Chapter 55: They Want To Kill Charlotte
Rosalie:
I stayed silent.
Not because I didn’t want to answer. But because I didn’t have one. My eyes remained on Eiden while his question echoed in my head.
What did I plan to do about Charlotte?
Until now, I hadn’t actually thought that far. Everything had happened too quickly. First the bracelet. Then getting caught. Then escaping. Then arriving here. Somewhere between trying not to freeze to death and trying not to embarrass myself in front of two Alphas, revenge hadn’t exactly become my priority.
But now that I finally had the chance to think... nothing good came to mind. Because what exactly could I even do?
Charlotte wasn’t just Charlotte anymore. She was now the declared Luna of two packs, and not just any packs, but Blackthorn and Crescent Wolf Packs - two of the strongest packs in existence. That alone sounded ridiculous enough. But she also had three mates. Three Alphas. Three men powerful enough that entire territories moved around their decisions.
And even if I ignored all of that - Charlotte herself wasn’t powerless. She came from an influential family. She had money, connections, status, and power. People like Charlotte never stood alone. People like her always had someone to catch them, protect them, cover for them.
And people like me... we usually became stories others forgot.
For one second, I allowed myself to imagine ignoring all of that. Ignoring her family, her titles, her mates. And thought about what would happen if I challenged her in the council. A simple yet direct revenge. The thought almost made me laugh, because I knew exactly how that would end.
While I couldn’t even shift into my wolf, couldn’t even access my wolf strength, Charlotte came from an alpha bloodline, and her wolf was strongest amongst females. And everyone knew the difference that blood could make.
Even if Charlotte never trained a day in her life, and even if I trained endlessly, there were still advantages people like her were born with.
So what power did I actually possess? What weapon? And what leverage?
The more I thought, the more revenge felt ridiculous. It felt like a fantasy. Like a child saying she would fight the moon.
My fingers tightened slightly together. Then another thought came. Should I let it go? Was that the answer? Should I move on? Forget and live my life? Pretend nothing happened?
My chest tightened, and I immediately knew the answer.
No.
Something inside me rejected the thought immediately.
Because Charlotte wouldn’t. She wouldn’t forget. Once she would learn that I didn’t die that that, that I was alive, and that I returned to Blackthorn - which she might already have by now. Would she stop?
The answer appeared instantly.
No.
As long as she viewed me as a threat - which was honestly the strangest part because I still couldn’t understand why - she wouldn’t stop.
So what then?
Was I supposed to spend my life hiding?
Watching someone who tried to kill me live happily while I constantly looked over my shoulder?
Maybe I couldn’t beat Charlotte. Maybe I couldn’t compete with her money, or her status, or her strength. But there had to be something. Some way.
I was still trapped inside my thoughts when Zaiden suddenly spoke, and his words nearly stopped my heart.
"We could kill her."
My head snapped toward him, and I stared at him while my brain replayed the sentence again and again.
Kill her?
I looked at him in alarm while he remained completely calm like he had suggested moving furniture. His brows slowly furrowed, and then he asked, "...You weren’t planning to?"
For several long seconds, I just stared at him. Then quickly shook my head.
"No."
The answer came immediately. Too quickly. My stomach twisted strangely. Kill her? The thought had genuinely never crossed my mind. Not even once. Did I want revenge? Yes. Did I hate her? Maybe. Did I want her punished? Absolutely. But dead? No.
Something inside me recoiled from the idea. I didn’t say the words out loud. I wasn’t even sure why. But the thought repeated quietly inside me - I’m not a murderer.
I didn’t want someone’s life. Even if they wanted mine.
Zaiden looked... surprised. Actually surprised. And that caught me off guard. His expression didn’t change much, but enough. Then he asked, "What else were you planning to do?"
I blinked.
He continued, "How are you planning to get revenge?"
My mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. And what came out felt embarrassingly inadequate. "I haven’t thought about it yet." I looked away briefly. Then added quietly, "But my plan definitely doesn’t include killing anyone."
Silence followed before I noticed Eiden smiling. His hand reached out and he lightly patted the back of my hand resting on the cushion in my lap. The gesture felt strangely reassuring.
His eyes stayed on me as he spoke, "I’m not surprised. I already knew you are kind."
My chest tightened unexpectedly.
Then his expression shifted. It still held the familiar gentleness, but there was a serious edge to it now. His voice lowered slightly as he added, "Though I understand your kindness, I still don’t want you to be lenient toward someone who tried to kill you."
Something in the way he said it made me straighten. There was no anger, no pressure, just certainty. Like he wanted me to understand something. That kindness and self-sacrifice weren’t the same thing.
I nodded slowly.
"I’m not planning to kill Charlotte." I paused. Then added more firmly, "But I’m not forgiving her either."
The words settled inside me, and for the first time, they felt right. I wasn’t letting this go, nor was I becoming her. But I was also not pretending she did nothing.
For a second, neither man spoke. Then Zaiden spoke again in his usual calm and serious tone, "If you can’t make yourself kill the woman..." I looked toward him, meeting his gray eyes as he continued, "I can do it for you."
My breath caught.
His expression didn’t change and even his voice remained frighteningly calm. "If you tell me to, I’ll take care of that woman tonight."
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