ã€ŠKidnapped and Rejected The Return of Alphaéˆ¥æªš Luna (Janet and Daran)ã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    Jy on the ground, her hands tied to her back, her mouth clogged. Her sister Harper was right

    next to her, sobbing lowly in fear.

    Earlier today, they encountered a group of rogues in the forest on their pic trip.

    These rogues kidnapped them and were now calling their parents for ransom.

    ¡°Hello Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, I have your two daughters here.¡±

    A rogue smirked dangerously while looking down at J and Harper.

    ¡°If you want them back safe and sound, I¡¯ll need 200 million!¡±

    J held her breath in excitement.

    She heard her mother Hellen¡¯s anxious voice from the speaker:

    ¡°¡ªOh my god! Harper, where are you? Are you OK?!¡±

    The rogue put the phone next to Harper, who immediately let out a muffled cry.

    Their father Paul¡¯s shrill voice popped up on the phone:

    ¡°My sweet darling Harper! Please don¡¯t hurt Harper!¡±

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    J widened her eyes as tears streamed down her cheek.

    Her parents didn¡¯t even mention a single word about her.

    All they cared about was Harper.

    ¡°But we don¡¯t have 200 million¡­¡± she heard her father say, ¡°How about I give you 100 million and

    you just give my Harper back?¡±

    Even the rogue sounded surprised now:

    ¡°What are you talking about? You just want one daughter back?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we just need Harper!¡± Their youngest brother Owen cried. ¡°We won¡¯t pay a penny for that

    loser J.¡±

    ¡°Yes. From now on, we¡¯ll have only one sister. And that is Harper,¡± their middle brother John added

    to that.

    J closed her eyes in despair.

    Her body and heart were turning cold.

    Everyone loved Harper more than her.

    In fact, since her childhood, J had been trying super hard to please everyone in her family.

    She cooked for the entire household, she did Owen¡¯s homework, she let John use her like a

    punching bag and she polished Paul¡¯s shoes every day.

    J lived like a servant.

    But all that hard work was still not enough to make them like her.

    The Diaz weremon citizens, but they were filthy rich.

    They spend hundreds of millions on jewelry every year.

    But they were unwilling to spare a 100 million on her.

    The rogue got off the phone and gestured to his aplices to escort Harper out.

    Harper¡¯s eyes were filled with tears of joy. She didn¡¯t even spare a single nce at J before she

    left.

    ¡°¡­So¡ª¡±

    The rogue crouched down by J and removed the clog in her mouth.

    ¡°¡ªYou are useless now,¡± he crackled an evilugh. ¡°Anyst words?¡±

    J gulped down and stared at the sharp de in his hands.

    ¡°C¡ªCall my husband!¡± she said urgently. ¡°He is Daran Albright, Riverside Pack¡¯s Alpha. He¡¯ll be

    more than willing to pay my ransom!¡±

    The rogue raised an eyebrow and did what she said, calling Daran.

    J stared at the phone nervously.

    Her heart almost jumped out of her throat when the call was connected, and then she heard Daran¡¯s

    familiar s*xy voice:

    ¡°¡­Hello?¡±

    ¡°Daran! It¡¯s me, J!¡± She blurted out sobbing. ¡°I¡¯m kidnapped by a group of rogues, and they

    want a 100 million¡ª¡±

    ¡°I heard what happened.¡±

    Daran¡¯s voice was so cold that it almost sounded indifferent. As though it was a stranger, not his

    own wife who was kidnapped.

    Daran asked aloofly, ¡°Is Harper safe now?¡±

    J¡¯s heart sank.

    ¡­no¡­not her husband too!

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take Harper out on such a dangerous trip.¡± Daran said coldly on the phone, ¡°You are

    reckless and irresponsible. I don¡¯t think you are fit to be my Luna anymore.¡±

    J¡¯s body trembled in disbelief, ¡°¡­W¡ªWhat did you say?¡±

    It was Harper¡¯s idea to go on this pic trip! Harper even insisted on going over the borderline!

    And J had been nothing but dedicated to her Luna duties and she even took over all the maid¡¯s

    work despite her husband Daran¡¯s cold attitude.

    And that¡¯s what she got from him?

    Reckless and Irresponsible?!

    ¡°I only married you because you are my mate,¡± Daran said nonchntly. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to end this

    rtionship.¡±

    Then J heard his voice saying:

    ¡°¡ªAs the Alpha of Riverside Pack, I, Daran Albright, hereby REJECT J Diaz as my mate!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±

    J let out a sharp cry as a strong pain coursed through her body mercilessly! Her wolf howled

    with her in despair.

    It was the snapping of her mate bond with Daran.

    It felt like setting fire to her body while stabbing a hundred des into her flesh!

    J copsed on the ground, her body twitching in ache.

    She tried to crawl to somewhere safe. But the rogue grabbed her by the ankle and stabbed down on

    her legs!

    J screamed out in pain.

    The rogue continued stabbing until she lost all abilities to move.

    Jy on the ground with her blood pooling beneath her.

    Her eyes stared nkly at the ceiling, gradually losing focus.

    Today.

    She was first abandoned by her own family.

    And then rejected by her mate.

    She was discarded like trash by everyone she once loved so dearly.

    In a daze, J vaguely heard those rogues talking around her:

    ¡°¡­She passed out. Let¡¯s cut her throat right now¡­¡±

    ¡°F*ck! Somebody¡¯sing! It was BloodMoon Pack¡¯s patrol team! Let¡¯s go!!¡±

    Hurried footsteps were traveling away. And J was left alone on the icy floor.

    She felt so cold.

    She had lost too much blood.

    She was dying now.

    Just before the darknesspletely closed upon her, J heard a new round of noises around

    her:

    ¡°¡­F*ck we let those rogues escape again¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s a wounded she-wolf! We need help here!¡±

    Somebody carried her off the ground. After a long way of ups and downs, J smelt disinfectant.

    She was brought into a hospital.

    J struggled to lift her eyelids. Against the strong light above her head, she vaguely saw arge

    group of people gathered around her.

    They were all muttering excitedly:

    ¡°¡­Oh my god! Look at her birthmark! And her scent! This is BloodMoon Pack¡¯s Alpha¡¯s long-lost

    sister!¡±

    ¡°The sister who was given to the wrong family in the delivery room? Holy Crap it is her!¡±

    ¡°Someone call Alpha Casper right now!¡±

    ¡°His beloved sister is back!¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    Six monthster.

    A long line of fancy cars was standing outside of a grand hotel in BloodMoon Pack. People dressed

    in gowns

    and tuxes got out of their cars and were weed into the hotel lobby by ushers.

    It was the annual pack meeting.

    Alphas from all over the world were gathered Blood Moon Pack.

    On the top level of this hotel, J was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window gazing out.

    She had fully recovered from her injuries half a year ago and was now looking stunning. Today she

    was dressed in a silver strapless dress revealing her defined cheekbones with a gorgeous diamond

    ne on her neck.

    Her beautiful face was no longer looking sallow due to theck of nutrition and hardbor.

    Now her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were bright.

    She seemed radiant in a very noble way.

    The door to the suite opened up behind her.

    J turned around and found it was her brother, Casper Manning, the Alpha of BloodMoon Pack.

    ¡°How¡¯s my little princess doing today?¡±

    Casper walked over with a gentle smile and took J in his arms, nting a soft kiss on her

    forehead.

    J smiled and hugged him back, ¡°I¡¯m doing great.¡¯

    ¡°I really don¡¯t bother you with this stupid meeting,¡± Casper frowned disapprovingly. ¡°The doctor said

    you still needed to rest. You were wounded too severely.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m fine.¡±

    J patted Casper¡¯s arm to ease him up, ¡°I have a strong wolf and my Alpha bloodline shortened

    my recovery process. Nevertheless, I¡¯m an Alpha¡¯s sister.¡±

    A proud smile appeared on Casper¡¯s face, ¡°Yes indeed. You are my tough little sister.¡±

    6 months ago, J was rescued by BloodMoon Pack¡¯s patrol team.

    When she was brought into the hospital, the doctor found a moon-shaped birthmark on her lower

    back, which was possessed by the long-lost sister of BloodMoon Pack¡¯s Alpha.

    After a DNA test, it was confirmed that she was actually J Manning, instead of J Diaz.

    A nurse gave her to the wrong family in the delivery room. The Manning family had been looking for

    her like crazy since.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for that ident, J still wouldn¡¯t have been able to return to her real family.

    The Mannings were thrilled to have her back. The entire BloodMoon Pack, from the Alpha Casper

    to allmon citizens, adored her like a princess.

    J now lived a veryfortable life with lots of love.

    Her misery past in Riverside Pack was long behind her already.

    ¡°But are you sure you want to attend the opening g tonight?¡± Casper asked her, ¡°That scumbag

    Daran will be here.¡±

    J seemed very calm, ¡°Yes why not? I¡¯m attending the meeting on behalf of our pack. I¡¯m not

    letting a stranger get in the way of business.¡±

    The furrow between Casper¡¯s brows deepened. He still seemed vexed.

    ¡°F*ck¡­that jerk Daran!¡± Casper clenched his fists furiously. ¡°How dare he let you die in those

    rogues¡¯ hands and reject you?! He was damn lucky to have you as his mate in the first ce! I just

    want to rip his throat open when I see himter-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t dirty your hands with it. It¡¯s not worth it,¡± J smiled. ¡°And what happened in the past is in

    the part already. If Daran dares to cross me again, I¡¯ll make him pay myself.¡±

    She was no longer that weak and pathetic little girl living under somebody else¡¯s roof.

    She was now Alpha Casper¡¯s dear sister.

    She had an entire BloodMoon Pack behind her back as her support.

    ¡°OK. Just remember I¡¯ll always be on your side, no matter what.¡± Casper pulled her into his arms

    fondly. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± J hugged him back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The opening g is about to begin.

    Casper took J¡¯s hand in his arm, and they left the suite together.

    Daran got out of his car and raised his head to look at this grand hotel in front of him.

    The spectacr view of this hotel alone exuded power and wealth.

    As thergest and most powerful pack, BloodMoon Pack was no doubt the reigning giant in the

    world. Riverside Park was developing very fast, but it still couldn¡¯tpare to BloodMoon Pack.

    Daran really looked forward to meeting BloodMoon Pack¡¯s young Alpha.

    ¡°Alpha Daran, wait for me.¡±

    Harper just got out of the car behind Daran. Her pretty face seemed a little pale after a long and

    exhausting trip.

    Casting a nce at the grand hotel, Harper turned to Daran with a gentle smile, ¡°This is really a

    beautiful hotel. Do you think we can ask BloodMoon Pack¡¯s Alpha about it and get married here?¡±

    ¡°We have a grand hotel in our own pack too,¡± Daran said nonchntly. ¡°It is just as nice.¡± Harper¡¯s

    lips stretched into arger smile as she gasped in joy, ¡°So you¡¯ve agreed to marry me soon?¡± ¡°I said

    no such things.¡± Daran frowned impatiently. ¡°This is a pack¡¯s meeting. We¡¯re here for business. If

    you insisted on talking about this irrelevant stuff, maybe you should return home now.¡±

    The smile froze on Harper¡¯s face.

    6 months ago, she finally removed her stupid sister from her Luna position.

    Harper thought Daran would marry her soon after that.

    But it had been half a year already and Daran still hadn¡¯t said yes to her.

    And Harper knew that Daran had been secretly searching for J¡¯s whereabouts. He still wanted

    to know if J was alive.

    Thinking about that, Harper gritted her teeth furiously.

    Daran had already rejected J! He didn¡¯t have any feelings for her sister. So why hadn¡¯t he

    agreed to her proposal yet?

    And her damn sister J¡­Why couldn¡¯t J leave them alone even after she died?!

    She hoped J to rot in hell!

    Taking in a deep breath to calm herself down, Harper quickly caught up with Daran and cried:

    ¡°Wait Alpha¡­Let me walk with you!¡±

    She forcefully put his hand on his arm and entered the lobby with him.

    An usher stepped up to wee them with a professional smile, ¡°Wee to BloodMoon Pack.

    May I see your invitation?¡±

    Daran pulled the invitation out and handed it to the usher.

    Just then, the corner of his eyes caught a sh of a familiar figure around the corner¡­

    Daran froze on his stop.

    Was it her¡­no¡­it couldn¡¯t¡­but could it?

    Daran suddenly abandoned the usher and Harper and rushed towards that familiar figure!

    ¡°Alpha! Where are you going!¡± Harper screamed.

    ¡°No wait Sir!¡± the usher cried, ¡°You can¡¯t go in there!¡±

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    But Daran couldn¡¯t care for that much.

    He rushed around theer.

    A slim figure was standing by a double door and was about to go in.

    -J

    Daran blurted out, clenching his fists.

    The usher and Harper just arrived behind Daran too.

    The slim figure paused by the door.

    A few secondster, she turned around slowly.

    Jager¡¯s eyes traveled across those shocked faces until they finally settled on Daran.

    Long time no see,¡± she said with a faint smile.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    Daran stared at J in shock.

    For all those times that he searched for her yet in vain, thest thing Daran would expect was to

    see J here in BloodMoon Pack, perfectly safe.

    Did she know he was looking for her?

    Why didn¡¯t she let him know that she was OK?

    Harper also couldn¡¯t believe her own eyes.

    ¡­J was alive?

    How was this even possible?

    Those rogues should have ended her 6 months ago. Her flesh and bones should have rotten

    underground already.

    What on hell was she doing here?!

    And she seemed so stunning and noble right now!

    Harper¡¯s eyes shed with hate and jealousy.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me know you are OK?¡± Daran suddenly strode forward, his sharp gaze fixed

    upon J. ¡°Where have you been hiding all these times?¡±

    J looked back at him coldly, ¡°Why do you still care? You already knew what those rogues would

    do to me when you refused to save me. Why bother asking now?¡±

    ¡°Refused to save you?¡±

    Daran frowned as though he didn¡¯t understand what J was talking about.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he asked sullenly. ¡°I paid the ransom for b-¡±

    A hint of panic flickered across Harper¡¯s eyes.

    She quickly stepped between J and Daran with a fake smile on her face, ¡°My beloved sister. It¡¯s

    so nice to see you still alive. Our parents and brothers have been worried about you too sick.¡±

    The corner of J¡¯s lips lifted into a sarcastic smile.

    Worried to sick?

    She didn¡¯t think so.

    Based on the way they spoke to those rogues, J believed that her parents couldn¡¯t be happier

    to get rid of her!

    Seeing that J had no response to her words, Harper took J¡¯s hands in her palms and

    continued: ¡°Let me arrange a car to take you home tonight! This is a pack meeting for all the

    Alphas. I don¡¯t think you are qualified to be here-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not qualified?¡±

    J let out a light sneer.

    She pulled her hands out of Harper¡¯s palm and turned to the usher.

    ¡°Did you check her invitation?¡± J asked the usher.

    The usher bowed and replied humbly, ¡°I checked Alpha Daran¡¯s invitation. Thisdy¡¯s name is not

    on the invitation.¡±

    ¡°Then she shouldn¡¯t be removed from this hotel.¡± J raised a hand beckoning two guards over.

    ¡°Escort her out.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Harper widened her eyes in shock as guards came at her.

    She couldn¡¯t believe this-how could J give orders to BloodMoon Pack¡¯s guards?

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Daran spoke up and stared at those guards sullenly, ¡°Harper is with me. She has every right to be

    here.¡± J let out a small chuckle, ¡°I don¡¯t think the pack meeting allows you to bring a plus-one.

    Unless the rule has changed?¡±

    The usher replied firmly, ¡°Of course not Miss J. The rule clearly states that all irrelevant people

    should be escorted out.¡±

    He turned to those guards and ordered, ¡°Take her out!¡±

    Those guards didn¡¯t hesitate at all before they lunged at Harper.

    Harper let out a sharp cry and stepped back but was still seized by guards.

    Daran snapped his head around and stared at J.

    J had changed so much.

    She was now confident and stunning in a very fierce way.

    ¡­What happened in the past 6 months?

    ¡°If I can¡¯t be here-¡±

    Harper suddenly cried out. She tried to break free from the guards but failed.

    ¡°-then what are you still doing here? You are not on any invitation either.¡±

    J was about to exin when she heard a deep voice behind her:

    ¡°Of course, she does.¡±

    Everybody turned around.

    A handsome man just made his way down the staircase. He narrowed his eyes into slits and stared

    at Daran gloomily.

    It was Alpha Casper!

    Casper kept his hands in his pocket as he approached.

    ¡°This year¡¯s annual meeting is held by BloodMoon pack. All invitations were sent out by us,¡± Casper

    said¡± casually and put his hand on J¡¯s waist. ¡°Now I¡¯m telling you, J IS on the damn list.¡±

    Harper¡¯s face turned pale at once.

    Daran red at Casper¡¯s hand on J¡¯s waist as a nasty feeling rose in him.

    How did J be acquainted with a great Alpha like Casper?!

    Is this why she ignored and returned his call for thest 6 months?

    ¡°Alpha Daran,¡± Casper stared at Daran, ¡°Don¡¯t you agree with me?¡±

    Daran pushed down the strong feeling in his chest and said coolly, ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    ¡°Alpha!¡± Harper cried in disbelief.

    ¡°already said this to you before we left home.¡± Daran¡¯s attitude remained cold, ¡°that this is a meeting

    for Alphas and officers. You are neither an officer nor my Luna. I think you better head home today.¡±

    J raised an eyebrow.

    She was surprised to see Daran on her side instead of Harper¡¯s.

    Harper suddenly let out a trembling cry.

    She clenched her chest and breathed heavily, ¡°But

    you here. You know my b*dy condition¡­I can¡¯t afford a ¡®ve traveled so many hours just to be with

    am feeling very dizzy right now¡­¡±

    exhausting long trip right now¡­ In fact, I

    She swayed on her spot as though she was going to faint the next second.

    ¡°Forget it then.¡±

    J suddenly said.

    She kept her gaze on Harper¡¯s pitiful face and revealed a sarcastic smile, ¡°If you must stay, just

    stay. It¡¯s

    a big day for Casper. I don¡¯t want to ruin it with someone¡¯s annoying walling.¡±

    J turned on her heels and entered the double door.

    Casper followed right behind her.

    Before the door closed, he added to the guards casually, ¡°This is the VIP lounge for BloodMoon

    Pack¡¯s Alpha and his date only. Get our guests somewhere else.¡±

    Daran stood on his stop,

    He kept staring at J¡¯s back until she disappeared behind the door.

    She seemed very intimate with Casper.

    What on earth was their rtionship?

    Did she go and find another man as soon as their mate bond was broken?!

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°Alpha¡­?¡±

    Harper grabbed Daran¡¯s sleeves and gently shook his arms, ¡°Let¡¯s go. That J is very rude. How

    can she treat her sister and former mate like this?¡±

    Daran rubbed the center of his brows.

    ¡°Alpha? What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious¡­¡± Daran looked up with a dark look in his eyes. ¡°I paid both of your ransoms at

    that time. Why did she still use me of refusing to save her?¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    Harper was frozen on her spot.

    There was a very pan¨ªcky look on her face.

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t notice her reaction. He was still deep into his thoughts.

    When J and Harper were abducted by rogues, the Diaz called him because they didn¡¯t have

    that much cash at hand.

    So he immediately asked his Beta to prepare that 200 million and send the money to the Diaz.

    Yet weirdly, only Harper returned safe and sound.

    J was nowhere to be found.

    When his own army arrived, they couldn¡¯t even locate J¡¯s body. It was like shepletely

    vanished on Earth.

    Daran always believed that J was alive, which was why he continued searching for her over the

    6 months.

    He didn¡¯t want J as his Luna, but he also didn¡¯t want her to die.

    And one thing kept baffling him over all these times-

    Why did those rogues release Harper but keep J specifically?

    It didn¡¯t make any sense.

    Harper gulped down nervously and forced out a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t let such small things bother you

    Alpha. You know J. She has always been narrow¨Cminded. She was probably just getting back

    at you because you rejected her, especially since she now has Alpha Casper behind her back.¡±

    Daran furrowed and shook those thoughts out of his mind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The opening g was about to begin,¡± he said coolly.

    Daran walked away.

    When he was not looking, a vicious look finally appeared on Harper¡¯s face.

    Harper couldn¡¯t help but clenched her fists in fury.

    J¡­that lucky bitch!

    She couldn¡¯t let Je between her and Daran right now. She was so close to making him

    marry her!

    She had to find a way to sabotage J¡¯s image in front of Daran again¡­

    The opening g began at 7 p.m.

    The grand hall was packed with Alphas and officers from packs across the world.

    As the host of the night, Casper first made a weing speech. Then he came to J and took

    her hand into the dancefloor.

    With beautiful music ying in the background, they danced the first song.

    All guests¡® eyes were on them.

    Alpha Casper had always been the center of attention. But J received more attention tonight.

    Everyone was curious about this strange and beautifuldy.

    ¡°¡­Who is Alpha Casper¡¯s date for tonight? I haven¡¯t heard he had found his mate.¡±

    ¡°She must be someone noble. I bet she must be an Alpha¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°God! Just look at her. Any man would kill to be with her.¡±

    Those low mutterings traveled to Harper¡¯s ears.

    Harper almost failed at keeping the smile on her face.

    What were these idiots talking about?

    Noble and beautiful her ass!

    If she could, she really wanted those people to see how her sister was punched to half¨Cdeath by

    John, or how she bent down to polish her father¡¯s shoes like a lowly maid!

    J had changed simply because she got lucky andnded an Alpha.

    She could be just like her as soon as she married Daran.

    Harper turned her face to Daran.

    Yet she was furious to find that Daran was also staring at J.

    Even though the look on his face was very gloomy.

    On the dancefloor.

    Casper¡¯s eyes traveled across the crowd, and he leaned down to J¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Your

    ex¨Cmate is darting me some very nasty looks right now.¡±

    J smiled.

    ¡°Let him stare,¡± she said indifferently. ¡°What can he do about it?¡±

    Casper chuckled, ¡°He probably thinks I¡¯m your lover and is having a major jealousy/regretful

    moment.¡±

    ¡°No, he is not.¡± J lowers her eyes. ¡°He had never paid me any attention.¡±

    She used to work so hard just to have Daran¡¯s eyes linger on her a little longer.

    But now. She didn¡¯t care anymore.

    When the first song finished, all guests poured into the dancefloor and the ball officially began.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    J felt a little thirsty, so she went to the bar to get something to drink.

    And that¡¯s when a weak, slightly trembling voice came behind her back:

    ¡°¡­Sister?¡±

    J slowly turned around to face Harper with a cold look on her face.

    ¡°The Diaz disowned me already. They said very clearly to rogues that they only wanted you as their

    daughter,¡± she reminded Harper.

    ¡°So you should now address me as Miss or Lady J like everyone else in the BloodMoon Pack

    does.¡±

    Harper paused, her lips twitching uglily.

    Then she quickly put on another fake smile, ¡°Anyway¡­I¡¯m here to remind you of that precious

    ne you took on our pic trip 6 months ago. Remember?¡±

    J let out a snort, ¡°What about it?¡±

    Harper takes another step closer, with tears forming in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡­I just want you to return that ne to me¡­¡± Harper sobbed desperately. ¡°It was our mother¡¯s

    dowry, and you just took it without asking. It got lost and mom held me responsible¡­Please J,

    just give it back¡­Will you?¡±

    Despite Harper¡¯s pitiful gesture, her voice was very loud.

    It soon attracted many people¡¯s attention from nearby.

    Sensing that people were staring, Harper raised her volume even higher:

    ¡°You could abandon our family all you want, but how could you take our mother¡¯s dowry? What did

    you do with it? Did you exchange it for money? Is it how you disguised yourself as a nobledy and

    be with Alpha Casper?¡±

    Harper¡¯s usation echoed across the room.

    Many guests started to whisper:

    ¡°¡­Did you hear it? She sold her mother¡¯s dowry just to seduce Alpha Casper!¡±

    ¡°How vain is she!¡±

    ¡°I originally thought she was nice. But guess I was wrong.

    11

    Janeller

    ut a stoIL,

    Harper takes another step closer, with tears forming in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡­I just want you to return that ne to me¡­¡± Harper sobbed desperately. ¡°It was our mother¡¯s

    dowry, and

    you just took it without asking. It got lost and mom held me responsible¡­Please J, just give it

    back¡­Will you?¡±

    Despite Harper¡¯s pitiful gesture, her voice was very loud.

    It soon attracted many people¡¯s attention from nearby.

    Sensing that people were staring, Harper raised her volume even higher:

    ¡°You could abandon our family all you want, but how could you take our mother¡¯s dowry? What did

    do with it? Did you exchange it for money? Is it how you disguised yourself as a nobledy and be

    with Alpha Casper?¡±

    you

    Harper¡¯s usation echoed across the room.

    Many guests started to whisper:

    ¡­Did you hear it? She sold her mother¡¯s dowry just to seduce Alpha Casper!¡±

    ¡°How vain is she!¡±

    ¡°I originally thought she was nice. But guess I was wrong.

    Amidst all whisperings, J still seemed calm.

    She looked down at Harper and asked word by word:

    ¡°You used me of stealing it?¡±

    Harper was intimidated by J¡¯s strong aura. She quivered slightly and murmured, ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°The sapphire ne they kept in the safe in their room?¡±

    J stared sharply at Harper and snapped:

    ¡°The room you all forbidden me to go in? The safe only you knew the password of? Now who is the

    real thief here Harper?!¡±

    Harper was mortified.

    She couldn¡¯t face J¡¯s sharp gaze.

    She wanted to step back but she tripped on herself and fell to the floor.

    Copsed on the ground, Harper¡¯s face blushed in embarrassment. Then she quickly clenched her

    chest and cried out sadly:

    ¡°It¡¯s OK if you don¡¯t want to admit to it¡­but why did you push me?¡±

    J clearly saw her tripped herself.

    Yet people standing nearby didn¡¯t know what exactly happened. They all frowned at J

    disapprovingly as though J was the bully.

    Right at this moment, Daran pushed through the crowd in long strides and arrived at the scene.

    He crouched down and held Harper¡¯s shoulders. Harper immediately buried her face in his chest

    and

    burst into tears.

    Daran snapped up ring at J and hissed:

    ¡°Are you bullying Harper again? You haven¡¯t changed at all J¡­ You are still so vicious and

    evil!¡±

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    Vicious and evil?

    J let out a snort and stared coldly at Daran and Harper.

    Casper was attracted over by their earlier arguments and was now just in time to hear Daran¡¯stest

    words.

    With a furious look on his face, Casper stepped forward and was about to snap.

    Yet a hand grabbed onto his sleeves.

    J shook her head towards Casper and mouthed to him:

    I got this.

    Casper paused and then smiled resignedly.

    He stepped down and returned the battlefield to J.

    ¡°So you are saying the ne was gone after the night we were kidnapped. And you are

    using me of stealing it?¡± J red down at Harper.

    Harper nodded weakly, her face still covered in tears.

    A sarcastic smile appeared on J¡¯s face as she said, ¡°But besides the two of us, there were

    rogues that night as well. So why didn¡¯t you suspect those ouws at all? Why did you specifically

    target me?¡±

    Harper widened her eyes as panic fleeted across her eyes.

    ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t target it at you!¡± Harper cried urgently. ¡°I just thought¡­since it was you who took the

    ne out of the safe, you must have it with you when we were kidnapped. Those rogues must

    not have noticed the ne-¡±

    ¡°OK. Let¡¯s go with your theory. Let¡¯s assume those rogues didn¡¯t notice it.¡±

    J asked coldly:

    ¡°But if I really have the ne with me, why didn¡¯t I present the ne to those rogues in

    exchange. for

    my own

    life?¡±

    Daran¡¯s face turned dark instantly.

    Faced by J¡¯s question, Harper stuttered nervously:

    ¡°W¨CWhat do you mean? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    J snorted, ¡°Those rogues were only after money. They let you go after they received your

    ransom. If I

    really had such a precious ne with me, why didn¡¯t I exchange it with my life?¡±

    ¡°How would I know-

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have it!¡±

    J raised her volume ring at the panicked Harper and snapped:

    ¡°Because it was you who took the ne out of the safe! It was you who insisted on us going on

    that dangerous trip! I told you not to go over the border but you didn¡¯t listen. It almost cost my

    A round of low mutterings broke out in the crowd.

    People were all staring at Harper now with suspicious looks on their faces.

    Harper breathed heavily.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    She suddenly stretched out an arm and pointed at J screaming:

    life!¡±

    ¡°-Lies! Those were all lies! Maybe you did give the ne to rogues and that was how you

    survived-¡°}

    vived.

    ¡°No that¡¯s not how she survived.¡±

    Everybody turned to Casper.

    Casper crossed his arms across his chest and looked down at Harper with disgust.

    ¡°When my patrol team arrived at the scene, J was already severely wounded. She got several

    stabs on her body. The blood was pooling,¡± Casper said icily. ¡°My men saved her. If we were one

    minutete, J would be long dead by now.¡±

    Daran¡¯s jaw tensed.

    It was the first time he heard about the details of that night.

    And it had a much stronger effect on him than he had expected.

    Daran clenched his fists and thought darkly:

    One day when he caught those rogues, he would surely shred them into pieces¡­

    Casper¡¯s words carried much weight.

    Having heard what he said, more people were now ring at Harper.

    ¡°Do you have anything else to say now, Harper?¡± J asked freezingly.

    Harper¡¯s cheek burnt under people¡¯s hostile res.

    She couldn¡¯t believe J was actually arguing about this with her!

    When they were both children, Harper always med her faults on J. J never dared to fight

    back when their parents scolded her.

    Where was that docile and pathetic J now?

    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡±

    Harper fumbled a few words, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

    She suddenly let out a weak cry and leaned on Daran¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t keep up with all your reasonings J¡­you¡¯ve always had very sharp teeth¡­¡± she cried

    in sorrow. ¡°You always have the ability to twist the fact¡­Fine! Let me take all the me¡­let me be

    the sinner here¡­¡±

    Tears streamed down Harper¡¯s cheek.

    She suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and her eyes rolled to the back.

    Harper fainted.

    Right into Daran¡¯s arms.

    People around them gasped together. Somebody even cried:

    ¡°Oh my god! Is she alright?¡±

    Daran held Harper and said urgently, ¡°She has asthma! Somebody gets me a doctor now!¡±

    ¡°No she won¡¯t be needing that,¡± J said with a half¨Csmile.

    She looked down at Harper¡¯s closed eyes and pale face and let out a sneer.

    Harper did this every time.

    It was such an old trick

    Daran snapped his head up and red at J. His handsome face twisted in anger.

    ¡°J, you are crossing the line here!¡± Daran snapped.

    A guest seeking drama added: ¡°Yeah right. We all know your BloodMoon Pack isrge and

    powerful. But you still shouldn¡¯t mess with Alpha Daran! Riverside Pack is also a strong pack!¡±

    J raised an eyebrow.

    She gazed at the crowd and exchanged a look with a man in the crowd,

    He was Casper¡¯s Beta, Eden./

    Eden received her hint and suddenly cried out loudly:

    #1

    Fire! The hotel is on fire! Everybody gets out now! Hurry!!¡±

    The crowd swayed in panic.

    People all jerked around to look:

    ¡°Fire?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god where?¡±

    In Daran¡¯s arms, Harper suddenly snapped her eyes open as well. She also raised her head to

    gaze at people.

    ¡°Oh look. Harper¡¯s asthma just cured itself.¡± J suddenly said coolly.

    A chill was sent down Harper¡¯s spine.

    Harper looked up in horror and found J sneering at her:

    ¡°Do you really have asthma? Or are you just faking it?¡±

    A ringing silence fell on the crowd.

    Harper¡¯s face twisted uglily in rage.

    She was about to blurt out something nasty when the hand holding her shoulder was suddenly

    gone.

    Daran stood up.

    He looked down at Harper, a strained look on his face.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been faking it?¡± he asked darkly.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    Harper quivered under Daran¡¯s piercing eyes.

    ¡°H¨CHow could I fake it?¡± she stammered nervously, ¡°You know my condition, Daran. I¡¯ve had this

    problem since I was little. Our pack¡¯s doctor confirmed it!¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes staring at her.

    ¡°Then let me get a doctor to check on you now.¡±

    Casper pped his hands together with a crooked smile on his face, ¡°You are Alpha Daran¡¯s date,

    which made you a very important guest to our pack. Let our pack¡¯s doctor diagnose you and put all

    of our hearts

    at ease.¡±

    He looked at Eden, who grinned and quickly left the hall to fetch a doctor.

    Harper waved her hand hastily in panic:

    ¡°No no¡­there¡¯s really no need¡­¡±

    ¡°Alpha Casper was right. You should be checked by a doctor,¡± J smiled and said gently. ¡°We

    wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to you in BloodMoon Pack. What if you hold us responsible

    later?¡±

    Harper sucked in a sharp breath.

    She turned to Daran with pleading eyes trying to get his help.

    But Daran only replied to her pleading with a cold look:

    ¡°J and Alpha Casper were right. We all saw you faint earlier. You should be examined by a

    doctor just to be safe.¡±

    Eden returned with a doctor shortly after.

    The doctor opened up his medical kit and pulled out a stethoscope.

    But Harper was still trying to decline it, ¡°I¡¯m alright now. I don¡¯t think the doctor will be able to locate

    any problems with me now-¡±

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry Miss.¡±

    The doctor smiled politely.

    ¡°I¡¯m very experienced. If there¡¯s really something wrong with you, I¡¯ll surely diagnose it.¡±

    Harper was left with no choice but to let the doctor check on her.

    The doctor tested her heart rate, got her blood pressure, and then checked her pupil.

    After a series of thorough examinations, the doctor restored his equipment andpsed into silence.

    ¡°Anything? Doctor?¡± Eden pursued eagerly.

    In fact, all the guests had gathered up around them.

    Nobody was dancing anymore.

    People were standing on tiptoes to hear the doctor¡¯s final diagnosis.

    ¡°So thisdy just fainted?¡± the doctor asked suspiciously.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    ¡°But that¡¯s highly unlikely!¡±

    The doctor nced at Harper before saying firmly:

    11

    ¤à

    There¡¯s nothing wrong with this her. She is very healthy. If anything, she¡¯s just a little overweight. I

    highly suggest her to lose a few pounds now¡­¡±

    Casper couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.

    Everyone in the BloodMoon Packughed along with their Alpha. Other guests started to snicker as

    well.

    The only ones who weren¡¯tughing were members of the Riverside Pack

    They were all peeking at their Alpha Daran, who had a very surly look on his face.

    Amid gales ofughter, Harper¡¯s face became tomato red. She clenched her dress embarrassedly

    and started to sweat in awkwardness.

    ¡°Y¨CYou quack!¡±

    She cried loudly.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m overweight-¡®

    ¡°1

    But her protest was overwhelmed by the wave ofughter from the crowd.

    ¡°OK, that¡¯s enough.¡±

    J pped her hands and silenced all the noise.

    She gazed at Daran with a faint smile and asked, ¡°Alpha Daran, I believe that we have straightened

    things out already?¡±

    ¡°¡­Indeed.¡±

    Daran nodded coldly.

    He bent down and grabbed Harper¡¯s arm pulling her up. Without saying anything else, he dragged

    Harper towards the front door of the grand hall.

    All members of Riverside Pack followed them and left in a hurry.

    Before they disappeared behind the door, people could still hear Harper¡¯s crying and yelling:

    ¡°-Alpha you have to believe me! J is lying again. She is being mean to me as she always has!

    She stole my mom¡¯s ne¡­¡®

    Casper cleared his throat and got people¡¯s attention back.

    ¡°I apologize for the drama,¡± he smiled politely. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared a buffet. Please enjoy the wine and

    food and have a lovely evening.¡±

    <hr>When Daran dragged Harper down to the bottom of the staircase, he immediately shook off

    her hand.

    Turning around to face her, Daran red at Harper with rage burning in his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been faking your disease?¡± he hissed lowly.

    Harper held her breath invulnerably.

    She couldn¡¯t help but quiver under Daran¡¯s strong Alpha aura.

    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Then who is lying then? Huh?¡± Daran snapped, ¡°Are you saying the doctor lied? I saw the doctor

    diagnosed you! I¡¯m not fu*king blind!¡±

    He suddenly grabbed Harper by the throat and hissed: ¡°What else have you been lying to me,

    Harper?!¡± Harper struggled to breathe under his iron grip.

    Her eyes were red. Tears soon streamed down her cheek.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you for being mad at me Alpha¡­¡± Harper wept in grief. ¡°Yes. I faked it this time. But

    only because J gave too much pressure when I confronted her about the ne! I just

    couldn¡¯t handle her bad temper!¡±

    She grabbed Daran¡¯s arm with both of her hands and sobbed:

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­What have I done wrong? I just went up to her and asked her nicely about the

    ne. Yet she started a huge temper tantrum! She didn¡¯t have to react so strongly if she is

    indeed innocent!¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes.

    The look on his face was unreadable.

    Harper gulped nervously. She didn¡¯t know what Daran was thinking. She continued anyway:

    ¡°And don¡¯t you think J has changed a little too much? She used to be a very nice girl. But now

    she has be a total drama queen with a huge temper! If you asked me, she must have taken

    the ne. She denied it simply because she had Alpha Casper on her back now-¡±

    An irritated look appeared on Daran¡¯s face.

    Yet before he could tell Harper to shut up, a voice suddenly came from behind them:

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Daran and Harper turned around together.

    J was standing on the top of the staircase with a sack in her hand.

    Her silver gown glowed gorgeously against the chandelier, making her seem like a goddess.

    ¡°In case you are still whining about me stealing that ne, here¡¯s a little gift for you.¡±

    J reached into the sack and took out arge ruby, which was almost the size of an egg.

    She raised her arm and tossed the ruby at Harper.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    Harper was hit by the ruby on her shoulder. She cried and almost stepped on it and tripped. ¡°What

    the hell are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°There.¡± J smiled, ¡°Was it enough to make it up for your little ne?¡±

    She reached into the sack again.

    Then she tossed a diamond, then another ruby, then a sapphire.

    Those jewels flew at Harper like a rain of pebbles. She covered her head and staggered back in

    panic.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough¡­Stop! STOP!!¡±

    J sneered.

    She opened the sack and shook it.

    Hundreds of various jewels poured out of the sack and rolled down the staircase, glittering

    magnificently under the light.

    She must have spilled hundreds of billions in one move!

    Everyone present was astonished by this scene.

    With a loud cry, one guest rushed over to snatch the jewel, Many followed.

    Harper was soon huddled by the exhrated crowd. She was pushed around and stomped on her

    feet.

