<h4>Chapter 431: 431-Betrayal Tastes The Worse</h4>


    <strong>Oriana:</strong>


    I noticed the way Joshua turned to leave, and I ran after him. What if he needed help? If Clementine were alone, that would have been better. But with Ian with her, it would be far more difficult for Joshua to take her from right under his watch. There was no way Clementine was strong enough to fight anyone alone. She always needed backup. Always.


    "Who are you fooling?" my wolf snapped, making me roll my eyes.


    We reached the entrance of the cave when Joshua suddenly tugged at my arm.


    "What?" I asked as he slowed, letting me move ahead before pulling me back, almost hiding me behind the wall.


    "Do you not hear it?" he questioned, irritated that I was not paying attention.


    "Hear what?" I replied, frowning as I leaned toward where he pointed.


    "I do not know. It is scary. I am not leaving this ce," Mirained to Renee and Sebastian.


    They were standing right at the entrance.


    "Oh," I murmured, nodding to Joshua as I understood why he had stopped us. We could not leave.


    "Where is Haiden and Troy?" I asked in a whisper.


    "I have a bad feeling those two are busy trying to find the Shadow earth eater, and they might seed," Joshua whispered before elbowing me.


    "What?" I asked, straightening my posture.


    "Go ahead. Ask them and try to get information out of those three," Joshua insisted.


    Since he was an alpha, if he rushed toward the entrance, the others would think he was scared and leaving. That meant I had to be the one to step out.


    I rolled my eyes and dramatically ced a hand on my stomach before dragging myself forward. The three of them looked at me and instantly rushed over.


    "Are you okay, Oriana?" Renee asked, helping me lean against the wall.


    "Yeah, I do not know what is going on. Ever since what Yorick did," I paused dramatically, turning my face away and biting my bottom lip.


    Every time I mentioned Yorick, the same look of hatred crossed their faces. That was fine. He did not need to be loved by everyone. I would give him enough love to feel fulfilled.


    "By the way, where is everyone else? Is everybody fine?" I asked, pretending to worry.


    "Troy and Haiden sensed strong energy from one corner, so they are probably close to finding the Shadow Earth Eater. We don’t know where Joshua is. But do not worry, Haiden and Troy got it," Mira exined, patting my shoulder. "Why don’t youe with us? We decided to take a short break at the house and then return."


    "Oh no, no," I replied quickly. "I want to keep working. I need to stay busy to clear my mind," I added, sniffing.


    "Anyway, you can all go rest," I told them, waving them off.


    I could tell they did not think it was a good idea for me to head back into the tunnel, but I kept up the act, dragging myself away. Once I was sure they had turned the corner, I rushed toward Joshua. He had already moved deeper into the tunnel.


    "Joshua," I whispered, slowing down and covering my mouth to keep my voice low.


    "Yeah? What is going on?" he asked, turning around, waiting for my answer.


    "As expected, Haiden and Troy are taking this seriously. It looks like they want to be the ones to kill the monster," I exined.


    He grunted, cing his hands on his waist.


    "We should inform her that she needs to watch those two alphas," Joshua remarked, making me realize we should have done that earlier.


    "Why did we not give her the full details about who entered the tunnel with us to kill her?" I muttered.


    "Let’s go," Joshua urged.


    I followed him again, noticing how confidently he led the way this time. Soon, the tunnel ended, splitting into left and right paths. We did not need to choose either. We were exactly where we needed to be.


    "You have returned quite early," the Shadow Earth Eater formed along the wall once more. "I assume you found out that Clementine has left the North."


    The moment those words were spoken, my body stiffened, and Joshua tensed beside me.


    "What do you mean?" Joshua asked instantly, snapping at the Shadow Earth Eater.


    "I just sensed her leave a few minutes ago. Now tell me, are you going to go after her? But how would you? Is it not your task to kill me and then leave?" she demanded.


    The Shadow Earth Eater must have listened to our thoughts, because she sounded slightly irritated.


    "That is exactly what we came here to warn you about," Joshua exined quickly. "You need to stay away from Haiden and Troy."


    Once again, we were left with more questions than answers.


    "What do we do about Clementine then?" I asked, watching Joshua ce his hands on his waist.


    As I looked around, I turned back to the Shadow Earth Eater and noticed how intently she was trying to read his mind. She seemedpletely focused on him. Was he truly that difficult to read, or was it because he was an alpha? And a clever one at that.


    "All you need is a body," the Shadow Earth Eater told him.


    Joshua threw his head back, staring at the ceiling of the cave.


    "If you can do it quickly, I have a request as well," I stated sharply.


    Ian and Clementine were already gone. How was I supposed to make my wishe true now? At first, I had nned to ask her directly to kill Clementine. Or to send her monsters after them, relentless until they seeded. But now Clementine was out of reach. That meant I needed another way. A way to control something, or someone, close enough to her. Someone who could finish the job.


    I was lost in those thoughts when I realized the Shadow Earth Eater was staring at me. My head snapped toward Joshua, and I noticed the way he was looking back at me.


    "What is it?" I asked. The tension in my voice was impossible to hide.


    "We already have a body here," Joshua said quietly.


    The moment those words left his mouth, my heart dropped in my chest.