Crowned by Fate Chapter 150

Skye’s POV

I stared at Nadia, my throat constricting so tightly I could barely speak.

"I... You're not real," I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper. "You're not..."

The words caught in my throat, refusing to come out.

Nadia smiled gently, almost amused by my struggle.

"What you're trying to say is that I'm dead, right?"

Hearing her say it sent a shock through my system. I shook my head, stepping back slightly.

"You're just an illusion," I insisted, my voice stronger now. "Something the maze created to trick me."

Nadia approached slowly. She reached for my hand, and I was too stunned to pull away. Her fingers wrapped around mine, warm and solid, then she placed my palm against her chest.

"You still think I'm just an illusion?" she asked.

I froze, momentarily speechless. If this was just an illusion created by the maze, then I had to say, it was an incredibly realistic one.

I could feel it! The steady thump of a heartbeat beneath my fingers, the warmth of her skin through the fabric of her dress.

It felt impossibly real.

Looking at her face—the face of my friend, my mentor, the woman who had eventually accepted me despite her initial mistrust—I couldn't hold back anymore.

Tears spilled down my cheeks, hot and relentless.

"I've missed you," I confessed, "So much."

"I've missed you too," she replied, her expression softening. She reached up to gently wipe away my tears with her thumb.

"I've missed all of you. Don't cry. Tell me instead—how is the Oasisborn pack doing? Is everyone alright?"

She took my hand and led me to sit on the cold stone floor of the dungeon, just as we used to sit together after training sessions.

We'd watch the sunset, sipping ice-cold sodas while Ryder complained about Nadia's rigorous training methods. The memory was so vivid it made my barely-contained tears threaten to spill over again.

"I'm the Beta now," I told her, finding it strange to say those words to her of all people. "But compared to you, I still have so much to learn."

I swallowed hard.

"Ryder has matured a lot. He hasn't gotten drunk even once since... well, you know. He's in charge of training all the young wolves now, and he's incredibly strict."

I managed a small smile.

"Venus and Marcus are deeply in love. Adrian plans to throw them a huge wedding after the election is over."

At the mention of Adrian's name, my throat tightened painfully.

Nadia's eyes softened at his name. "Adrian... how is he doing?"

"He's been preparing for the Alpha King election for more than six months now," I said carefully. "He's lost some weight."

"I believe Adrian will succeed. He has to."

Nadia's eyes brightened with that fierce loyalty I remembered so well.

Guilt washed over me in a suffocating wave. "I'm sorry," I blurted out. "It should have been you by his side during these trials. I... I took your place."

"I don't blame you," Nadia said, her voice gentle. "Look at you now, you're a good Beta. You've already helped Adrian through two trials."

Her kindness only made the pain worse. My chest ached with regret and sorrow.

"I shouldn't have left you behind," I whispered. "I shouldn't have run away alone..."

Nadia studied me, her dark eyes unreadable.

"Skye, if you truly feel sorry, there might be a way to make amends. But I don't know if you'd be willing."

I gripped her hands tightly, desperate for any chance at redemption. "Anything. I'd do anything to make it up to you."

"Would you exchange places with me?" she asked, "If you stay here in this dungeon, I could leave. I promise I'd help Adrian win the election. I'd make sure of it."

The request stunned me into silence.

Nadia's brow furrowed slightly. "You don't want to?"

"I..." I stammered, uncertain how to respond. "It's not that I don't want to... but Nadia, you're dead. How could you possibly leave this place?"

Her expression changed then, warmth draining away, replaced by something colder.

"I knew it," she said, her voice hardening. "All your apologies are just empty words. Deep down, you must be happy I died. It meant you could have Adrian all to yourself, didn't it?"

"No!" I shook my head frantically. "That's not true! If I could go back, I would drink that coffee myself. I would have let you escape. I wish it had been me who died instead."

She withdrew her hand from mine, her lips curling into a cold smile that looked wrong on her face—Nadia had never smiled like that.

"Anyone can say pretty words like that. If you truly feel sorry, would you be willing to drink that coffee now?"

I followed her gaze to the corner of the dungeon. There, on the stone floor, sat two coffee cups.

Nadia rose to her feet and walked over, picking up one of the cups. She returned and held it out to me.

"Are you willing?" she asked, her eyes challenging me, the cup extended toward me like a test of my loyalty, my remorse, my worth.