    She could only scream desperately:

    ¡°Don¡¯t push¡­How dare you! I¡¯m Alpha Daran¡¯s date-¡±

    But nobody cared.

    J looked down at the chaos with a cold smile on her lips.

    ¡°Now you have enough jewels to make a hundred nes,¡± she smiled icily. ¡°Stop f*cking whining

    about it.¡±

    With that said J turned and returned to the hall.

    Leaving a crazy crowd fighting over those jewels¡­

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    By the next day, everybody had heard about what happened by the staircase the previous night.

    At least 20 people must have participated in that crazy jewel fight.

    By the time Riverside Pack¡¯s members pulled Harper out of the crowd, her clothes had been ripped

    apart in the riot; her high heels were nowhere to be found; her hair was messy like a nest.

    It was such a huge embarrassment.

    Today was the first official day of the annual pack meeting.

    When Alpha Daran entered the meeting room with his pack members, the room immediately

    quieted down from low mutterings. He also received quite a few meaningful nces from other

    people.

    Apparently, people had been talking about the incidentst night.

    Yet nobody dared make fun of Daran in front of his face.

    Riverside Pack was the thirdrgest pack in the world. Challenging Alpha Daran in public would be

    seeking suicide.

    Daran sat down by the table and rubbed his temple.

    Harper made a big fuss when they came back to their roomst night.

    She first burst into tears and cried that J was deliberately trying to hurt her. She begged Daran

    to hold J ountable for her crime.

    When Daran pointed out that this was BloodMoon Pack and they couldn¡¯t affo

    Casper here, Harper became even more hysterical.

    She copsed on the floor and imed that she was having a heart attack.

    Daran was starting to grow tired of her.

    Weirdly he didn¡¯t used to find Harper this annoying when J was still around.

    to cross J and Alpha

    Yet ever since J disappeared after that kidnap, J had be more and more ridiculous.

    She often used her disease as an excuse to get Daran out of his pack business and check on her.

    She imed to be his girlfriend without his permission.

    Harper had crossed so many lines.

    Originally, Daran thought it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to name Harper his future Luna.

    He didn¡¯t have many feelings for her. But his mother liked Harper very much and most people in

    Riverside Pack adored her.

    He believed that at least Harper would make a better Luna than J.

    But now¡­

    A cold gleam flickered through Daran¡¯s eyes.

    He believed that his n would have to change now.

    The meeting room¡¯s door flew open at this moment, interrupting Daran¡¯s line of thinking.

    Alpha Casper marched into the meeting room followed by a group of people.

    Daran suddenly widened his eyes.

    He saw J traveling right behind Casper!

    What was this woman doing her?

    This was supposed to be an official meeting held exclusively for Alphas and officials!

    Everybody in the room was stunned to see J.

    Yet J reacted very calmly.

    She followed Casper and sat down right next to him as though she didn¡¯t notice the suspicious look

    on people¡¯s faces.

    ¡­Excuse me? What the hell was this?¡±

    Daran¡¯s Gamma Baron voiced out everyone¡¯s doubts at this moment:

    ¡°This is an exclusive meeting! What is this woman doing here?¡±

    He pointed at J and snapped:

    ¡°Just because she is Alpha Casper¡¯s bimbo, she doesn¡¯t have the right to be here!¡±

    People stared at J. Some nodded along.

    Alpha Casper raised an eyebrow, ¡°¡­my bimbo?¡±

    Baron had always been hot¨Ctempered. Only he dared challenge Casper when nobody else could.

    ¡°Well, excuse mynguage, but we all get the drill!¡± Baron barked, his loud voice echoing across the

    room. ¡°You can¡¯t give her any privileges just because you are banging her. What we discuss in this

    room is top secret! What if she leaks itter?¡±

    A few people gasped at his audacity.

    Casper¡¯s Beta Eden mmed the desk and red at Baron furiously:

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Eden hissed, ¡°Disrespecting our Alpha like that-¡±

    Baron snorted, ¡°It¡¯s your Alpha. Not mine.¡±

    ¡°You son of a-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Daran spoke up coldly.

    He turned to Casper and said with a freezing tone, ¡°Please excuse Baron¡¯s attitude. But he has a

    point. Only officers are allowed in this room. You should ask J to leave.¡±

    A very irritated feeling seized Daran¡¯s heart.

    He could see that Casper spoiled J.

    Is it why J chose to be with him right now?

    ¡°¡­Officers?¡±

    There was a crooked smile on Casper¡¯s face.

    ¡°You probably got something wrong but¡­¡± he turned to J smiling, ¡°¡­J is my officer.¡±

    People all seemed astonished.

    Eden stood up at this movement and ced a hand on the back of J¡¯s chair.

    ¡°This is our Gamma J from BloodMoon Pack!¡± he announced loudly.

    ¡­Gamma?!

    Everyone in the room took a collective intake of breath!

    A woman as Gamma?

    And on top of that, a beautiful yet weak woman?

    Was BloodMoon Pack crazy?!

    ¡°Are you all out of your mind?!¡± Baron widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°This woman is no Gamma

    material. I know her. She was our Alpha¡¯s Luna!¡±

    People were all shocked by the abrupt turn of events.

    What did they just hear?

    J, Alpha Casper¡¯s lover/Garnma, used to be Alpha Daran¡¯s Luna?!

    How unbelievable was that!

    There was an aloof look on J¡¯s face.

    She slightly lifted theer of her lip and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯ve never met your Alpha in my

    entire life.¡±

    Casper echoed with her, ¡°Indeed. J has always been a member of the Blood Moon Pack. She

    doesn¡¯t have anything to do with your Alpha.¡±

    Daran¡¯s face turned dark.

    His fists were clenched beneath the table.

    J denied their past rtionship.

    Did she hate him this much?

    ¡°Even so! I¡¯m not going to the battlefield with her!¡±

    Baron cried furiously under his breath:

    ¡°We are supposed to discuss how to defeat rogues in this year¡¯s meeting! We need strong and

    capable warriors! How can a woman like herst a single second on the battlefield? I saw her

    beaten by her brother many times before! She was so f*cking weak!¡®

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    He paused and let out a cold sneer.

    ¡°Just because she rocked in bed didn¡¯t mean she could conquer the battlefield as well!¡±

    A round of mutterings broke out in the room.

    People started to whisper among themselves.

    Baron made a fair point.

    Rogue¡¯s problem was getting very serious over the

    years.

    This year, under BloodMoon Pack¡¯s leadership, Alpha had finally gathered to address this issue.

    They nned to form an army together to defeat the rogues.

    But how could people trust BloodMoon Pack anymore if Casper appointed a pretty girl as Gamma?

    Right at this moment, J slowly rose from her seat.

    Crossing arms in front of her chest, J stared at Baron with a calm smile:

    ¡°You are questioning my ability?

    Baron puffed his chest, ¡°Yes! So what?¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    J raised her arm and pointed at the training field outside:

    ¡°-Let¡¯s take this outside and I¡¯ll show you what I can do.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    There was a ringing silence in the room.

    Baron stared at J with a bizarre look. A few secondster, he suddenly burst into loudughter.

    Heughed so hard that he was literally rocking back and forth in his seat.

    ¡°Y¨CYou? And me? Outside? Are f**king messing with me right now?¡±

    Baron wiped the tears in his eyes and breathed:

    ¡°Did you remember how your middle brother Owen used to punch you to half¨Cdeath in the training

    field? Well, let¡¯s just say that even Owen can¡¯tst 1 minute against me. Do you still want to try it

    out?¡± J let out a light chuckle, ¡°Are you afraid?¡±

    ¡°Afraid my ass,¡± Baron snapped. ¡°I¡¯m going to smash your skull!¡±

    ¡°Or I smash yours,¡± J shrugged.

    Baron jumped out of his seat.

    Yet Daran put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

    ¡°Alpha Casper,¡± Daran turned to Casper with a nasty look on his face. ¡°Just excuse J from the

    room and there will be no need for a fight.¡±

    Casper got on his foot idly.

    ¡°In fact, I could use a little entertainment before the official meeting begins,¡± Casper said with azy

    smile.

    Daran clenched his fists and red at Casper in rage and disbelief.

    What the f**k was wrong with this man?

    Couldn¡¯t he see that Baron was twice the size of J?

    He was dating J now. Didn¡¯t he have any idea how to protect her?

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    ¡®¡­ J?¡± Daran snapped his head towards J and gritted, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly here. You can¡¯t win

    over Baron.¡±

    J snorted lightly, ¡°Thanks for your pep talk.¡±

    She walked around the table and headed towards the door. Before leaving, she winked provokingly

    at

    Baron:

    ¡°See you out there.¡±

    Members from BloodMoon Pack all got up and filed out.

    Weirdly, none of them seemed worried for J. Instead, they were all chatting andughing

    enthusiastically.

    Baron blew an exciting whistle and was ready to rush outside.

    Yet Daran suddenly dragged him from behind and hissed sulkily:

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be too hard on her.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Baron cried in disbelief. ¡°You heard that woman Alpha! She was all over herself! Let me

    teach her a lesson and-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll do as I said,¡± Daran gave him a dark re.

    Baron was hot¨Ctempered. But he didn¡¯t dare challenge his Alpha.

    Scratching his head in annoyance, Baron murmured a yes.

    Daran let go of Baron and walked outside in long strides. He took a deep breath and tried to push

    down the irritated feeling in his heart.

    10 minutester, everyone was gathered by the wrestling ring in the training field.

    J jumped upstage gently.

    She grabbed the edge of her hoodie and pulled it over her head.

    Underneath she was dressed in a tank top and leggings. Her fit and graceful body immediately

    caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    J stretched her shoulders and grinned at Baron,

    She raised a hand and crooked her index finger.

    ¡°Bring it on,¡± she beamed.

    Baron red at her.

    He was infuriated by J¡¯s gesture.

    Letting out a deafening roar, he suddenly lunged at J!

    Astonished

    gasps came from the crowd as J deftly dodged this powerful charge.

    She fluidly followed with a quick jab to the nt¡¯s midsection.

    It got him!

    A loud apuse broke out from the crowd.

    Everyone from Blood Moon Pack was jumping ups and downs, cheering for J; whereas people

    from Riverside Packpsed into a silent shock.

    Daran widened his eyes staring at the petite figure in the wrestling ring.

    He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes¡­.

    This was J?

    The same J who used to be so weak and pathetic and could only beg for people¡¯s mercy in the

    training field-

    That J?!

    Daran felt his heart rate quickened.

    She was radiant with confidence and power right now.

    He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.

    ¡°Ahhh-¡± Baron suddenly let out a furious roar in the ring.

    He had been chasing J around the ring. Yet J skillfully dodged all his attacks.

    She handled her opponent with a level of skill and finesse that even the most experienced fighters

    would

    envy.

    It pissed Baron to his bones.

    He had forgotten what Daran said about going gentle on J.

    His attacks were bing very fierce!

    ¡°Stop running around, you rat!¡± Baron roared.

    Catching up with J, he raised hisrge fist and threw a final, desperate punch!

    If it got her, her skull would be crashed into pieces!

    Daran suddenly shot up from his seat. His body tensed.

    He was ready to jump up there and/save J from Baron¡¯s punch.

    Yet J deftly sidestepped, spinning around andnding a swift and powerful uppercut, straight to

    Baron¡¯s massive jaw.

    An audible gasp went up from the audience as Baron let out a painful cry.

    He held his jaw, his towering body trembling.

    After a few seconds, he fell to the ground, defeated.

    ¡°Wow¨CBravo!!!¡±

    Everyone rushed forward to the ring, pping and cheering.

    Some members from the BloodMoon Pack climbed up into the wrestling ring and picked up J.

    Laughing loudly, they threw her up in the air.

    There was a big smile on J¡¯s face as well. She giggled and hugged everyone who came

    forward to congratte her.

    Daran remained frozen on his spot.

    Gradually and shallowly, he finally let out a breath that he had been holding,

    His heart rate finally came back to normal.

    ¡°Alpha Daran,¡± a voice suddenly came from his side.

    Daran looked around and found Casper beaming at him.

    Casper didn¡¯t even leave his seat the whole time as though he had already known that J would

    win,

    ¡°Let me know if your Gamma needs medical assistance,¡± Casper smiled.

    ¡°Our pack doctor Steve is very professional¡­.As you have known.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    Daran¡¯s face darkened.

    There was an irritated look on all member¡¯s faces from Riverside Pack.

    Clearly, Casper was insulting their Alpha.

    But there was nothing they could do about it because Baron had just lost to J. And it was a fight

    that Baron started.

    Surrounded by people, J got off the wrestling ring and walked to them. Her body was covered

    in a thinyer of sweat, which glittered in the bright sunshine.

    Raising a hand to wipe her forehead, J stopped by Daran¡¯s side and beamed at him:

    ¡°Alpha Daran, I hope you enjoyed this fight.¡±

    Daran stared at her.

    Her stunning figure, which screamed power and grace, made Daran¡¯s heart skip a beat.

    J smiled. She then looked over her shoulder and raised her volume asking, ¡°Gamma Baron, do

    you still have any doubts now?¡±

    Everyone turned to Baron.

    He just pulled himself off the ground, still holding his broken jaw. Hisrge face was tomato¨Cred. He

    was utterly embarrassed by his defeat.

    Hearing J¡¯s question, Baron clenched his teeth. He was still unconvinced, but there was nothing

    he could say given the oue.

    So he snorted coldly and snapped his head to the side.

    J¡¯s face turned cold seeing his reaction.

    She crossed her arms in front of her chest and said coolly, ¡°If Gamma Baron still has doubts, I¡¯m

    very happy to go round 2.¡±

    Some boos came from the crowd.

    ¡°Sour losers!¡± Eden cried.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± someone from BloodMoon Pack agreed, ¡°Our Gamma defeated a man twice of her size!

    She was clearly stronger and more capable than all of youbined!¡±

    Those words angered Riverside Pack¡¯s members greatly.

    ¡°What the hell did you just say?¡± Daran¡¯s Beta Justin strode forward and snapped, ¡°Baron had gone

    to countless battlefields. The number of rogues he had killed wasrger than your pack members!

    What the hell have your twat Gamma done?¡±

    ¡°Watch your f**kingnguage!¡±

    Members from both packs approached each other, all ring furiously.

    It would soon turn into a riot.

    Just then, a shaky female voice rose above all noises, shrieking:

    -And who knew how J won that fib

    Everyone jerked around to look for the voice.

    Harper was standing in the crowd, her face pale and twisted. Her eyes flickered with jealousy when

    she looked at J.

    Daran left her in the suite this morning because she was not qualified to join the pack¡¯s meeting.

    She was wandering around in BloodMoon Pack, thinking of ways to take down J, when she

    heard loud cheering from the wrestling ring.

    Harper couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she found out what was happening.

    ¡­J had defeated Gamma Baron?

    No. There¡¯s no way¨CHow is this possible?!

    Harper remembered clearly that J was the weakest among all of them growing up.

    Their middle brother Olive enjoyed taking J to the training field and beating the shit out of her.

    ¡°Get up you weak little pussy!¡± Olive would roar at her, kicking her hard on the back. ¡°Show me

    what you¡¯ve got!¡±

    Yet J was never capable of fighting back.

    All she ever did was cover her head with her hands and curled up on the ground, shivering like a

    scaredmb.

    Harper had always enjoyed watching Olive bully J. A great sense of pleasure would rise in her

    when she saw J crumble by their feet.

    But how could J suddenly be so strong and powerful?

    Harper clenched her fists in rage and disbelief.

    This wasn¡¯t possible!

    Having heard Harper¡¯s question, J turned around with a sneer on her face.

    ¡°Are you questioning me now, Harper?¡± she asked coldly.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    J started walking towards Harper. The crowd quickly parted in the middle to let her through.

    Intimidated by J¡¯s strong aura, Harper took a shaky step back.

    But J grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her from running away.

    ¡°Are you saying that¡ª¡± J looked down at her and hissed, ¡°¡ªI didn¡¯t win fair and square?¡±

    Harper gulped down nervously.

    She suddenly felt very afraid of J!

    But those words had left her mouth already, Harper had no choice but to continue saying:

    ¡°Yes! Why? Are you afraid that I might speak out the truth? There¡¯s no way you can be this

    strong in 6 months! You must have taken a medicine or something. But deep down, you are still that

    weak little twat!¡±

    J narrowed her eyes, ¡°You dare say that again?¡±

    Harper raised her chin defiantly and cried, ¡°I said! You are still that tw-¡±

    J raised her arm and pped J hard across her face!

    SLAP!

    There was a sharp intake from the crowd.

    Harper¡¯s face was pped to the side. A visible hand mark gradually appeared on her skin.

    Harper froze as though she couldn¡¯t believe what just happened. A few secondster, she suddenly

    jerked

    around and screamed:

    ¡°How dare you-

    ¡°How dare I what?¡± J grabbed her chin and asked coldly, ¡°You are only a citizen whereas I¡¯m

    the Gamma! You better show your respect or I¡¯ll rip your filthy mouth apart and nobody would have

    a problem with that!¡±

    Harper shivered in fear and rage looking at her.

    Judging by the look on J¡¯s face, she knew J was capable of that!

    Nobody stood out for Harper, not even members from Riverside Pack. People simply watched their

    interactions quietly in their spots.

    J tightened her grip on Harper¡¯s jaw and asked in a low voice that only both of them could

    hear:

    ¡°And have you ever thought about why I have be this strong?¡±

    Harper stuttered, ¡°W¨CWhy?¡±

    She really didn¡¯t understand!

    A faint smile appeared on J¡¯s lips as she said, ¡°Because¡­I have always been this strong. You

    and those jerks were just too blind to see it in the past.¡±

    J was born with a strong wolf.

    But she never dared to show it because Olive threatened her not to.

    Oliver told J that if she fought back against him, he would ask all his friends to beat her to

    death.

    So J could only suck it up and endure these people¡¯s bully.

    When she finally returned to BloodMoon Pack, her actual home, J¡¯s Alpha aura was awoken.

    She became even stronger.

    Now with the entire BloodMoon Pack on her back, J no longer had to hide her power.

    She could finally shine as brightly as she wanted to!

    Harper widened her eyes. After a short pause, she suddenly burst into a loud cry:

    ¡°NO! I don¡¯t believe it! I saw you crumble beneath Oliver¡¯s feet! It was true! You must have taken the

    medicine. You tricked everyone here, you weak little pus¡ª¡±

    SLAP!

    Another pnded on Harper¡¯s left face.

    J stared at her with a cold smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you to show some respect?¡±

    She raised her hand and was about to go for Harper¡¯s right face.

    But her wrist was caught by arge hand.

    J looked to her side and found Daran standing next to her. There was a dark look on his

    handsome face.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he said.

    J snorted, ¡°Why? Am I supposed to just stand here and let your member insult me? That

    doesn¡¯t seem fair, Alpha Daran.¡±

    ¡°You can take it on me if you can.¡±

    Daran loosened his tie with one hand and tossed it on the ground.

    ¡°Gamma J, I would like to challenge you in the wrestling ring,¡± he said with a deep voice.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    J narrowed her eyes at Daran

    ¡°You want to challenge me?¡± J let out a light chuckle. ¡°Why? Is it because I just pped your

    little girlfriend, and you want to avenge her now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about that.¡±

    Daran looked down at J from his towering height, eyes searching her face.

    ¡°I just want to see what you¡¯ve been hiding from me,¡± he said with a light voice.

    ¡°No!¡±

    Suddenly a loud voice interrupted their eye contact.

    Casper had stood up from his seat, a stern look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll not allow it!¡± Casper said gloomily, staring at Daran. ¡°This is ridiculous. You are an Alpha for

    Christ¡¯s sake! Your Alpha aura alone is enough to make people shit in their pants! This is not a fair

    game!

    $1

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is only a friendly exchange. We are not on the battlefield,¡± Daran said calmly. ¡°I

    won¡¯t use my Alpha aura if that¡¯s what worried you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just that¡ª¡±

    ¡°And to make it seem more reasonable-¡± Daran put his right hand into his pocket and said, ¡°-I¡¯ll only

    use my left hand during the fight.¡±

    An audible gasp came from the crowd.

    People were all stunned.

    Using only one hand?

    That hardly seemed possible! Even for an Alpha like Daran!

    Casper furrowed his brows tightly together. He still seemed unconvinced. But J spoke up at

    this

    moment:

    ¡°Sure. I ept your challenge.¡±

    ¡°J!¡± Casper cried out anxiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK. It¡¯s an honor to challenge Alpha Daran,¡± J said with a smile while keeping her eyes on

    Daran.

    When she was still Daran¡¯s Luna, she had heard many legends about Daran, like how he single¨C

    maned 50 rogues and blood¨Cbathed a rogue¡¯s stronghold in minutes.

    J had always known that Daran was an extraordinary warrior.

    Yet sadly, she was never allowed into the training field when she was in Riverside Pack.

    Now she finally had the chance.

    The idea of conquering him exhrated her.

    ¡°So does the winner have a prize?¡± J said to Daran with a provoking smile.

    Flight

    snort, ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡±

    ¡°If I win¡­¡±

    J walked up to him and trailed her index finger across his jawline.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll bow and kiss my hand while saying ¡®Gamma J I shouldn¡¯t challenge your majesty¡®,¡±

    she chuckled.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    Daran held his breath involuntarily.

    Her finger sent a chill down his spine.

    Yet there was an immediate disapproving sound from Riverside Pack.

    ¡°Our Alpha bows to nobody!¡± Baron roared.

    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s too much!¡±

    Daran raised a hand, silencing all his members.

    ¡°Deal,¡± he said hoarsely while staring at J. ¡°And if you lose?¡± ¡°Then you can ask me to do

    anything,¡± J smiled.

    With that established, both of them moved to the wrestling ring.

    Round 2 was about to begin!

    J squared her shoulders and red at her opponent.

    She knew that she was in for a tough fight.

    Daran towered over her, his muscles bulging with strength.

    But she weed the challenge.

    With a flick of her wrist and a twirl of her body, Junched herself at Daran, fists swinging!

    She aimed at his right side on purpose.

    Because Daran had promised to use his right hand, he had to step sideways to dodge.

    Then he feinted to the left, then quickly pivoted to the right,nding a powerful blow on J¡¯s

    shoulder!

    J stumbled.

    F**k that hurts!

    ¡°Careful,¡± Daran said with a hint of a smile.

    But J had quickly regained their bnce and retaliated with a flurry of jabs and hooks.

    Their fight went on, each blow aimed with precision and power.

    Yet something had changed at this point.

    Something strange began to happen-

    Their movements became fluid and graceful, a strange sort of dance that seemed almost¡­

    flirtatious.

    J dodged a blow, feeling the heat of Daran¡¯s breath on her cheek.

    She could see the surprise in his eyes as she twisted away, flipping over his head andnding on

    the other. side.

    This short interaction rendered both of them breathless and a quickening heart rate.

    People were watching closely by the ring.

    Eden gazed into the ring with a frown and then turned to Casper.

    ¡°Am I crazy?¡± he asked Casper perplexedly, ¡°Or are they seriously flirting?¡±

    Casper¡¯s jaw tensed.

    He gave Eden a deathly re and snapped, ¡°¡­Shut up.¡±

    5 minutes

    Passed.

    And they were still in a tie.

    J was beginning to feel exhausted, however. She wanted to end the fight soon with more

    powerful blows.

    But she forgot about defense when she was all about offense.

    Suddenly Daran caught an opening andnded a hard punch on her shoulder, sending J

    sted off

    her back!

    ¡°¡ª-J!!¡±

    Casper let out a loud roar and jumped onto the ring.

    He ran to J¡¯s side and gently held her into his arms, ¡°Oh my god! Are you OK?¡±

    J coughed and rubbed her shoulder.

    It hurt like hell. But she could take it.

    A hint of panic flickered across Daran¡¯s eyes as he rushed forward as well.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked while offering a hand to J.

    Casper pped Daran¡¯s hand away and barked, ¡°Friendly exchange my ass! You f**king hurt her!

    I¡¯m going to rip your throat apart-¡±

    Casper couldn¡¯t handle this.

    Hadn¡¯t Daran hurt his little sister enough?!

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± J coughed and patted Casper¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Casper. He didn¡¯t hurt me.¡±

    She got on her feet and moved around slightly, ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°OK, OK, you¡¯ve proved your point,¡± Casper quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°Now stay

    still. You need to be examined by Doctor Steve.¡±

    J sighed, ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    She then turned to Daran with a light smile, ¡°You win, Alpha Daran. Now you can tell me what you

    want me to do.¡±

    Daran stared at Casper¡¯s hand on J¡¯s waist, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell me when ites to mind.¡±

    J was carried off the ring by Casper.

    Daran followed after them.

    He was greeted by Harper as soon as he got off.

    ¡°Alpha!¡± Harper grabbed his hand and cried excitedly, ¡°Congrattions! I know you can win! What

    are you going to ask of her? You should ask her to kneel down and apologize to me in front of

    everyone!¡±

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t answer.

    He was still looking at J.

    J was now surrounded by a group of members from the Blood Moon Pack.

    Casper was rubbing her shoulders, while Eden wrapped her in his jacket.

    Everyone here adored her like a princess.

    Daran clenched his fists as an annoyed feeling rose in him.

    J used to belong solely to him¡­ Yet now, she was surrounded by a bunch of men. And he had

    no excuse toe up to her.

    ¡°Alpha?¡±

    Harper called him again, trying to get his attention back.

    Yet Daran suddenly shook off her hands and walked to J.

    When he came close, he heard Casper talking to J in a very intimate tone, ¡°You are all sweaty

    now. Let¡¯s go back to my room and you can shower and change there.¡±

    J nodded at Casper with a smile.

    Daran couldn¡¯t believe his ears.

    He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed J¡¯s wrist, ¡°You are going into his room to shower?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Casper cried in rage. ¡°What the f**k? Let go of her!¡±

    ¡°Answer me!¡±

    Daran ignored Casper while tightening his grip.

    Jealousy had clouded his mind.

    ¡°Shower in your Alpha¡¯s suite¡­¡± Daran hissed ring at J, ¡°Is this how you be Gamma?¡±

    Chapter u

    BANG!

    Casper threw a hard punch at Daran, knocking him to the side,

    ¡°Watch your f**king mouth!¡± Casper hissed, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are an Alpha or not! If you disrespect

    J again, I will f**king kill you!¡±

    Daran looked up to him darkly. His mouth was ripped but his gaze was sharp.

    ¡°Kill me?¡± Daran let out coldugh, ¡°If you think you can-¡±

    ¡°OK. That¡¯s enough. Both of you.¡±

    J came in between them. She first patted Casper¡¯s tensed shoulder to ease him up before

    turning over

    to Daran.

    A sarcastic smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯ve tested my skills yourself,¡± she said. ¡°I became Gamma because I¡¯m capable. That should be

    pretty clear to you already. As of why I¡¯m showering in Alpha Casper¡¯s suite-¡±

    She paused.

    Then meet with Daran¡¯s dark eyes.

    ¡°-Well, it¡¯s not you f**king business.¡± she chuckled.

    She turned on her heels and left the scene with Casper, Eden and everyone else from BloodMoon

    Pack. Daran remained frozen on his spot as the group of them walked away.

    J was right.

    It was not his f**king business anymore.

    He rejected her. And she became somebody else¡¯s now.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11

    ¡°Alpha! How could you let J walk away like that?¡± Harper rushed to his side while yelling. ¡°You

    haven¡¯t made her kneel down and apologize to me yet-

    Her chin was grabbed by Daran all of a sudden.

    Daran red at her and breathed:

    ¡°If you still want to stay in BloodMoon Pack safe and sound, you¡¯ll stay away from J and not

    mess with her. I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll save your ass next time. Do you hear me?¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Scared, Harper nodded quickly with tears.

    Daran shook her off and walked towards the hotel, leaving Harper stomp her feet in fury behind his

    back..

    In Casper¡¯s suite.

    J had finished shower and got changed.

    She came back into the living room and found Casper talking to Eden in a serious tone.

    ¡°¡­so I think we should kick him out of the alliance,¡± Casper said.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Kick whom out?¡± J walked close wiping her wet hair. ¡°What am I missing?¡±

    Eden gave Casper a helpless look, ¡°Your dear brother is thinking about kicking Riverside Pack out

    of the alliance. I¡¯m telling him it is a terrible idea. Can you back me up here J?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a great idea!¡± Casper cried, ¡°Riverside Pack was a bunch of losers maybe except their Alpha!

    And their Alpha is a total arse! We don¡¯t need them to defeat rogues-

    ¡°But we do.¡±

    J tossed her towel aside and faced Casper with a serious look.

    ¡±

    ¡°Brother, you don¡¯t need me to remind you that those rogues are very strong and I too was almost

    killed by them, do I?¡± J asked.

    Casper clenched his fists, ¡°How can I forget? I want to skin them alive every single day!¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why we must put our personal feelings aside and focus on the major goal here.¡± J

    said sternly, ¡°I won¡¯t let what happened in the past influence me. Will you, brother?¡±

    ¡°No! But¡­¡±

    Casper hesitated. Then he gave Eden a furious re.

    Eden spread his hands and shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. It¡¯s the wise thing to do. It doesn¡¯t hurt to

    listen to your Beta and Gamma once in a while.¡±

    Casper rubbed his hair frustratedly.

    Fine!¡± Casper groaned, rolling his eyes. ¡°But I think he is jealous of me. I¡¯m totally using that against

    him.¡±

    J smiled, ¡°Sure. Do as you want. But he stays because we still need him. Now let¡¯s go back to

    the meeting room.¡±

    When they returned to the meeting room downstairs, everyone had already been seated, including

    Daran.

    After what happened in the wrestling ring, nobody dared to challenge J¡¯s qualification anymore.

    People all looked at J in awe as Eden pulled the seat open for her to sit down.

    ¡°OK, so let¡¯s begin our official meeting, shall we?¡± Casper tabbed the table and said, ¡°The reason

    that brought us here today is one thing¨Crogues.¡±

    Everyone nodded along with him.

    ¡°Rogues are bing a very serious issue today,¡± Casper said sternly. ¡°They rob us, they

    ughter women and kids, and they burn down our viges. We offered them peace treaty before

    but they rejected it and killed our messenger¡­I think many people here today have been through a

    rogue attack before. Including my J. I almost lost her to rogues 6 months ago.¡±

    Daran¡¯s body strained.

    He looked over to J. But she had her eyes on Casper andpletely ignored Daran¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°So how do you propose we should tackle this problem, Alpha Casper?¡± Alpha Jared from Silver

    w Pack asked.

    ¡°An alliance is what we propose,¡± Casper said.

    He looked over to J, who stood up and took over the topic.

    ¡°We caught a few rogues a month before and managed to get the location of their stronghold.¡±

    J tabbed the remote and arge map was projected onto the big screen.

    She pointed at a circled area on the map:

    ¡°There. It¡¯s way up north. We must climb over a few mountains before reaching their territory. But as

    you can see, this ce is easy to defend but hard to attack. We need capable soldiers to take them

    down.¡±

    Her eyes traveled across the room.

    ¡°There are 5 packs in this room today. 5rgest pach

    alliance,¡± J said.

    There was a short silence.

    And Daran was the first to respond.

    n the world. We need all of you to form an

    ¡°Riverside Pack is on board,¡± he said with a deep voice

    But J didn¡¯t look back at him as he had hoped.

    Then Alpha Jared from Silver w Pack raised his hand as those rogues already.¡±

    One by one, all 5 packs agreed to join.

    at J.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it too. I¡¯m very sick of

    A bright smile appeared on J¡¯s face, ¡°Fantastic! So our n was to start the attack on rogues at

    the turn of next year, which leaves us about 6 months to train our soldiers together.¡±

    ¡°Where should we train them then?¡± Alpha Kai from ck Mountain Pack asked.

    ¡°Rogue¡¯s territory is way up north. So i think we should find a ce which has a simr climate

    condition. Therefor-

    11

    She finally turned her gaze to Daran.

    Daran¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    ¡°-I suggest we train our soldiers at Riverside Pack,¡± J said.

    There was a short silence while members from Riverside Pack exchanged looks of suspicious,

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Baron suddenly snapped.

    He shot up from his seat and pointed a finger at J crying:

    ¡°Who knew if the training is only a cover for you to spy on us? We won¡¯t invite people from other

    packs into our territory! Plus-¡±

    He crackled augh and stared at J with a nasty look.

    -Why do you propose our pack specifically? I think you still have a thing for our Alpha and are using

    his training as an excuse to approach him!¡±

    ¡®But you better kill that thought immediately because our Alpha already has Lady Harper!¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12

    There was a ringing silence in the room.

    At this point, everyone had sensed the tension between BloodMoon Pack and Riverside Pack

    Casper¡¯s face darkened significantly. He red at Baron as though he was going to jump up and

    ripped. Baron¡¯s throat open the next second.

    Yet J remained calm.

    She slightly leant forward and braced his hands on the table, staring at Baron, ¡°You want me to

    exin why I¡¯m choosing your pack as the training site?¡±

    Baron puffed his chest, ¡°Yeah. I think I deserve to know.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± J let out an icy chuckle, ¡°Who the f**k are you? Since when does Riverside Pack let its

    Gamma make all the decisions?¡±

    ¡°You-!¡±

    Baron¡¯s face turned purple. He was about to burst into roars when Daran¡¯s Beta Justin tugged at his

    sleeve.

    Baron turned around and found Daran staring at him coldly.

    Daran¡¯s sharp gaze rendered him afraid.

    Shivering slightly, Baron lowered his head and sat back without a word.

    ¡°What do you say, Alpha Daran?¡± Eden pursued.

    Daran focused his gaze on J and nodded, ¡°We¡¯d be happy to host it.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic! It settles then.¡±

    Casper pped his hands together and stood upughing:

    ¡°We¡¯ll bring our soldiers into Riverside Pack half a monthter. In the meantime, please feel free to

    explore BloodMoon Pack!¡±

    The meeting was dismissed, and everybody filed out together.

    Daran was dragged behind by Casper negotiating some details about the training.

    When they finally moved out of the meeting room, they found J talking to Alpha Jared from

    Silver w Pack in the hallway.

    ¡°This is my first time in the BloodMoon Pack,¡± Jared said briskly to her. ¡°I must say you¡¯ve got quite

    a scenery here.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± J nodded while smiling politely. ¡°Many tourists pour into our pack during the summer.

    We are well¨Cknown for ourkes and waterfalls.¡±

    Jared was encouraged by J¡¯s friendly attitude and moved even closer to her.

    He shed his baby¨Cblue eyes and asked with his s*xy voice, ¡°You seem to be very familiar of

    BloodMoon Pack. Are you from here originally?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So Casper and Daran¡­Are you dating one of them? Or both?¡±

    datin

    J let out a small chuckle, ¡°I don¡¯t know where the rumores from. But I¡¯m single.¡±

    The corner of Jared¡¯s lips lifted into a charming smile as he said;

    ¡°Fabulous.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, well¡­¡®

    Casper crossed his arm. Imed to Daran, who had a dark look on his face right now.

    ¡°Seems like J¡¯s admirers are lining up right now. But it¡¯s only natural. Who can resist her

    charm?¡± Casper shrugged yfully.

    Daran clenched his fists.

    in time to catch Jared¡¯s

    He suddenly strode forward and walked towards the talking couple. He was just in time to catch

    Jared¡¯s invitation when he came close:

    ¡°¡­So nobody would mind if I take you to one of those waterfalls? I¡¯d like to have a local to show me

    around-¡±

    J smiled and was about to say something when Daran came abruptly between them.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t ask her.¡±

    Daran kept J behind his back and faced Jared with a cold look.

    ¡°There are tour brochures everywhere,¡± Daran said with a freezing tone. ¡°I can ask my man to bring

    you a copy if you are too stupid to find one yourself.¡±

    Jaret snorted.

    ¡°Daran Albright, sharp and mean as ever.¡± Jaret tilted his head to the side and looked at J.

    ¡°Thank you for your advice but I¡¯m asking Gamma J here. Who are you to interrupt us?¡±

    ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Alpha Jared, I¡¯m happy to do it.¡± J walked out from Daran¡¯s back and smiled, ¡°The

    weather should be nice tomorrow. Shall we hike to the Great Waterfall tomorrow morning at 7?¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°Great!¡± Jaredughed.

    Daran¡¯s face was twisting in rage.

    He suddenly grabbed J¡¯s shoulder and spined her around to face him and blurted out angrily:

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?! This guy is a f**king yboy! He specializes in ying with women! Do

    you want to get rejected, AGAIN?¡±

    His roar echoed in the hallway.

    J¡¯s face gradually turned dark.

    Jared looked between the two of them and suddenly burst intoughter, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous Daran!

    Who is stupid enough to reject J?¡±

    Then he gently rescued J¡¯s wrist from Daran¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Keep your hand to yourself,¡± he said to Daran half¨Cthreatening and half¨Cjoking. ¡°We all know you

    are a strong Alpha. There¡¯s no need to demonstrate your strength on ady.¡±

    J rubbed her wrist and nodded at Jared with a smile, ¡°Thank you. So tomorrow at 7?¡±

    Jared blinked, ¡°It¡¯s a date.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Casper squeezed himself between the two of them andughed, ¡°Count me in! I can¡¯t

    miss a trip to the Great Waterfall!¡±

    The three of them walked away together, talking excitedly about ns for tomorrow.

    Daran remained on his spot.

    There was a dark, gloomy look on his face as he stared at their back¡­

    The next morning.

    J got up early and refreshed herself.

    She put her hair into a high ponytail and got dressed in a sport bra and leggings.

    When she moved downstairs, her best friend Balvina had been waiting for her at the hotel lobby.

    Balvina was a female warrior at BloodMoon Pack, She and J became closest friend soon after

    J was imed back to BloodMoon Pack 6 months ago.

    Last night when Balvina heard about the trip to the Great Waterfall, she enthusiastically volunteered

    to tag along.

    J agreed with pleasure.

    She knew that Balvina had a secret crush on her brother Casper. She had been trying to fix her up

    with Casper for a while.

    While waiting for Jared and Casper to arrive, J told Balvina about what happened the other day

    during the meeting.

    Sure enough, Balvina turned furious.

    ¡°Oh my god that Daran is such a jerk!¡± Balvina clenched her fists and snapped, ¡°He refused to save

    your life and then rejected you. And now what? He is not happy with you hanging out with Jared? I

    think he can go suck his own dick!¡±

    J shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s just ssic Daran.¡±

    When she was still his Luna, she often got confused over Daran¡¯s constant mood¨Cswings. He often

    got angry over something she never did and gave her the cold shoulder.

    Luckily for her now, she didn¡¯t have to guess his thoughts anymore.

