Chapter 491: Pale Steel Remembers

The faint lantern light slid along the pale edges of the swords in a way that made Holly’s stomach drop.

For a split second, her mind refused to place them, but then it did and she sucked in a breath.

Those swords.

She knew those swords.

She had watched them cut through beasts and snow and blood. She had watched them move like they belonged to Sophia’s hands.

Her eyes dragged themselves over the blades slowly, unwilling and helpless all at once. The short swords were beautiful and perfectly balanced.

The shallow grooves along the length of each blade caught the light faintly, the edges thin and slightly curved, built for close, fast work.

The grips were wrapped in dark leather, worn already in places where Sophia’s fingers always settled.

The guards were delicate in a way weapons never were.

Interlaced metal vines curled around the base of the blades, subtle and deliberate, a small crescent worked into the side of each guard.

At the pommels, muted stone gleamed faintly.

Holly swallowed. Her chest tightened.

She had seen them first during the test. Sophia had drawn them so easily and naturally, like they had always belonged to her.

Holly had hated the way Sophia used the swords. She had hated how the swords fit Sophia so easily.

From the moment she saw Sophia wield the swords, she had the suspicion that Orion had been the one to give them to her, but it made her even more jealous and filled with rage when Sophia had told Holly that Orion had given them to her.

Her hands clenched weakly in her lap.

She hated that memory.

She hated the way it still burned now.

Orion shifted slightly in front of her. He looked down at the swords in his hands, then back at her.

"Do you remember these?" he asked her softly.

Holly swallowed, then gave him a jerky nod.

A broken sob escaped her before she could stop it.

"Yes," she whispered. "I—I remember them."

Her shoulders shook as she cried.

"I’m sorry," she blurted out, the words tumbling over each other. "I swear I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I won’t. I won’t try anything again, I promise."

Her voice cracked badly.

Orion watched her.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he sighed.

"The time when you could have begged for forgiveness is long gone, Holly. And honestly, you’re apologizing to the wrong person too. You should be apologizing to Sophia and begging her, but then again, you are too late for that," he told her.

Holly shook her head weakly as more tears slid down her cheeks.

"I can’t—" she whispered. "I can’t see her. I just... I just want you to forgive me. Please."

Orion did not soften.

He lowered one of the swords slightly.

Then he reached for her.

Holly flinched instinctively just as his hand closed firmly around her wrist.

She tried to pull back at once.

Pain ripped through her leg as she shifted, and she cried out softly, but his grip did not loosen.

Not even a little.

Her fingers trembled in his hold. Orion didn’t mind. He lifted her hand slowly, observing it, then he used his free hand to pick up one of the swords.

She stared as he did so, dread curling in her stomach.

"Please," she begged through tears. "Please..."

Orion spoke gently, not even minding the fact that she was begging him at that point.

"You like these swords so much," he told her softly. "You like them so much that you used them as a cover to attack Sophia, did you not?"

Holly didn’t answer.

"Oh well," Orion continued. "You can choose not to answer me. But since you like these swords, don’t you think it would be fitting... if you left the world with an injury from one of them?"

Her head shook violently just as her eyes widened. She wasn’t going to make it out of this alive.

"No," she whispered. "No, please."

"I’m sorry. I really am. I did try to kill Sophia, but it was out of jealousy. I was just—I was angry. I was jealous. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry."

Orion scoffed quietly. "It’s cute when you beg like this, but then you were given a chance to be honest and you misused it."

"You know, I normally hate hurting women," he said calmly. "And I especially hate hurting pack members."

His gaze dropped briefly to her wrist in his hand.

Then lifted again.

"But you aren’t one any longer."

"And I told you," he went on, unhurried, "that if even a single hair on Sophia’s head went missing..."

His mouth curved faintly.

"I would deal with you myself."

The words were soft-spoken, like he hadn’t just threatened her.

Holly’s chest heaved as she sobbed. Her shoulders shook so hard she could barely breathe.

Orion lowered the blade.

The pale tip touched her skin.

Right over the inside of her wrist.

She gasped in shock. Her entire body locked. The cold bite of the blade made her flinch harder than the pain in her leg ever had.

"Please," she whispered.

Her fingers curled weakly in his grip.

Orion didn’t care, though. He just drew the blade across her wrist in one clean, precise motion.

The pain was sharp, then the blood came, fast too.

Holly screamed. Her body jerked violently.

A wet, choking sound tore out of her throat as she tried to pull away.

Orion released her wrist and she clutched it immediately, trying to stop the bleeding with her hands as blood poured between her fingers and dripped down her forearm.

Onto the snow.

Her breath came in panicked, broken gasps.

Her vision blurred at the edges.

"Oh gods—" she sobbed. "Oh gods, please—"

She lifted her head toward him again.

Tears streamed down her face.

"You’re not suited to be Alpha," she said hoarsely.

The words burst out of her in a cracked rush.

Her chest hurt.

Her heart hammered painfully in her ears.

"You’re letting your relationship with Sophia cloud your judgment."

The world seemed to still.

Orion froze.

Just for a moment.

Behind him, Brynhild laughed.

Orion looked at Holly. Then he laughed too.

The sound startled her more than the cut had.

A short, quiet chuckle at first, then it became something wilder.

"You really turned fast," he said lightly. "One moment you’re begging me to forgive you. And the next, you’re telling me I don’t deserve to be Alpha?"

He shook his head slowly. He was almost impressed by her audacity.

Holly stared at him.

Her hands trembled violently as she pressed them against her bleeding wrist.

Orion’s laughter faded just as quickly as it had started.

The smile left his face.

"This... this isn’t what you told the pack," Holly whispered.

Her voice was barely there. Her shoulders slumped against the tree behind her.

"This isn’t the punishment you announced."

Orion watched her for a long, silent moment.

Then he tilted his head, just slightly.

"Oh?"