Chapter 732: The Things They Carried
Annabeth could argue with him.
She could tell him he was wrong. She could insist that he did not understand. She could point out a dozen different reasons why she should feel guilty.
But deep down, she knew he was right.
That was what made it hurt even more.
She could not take responsibility for another person's choices. She could not carry guilt that did not belong to her. Josiah had made his own decisions. Whatever happened to him now would be the consequence of those decisions.
Yet knowing that did not make the ache in her chest disappear.
Because this was not some stranger.
This was Josiah.
A man she had known for years.
A man who had shared meals with her people.
A man who had stood beside them through difficult times.
A man who had comforted frightened children and offered guidance to younger pack members when they needed it.
For many of them, Josiah had been a father figure. But most of all, he was family.