    ¡°So what¡¯s his deal then?¡± Balvina nudged at J, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think he still loves you and wants

    to im you back now?¡±

    ¡°No way. He clearly likes Harper now,¡± J said firmly. ¡°And I¡¯d never agree to that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Though I still think you should kick both of their asses-

    Balvina suddenly froze.

    She looked over J¡¯s shoulder and murmured in frustration, ¡°¡­Oh what the hell?¡±

    ¡°What? Are they here?¡±

    J turned around following Balvina¡¯s gaze.

    A tall, handsome man dressed in sportswear with a hiking bag on his back just walked into the

    lobby. He easily became the center of every girl¡¯s attention when he appeared.

    But it¡¯s not Casper nor Jared.

    It was Daran.

    Daran walked over to J and Balvina. When he received their hostile res, he casually raised

    an eyebrow and said:

    ¡°Why? Only you are allowed to the Great Waterfall?¡±

    J had a headache seeing this Alpha show up ¨C this trip is going to be a tough one with Jared,

    Casper, and Daran altogether.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13

    Eventually there were 6 people who went on this trip.

    J, Balvina, Casper, Jared, Daran and Harper, who showed up at thest minute and insisted to

    stay

    close to Daran.

    Balvina was furious about thosest two who invited themselves.

    She wanted to kick them out, but J tugged at her sleeve gesturing her not to say anything.

    ¡°Why are you stopping me? We should totally ask them to f**k themselves!¡± Balvina hissed with a

    low voice while throwing daggers at Daran and Harper.

    ¡°Be cool, Balvina,¡± J smiled lightly and strengthened her backpack. ¡°Alpha Daran was right. The

    Great Waterfall is opened to the public. I can¡¯t stop them from going there. They just happen to

    share a path with us.¡±

    Balvina let out a frustrated sigh, ¡°God J¡­you are too nice sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not nice. I just didn¡¯t care,¡± J shrugged.

    She looked over her shoulder to Daran and Harper at the end of their team.

    Harper was the only one not dressed in sportswear today.

    She was wearing a white dress and scandal. It fit her well but seemed hardly appropriate for a

    hiking trip. This was very typical Harper.

    Eventually there were 6 people who went on this trip.

    J, Balvina, Casper, Jared, Daran and Harper, who showed up at thest minute and insisted to

    stay close to Daran.

    Balvina was furious about thosest two who invited themselves.

    She wanted to kick them out, but J tugged at her sleeve gesturing her not to say anything.

    ¡°Why are you stopping me? We should totally ask them to f**k themselves!¡± Balvina hissed with a

    low voice while throwing daggers at Daran and Harper.

    ¡°Be cool, Balvina,¡± J smiled lightly and strengthened her backpack. ¡°Alpha Daran was right. The

    Great Waterfall is opened to the public. I can¡¯t stop them from going there. They just happen to

    share a path with us.¡±

    Balvina let out a frustrated sigh, ¡°God J¡­you are too nice sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not nice. I just didn¡¯t care,¡± J shrugged.

    She looked over her shoulder to Daran and Harper at the end of their team.

    Harper was the only one not dressed in sportswear today.

    She was wearing a white dress and scandal. It fit her well but seemed hardly appropriate for a

    hiking trip.

    This was very typical Harper.

    When they were still child in Riverside Pack, Harper would often wear inappropriate shoes or

    clothes to hunting trips.

    Then when her feet started to hurt, she would force J to exchange shoes with her.

    J couldn¡¯t say no because Harper was everyone¡¯s little princess and nobody would want Harper

    to get hurt.

    In the end, J had to limp her way back home in those ill¨Cfitting shoes, which often caused her

    feet to bleed for 2-3 days.

    Thinking about those pasts, J let out a snort internally and withdrew her eyes.

    She definitely wouldn¡¯t exchange shoes with Harper now.

    She couldn¡¯t wait to see what Harper would do this time.

    The group of them set off from the hotel and took a ssic hiking route into the mountain.

    30 minutester, the breathtakingndscape of rolling mountains and dense woods gradually

    unfolded in front of them.

    It happened to be summertime right now.

    The mountains were alive with activity as wildlife buzzed and rustled amidst the leafy canopy.

    The majestic trees, cloaked in verdant foliage, offered a cool refuge from the scorching sun.

    J was walking by Jared¡¯s side the whole time, serving as his tour guide.

    Now she pointed into the distance and said, ¡°From here you can get a peek of the Great Waterfall

    already. Here is also a great spot to observe rainbow if the weather permits.¡±

    Jared took in a deep breath and smiled, ¡°Right I can already smell water. It¡¯s so beautiful out here.

    There¡¯s nothing much to see in my pack besides desert and oasis. Is there a way to stay in your

    pack forever?¡±

    J let out a small giggle, ¡°You¡¯ll have to renounce your position as Alpha first. It¡¯s arge

    sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°Or¡­¡±

    Casper chimed in and yfully winked at them, ¡°You can mate with someone in BloodMoon Pack

    and therefore be a permanent member.¡±

    Jared grinned, his light blue eyes twinkling with joy.

    ??

    ¡°It sounded like a great n,¡± heughed.

    A few steps back, Harper was ring at the three of them in burning jealousy.

    Those idiotic men!

    Why were they all chasing behind J?

    Couldn¡¯t they see that J was old and dumb and wasn¡¯t that pretty to look at?

    Harper couldn¡¯t ept it.

    Back in Riverside Pack, she was the center of attention, not J! Young men would line up in front

    of her and no one would spare a nce at her stupid sister.

    How could J get their attention so easily now?

    And they were all Alphas!

    Gritting her teeth, Harper quickened her pace and caught up with them.

    ¡°J, I¡¯m surprised you know so much about BloodMoon Pack!¡± Harper let out a fake giggle, ¡°I

    thought you just came here not long ago.¡±

    J frowned.

    Jared seemed surprised to hear that, ¡°Really? J, I thought you grew up in here. Was I wrong?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I spent my childhood in another pack,¡± J replied coolly and gave Harper a warning

    look. Yet Harper was still babbling, ¡°Right. Didn¡¯t you get rejected somewhere else before you came

    back here?¡±

    A deadly silence fell upon them.

    Harper covered her mouth with her hand and giggled, ¡°Be careful with these rejected women Alpha

    Jared. From where I came from, we call them¡­damaged goods.¡±

    Daran suddenly jerked his head up.

    He red at Harper in disbelief as though he couldn¡¯t believe such words just came from her

    mouth.

    Balvina and Casper both seemed furious.

    Balvina had already raised her hands and was ready to p Harper the next second-

    ¡°You were really rejected before?¡± Jared suddenly asked.

    J paused and nodded, ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to hide this from Jared.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°Rejected, kidnapped, and then you became the Gamma?¡± Jared said in awe, ¡°You are a fabulous

    woman J! If anything, it only makes me like you more.¡±

    He stared at J with smiley eyes and said, ¡°As for the idiot who dared to reject you, I think he

    could go f**k himself for the rest of his life.¡±

    J couldn¡¯t help butugh with him.

    Harper¡¯s face was twisted in rage right now.

    She had expected Jared to grow sick of her J.

    But why didn¡¯t things go as she nned!

    She was about to say something else when arge hand grabbed her shoulder.

    Jerking around, Harper found Daran looking down at her with cold eyes.

    ¡°Stop saying things about me and J anymore,¡± his voice was low and intimidating. ¡°Or I¡¯m

    sending you home, right now!¡±

    Without waiting for Harper to answer, Daran abandoned her and walked forward.

    Harper stared at his back in grievance.

    She could sense Daran¡¯s impatience already¡­This couldn¡¯t be happening¡­She must find a way to

    salvage it¡­

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    The rest of the group turned around and found Harper copsed on the ground.

    She was rubbing her ankle in tear.

    ¡°What now?¡± Balvina snapped. She was so sick of this clown!

    ¡°I¡­I slipped¡­¡± Harper sobbed with tears in her

    eyes.

    ¡°Who can you me?¡± Balvina rolled her eyes. ¡°You are wearing scandals. You are lucky you didn¡¯t

    break your neck.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­It¡¯s all my fault¡­I¡¯m sorry for being such a huge burden¡­¡±

    Harper cried desperately.

    She wiped her tears and stole a peek at J.

    ¡°I¨CI was wondering if Gamma J is willing to exchange shoes with me?¡± she asked with a pity

    voice. ¡°We are about the same size¡­ You are a strong Gamma. Surely you don¡¯t need shoes to

    travel between mountains¡­¡±

    J folded her arms with a half¨Csmile on her face.

    ¡°So you me your scandals?¡± J asked.

    Harper quickly nodded, ¡°Yes I-

    J strode over and ripped Harper¡¯s scandals off her feet.

    Raising her arm, J threw those scandals directly off the cliff.

    ¡°NO¨C!!!¡±

    Harper screamed sharply and crawled to the edge of the cliff.

    But her scandal was gone already.

    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Harper shrieked in anger.

    ¡°You med your scandals. I was simply helping you to get rid of your problem.¡±

    J¡¯s mouth stretched into arge smile.

    ¡°Up on your feet and walk now,¡± J said briskly. ¡°You are a werewolf. Surely walking with bare

    feet isn¡¯t an issue for you.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14

    Harper copsed on the ground, ring at J in rage with tears in her eyes. But clearly nobody

    was willing to help her.

    Casper and Balvina were looking down at her with a sarcastic smile on their faces.

    Jared wasn¡¯t even paying attention to her. He was gazing into the direction of the waterfall.

    Harper felt utterly humiliated.

    She snapped her head towards Daran and begged with a trembling voice:

    ¡°Alpha¡­¡±

    Daran frowned, an unreadable look on his face.

    Harper suddenly grabbed his pants. She straightened her upper body and sobbed, ¡°Alpha, please¡­

    I really can¡¯t walk on the ground like this. It¡¯s so muddy. You know how delicate my feet are¡­¡±

    Balvina let out snort loud enough for everyone to hear, ¡°Delicate my ass. Why don¡¯t you just stay

    inside then.¡±

    Harper pretended she didn¡¯t hear Balvina¡¯s sarcasm.

    She focused her eyes on Daran and begged with a low voice only the two of them could hear:

    ¡°Please Alpha¡­Do you still remember the year when we were 8¡­in the forest?¡±

    Daran¡¯s body suddenly became tense.

    8 years old.

    Forest.

    Those words triggered his memory from the past.

    He was 8 years old at the time. And it was winter. He ran deep into the forest without telling

    anybody and got lost there.

    He passed out on the snow ground. Cold and starving. He thought he was about to die.

    Yet when he woke up, he found himself back home already with Harper by his side.

    Harper told him that it was her who brought him back from the forest. He was so heavy that

    she had to carry him with all her might.

    She even lost her shoes for it. Had to walk back on snowy ground with bare feet.

    Her delicate feet were covered by scratches, blood and mud.

    Daran had been having a soft spot for Harper ever since then.

    He was very disappointed to find J to be his mate instead of Harper.

    Taking in deep breath now, Daran crouched down in front of Harper and said:

    ¡°Climb up here.¡±

    If Harper could carry him back from the forest on bare feet, he could also carry her through the rest

    of this trip.

    It was the right thing to do.

    A bright smile immediately appeared on Harper¡¯s face.

    She quickly climbed onto Daran¡¯s back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

    ¡®Alpha, you are the best. Thank you,¡± she whispered softly into his cars.

    When they walked pass by J, Harper purposely threw a condescending look at J.

    J withdrew her look back from them.

    J knew that Daran would be soft to Harper.

    He had always chosen to be on Harper¡¯s side no matter what.

    J snorted coldly as a bitter smile appeared on her lips.

    Whatever. She didn¡¯t care anymore.

    Her feeling towards Daran had died 6 months when he rejected her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± J smiled at Jared and continued her path.

    Another 2 hourster, they finally arrived at the Great Waterfall.

    This was the most famous tourist site in BloodMoon Pack. Many people hiked 5-6 hours just

    to be here to observe the majestic waterfall.

    As J¡¯s group approached the waterfall, they are greeted by the gentle murmur of cascading

    water that trickles down the rocks.

    Though not towering, one can still feel the power of the waterfall. The water sshes and bounces

    on the rocks below, throwing refreshing droplets in the air as it dances its way downstream.

    Everyone was taken aback by the great power of the waterfall.

    Even Harper let out a small gasp of astonishment.

    ¡°Feel the air!¡±

    Jared spread his arms and took a deep breath of the refreshing cool breeze, ¡°I could just live

    here the whole summer!¡±

    ¡°Not only the summer. This is a great ce toe to even during the winter,¡± J said with a

    faint smile.

    When she was first brough back to BloodMoon Pack, she couldn¡¯t cope with her lost. So she would

    spent hours hiking to the Great Waterfall and then camped in the wildness to spend the night.

    It was with the loud sshing sound of water that she could finally find some sleeps. She was really

    in a lost that time¡­

    Jared tilted his head and noticed a fleeting sadness on J¡¯s face.

    He paused a little and suddenly spoke up in a joyful tone:

    ¡°Do you know what we should all do?¡±

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Cliff diving!¡±

    Everyone seemed intrigued, except for Harper.

    Harper¡¯s face turned pale immediately after she head about Jared¡¯s suggestion. ¡°What? Are you

    crazy?¡± She blurted out in panic, ¡°The cliff must be like 100 feet high!!¡±

    Jared turned around and gave her an amused look, ¡°What about it? You are a werewolf. You can¡¯t

    be afraid of a little height like this. Don¡¯t you have diving training when you were

    little?¡±

    ¡°Look at the kid over there,¡± Balvina added coolly and pointed at the distance. ¡°Even little kids like

    them aren¡¯t afraid.¡±

    Everybody looked at that direction.

    There was indeed a group of 8 or 9 years old gleefully jumping off the cliff and diving into. the

    water.

    Their loudughter echoed in the valley.

    Balvina stared at Harper¡¯s pale face and sneered ironically, ¡°Is a grownup from Riverside Pack

    more cowardly than our little kid?¡±

    Harper gritted her teeth and carefully peeked at the cliff.

    She quickly brought her gaze back in fear.

    No¡­it was too high! She couldn¡¯t!

    She did have diving training when she was a child. But she skipped all those trainings by forcing

    J to fill her in.

    She and her brothers wereughing their hearts out when J struggled in the water. Harper was

    so sure that she didn¡¯t have to learn about diving.

    She was a princess!

    No princess would have to dive.

    How could she foresee a day like this?!

    While Harper was busy panicking, Jared had pulled his shirt off and came to the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead. You guys catch up!¡± he yelled joyfully.

    Spreading his arms wide open, Jared jumped off the cliff and dived directly into the water, making a

    small ssh as hended.

    Secondster, he swam back to the water surface and waved at them yelling:

    ¡°That was fantastic! You guyse on-!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Harper shook her head frantically while stepping back, ¡°That guy not seriously following him

    ¡ª¡±

    is insane! You are

    She looked to others for support.

    Yet to her shock, the rest of the group was undressing themselves already.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°It sounds like fun.¡±

    J stretched her arms a little and walked to the edge. She dived many times before. But 100 feet

    high was no doubt a new height for her.

    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± a voice suddenly came from her side.

    J looked back and found Daran staring at her closely.

    He had taken his T¨Cshirt off and was only dressed in a sport short right now.

    His muscr chest, broad shoulder and perfectly tanned skin could easily make any girl

    faint over excitement.

    J felt her check ming and quickly looked away, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯m not Harper.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Daran¡¯s voice came a little closer, his hot breath spreading on her ears. ¡°Then why do

    you seem edgy now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not-¡±

    Before J could voice out her protest, Daran suddenly grabbed her hand.

    ¡°Let me help you.¡±

    He smiled at her.

    ¡°1-2¨CJump!¡±

    Holding hands tighter, they jumped.

    They drew a beautiful curve in the sky and dived into water together.

    Up on the cliff, Harper let out a sharp cry and rushed to edge, ¡°NO! Alpha¡ª¡±

    She couldn¡¯t believe this!

    Why was Daran holding J¡¯s hand? He should be disgusted of her!

    And how could Daran jump with J and left her here? He knew she was afraid!

    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s only the three of us left.¡±

    Harper slowly turned her back and found Casper and Balvina grinning at her.

    ¡°Do you want to go first?¡±

    There was a crocked smile on Balvina¡¯s face as she closed in upon Harper.

    ¡°I can give you a little nudge if you like,¡± Balvina chuckled.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15

    ¡°No-! Don¡¯te any closer to me! I¡¯m warning you!!¡±

    Harper snapped in panic while backing away from Balvina. Balvina snickered, ¡°Or what? Are you

    going to kill me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Riverside Pack¡¯s princess!¡± Harper snapped, her voice high and shrill. ¡°And I have 3 big

    brothers in my family! Don¡¯t you darey a finger on me-¡±

    Balvina suddenly burst into loudughter. Sheughed so hard that she had to bend down and

    cover her belly.

    ¡°Princess my ass! Your parents are both citizens. You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± Balvina jabbed at

    Harper¡¯s chest and snapped, ¡°You aren¡¯t even suitable to be an Alpha¡¯s maid!¡± Harper¡¯s face twisted

    in rage, ¡°Alpha Daran and his family all adore me-¡±

    Balvina cracked augh, ¡°But this is BloodMoon Pack. Nobody gives a shit about you here.¡±

    Balvina¡¯s gaze was fierce, which made Harper quiver in fear.

    And she was left with nowhere to escape¨Cher back heel was touching the edge of the cliff already.

    Harper didn¡¯t dare to face Balvina directly. So she instead turned to Casper and cried out with a

    pitiful voice:

    ¡°Alpha Casper help! Please talk some sense into thisdy here! You must have heard about my

    body condition¡­I can¡¯t dive¡­¡®

    ¨C

    Harper had used this trick many times to be weak and pathetic in front of men.

    It always got what she wanted.

    A

    Yet this time, Alpha Casper only crossed his arms and stared at her with a raised eyebrow. He

    seemed amused as though he was looking at a clown.

    ¡°How would I know? I don¡¯t f**king know you,¡± Casper said idly. ¡°Please stop talking to me. Your

    voice disgusts me.¡±

    Harper widened her eyes in disbelief..

    This was unbelievable¡­he didn¡¯t even seem sympathetic towards her¡­how could BloodMoon

    Pack¡¯s men be this cruel?!

    A hand suddenly seized Harper¡¯s cor.

    Balvina came close to Harper¡¯s face and hissed in fury:

    ¡°Do you like to seduce other people¡¯s men so much? No one had taught you a lesson before, huh?¡±

    Harper grabbed Balvina¡¯s wrist, her heart jumping up to her throat, ¡°No¨C1, I didn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Then here¡¯s a lesson for you!¡±

    Balvina suddenly shoved against Harper¡¯s shoulder!

    With a sharp cry, Harper¡¯fell directly off the cliff.

    ***

    Under the cliff.

    J had swum up to the surface, breathing heavily.

    Diving was fun. It made her forget all of her troubles,

    But she had never been a big fun of water.

    When they were little, Harper always forced Harper to take all the swimming and diving lessons for

    her. J had be a little hydrophobia since then.

    A sshing sound came from behind her back.

    Then arge hand was ced on her shoulder, helping her to regain bnce in the water.

    ¡°Are you OK?¡± Daran¡¯s husky voice rang besides her cars.

    J shivered as a chill was sent down her spine.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you, Alpha Daran,¡± J avoided his hand and replied with a m voice.

    She turned to face Daran.

    He was floating on water, his smoky grey eyes on her. Water drops drippled down his handsome

    portrait, glittering in the sunshine like diamonds.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    He seemed dazzling handsome in the golden afternoon hue, like a god or fairy.

    No wonder so many girls in Riverside Pack had gone crazy for him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Daran suddenly said.

    J stared at him calmly, ¡°For what?¡±

    Did he want to apologize for rejecting her 6 months ago?

    Or for standing by and letting rogues kill her?

    ¡°For Harper,¡± Daran said deeply. ¡°She behaved badly since she arrived. I hope you can cut her a

    ck. She was still a little girl¡­and your sister.¡±

    J¡¯s heart sankpletely.

    She was so na?ve to think that he was about to apologize for something about her.

    As it turned out that all he ever cared about was Harper.

    ¡°You are wrong,¡± J said to him coldly. ¡°Harper isn¡¯t my sister.¡±

    It probably hurt less since they weren¡¯t rted at all.

    Daran frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I know you¡¯re still holding a grudge towards her. But there¡¯s no

    need to say something so cruel.¡±

    J was done talking to him.

    Jared had swum to the shore already and was waving at them, ¡°J! Come up! Do you need a

    hand?¡±

    J smiled and raised her voice answering, ¡°Coming!¡±

    She was about to swim away. But Daran grabbed her shoulder.

    ¡°Are you going to leave with him again?¡± his voice sounded irritated, ¡°We¡¯re not finished here!¡±

    J struggled harshly trying to break free from him.

    She was about to snap at him when a loud sshing sound came from nearby.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16

    Did J get frostbite before?

    Those scars seemed rtively old.

    So maybe she got it when she was kidnapped by those rogues?

    Yes, that must be it¡­

    Daran¡¯s line of thinking was interrupted by Harper¡¯s wailing the next second,

    ¡°I didn¡¯t take those lessons because of my body condition¡­¡± Harper shook Daran¡¯s arm and

    sobbed, ¡°Alpha please tell them.¡±

    Daran took a deep breath and looked back to her.

    ¡°You clearly aren¡¯t feeling well,¡± Daran said coolly and stood up, ¡°You should head back to the

    hotel.¡±

    Harper bit her lips with tears forming in here eyes, ¡°But¡­but how? I twisted my ankle earlier and

    was almost drown to death just a minute ago. I can¡¯t walk back by myself, Unless¡­¡®

    She carefully stole a peek at Casper.

    ¡°¡­Unless Alpha Casper is willing to deploy a helicopter for me?¡± Harper asked softly, ¡°We have one

    of those back in Riverside Pack. Daran always sent one to fetch me home when I was too tired of

    walking.¡±

    Casper let out a light snort.

    ¡°Yes. We have a helicopter,¡± Casper said with a sarcastic smile. ¡°But here in BloodMoon Pack,

    helicopters are only used for delivering corpse. Most able¨Cbodied werewolves still prefer to walk.¡±

    A brighter smile appeared on Casper¡¯s face as he asked: ¡°Do you want to squeeze in with the dead

    Miss Harper?¡±

    Harper¡¯s face turned pale instantly, ¡°No¡­thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    Daran frowned as though he couldn¡¯t bear with Harper¡¯s nonsense anymore, ¡°I¡¯m taking you

    home.¡±

    He stretched his body a little bit.

    And then he shifted.

    front

    A gigantic ck wolf appeared in of everyone¡¯s eyes.

    Casper narrowed his eyes slightly on Daran¡¯s wolf. He could now see how Daran became a world¡¯s

    top Alpha.

    This wolf alone was intimidating to look at.

    Harper revealed a gleeful smile and quickly climbed onto the wolf¡¯s back. She hugged the wolf¡¯s

    back and buried her face into its soft fur.

    ¡°I know you still care about me, Alpha.¡± She said softly.

    Letting out a long howl, the wolf lunged forward and dashed into the forest. With its top speed, they

    should be back in the hotel within an hour.

    J stared at them as they traveled away.

    A bitter feeling seized her heart.

    speed, they should be back in the hotel within an hour.

    J stared at them as they traveled away.

    A bitter feeling seized her heart.

    When she was still Daran¡¯s Luna, she once asked him if she could ride on his back.

    But Daran refused her firmly, telling her that no Alpha would allow people to ride on their back.

    Yet now. He was making an exception for Harper.

    Daran just disappointed her once again.

    Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Harper turned around with a bright smile and said to the

    rest of the group:

    ¡°So¡­.shall we go diving again now?¡±

    ***

    That day they ended up having a st.

    The four of them dived many times till they got tired. Casper and Jared caught some fishes in the

    lake and they built a camp fire to grill the fish.

    They didn¡¯t head back home until sunset.

    After the day of the hiking trip, J focused entirely on pack businesses.

    There was about a week left before they headed down to Riverside Pack. As the Gamma, she had

    to work out the list of soldiers who were going to the training and the n of how to get there.

    Balvina was going with her. And so was Casper.

    o nail down the training Per.

    He would n with other Alphas beforeing back to BloodMoon Pack.

    J was so caught up in ho

    business that she didn¡¯t even notice something

    weird¨CHarper had been unexceptionally quiet during the past week.

    She never even came out of her own suite as thought she waspletely intimidated by J.

    On thest day of this week, Alpha Casper threw a farewell party in the hotel¡¯s banquet hall.

    would

    After tonight, all guests return back to their own pack.

    And those who were selected to train would head down to Riverside Pack.

    The party began at 8. J appeared by

    Yet she received quite a few hostile gle front door r

    as soon

    precisely at that time.

    as sho

    entered the hall.

    People had been surveying her from head to toe while whispering in small groups:

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s her¡­Gamma J.

    ¡°¡­How cruel¡­how can we trust a heartless person like her to train our soldiers?¡±

    ¡®¡­indeed¡­

    J frowned and walked past the crowd.

    She found Balvina in the middle of a heated discussion with Casper in the corner.

    ¡°J! Oh my god you are finally here!! Balvina grabbed J¡¯s arm and hissed urgently

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17

    On the day of the departure.

    An army of BloodMoon Pack soldiers was gathered by the borderline at dawn.

    Daran and Harper would ride with the BloodMoon troops going back to Riverside. Other pack¡¯s

    Alpha, such as Jared, would go back to their own pack and assemble the army before joining them

    in Riverside.

    Harper gazed viciously at J, who was walking between lines to check on her soldiers.

    J¡¯s long braid swung behind her back as she walked. Her figure seemed petitepared

    to all those sturdy werewolf soldiers. But all those Alpha¨Cmale bowed to her respectively when she

    came close.

    Harper clenched her fists in fury.

    She couldn¡¯t believe J was winning all those guys¡® attention! What a bunch of losers!

    Then an evil grin appeared on Harper¡¯s face again.

    They were now heading back to Riverside. That¡¯s her territory, full of her supporters.

    She would make sure that bitchy J sufferter.

    J finished with the check¨Cups and walked to the side.

    Jared was there waiting for her.

    ¡°So I guess I¡¯ll see you in Riverside Packter,¡± Jared smiled.

    ¡°Yes I believe so,¡± J said.

    Jared¡¯s light blue eyes looked beyond J¡¯s shoulder and to Daran, who was staring closely at

    them in the distance.

    ¡°Hopefully when Ie back to you, you are still single.¡± Jared winked yfully at her, ¡°Since

    you¡¯ve got quite some admirers right now.¡±

    ¡°You are joking.¡± Jughed, ¡°I¡¯m going to Riverside Pack for training, not dating.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on that.¡±

    Jared suddenly leant forward and pulled J into his arms for a hug. J was startled for a

    moment. But his gesture was polite so she didn¡¯t push him away.

    ¡°See youter, my Gamma princess.¡± Jared whispered, while locking eyes with Daran.

    Seeing Daran¡¯s face darken, Jared smiled even more brightly andnded a kiss on J¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡±

    After saying goodbye with Jared, J turned and walked towards Daran and Harper,

    ¡°Alpha Daran,¡± she said with an all¨Cprofessional voice. ¡°Would you like to drive your own car? Or

    would you like to ride with our troops?¡±

    Daran¡¯s body had be strained when he saw Jared kissing J and she epted it.

    Now hearing J talking to him so aloofly, Daran seemed more irritated.

    ¡°I want you to ride in my car,¡± he said sternly, his sharp gaze on her.

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°I need to talk to you about the training.¡± Daran looked down at her with a poker face, ¡°We have 4-5

    hours to my pack. It¡¯s the perfect timing.¡±

    ¡°Alpha!¡± Harper whispered besides Daran, ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t want to be the same car with her.¡®

    But Daran totally ignored her. He was still waiting for J¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t exploit my Gamma like that,¡± Casper said loudly while walking towards them with

    Balvina.

    He wrapped his arms around J¡¯s shoulder and grinned at Daran, ¡°We have plenty of time after

    we arrived at Riverside. For now, I just want to her to rest. So of course she rides in my car.¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes, ¡°I think J can make her own decision. And can you not put your

    hands on her shoulder without asking her?¡±

    Casper revealed a bright smile at him, ¡°Oh I think J doesn¡¯t mind.¡±

    These tworge men red at each other. Tension was building up.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°OK that¡¯s enough.¡± J sighed, ¡°Alpha Daran, I can ride in your car if you like. There¡¯s no need to

    fight about that.¡±

    Daran¡¯s face finally softened.

    ¡°Fine. I respect your decision darling.¡± Casper shrugged and then nted a kiss on J¡¯s

    forehead, ¡°I¡¯ll always be waiting for you in my car.¡±

    Heughed and walked away.

    Balvina followed behind his back. She deliberately yelled at Harper before leaving, ¡°Oh and Miss

    Harper, we have an ambnce prepared for you in case you get car sick or anything during the trip.

    Please don¡¯t sue as for being cruel again!¡±

    Balvina¡¯s voice was loud enough for everyone on the za to hear.

    People all turned to gaze at Harper smiling sarcastically.

    Harper¡¯s face turned ming red instantly.

    Daran didn¡¯t notice Harper¡¯s embarrassment at all.

    He was ring at Casper¡¯s back until he disappeared into the distance.

    Then he directed his gaze back to J and snapped, ¡°How many men do you have to kiss in one

    day?¡±

    He had no idea how J became so easy in 6 months!

    J¡¯s look turned cold slightly, ¡°It¡¯s only courtesy, Alpha Daran. But probably a northern savage

    like you won¡¯t understand.¡±

    Daran almost threw a punch at his car.

    Northern salvage?!

    Had she forgotten where she came from originally?

    Or did she think these southern yboys like Casper and Jared were all beyond him?

    J didn¡¯t ponder on this topic any longer and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should get going

    now.¡±

    Daran still seemed in fume. He got in the driver¡¯s seat and mmed the door shut with a

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18

    In Riverside Pack.

    A ck Benz was parked by the road. Beside the car, a chubby, middle¨Caged woman was sitting in

    an armchair letting a maid rub her fat shoulder from the back.

    ¡°How much longer?¡± Mrs. Hellen Diaz closed her eyes and asked,

    A short and stout man was smoking his pipe with his son by the roadside. Heard about Mrs. Diaz¡¯s

    question, Mr. Paul Diaz checked his phone and answered, ¡°About half an hour.¡±

    ¡°Mom, you might want to stand up for the Alpha¡¯s arrival.¡± Their middle son John said to Hellen

    while breathing out a smoke.

    ¡°Why on earth would I have to stand up?¡± Hellen grunted, ¡°When he married Harperter, he¡¯ll be

    my son¨Cinw! He probably has to bow to me when that happened.¡±

    Paul giggled and nodded in joy, ¡°Your mother makes a fair point, son.¡±

    Just imagine that¡ªan alpha bowing to them!

    They could probably shop and dine for free in Riverside and ask allmoners to make way

    for them.

    How awesome was that!

    They never enjoyed such privilege when their stupid daughter J was the Luna. Paul and Hellen

    were convinced that it¡¯s because J didn¡¯t serve Alpha Daran well.

    If it was Harper, things would be so much different.

    John rolled his eyes andined, ¡°Still, I don¡¯t understand why Olive can skip this and I can¡¯t! I

    was in the middle of a date when you dragged me here!¡±

    Hellen opened her eyes and snaped at her middle son, ¡°Olive didn¡¯t have to be here because he

    was busy training himself. He would soon serve in Alpha¡¯s troops and became a general! What can

    you do except for hitting on whores?¡±

    John¡¯s face turned red as he cried out in grievance, ¡°It¡¯s not fair mom¡ª

    ¡°Just forget about your bimbo for one day, will you?¡± Hellen stuck out a chubby finger and pointed at

    John, ¡°When Harper became Luna and Olive the general, you can have any girl you want!¡±

    John beamed, ¡°Even an Alpha¡¯s daughter?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Paul patted his son¡¯s shoulder lovingly. ¡°Only an Alpha¡¯s daughter deserves my

    wonderful son.¡±

    Just then, the engine sound came from the distance.

    The three of them stuck their head out and looked¨Cit was a silver Rolls¨CRoyce was racing towards

    them in full¨Cspeed.

    ¡°It¡¯s him! It¡¯s Alpha Daran¡¯s car! My sister is in there with him!¡± John cried loudly as though he

    wanted everybody to hear, though there was nobody else around.

    John rushed to the middle of the street, waving his arms in the air like a giant gori: ¡°Alpha Daran¨C

    Harper-!!¡±

    The car made a sharp stop, almost running John over.

    The backseat¡¯s door flied open the next second. Harper lunged out and threw herself into Hellen¡¯s

    arms in tears:

    ¡°Mom! Dad! I miss you guys so much!! You have no idea what I¡¯ve been through in

    BloodMoon Pack¡­

    Hellen was startled by Harper¡¯s reaction, ¡°Oh my baby! What¡¯s the matter? Where¡¯s Alpha Datan?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in the car making a phone call,¡±

    Harper wiped her tears on Hellen¡¯s shoulder and casted a resentful gaze at the car.

    ¡°Mom and dad, there¡¯s something I need to tell you-

    Yet she was interrupted by a voice the next second:

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz.¡±

    ¡°1

    Everybody jerked around and found a slender figure emerge from the car.

    J closed the car door behind her and revealed a calm smile at the Diaz family.

    ¡°Remember me?¡± she asked.

    A deadly silence fell upon them.

    A few secondster, John suddenly let out a sharp cry. He staggered back in fear while screaming:

    -You! No way you g N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    ¡°Died?¡±

    have been-¡±

    J lifted the corner of her mouth into an ironic smile, ¡°I know that¡¯s what you all want of

    me¨Cdied. But sadly, I¡¯m not. Feeling disappointed?¡±

    Hellen red at J with round eyes. Her toad¨Clike face twisted in

    ¡°No¡­¡± Hellen murmured in disbelief, ¡°But now-?¡±

    rage.

    ¡°I survived,¡± J smiled icily, ¡°even though you let those rogues to kill me. I must have outlived

    your expectation, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz.¡±

    Paul suddenly grabbed his wife¡¯s hand for support, his nails digging into her fat. He ground his teeth

    and suddenly cried out:

    ¡°Then why the hell do you have toe back then! You survived, fine! Then just live pathetic

    elsewhere and stay away from us! I¡¯ve disowned you as my daughter!¡±

    J stared at them coldly, ¡°Yes, I believe you have.¡±

    ¡°Mom and ding back for our fortune!¡±

    John didn¡¯t dare to

    your

    ¡°That must b

    why she¡¯s back. For money! She wanted to dry out our wallet! That kidnap almost cost us 100

    million! And now she¡¯sing back for more!¡±

    J clenched her fists, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself-

    BAH!

    Hellen spat at her and roared at the top of her lung, ¡°You shameless little rat! You can go f**k

    yourself if you still want our money. It ain¡¯t happening! What have you done for this family, huh? You

    couldn¡¯t even get Olive a job in the army when you were Luna. How could I

    give birth to a filthy, useless rat like you?!¡±

    J wiped the spat away from her face and red at them with cold eyes.

    Her gaze was so sharp and intimidating that the Diaz family couldn¡¯t help but shiver slightly,

    ¡°Shh, shh. Just go!¡± John gathered his courage and hissed at J like chasing away a dog,

    Go back to where you came from! We won¡¯t spare you a penny!¡±

    ¡°She probably came from a brothel.¡± Hellen snorted in despise, ¡°Or else how did she make a living

    in the past 6 months? She didn¡¯t have any damn skills.¡±

    J¡¯s eyes gleamed in full

    rage.

    ¡°Brother? A whore?¡± J suddenly red at Harper, who¡¯s been sobbing onto Hellen¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Are you talking about your dear daughter Harper? Because that¡¯s what she is, a whore. Seducing

    other women¡¯s husband¡­How shameful!¡±

    ¡°WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?!¡±

    Hellen screamed loudly.

    She raised her chubby little hand up in the air and dashed at J:

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you¨Cyou little rat¨C!!!¡±

    J sneered coldly. Hellen looked no more threatening than a crazy hen in her eyes.

    Raising a hand, J easily caught Hellen by the wrist with her right hand.

    Hellen was shocked.

    She didn¡¯t know J could be this swift. J was never able to fight back when she hit her in the

    past!

    ¡°Here¡¯s a warning-¡±

    J leant close to Hellen¡¯s sweaty face and hissed:

    ¡°Don¡¯t f**king touch me¨CAGAIN!¡±

    SLAP!

    J raised her left hand andnded a hard p on Hellen¡¯s fat face. It was such a powerful strike

    that Hellen¡¯s tooth became loose!

    ¡°Ahhhh-!¡±

    Hellen shrieked desperately while staggering back, ¡°Help! Somebody help! She is killing

    me

    11

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    A deep voice came from behind them¨CDaran had just got off the car.

    He just finished his call in the car. And he had heard their quarrel already.

    Daran was confused.

    He always thought J had a fine rtionship with her family. J wasn¡¯t very smart, so her

    family didn¡¯t like her as much as they liked Harper.

    But overall, they were still a loving family.

    Yet based on what he saw today, the Diaz had grown apart for years.

    Was this why J didn¡¯t want toe back to Riverside?

    ¡°Alpha!¡±

    Harper rushed forward and grabbed Daran¡¯s sleeve while sobbing, ¡°You must help us! J¨Cshe

    pped my mother! How dare she did this¨Cthis is our pack for Christ¡¯s sake! Not BloodMoon

    anymore!¡±

    ¡°Right. Alpha!¡± John cried. ¡°J is ridiculous. She¡¯s asking for our money as soon as she

    Fr

    ¡°Ahhhh-!¡±

    Hellen shrieked desperately while staggering back, ¡°Help! Somebody help! She is killing,

    me-¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    A deep voice came from behind them¨CDaran had just got off the car.

    He just finished his call in the car. And he had heard their quarrel already.

    Daran was confused.

    He always thought J had a fine rtionship with her family. J wasn¡¯t very smart, so her

    family didn¡¯t like her as much as they liked Harper.

    But overall, they were still a loving family.

    Yet based on what he saw today, the Diaz had grown apart for years,

    Was this why J didn¡¯t want toe back to Riverside?

    ¡°Alpha!¡±

    Harper rushed forward and grabbed Daran¡¯s sleeve while sobbing, ¡°You must help us! J¨Cshe

    pped my mother! How dare she did this¨Cthis is our pack for Christ¡¯s sake! Not BloodMoon

    anymore!¡±

    ¡®Right, Alpha!¡± John cried, ¡°J is ridiculous. She¡¯s asking for our money as soon as she came

    back. You must punish her!¡±

    Daran¡¯s face slightly darkened.

