Clementine:
"Help you?" I asked Haiden, frowning. He looked serious. "With what? What do you want?" I repeated, my tone showing my annoyance.
"It’s not something I want. It’s just that..." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously while his other hand rested on his waist.
As much as I wanted to dismiss him, I reminded myself that we were in the North. If anyone needed help, I would offer it, except for Oriana. I knew I should have been harsh with them too, because at the end of the day, they were the ones who had left me to die. The mate bond was the only reason I couldn’t be completely cold toward them.
"What is going on?" I asked, watching his body language a little too carefully. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
"I know you’re going to say the same things again and not believe me, but I need to say it. Something’s going on. I don’t want to be around Oriana. I don’t want to talk to her. I don’t even want to listen to her. I can’t stand being near her."
He wasn’t finished yet, but he paused, waiting for my reaction.
"Well, that’s what it’s called when you use someone and throw them away," I said, folding my arms over my chest.
"No, that’s not what it is. I didn’t use her. I didn’t touch her. We never got intimate, for your information." His tone sharpened when he realized I wasn’t listening.
"What do you want to say, Haiden? And what kind of help do you want from me? Please don’t tell me you want me to help you break up with her," I replied, watching him grow restless because I wasn’t understanding his point.
"Clementine, listen carefully. I don’t want her in my life. I don’t want her near me. But every time I try to stay away, I feel cold shivers on my body, like something’s pulling me toward her. And before you call it lust or anything else, it’s not. It’s resistance. I start hearing whispers. I can’t explain it."
Haiden suddenly placed his hands on his head, closing his eyes and grabbing a handful of his hair.
"Wait, what do you mean?" For once, I wasn’t taunting him.
He noticed, because he opened his eyes and lowered his hand.
"There’s something wrong, Clementine," he muttered, giving me goosebumps with the way he was staring at me.
"What kind of wrong?" I asked. Even my posture began to shake.
"The kind of wrong where you’re living with a monster—and he’s taking over your mind," he said quietly.
Before anything else could be said, Oriana stormed in, scratching her stomach.
"Haiden, what are you doing here?" she demanded.
I noticed the way he closed his eyes, as if trying to fight against something. Like he had said, his mouth seemed locked in her presence.
"I came here to talk with her about the task, to ask if she has any idea how we’re going to find the man," Haiden explained.
He didn’t respond to her like a puppet right away, even when the veins on his temple started twitching as if he were under heavy pressure.



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