Chapter 137: Holly; Sophia must be a demon

Chapter 136: Holly; Sophia must be a demon

Holly had always believed that patience was a virtue. That if she just waited long enough, smiled in the right moments, and played her part beside Orion eventually, he would see her. Truly see her.

Every year, she waited for this night. The night of the festival.

It had once been her quiet ritual, to prepare her gifts and wait near the gates for when he came back from his position at the tree. She’d give him his moment to be with his thoughts. Most times he didn’t leave the tree until midnight but it never stopped Holly. Not even when Orion had told her that she did not need to do all that. Not even after he’s sent her back with her gifts numerous times in the past years.

Instead, she continued hoping that Orion might, just once, acceot her gifts and maybe she could be the one to even convince him to attend the festival. That didn’t happen. In all the years since they started this celebration, Orion kept his distance from people and the festival itself. Until her, Sophia.

Holly had told herself that one day she would be the reason he returned.

That she would be the one to remind him what joy looked like. That when he finally stepped into the light of the lanterns again, it would be her standing beside him, his partner, his equal, his mate.

That was supposed to be her story.

Not Sophia’s.

Now, standing at the edge of the square, Holly felt something twist inside her chest so violently that it almost made her sick.

There he was.

Orion.

Laughing.

Actually laughing, head tilted slightly, eyes crinkling faintly at the corners as Sophia said something that made him shake his head and smile. The sound, light, genuine, warm, carried across the square and struck Holly like a blow.

He had never laughed like that with her.

He had never even smiled like that in her presence.

She had spent years trying to draw that warmth out of him with kind gestures, loyal service, soft smiles, quiet devotion. The last time he had even as much smiled in their direction was when they were dating but he wasn’t as free with her as he was with Sophia.

Sophia...a stranger... a woman who had stumbled into their world with no past, no name, no pack, could pull it from him in less than a year.

Her nails dug into her palms, sharp enough to break skin.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t right.

Sophia didn’t belong here.

The entire pack might have been blind to it, but Holly saw clearly. Sophia may have been brought in by Orion but she knew Sophia had a hidden goal. How was it that she didn’t remember anything about herself? Wasn’t that a bit too convenient?

And everyone...everyone...had just believed her and accepted her like she was a part of them. Even Orion, with his impossible gift for detecting lies.

But maybe his ability was faltering. Maybe that was it. Yes. Maybe whatever darkness followed Sophia had clouded his senses. That would explain why he couldn’t see her for what she really was.

A liar.

A manipulator.

A demon, perhaps.

The thought bloomed quietly at first, absurd and desperate, but it rooted deep, curling around her anger until it felt like truth.

She had heard stories before, of demons who took human form, who could mimic emotion, even warp the hearts of those they wished to possess. They were said to hide behind innocence. Behind smiles and naivete.

That was Sophia. She pretended to be naive but she wasn’t. There was something wrong with Orion’s gift. Yes, she was sure of it.

Sophia said something else to Orion, and they both laughed.

Holly wanted to scream.

She wanted to rip the sound from Sophia’s throat, silence that light, airy laughter that grated against her nerves like a blade against bone.

They were laughing like how they had laughed that day when they were playing ball when she caught them which was absurd. Orion’s laughs should be for her and her alone. Sophia didn’t deserve to laugh beside him. How dare she?

How dare she laugh like that? How dare she act as if she belonged here, in his world, in their world?

The warmth of the lanterns suddenly felt too bright, the air too heavy. She looked down at the bundle in her hands, the embroidered cloth she had sewn herself, the polished wineskins filled with sweet berry wine, the small box of sugared nuts she had made from scratch.

Every stitch, every drop, every piece...made for Orion.

She had imagined the way he would look at her, surprised and softened, the way he might just once let down his guard.

And now he would never see them because of that vile woman with her annoying blue eyes...Sophia.

Her jaw clenched. The muscles in her face twitched. The noise of the festival, laughter, bells, music, chatter, blurred into a dull roar around her.

Her vision tunneled until there was nothing left but that single image, Orion and Sophia side by side, framed by lantern light and color. His tall figure slightly bent toward hers, his expression open, unguarded. Sophia smiling back at him with a similar expression.

He looked happy.

And that... that was unbearable.

"Pathetic," she muttered under her breath.

Her hands trembled as she gripped the bundle tighter, the fabric biting into her palms.

A vendor brushed past her, muttering an apology. She didn’t respond. Her steps were sharp, angry, deliberate as she turned and walked away, boots striking the cobblestone hard enough to echo.

The frost-bitten air stung her cheeks. It didn’t cool her fury, it only fed it.

She kept walking until the square began to fade behind her, the glow of the lanterns dimming into shadow.

And yet, she couldn’t quite stop herself.

Halfway down the road, she turned back.

From where she stood, she could still see them, Orion and Sophia, framed by the bustle of the square, the crowd moving like waves around them. Orion was watching Sophia again, his face unreadable to most, but Holly knew that look. She had imagined what it would be like for him to look at her like that...just once.

That expression, quiet and devastating, carved something raw into her chest.

He was falling for Sophia.

The realization came like a knife, swift and deep.

And suddenly, everything she had been holding, all her reasoning, all her restraint, cracked.

No.

She wouldn’t let this happen.

Sophia was lying. She had to be. Maybe she had bewitched him somehow. Maybe she’d found a way to crawl into Orion’s mind and make him believe her fragile little story about lost memories and strange powers.

Holly’s breath came shallow, her fingers twitching.

She couldn’t let that creature ruin him.

Or the pack.

If Orion couldn’t see what was right in front of him, then she would make him see.

Even if it meant proving the truth herself.

Even if it meant tearing the truth out of Sophia’s pretty, false smile.

The thought steadied her.

Yes. She just needed proof. Evidence. Something to show the council, the others, to make them see that Sophia was dangerous. That she didn’t belong.

And when that happened, Orion would understand.

He would see that Holly had only ever wanted to protect him. To protect them all.

Because no matter what the others thought, she was the only one who truly understood what it meant to stand beside him.

She was the only one who could.

Holly’s steps slowed as she reached the end of the road. The night had grown quiet here, the laughter fading to a distant hum.

If Sophia wanted to play innocent, Holly would find the cracks. She would peel them open until everyone saw the monster underneath.

She turned away, her boots crunching softly through the frost as she disappeared into the night.

Behind her, the festival roared on, laughter, warmth, and light spilling through the air like a song.

But for Holly, it was nothing but noise. She only had one destination in mind...