Chapter 179


    J looked down at Harper’s dead body.


    A sweet sense of revenge surged up in her body.


    This woman had been her nightmare since childhood. Even to this day, she still carries some


    lashing scars on her back left by Harper.


    Now, finally, she ended her own nightmare.


    And it felt…so fucking awesome.


    J cupped some snow to rinse off the blood on her de.


    Her shoulder was grabbed by arge hand the next second. And her body was spun around


    forcefully by Daran.


    Daran looked into her eyes. His face was full of some heavy emotions: shock, anger, and even


    sorrow…


    “…It was you?” he asked in a trembling voice.


    J looked away from his face and looked down at her own feet, “Apparently so.”


    “Why did you say anything!”


    Daran raised his voice abruptly, his furious roar echoing through the silent forest: “I thought it was


    Harper! And that is why I treated her so nicely for years! If I knew that it was you, I-”


    “You what?”


    J let out a snort, “You would treat me better? You would hold me dearly as your mate? You


    would not leave me to the rogues when I was kidnapped?”


    “YES!” Daran snarled, his eyes bloodshot. “But most importantly, I–I would realize my feelings


    towards you sooner!”


    Just think about how many years he had wasted.


    He married and mated with the same person who saved his life, whom he first fell in love with.


    But he didn’t know about that back then.


    He even once med the Moon Goddess for arranging J as his mate when his mate should be


    Harper, whom he thought was his lifesaver.


    Yet everything was wrong.


    Everything was fucked up.


    His life was ruined by this imposter Harper.


    If it weren’t for Harper, J would still be his Luna. And they would still be in Riverside Pack now,


    happily married.


    “Why…Why didn’t you tell me…” he asked, slightly choking, feeling a mist of tears in his eyes.


    J rescued her wrist from Daran’s grip, an indifferent look on her face.


    “What you feel is not love.” She said coolly, “Gratitude? Guilt? Maybe. But definitely not love.”


    “Of course it is!”


    “NO. It’s not!” her gaze became sharp, “You said that you loved me in Crimson Fortress. Butter


    on, you still handed me to Harper to have her torture me! I don’t care how jealous you were at the


    time, that is not how you treat the person you


    ve!!


    Daran’s body became stiff.


    He stood on his spot as snowkes continued to fall on his shoulders, shaping him into an ice


    sculpture.


    J took in a deep breath, “You are a cold, possessive, and ruthless man, Daran, someone who


    lacks the ability to love. We can never be together, even without Harper in the picture.”


    “…What would it take for you to believe me?” Daran asked in a hoarse voice.


    J wanted to tell him that there was no such thing.


    But then she paused.


    “Harper begged you to spare her life in exchange for her favor to you. I saw you hesitated.” J


    stared at him, “Then let me offer a simr deal: if you agree to give up on this Werewolf King


    nonsense, I will reconsider us getting back together. How does that sound?”


    Daran’s breathing became rough. He looked frustrated.


    “Why do you need me to give up so badly?!” he hissed through gritted teeth, “If I be King, I can


    better protect you-”


    J felt a sudden sh of anger as she shouted back, “SHUT UP! Stop using me as an excuse for


    your own ambition! You are just a power–hungry monster! PERIOD!”


    “J-”


    “And this is exactly what I am talking about!” J talked over him, “You say that you love me, but


    you always give up upon me for your fucking power! A man like you deserves to die alone on that


    fucking throne!”


    She held the de up and pointed at Daran’s chest.


    “The next time I hear you say that you love me-


    Her body, along with her voice, was trembling with rage.


    “-I will slit your throat just like what I did to Harper.”


    A deathly silence fell upon them.


    They couldn’t hear anything else besides the gushing wind and their ownbored breathing.


    Daran didn’t say anything. He simply stared at the de that pointed at his chest, his eyes full of


    sorrow.


    “Good,” J said, her breath a pale mist in the air. “Now let us head back. We still have to deal


    with Lance.”


    She shifted into her wolf and started running towards the tower.


    Momentster, she heard the sound of paws from behind.


    Daran had caught up with her.


    When they got back to the tower, Morgana and Kass were still trying to get La to talk.


    Morgana walked up to greet them as soon as they came in through the door.


    “Harper?” Morgana asked.


    “Dead.” J said briefly, “Any progress with La?”


    Morgana shook her head, “This woman’s mouth is tight. She refuses to give us any information.”


    J frowned.


    “But my soldiers are gathered downstairs. They all take orders directly from me.” Morgana said, “I


    can ask them to siege the city and search for Lance street by


    street-


    “No, it takes too much time. Lance might get away.”


    J walked to La and met with her watchful eyes.


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    “So here is what is going to happen.“,


    J said to her in a freezing voice:


    “If you keep your mouth shut, by the time we find Lance, which will happen sooner orter, we will


    take our sweet time with killing him. We will pluck his tongue, gouge his eyes, skin him alive. Make


    sure that he goes through a painful suffering that even makes death seem like a mercy-


    “YOU COLD BITCH!” La roared her eyes slits of rage. “You go rot in HELL!!!”


    J mped her jaw and silenced her forcefully.


    “Or, alternatively, you give us his location, and I can guarantee a quick and painless death.” J


    said, “It is your call.”


    La’s chest moved rapidly in rage.


    “You know that your boss is over,” Morgana said with her arms crossed in front of her chest. “Better


    let him die with some dignity. Don’t you think so?”


    La gritted, “…But how can I trust you?”


    “I give you my word,” J said solemnly.


    La still looked hesitated. Her eyes traveled to J’s back, where Daran was


    standing.


    “You don’t need to look at him. I make the call here,” J stressed.


    “…I stand with J on this,” said Daran’s deep voice from the back.


    La closed her eyes.


    After a long pause, she said, shakily, “I asked the King to hide himself… When I find a


    way of escaping, I will give 3 long howls to the moon, and he will know it is my signal to him and


    come out to meet with me.”


    “Great.”


    J stood up and yanked La off the ground, “Come with us and lure Lance out. We will give


    him a painless death, as promised.”


    They escorted La down the tower and went to the courtyard together. This ce had arge,


    open area, a perfect spot for ambush.


    Morgana ordered her soldiers to hide among the fallen walls and ruins before Lance turned up.


    “Shall we include the Lycans in this?” Kass asked J, “I saw Westin and his men wandering


    around the East Wing.”


    “No,” Daran said icily without hesitation.


    “I kind of agree with Daran on this one.” Morgana shrugged, “I don’t feel like sharing our victory with


    the Lycans.”


    When everyone had hidden properly in the shadows, J nodded at La.


    Standing alone in the seemingly empty courtyard, La took a deep breath and let out 3 long howls


    to the moon.


    Everyone waited in the strained silence, holding their breath, waiting for Lance to show up.


    After what felt like an eternity, light footsteps came from the distance, gradually approaching.


    A lean figure emerged from the darkness and stepped into the silver moonlight. J’s heart


    skipped a beat seeing his shadow on the ground.


    It was Lance.


    He came!


    “…La?”


    Lance stopped warily by the courtyard’s entrance and looked around the ce.


    Although the courtyard looked empty to him, the eerie silence still sent a chill down his spine.


    “Yes, it is me, My King,” La answered.


    “Are you alone?” Lance narrowed his eyes, sounding skeptical.