Crystal’s POV:


    1 thought I had prepared myself for this, but I still found myself trembling at the scene unfolding before me.


    “What’s wrong?” I asked Ian in the steadiest voice I could muster. “This is


    Beryl. Haven’t you been wanting to see her all this time?”


    Ian turned his big head to look up at me before letting out a long, mournful howl. His tail drooped to the ground, and he looked considerably upset.


    Beryl chose that moment to approach the wolf. “Ian?”


    Beryl looked up at me, her eyes tearing up.


    “Mom, why isn being so


    horrid to me?”


    I felt my brows furrow. “It might be because he hasn’t seen you for a while.


    As if to refute my words,n roared and stamped his feet, his ws leaving marks on the floor.


    Just then, Arron poked his head out from behind the wolf and reached out to stroke his fur.


    “Come on,n, don’t be mad. We didn’t want to


    leave you behind in the pack, but we had no choice. From now on, we will take you everywhere we go.”


    My precious little boy thought thatn was holding a grudge for that incident and wanted to ease the unmistakable tension. Arron stepped forward and made to reach for his sister’s hand.


    But Ian stopped him in the next second, his sharp teeth sinking in the cor of Arron’s shirt.


    Arron frowned and put his hands on his h**s. “Why are you acting like this, Ian? That’s Beryl! Don’t you recognize your best (riend?”n let him go, only to nudge Arron back behind him. He stood between the siblings and let out another howl,


    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rufus quietly draw close to the trio.


    He seemed to have recognized the uncertainty of the situation, and wanted to be nearby in case things got out of control.


    At first, Beryl took up grievance onn’s behavior, but she soon axopped that act.


    She made no move to get closer, either, and instead tried to coaxn from a few feet away. “Don’t be angry,n. I promise, I won’t leave you alone again.”


    This was met by another ferocious roar.


    Beryl covered her ears. Then, to everyone’s surprise, she burst outughing. “You look like a pig,n. You’re not scary at all. Both Arron and I have already apologized to you. What more do you want? If you like, I can also promise to take you wherever I go in the future.” My face hardened. Beryl was just repeating everything Arron had said just now.


    More importantly, I knew thatn was not angry at all, but afraid and panicked.


    Beryl would have known, too, at first nce. After all, they had been inseparable in the past.


    Besides, Beryl was a haughty little hellion. She had never cajoled anyone in her life. If something like this had happened in the past, she would have lost her temper atn and berated the wolf.


    If anything, Ian remained firm in his initial stand.


    Rufus and I exchanged a nce and waited for what might happen next.


    I was more certain than ever that Noreen had somehow taken over


    Beryl’s body.


    And as far as I knew, Noreen was not a patient person.


    She wasn’t one to mince her words and waste her time trying to convince anyone. She was frank and direct. Worse, she preferred violence to diplomacy.


    Sure enough, a trace of impatience shed in Beryl’s eyes.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, her upper l*p curling into a sneer as she said, “Damn it! This stupid bastard is more troublesome than 1 thought!”