    He turned to J and was about to say something, when a honk came from the distance. A

    striking number of troops was heading towards them.

    All cars stopped when they came close. Soldiers on the truck all rose form their seat and saluted to

    J in unison:

    ¡°-Gamma J!¡±

    Their voice so loud that it sent birds flying into the sky from branches.

    In the leading car, a ck Bentley, the car window was rolled down and revealed a handsome

    man¡¯s face.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter here?¡±

    Casper smiled coolly while staring at the aghast looking Diaz, his eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Is someone giving my Gamma a hard time?¡±

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19

    ¡°G¨CGamma?¡±

    John made a funny sound as though he had been punched in the face.

    ¡°How¡¯s that possible!¡± Hellen cried with a high¨Cpitch voice, ¡°You?!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Did you mess up your head when you were abducted?¡± Hellenughed ironically, ¡°A weak puss

    like you as Gamma? Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡±

    Hellen clearly remembered how weak and pathetic her elder daughter was. J used to be other

    kids¡® punchbag and she didn¡¯t even dare to fight back.

    Hellen was never fond of J because she was such a loser.

    But how could this handsome, noble¨Clooking man call her ¡°Gamma¡± now!

    Paul also seemed furious. He red at Casper and snapped:

    ¡°Who the hell are you? We have a Gamma here and his name is Baron! Don¡¯t assume that by

    driving Bentley you can give away titles however you want!¡±

    Casper¡¯s eyebrows flew up high in astonishment.

    Then he suddenly burst into loudughter.

    ¡°What the hell are youughing at!¡± Hellen snapped.

    This

    young man seemed so disrespectful to her. How rude!

    Balvina was standing behind Casper¡¯s back. Heard about Hellen¡¯s word, she suddenly rushed

    forward and snapped:

    ¡°Open your damn eyes you blind old crone! This is Alpha Casper from BloodMoon Pack! You can¡¯t

    afford to mess with him!¡±

    ¡­What?

    All three Diaz turned pale in fear, their bodies shivering.

    BloodMoon Pack?!

    Was she talking about thergest and most powerful pack in the world?

    Hellen¡¯s lips twitched.

    She was about to cry out ¡°impossible.¡±

    But when her eyes turned to those troops waiting in line on the road, she quickly stifled herself

    again.

    ¡°Alpha Daran,¡± Casper turned to Daran with a cold and condescending look. ¡°Looks like your

    citizens didn¡¯t wee me here. If that¡¯s your attitude, maybe I should head back today.¡±

    Balvina balled her fists and cried out in fume, ¡°And they dare to insult my Alpha and Gamma.

    Permission to take them down, Gamma J!¡±

    All soldiers behind themunched into a prep posture, as though they would jump up and shred the

    Diaz into pieces the next second.

    John screamed and staggered back. He tripped on a branch and fell on his face awkwardly.

    He seemed even more frightened than his parents and sister.

    ¡°No, no, Please! Please don¡¯t kill us!¡± John cried on the ground while covering his head with hands.

    ¡°Fine you are the Gamma! You are the best! Just cut me a ck!¡±

    ¡°Brother!¡± Harper hissed with a red face.

    She couldn¡¯t believe her brother was weak like this!

    J looked down at John icily.

    She wasn¡¯t at all surprised by John¡¯s cowardly behavior. This man had no guts.

    Back in high school, John once slept with a married woman. When that woman¡¯s husband came to

    John, he was so scared that he shoved J out to handle the husband¡¯s wrath and shut the door

    behind her.

    The husband came with a baseball bat. He hit J on the head for several times before leaving.

    J suffered a weak long of concussion. There was still a scar in her scalp.

    John was the typical weak puss who only dared to scream and yell from other people¡¯s back.

    J loathed him from the bottom of her heart.

    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!¡± Daran snapped sternly. ¡°Take a hold of your son!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t stand John¡¯s embarrassing reaction.

    Those soldiers didn¡¯t even move yet! And John was already about to shit his pants!

    ¡°Right, right¡­I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    Paul quickly came to hug John¡¯s shoulder. Then he casted a resentful look at J and grunted:

    ¡°My son might be overrated. But she ordered a strike first¡­¡±

    J let out a sneer, ¡°It¡¯s within my right to order a strike on anyone who offended me. Do you want

    to speak another word now?¡±

    ¡°Gamma J,¡± Daran took a deep breath and turned to her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to start a quarrel as

    soon as you arrive. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    J looked back at him deeply.

    She couldn¡¯t remember how many times he took the Diaz¡¯s side inside of hers.

    Luckily, she didn¡¯t need his support anymore.

    ¡°If you wish.¡± J said with an indifferent voice and raised a hand.

    All soldiers sat down at her order.

    ¡°Well, we must get going now.¡± Casper yelled, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I just want to settle down and rest.¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡± Daran nodded. ¡°Please head down to the Center za. My Beta Jasper will show you

    your residence.¡±

    Everyone returned back to their car. Harper said she wanted to stay with her parents, so Daran left

    her behind.

    As soon as those troops traveled away, Hellen jerked around and screamed at Harper: ¡°You¡¯ve

    already known J was alive?! Why didn¡¯t you say anything!¡±

    Harper clenched her shirt in rage, ¡°I thought I could get rid of her! But how could I know that she

    became this difficult!¡±

    Pante flickered across her face as she grabbed her mother¡¯s hands and blurted:

    ¡°Mom! You must help me! J is BloodMoon Pack¡¯s Alpha now! She even slut her way up to

    Alpha Casper¡¯s bed! Now the entire BloodMoon Pack is on her side! Do you think she ising

    back for my Luma position? I won¡¯t ept it!! You need to help me!!!¡±

    She burst into loud crying and screaming.

    Hellen quickly cupped her face andforted her with a gentle tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry my sweetiel The

    Luna position is yours. I assure you!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Paul nodded approvingly. ¡°And this is Riverside Pack, not BloodMoon Pack. We have money,

    people and resource here. We¡¯ll send her back to hell for you darling.¡±

    Harper finally beamed through tears.

    She wiped the corner of her eyes and murmured sheepishly, ¡°Well, how should we get started

    then?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll make a thorough n,¡± Hellen smiled. ¡°But first, let me pull a few strings on her residence

    first.¡±

    She pulled out her cellphone and dialed a number¡­

    ***

    J and everyone from Blood Moon Pack were greeted by Beta Jasper in the Central za. All

    soldiers were arranged to stay in training field; whereas Alphas and officials like Casper, J and

    Balvina were amodated at a fancy hotel, like the one they had in BloodMoon Pack.

    J found this hotel very familiar. And she soon remembered that this hotel was founded by the

    Diaz family.

    A concierge greeted them by the front door and led them to their own rooms.

    Casper, Balvina and a few other generals were all staying at a presidential suite at the top floor.

    But J didn¡¯t get her room key even till the end.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± J asked the concierge. ¡°Where is my room?¡±

    The concierge gave her nasty look and put on a fake smile, ¡°Your room is this way Miss.¡±

    He led her down to the ground floor, circled back to the employer¡¯s entrance and walked another

    two floors down.

    Eventually they arrived at a small, dingy room almost like the size of a cab.

    The concierge opened the door and tossed her luggage inside, ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, Miss.¡± J looked

    inside.

    It¡¯s dark and dar and was

    was full of a stinky smell. An iron bed was the only furniture there. J slowly turned around and

    chuckled lightly, ¡°You sure this is my room?¡±

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20

    The concierge was first intimidated by J¡¯s gaze.

    But then he quickly remembered what Hellen said to him on the phone.

    ¡°Put her in the basement! That¡¯s what she deserves!¡± Hellen said fiercely. ¡°In Riverside Pack, she

    will always be a lowly maid. Let this be a reminder to her of what she truly is!¡±

    This hotel was funded by the Diaz, so the concierge obeyed everything Hellen said without

    question.

    Plus, he also wasn¡¯t very fond of this former Luna personally.

    A few years back, he once saw how J kneeled down and wiped the floor. She seemed more

    demeaning than a lowly maid!

    There¡¯s no way she deserved to stay in a fancy suite with the Alphas on the top floor now.

    ¡°Yes. This is your room.¡± The concierge raised his chin and replied arrogantly, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it,

    you can go stay with the maids. You should remember where that is.¡±

    He crackled augh and walked away.

    J sneered internally and stepped into the room.

    She turned on the light.

    The dim light lids up this cramped space. The wallpaper was started to peel in a moist condition like

    this. The sheet had turned yellow and there were some disgusting stains on it

    as well.

    This was just like the room she used to live in before marrying Daran.

    Paul and Hellen hated her because of her quiet and dull personality. So they put her in a small utility

    room in the basement, besides the maid¡¯s dorm.

    Gradually, everyone in the Diaz¡¯s residence forgot that she was the master¡¯s daughter. People

    started to bully her around and give her heavybors.

    It wasn¡¯t until she mated with Daran at 18 that she finally got a decent bedroom to her own.

    Daran was cold to her, but he still rescued her out of the Diaz¡¯s family. She was thankful of that.

    She once swore to herself to always remain loyal and loving to Daran no matter what.

    Until hepletely broke her heart during the kidnap 6 months ago.

    J set her luggage down by the wall and sat down on the bed. The old mattress made a loud

    groan beneath her.

    She was sure that this was all Hellen¡¯s doing.

    Hellen wanted to crack her using those old tricks,

    Only this time J wasn¡¯t going to bend over.

    Checking the time to make sure this wasn¡¯t bedtime yet, J unpacked her bag, fetched her

    toiletry bag and left the room,

    She headed upstairs, all the way to the top floor.

    Then she knocked on Casper¡¯s door.

    Nobody answered at first.

    J had to knock a few times more before she heard a muffled sound from inside.

    ¡°Wait!¡± That¡¯s Casper¡¯s voice, a little out of breath.

    A few secondster the door flew open from inside.

    Casper stood by the door with an irritated look on his face, as though he just got interrupted in the

    middle of something.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Casper¡¯s face softened a little when he saw J. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    J stared at Casper suspiciously.

    His shirt was half¨Copen. His lips seemed watery and red.

    J knew what all these meant¨Che was messing around with someone.

    ¡°Who¡¯s in there?¡± J asked, frowning.

    She couldn¡¯t believe that her brother hooked up with a woman on the first day they arrived at

    Riverside!

    J was also afraid that Balvina would be heartbroken if she found out about this.

    Balvina had a huge crush on her brother!

    J wanted to peek into the room, but Casper stepped sideways to block her view, ¡°Nobody.

    What do you need sister?¡±

    ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°J!¡±

    Another voice came from inside.

    J widened her eyes as Balvina rushed to the door while buttoning her loosen top.

    ¡°Hey what are you doing here?¡± Balvina asked with a red face.

    J quickly put a hand on her own lips to stop aughter, ¡°Nothing¡­Sorry this seemed like a bad

    time. I¡¯ll talk to you guys tomorrow. Goodnight.¡±

    J turned on her heels and was about to leave.

    Yet Balvina grabbed her from the back. Her voice quick and urgent as though she was trying

    to prove something, ¡°No no this is a perfect time! Nothing is happening in here! Just say what you

    need?¡±

    J looked at Casper, who rubbed his forehead and agreed with a sigh:

    ¡°Yes. Nothing was happening. Is something wrong J?¡±

    They both looked weird. J decided to find a good time to interrogate her best friend or brother.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± J said. ¡°I simply want to borrow one of your bathrooms to freshen up.¡±

    Balvina and Casper both started to frown.

    ¡°Our bathroom?¡± Casper asked, ¡°What about yours?¡±

    ¡°Is the tap not working?¡± Balvina clenched her fist, ¡°How can the hotel be this careless! Let me talk

    to the manager about this!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a bathroom,¡± J shrugged.

    A shock look appeared on their faces.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about!¡± Balvina yelled, ¡°All rooms should have a bathroom. Where on

    earth are you staying at?¡±

    J pulled her phone out and showed them a few pictures she just took of her room.

    The look on their face became more and more furious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They probably think I don¡¯t deserve a decent room,¡± J said, ¡°considering¡­you

    know¡­my status in this pack.¡±

    ¡°Your status-¡± Casper said with a freezing tone, ¡°is my Gamma and their VIP guest. They should

    kneel down to serve you.¡±

    ¡°These f**king jerks!¡± Balvina snapped. ¡°I¡¯m calling the front desk now!¡±

    Momentster, a few hotel staffs arrived at the scene.

    Including the concierge who gave J the room.

    They exchanged an apprehensive look after learning the situation. And a manger replied with a

    humble tone:

    ¡°We value guests from BloodMoon Pack very much. The problem is¡­we don¡¯t have enough room

    at the moment-

    ¡°What the f**k?¡±

    ¨C

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    Balvina stepped forward and grabbed his cor roaring, ¡°There¡¯re a bunch of empty rooms on this

    floor. Do you think I¡¯m blind?!¡±

    The manger was frightened, but he still feigned his calm and said, ¡°Those empty rooms are

    all reserved to Alphas and officials from other packs¡­¡±

    ¡°And J is not an official?¡±

    Their loud voices attracted other people staying on this floor, all were Blood Moon Pack¡¯s

    members.

    When they came out of their room and heard what happened, everyone was furious.

    A group ofrge men plus Balvina circled around the manager and asked for a solution.

    The manager seemed like he was going to shit his pants, but he still insisted on his earlier words.

    ¡°Forget it,¡± Casper suddenly said. ¡°Somebody clearly asked him to do this. He can¡¯t make the call.¡±

    Then his eyes traveled the only closed door on this floor.

    ¡°I saw you put Harper in this room earlier,¡± Casper pointed at that closed door with an icy smile.

    ¡°She¡¯s not a general. She should give her room to J.¡±

    The manager¡¯s face turned pale instantly.

    In fact, Miss Harper deliberately asked him to arrange a room right next to Daran¡¯s so that she could

    have close ess to him.

    What should he do now!

    Before the manager could think of a solution, all members from BloodMoon Pack had sieged upon

    that closed door.

    ¡°Wait!¡± the manager cried, ¡°You don¡¯t have the key-¡±

    BANG!

    The door was kicked down by a general like it was made of

    paper.

    With a sharp cry, Harper came rushing out with her hair all messy, ¡°What are you doing you

    savages!¡±

    ¡°Get the hell out!¡± someone snapped, ¡°You don¡¯t belong here!¡±

    Harper shivered in rage and shrieked, ¡°Open your damn eyes! I¡¯m the princess in Riverside, the

    owner of this hotel, the future Luna¨CAhhh!!¡±

    She was thrown out of the room by Balvina.

    ¡°You¡¯re no shit,¡± Balvina snorted.

    Copsing on the floor, Harper snapped her head up and met with J¡¯s eyes.

    A faint smile appeared on J¡¯s lips.

    An eye for an eye, J thought smiling.

    Harper used to bully her because she had no one behind her back.

    But now everything had changed.

    How do you like the feeling of being bullied, Harper?

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21

    The next morning, J woke up from her room on the top floor feeling refreshed. This used to be

    Harper¡¯s room.

    But she had been forced to give the room back to J.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Thinking about the furious look on Harper¡¯s facest night, J let out a cold

    snort.

    Harper must be so pissed to see people from BloodMoon Pack helping her like that. Harper might

    even be nning on something evil to get back at her right now. J couldn¡¯t wait to see what

    more ridiculous stuffs Harper was going to do.

    Slipping into her sportswear and sneakers, J put her hair up to a high ponytail and decided to

    go for a ran before breakfast.

    Since she was brought back to BloodMoon Pack, J had grown a habit to ran at least 10 kilo

    each morning.

    It was the best way to stay fit and to prepare herself for the trainingter that day. J took the

    elevator to the ground floor and headed towards the front door.

    She was walking across the lobby when she heard a series of conversation behind her back:

    That bitch J¡­can you believe her?¡±

    ¡°I know¡­so f ucking ridiculous, right?¡±

    J paused.

    Then she swung around and came to hide behind arge pir.

    A few maids wereing into the lobby at the moment. Each of them carried arge

    suitcase in their hands.

    Those were J¡¯s luggage.

    Looked like these maids were asked to bring J¡¯s luggage from the basement to the top floor.

    ¡°God! Why should we do these stuffs for her?¡± one of the maids dropped the suitcase to the ground

    and huffed, ¡°She used to be a maid herself! Why couldn¡¯t she carry her own suitcase?¡±

    Another maid snorted and said with a contemptuous voice, ¡°Clearly she had climbed her way up

    and therefore forgotten who she was already. Haven¡¯t you heard? The Alpha from Blood Moon

    Pack stood up for herst night. I wonder how she will pay back his favor.¡±

    ¡°With her cunt, apparently.¡±

    The bunch of them burst into nastyughs.

    J stood in the shadow and listened calmly.

    Then she noticed another tall figure stepping into the lobby from another direction.

    That man had also overheard these maids¡® conversation. He halted in his track and

    started to listen attentively as well, just like J.

    Then a maid continued, ¡°Fine. I admit it, that J has a few slutty tricks. She had a way tond on

    Alphas. But so what? None of these men is going tost for her. She¡¯ll get rejected again

    eventually. Just mark my word.¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s not that pretty in the first ce!¡± a skinny maid cried.

    She coiled a lock of hair around her finger and studied her own reflection on the floor. An arrogant

    smile appeared on her face as she snorted:

    ¡°If you ask me, I think even I¡¯m prettier than she is. Those Alphas were just temped by her. She

    probably had to rock her butt like a fu cking dog on the bed to get their affections.¡±

    ¡°Cut if off, Hanna!¡± her friend sneered, ¡°You¡¯re just a maid. Stop dreaming about the Alphas.¡±

    ¡°No I¡¯m serious! If she can slut her way up to Alpha¡¯s bed, why can¡¯t I?¡±

    That Hanna maid cried hotly:

    ¡°Do you remember what she was like even after she married Alpha Daran? She would stille

    back here to clean like a maid. She smelt like shit after scrubbing the toilet! I didn¡¯t want toe

    close to her myself! What kind of Luna was that?¡±

    All of her friends nodded in agreement this time.

    ¡°Speaking of that, I kind of miss to have her around,¡± another maid signed. ¡°After she was gone, we

    had to take over all of her works. No one to clean the toilet, to handwashdy Harper¡¯s clothes, or to

    climb up to the roof to plug those weeds.¡±

    ¡°She should never leave this pack¡­¡±

    ¡°WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!¡±

    Suddenly a deep growl broke out from the corner, causing all maids to jerk around in panic.

    Daran came striding up to them, a furious and dark look on his handsome face.

    Harper had been calling him all morning, whining about how she was kicked out of her own room by

    J and Casper.

    Daran decided toe to the hotel and ask J about this.

    Yet he overheard these maids talking before he could find J.

    Daran couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard.

    What were these maids talking about?

    J used to work as a maid even after she became Luna?

    Why didn¡¯t he know about these!

    ¡°A¨CAlpha!¡± Hanna cried urgently while kneeling down, ¡°Forgive us¡­¡®

    Daran grabbed her cor and hissed:

    ¡°Is it true? That J would stille back here and work as a maid after she became my Luna?¡±

    All maids shivered in fear under his Alpha aura.

    ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡±

    Daran suddenly tightened his grip and snarled in rage, ¡°How dare you! She was MY LUNA! The

    noblest woman in this pack! Who gave her those works? WHO!¡±

    Now everything from the past suddenly made sense to Daran.

    Why J used to return home sote and exhausted.

    Why her hair and clothes were all messy.

    Why she always had a funny smell on her body.

    All those were reasons that made Daran dislike her.

    But now¡­he finally found out that she had been bullied all along. Behind his back.

    ¡°It¡¯s not us¡­¡±

    Hanna¡¯s eyes were filled with fearful tears.

    ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Diaz and Miss Harper, Alpha!¡± she cried with a shaky voice, ¡°It¡¯s them who asked her to

    keep working here as a maid. Mrs. Diaz said J shouldn¡¯t forget about her status and identity

    even after she was married!¡±

    ¡°Hellen?¡­And Harper?¡±

    Daran murmured nkly.

    But how was this possible?

    Harper was the sweetest soul on earth. And Hellen¡­she was also a decent and kinddy.

    Both of them had told him many times about how happy their family was.

    Had they been lying all these times?

    ¡°Are these J¡¯s bags?¡± Daran recognized one of the suitcases on the floor, ¡°What are you doing

    with these?!¡±

    ¡°We are bringing them up to the top floor,¡± Hanna stuttered.

    She was so nervous that she spilled everything all together:

    ¡°¡­Mrs. Diaz and Miss Harper arranged J to stay in the basement. But J wasn¡¯t happy with

    her room. So we¡¯re helping her with the room change now.¡®

    Daran suddenly felt a lump at his throat.

    Hellen and Harper put J in the basementst night?

    That was outrageous!

    But why didn¡¯t Harper say anything about this when she called him?

    All Harper said was how cruel and rude J was!

    Which side of them was speaking the truth?

    ¡°Which room in the basement?¡± Daran snapped, ¡°Show me now!¡±

    He had to see it with his own eyes.

    Just then, a calm voice came from all of their backs:

    ¡°Give them a break, Alpha Daran.¡±

    J had walked out of the pir.

    Her face was calm as she looked at those panicked maids and Daran.

    ¡°They are just a bunch of stupid maids. They are just scapegoat, not the boss.¡±

    J stared at Daran, whose eyes were bloodshot.

    ¡°So stop giving them a hard time,¡± she said coolly.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22

    Daran stared at her. His eyes were red with rage.

    ¡°What they said¡­is it true?¡± he asked with a hoarse voice.

    J sneered, ¡°If I say it¡¯s true,

    Daran¡¯s grip loosened.

    will you believe me?¡±

    The maid dropped down to the floor, coughing violently.

    ¡°Then if they¡¯re not the boss, who is?¡± he asked dryly.

    J found it ridiculous that he even had to ask.

    ¡°You know it yourself.¡±

    J casted an icy re on Daran and turned her back on him.

    ¡°You just didn¡¯t want to face it.

    11

    J headed to the front door in long strides. She heard Daran calling her name behind her back.

    But she didn¡¯t turn around.

    When she was still in Riverside Pack, J had tried to talk to him about her situation many times

    before. But each time she opened her mouth, he would interrupt her coldly.

    He was so convinced that Hellen and Harper were good people. So he scorned her and told her to

    stop foul mouthing her own parents and sister.

    Daran didn¡¯t give her any support when she needed it the most.

    Now, the truth didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    J left the hotel and went to the outdoor training field.

    It was only 7 in the morning.

    Yet there were many soldiers running on the tracks already.

    J came into the training field and started doing her warm¨Cup by the track side.

    Each time a member from Blood Moon Pack ran past J, they would stop and greet J

    loudly:

    ¡°Morning, Gamma J!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you¡¯re here Gamma J!¡±

    ¡°A beautiful morning, Gamma J!¡±

    J smiled and greeted each one of them warmly.

    These soldiers all have loud voices. So their interaction soon caught many other people¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Why are all thoserge men greeting to a small woman?¡± a soldier from Riverside whispered to his

    friend.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I heard she is their Gamma?¡±

    ¡°Holy Crap. A woman as Gamma? She must be a natural!¡±

    J loosened up her body and ran onto the tracks.

    She didn¡¯t give them any orders. But everyone from Blood Moon Pack all chose to run behind her

    back in orderly lines.

    It was these soldiers¡® instinct to follow their Gamma¡¯s steps.

    They did this every morning in Blood Moon Pack.

    It was the natural thing to do for members from Blood Moon Pack.

    But not for people from Riverside Pack.

    Everyone was bemused as of why a group ofrge, study men were following a petite woman like

    that.

    J finished her 10 kilos under those curious gazes.

    When she got off the tracks, her face was red and covered in hot sweats.

    She pulled her shirt up and used the corner to wipe her forehead.

    ¡°Gamma J!¡±

    A youthful voice came behind her back at this moment.

    ¡°Do you want water?¡±

    J turned and found a soldier from Blood Moon Pack standing behind her back.

    He was a young man at around 18 years old. He had a pretty face of an angel with light golden hair

    and almond brown eyes.

    Because it was summer and he just finished his morning exercise, he had taken his shirt off.

    Now his firm chest was covered in a thinyer of sweat.

    This

    young man blushed when they eyes met and handed J a bottle of water.

    ¡°¡­ Here,¡± he mumbled sheepishly.

    J smiled and took the water from him, ¡°Still keeping up with your morning routine Kass?¡±

    The young man named Kass grinned and shed his white teeth, ¡°Of course. Like you told me, 20

    kilos each morning. Never missed it for a day.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± J nodded with a smile.

    The young man¡¯s eyes glinted with joy when he heard herpliment.

    Kass was Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers. But he had a miserable early life.

    He was an orphan living by the border. His parents both died in a battle between the rogues and

    Blood Moon Pack. He enlisted in Blood Moon¡¯s army after he lost his entire family because he had

    nowhere else to go.

    Yet because he came from a far¨Caway town, maybe too close to the rogue¡¯s territory, none of the

    other soldiers trusted him very much. Kass was severely discriminated in the army.

    Until J came and became their Gamma.

    She convinced other soldiers to take Kass in and treat him with respect.

    Because of this, Kass had regarded her as his life savior since then. He would follow her

    everywhere she went like a chick imprinted on his mother.

    J drank her water and headed towards the dining hall with Kass following closely behind her

    back.

    ¡°When do we start our official training, Gamma J?¡± Kass asked enthusiastically, ¡°And are you

    going to be there when we trained?¡±

    ¡°The training will begin in a few days. And yes, I¡¯m going to be there.¡± J smiled. ¡°Great!¡± Kass

    beamed, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t let you down in front of other pack¡¯s soldiers.¡±

    The way he smiled reminded J of a golden retriever.

    She couldn¡¯t help but reach out and rub his hair¨Cthough he was taller than she was. ¡°I trust you,¡±

    J said softly. ¡°Have you had breakfast yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Thene to the dining hall with me,¡± J said.

    Kass scratched his head and shook his head reluctantly, ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t¡­the dining hall is

    reserved for Alphas and nobles only. Soldiers like us have our own ces to eat.¡±

    ¡°No, I insist.¡± J patted his shoulder, ¡°You are with me now. Come.¡±

    Kass¡¯s mouth stretched into arge smile.

    When they arrived at the dining hall, the room was already seated with people, all of whom were

    nobles from Riverside and officials from packs here for the training.

    The breakfast was open buffet.

    There were various kind of pies, breads, bakeries, fruits, and beverages on the table. Kass¡¯s eyes lit

    up with excitement when he saw the food, ¡°These all seem so great!¡± J handed him a te,

    ¡°Take whatever you like.¡±

    They joined the line of people taking food.

    A few people ahead of them were in the middle of a heated discussion.

    And they happened to be talking about J.

    ¡°Have you heard about what happenedst night?¡± ady from Riverside whispered. ¡°Our former

    Luna has returned¡­as Blood Moon¡¯s Gamma! And she was still hot¨Ctempered as usual¨Cshe threw

    lady Harper out just because she didn¡¯t like her original room!¡±

    ¡°Christ! To be rejected by our Alpha should be shameful enough for her. How does the have the

    audacity to parade back and bully miss Harper in our own pack?¡±

    ¡°Indeed! And I heard she¡¯s been fucking Blood Moon¡¯s Alpha. What a slut¡­¡® A loud howl suddenly

    rang out, interrupting their words.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    A tall figure dashed forward and grabbed one of the gossipers by her cor.

    Kass¡¯s handsome face was filled with rage as he leant close to the woman¡¯s horror¨Cstruck face and

    hissed:

    ¡°What the fuck are you saying?!¡±

    The nobledy quivered in fear and screamed, ¡°Who the hell are you! Security! Help me!¡±

    Everyone in the dining hall snapped their heads around and watched.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gamma J¡¯s soldier!¡± Kass snapped, ¡°No one disrespect my Gamma in front of me.

    Apologize, now!¡±

    The woman screamed and struggled violently. But there¡¯s no way she could out¨Cstrong Kass.

    A few security guards approached Kass carefully.

    Kass jerked around and hissed at them, exposing his sharp fangs.

    Those guards froze in fear instantly.

    In the midst of tension, J spoke up with a calm voice, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Kass. Let her go.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Kass looked back at her, a grievance look on his face.

    ¡°They were speaking shit about you,¡± he twitched his mouth.

    J patted his tensed shoulder, ¡°I know. I¡¯ll deal with itter.¡±

    It still felt nice to have somebody on her side unwaveringly.

    Right at this moment, a few people walked into the dining hall together. The leading person was

    Hellen and Harper followed right behind her mother.

    Harper quickly examined the situation before covering her mouth and gasped:

    ¡°Oh god¡­what happened?¡±

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23

    Hellen stared at J and Kass. Her eyes gleamed with malice.

    ¡°Did someone offend Gamma J again?¡± She asked, ¡°Please stop¡­We don¡¯t want her to be

    angry and behave aggressively again¡­¡±

    Those who had heard Harper¡¯s version of story formst night all red at J in

    rage.

    As though J was the bully here.

    To back her daughter, Hellen spoke up beside her, ¡°And looks like you¡¯ve forgotten all of the

    manners I¡¯ve taught you, J.¡±

    She marched forward and looked at J condescendingly.

    ¡°You might be a Gamma now, but the Diaz¡¯s blood still rans in your vein. You¡¯ve mistreated your

    sister. Now get on your knee and apologize to her. We¡¯ll forgive your rudeness now.¡±

    Kneel and apologize?

    J¡¯s eyebrow flew up high as though she had heard something really fanny.

    Yet before she said anything, Kass suddenly burst into a loud roar, ¡°There¡¯s no way my Gamma is

    going to apologize! It should be you people¨Cyou bunch of hypocrites! You should apologize to her!¡±

    He was a 6 feet tall man with bulging muscles. His towering height and threatening fangs easily

    posed a sense of threat on other people.

    Hellen took a few quick steps back away from Kass, along with all other people in the dining hall.

    Hellen clenched her clothes to hide her panic and snapped, ¡°Who the hell is

    this¨Cthis gigantic monster! And who allowed him into this dining room! This is ridiculous¨Ckick him

    out!!¡±

    A few security guards zoomed in on Kass. But they were still too scared toe too close.

    Kass blocked J behind his back and arched his back. A threatening howl came between his

    clenched teeth as though he was ready to lunge the next second!

    J suddenly put a hand on Kass¡¯s back.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK Kass,¡± she said with a soft tone. ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself involved in this ugly mess. Back down

    now.¡±

    Kass snapped his head back to her. He rounded his eyes as a hint of nervousness flickered through

    it.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to make these people to shut up?¡±

    J smiled as a warm sense of feeling rose up in her.

    It felt so nice to be protected.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing wrong,¡± J stroked his curly hair. ¡°But I got this. You can stand aside and

    watch me kick their asses.¡®

    She nudged him to the side ande forward to face Hellen.

    ¡°I invited him here,¡± J said icily while looking down at Hellen. ¡°NO ONE kicked him out without

    my permission.¡±

    J was smaller than Kass. But her aura was stronger.

    Hellen couldn¡¯t help but quivered in front of her.

    ¡°Who the hell is he then!¡± Hellen shrieked with a high¨Cpitch voice, ¡°Is he another lover of yours?

    Don¡¯t you have any shame, J? First Alpha Daran, then Alpha Casper, and this young pup¡­

    How many men have fu cked you, you filthy puss-

    SLAP!

    J pped her unmercifully, striking Hellen to the floor.

    All bystanders gasped in shock. Harper let out a small scream and quickly covered her mouth.

    Only Kass pped excitedly and cheered, ¡°Nice p Gamma J!¡±

    ¡°Y¨CYOU!!¡±

    Hellen jerked up covering her burning cheek and screamed on the top of her lung:

    She braced her hands on the floor and wanted to pull herself up.

    But J stepped on her hand.

    ¡°Now you want to talk about family value?¡±

    J¡¯s eyes gleamed with sarcasm.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything when I was bullied by other kids? Why did you starve me and

    throw me out to the snow ground during winter? Why used me as a maid and treated me with no

    respect? And when rogues kidnapped me¨Cwhy did you let me die?!¡±

    Heard about her words, all other people exchanged perplexed looks with each other. Mr. and Mrs.

    Diaz were well¨Cknown for their generosity and kindness in Riverside Pack.

    But was this how they treated their own daughter?

    Hellen tried to pull her hands out but failed. Her round face twitched in pain. ¡°I¡ªI raised you!¡± she

    stuttered, ¡°I owned you! It¡¯s the least you could do for you own family-¡±

    J sneered coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve paid back everything when you handed me to rogues. I don¡¯t owe you a

    damn thing now, Mrs. Diaz. If you and Harper dare to cross me again-¡±

    She suddenly added pressure on Hellen¡¯s hand.

    ¡°-I¡¯ll not hesitate to kill you!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh-!¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Hellen screamed in pain with cold sweats streaming down her forehead.

    Harper suddenly dropped down on her knees. She crawled forward and grabbed J¡¯s legs

    begging:

    ¡°Please sister¡­we all know you are strong and powerful now¡­please don¡¯t torture my poor mother

    like this. This isn¡¯t the kind you I used to know-¡±

    ¡°Kind?¡±

    J snorted.

    ¡°I was probably too kind in the past. Now, I¡¯m cold and rude and merciless. So you better stay away

    from me.

    me.¡±

    She withdrew her leg and looked down at Hellen¡¯s twitching body.

    ¡°If you still want breakfast, sit in the corner and eat with a closed mouth.¡± J said. aloofly, ¡°If I

    hear anyone talking nonsense again¡­you know what¡¯ll happen.¡±

    Hellen breathed heavily holding her hands, with Harper sobbing beside her.

    Just then, somebody suddenly shouted:

    ¡°Alpha!¡±

    Everybody turned around following that sound.

    There was a tall man standing by the front door, his handsome face very sulkily. Alpha Daran!

    He had probably got here a long time ago and seen everything.

    J gazed at him with freezing eyes.

    What would he do this time?

    He clearly saw her giving Hellen and his beloved Harper a hard time.

    Would he be furious? Would he throw her out from Riverside?

    J slightly lifted her mouth into a faint, ironic smile.

    Daran had never taken her side before¡­she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he chose to help Harper

    again.

    Daran walked pass the crowd and stared down at Hellen and Harper.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked deeply.

    Harper suddenly burst into tears, wailing sadly on the floor.

    She didn¡¯t have to say anything. Because many people in the crowd had voiced out for her:

    ¡°¡­Miss Harper said J threw her out from her roomst night¡­¡±

    ¡°Lady Hellen asked her to apologize, and J pped her¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­She even stomped down on Lady Hellen¡¯s hand¡­¡±

    Daran raised a hand and killed all noises.

    He slowly looked around and eventually settled his eyes on J.

    J clenched her fists, her body strained. She was ready to dodge or fight back if Daran made a

    move on her.

    ¡°Let me make clear about one thing-

    Daran spoke up with a deep voice, yet loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly.

    ¡°-Gamma J is an important guest in our pack. Anyone who dare to offend her should prepare to

    bear my wrath.¡±

    There¡¯s a short silence.

    Then the entire crowd burst into mutterings!

    Harper threw her head up in disbelief and yelled, ¡°Alpha! What the hell¡ª¡±

    ¡°You heard me.¡±

    Daran looked down at her. His smoky grey eyes gleamed coldly.

    ¡°Do you want to be the first to challenge me?¡± he asked.

    Harper choked.

    She dropped to the floor, still staring at him in shock.

    Among all those people, J was the most astonished one.

    She fixed her eyes on Daran with slightly widened eyes, her heart thumping wildly.

    ¡­Daran was taking her side this time?

    How is this possible?!

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24

    Since Alpha had given his words, this drama was forced toe to an end.

    J was curious as of why Daran helped her this time.

    But there were too many people present. She didn¡¯t want to confront him here.

    So she went to get another two clean tes for Kass and herself and grabbed some foods from the

    table.

    They found a quiet corner to sit down, away from all other people.

    Kass still seemed angry about what happened earlier.

    He leant close to her and whispered, ¡°Gamma, you should go to the soldier¡¯s dining hall to have

    breakfast next time. The food might not be as good, but you don¡¯t have to dine with these

    hypocrites.¡±

    J smiled and rubbed his hair, ¡°Good idea. Thanks for inviting me.¡±

    Kass beamed at her brightly.

    Those bystanders had dispersed. And Daran had walked up to his seat at the top and sat down.

    He didn¡¯t spare Harper a single nce the entire time.

    Harper was still kneeling on the ground with tears on her face. She was baffled and overwhelmed.

    She couldn¡¯t figure out why Daran suddenly became so harsh on her.

    ¡°Quick,¡± Hellen nudged at her and hissed. ¡°Go to him. Now.¡±

    Harper bit her lips reluctantly.

    She didn¡¯t want to face his wrath.

    But she had to figure out his sudden change of attitude.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    Struggling to pull herself up from the floor, Harper first to grab a te of food: shrimp cocktail,

    smoked salmon, spring sd, and a ss of iced tea, all of which Daran¡¯s favorite.

    Then she carefully came to sit with Daran. And pushed the te over to him.

    ¡°Alpha¡­¡±

    Harper peeked at his reaction.

    ¡°I

    get you some breakfast. Please have some.¡±

    Daran averted his head and gave Harper a cold re, causing her heart to jump up to her throat.

    He didn¡¯t say anything harsh.

    But simply dragged the te to himself and started eating. Harper quietly let out a long sigh of

    relief.

    She knew Daran couldn¡¯t be mad at her for too long.

    Nevertheless, she was a beloved princess in Daran¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Alpha, have you asked J about her room yet?¡±

    Harper gently tugged at the corner of his sleeves and asked with a pitiful voice:

    ¡°I know J is an important guest, and I respect her very much. But she didn¡¯t have to use her

    power to toss me out of the room! She is such a bully¡­¡±

    CRACK.

    The silver in Daran¡¯s hands were dropped back to the te.

    He turned to face her with an unreadable look on his face.

    ¡°What else to you want to say?¡± he asked.

    Harper gulped down nervously.

    She had sensed a hint of danger behind Daran¡¯s voice. But she still decided to take the risk and

    said:

    ¡°I just think she shouldn¡¯t be such a tyrant all the time. I get it¨Cshe is a Gamma now. But it doesn¡¯t

    hurt to show some respect to your rule from time to time. She is in our territory, for Christ¡¯s sake.¡±

    Harper pouted in fume and added:

    ¡°¡­J really doesn¡¯t take you seriously, Alpha.¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes at her.

    After a short pause, he spoke up slowly, ¡°You said J didn¡¯t take me seriously¨Cbut what about

    you, Harper?¡±

    Harper¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat in panic.

    ¡°W¨CWhat about me?¡± she stuttered.

