Aire almost stumbled. That sentence physically disgusted her. She turned sharply again.
"You do not get to say that to ."
Michelle stopped imdiately.
The silence between them beca tense.
Aire looked furious now. "You do not get to speak like you were the victim after what you did."
Michelle’s eyes flickered faintly. "I never wanted you hurt."
"Well done," Aire snapped. "Because that worked out wonderfully."
Michelle flinched slightly. She had never seen this side of with Aire. Where did her gentle and ek Aire go?
Aire hoped the words hurt. She resud walking again.
This ti Michelle’s footsteps ca quicker behind her. "Aire listen to ."
"No."
"You’re still in danger."
Aire’s patience snapped thinner instantly. "I am in danger because of you." She almost yelled.
Michelle’s voice lowered urgently now. "You think the prophecy ending changed anything?"
Aire slowed slightly despite herself.
Michelle used Aire’s hesitation against her. "The wolves still fear you."
Aire clenched her jaw.
Michelle moved closer carefully. "There are people inside this castle who still want you dead."
Aire laughed bitterly without looking at her. "That realization ca to in the dungeon."
Michelle’s expression twisted faintly. "Aire..."
Aire reached her chamber doors at last. Relief hit her physically. She let out a sigh of relief, and grabbed the handle quickly.
Behind her, Michelle moved faster too.
"Aire wait!"
"I said leave alone." Aire yelled, irritated by her guts. There was no guard in sight. They all abandoned their posts.
Aire pushed the doors open imdiately and stepped inside. She turned sharply to shut them directly in Michelle’s face, only for the doors to stop suddenly.
Aire’s breath caught.
Michelle’s hand pressed hard against the wood. The doors barely moved, yet.
Aire frowned imdiately and pushed harder.
Michelle pushed back, using her wolf strength.
The doors burst wider instantly.
Aire stumbled backward in shock as Michelle forced herself into the chamber. The doors slamd shut behind them loudly.
The sound echoed through the room.
Aire stared at her in suprise. Her inside trembled, as she tried to understand what Mitchell was aiming at.
Would this be another trap to bla her for violence?
For one long second, neither woman moved.
Rain tapped violently against the windows now, and that was the only sound that filled thee chamber.
Michelle stood near the entrance breathing slightly harder from the struggle.
Aire’s pulse slamd painfully against her ribs.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.
Michelle opened her mouth imdiately. "Aire, I needed...."
Aire lifted her hand, and with a strong wave of strength moving through her pulse, she slapped Michelle, cutting her off.
The slap landed so hard it cracked through the entire room.
Michelle’s head snapped sharply to the side.
Silence followed instantly afterward.
Aire’s chest heaved violently. "Your Grace," she corrected, breaking the silence first. "To you, I’m not Aire, but Your Grace."
Her palm burned, but she didn’t show it in her eyes.
Michelle stayed frozen in place.
Slowly, she turned her face back toward Aire. A thin line of blood rested near the corner of her mouth already.
Aire stared directly at her.
"Now," she said coldly, "leave my room."
Michelle blinked once. The blood at her lip slowly began disappearing beneath her healing.
She still looked shocked. Not scared, but shocked. The possibility of Aire striking her or anyone had genuinely never occurred to her before now.
Aire pointed toward the door. "Get out."
Michelle continued staring at her silently.
Then suddenly, she laughed. She laughted softly at first. Just one small breath of an amused sound.
Aire frowned imdiately.
Michelle laughed again, longer this ti.
The sound bounced strangely through the chamber.
Aire’s skin prickled instantly. The laughter felt wrong.
Michelle lifted one hand slowly toward her mouth as the laughter kept growing.
Aire stared at her in disbelief. "What is wrong with you?" now, she was genuinely concerned.
Michelle shook her head while laughing harder now. "You slapped ," she whispered almost breathlessly.
Aire backed up half a step instinctively.
Michelle’s laughter increased again. It beca louder, sharper, and almost hysterical.
Aire’s heart began pounding harder now.
Michelle dragged a hand through her hair while laughing like sothing inside her had finally snapped apart.
"You actually slapped ."
Aire’s brows furrowed deeper. The atmosphere inside the room shifted uncomfortably.
Michelle suddenly looked unstable.
Aire’s pulse climbed faster. "Leave."
Michelle looked up at her imdiately. The laughter stopped too abruptly. "Aire..." she whispered softly.
She used that soft tone again. Aire hated that tone now.
Michelle took one small step toward her.
Aire instantly stepped back.
Michelle face changed slightly afterward. "I did all of this for you." She coaxed.
Aire stared at her like she was insane. "You almost ruined my life."
Michelle shook her head harder now. "No. No, you still don’t understand."
Aire no longer wanted to hear anything coming out of her mouth. "Get out. I command it."
Michelle stepped forward again.
Aire grabbed her arm imdiately. She yanked her towards the door. "OUT."
Michelle’s eyes widened faintly at the force behind it.
Aire shoved her toward the doors.
Michelle resisted slightly at first with instinctive wolf strength.
Aire shoved her harder, and her fury finally overpowered her fear.
"You do not get to invade my space after what you did to !"
Michelle stared at her.
Aire yanked the doors open violently using her eyes. "Get out!"
Michelle stayed still for one final second.
Then slowly, her expression smoothed back into sothing unreadable again. That sohow unsettled Aire even more than the laughter had.
Michelle stepped backward through the doorway at last.
Aire imdiately started shutting the doors again.
Just before they closed fully, Michelle spoke quietly. "You still trust too easily. I did nothing to you."
Aire froze briefly. Then she slamd the doors shut directly in her face.
The sound echoed loudly through the chamber.
Silence followed afterward.
Aire stood there breathing hard. Her hands trembled violently now.
Outside the rain poured harder against the castle windows.
Inside the chamber, Aire slowly backed away from the doors.
Michelle’s laughter still echoed unpleasantly inside her head.
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