with him I had no choice. I knew that it was only a matter of time before you figured it all out; it was just a guess at how long."

When she talked about Klayton, my heart seemed to pick back up to a regular rhythm. Even in the moments when I wanted so badly to hate him, my body —our bond— responded to even the slightest of mention. Artemis's words shook me out of my little world.

"And that is exactly why... once you meet your mate there is very little chance of being able to separate your emotions. They will be a part of you forever, and even when you want to get rid of them." Her face squeezed painfully at her own words, and for a moment I saw a genuine emotion, one of few when it came to the Moon Goddess.

"Wait, did you have a mate?" I am shocked at my own question, but I was so curious I couldn't stop the words from flowing out of my mouth.

"Yes, and I killed him hoping I would release the part of me that was made for him. Unfortunately, Destiny is crueller than that —it is the one thing that I will never be able to get rid of." She said it so casually, almost as if she was proud of the accomplishment.

A gasp leaves my mouth.

Artemis had killed her own soulmate.

Any remaining question surrounding her humanity was shot out of me; she had none. The thought of Klayton dead made my chest squeeze painfully. I couldn't fathom what kind of person it would take to kill someone who shares a piece of their soul... and she had the audacity to call Destiny cruel.

"I am not happy with you Adira." She takes a threatening step forward, although I don't move. "You have killed my friend, and mark my words I will make you pay for it when you least expect it! I will be there to ruin you; blood for blood. You'll never get them all Adira, give up now while you can save yourself some dignity."

I watch as Artemis takes off her bow and arrow and in one swift movement, aims it at my head. She didn't even hesitate before letting the arrow go.

And then I woke up.

I was sweating, breathing heavily, and the first thing I saw was the red book —the one with all of the drawings. Anger struck through me and the anger was just another reminder that Artemis was right; I wasn't myself.

The realization didn't stop me from picking it up the small book and throwing it across the room. I was shocked when the binding didn't tear from the impact. Instead, it just landed with a thump after hitting the wall.

I wasn't even aware of what I was doing when I scooped up the book and grabbed a lighter from my desk drawer. I found myself outside, at the back of my apartment building, lighting the edge of the book on fire. I held the lighter close to the parchment pages, moving it slowly back and forth. Once the flames licked up the spine of the book I threw it to the ground.

It was when the book connected with the grass that I felt the hit in my chest immediately.

Was this book a piece of Artemis too?