    Her chin was grabbed by arge hand the next second.

    ¡°Do you take me seriously, Harper?¡± Daran stared at her, asking with a dark tone. ¡°If you do, then

    why did you dare lie to me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me¨Cit was you who put J in the basement in the

    first ce!¡±

    All blood was drained from Harper¡¯s face.

    Her lips twitched.

    No word coulde out of her mouth.

    ¡°Thinking of a way to defend yourself?¡± Daran asked murkily. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to the maid and concierge.

    Saye your breath now.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what you are talking about¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± Daran snorted, ¡°Who gave you the power to disrespect J? Do you seriously

    believe that I¡¯ll pardon all your behaviors just because you saved me once in the past? Well you

    couldn¡¯t be more wrong about that!¡±

    Harper shivered in fear.

    She always thought Daran could tolerate all her mistakes.

    He was a cruel Alpha.

    But he always had a soft spot for her.

    This was the first time he intimidated her with his Alpha aura.

    ¡°Alpha¡­¡± Harper twitched her lips and tears streamed down her cheek. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry. I really am! I

    didn¡¯t know what got into me, so I lied to you. Can you forgive me for this time?¡±

    Daran released her chin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance,¡± he said icily. ¡°Now leave me alone.¡±

    Harper didn¡¯t need him to ask again before quickly getting up on her feet and escaping the scene.

    When she was gone, Daran closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

    His heart was filled with rage when he heard Harper admitted to her lies.

    How could Harper use his tolerance to bully J like that?

    And what else had Harper done before?

    Daran suddenly remembered what those maids had said about J working as a maid when she

    was Luna¡­

    He clenched his fists till his knuckles turned white.

    Were those also Harper and Hellen¡¯s doing as well?

    Daran raised up his head and searched for J in the dining hall.

    He found her in the corner.

    She was sitting with a handsome young man.

    That man just fed her a grape and she was giving him the brightest smile Daran hadn¡¯t seen in

    ages.

    Then they stood up and left the dining hall together.

    A strong feeling suddenly surged up in Daran¡¯s heart as he jumped up and rushed towards them.

    ***

    J and Kass left the dining hall and were going back to the training field.

    They just stepped through the door when a series of heavy footsteps came behind them.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Daran had caught up with them.

    He came to block their way and stared at J, ¡°Can I talk to you for a moment?¡±

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡±

    She had calmed down now. She didn¡¯t care anymore why Daran had taken her side

    this time.

    Daran¡¯s jaw tensed.

    ¡°Please,¡± he said abruptly while taking a step forward. ¡°It¡¯s about-¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Kass stretched out an arm and stopped him, ¡°You heard her. She didn¡¯t want to talk to you!¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes at this young man, ¡°Who the fu ck are you? Get the hell out of here before

    I rip you apart.¡±

    Daran found this young man very annoying.

    He wanted to gouge his eye out when J smiled at him before!

    Kass faced him bravely, ¡°I¡¯m Gamma J¡¯s soldier. It¡¯s my duty to protect her.¡±

    Clear tension was building between these tworge men.

    ¡°Move aside, kid.¡± Daran hissed coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t force me to dirty my hand with your filthy blood.¡±

    ¡®Are you seriously threatening my soldier in front of me?¡± J raised her eyes to stare at Daran,

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to go through me if you want to touch him.¡±

    Daran froze.

    A ming rage flickered across his face before he said, ¡°I just want to talk about you¡­about Harper

    and everything in the past. Maybe there¡¯s some misunderstanding between you and me.

    ¡°But I¡¯m done with all those stuffs already.¡± J said aloofly. ¡°If you want to talk,e to the

    training field and we can talk business. Besides that, we¡¯re done.¡±

    She took Kass¡¯s hand, and they walked way.

    Daran stood on his spot motionlessly and watched their backs disappeared into the outdoor

    sunshine.

    ***

    A weekter.

    More and more people had poured into the Riverside Pack for this unpresidential united training

    during this time.

    The hotel was packed with officials.

    And the training field be more and more hectic.

    On thest day of this week, at the first strike of dawn, a loud and resonate bell sound woke

    everyone in Riverside from their sleeps.

    The training officially began today.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25

    When the bell rang came to a rest, all soldiers from different packed had been summoned to the

    training field already.

    There were at least 500 people.

    figures.

    The field was going to explode with hormones.

    Standing at the front were Gammas from 5rgest packs in the world.

    Those were Gamma Baron from Riverside Pack;

    Gamma Glen from Silver w Pack;

    Gamma Jeff from ck Water Pack;

    Gamma Steven from Crimson Peak Pack;

    And atst, Gamma J from Blood Moon Pack, who also happened to be the only personte to

    the gathering.

    These 5 Gammas would be in charge of the united training starting today.

    ¡°Where the hell is J now!¡±

    Baron snapped and tabbed his index finger on his arm impatiently.

    ¡°The bell stopped ringing like 5 minutes ago. Does she have any sense of punctuality

    or not?¡±

    Heard about hisints, Glen let out a small chuckle, ¡°What¡¯s the rush here? It¡¯s only the first

    day of training. I think we should get off with an easy start.¡±

    Glen was Alpha Jared¡¯s Gamma.

    And like his Alpha, Glen possessed a pleasant, easy¨Cgoing personality. He was tall andnky, with

    long, ck hair cascaded down his back.

    Among these study men, Glen looked more like an artist, not warrior.

    But those who had tried his fighting skill would probably disagree.

    ¡°Are we going to a pic? Or are we going to train?¡± Baron snarled with a nasty tone. ¡°If she¡¯s in my

    pack, she¡¯d be kicked out by me already! count on them.¡±

    Then he darted a contemptuous re at Glen as well.

    He didn¡¯t like this sissy¨Clooking man either.

    Couldn¡¯t believe he was going to the battlefield with these losers.

    men¡­I know I can¡¯t

    Just then, the gate to the training field opened again and a group of people walked in.

    Walking at the front was Daran and Casper.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    Behind their back¡­was a woman.

    500 people¡¯s eyes were focused on this petite figure at this moment.

    J was dressed in a tank top and a short skirt today. All her hair was put up in a high ponytail,

    which dangled joyfully in the air.

    She looked fit, powerful, and healthy, radiating with the beauty of confidence.

    An attractive she¨Cwolf just walked into the herd.

    She naturally became the center of all attentions.

    Glen blew a whistle while looking at J appreciatively, ¡°What a goddess. I can just train with her

    every day.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Baron gave him a sullen look, ¡°Hold on to that thought till you see nasty side of her in

    the wrestling ring.¡±

    The smile on Glen¡¯s face remained in ce, ¡°Unlike somebody, I don¡¯t get intimidated by strong

    women.¡±

    Baron¡¯s face suddenly became darker.

    Casper, Daran and J had walked closer to them, and Baron immediately took this chance to

    vent his anger:

    ¡°Gamma J, you are 10 minuteste already. What kind of emergency could you possibly have

    to make 500 people wait for you?¡±

    J raised an eyebrow.

    She reached into her pocket and pulled something out.

    It was a silver brooch.

    J had one on her chest, and so did all other Gammas, except for Baron.

    ¡°I went to fetch this for you, Gamma Baron.¡±

    J stared at Baron, whose face was gradually turning red in awkwardness.

    ¡°All Gammas are required to wear badges during the training. We made this clear in yesterday¡¯s

    meeting. But looked like you still forgot about yours.¡±

    Baron¡¯s face was ming red.

    He couldn¡¯t even lift a hand to take over the brooch in J¡¯s hand!

    Glen suddenly burst into loudughter.

    ¡°What the hell are youughing at!¡± Baron jerked around and barked.

    ¡°What everyone else isughing at-¡± Glen chuckled, his shoulders shaking violently. ¡°-You.

    Apparently.¡±

    Baron quickly gazed over to other people.

    That was right.

    There were clear hints of smile on everyone¡¯s face.

    All the Gammas, the two Alphas, even some soldiers in the front roll who had overheard

    everything.

    They were allughing at him!

    ¡°You-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been nagging about Gamma J beingte. But turns out she¡¯s been cleaning after your

    mess,¡± Glen shrugged with a smile. ¡°You have tough at the irony here.¡±

    Baron burst into a loud howl. He wanted to hit Glen in the face with his iron fist, but Daran stopped

    him.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Daran said giving Baron a cold look. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the business now.¡±

    ¡°So the training willst for about 2-3 months. We¡¯ve agreed to train our own soldiers separately

    from Monday to Friday, and all 5 packs will train in arge group during the weekends. Do we have

    questions about that?¡±

    All Alphas shook their heads.

    ¡°We have 5 training fields in Riverside Pack,¡± Daran¡¯s Beta Jasper took over and said, ¡°The ce

    we are currently at is thergest, equipped with the best facility. And there were a few smaller and

    less fancy fields. The problem now is-¡±

    He looked around the group.

    ¡°-Who gets the best training field?¡±

    There was a short silence.

    Then Baron was the first to speak up, ¡°Of course Riverside gets the best ce! This is our pack, our

    ce. You guys can only be here thanks to Alpha Daran¡¯s generosity.¡±

    Others didn¡¯t seem to agree.

    ¡°But you invited us here,¡± Gamma Jeff rolled his eyes. ¡°Is this how you treat your guest?¡±

    ¡°Without the best training field, I¡¯d rather train my soldiers in my own pack,¡± Gamma Steven said

    deeply.

    J pped her hands and silenced all noises.

    With all eyes on her, J looked at everyone with a smile, ¡°Clearly, we all want the best training

    field. To be absolutely fair, why don¡¯t we race for it?¡±

    ¡°Race?¡± Glen asked curiously, ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll pick a random project andpete against each other. The winner gets the best. Pretty fair,

    right?¡± J said, ¡°Thepetition can take ce every week. So everybody will get a chance to

    use the best training field.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea,¡± Glen nodded with bright eyes.

    Jeff and Steven were both on board.

    Baron frowned and was about to say something. But Daran had spoken up before him:

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled then. We¡¯llpete. It¡¯s also a great way to test soldier¡¯s ability.¡±

    They eventually agreed upon a project¨CHunting.

    Hunting was a vital ability a werewolf should process.

    Thispetition wouldst for an entire day.

    Each pack would have a team of three, made up by its Gamma and two of its best soldiers.

    These team would go deep into the back mountain and hunt. At the end of today, the team with

    most preys would win.

    With this settled, all Gamma spread out to select their two soldiers

    J picked Kass and Balvina.

    Baron picked arge man named Bobbie and a tall female warrior named Maxie.

    Glen, Jeff, and Steven had also selected their soldiers too.

    ¡°So here¡¯s a map to the back mountain,¡± a man from Riverside Pack handed each team a piece of

    paper. ¡°It¡¯s only a generalyout of the mountain. You¡¯ll have to explore more details yourself. And

    here-¡±

    He gave each team a gun.

    ¡°¡ªis a signal gun. If you encounter danger, just point it at the sky and fire. We¡¯ll send out a team to

    rescue you.¡±

    Baron let out a snort, ¡°Pah, only weak puss will need this.¡±

    He casually tossed the gun to his teammate Maxie.

    ¡°So are we all clear about this?¡± Daran asked.

    Everyone nodded.

    All these eyes were gleaming with excitement.

    ¡°Alright then-¡± Jasper raised his voice and announced loudly. ¡°To the back mountain!¡±

    All 500 people poured to the back mountain.

    They all wanted to cheer for their own team and saw which pack was the ultimate winner.

    Baron slowed down a few steps and grabbed the man who handed them the map.

    ¡°Did you do exactly as I said?¡± he asked the man with a threatening tone.

    The man shivered in fear, ¡°Y¨CYes Gamma Baron¡­I gave Blood Moon Pack the wrong map and it¡¯ll

    lead them directly to-¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡± Baron shushed him.

    Then a victory smile came onto his face.

    He couldn¡¯t wait to see what would happen next.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    The entire group was gathered by the back mountain soon.

    The Back Mountain was a rtively dangerous area in Riverside Pack. It shared boarders with the

    rogues up north and inhabited many dangerous species in the woods.

    Only strong werewolves dared to hunt in this area.

    J had finished the prep work and was standing at the start¨Cup point with Kass and Balvina.

    ¡°Gamma J, I promise I won¡¯t let you down,¡± Kass said excitedly while rolling his wrists. ¡°If there

    is any danger, just hide behind my back.¡±

    Balvina burst intoughter, ¡°Oh please. Your Gamma is stronger than the two of usbined. You

    probably want to hide behind her back when something dangerous happened.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t behave like a coward,¡± Kass said solemnly. ¡°They¡¯ll have to step over my dead body before

    they get to Gamma J.¡±

    ¡°Nobody will be dead,¡± J smiled.

    ¡°You are such a nerd Kass¡­Oh shit.¡±

    Balvina¡¯s eyes traveled behind J¡¯s shoulder, and she snorted, ¡°Herees the clown.¡±

    The three of them turned around and found Harper walking across the crowd of people.

    Among all these soldiers dressed in uniform or sportswear, Harper stood out with her low¨Ccup top,

    short skirt, and skinny high¨Cheels.

    She carried a basket in her hand and walked up to the group of Alphas and Gammas at the front.

    ¡°Hey, I heard that you are having apetition today. So I prepare some snacks for you,¡± Harper

    opened her basket with a big smile. ¡°Would anyone like to have a try?¡±

    ¡°Seems nice!¡±

    Jeff and Steven immediately came to her side.

    But when they saw clearly what¡¯s inside, they became hesitate again.

    ¡°Please take as much as you like. I¡¯ve made quite a few,¡± Harper encouraged.

    She gave a sheepish look at Daran and added with a shy smile, ¡°Not to tter myself, but I¡¯m quite

    good at cooking. And I¡¯m trying to get better at it because it¡¯s the duty of the future Lun-¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously giving us these?¡± Balvina cut her off abruptly after taking a look

    at the basket.

    Harper seemed offended, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t force you to eat my food¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure. But I¡¯m just saying,¡± Balvina shrugged, ¡°You made chocte muffins, French fries,

    panzerotti¡­all of these contains lots of fats, sugar and carbs. We try to keep a low body fat as

    warriors. Nobody here would like to eat it.¡±

    Harper¡¯s face quickly turned red.

    ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know¡­¡± she murmured, ¡°I just want to do the good thing here-¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t you have a nutrition ss when you were in school?¡± Balvina raised an eyebrow at her,

    ¡°You skipped diving lesson, and you missed nutrition as well? How on earth did you get your

    graduate certificate?¡±

    Harper felt a surge of panic.

    Of course she didn¡¯t get her graduate certificate. She spent all of her teenage life messing around

    with her high school boyfriends.

    So in the end she had to force J to scrape off her name off her graduate certificate and put the

    name ¡°Harper¡± on it.

    Later when J married Daran, J was even mocked to be ¡°the Luna without graduate

    certificate.¡±

    But Daran knew none of these. She couldn¡¯t let Daran find out!

    ¡°I¨CI forgot,¡± Harper quickly covered her basket and put on a forced smile. ¡°Let me run back and get

    you something else.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±

    J reached into her backpack and took out a box of protein bars.

    ¡°Thepetition is about to begin,¡± J said coolly. ¡°If any of you is hungry, take my snack here.¡±

    Everybody swarmed in for a protein bars. They seemed much more enthusiasticpared to

    earlier when they saw Harper¡¯s snack.

    Harper gripped onto her basket as rage building up in her.

    She looked over to Daran and found him gazing at J, with a small smile on his lips.

    Harper was furious.

    She made 5 maids to prepare these foods within a short time. She even made her way across the

    dusty training field¡® in these hells carrying this damn heavy basket- Yet all those efforts couldn¡¯t

    evenpare to J¡¯s cheap, pathetic protein bars?!

    She wanted to fucking kill J so much!

    But J didn¡¯t notice her angry re at all.

    She had finished her protein bar and was ready to begin thepetition.

    ¡°Attention, all teams!¡± Jasper announced loudly, ¡°Thepetition is about to begin. Are you ready

    ¡ª¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    All teams were fueled up.

    ¡°GO!¡±

    With some rustling noises, all 5 teams¨C15 people¨Clunged into the forest at full speed.

    J had discussed their tactics with Kass and Balvina.

    The hunting was not just about the speed, but about skills and patience.

    So they didn¡¯t n on wasting their energy at the beginning of thepetition. They also didn¡¯t

    want to go to those hot hunting spots and fought over preys with

    other teams.

    They nned to take a detour and go deep into the forest, which had less people and more

    chances.

    The three of them ventured into the dense woods quiet and steady, like three experienced

    predators.

    The forest in Riverside Pack seemed dreary,pared to Blood Moon¡¯s ever¨Cgreen woods.

    The color of the trees was muted shades of green and brown, which gave the forest an eerie and

    foreboding atmosphere.

    Now each step they took made a crunching sound on the bed of fallen twigs.

    The branches of the trees twisted and turned, forming eerie shapes like gnarled, ancient arms

    reaching out to grab them.

    ¡°Christ,¡± Balvina rubbed her arm and groaned, ¡°This ce seemed so off. Don¡¯t people get

    depression living in a ce like this?¡±

    J brushed a branch away from her face and replied deeply, ¡°Not if you are used to it.¡±

    She was thrown into this forest many times by Hellen and Paul when she was little.

    It was the cruelest kind of punishment for a kid.

    J would cry hours and hours, but nobody woulde to her rescue.

    Hellen probably wanted her to be killed by a bear. But magically, J managed to crawl back

    home each time alive.

    Gradually, this forest stopped being so dreadful to her anymore.

    ¡°Hey. I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you

    J turned around to Balvina and asked, ¡°What happened between you and Casper the other

    day? Were you two kissing in his room?¡±

    Balvina¡¯s face quickly turned red, ¡°Oh that¨Cwell, yeah¡­we were.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± J cried excitedly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? How long have you been going out?¡±

    ¡°¡­We are not going out,¡± Balvinaughed bitterly. ¡°We just¡­hooked up. It doesn¡¯t mean anything

    serious for Casper.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± J rounded her eyes in shock and anger.

    What the hell?

    How the fuck did Casper be such a fuckboy!

    J wanted to keep asking but she was interrupted by Kass, who just returned from the front

    carrying a deer on his shoulder:

    ¡°Gamma J, look what I got! A dear!¡±

    ¡°Good for you,¡± J gave him a smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it here,¡± Balvina whispered urgently into J¡¯s ears. ¡°We should focus on the

    race for now.¡±

    And they kept traveling north, deep into the forest.

    Half an hourter, the three of them found themselves at an intersection.

    ording to the map, if they took the left, they¡¯ll soon arrive at a stream, which was the hydration

    spot for many animals like rabbit, dears, and horses.

    It would seal their position as the winner.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go us.¡±

    then!¡± Kass urged them excitedly, ¡°I bet other teams were all way behind

    But then he found J studying the map closely..

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Gamma J?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± J put the map back to her backpack.

    There was a scraping mark on the map as though somebody had tried to change the detail¡­

    But she was probably being too suspicious.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    The three of them kept walking for another 10 minutes.

    But weirdly, they didn¡¯t see any water.

    And there was a rot, disgusting smell in the air, like a seething mass of bacteria that had taken over

    the surrounding area.

    The bird song that had apanied them the whole way had also disappeared, and they are left

    with nothing but an eerie silence.

    Something seemed off.

    Eventually, the path led them to a huge cave. The cave stood 5 meters high and seemedrge

    enough to fit in an army of people.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem right,¡± Balvina whispered to J, her face all serious.

    Kass dragged J to his back and stared into the pitch¨Cck cave, ¡°We should leave, now.¡±

    They were right. This wasn¡¯t the right way to go.

    Yet J suddenly felt the wind changing direction, bringing a strong, disgusting smell!

    Something wasing at them from the cave!

    ¡°LOOK OUT-¡± J screamed and shoved Kass and Balvina to the side.

    They fell to the ground!

    And quickly jerked around to look at the gigantic animal that just dashed out of the

    cave.¡®

    It stood there like a tower. Then a deafening howl came from its mouth.

    J widened her eyes.

    ¡­What the fuc k was this?!

    Standing before them was a 13 feet tall bear!

    But its size was wayrger than a regr bear. And it had unnaturally sharp fangs and long ws,

    making it looked more like a werewolf than a bear.

    ¡°What the fuc k-¡± Balvina cried.

    ¡°Bear¡¯s variant!¡± J said hastily, ¡°Someone transfused werewolf¡¯s blood to them. Making them

    much stronger and fiercer!¡±

    She had heard about those rumors before.

    That deep in the back mountain there was an inhabitance of crazy, lethal bears.

    One was enough to take down two werewolves.

    But she always thought those rumors were made¨Cup stories to keep kids away from the back

    mountain.

    Until today.

    Until that map led them down this path!

    ¡°On your feet!¡± J hissed, ¡°It is about to attack!¡±

    The bear¡¯s beaming red eyes were on them. Then with a roaring howl, it jumped directly at Kass!

    Kass rolled on the ground and dodged its w. When he stood up again, he had shifted into arge

    ck wolf.

    The wolf snapped his head around and faced the bear, making a threatening hissing sound.

    ¡°Keep it that way!¡± J cried, while circling around the bear with Balvina carefully. ¡°Get its

    attention Kass! Balvina and I will find an opening to strike back!¡±

    The ck wolf curved his back and exposed his fangs at the bear.

    The bear was soon enraged by his aggressive gesture. Waiving its ws frantically in the air, the

    bear lunged at Kass at full speed!

    At the same time, Balvina and J went for the bear¡¯s opening back together.

    Balvina jumped and shifted in the midair. Shended on the bear¡¯s back and dug its fangs deep into

    the bear¡¯s flesh.

    The bear felt pain. It started/struggling like crazy and twirled its body around. ¡°Hang in there!¡± J

    yelled.

    She didn¡¯t shift. Her small human form allowed her to move around more easily. Grabbing the

    bear¡¯s chest fur, J easily climbed up to the bear¡¯s giant head.

    The bear was too distracted by Balvina and Kass.

    It didn¡¯t notice her.

    Knelt down on the bear¡¯s shaking head, J drew a dagger from her back.

    ¡°GO TO HELL

    She stabbed down on the center of the bear¡¯s skull with both of her hands!

    Blood gushed out, spilling all over J¡¯s body.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    The bear roared and screamed loudly.

    It staggered back a few steps.

    And fell to the ground with a huge thud.

    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Balvina shifted back and wept her forehead, ¡°What a beast! If that bear¡¯s body can¡¯t

    lock up our position as the top one, what will?¡±

    Kass had shifted back as well.

    He ran to J¡¯s side and asked urgently, ¡°Gamma J, are you alright?¡±

    Yet J didn¡¯t answer him.

    She put a finger on his mouth, gesturing him to keep quiet.

    She was still gazing into the cave.

    Kass and Balvina froze.

    And then they gradually turned they heads and gazed to where J was looking at.

    In the cave, more and more red dots were appearing against the darkness.

    They were bear¡¯s eyes.

    ¡­There were more than one bear.

    Back in the training field.

    ¡°Look-¡± someone cried and pointed at the sky.

    Everybody looked up.

    It was a red firework from the signal gun each team received.

    A team was asking for help in the forest!

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Harper gasped. ¡°It¡¯s only been 3 hours and people are already asking for helps already?

    And judging by the direction of this firework, it is where J is at. I thought she imed to be the

    strongest Gamma-¡±

    Yet before she could finish her sarcasm, Daran shoved her aside roughly.

    He quickly strode forward and snapped, ¡°I need a team of 10 people following me into the forest!

    Now!¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡±

    Harper screamed.

    She stumbled forward in her skinny high heels and grabbed Daran¡¯s sleeves blurting

    out, ¡°You are the Alpha for Christ¡¯s sake! Why do you have to risk yourself for a bunch of soldiers

    like them-¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Casper looked at Harper with a sulkily look on his face.

    ¡°If a man is injured on the battlefield, as Alphas we are supposed to leave him there?¡± Casper

    asked sharply.

    Harper choked.

    She suddenly noticed that everyone present¨Cevery man¨Cwas ring at her hostilely right now.

    Daran shook Harper off him and said to a soldier, ¡°She is not a warrior. She shouldn¡¯t be here in the

    first ce. Drag her out.¡±

    Then he hurried towards the forest, leaving Harper¡¯s desperate cries behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯ming with you!¡± Casper caught up with Daran.

    They were all worried that it might be J.

    Casper, Daran and other 10 soldiers rushed into the forest, heading directly at the ce where the

    firework was fired.

    They were all very fast.

    Within half an hour, they have arrived at the scene.

    ¡°Look!¡± a soldier cried, pointing at the ground.

    There were a lot of blood spilled on the ground, some even on the tree.

    There were also deep w marks on the tree trunk, indicating a fierce fight had taken ce here.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Casper yelled and rushed forward, with Daran on his heels.

    Daran¡¯s body was strained, and his mind was a mess.

    He couldn¡¯t begin to imagine if anything bad had happened to J.

    But how was this possible? There were only a few hyenas, bears, or lions in the mountain, but

    nothing too dangerous¡­

    What could possibly harm a group of Gamma and strong soldiers?

    In the open area upfront, they finally found traces of people.

    A gigantic bear was fallen to the ground, died. There was a severely injured brown she¨Cwolf lying

    by the side, its whole body covered in blood.

    Daran¡¯s mind went nk for a second.

    ¡­J.

    Then he quickly realized.

    No, it wasn¡¯t right.

    This wasn¡¯t J.

    J¡¯s wolf had silver fur, not brown.

    Just then, two men rushed out of the bush that they had been hiding and staggered towards Daran

    crying:

    ¡°A¨CAlpha-! HELP!¡±

    It was Baron and his soldier.

    Daran could hardly hide the shock on his face as he snapped, ¡°It was you who fired the signal

    gun?!¡±

    ¡°Y¨CYes¡­¡± Baron¡¯s face was still twisted with dread.

    He was still overwhelmed by the extreme fear.

    Baron knew that the map he gave J would lead her directly into that crazy bear¡¯s

    cave.

    But he didn¡¯t know that those bears could be this strong! Nor did he know that one of the bears

    would run off and stumble upon them!

    He and Bobbie had been hiding in the bush while his female warrior Maxine handled that bear.

    Thank God that Maxine wasn¡¯t as half bad at fighting. Or all three of them would be died by now.

    ¡°Holy fu c k¡­¡± Casper covered his nose and walked close to the dead bear¡¯s body and examined,

    ¡°What on earth is this! Is this natural inhabitant of this forest?¡±

    ¡°There are rumors about this beast in my pack.¡± Daran said darkly.

    Then he looked back at Baron and snarled:

    ¡°These bears never leave their cave! What is this one doing here?!¡±

    A hint of panic passed across Baron¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Are there more of them?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­probably¡­¡±

    ¡°And J?¡± Casper snapped, ¡°Have you seen J or any other teams?¡±

    Baron gulped nervously.

    He wanted to lie or keep quiet. But he eventually caved in front of these two strong Alphas.

    ¡°I¨CI heard some fighting noises from that direction,¡± Baron pointed to the north and stuttered. ¡°I

    heard J screaming, telling her teammates to run¡­but then everything was quiet again¡­¡±

    Baron shivered.

    ¡°I think¡­J is died by now.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    ¡­Died?

    Daran¡¯s mind went totally nk. His body froze as though an ice bucket was dumped on his head.

    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth!¡± Casper roared.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    He raised his arm and threw a punch at Baron, knocking two of Baron¡¯s teeth out of

    his mouth

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that! J is not dead!¡±

    Baron staggered to the side. His mouth was filled with blood as he mumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t take it on me

    Alpha Casper! I didn¡¯t want it either¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you go and help them!¡± Casper snapped, ¡°You still got one teammate left! With

    your help, J might not be-¡±

    ¡°But I thought we werepetitors.¡± Baron answered slyly, ¡°It was J¡¯s idea to have this

    competition in the first ce. It is not my duty to help my rivals.¡±

    ¡°You-!¡±

    ¡°And since Gamma J could beat me in the wrestling field-¡± Baron shrugged, ¡°I trust her to take

    down a few easy beasts?¡±

    Casper¡¯s face turned furious.

    He was about to throw another punch at Baron when Daran abandoned them abruptly and rushed

    to the north.

    Daran¡¯s steps were still steady, but his heart was pounding wildly against his ribs.

    He didn¡¯t believe that J was dead.

    Just like he refused to believe that J was killed by the rogues 6 months ago.

    His ex¨CLuna was a strong, fierce woman.

    She wouldn¡¯t be taken down by a few beasts.

    Casper and other soldiers quickly caught up with him and together they headed towards the north.

    Gradually, the rusty smell of blood grew stronger in the air.

    5 minutester, the group of them found themselves standing in front of arge

    cave.

    And everyone was astonished by the scene in front of them.

    There must be more than 30 dead bodies of bears piled up on the ground, like a huge

    mountain.

    A brutal fight must have fought here not long ago¨Ctrees were knocked down, the cave was half

    destroyed and blood was everywhere.

    On the very top of this pile of dead bear¡¯s bodies stood a beautiful, silver wolf.

    Its fur took the shade of the silver moonlight and the texture of silk. Blood had tainted some part of

    its body, but it didn¡¯t lessen its divinely beauty at all.

    The silver wolf had its teeth dug into the neck of thest breathing bear.

    With a low howl, it¡¯snapped its head ripping off a piece of the bear¡¯s flesh.

    The bear twitched and dropped dead without a sound.

    Nobody could believe their eyes.

    ¡­30 crazy bears.

    All killed by J herself?!

    Baron and his man Bobbie couldn¡¯t even handle one bear!

    How did J manage 30?

    Daran stared closely at the silver wolf as it elegantly jumped down from the pile of dead bears and

    then shifted back to human.

    He was astonished by the dazzling beauty of this wolf.

    He felt his own wolf crying urgently inside of him. His mouth turned dry, his heartrate quickened¡­

    Daran wanted toe forward to help her.

    But another person had beat him to it.

    ¡°J!¡± Casper rushed to her and held her in his arms, ¡°What the fuck¡­What are these ugly

    beasts?!¡±

    ¡°Bear¡¯s variant, with werewolf blood.¡± J closed her eyes exhaustedly and said, ¡°Some said they

    came from rogues¡® territory¡­I need a doctor now.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Casper nodded hastily, ¡°You need to see a doctor

    ¡°No, not me.¡± J said.

    She walked to the side and pushed a bush aside, revealing two people lying on the ground.

    Balvina and Kass!

    ¡°They injured themselves during the fight,¡± J said weakly. ¡°Take them back and find a doctor.

    Quick!¡±

    Kass had passed out already, but Balvina still had her eyes opened.

    Having heard what J just said, Balvina struggled to pull herself up from the ground and insisted,

    ¡°No I¡¯m fine¡­you guys help Gamma and Kass¡­I can walk by myself¡ª¡±

    ¡®Are you crazy?¡± Casper talked over her.

    His eyes had turned bloodshot when he saw the brutal wounds on Balvina¡¯s body.

    Probably even Casper himself had not noticed how worried he sounded right now.

    ¡°You are hurt!¡± he roared to Balvina, ¡°It¡¯s not time to y a fucking badass!¡±

    ¡°I can handle! I¡¯m a warrior! I-¡± Balvina protested.

    Yet before she could finish, Casper had stridden forward and spooned her off the ground.

    ¡°You are a wounded!¡± Casper said with a nasty tone, ¡°Now shut your mouth and stay put.¡±

    Balvina¡¯s face turned ming red in Casper arms. She didn¡¯t say anything else andpsed into

    silence.

    Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers came to lift Kass¡¯s body as well. ?

    ¡°What about you?¡± Casper turned to ask J before they left. ¡°You are injured as well.¡±

    ¡°You guys go on,¡± J said. ¡°I¡¯ll catch upter.¡±

    Casper nodded and led his men into the forest and left.

    J finally turned her gaze back to Daran, her eyes freezingly cold.

    ¡°What do you want to say to me?¡± Daran frowned, an irritated feeling at his heart. ¡°Let¡¯s go back

    and treat your wounds first. We can deal the restter-¡±

    ¡°Not so fast,¡± J said icily. ¡°Where is Baron?¡±

    Baron was in the crowd as well.

    Heard about her question, Baron hesitantly stepped forward, ¡°¡­What do

    you want?¡°

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    J stared at him. Half of her face was still covered in steaming blood. Baron had to clench his

    fists to stop himself from shivering in front of her. ¡°Kass asked for your help earlier,¡± J asked

    sharply. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help us?¡±

    Baron choked.

    Then he stuttered in panic, ¡°You took care of it without our help. Why do us anyway? Do you really

    want us to be shredded by bears as well?¡± ¡°If you helped, Balvina and Kass might not be injured

    that badly!¡±

    you

    need

    ¡°But they are both your soldiers. You are the one responsible for their safety,¡± Baron snorted. ¡°If you

    are so afraid of them getting hurt, maybe you shouldn¡¯t suggest thispetition in the first ce.¡±

    J red at him with rage burning in her eyes.

    Then she strode forward abruptly andnded a hot p on Baron¡¯s face!

    The p happened to be on the same side Casper punched earlier.

    Baron¡¯s face quickly swelled to twice its original size.

    ¡°You fucking whore-!!¡± Baron staggered back and roared, ¡°How dare you! I¡¯m a Gamma-¡±

    ¡°You are nothing but a piece of shit to me,¡± J said coldly.

    She lifted a leg and kicked hard at Baron¡¯s stomach area, sending him fly back a few inches and

    drop on the ground.

    Then she came in upon him before he could stand up and punched on his ribs! ¡°Ahhh-¡±

    Baron screamed desperately while waving his hands in the air.

    ¡°You crazy bitch! Help! Alpha¨Chelp-¡±

    Some soldiers from Blood Moon Pack wanted toe forward and help.

    They stole a peek at Daran and found that their Alpha had been watching this scene

    calmly without any intention to help Baron.

    So these soldiers withdrew their feet again.

    ¡°J.¡±

    Daran finally spoke up deeply a few momentster, ¡°You have vented your anger. My Gamma had

    paid for his disrespect. It should be enough.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    J threw another punch at Baron, and then another one.

    ¡°Kass broke three ribs in that fight earlier. I won¡¯t stop until Baron paid that back!¡±

    At this point, Baron had been knocked to half¨Cdeath, blood covering all his face.

    Someone from Riverside couldn¡¯t watch this anymore and cried:

    ¡°Your soldier was hurt by the bears. What does our Gamma have anything to do with it!¡±

    J snorted.

    She staggered a few steps back and took onest kick at Baron.

    Then she turned around, her eyes gleaming with rage.

    And she said:

    ¡°Alpha Daran, I think your Gamma had given me the wrong map on purpose, leading us to this bear

    cave. This is a trap set by Baron with the intention to kill us all.¡±

    Everyone widened their eyes in shock hearing this.

    A mumbled voice came from the ground.

    Baron struggled to sit up again and cried in a shivering voice, ¡°¡­M¨CMe? You crazy bitch¡­ What

    proof do you have?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been circling around this area when the bear came out. This is arge forest. What brought

    you here? Clearly you are here to gloat!¡± J snapped.

    ¡°That is no proof-

    ||

    ¡°Then let us talk to the man who handed us the map!¡± J looked at Daran, ¡°Ask him if he was

    acting on Baron¡¯s orders!¡±

    Hearing J mentioned that man, Baron gritted his teeth as a hint of panic flickered across his

    face.

    His eyes were swollen. But he was still ring at J viciously through his drapey eyelids.

    ¡°I will.¡± Daran said deeply. ¡°You can trust me on this.¡±

    J let out a long breath.

    She closed her eyes, looking exhausted, and her body swayed.

    Then without any warning, she fell directly to the ground.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Daran rushed to catch her.

    She had passed out.

    Her face pale, her breathing very shallow.

    ¡°Back to the pack!¡± Daran snapped carrying J in his arms.

    He wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to her again¡­No¡­

    ***

    The group of them returned to Riverside Pack within half an hour.

    Then the pack doctor was summoned to their rooms.

    Soon, everyone had heard that the Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Gamma and soldiers were injured during the

    competition by a group of crazy bears.

    It seemed that this united training was off to a rocky start with such a horrible event happening on

    the first day.

    Many people were worried.

    Some people wanted to visit the injured Gamma J. But Alpha Daran declined all visitors.

    In J¡¯s suite.

    A doctor had just finished with his examination.

    He turned to Daran, who had been waiting anxiously by the bedside.

    ¡°How is she?¡± Daran asked.

    ¡°Gamma J was fine,¡± the doctor said. ¡°She had a strong wolf and her wolf will cure most of her

    wounds for her. She¡¯ll wake up in 2 days.¡±

    Daran let out a sign of relief, ¡°¡­Great. Will any of those wounds leave any marks on her?¡±

    ¡°Most of them won¡¯t,¡± the doctor said. ¡°But I noticed that she had quite a few frostbites on her feet. If

    she wanted those to fade as well, I can give her some prescriptions.¡±

    Daran knew about those frostbites.

    J must have got them 6 months ago during the kidnap.

    ¡°Do give her some,¡± Daran said. ¡°She should have treated those wounds 6 months ago when she

    got those.¡±

    He stared at those ugly marks on her feet in fume.

    J was too careless about her appearance.

    And what the hell was Casper doing all these times? He should urge J to treat her

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    wounds a long time ago if he really cared about her-

    ¡°6 months ago?¡± the doctor suddenly said, ¡°No. She must have got these frostbites way earlier than

    that.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Daran winded his eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She must have not shifted yet when she got it and that is why she couldn¡¯t have her

    wolf treat these wounds for her.¡±

    The doctor took another look at those frostbites and said:

    ¡°She must be a little girl when she froze her feet.¡±

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    ¡°What?¡± Daran seemed perplexed, ¡°she got these when she was a little girl?¡±

    ¡°Seems like so.¡±

    Daran dropped down into his seat by the bedside and dismissed the doctor from the

    room.

    He stared at J¡¯s closed eyes, deep in his thoughts.

    She got these a long time ago?

    But when?

    When they were married, Daran never paid any attention to the marks and wounds on her body.

    The only thing he knew about J was that she was a spoiled daughter in the Diaz¡¯s family.

    Harperined many times about how rude and unreasonable her sister

    was.

    So how would Mr. and Mrs. Diaz let their beloved daughter freeze in the snow?

    Now that he thought about it¡­Harper had some frostbites on her feet as well. But those came from

    the time Harper rescued him in the forest.

    So where did J get hers?

    Before he realized it, Daran had already taken a hand to gently stroke down J¡¯s long hair.

    ¡­ How many secrets had you been keeping from me, J?

    **

    Because J and her soldiers were injured, the training was postponed for a few days.

    Luckily J didn¡¯t stay unconscious for too long. She woke up on the second day, just as the

    doctor had said.

    When she gradually opened her eyes, she found a man sitting by her bedside while going through

    some flies in his hands.

    J had to blink a few times to make sure that it was Daran.

    She didn¡¯t expect him to be here at all.

    When they were married, he didn¡¯te to visit her at all when she had a cold.

    What was he doing here now?

    Daran looked up at this time and his eyes lit up with joy instantly.

    ¡°You are awake.¡±

    He abandoned his files at once and came to sit on her bed side, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    He reached out a hand to feel her temperature on the cheek, but she tilted her head to avoid his

    touch.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± J said.

    Daran¡¯s hand froze in the air.

    And he withdrew his hand slowly, ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it.¡±

    After a short pause, he spoke up again, ¡°So I asked the doctor to check on you were asleep¡­and I

    found some old frostbites on your feet.¡±

    you

    when

    J¡¯s face turned cold right away hearing him said that.

    ¡°What about it?¡± she asked coldly.

    ¡°Where did you get those?¡± Daran asked urgently.

    J closed her eyes in vex.

    It had been so many years already¡­He didn¡¯t care about it at all in the past.

    So why bothered asking now?

    How she got it?

    It was pretty simple.

    She got these frostbites when she risked her life¨Ctrying to save him in the woods when they were

    8.

    J still remembered all the details at that time.

    Daran was still a naughty little kid back then.

    One day when it was snowing heavily outside, he ran deep into the forest without telling anybody

    and got lost.

    Nobody could find him, not even the most experienced soldier with the best sense of smell.

    All Daran¡¯s scent and tracks were buried by the snow.

    It was her, J, who went into the forest and looked for him when nobody dared to.

    Forced by Mrs. Diaz, she spent many days in the forest before. So she knew the forest

    well.

    Eventually, she found him under a giant oak tree, almost frozen to death.

    Wrapped him in her coat, little J carried him on her slim shoulder and headed back home.

    Daran was already taller than her back then. To keep his feet off the ground, J had to stand

    straight with all her might.

    She even lost her shoes in the snow and didn¡¯t have the strength to go back and pick them up.

    It took her 5 hours before arriving at home.

    She dropped down by the front door of the Diaz¡¯s residence and passed out. Her feet were all

    covered by frostbites.

    Yet, when she woke up, Daran acted like he didn¡¯t appreciate her efforts as well.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    He treated her even more coldly than before. And that was when he started to be intimate with

    Harper.

    It had been 12 years already.

    ¡­Why bothered asking now?

    J opened her eyes again, the look on her face very cold.

    ¡°It was none of your business, Alpha Daran.¡± J replied aloofly, ¡°I¡¯m not your pack member

    anymore. So I¡¯m not obligated to answer any of your questions.¡±

    Daran seemed irritated by her cold attitude.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    He was about to say something else when the door flew open, and a group of people poured in.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Casper cried loudly in joy and rushed forward to hug J.

    ¡°Thank god you are alright!¡± He bent down to kiss on J¡¯s forehead, ¡°I was so worried.¡±

    A bright smile came back to J¡¯s face.

    She raised her arms to hug Casper back, ¡°I¡¯m fine. How¡¯s Balvina and Kass?¡±

    ¡°They are all doing great. They wanted toe here and visit you as well. But the doctor insists for

    them to stay in bed for a little longer.¡±

    Daran stood frozen by the bedside.

    He seemed furious, especially after he saw how happy J was when she met Casper.

    ¡°Guards!¡± Daran snapped, ¡°I said no visitors! Who let them in?¡±

    Casper straightened his back and leered at Daran, ¡°I¡¯m J¡¯s Alpha and her

    brother, her closest person here. Unlike you, Alpha Daran. You are a total stranger to J. You

    have no right to keep us out.

    Daran clenched his fists.

    But he couldn¡¯t find anything to argue back.

    He rejected J himself. He was no longer her mate nor her Alpha.

    It was his own doing.

    Glen was among the group of visitors as well. He ced a bunch of ming red roses in J¡¯s

    arms and said gently:

    ¡°My Alpha have heard about what happened. But sadly, he still has business to do in our pack and

    can¡¯te to visit you. He hopes you get better soon.¡±

    J smelled the roses and smiled, ¡°Thank you. How is Alpha Jared?¡±

    ¡°He is doing well,¡± Glen beamed. ¡°He just misses you very much and can¡¯t wait to join you in the

    training.¡±

    Daran¡¯s face turned even darker when he heard about these.

    That Jared was such a fu ckboy!

    J was stupid to fall for him!

    Yet to his irritation, he heard J¡¯s brisk voice saying, ¡°That is great. I look

    forward to seeing him here as well.¡±

    ¡°J,¡± Daran interrupted their conversation abruptly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know about the map?¡±

    He had to stop them talking right now or he would be exploded with rage.

    J immediately turned to him as he had thought, ¡°Right, about the map. Have you found that

    man yet?¡±

    ¡°I have.¡±

    Daran beckoned over a guard and asked him to bring everybody here.

    15 minutester, Baron, Bobbie, Maxie, and the man who handed them the map were all brought

    into the room by guards.

    Daran stood in front of them with a dark look on his face and said:

    ¡°Today we are here to figure out the truth about the incident. Just know that I will not act on your

    favor just because you are my pack members. Say the truth and you might still be pardoned for you

    crimes.¡±

    His eyes traveled across each one of them.

    ¡°Who wants to begin?¡±

    There were all different kinds of looks on these people¡¯s face.

    Baron and Bobbie seemed anxious.

    Maxie lowered her head so nobody could see her face clearly.

    The man looked as though he was going to shit his pants in fear.

    Eventually, the man broke first and suddenly cried out in dread, ¡°Alpha Daran! Please forgive me! I¨C

    I had no choice! Gamma Baron made me to¡ª¡±

    ¡°You rat!¡± Baron roared.

    Daran gave guards a stern look and they immediately controlled Baron from his back

    ¡°Keep going,¡± Daran said icily.

    ¡°Baron asked me to give Gamma J the wrong map.¡± The man gulped nervously, ¡°He knew the

    map will lead her to the cave. Baron wanted her dead! He forced me with his power, so I didn¡¯t have

    other choice-¡±

    Suddenly a raging howl rang out in the room.

    Casper rushed forward, his face twisted in rage. He grabbed Baron by the cor and dragged him to

    his face:

    ¡°You piece of shit¨Cyou dare to touch J?! I¡¯m fuc king killing you!!¡±

    Baron still had some bruises that he got the other day from J and Casper.

    He was almost scared to death by Casper right now.

    ¡°No please! Listen to me!¡± Baron cried, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! Somebody else instructed me to do it-¡±

    ¡°Liar!¡± Casper spat.

    ¡°No it¡¯s true It was¡ª¡±

    Baron suddenly pointed at that female warrior Maxie.

    ¡°-Her!¡±

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    All eyes turned to Maxie, whose face looked grey.

    ¡°Her?¡± Casper asked again in disbelief, ¡°A soldier? Are you seriously going to dump all of your shits

    on her?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡± Baron said, ¡°She went behind my back and gave J the wrong map. I had no idea

    of that.¡±

    People all stared at Maxie perplexedly.

    Yet she still kept her mouth shut as though she had nothing to say about Baron¡¯s usation.

    ¡°Stop fu cking lying,¡± Casper said irritably. ¡°That man has already confessed. It was clearly you!¡±

    There was cold sweat on Baron¡¯s forehead. But he still insisted:

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what got into that stupid man¡¯s head, or what I have done to wrong him. But the truth

    is that Maxie did it! Ask her if you like!¡±

    Maxie slightly quivered. It would seem like that she was afraid of her crimes getting exposed right

    now.

    But J felt there was something wrong in this.

    She turned to Daran and asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Do you know

    anything about this soldier Maxie?¡±

    Daran nodded, ¡°Yes. She was a very strong and capable warrior. In fact, if it wasn¡¯t for her records,

    she would be a general a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°What kind of record?¡± J frowned.

    ¡°Criminal record. She was put into, prison for 3 months because of stealing.¡±

    J was stunned.

    This Maxie woman seemed very decent to her¡­but looked like you couldn¡¯t judge a book by its

    cover.

    ¡°SPOKE UP YOU BITCH!¡±

    Baron suddenly let out a furjous roar.

    He jumped at Maxie andnded a hard kick on her back. Maxie stumbled forward and still held her

    head down in silence.

    ¡°Confess your crime, now!¡± Baron snarled, ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough shameful stuffs? I gave you a

    second chance after you got out of prison, Yet youpletely disappointed me, AGAIN!¡±

    The looks on everyone¡¯s face changed when they heard that Maxie was in prison.

    once.

    A woman with criminal record¡­That made her seem more suspicious than before.

    Baron was about to hit Maxie again.

    But J called him to stop.

    ¡°That is enough Gamma Baron. Stop abusing your soldier in front of us,¡± J said with an ironic

    smile, ¡°I was almost beginning to think that you are ckmailing her to confess.¡±

    ¡°What? That is absurd! I do not need to ckmail anybody. The truth is the truth!¡±

    Baron turned to Bobbie and said:

    ¡°Ask Bobbie. Did you notice anything weird about Maxie before thepetition began?¡±

    Bobbie quickly nodded, ¡°Yes! She was very sneaky and talked for a long while with that man. It

    must be about the map.¡±

    ¡°See? I told you-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else¡¯s testimony.¡± J got off the bed and walked to Maxie, ¡°Maxie, could you

    tell us if you did it or not? Don¡¯t be afraid of saying out the truth. We will all protect you.¡±

    Maxie held her head down in silence.

    After a long time, she slowly rose her head but avoided J¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said dryly. ¡°I did it.¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd.

    J stared closely at Maxie and pursued, ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t feel any pressure to own up to

    anything you didn¡¯t do!¡±

    Maxie shook her head slowly.

    She was still gazing into the air instead of J.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. I did it,¡± she repeated lowly.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Baron pped his hand excitedly, a triumph grin on his face. ¡°I told you! Maxie is guilty!¡±

    Casper rubbed the furrow between his brows in frustration, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make any sense. Maxie

    doesn¡¯t even know J. Why would she do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Baron said dismissively, ¡°She is a woman. Woman does all kinds of crazy things.

    She is probably just jealous of J and that is why she did it.¡±

    His voice was filled with indignation.

    Then he grabbed Maxie by her hair and started banging her head violently against

    the wall:

    ¡°Stupid bitch! Completely ruined my reputation! I should have never given you that chance! Idiot-¡±

    ¡°STOP!¡± J snaped./

    Daran spoke up at the same time in a stern voice, ¡°Cut it off right now! Baron you are not an

    executioner. You have no right to abuse her like that!¡±

    He paused and turned to his guards, ¡°Take Maxie to the cell. I will discuss with the executionerter

    about her punishment.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± J said, ¡°There is no need. I can think of a punishment right now.¡±

    J was ring at Baron right now.

    Her bright eyes gleamed with ming rage as though she was going to lose it the next second.

    Baron couldn¡¯t help but take a step back in fear, ¡°Why the hell are you looking at me?¡±

    J ignored him.

    She turned to Daran and asked, ¡°As the victim of this incident, can I decide the punishment?¡±

    Daran hesitated for a second and then nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°No matter what I want?¡±

    ¡°It is entirely up to you.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    J strode over to Baron and looked down at him icily:

    ¡°Then I want you, Baron, to be paraded through the street while a speaker announcing your crime

    for all passersby to hear!¡±

    The entire roompsed into silence.

    Maxie snapped her head around and looked at J astonishedly.

    Baron widened his eyes in shock. A few secondster, he suddenly burst intoughter:

    ¡°What the fu ck¡ªare you crazy? I didn¡¯t do anything! Why should I get punished for this?¡±

    J raised a brow.

    ¡°Because you are her Gamma,¡± J sneered. ¡°Remember what you said to me back in the forest?

    A Gamma should be responsible for his or her own soldiers. If I should be responsible for my

    soldier¡¯s injuries, you should also be responsible for your soldier¡¯s crimes.¡±

    Baron¡¯s face turned red, and he yelled, ¡°It is not the same thing¡ª

    ||

    ¡°It is exactly the same thing,¡± J said coldly. ¡°Why? Are you going to hold a double standard just

    because the business concerns you now?¡±

    Baron¡¯s whole body was shivering.

    He looked like he wanted to punch J at her face.

    But he didn¡¯t dare because he knew she was stronger than he was.

    ¡°Alpha!¡± Baron turned to Daran abruptly and cried, ¡°Alpha please! You¡¯re not going to let these

    bunch of people publicly humiliate your Gamma-¡±

    Daran frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise to me, Alpha Daran.¡± J reminded him icily. ¡°This dreadful incident

    happened on your territory. The least you can do is to keep your promise to me.

    And Casper came to stand with J as well, ¡°I agree with J. Please keep your words, Alpha

    Daran.¡±

    Daran looked over to Maxie and then back to Baron, who was staring back at him with fearful eyes.

    ¡°If it pleases Gamma J¡­¡± Daran spoke up in a calm voice, ¡°Then we will your decision. Guard,

    escort Baron out!¡±

    Guards immediately obeyed his order and went for Baron.

    go

    with

    Baron yelled and backed away from the guards. But he was still seized by them eventually.

    ¡°Alpha¨CAlpha Daran¡­Are you out of your mind?! Letting these foreigners bully your own Gamma!

    The shame is on you!!¡±

    ¡°You have disappointed me greatly with your recent behaviors, Gamma Baron.¡± Daran said coolly,

    ¡°Let this be a remainder for you. Of how to be a good Gamma.¡±

    Baron was roaring in rage.

    But he was dragged out by guards and his voice gradually disappeared into the distance.

    ¡°Fabulous.¡±

    J pped her hands together in joy.

    ¡°Anyone want to join me to see the parade?¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    Baron was dragged to the outside and shoved into a truck.

    Soldiers cuffed his hands to the bars and shut the truck¡¯s doors.

    Even at this point, Baron was still yelling at these soldiers in rage:

    ¡°Hey! Open your damn eyes! I¡¯m your Gamma for fu ck¡¯s sake! You dare to lock me in here? Wait till

    I get back! I will snap your fu cking hands!!¡±

    ¡°Stop yelling, Gamma Baron.¡± Glen walked to the truck and looked up at Baron with a smile. ¡°You

    can use some of that strengthter.¡±

    Baron red at him furiously, ¡°What the fu ck are you doing here?!¡±

    ¡°J and Alpha Casper asked me a favor.¡±

    Glen opened the truck¡¯s passenger¡¯s door and hopped in.

    ¡°I am tagging along as the third party to make sure that this punishment is carried out rightly.¡±

    ¡°You son of a bitch!!¡±

    Baron shook his handcuffs against the bars and cried, ¡°You are definitely here to gloat! Let me go!

    Just fu cking let me go!!¡±

    But no one listened to him.

    The truck slowly took off from the hotel and drove into the central downtown.

    Its presence caught people¡¯s eves immediately.

    People stopped on the street and started to gaze at Baron in perplex.

    Baron¡¯s face gradually turned red.

    He wanted to hide his face under his elbows, but he couldn¡¯t because his hands were cuffed to the

    bars.

    And the speaker installed on top of the truck started to broadcast:

    11

    ¡®¡­I, Gamma Baron of the Riverside Pack, hereby apologize for my mistakes. I cheated in the

    competition and gave mypetitors the wrong map, leading them into the bear cave. I put

    Gamma J¡¯s life in risk. I disappointed my Alpha and all my soldiers. I¡¯m evil and despicable¡­¡±

    Baron cried desperately within the sound of the broadcast:

    ¡°No! No! It¡¯s not me! I didn¡¯t do it! I¡¯m here taking the me for one of my soldiers!

    For fu ck¡¯s sake! Turn down that broadcast!¡±

    But nobody heard him.

    The broadcast even got louder as it started to repeat itself:

    ¡°¡­I, Gamma Baron of the Riverside Pack, hereby apologize for my mistakes. I cheated in the

    competition¡­¡±

    Baron¡¯s furious voice waspletely drowned by the noise.

    More and more people were gathered by the streetside to see the parade. They pointed at Baron

    and whispered to each other:

    ¡°Look, that is Gamma Baron.¡±

    ¡°I heard that he had done many shameful stuffs before. But nobody dares to challenge him because

    of his power.¡±

    ¡°He totally deserves this. Well done.¡±

    A few kids even followed the truck and spat at Baron.

    Baron was in rage.

    But there was nothing he could do but to bear with the public humiliation as the parade went on.

    At this moment, on the top floor of the hotel, Daran was looking down at the parade closely.

    ¡°You knew he was guilty,¡± a voice came from behind him.

    J walked up to Daran with a cold look on her face.

    ¡°He was clearly behind everything. Yet somehow, he managed to get Maxie to take the me for

    him!¡±

    J stared at Daran with a stern look:

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t step out today, are you going to punish Maxie instead?¡±

    Daran looked back at her calmly.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± He said, ¡°I was going to talk to my executioner and ask them to dig deeper into the

    case.¡±

    J let out a sneer. ¡°And how long is that going to take? While the investigation is

    still going on, do you think Baron will just stop telling everyone that Maxie is guilty? Eventually,

    people just stop caring about the truth anymore. Because they are all convinced that Maxie is the

    real criminal!¡±

    A furrow appeared between Daran¡¯s brows.

    ¡°How do you know about these stuffs so clearly?¡± he asked.

    How?

    Because that was how Harper treated her in the past.

    J knew very well what it felt like to be charged with a crime that she didn¡¯t convict.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± J said evasively. ¡°You should pay more attention to Maxie. I think she is ckmailed

    by Baron somehow.¡±

    She turned to leave.

    But Daran grabbed her hand and stopped her.

    ¡°We are not finished here!¡± he said in a strained voice, ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me how you got those

    frostbites. And how do you know about these stuffs so well? And¡­¡±

    There were so many things that he didn¡¯t know about J.

    He used to find his Luna very dull and boring.

    Plus, ording to Harper, evil.

    But ever since that kidnap, J had changed.

    Or maybe she didn¡¯t change at all.

    He just never really understood her in the past.

    ¡°Tell me, J.¡± Daran said eagerly and stepped closer to her. ¡°Answer my question-¡®

    ¡°Please let go of her Alpha Daran.¡±

    A tall figure appeared around the corner.

    Casper strode over and rescued J¡¯s hand from his grip.

    Darting a warning look at Daran, Casper snorted, ¡°J had suffered enough. I think she can use a

    few peaceful days away from you guys. Now, please excuse us.

    Then he warped his arm around J¡¯s shoulder and took her away, leaving Daran to stand by the

    window alone with a frustrated look on his face.

    ***

    The parade carried on throughout the entire afternoon.

    Baron¡¯s voice eventually became hoarse because of all the screaming. His hands were bleeding

    from his struggles against the handcuff.

    The truck finally took him back after 5 hours of suffering.

    People gradually spread out on the street. Everybody was talking enthusiastically about the

    awkward look that Baron had on his face.

    Harper was among the crowd as well

    But she seemed more furious than happy.

    Coming back to her own house, Harper dashed across the living room in fume and burst open the

    kitchen¡¯s door.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°I¡¯M SO FU CKING SICK OF HER!!!!¡± she screamed.

    Paul, Hellen, and John were all having afternoon tea in the kitchen.

    And they all turned to look at her.

    Harper stormed into the kitchen and paced back and forth in the room anxiously.

    ¡°That bitch¡­how on earth did she get Daran to punish Baron for her? I can¡¯t believe it¡­she doesn¡¯t

    have that kind of influence on Daran¡­no¡­¡±

    A maid just came into the kitchen carrying a pot of hot tea.

    Harper jerked around and red at the maid:

    ¡°Who told you toe in here? Are you here tough at me as well?!¡±

    ¡°No miss. I-¡±

    Harper grabbed the tea pot and poured the boiling hot tea directly onto her face!

    ¡°GET OUT!!¡± Harper shrieked sharply, ¡°OUT, OUT, OUT!!¡±

    The maid covered her face crying and ran off.

    Hellen stared at the maid¡¯s back and frowned, ¡°That disrespectful little rat. I must fire hertter.¡±

    Then she turned to her daughter and the smile came back to her chubby face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic my sweetheart. Sit down and talk to me now-

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to sit down!!¡± Harper stamped her feet, ¡°J is going to win over Daran¡¯s heart

    again! I must do something! Mom, you must help me do

    something!!¡±

    Before Hellen could say anything, Harper started screaming hysterically and breaking sses and

    tes like crazy.

    ¡°OK OK! My poor darling! Look what that bitch J had done to you,¡± Hellen turned to her

    husband and son and snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there. Think!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    John shrugged, ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, J can only be this aggressive because she had a

    powerful man.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alpha Casper?¡± Harper murmured, still breathing heavily.

    ¡°Yes. Without Casper¡¯s support, we can easily get rid of J.¡± John said, ¡°All we need to do right

    now is to break his connection with J.¡±

    ¡°But how?¡± Hellen frowned, ¡°J is his Gamma!¡±

    ¡°Please mother,¡± John¡¯rolled his eyes. ¡°Do you seriously believe that J became Gamma

    because she is capable? It is all because Casper is fu cking her! If Casper moves on to another

    woman, surely he will forget about J in no time.¡±

    ¡°You are sure that they are lovers?¡± Hellen asked.

    ¡°Absolutely. Everyone is saying it on the street.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Hellen cried excitedly, ¡°Then we just need a person to seduce Casper. Let me think.

    Who is qualified¡­

    11

    ¡°Why bother looking for somebody else?¡± Harper suddenly said.

    She stuck out her chest and chined up proudly:

    ¡°I think no one can do a better job than me.¡±

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    ¡°You?¡± John repeated, his eyebrow flying high.

    ¡°But don¡¯t you think you have too much on your te right now my dear?¡± Hellen looked at Harper

    fondly, ¡°You are still dealing with Alpha Daran. I am afraid that you might exhaust yourself¡­¡±

    ¡°But this is more urgent! You must think of the bigger picture here mother!¡± Harper cried urgently,

    ¡°Plus I don¡¯t trust any other stupid and ugly women. None of those sluts are pretty enough to make

    Casper fall for them. Only I can do it!¡±

    Hellen took her hands and let her sit down.

    ¡°So what is your n my baby girl?¡± Hellen asked.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Harper rolled her eyes, pondering. ¡°Casper had already noticed me when we were in the

    Riverside Pack. And¡­¡±

    She bit her lips and smiled sheepishly, ¡°¡­And he even tried to talk to me in private for a few times.¡±

    ¡°That is great honey!¡± Paul said, ¡°So did you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Harper snaped, ¡°There is a horrible¨Clooking female soldier in his

    pack¨CBalvina. She always found a way to interrupt us. I think she has a huge crush on Casper. How

    pathetic!¡±

    ¡°Then it must be an easy win for you, darling.¡± Hellen patted her daughter¡¯s slim hands. ¡°Those

    female soldiers, including J, are all too strong and masculine for man¡¯s taste. Unlike you, my

    love, you are delicate, pretty, and lovable. A real little princess.¡±

    A proud smile appeared on Harper¡¯s lips.

    She had heard Hellenplimenting her like this many times since she was a child.

    Now she was firmly convinced that she was really a princess. And only a woman like her could

    deserve Daran.

    John rested his chin on his hand and looked at his sister, ¡°Hey, what if that Casper dude asks you

    to sleep with him?¡°¡®

    Everyone froze staring at John.

    John shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. It is possible.¡±

    ¡°If that is what it takes for Casper to forget about J¡­¡± Harder said firmly, ¡°I will sleep with him!¡±

    Then her heartrate suddenly quickened.

    She saw Casper¡¯s body when they went to cliff diving¡­he looked so muscr and strong¡­

    Her heart was still with Daran with no doubt.

    But if Casper insisted to take her to bed, she probably wouldn¡¯t say no.

    ¡°I trust you can handle this right,¡± Helen stroked her daughter¡¯s hair lovingly. ¡°Just don¡¯t let Daran

    find out that you are sleeping with Casper. You are still going to be Daran¡¯s Luna one day.¡±

    ¡°Certainly mother.¡± Harper smiled.

    She already had a great tactic of how to seduce Casper.

    And she had no doubt that he would fall for her in no time¡­

    ***

    Three dayster, J waspletely recovered. And she could finally go back to training.

    In fact, J wanted to start training immediately when she woke up from hera. But the doctor

    and Casper stopped her.

    Baron, on the other hand, had been hiding in his room all day since the parade. He even skipped

    the training and asked Maxie to train soldiers on his behalf.

    He imed that he had not fully recovered yet. But most people believed that he was just too

    embarrassed to face the public after the parade.

    On the day of the training, J marched into thergest training field.

    Although she was severely injured during thepetition, it was no doubt that she killed the most

    preys and was the ultimate winner.

    Blood Moon Pack won the best training field.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Before J stepped through the front gate, she suddenly saw Maxie walking around the corner.

    Looked like Maxie was heading to another training field nearby, the Riverside Pack¡¯s

    field.

    ¡°Maxie!¡±

    J called her name and hurried up to her, ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    Maxie froze on her stop and turned around.

    She was wounded badly by bears. And now for some unknown reason, there was a ck circle on

    her eyes like she was punched in the face.

    ¡°Gamma J,¡± she lowered her head.

    ¡°Hey. Are you feeling better now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Maxie nodded, ¡°And¡­thank you for standing up to me the other day.¡±

    ¡°It is no problem. But is there anything that you want to tell me about Baron? How did he force you

    to take the mes?¡°!

    Maxie paused.

    A few momentster, she slowly shook her head, ¡°He didn¡¯t make me. I did those stuffs.¡±

    ¡°Maxie¡­¡±

    ¡°I should go.¡± Maxie said lowly, ¡°And don¡¯t talk to me again, Gamma J¡­Gamma Baron won¡¯t be

    happy about it¡­¡±

    She turned away and hurried off without looking back.

    J sighed.

    She could only drop this and returned to her own training field.

    After gathering all her pack members, J first gave a short pep speech to lift people¡¯s spirit.

    They were away from their own pack. But she still wanted everyone to behave the best they could

    like they were at home.

    With everyone¡¯s efforts, J had no doubt that they would win the next week¡¯spetition again

    and kept using this field.

    All soldiers from Blood Moon Pack roared a ¡°yes.¡±

    Then J asked people to spread out and pair up and practice some basic fighting skills.

    She walked across the lines and corrected their moves and gestures.

    When J got to the end of the lines, she found Balvina gazing at a certain

    direction distractively.

    J followed her gaze and found that she was looking at Casper, who happened to have some

    free time today and came to observe their training.

    J raised her hand and gently flipped Balvina¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    Balvina turned around covering her forehead looking aggrieved, ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°As the Gamma, I can¡¯t have you looking at another man while training, even if that man is my

    brother,¡± J said.

    She paired up with Balvina and examined Balvina¡¯s fighting.

    When it is time for the water break, J finally asked her, ¡°So what is the deal with Casper

    anyway?¡±

    Balvina poured water all over her head and snorted, ¡°Nothing! He was a huge dickhead and fu

    ckboy. I am totally over him now.¡±

    ¡°¡­There must be some misunderstandings between you two.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t!¡± Balvina growled. ¡°After what happened in the forest, I found a time to confront him

    about our rtionship. I asked him what this is and where we are going¡­¡±

    ¡°And what did he say?¡± J asked.

    Balvina gritted, ¡°He said that we are purely physical! He is destined to marry a nobledy or an

    Alpha¡¯s daughter or at least his own mate. So there is no future between us whatsoever. If I am not

    happy with this, maybe we should end it now¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± J gasped in shock.

    She couldn¡¯t believe Casper would say such cruel stuffs.

    Balvina and Casper grew up together in Blood Moon Pack. They knew each other even longer than

    they knew J.

    J had always believed that Casper had a thing for Balvina.

    The worry on his face was real when he found Balvina injured in the woods.

    So why would he deny his own feelings?

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you. This is it.¡±

    Balvina squeezed the water bottle and smashed it to the ground.

    ¡°I am not wasting a single second on that stupid, arrogant, cold, heartless¨CJERK!¡± Balvina paused

    and quickly nced at J, ¡°¡­No offence.¡±

    ¡°¡­No. You are totally entitled to say that.¡± J murmured.

    She was going to keep asking.

    But the corner of her eyes caught something in the distance.

    This training field was entirely outdoor.

    A fence separated the field from the forest.

    A group of people had appeared by the fence. A few servants were busy putting up a tent and

    setting the table and chairs.

    When everything was properly installed, 5-6 girls appeared under the tent and sat down by the

    table. All of them dressed in beautiful tea¨Cdresses.

    ¡°¡­What the fu ck¡­¡± Balvina murmured in disbelief. ¡°What are they doing?¡±

    Those servants brought some biscuits and tea to the table.

    ¡°They are having a pic here?!¡±

    Balvina couldn¡¯t believe this.

    ¡°Are these girls crazy? This is a training field for God¡¯s sake! Why on earth-¡±

    ¡°¡­I have a theory,¡± J said sulkily.

    The girl dressed most fancily was Harper.

    She was fanning her plumy fan while making eyes at the male soldiers in the training field right

    now.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    ¡°What is her fu cking problem?¡± Balvina snapped.

    ¡°No idea¡­¡± J murmured.

    If Harper were to have a pic by the training field, she should at least Riverside Pack¡¯s training

    field, where Daran was at.

    Why would Harper make a scene here?

    go

    to the

    ¡°Let me go chase her away.¡± Balvina jumped up and was about go over there.

    Yet before Balvina could do it, Harper fixed her gaze on somebody on the training field and called

    out loudly;

    ¡°Alpha Casper!¡±

    Casper halted in his track and turned around.

    Harper waved enthusiastically at him with a big smile on her face.

    ¡°Alpha Casper!¡± she yelled, ¡°Would you like to join us for some afternoon tea?¡±

    Everybody on the training field heard her, including Balvina and J.

    ¡°What the fuc k is she doing right now?!¡± Balvina bellowed, ¡°Is she seriously inviting

    Casper? Is she here for Casper?¡±

    J frowned and stared at Harper.

    She was just as confused.

    Neither could she understand what Harper was trying to do right now.

    ¡°Calm down,¡± J put a hand on Balvina¡¯s shoulder and whispered. ¡°Let Casper find out what she

    wants first.¡±

    She nodded at Casper and gestured him to go over to Harper.

    Casper came across the field and arrived at the fence with azy smile on his face.

    ¡°Afternoondies,¡± he beamed at them. ¡°What brings you here today?¡±

    All girls stood up and curtseyed to him.

    When they looked up to Casper¡¯s handsome face, all of their faces turned red.

    Casper and their Alpha Daran were both very attractive.

    Butpared to Daran¡¯s cold personality, Casper seemed more like a gentleman and much more

    approachable.

    Harper pushed herself through the crowd and grinned at Casper, ¡°Me and my friend wanted to get

    some fresh air. So we figured¡­why note over to the training field and admire your training?¡±

    She purposely leant forward as she spoke, pressing her plummy chest against the fence.

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Casper smiled, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go over to the Riverside¡¯s field? They are training

    as well.¡±

    Harper pouted, ¡°We have grown tired of our own soldiers. We are here to admire you and your

    soldiers, Alpha Casper.¡±

    She took a hand and trailed her fingertip across Casper¡¯s forearm seductively.

    ¡°I saw you practiced with your soldier earlier¡­The way you moved is so full of strength¡­Your

    biceps and thighs¡­so strong¡­¡±

    Harper whispered with a fake voice.

    ¡°Could you teach me how to get a body like that, Alpha Casper?¡± she breathed.

    Casper raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°You want to join us in the training field?¡± he asked.

    Harper giggled, ¡°Not in the training field, silly. Ady can¡¯t dirty her dress in a dusty ce like that. I

    was thinking of a more decent and private space¡­.like-¡±

    She leant forward to his ears:

    ¡°-like my bedroom.¡±

    Casper suddenly gave a violent shudder and took arge step back.

    Looking at Harper with a thoughtful look, Casper smiled, ¡°Thanks for your invitation. I will think

    about it.¡±

    Harper blinked, ¡°I know that you won¡¯t let me down Alpha Casper.¡±

    She kept waiving at him as he walked back to the training field.

    As soon as Casper returned, Balvina rushed forward to him and asked:

    ¡°What? What does she want?¡±

    Casper slumped down on the chair and rolled his eyes:

    ¡°She was hitting on me.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

    Balvina roared and clenched her fists.

    ¡°Is she fu cking crazy?! She stole Daran from J and that still wasn¡¯t enough? Now she is going

    after you?!¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°But why?¡± J frowned, ¡°She has always wanted to be Riverside Pack¡¯s Luna. Why abandon

    Daran right now and go for Casper? Casper doesn¡¯t even know her very well.¡±

    ¡°She probably just wants every man¡¯s attention on her!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that simple¡­¡± J murmured. ¡°Harper is smarter than that¡­¡±

    Then something hit her.

    ¡°I know it!¡± J cried.

    ¡°What?¡± Balvina and Casper both straightened up and looked at her.

    ¡°Nobody knows that me and Casper are rted,¡± J said. ¡°Everyone¨Cincluding Daran and

    Harper¨Cthought that I am Casper¡¯s lover. And that is how I became the Gamma.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that is the story that we gave them,¡± Casper said, ¡°to make that asshole Daran jealous.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Harper thought if she can seduce you and make you forget about me, I will lose my only

    backup. And then she can take me down more easily.¡±

    Balvina widened her eyes in astonishment.

    ¡°What the¡ªare you serious?¡± she cried, ¡°And why does Harper believe that she can get Casper to

    fall for her? Casper, have you flirted with her?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Casper snapped, looking offended.

    ¡°That is Harper that we are talking about,¡± J shrugged, ¡°She is very confident of her

    appearance.¡±

    Harper was pretty with no doubt.

    Growing up, she received many boys¡® affection. After she shifted, she had always been the center

    of attention at all parties in Riverside Pack.

    It must give her the wrong impression that she could have any men wrapped around

    her fingers.

    ¡°That stupid bitch,¡± Balvina shook her head. ¡°So what should we do right now?¡±

    ¡°I am not going to sleep with Harper. Just to be clear!¡± Casper quickly added.

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    Balvina crossed her arms and leered at Casper.

    ¡°I thought you are welling to sleep with any women who threw themselves at you.¡± Casper raised

    his eyebrow, a crocked smile appearing on his lips, ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°You wish!¡± Balvina huffed.

    ¡°Normally I don¡¯t turn down ady¡¯s affection easily,¡± Casper shrugged. ¡°I just don¡¯t like women who

    sh me with their cleavages. It gives me the creeps.¡±

    ¡°Creeps? I think you are basically drooling all over-¡±

    ¡°OK that¡¯s enough you guys!¡± J rubbed her temples and sighed, ¡°Haven¡¯t fought enough in your

    own room?¡±

    Balvina and Casper both stopped talking but were still ring at each other.

    you

    ¡°Let me find a way to chase her away today. We will think about how to deal with herter,¡± J

    said.

    The water break was over soon, and the entire team was ready to go back to the training.

    J blew her whistle getting everyone¡¯s attention and announced loudly:

    ¡°For the next part, we will y dodge ball. It is a great way to practice your agility! Now let us team

    up and spread out.¡±

    While soldiers got in teams, J beckoned Kass over and whispered something into

    his ears.

    A wicked smile came onto Kass¡¯s face, ¡°Understood!¡±

    The whole group spread out across the field.

    Kass led his team to the fence and settled near Harper¡¯s tent.

    With another sound of the whistle, the training officially began.

    At first, Harper and her friends could still admire Kass and his teammates train. Kass didn¡¯t have the

    Alpha aura like Daran and Casper did, but he was also very attractive.

    Yet gradually they couldn¡¯t focus anymore.

    Because the ball kept flying at their direction!

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Harper cried and jumped up.

    It was the third time that a ball hit her!

    This time itnded right on her face!

    ¡°Watch out you idiot!¡± Harper screamed in fury.

    How could she seduce Casper with a ck ring on her eyes?

    ¡°You!¡± Harper grabbed a girl and forced her to stand up, ¡°Switch seat with me!¡± The girl looked

    reluctant.

    But Harper didn¡¯t give her a chance to say no.

    Yet even after they switched seats, balls still came at Harper specifically.

    And it was not just one ball this time

    Several balls flew over at the same time!

    The ball was made of sands, so it weighed quite a lot. One got the corner of Harper¡¯s forehead and

    it immediately started to swell.

    ¡°Ouch! Ouch!¡± Harper covered her face and body with her hands and screamed, ¡°No no! STOP!

    THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!¡±

    She rushed over to the fence and yelled into the training field:

    ¡°You jerks! You are doing this on purpose!!¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± J walked over and asked.

    ¡°You!¡± Harper pointed at her, ¡°You told them to do this! Look at my face!¡±

    J shrugged, ¡°I told them no such thing. This is a training field, and my soldiers are ying

    dodge balls. You can¡¯t me them for dodging the balls.¡±

    ¡°But those balls are clearly aimed at me-

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t here, how could the ball hit you?¡± J narrowed her eyes at Harper, ¡°Which

    reminds me, what are you doing here? You are not a soldier.¡±

    Harper¡¯s face turned red.

    Just then, the corner of her eyes found Casper walking close and she immediately cried out for

    help:

    ¡°Alpha Casper! Pleasee and talk some sense into them, will you?¡±

    Casper walked over idly.

    ¡°Harper is here for me.¡± Casper smiled to J, ¡°Don¡¯t give her a hard time.¡±

    Casper backed her up!

    Harper¡¯s heartrate quickened with joy.

    She knew she could win him over easily!

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35

    Yet before Harper could beam in joy, she heard Casper asking her:

    ¡°Harper, you said that you wanted to train. Why not join us for the next round of dodge balls? I saw

    the bruises on your face. Clearly youck practice.¡±

    Harper¡¯s face quickly turned pale again.

    What she said was clearly an excuse! Couldn¡¯t Casper figure that out?

    And she was dressed in a tight¨Cfit dress with high heels. There was no way she could y dodge

    ball in a dusty field with these soldiers!

    She would look like aplete idiot!

    ¡°No,¡± Harper forced a smile. ¡°No thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°We can use one more person on our team,¡± Kassughed. ¡°Miss Harper, I heard

    that you are a noble in Riverside Pack. Surely you have a very strong wolf. So we will even use a

    better ball to meet with your standard.¡±

    He picked up another ball from the ground.

    It looked 5 timesrger than the ball that they were using before. It almost had the size of a

    watermelon!

    Harper had no doubt that her skull would be cracked open if that hit her!

    ¡°You must be mistaken¡­¡± Harper stammered, ¡°I am no noble and my wolf is not that strong

    either¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Kass raised his eyebrow. ¡°But I heard that you called yourself Riverside Pack¡¯s

    princess. So I thought you must have royal blood. Otherwise, why would you fake your identity like

    that?¡±

    Everyone from Blood Moon Pack snickered sarcastically.

    Harper seemed as though she wanted to jump at Kass and scratch his face with her long nails. But

    she also wanted to maintain her grace in front of Casper.

    Her face twisted in a mixture of rage and embarrassment.

    ¡°Miss Harper, you must excuse my soldiers.¡± Casper smiled idly, ¡°Sometimes they are too

    straightforward with the truth. And I insist you to join us for the dodge ball. It will be fun.¡±

    He stuck out his hand to Harper, looking at her eagerly.

    But Harper knew that she couldn¡¯t ept his invitation, unless she wanted to be more

    embarrassed.

    ¡°Thank you¡­But I think I will pass¡­¡±

    Harper backtracked with an awkward smile.

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll see youter!¡±

    She ran, staggering along the way in panic. She even tripped on her dress.

    All of her friends and servants followed her and fled in disorder, knocking over chairs and breaking

    teacups.

    Some mockingughter could be heard behind their backs.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    ¡°What a bunch of clowns!¡±

    Balvina snorted. And she turned to J:

    ¡°Do you think this will teach her a lesson?¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°Harper NEVER learns her lesson.¡±

    She narrowed her eyes at Harper, whose back was disappearing into the distance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see what more circus ys she has.¡±

    ***

    Harper stormed into her house in rage.

    ¡°MOM-¡± she screamed while dashing across the living room, ¡°DAD¡ª¡±

    A maid was scrubbing the floor in the hallway. Harper rushed at her before she could

    move aside and gave a hard kick at her bucket furiously.

    ¡°Move aside you dumb ass! Can¡¯t you see that your master is home?!¡±

    The maid quivered in panic. Her whole body was covered in filthy water from the

    bucket, but she didn¡¯t dare to say a word.

    Everyone in the Diaz¡¯s residence knew how moody Harper was.

    ¡°Where the hell is my parents!¡± Harper balled her fists and screamed.

    The door to the study opened up and Hellen rushed out urgently.

    ¡°What is the matter sweetie?¡± Hellen hurried to hug her daughter, ¡°I thought you went over to the

    training field today. Did Alpha Casper totally love you?¡±

    ¡°He did! But-¡±

    Harper bit her lips with tears forming in her eyes. A few secondster, she burst into loud wailing:

    ¡°It was that BITCH J again! And her dumb ass soldiers! They¨Cthey ganged up on me! How

    could they do this-¡±

    ¡°Oh my poor baby. It is OK now. Mommy is here,¡± Hellen stroke her back, ¡°Easy. Tell mommy what

    happened.¡±

    Harper choked and repeated everything that happened today.

    ¡°¡­And then she pulled out a ball almost the size of a watermelon and invited me to y!¡± Harper

    finished up while sobbing, ¡°She definitely wants me dead!¡±

    Hellen gritted her teeth angrily, ¡°That bitch J¡­we raised her, feed her and provided her shelter

    for almost 20 years! And that is how she treated her dear sister?! Those rogues should have ripped

    her fu cking throat open 6 months ago!¡±

    ¡°But she is alive now!¡± Harper stomped the floor in tears, ¡°Alive and with more power! She will keep

    messing with me and I will never get to be Darran¡¯s Luna. This has to stop!¡±

    ¡°I know my darling, I know. But we have discussed this. As long as she losses Alpha Casper¡¯s

    support, we will be able to destroy her easily.¡±

    Hellen cup her face fondly.

    ¡°You said that Alpha Casper defended you in front of J and he invited you to train with him. So

    one thing we know for sure is that he is not that into J. And you totally have a shot. Just find

    him in private again and-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Harper blurted out without thinking.

    ¡°No?¡± Hellen frowned, ¡°I thought you wanted to do this.¡±

    ¡°I do. And he totally had a big crush on me. It is just¡­¡±

    Harper hesitated.

    Her mind drifted back to the awkward moment she had on the training field.

    She really didn¡¯t want to face Casper again after that!

    Yet she also didn¡¯t want to admit that she made a total fool of herself. So after a little

    pause, Harper mumbled:

    ¡°On second thought, I don¡¯t think that I am fit to do these dirty works, especially as the Riverside

    Pack¡¯s future Luna. And Daran loves me too much. If he hears that I am hanging out with Casper, it

    will totally break his heart.¡±

    Hellen pondered a little bit and nodded, ¡°You are right darling. It is not worthy to

    risk your reputation over that little skunk J. So who should we send to seduce Alpha Casper?¡±

    ¡°Do you have anyone in the house you can trust, mom?¡± Harper asked, ¡°Someone with a good face

    and knows her way around men?¡±

    ¡°Hold on sweetie¡­let me think¡­¡®

    ¡°I can do it.¡±

    Harper and Hellen both turned around.

    A woman was standing by the corner and looking at them nervously.

    It was that maid whom Harper kicked at earlier.

    She never walked far away and had been eavesdropping all along.

    Harper crinkled her nose in disgust, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    The maid walked out from the corner and stood in front of them. Although in fear, she still raised her

    ginger head up and said:

    ¡°My name is Amy, a maid in this house. And I am up for the dirty work you talked about, Miss

    Harper.¡±

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36

    ¡°You?¡±

    Harper surveyed her from head to toe and snorted coldly, ¡°Are you kidding me? You are nothing but

    a lowly maid. What makes you think that you can win over an Alpha?¡±

    She waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Get out of here, before I skin you alive for eavesdropping your

    master.¡±

    Yet Hellen interrupted her daughter, ¡°Wait a second. She might just do.¡±

    ¡°But mother, look at her! She totally stinks in that cheap, low¨Css smell-

    Hellen leant over to Harper and whispered into her ears, ¡°You are still too young to know this

    darling, but men¨Cespecially men in power¨Cnormally prefer these cheap skunks. Their sluttery might

    be exactly what we need here.¡±

    Hellen straightened her back and walked over to Amy, who was standing on her spot awkwardly.

    ¡°Your name is Amy,¡± Hellen looked down at her, ¡°And how old are you?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    ¡°I¡¯m 25, mydy.¡±

    ¡°A bit old. But¡­¡± Hellen nced at Amy¡¯s plummy chest, ¡°¡­I trust you have slept with a man

    before? And you know how to please man in bed?¡±

    ¨C

    Amy puffed her chest out proudly, ¡°Indeed mydy! I had many boyfriends before. Not to brag

    myself but¡­most of them couldn¡¯t take their hands off me. And I am up to many kinky stuffs that

    mostdies won¡¯t do, like mouth gag, bandage, an- ¡°God, stop!¡± Harper covered her ears and

    snapped, ¡°We don¡¯t need to know everything about your disgusting sex life!¡±

    Amy quickly shut her mouth.

    Amy quickly shut her mouth.

    Hellen mped Amy¡¯s chin and turned her face from left to right, assessing her like a livestock:

    ¡°Nice face and great body. Any health issues? We don¡¯t want to give Alpha Casper syphilis.¡±

    ¡°Of course, not mydy. I can hand in my health report if you like.¡±

    Hellen nodded approvingly.

    But Harper spoke up at this moment with a hint of suspicious in her voice, ¡°Hold on a second. Why

    are you so eager in doing this for me? We did not offer you a shit load of money or anything.¡±

    Amy waved her hands urgently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me anything mydy. I am doing this for you

    because you are my master and I am grateful for the job you provided me with. And¡­¡®

    She paused as a vicious look flickered across her face.

    ¡°And I hate that bitch J as well. I would love to take her down for you, mydy!¡±

    Harper seemed surprised, ¡°You hate her as well? Why?¡±

    ¡°We all heard how she kicked you out of your room a few days earlier, mydy. And she forced us

    to move her luggage from the basement to her new room. We were just a few minuteste and she

    had a big melt down in front of Alpha Daran and forced him to punish all of us¡­She is so mean my

    lady¡­¡±

    Amy twisted the fact.

    Daran did punish them about a week ago.

    But he only punished them for foul mouthing J behind her back and for bullying J back in

    the days.

    In fact, J even stepped out for them and asked Daran not to give them a hard time.

    Yet Amy didn¡¯t feel any gratitude at heart.

    On the contrary, it only made her hate J more!

    All maids had said something bad about J before. And every single one of them had bullied

    J once.

    But howe they got punished for it this time?

    It was all because that bitch J had power now.

    If J hadn¡¯t been Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Gamma, Alpha Daran would have never stood up for her in

    a lifetime!

    Amy felt a strong surge of jealousy rose in her as she thought of that.

    If that whore J could climb up the socialdder by fu cking the right man, why couldn¡¯t she do

    the same?!

    Amy had always been very confident of her face and body. She did not mind sleeping around as

    long as it got her what she wanted.

    Yet the most powerful man she had ever slept with was the captain of guards.

    And that was not half enough to provide her with the upper¨Css lifestyle she had always dreamed

    about!

    So when Amy overheard that Harper was looking for someone to seduce Alpha Casper, she knew

    this was her chance!

    This was a fu cking Alpha for Christ¡¯s sake!

    And to make things even better, he was J¡¯s man!

    It would be so awesome to snatch J¡¯s man and her lifestyle from her.

    Amy¡¯s whole body trembled in excitement as she pictured that.

    ¡°Please let me do it, mydy,¡± she begged Hellen and Harper. ¡°I know I¡¯m up for the job. And I will

    totally find a way to pay you back when I am with Alpha Casper.¡± Hellen chuckled, ¡°Ambitious. I like

    it. So do you have any ns?¡±

    Amy replied humbly, ¡°I have been working as a kitchen maid. Please allow me to serve in the dining

    room tonight and I will figure out the rest myself.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Hellen checked her up, ¡°But you can¡¯t wear this outfit if you want to catch an Alpha¡¯s eyes.

    Go find something nice in my head maid¡¯s wardrobe.¡°.

    Amy beamed, feeling ttered, ¡°Thank you! Thank you, mydy! I won¡¯t let you down. I promise!¡±

    She bowed to Hellen and Harper deeply. And then took her exit joyfully.

    After Amy left, Harper curled her lips in disdain, ¡°Mom, are you sure a cheap slut like her will do the

    trick?¡±

    Harper did not feel veryfortable about this.

    If that maid seeded, it would put the two of them on the same level.

    How ridiculous would that be?

    Hellen knew what her daughter had been thinking. She immediatelyforted Harper by saying:

    ¡°That slut will be lucky enough to have Alpha Casper fu ck her once. She was only dreaming in

    thinking that she could stay by his side for long.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Harper rolled her eyes, ¡°She even said she would pay us backter? Like Alpha

    Casper will go for her cheap cunt like her for a second time. How ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Of course, he won¡¯t. Those cheap skunks are only for fun. These Alpha will always end

    up with a nobledy, like you, my sweetie. You are a true princess. Only you deserve to be the

    Luna.

    Hellen cupped Harper¡¯s face lovingly and said:

    ¡°Now go freshen up and get ready for dinner. Alpha Daran and the others will be back for dinner

    soon. You want him to see your best side!¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

    After a long day of training, J and her soldiers walked out of the field bathed in the warm

    afternoon sunlight.

    Although they got interrupted once by Harper¡¯s drama today, they still had a very productive day.

    Everyone¡¯s spirit was high. They had no doubt that Blood Moon Pack would be able to win the next

    round ofpetition again.

    Kass was walking by J¡¯s side, talking enthusiastically to her about a training tactic that he learnt

    today.

    And it was when a deep voice came from behind their backs:

    ¡°J.¡±

    J paused and turned around.

    Daran was walking up to them in long strikes.

    He walked directly passed a few she¨Cwolves who wanted to say hi to him and came to J¡¯s

    side.

    ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± Daran asked while studying J¡¯s face closely.

    J smiled and answered with a business¨Clike¨Ctone, ¡°I am fine. Thank you for asking.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t start training so soon. Baron was still in bed rest. And so should you.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± J shrugged, ¡°Lucky for my pack, I am nothing like Baron.¡±

    Daran raised an eyebrow.

    J¡¯s tone was clearly sarcastic. But Daran didn¡¯t seem offended by that.

    ¡°Blood Moon Pack is indeed lucky to have you,¡± Daran said coolly.

    He directed his cold gaze at Kass and asked, ¡°Is this your soldier?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My junior captain, Kass.¡±

    ¡°The soldiers¡® dining hall is on the other side of the training field. You are heading towards the wrong

    direction, junior Captain Kass.¡± Daran said with a faint hint of hostility in his voice.

    Kass hesitated and looked at J, who faced Daran with a polite smile on her face.

    ¡°I invite him to sit with me in our dining room. Is this going to be a problem Alpha Daran?¡± she

    asked.

    Daran¡¯s face turned dark.

    ¡°You invite him quite often.¡® He stared at J, ¡°Are you two close?¡±

    J avoided his intimidating gaze and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to report every detail of my

    personal life to you, Alpha Daran¡­ Now, if you will excuse me.¡±

    She turned and walked away with Kass.

    But she could still feel Daran staring at her behind her back.

    J couldn¡¯t help but let out a small sigh internally.

    She knew that she might face some troublesing back to Riverside Pack.

    But she never foresaw Daran to be this¡­clingy.

    What did he want now?

    Was he suddenly regretted of how he treated her before?

    Regardless, it was toote now.

    ¡°Gamma J,¡± Kass spoke up by her side in an irritated voice, ¡°Why does Alpha Daran care about

    you so much? He acts as though the two of you go way back. It is so weird.¡±

    J never told anyone about her past in Riverside Pack, except to Casper and Balvina.

    So Kass didn¡¯t know that she used to be Daran¡¯s Luna.

    And J intended to keep things this way.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he is just a weird person,¡± J answered elusively and then turned to Kass

    with a smile. ¡°You must be starving. Hurry. I heard they are serving lobsters today.¡±

    The group of them arrived at the hotel¡¯s banquet hall soon, where all Alphas and generals dined.

    When J stepped in with Kass, Balvina and Casper, she was not surprised to find that Harper

    was here as well.

    Harper had got changed again and was now dressed in a stunning evening gown. She

    even wore a diamond ne toplete her whole look.

    She did stand out from the crowd of exhausted, sweaty soldiers.

    ¡°Alpha Daran!¡±

    Harper called and scurried over to them. Then she skipped J and addressed Casper with a

    smile, ¡°Alpha Casper!¡±

    J raised an eyebrow and turned to Daran, ¡°It just urred to me¡­Alpha Daran, do you know

    that Harper was in Blood Moon¡¯s training field this afternoon?¡±

    Daran immediately frowned.

    ¡°What are you doing there?¡± he asked Harper sternly, ¡°Civilians are forbidden to enter training

    fields.¡±

    ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t enter!¡± Harper stammered in panic, ¡°I was just admiring those gant soldiers behind the

    fence-¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you visit your own pack?¡± J let out a sneer, ¡°Do you find Riverside¡¯s soldiers

    less gant than Blood Moon¡¯s soldiers?¡±

    J¡¯s voice was loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

    And some generals from Riverside Pack immediately turned to re at Harper. ¡°No!¡± Harper¡¯s face

    turned red with embarrassment, ¡°It is not what I meant-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you meant. But please

    stay away from my training field in the future. Otherwise, the next thing that hit you in the head won¡¯t

    be a simple dodge ball.¡±

    With that said, J walked away from Harper and left her standing on her spot in rage.

    Harper bit down her lip in fume.

    She couldn¡¯t believe that J managed to give her a hard time as soon as she stepped into the

    room!

    That bitch

    ¨C

    She couldn¡¯t wait a single second to get rid of J!

    Harper took in a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Then she put on a sweet smile and went

    over to sit down with Casper.

    J, Balvina and Kass were all at the bar ordering their drinks. So Casper happened

    to be alone when Harper approached him.

    ¡°Alpha Casper¡­¡±

    Harper pout and said in a pitiful voice, ¡°Do you me me for visiting your training field as well?¡±

    Casper turned to look at her.

    After a small pause, he chuckled lowly, ¡°It is J¡¯s training field. I have no right to me anyone.¡±

    ¡°But you are the Alpha! You have the right to do anything you please.¡± Harper leant over to him and

    whispered, ¡°If you ask me, J can be very bossy and rude and unreasonable sometimes¡­ Look

    at her with that soldier¡ª¡±

    She gestured Casper to look at J and Kass.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°-If she still cares about your feelings, she should never be that intimate with a soldier!¡±

    The smile on Casper¡¯s face faded away, ¡°What is your point exactly, Miss Harper?¡± ¡°My point is-¡±

    Harper smiled.

    ¡°-there are many great women out there. Don¡¯t keep your options limited.¡±

    Just then, a maide over to fill Casper¡¯s ss. Her hand shook and some of the wine got spilled

    on Casper¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Oh god! My apology Alpha Casper!¡± the maid immediately apologized in panic, ¡°Please let me¡­¡±

    She picked up his hand and pulled out a handkerchief. Gently, she wiped away the wine from

    Casper¡¯s hand.

    The tip of her index finger brushed across his palm seductively.

    Casper jerked around at this maid and frowned.

    This maid had a ginger head and a pretty face.

    Casper also noticed that she dressed way fancier than the other maids in this dining hall.

    ¡°Amy! How can you be this clumsy?¡± Harperined and then turned to Casper, ¡°Please forgive

    my maid. Is there anything she could do to make it up for you?¡±

    ¡°Anything, Alpha Casper,¡± Amy added while looking up at Casper from under her eyshes.

    Casper withdrew his hand and smiled aloofly, ¡°¡­I will let you know if there is anything I needter.¡±

    When J came back from the bar, she found Casper rubbing his temples frustratedly.

    ¡°What happened?¡± J asked.

    ¡°Thank god youe back,¡± Casper sighed. ¡°I almost got swollen alive by two sirens.¡±

    Then he told them what happened moments ago.

    ¡°You have got to be kidding me!¡± Balvina rolled her eyes in disdain, ¡°That whore Harper! Now she is

    asking her maid to seduce you? Does she have a part¨Ctime job as the pimp?¡±

    J stared at that Amy maid in distance, pondering.

    She remembered this maid.

    This Amy used to toss her all the hardbors when J was still in Riverside Pack.

    J also bumped into her in the lobbyst week when she carried J¡¯s luggage to the top

    floor.

    Amy made quite a speech about how she wanted to be the Alpha¡¯s lover.

    Harper must have noticed this maid¡¯s ambition and asked her to approach Casper.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Balvina asked, ¡°Should we kick this maid¡¯s ass and ask her to behave?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± J suddenly said, ¡°We will y their game.¡±

    She gestured the two of them to lean over and whispered something in their ears.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    Amy¡¯s heart was filled with joy tonight.

    Being able to serve in the dining hall was already a huge upgradepared to her former job.

    Before this, she was only allowed to defrost meat or chop vegetables in the kitchen.

    But now, she had a chance to step into the banquet hall, where the most important group of people

    were at.

    Not to mention that she even got to talk to Alpha Casper tonight, her target.

    He was so handsome. And that body¨CAmy was sure that he must be like a beast in bed.

    Just thinking about being in bed with him made Amy¡¯s legs turned soft.

    And Amy was sure that she saw a hint of lust in his eyes when their hands touched.

    He wanted her.

    That was for sure.

    She got a killer boob and ass! Who wouldn¡¯t a man want to spend an amazing night with her?

    That was for sure.

    She got a killer boob and ass! Who wouldn¡¯t a man want to spend an amazing night with her?

    Amy was so joyful that she even started to hum to herself.

    The dinner was about to end. Amy was asked to bring a tray of deserts into the banquet hall.

    That was when a tall woman from Blood Moon Pack stopped her outside of the

    room.

    ¡°Amy?¡± that woman asked.

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Amy stared warily at her. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    This woman had a fit and graceful body, just like J. Her skin was tanned beautifully for

    spending hours outdoor training.

    She was pretty in a very fierce way, which intimidated Amy.

    ¡°My name is Balvina,¡± the woman said with a smile, ¡°Alpha Casper¡¯s guard. He asked me to give

    this to you.¡±

    She handed Amy a room key.

    Amy was so stunned that she even forgot to take it.

    ¡°W¨CWhat is this?¡± Amy stammered.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? This is the key to Alpha Casper¡¯s suite. He said that you are free to enter his room

    tonight, to bring a cup of milk, to organize his bedsheet,

    or anything else you can think of,¡± Balvina said with a raised eyebrow.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Amy¡¯s heart jumped to her throat in excitement.

    She couldn¡¯t believe this was this easy!

    She thought that she had to bribe his guards or at least seduce him again to get an ess into his

    room.

    But now he just gave the room key to her himself!

    He must be really tempted by her body.

    Amy almostughed outcently.

    She took the room key from Balvina and giggled, ¡°Well, please let Alpha Casper know that I will see

    him in his room tonight.¡±

    ¡°I will pass the word,¡± Balvina winked at her and walked away.

    Carefully putting the room key back in her pocket, Amy abandoned her tray of deserts on the floor

    right away.

    Fu ck her maid job.

    She was so tired of serving foods and scrabbing the floor already.

    If everything went well tonight, she would be an Alpha¡¯s concubine in no time!

    She could make all people kneel in front of her and enjoy countless new clothes and jewelries.

    The life she had long dreamed about!

    Just then, the head maid in charge of the banquet hall walked by and saw Amy leaving foods on the

    floor.

    She immediately called out to stop Amy:

    ¡°Hey where are you going? Those are deserts for the nobles! Pick it up right now!¡±

    Amy spined around and faced her with a contemptuous look, ¡°Stop bossing me around, you

    disrespectful bitch.¡±

    ¡°W¨CWhat did you just say?!¡±

    ¡°I said-¡±

    Amy poked the head maid¡¯s chest with a finger and hissed:

    ¡°¨Cyou better watch yourself around me because soon enough I will be out of your reach. Give me

    one more order and I will p your fu king face.¡±

    The head maid¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock, ¡°Are you crazy? What the hell are you talking

    about?¡±

    Amy rolled her eyes, ¡°Dumb ass. Stop wasting my time. Move!¡±

    She shoved the head maid aside and marched out of the banquet hall.

    Returning back to her own room, Amy immediately took a shower, put on some perfume and

    slipped into her se xiest lingerie.

    She twirled around in front of the mirror and studied herself.

    Good.

    She looked fantastic.

    Herrge boobs were bouncing seductively in her lingerie.

    No man could resist her like this.

    Then she put on a nightrobe and headed towards Alpha Casper¡¯s suite on the top floor.

    Amy didn¡¯t encounter any resistance on her way up there.

    She ran into a few guards, but they let her pass as soon as she waved that room key at them.

    Amy really enjoyed the feeling of having ess.

    She even started to imagine what it would be like when she became Casper¡¯s concubine.

    She would make every guard bow to her and call her ¡°Lady Amy.¡±

    It made her feel so privileged.

    Within no time, Amy arrived at Alpha Casper¡¯s suite. She easily swiped open his door

    and snuck in.

    The light in the room was out.

    Amy took a few steps in the darkness and called, ¡°¡­Alpha Casper?¡±

    Nobody answered.

    But she heard running water from the bathroom.

    He was in the shower.

    Amy felt her heartrate quickening and her body started to heat up. She almost couldn¡¯t control the

    tingle between her legs.

    Gulping down excitedly, she took off her nightrobe and tip¨Ctoed towards the bathroom.

    ¡°Alpha?¡±

    She turned the doorknob and opened the door a crack.

    ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡±

    The water was still running.

    Amy stepped in and found a blurry figure behind the bath curtain.

    She couldn¡¯t control herself any longer.

    With a giggle, she threw herself at the person behind the curtain and cried, ¡°Alpha Casper! Wait me

    up in the shower-¡±

    Suddenly, a hand stuck out from behind the curtain and caught her throat!

    Amy screamed out in shock holding the hand on her throat, ¡°No stop! Alpha Casper! It is me! Amy!¡±

    The bath curtain was ripped apart.

    Amy widened her eyes at the person standing in front of her. Her face was filled with dread.

    J tightened her grasp and leant over to her horrified face.

    ¡°I know it is you.¡±

    J smiled.

    ¡°And I have been waiting for you for a long time.¡±

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

    Amy was horrified to find J here.

    J said that she had been waiting for her here.

    J must have found out about the room key somehow and she knew about her intention to

    seduce Alpha Casper!

    J would definitely kill her for that!

    Amy was already shivering in fear from head to toe.

    But just then, a second thought calmed Amy down again.

    What did she have to be the one who got afraid?

    Alpha Casper gave her the room key, which meant that he preferred herpany instead of

    J¡¯s.

    J should be the one panicking right now, not her! She was Alpha Casper¡¯s new love!

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Amy shrieked sharpy while struggling, ¡°Let me go! Or I swear to god I will-¡±

    ¡°Surprise me. What are you going to do?¡± J chuckled.

    Amy red at J as a vicious look flickered in her eyes, ¡°I will tell Alpha Casper! How you

    offended and disrespected me! Just wait for him to punish you!¡±

    ¡°And why do you think he will do that?¡± J giggled.

    Amy struggled to breath under J¡¯s grasp and hissed, ¡°B¨CBecause he is into me now! He gave

    me his room key himself. Asked me to serve him tonight. Wake up bitch! You are ancient history

    now!¡±

    J suddenlyughed out loudly.

    ¡°So,¡± J said betweenughter, ¡°what made you think that I won¡¯t kill here and right now? Before

    you rat me out to Alpha Casper?¡±

    Her iron grip continued to be tighter.

    Amy¡¯s face was turning grey in suffocation.

    you right

    She felt weak and small in front of J, like a prey caught under a predator¡¯s w.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¨CPlease-

    Amy gritted in fear. The cocky side of her started to disappear.

    ¡°I¡ªI won¡¯t tell you off! In fact, how about we both serve Alpha Casper? I will even put in a few good

    words for you in front of him¡­¡±

    The iron grip on Amy¡¯s throat suddenly disappeared.

    Amy dropped on the floor and started coughing violently.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    She thought that J was tempted by her proposal.

    But she was dragged off the floor the next second and heard J¡¯s voice next to her

    ears:

    ¡°Come. There is somebody you need to meet.¡±

    Amy was shoved out of the bathroom.

    There were two people standing in the room.

    One was Balvina, and the other was Casper.

    ¡°Alpha-!!¡±

    Amy suddenly let out a sharp scream and threw herself at Casper, ¡°Alpha Casper! Thank god you

    are here! I was almost killed by J back there!¡±

    She grabbed Casper¡¯s pants and sobbed to it, pouring her eyes out.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Casper snapped irritably, ¡°Let go of my pants now!¡± He kicked his leg

    and freed his pants from Amy¡¯s grip.

    Amy didn¡¯t expect him to be this cold.

    There was a lost look on her face.

    ¡°What am I doing? Alpha Casper¡­you asked me here! Did you forget?¡±

    Then she jerked around at Balvina and shrieked, ¡°You! You gave me the room key! Did you not?!¡±

    Balvina casted a nce at her bouncing boobs and rolled her eyes, ¡°You still haven¡¯t figured out

    what was going on here?¡±

    Amy¡¯s lips twitched in panic, ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t understand¡­¡®

    ¡°God. You are even more stupid than your master.¡±

    ||

    Balvina crouched down to meet her eyelevel and said word by word:

    ¡°I gave you that room key on purpose. So that we can catch you in the middle of your action. This is

    a trap, set by J, Casper and me. Get it?¡±

    Amy stared nkly at Balvina in a trance.

    Gradually, the lost look on her face was reced by horror.

    She suddenly moved back on her butt and mumbled:

    ¡°No¡­No way¡­this can¡¯t be happening¡­Alpha Casper called me in here because he loves me¡­¡±

    ¡°You have got to be kidding me.¡± Casper rubbed his forehead, ¡°Is this how you think of my taste in

    women?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Amy pulled her own hair and screamed, ¡°NO! You are all lying! Alpha Casper

    likes me! I knew it! I saw it! He just wouldn¡¯t admit it now in front the two of you!¡±

    Her nerve started to break down.

    If this was a trap, then she would have to wave goodbye to all of her dreams¨Cher fancy jewelry, her

    clothes, her privilege, her ¡°Lady Amy¡°-EVERYHITNG!

    No! This was not a trap.

    It couldn¡¯t be!

    Amy started screaming and kicking, rolling around on the floor like a manic while crying ¡°Alpha

    Casper loves me!¡±

    ¡°God!¡± Casper cried in frustration, ¡°Somebody talk some sense into this woman¨CPlease!¡±

    J stepped up.

    She grabbed Amy by the shoulder and shoved her against the wall!

    ¡°Shut your mouth. NOW.¡± J hissed and caught Amy¡¯s cheek in one hand, ¡°You are in our hands

    now. Begging and acting crazy will not help. The only way out of this is to obey. You hear me?¡±

    Amy red back. Her eyes were fierce.

    ¡°Fu ck you.¡±

    Amy snarled in a quivering voice, ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? You are a slut yourself! Don¡¯t

    give me that bitchy attitude! I am not buying it!¡±

    ¡°Guess you still don¡¯t understand the situation here.¡±

    J let out a coldugh.

    ¡°As the Blood Moon¡¯s Gamma, I have learnt quite a few interrogation tricks. Don¡¯t force me to

    practice those tricks on you. That hurts.¡±

    J grabbed one of Amy¡¯s hands and surveyed at those slim fingers closely.

    ¡°For example-¡±

    ¡°If I break your fingers one by one and pluck off your nails, tryst more than 3 minutes before you

    pass out.¡®

    ¡°STOP!!¡± Amy¡¯s suddenly screamed.

    Her whole body was trembling violently in fear. Cold sweat was streaming down her forehead.

    ¡°I will behave! I am all yours! Please! What do you want!¡± Amy cried out desperately.

    J smiled and finally let go of her, ¡°Now we are talking.¡±

    ¡°So who sent you here tonight?¡± Balvina stepped up and snapped.

    After a short pause, Amy answered in a faint voice:

    ¡°¡­Mrs. Diaz and Lady Harper.¡±

    ¡°What did they ask you to do exactly?¡±

    ¡°They¡­They asked me to seduce Alpha Casper¡­¡± Amy blew her nose and choked, ¡°They said that

    if I can get Alpha Casper to forget about J, they will have no problem taking J down¡­¡±

    Casper, J, and Balvina exchanged a look.

    ¡°That is all!¡± Amy quickly added, ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on anything evil! So please¡­just let me go now.

    ¡°Not so fast.¡±

    J stared at her, ¡°If you go back to Hellen and Harper and tell them that you have failed the task,

    they won¡¯t let you off easily. You know all of their ns. You are too dangerous. They won¡¯t hesitate

    to wipe you out.¡±

    Amy stood dumbfounded on her spot.

    ¡°No¡­they won¡¯t¡­¡± she mumbled in a breaking voice.

    J took a step closer towards her, ¡°You worked in the Diaz house longer than I did. How many

    maids have disappeared mystically over the years? They never hesitate to take people¡¯s lives. You

    are next now. Unless¡­you work with us.¡±

    Amy snapped her head up.

    ¡°Work with you?¡± she stammered, ¡°¡­How?¡±

    J smiled.

    She put a hand on Amy¡¯s shoulder to stop her from trembling and said:

    ¡°You will go back to them and tell them that you have sessfully seduced Alpha Casper. And

    then, you will do exactly what I am going to say.¡±

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

    ¡°That is all?¡± Amy asked nervously.

    Casper pulled out a pair of crystal earrings from his pocket. If looked closely, there seemed to be a

    small ck dot hidden within the crystal.

    ¡°This is a listening bug,¡± Casper handed the earrings to her. ¡°Put it on when you go back to see

    them. It will record all your conversation.¡®

    Amy took the earrings reluctantly and held it in her palms.

    ¡°T¨CThey will skin me alive if they find out about this!¡± Amy said in fear, ¡°Mrs. Diaz doesn¡¯t tolerate

    traitors! I can¡¯t-¡±

    Balvina cut her off angrily, ¡°So you think we are less scary than Hellen and Harper? Standing in

    front of you are Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Alpha and Gamma! Your masters are only civilians. Choose

    your side wisely, dumb woman!¡±

    J stared at Amy¡¯s frightened face and added:

    ¡°Amy, you have treated me horribly in the past. But I have never thought about getting back at you

    until you threw yourself in my way. You chose this path. You chose to mess with me again. So you

    better ept the offer that I gave you before it expired.¡±

    Amy held her head down, her body trembling.

    After a long pause, she asked lowly, ¡°If I do this, you promise not to seek my troubles in the

    future?¡±

    J shrugged, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mess with me again.¡±

    ¡°And if Mrs. Diaz and Lady Hellen find out that I am working for you¡ª¡±

    ¡°We will protect your safety the best we can.

    Amypsed into silence again.

    ¡°I

    She went into this room with hopes that she could sleep with Alpha Casper and then be his

    concubine.

    Yet all her hopes were shattered by J now.

    She hated J so much for taking her dream away from her.

    But she was left with no choice now.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Amy finally whispered, ¡°I will do it.

    ¡°You made the right choice,¡± J smiled.

    She stepped up and made Amy¡¯s hair a little messier, which would seem like that she just had s ex.

    She even broke one of the straps on Amy¡¯s lingerie.

    Then she tilted her hair and studied Amy¡¯s appearance, ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Oh I got it!¡±

    Balvina took off a hair pin from her head and came over as well. She used the hair pin to create a

    few red marks on Amy¡¯s neck, which looked like hickey.

    ¡°Ta¨Cda.¡± Balvina spread her hands, ¡°A masterpiece.¡±

    Amy bit her lips in grievance and nced over at Casper, ¡°You know¡­we can still sleep for a night

    and save your troubles from faking all of these.¡±

    Casper snapped his head away and avoided Amy¡¯s wistful eyes.

    ¡°You are still dreaming about it?¡± Balvina snapped, ¡°We are still standing right here!¡±

    ¡°OK that is enough,¡± J said. ¡°Nobody is sleeping with anyone tonight.¡±

    She checked the time. It was almost midnight now.

    ¡°You can stay in this room till the morning and report back to them. Don¡¯t forget to put on those

    earrings.¡±

    J gave a small smile at Amy¡¯s pale face.

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ***

    On the next day, Amy went back to the Diaz¡¯s residence.

    Hellen, Paul, and Harper were all having breakfast in the dining room when she stepped in.

    ¡°You are back!¡± Harper immediately shot up from her seat and rushed over to Amy, ¡°Did you get

    him? Did you two sleep together?¡±

    Amy was nervous as hell. Those bugged earrings weighed a ton on her ears.

    But she knew that her situation would be even more dangerous if she let her panic show.

    ¡°O¡ªOf course,¡± Amy gulped down and put a smile on her face. ¡°We had a passionate night! Alpha

    Casper couldn¡¯t get enough of me. The s ex was wonderful.¡±

    Harper huffed a sound.

    She nced over Amy¡¯s neck.

    There were quite a few s ex marks on it.

    Harper suddenly felt a longingness in her body.

    She knew Alpha Casper would be a beast in bed.

    This tramp Amy really got lucky by sleeping with a great man like Casper.

    ¡°Did he give this to you?¡± Harper fixed her gaze on the crystal earrings.

    Amy¡¯s heart almost stopped beating in panic.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Yes. It was a gift.¡±

    Luckily, Hellen eventually directed her gaze away from the earring with a snort, ¡°It seems cheap. I

    have got better ones from Daran.¡±

    Amy quietly let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°This is great news!¡± Hellen cried excitedly, ¡°I knew Alpha Casper wasn¡¯t that into J. Amy, you

    should keep sleeping with him. Find an appropriate timing to say something bad about J to him!

    Give it a month and he will totally forget about that little bitch J!¡±

    Amy quickly nodded.

    Yet Harper spoke up at this moment, ¡°No mother. I can¡¯t wait a whole month. And just make Casper

    forget about J is so not enough.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you say, darling?¡± Hellen asked

    Harper lifted her lips into a vicious smile, ¡°Next week there will be a grand party in our pack, to

    celebrate the united alliance between 5 packs. All the important people will be there. On that day, I

    want you-¡±

    She stared at Amy.

    -to use Alpha Casper of raping you in front of everyone!¡±

    The entire roompsed into silence.

    Paul, Hellen and even Amy all looked shocked.

    ¡°¡­R¨CRape?¡± Hellen stammered, ¡°But why-¡±

    ¡°Think of this, mother,¡± Harper said icily. ¡°Casper may be interested in Amy right now. But what if he

    goes back to J again in the future? We have to dream big here. The best way to wipe J out

    is to take down her backup one thing for all!¡±

    Hellen put a hand on her chest, breathing fast, ¡°But he is still the Alpha-¡±

    ¡°So what? His reputation will stink, and nobody will take him seriously. And we have proofs. Amy

    did sleep with him. If she said it is rape, how can he deny it?¡±

    Amy¡¯s whole body suddenly turned cold.

    So this was Harper¡¯s n.

    To destroy Casper all together!

    If she did everything that Harper had asked of her and slept with Casper, she wouldn¡¯t be able to

    be his concubine either, because Harper wouldn¡¯t allow it. Plus if this thing got exposedter,

    Harper would definitely me everything on her.

    Amy suddenly felt so lucky that she was working with J now.

    Hellen seemed hesitated.

    She turned over to Paul and asked, ¡°What do you think dear? Shall we do this?¡±

    Paul gritted his teeth for a while and nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s listen to Harper. Let¡¯s do this! If we take down

    Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Alpha, even Daran will thank us. It will pave our daughter¡¯s way to be the

    Luna!¡±

    Harper pped her hands together in joy, ¡°That is my great daddy!¡±

    ¡°OK. Then it is settled!¡± Hellen said firmly, ¡°Amy you will go back to Alpha Casper and try to sleep

    with him for a couple more times! We need enough proofs for the grand party next week.

    Understand?¡±

    The three of them stared sharply at Amy.

    Amy had no choice but to nod, ¡°U¨CUnderstood.¡±

    Her back was drenched by cold sweat already.

    ***

    At the same time. In the training field.

    J was standing by the field overseeing today¡¯s training.

    She wore an earphone, and all of their conversations flew directly into her ears.

    When she heard about Harper¡¯s proposal, a cold and sarcastic smile appeared on her

    lips.

    Harper, you were even more evil and stupid than I had thought.

    Then you shouldn¡¯t me me for going hard on you.

    J tapped her fingers on the earphone, pondering.

    ¡­Next week¡¯s party.

    She would have some preparation works to do.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

    At the end of today¡¯s training, J, Casper, and Balvina had dinner in the dining hall and headed

    back to their suits together.

    They found Amy waiting for them by the door when they arrived.

    Balvina immediately rolled her eyes at Amy, ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t we ask you to report

    back to your masters?¡±

    Amy shivered under her gaze and murmured, ¡°I¡­I did¡­¡±

    Casper raised a hand to stop her, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk here. Come inside.¡±

    He opened the door to his own room and let Balvina, J, and Amy in.

    As soon as the door was closed, Amy blurted out at once, ¡°Miss Harper asked me toe back

    and have s ex with Alpha Casper for a few more times. There will be a grand party next week to

    celebrate the collective training between 5 packs. She said that I should keep Alpha Casper

    upied until then.¡±

    Balvina seemed disgusted by that, ¡°God, what a maniptive little bitch! Did she promise you that

    you can be Casper¡¯s concubine after this?¡±

    ¡°N¨CNo. In fact¡­Miss Harper had other ns¡­¡±

    Amv hesitated.

    She nced reluctantly at J.

    J took her seat in the couch casually and crossed her legs, ¡°It is fine. You can share everything

    you heard and saw today with Balvina and Alpha Casper.¡±

    J had not told Balvina and Casper about what she heard through the ear bugs today yet.

    So this was a good chance to fill them in.

    ¡°OK¡­¡±

    Amy gulped nervously before continuing, ¡°She said it that was not enough to have me seduced

    Alpha Casper. Instead, she wants Alpha Casper to be disgraced and ruined in front of everyone.

    His reputation should be destroyed, and he should be socially dead.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

    Casper roared with rage and disbelief.

    He could not believe what he just heard.

    At first, he thought that Harper was simply being mean and maniptive. Yet now as it turned out,

    Harper was not only mean, she was also ambitious and ruthless.

    ¡°Has her fu cking lost her mind?!¡± Casper snapped. ¡°Harper is just a civilian! She does not have that

    kind of influence over the public to have me socially destroyed. It does not make any sense.¡±

    Balvina agreed at once, ¡°Yeah right!¡±

    Among the three of them, only J seemed less infuriated and calmer.

    Then J spoke up with a cool voice, ¡°So that is why Harper had asked Amy to use you of

    raping in front of everyone at the party next week.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    A silence fell upon them.

    Both Casper and Balvina were rendered speechless with their jaw dropped.

    After a few moments, Balvina directed her gaze at Amy and asked in shock, ¡°Is it true? Harper

    asked you to do this?¡±

    Amy quickly nodded holding fearful tears in her eyes.

    ¡°WHAT THE FU CK!¡±

    Balvina cried out. Her loud voice scared Amy to step back in fear.

    ¡°How is this possible!¡± Balvina yelled, ¡°Casper is the Alpha, and she is a civilian. No one will buy her

    words instead of Casper¡¯s.¡±

    J replied shaking her head, ¡°But if everything had gone perfectly ording to Harper¡¯s n,

    Casper would have had se x with Amy already. And Amy would have proofs of the s ex, let it be s

    ex marks on her body or her underwear. If she presents these proofs to the public and testify

    herself, it will be hard for Casper to prove his own innocence.¡±

    J¡¯s eyes turned cold.

    This was actually a perfect n.

    If Casper¡¯s reputation was ruined, Blood Moon Pack would be kicked out of this

    alliance.

    Harper could get rid of her one thing for all.

    Even J had to apud for Harper¡¯s wit and ruthlessness.

    ¡°¨CThat vicious woman!¡± Casper snapped gritting his teeth. ¡°And we are going to let this y out?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    A confident smile touched upon J¡¯s lips as she raised her head to look at Balvina and Casper:

    ¡°Because Harper doesn¡¯t know that her pawn is working for us now. She will be her own victim.¡±

    Then J turned her gaze at Amy and said, ¡°I think we have reached an understanding that I am a

    better person to work with than Harper. Starting at this point, I want you to follow all my orders

    without questions. Are we clear?¡±

    Amy stood on her stood quivering with fear.

    Then her knees gave in abruptly, and she copsed onto the floor.

    Covering her face with both of her hands, Amy started to wail loudly:

    ¡°Y¨CYes, Gamma J! I don¡¯t want those money, fame, and title anymore. I was an idiot to ever

    dream about that! And I havee to realize what a vicious person Miss Harper is! Please¡­

    Gamma J¡­please protect me from her!¡±

    Balvina crossed her arms and looked down at Amy, twitching her lips in despise, ¡°If you fear Harper

    this much, why did you work with her in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°My¡­My mind was clouded by all those wonderful things that Miss Harper promised me¡­but I

    always know what a terrible person Harper is¡­Actually, all maids do¡­¡±

    Amy wiped the corner of her eyes and murmured, holding her head down.

    ¡°Ever since Gamma J left Riverside Pack, Miss Harper has lost her own punch bag and always

    vent her angers on us. She beat and tortured us for no reason. And she often forced us to do

    terrible things for her¡ª¡±

    ¡°Like?¡± Balvina couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°She once forced a maid to steal Alpha Daran¡¯s room key because she wanted to have free ess

    to his room. But that maid was caught by the guards. When Alpha Daran confronted her with this,

    Miss Harper said that she had nothing to do with this. Instead, she imed that it was the maid who

    wanted to seduce Alpha Daran. The Alpha believed in her words and¡­¡±

    Amy shivered and paused as though she just remembered some very terrible stuffs. ¡°And?¡± Balvina

    demanded, ¡°Don¡¯t let us hang like that!¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    Amy took another deep breath before continuing in a shaky voice:

    ¡®And Miss Harper had her forehead tattooed with the word ¡®slut¡® before cutting off her wolf paws and

    chasing her out of the Riverside Pack. She said that she was mercy

    enough to keep her alive.¡±

    The roompsed into a deadly silence.

    There was an astonished look on Casper¡¯s and Balvina¡¯s face.

    Both of them were trained warriors and had seen blood and tragedies many times before.

    But neither of them had met a woman as malicious as Harper.

    Only J didn¡¯t seem surprised.

    She had known what kind of person Harper was a long time ago,

    After a long pause, Casper snapped his head at J abruptly and asked, ¡°J, has Harper ever

    bullied you before?¡±

    J shrugged, ¡°Of course, you heard, she bullies everyone in this pack-¡±

    ¡°That is it!¡± Casper cried, ¡°I am killing this woman right now!¡±

    He dashed toward the door at once. But J jumped up from her seat and stopped him before he

    reached the door.

    ¡°Hey, calm down, Casper.¡±

    J grabbed Casper¡¯s arm and softened her tone, ¡°I know that you are mad. We all are. But we

    need to stay calm for the time being and take down Harper one thing for all at the party.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see her furious face when she finds out that her ns has got ruined by us?¡±

    J smiled.

    Casper¡¯s chest rase and fell rapidly in anger.

    Eventually, he finally caved in, ¡°Fine¡­Next week. At the party.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    J turned to look at Amy and said, ¡°There are 3 days left before the party. You can sleep here

    before then and report back to Harper regrly to keep her guard down. And on the day of the

    party-

    J let out a light and sarcastic sneer.

    We will unveil her mask together in front of all guests.¡±

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    As the date approached the party, Amy started to get more and more anxious.

    Harper still didn¡¯t know that she was working with J now. Harper was still firmly convinced that

    she had been having wild s ex with Casper every single night. Amy would bring feigned evidence

    back to Harper to prove the s ex. So far she had brought a piece of ragged underwear, a used

    condom and a dirty sheet.

    Harper seemed pleased about those evidence.

    She didn¡¯t get suspicious at all.

    On the day of the party, Amy arrived at the venue right on time as instructed by J. She paced

    back and forth outside of the door, biting her nails, and stared at

    those hustle servants and arriving guests anxiously.

    ¡­J still hadn¡¯t said anything about the n yet.

    Amy only knew that J would go after Harper at the party. Yet J didn¡¯t tell her what she was

    going to do exactly.

    When Amy asked her, J simply smiled and told Amy to follow Harper¡¯s

    instruction and not to worried about the rest¡­

    Amy hated the feeling of being kept in the dark.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    An abrupt voice came from behind Amy¡¯s back, causing her to jerk around.

    Harper had just appeared out of nowhere and was now staring at Amy¡¯s panic face with narrowed

    eyes.

    ¡°You seem very anxious,¡± Harper studied Amy¡¯s face closely. ¡°Why?¡±

    Being stared by her made Amy feel as though a scary beast was breathing down her neck.

    ¡°N¨CNothing.¡± Amy forced a smile out, ¡°I was just worried about tonight¡­it is a very big asion. I

    have never attended any grand party like this before¡­¡±

    Luckily, Harper believed in her words.

    ¡°You are such a hick. This party is basically nothing.¡±

    Harper rolled her eyes and waved her hands dismissively, ¡°But I don¡¯t me you. growing up as a

    maid, you haven¡¯t seen any nice things in your entire life. After tonight, I will reward you with enough

    money and jewelries. You will finally live afortable life.¡±

    Amy held her head down and murmured a yes lowly.

    She might get fooled by Harper¡¯s words a week ago.

    But not anymore. No

    J helped her to realize what a terrible person Harper was.

    And given what happened to that maid who helped Harper steal Casper¡¯s room key before, Amy

    was sure that Harper would toss her away like a piece of trash as soon as she was done using her.

    ¡°Come with me. Let¡¯s go inside now,¡± Harper took Amy¡¯s hand and offered her a sweet smile, ¡°This

    will be your first step into the upper¨Css world.¡±

    Together, they entered the venue.

    As soon as Harper appeared, she immediately became the center of attention.

    As a social queen, Harper often attended parties and balls and she had acquainted with many

    young men in Riverside Pack.

    ¡°Miss Harper! It is a pleasure to see you here!¡±

    A man came forward to greet Harper and kissed her hand fondly.

    ¡°May a have a chance to invite you for a dance tonight?¡±

    Harper giggled but did not give a clear answer.

    At the same time, another 3 young men pushed through the crowd and arrived by Harper¡¯s side.

    ¡°I should get to dance with Miss Harper tonight first!¡± one of them cried, ¡°She still owns me a dance

    fromst time.¡±

    ¡°Fu ck off you toad. You can¡¯t even afford your own tux! Look at my brand¨Cnew tux made especially

    for this special asion. It costed me 3 grands! Only I deserve to escort Miss Harper tonight.¡±

    Their quarrels started to attract people¡¯s attention. More Riverside Pack¡¯s young men came to talk

    to Harper.

    Even other pack¡¯s guests, who didn¡¯t know who Harper was at all, also stood on tiptoe to get a peek

    of her.

    Apparently, they were all curious of what a beautifuldy Harper was.

    Harper soon vanished amid a crowd of admires.

    Yet she didn¡¯t seem to hate this kind of attention at all. On the contrary, she seemed quite enjoying

    it.

    ¡°Guys, you shouldn¡¯t fight for me. It makes me feel terrible.¡±

    Harper smiled and hid half of her smiling face behind her plumy fan.

    ¡°Plus, I already have a date tonight.¡±

    Her words made all of the young men presented felt indignant.

    ¡°Who is your date!¡± one of the men cried, ¡°Let me fight him! The winner will get to dance with you

    tonight.¡±

    Harper giggled, ¡°Oh I hardly think you stand a chance against him¡­Oh! Here he is!¡±

    Everyone turned their heads around as a tall figure strode into the venue.

    It was Alpha Daran.

    He was indeed dazzling handsome tonight. His ck tux fit his muscr body perfectly, making him

    look like a walking hormone.

    His strong Alpha aura made all men fear for him and all women adore him.

    The man who said that he would fight Harper¡¯s date quivered slightly.

    Harper was right.

    There was no way he could stand a chance against Alpha Daran.

    A few female guests were about toe over and introduce themselves to Daran. But Harper beat

    them to it and cried out first:

    Daran! Over here my

    dear!¡±

    She picked up her skirt running towards him and wrapped her arm around his intimately.

    ¡°I have been waiting for you for a long time,¡± Harper giggled, ¡°Many men said that they wanted to

    dance with me, but I said no to all of them. I just want you.¡±

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t pay attention to what Harper said at all.

    He looked around the room and asked, ¡°Where is J?¡±

    A resentful look flickered across Harper¡¯s face.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Why are you asking about her? Am I not enough for you?¡± Harper pouted.

    Daran frowned.

    And just at this moment, the crowd started to agitate, and people were all gazing at the front door

    gasping:

    ¡°Oh my god, look at her¡­¡±

    ¡°Who is thatdy!¡±

    Harper looked around following everyone¡¯s gaze and her face turned sullen at once. J had just

    stepped in through the door.

    She was dressed in a ck gown with deep v neck and high split, which greatly entuated her

    beautiful body figure. She wore ming red lip¨Cgloss and a set of morous jewelries, which made

    her look like a goddess.

    And most importantly, she had arge group of people following her.

    Right behind her back was Casper and Balvina and far back was Kass and few other soldiers from

    Blood Moon Pack.

    Their strong presence was impossible to ignore.

    And people started to whisper:

    ¡°Look at that woman. She seemed beautiful and fierce. Who is she? Why is Alpha Casper walking

    behind her back?¡±

    ¡°That is Gamma J. She is a very attractive woman indeed. I think she makes all other pretty

    girls in this room seem invisible¡­¡±

    Harper clenched her fists while ring at J.

    She hated J so much!

    She was getting everyone¡¯s attention before J arrived.

    But now, all of her thunders got stolen by J!

    J¡¯s eyes searched across the room. When she noticed Daran, she walked over to him directly

    with Casper and Balvina.

    ¡°Good evening, Alpha Daran.¡± J smiled politely, ¡°Thank you for having us tonight. And thank

    you for inviting us to your pack.¡±

    Daran looked at J, ¡°This is your pack too. You were born here.¡±

    J replied with a faint smile. Casper spoke up before she did, ¡°But you gave up on her when you

    refused to save her from the rogues. Now, J belongs with me. Right, J?¡±

    J tilted her head and gave Casper a small smile.

    Harper stared at their interactions as fire of rage burnt in her.

    She couldn¡¯t stand J being the center of attention! All these great men¨CDaran` and Casper¨Call

    they could see now was J and J alone!

    She¨Cthe Riverside Pack¡¯s princess- was nearly invisible with J present!

    She couldn¡¯t tolerate J a single second longer.

    This must end now!

    Harper turned to Amy and gave her a sharp look.

    Amy shivered. But she was left with no other choice.

    She took a small step further and pointed a finger at Casper, crying out loudly: ¡°-You!¡±

    Her loud voice caused many people to turn around and look.

    Casper raised an eyebrow, ¡°What about me? Have we met before?¡±

    ¡°Y¨CYou¡­¡±

    Amy¡¯s lips twitched. She was too scared to continue. Panicked, she gave a quick look at J

    asking for help.

    Yet J only replied to her with an encouraging smile.

    Amy clenched her fists and finally shrieked, ¡°¡­You¨CAlpha Casper¨CYou raped me!¡± The entire

    venue fell into a deadly silence at one.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43

    After a long pause of silence, a round of loud mutterings broke out in the room. ¡°What did that

    woman just say?!¡±

    ¡°Alpha Casper raped her? How is this possible! He is an alpha and she is a lowly maid. He can

    have any woman he wants!¡±

    ¡°But let¡¯s not jump into any conclusion just yet. Look at that maid. She is indeed pretty. And we all

    have heard about Casper¡¯s affair with Gamma J. Seems like that he can be easily seduced by

    pretty woman.¡±

    All people¡¯s gazes were focused on Casper, who narrowed his eyes at Amy and Harper with a

    sarcastic smile on his lips.

    ¡°You said that I raped you?¡± Casper snorted, ¡°When did this happen? And do you have any proofs?

    Let me warn you, youngdy, that ndering an Alpha is considered as a serious crime.¡±

    Amy quivered in fear.

    The public¡¯s attention made her very nervous. And Harper didn¡¯t rehearse this part of the speech

    with her. So she started to panic.

    Harper took over the conversation at this moment with a shocked look, ¡°Actually, I have heard about

    this from my maid before¡­But I didn¡¯t know it was you, Alpha Casper! How could you do this! To a

    sweet and innocent girl!¡±

    Her voice started to get louder gradually.

    And after seeing people nodding to her in agreement among the crowd, Harper took a step further

    and cried out even more indignantly:

    ¡°The thing that I hated the most is for aristocrats and nobles to tramp over the lives of the poor and

    weak. Yes, Amy is just a maid. And she doesn¡¯t have much power or

    money. But this doesn¡¯t give you the right to assault her! Today, I am standing out for her and

    bringing justice back to our pack!¡±

    More and more people started to look at Harper with approval.

    And when she reached to the end of this speech, apuse and cheering could be heard from the

    crowd.

    Among the group of people from Blood Moon Pack, J, Casper, and Balvina still appeared calm.

    Yet soldiers like Kass couldn¡¯t stand these usations anymore. ¡°You better watch your tongue,

    woman!¡±

    Kass marched forward and gritted at Harper.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t presented any proofs yet! It is still too early to use anyone of anything. I will not

    allow you to stand here and nder my Alpha without any proofs!¡±

    Kass¡¯s tall figure casted a huge shadow on Harper¡¯s body. Yet she didn¡¯t seem frightened at all.

    Straightening herself up, Harper argued back fiercely, ¡°Or what are you going to do?

    Hit me? p me? Are men from Blood Moon Pack a bunch of savages who are capable of nothing

    but assaulting women?¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Kass cried furiously.

    Harper grabbed Daran¡¯s sleeve hastily and sobbed, ¡°Alpha, you have seen what these savages are

    like. Please, can you serve justice to me and my maid?¡±

    There was a deep furrow between Daran¡¯s brows.

    After casting a dark look at Casper and J, Daran turned to look at Harper sternly,

    ¡°Harper, you do realize that you are making a serious usation against Alpha Casper in front of all

    members and guests from 5rgest packs in the world?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do!¡±

    ¡°And if this usation is proven false, even I can¡¯t protect you.¡± Daran said coolly, ¡°Even so, you

    are still going to continue with this?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Harper answered with a firm nod, ¡°Because I can¡¯t stand it anymore! This terrible crime must

    stop or more women will get hurt!¡±

    J chimed in at this moment, ¡°And if this usation is proven false, how will you

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    punish Miss Harper, Alpha Daran?¡±

    Harper snapped her head around and red at J, ¡°So you are taking Alpha Casper¡¯s side now

    J? A rapist¡¯s side? I still haven¡¯t forgiven you for betraying the

    Riverside Pack, and now you are betraying all women collectively?¡±

    A mocking smile appeared on J¡¯s lips as she said, ¡°Until any solid proof is presented, I am not

    taking anybody¡¯s side. All I am saying is that there should be some sort of punishment for the liar.¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡±

    Harper raised her chin and announced haughtily, ¡°If my words are proven to be lies¡­I am willing to

    be expelled from this pack and be a rogue!¡±

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd.

    Even Daran slightly widened his eyes in shock.

    Getting expelled was a very serious punishment! Some even considered it a stricter penalty than

    death sentence!

    If Harper dared to say this, it must mean that she was one hundred percent sure about Alpha

    Casper being guilty!

    The atmosphere started to get tense. All guests were looking at Casper with disgust now. They had

    convicted him guilty in their heart already.

    Kass and other Blood Moon Pack¡¯s solders exchanged worried looks.

    Although they had strong faith in their Alpha, they were still concerned about how this drama would

    y out.

    ¡°Expelling you from Riverside Pack?¡±

    J let out a sneer, her eyes gleaming coldly.

    ¡°It is so not enough. You should also have your wolf ws chopped off with the word ¡®liar¡® tattooed

    onto your forehead¡­Like what you did to your former maid, remember?¡±

    Hearing this, Harper¡¯s heart skipped beat.

    Although Harper was sure that her n was wless, a chill was still sent down her spine when she

    pictured her wolf ws getting chopped off and her forehead tattooed.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    Harper forced out a smile.

    ¡°The maid that you were referring to is a thief. A lowly patrician. But I am ady. I shouldn¡¯t suffer

    the same kind of punishment as a lowly patrician did¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh is that so?¡±

    J raised her eyebrow.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that the thing you hated most is for aristocrats to tramp over the lives of the

    poor and weak? Yet now you are holding double standard when ites to your own interest. Does

    that make you a hypocrite, Harper?¡±

    A few people in the crowd jeered.

    Daran casted a suspicious look at Harper, making Harper¡¯s face turn pale instantly.

    ¡°How dare you call me a hypocrite! You are rooting for a goddamn rapist yourself!¡± Harper cried

    angrily, ¡°Fine! If you insist, the I am willing to-

    An anxious look flickered across Amy¡¯s face, and she secretly tucked at Harper¡¯s sleeve, trying to

    stop her from continuing.

    Yet Harper ignored herpletely and cried out the rest of her words:

    ¡°-To have my ws chopped off and forehead tattooed and evicted if my words are proven wrong!

    Now are you happy?!¡±

    J let out a heartyugh and pped, ¡°Excellent! Let everyone in this room tonight be our

    witness!¡±

    ¡°And if Alpha Casper is indeed guilty-¡±

    Harper snapped with her chest rising and falling rapidly in rage.

    Our Tapist Alpha should take the same kind of punishment!¡±

    J and Casper exchanged a look as Kass blurted out, ¡°No! How can you evict a pack¡¯s Alpha?

    We will not allow it-¡±

    Casper raised a hand to silence Kass, ¡°Fine. I agree. It is fair.¡±

    ¡°Alpha! This is outrageous!¡± another soldier cried.

    Yet Casper ignored all of them and looked at Harper asking, ¡°Now can we see your proofs?¡±

    ¡°That is right. It is time to present your evidence,¡± Daran agreed.

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    Harper smiled confidently and nodded at Amy. Amy left the room holding her head down and

    returned shortly after with a bag of stuffs.

    ¡°H¡­Here are the evidence¡­¡±

    Amy whispered and took 3 items out of the bags one by one.

    ¡°A piece of ragged underwear, a used condom and a dirty sheet which he raped me

    on¡­

    11

    People looked at these evidences and the roompsed into silence.

    And then somebody among the crowd asked, ¡°But how can you prove that the underwear and the

    dirty sheet are yours? And the condom¡­how can we know if Alpha Casper really used it or not?

    You can¡¯t convict Alpha Casper guilty with these.¡± ¡°We can run a DNA test,¡± Daran said coldly. ¡°¡­to

    see if there is any body fluid left inside of that condom.¡±

    ¡°It is not necessary!¡± Harper said urgently.

    A DNA test took too long!

    She wanted J and Casper ruined tonight!

    ¡°I have a surveince footage of Alpha Casper¡¯s soldier giving Amy his room key and tricking her

    into his room!¡± Harper snapped, ¡°Let¡¯s see it together!¡±

    She gave a nod to one of her maids, who immediately ran to y the prepared video.

    A few momentster, therge screen in the venue lit up.

    But the material started to y was not a surveince footage, but a recorded audio!

    And it wasn¡¯t Casper and Amy¡¯s voice like Harper had thought.

    It was Harper¡¯s own voice!

    ¡°¡­I want you to use Alpha Casper of raping you in front of everyone¡­His reputation will stink,

    and nobody will take his pack seriously¡­¡±

    The venuepsed into a ringing silence.

    And Harper¡¯s face turned pale instantly!

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    The audio was being yed over and over again, with Harper¡¯s voice saying:

    ¡°¡­I want you to use Alpha Casper of raping you¡­and nobody will take his pack seriously¡­¡±

    Most people had recognized Harper¡¯s voice.

    They exchanged mystified looks with each other with the same question in their heart:

    Why was Harper ying an audio of herself?

    And who was she talking to in this audio?

    Harper widened her eyes in fear and shock, her lips twitching slightly.

    Then she cried out abruptly, ¡°No! Wait a second! This isn¡¯t the footage that I wanted to y! Wrong

    footage! Somebody pauses it right now!¡±

    J took out a remote from her pocket and pressed a button, pausing the audio.

    ¡°Do you recognize your own voice, Harper?¡± J smiled.

    Seeing the remote in J¡¯s hand, Harper gritted out in anger and disbelief, ¡°You¨CIt was you! You

    arranged to have my footage swapped!¡±

    She turned to grab Daran¡¯s hand hastily and shook it, ¡°Alpha, you must help me! Ask J to

    delete her audio! And y mine instead!¡±

    Yet J spoke up before Daran did, ¡°Wait a second. Let¡¯s talk about this audio first.

    Do you remember whom you were talking to in the audio?¡±

    Harper shivered. Then she gradually turned to Amy, who had hit behind Balvina¡¯s back already.

    ¡°YOU!¡±

    Harper pointed a finger at Amy and yelled, ¡°You bitch¨Cyou betrayed me!¡±

    Amy didn¡¯t even dare to look up at Harper. But she finally understood J¡¯s n by

    this point.

    The ear bug J gave her the other day recorded all of their conversation. J knew that Harper

    would take this party as a chance to publicly use Casper of raping. So J waited Harper to

    attack them first and then lured Harper to set the penalty herself.

    Now everyone in the venue had heard what Harper just said about being willing to g¨¦t expelled a

    moment ago.

    Daran couldn¡¯t even protect her if Harper¡¯s words were proven false even if he wanted to!

    What a brilliant trick!

    ¡°Amy didn¡¯t betray you,¡± Balvina let out a sneer and said, ¡°She simply chose the right side because

    she couldn¡¯t stand you ndering Alpha Casper like that.¡±

    ¡°No! I swear! It is not ndering¨C¡±

    Harper cried in panic.

    I only said those things because Amy told me about the raping first. I simply told her to expose

    Alpha Casper here at the party. I did want his reputation to stink! But he is a goddamn rapist so

    what is wrong with that?¡±

    The crowd¡¯s attitude started to swing again.

    Gamma Jeff from ck Water Pack stepped out from the crowd and said to J, ¡°Gamma J,

    you can¡¯t prove anything with this short audio. Because Miss Harper didn¡¯t say anything about

    wanting to nder Alpha Casper. She simply asked her maid to make that usation. She might

    be using her maid to get back at you, but that is an ethical problem, not a legal one.¡±

    Many people nodded in agreement.

    J replied to Jeff with a smile, ¡°So do you want to hear the full version of this audio?¡±

    Jeff looked stunned, ¡°¡­There is a full version?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    J shrugged and nced at Daran, who had a dark look on his face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t y it at first because I wanted to give Harper a chance to admit her own fault. But if she

    refuses to do so¡­Well, I guess that there is no use holding it back anymore.¡±

    With that said, J took out the remote again.

    ¡°NO-¡±

    Harper let out a sharp cry abruptly and rushed at J to stop her.

    But J had already pressed the y button.

    ¡°¡­I know that Alpha Casper is not that into J. Amy, you should keep sleeping with him!¡±

    That was Harper¡¯s mother Hellen¡¯s voice.

    Harper spoke up right after Hellen, ¡°¡­No mother. Just make Casper forget about J is so not

    enough¡­Amy, I want you to use Alpha Casper of raping you in front of everyone!¡±

    There was an upsurge of noise! Everyone gasped together!

    It was certain now¨Cwithout doubt¨Cthat Harper arranged her own maid to seduce Alpha Casper

    before asking the same maid to use Casper of raping!

    What a vicious woman!

    Harper cried frantically and tried to snatch J¡¯s remote. But she was stopped by Blood Moon

    Pack¡¯s soldiers.

    And the audio was still ying in the background with Harper saying in a venomous voice:

    ¡°-His reputation will stink, and nobody will take his pack seriously. And we have the proofs. Amy did

    sleep with him. If she says that it is rape, how can Casper deny it?¡±

    ¡°And just to be clear-

    Casper raised his voice saying, ¡°-I didn¡¯t sleep with Amy. We simply let Harper believed that I did.¡±

    People were all busying discussing this sudden turn of event.

    Gamma Jeff shook his head in disbelief and said, ¡°This is truly astonishing¡­Hey maid! Did Miss

    Harper really ask you to seduce Alpha Casper?¡±

    Balvina gave Amy a small nudge. Amy staggered forward and finally spoke up in a quivering voice:

    11

    ¡°¡­Yes. And she also asked me to lie about the raping because she hated Gamma J and Alpha

    Casper so much-¡±

    ¡°LIAR!¡±

    Harper snapped her head up and screamed at the top of her lung. Her hair was messy, and her

    gown was crumpled. She didn¡¯t look like ady anymore, more like a lunatic.

    ¡°You¨CLiar-¡±

    She pointed at Amy and shrieked, ¡°How did they buy you off? You have been bought! That must be

    it!¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t buy me!¡± Amy clenched her fists and cried shakily, ¡°I¨CI did work for Miss Harper at first.

    But Gamma J helped me realize what a terrible person Harper is! Miss Harper had never cared

    about the lives of the poor and weak as she said. Instead, she bullied and tortured us maids

    severely! One of her maids was once charged with a crime she didn¡¯t do and got chased out of

    Riverside Pack with her ws chopped off and her forehead tattooed!¡±

    ¡°YOU FU CKING, CRAZY, BITCH!¡±

    Harper roared frantically.

    Her crazy appearance made everyone present¨Cincluding her former admirers¨Cfrowned with

    disgust.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ªI didn¡¯t!¡±

    Harper murmured hysterically before throwing herself at Daran and cried:

    ¡°Daran, my love, you know that they are smearing me, don¡¯t you? You know about that maid¨Cshe

    tried to steal your room key! That punishment served her justly!¡±

    Daran looked down at Harper with an expressionless face.

    ¡°Yes, I remember that maid,¡± he said.

    Yet before Harper could let out a relievedugh, Daran added to that, ¡°But I only sentenced her to

    eviction. I never asked to have her wolf ws chopped off and her forehead tattooed!¡±

    He narrowed his eyes at Harper¡¯s panic face and asked, ¡°Did you go behind my back and give that

    order?¡±

    Harper froze.

    Then she blurted, ¡°O¨COf course not! M¨CMaybe I remembered it wrong. Amy also remembered it

    wrong! Yes, that maid only got expelled-¡±

    ¡°Another lie?¡±

    J sneered.

    ¡°Harper, you are really digging your own grave. I guess only by bring the witness to you will make

    you admit to all of your crimes.¡±

    J pped her hand and cried loudly, ¡°Let¡¯s bring the witness in!¡±

    Everyone turned to look at the front gate.

    Harper also jerked around shockingly, her face tear¨Cstained and her body trembling.

    Through the front door came in two Blood Moon soldiers. Behind their back was a young woman.

    She had a pretty face, but her face was disfigured by an ugly tattoo on her forehead, which read

    ¡°THIEF.¡±

    She was also armless.

    Both of her wolf ws were chopped off!

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    Seeing this armless woman, Harper quickly backed on the floor with a horrified look on her face, as

    though she just saw a ghost.

    ¡°IMPOSSIBLE!¡±

    Harper screamed at this armless woman.

    ¡°Y¨CYou should be dead already! You should be DEAD!¡±

    A cold and sarcastic smile appeared on this armless woman¡¯s lips as she asked, ¡°Why? Just

    because you expelled me from Riverside and cut off my wolf ws, then I am doomed to be dead?

    Sorry to disappoint you but I am perfectly well, Lady Harper, thank you for asking.

    Then she turned to the crowd of people and slightly bowed:

    ¡°Good evening and thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak out. My name is Angelina,

    Lady Harper¡¯s former name. I have lived in the darkness and shame for too long. And now it is time

    for me to clear my own name!

    ¡°LIAR!¡±

    Harper straightened her back and roared.

    ¡°BITCH! LYING WHORE-¡±

    ¡°Can somebody cloak her mouth, please?¡± Gamma Glen from Silver w Pack rolled his eyes and

    said, ¡°It is impossible for me to hear the witness¡¯s words.¡±

    ¡°How dare you, you filthy bastard!¡± Harper immediately directed her target at Glen and shrieked,

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to cloak me! I am LADY HARPER! I am the future Luna of¡ª¡±

    Yet before she could finish, Daran casted a cold look at her and ordered his guards, ¡°Cloak her

    mouth.¡±

    Guards rushed at Harper and mped her mouth shut. Harper shrugged while staring at Daran with

    pleading tears in her eyes.

    Yet there was not a thread of sympathy in Daran¡¯s eyes.

    He looked away from Harper without hesitation and said to Angelina, ¡°I remember you. 2 years ago

    you came into my room and tried to steal my room key. You admitted to your own crime afterwards.

    When I sentenced you to expel, you didn¡¯t have any problem with that either. So what happened

    afterwards?¡±

    Angelina let out a bitter chuckle.

    She red at Harper resentfully and gritted, ¡°I only admitted to the crime that I didn¡¯t do because

    Harper forced me into it. She said that if I took the me for her, she would guarantee my safety

    and reward me with enough money to be spent for a lifetime. Even if I was expelled, she would take

    care of my family in this pack. But-

    ¡°But she changed her mind?¡± Balvina pursued.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Angelina snapped, clenching her fists. ¡°She didn¡¯t give me no money. She also chopped off

    my wolf ws afterwards! She chased me out of this pack while my hands were still bleeding. She

    hoped that the rogues would shred me into pieces! The way, her hands would be clean. And as for

    my family¡­¡±

    Angelina choked. Tears had streamed down her cheek.

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± J said icily, ¡°Harper didn¡¯t take care of your family as promised.¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No¡­of course she didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Angelina gritted.

    ¡°She was afraid that my family would tell Alpha Daran the truth, so she evicted. them and burnt my

    house down to ashes!!¡±

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd.

    ¡°This is truly astonishing, Alpha Daran!¡± Glen said to Daran loudly with a stern face, ¡°First she

    framed her maid, then she tried to frame Alpha Casper. Who knows what else she is capable of in

    the future? My Alpha is not here tonight. But I think he will agree with me on this.¡±

    Many people nodded in agreement with Glen.

    Everyone was now staring at Daran, waiting for his decision.

    There was a deep furrow between Daran¡¯s brows. He gestured guards to relieve Harper before

    asking her in a deep voice:

    ¡°Do you have anything else to say now, Harper?¡±

    Tears had strained Harper¡¯s face. She sobbed and shivered on the floor as though she would faint

    the next second.

    ¡°Come on just drop the act! Stop wasting our time!¡±

    Balvina snapped impatiently.

    ¡°We all saw how you screamed and yelled moments earlier. And you do remember what you said

    yourself earlier, don¡¯t you? That you would be willing to have your ws chopped and forehead

    tattooed?¡±

    Still sobbing, Harper shook her head desperately, ¡°No¡­you are all lying¡­I am innocent¡­That

    cunning bitch J must have colluded with all of you¡­¡±

    J replied to that with a mocking snort, ¡°There is no way for me to pay off Angelina. I just found

    her by the boarder 2 days ago. And look at her missing ws and tattoo. Those are hard evidence!

    Look at her, Harper. Do you dare to look at your own victim?!¡±

    ¡°No¡­Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    Harper covered her face with her hands, shivering in horror.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me look¡­I can¡¯t¡­

    Angelina strode forward and looked down at Harper, ¡°You ruined my life, you cold bitch! At least you

    should have the gut to look directly into my eyes!¡±

    She reached out a missing arm for Harper to see.

    Harper dodged in pani?. She scrambled awkwardly to her feet and then tumbled again. Sitting on

    the floor, she let out a horrified scream and started to pluck her own hair.

    ¡°STOP! STOP!¡±

    flying to the air.

    ¡°OK! I admit it! I DID IT! So just stop¡­STOP!!!¡±

    The noise in the venue got even louder with Jeff saying loudly in the background, ¡°She admitted it!

    Alpha Daran, you heard her! What are you going to do?¡±

    Kass added to that in a booming voice as well, ¡°Alpha Daran, don¡¯t forget that it was our Alpha she

    tried to frame. All members from Blood Moon Pack demand you to take this seriously!¡±

    As the center of attention, Daran slowly raised a hand, gesturing the crowd to quiet down.

    Then he turned to Harper, who widened her eyes staring back at him, and said in an icy¨Ccold

    voice:

    ¡°Harper Diaz, given all the crimes you have convicted before, I hereby sentenced you to a sentence

    of permanent eviction from Riverside Pack¡ª¡±

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    11

    Execute immediately after the removal of your wolf ws and the tattoo on your forehead!¡±

    ¡°NO¨C!!!¡±

    Harper screamed at the top of her lung and jumped at Daran. Two guards grabbed her shoulder

    together, but she struggled and fought against them like crazy. ¡°YOU LOVE ME, DARAN!¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She screamed.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me! Remember how I saved your life when we were child?! You can¡¯t do this!

    YOU CAN¡¯T!¡±

    Hearing Harper¡¯s cries, J slightly furrowed.

    ¡­Harper once saved Daran¡¯s life?

    How came she didn¡¯t know about this?

    And right at this moment, 3 people came rushing into the venue through the front door.

    It was Harper¡¯s mom, dad, and her youngest brother John.

    ¡°Oh my god! My babe!¡±

    Hellen screamed running towards Harper and dragged her away from the guards. ¡°What have they

    done to you!¡±

    Harper buried her face onto Hellen¡¯s shoulder and wailed, ¡°They wanted me dead, Mother! They

    wanted to cut off my ws!¡±

    Paul stepped up. Although he seemed terrified of Daran, he still plucked up the courage and said,

    ¡°We have heard what happened. My daughter has done a few wrong things. But she doesn¡¯t

    deserve to have her ws chopped off¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then do I deserve this?¡± Angelina asked furiously presenting her missing arms.

    Paul gulped and looked away, murmuring in panic, ¡°Well¡­you are a maid. me your poor and

    lowly family if you will¡­¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

    This time it was Kass who interrupted Paul and snapped, ¡°Do poor people deserve to

    suffer then? This has never happened in Blood Moon Pack. We treat everyone equally! What is

    wrong with you Riverside Pack¡¯s people!¡±

    There were also many Riverside pack members present. Hearing Kass¡¯s usation, these people

    immediately stepped forward and shouted back.

    Seeing the tension aggravate, J raised her voice looking at Hellen and Paul and said:

    ¡°I advise you to take your side wisely, Ms. and Mrs. Diaz. Harpermitted a crime. She is a

    criminal now. Do you really want to protect a criminal? It might hurt your family¡¯s reputation.¡±

    Not surprisingly, J found a reluctant look flickering across Hellen and Paul¡¯s face.

    A cold smile appeared on J¡¯s lips.

    She knew her foster family very well. This family were a bunch of selfish, cold bastards. All they

    ever cared about was themselves.

    Hellen and Paul would give up anything to protect their wealth and reputation.

    Including Harper.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Harper snapped her head up and looked at Hellen in disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t get fooled by J! I

    am your daughter! I am the future LUNA! I can help this family! I really can!¡±

    John twitched his lips and murmured, ¡°But you are a criminal now. There is no way Alpha Daran will

    make you Luna¡­¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP YOU FOOL!¡± Harper spat.

    ¡°And-¡±

    ¨C¡± J added, ¡°-Don¡¯t forget you still have 3 sons. How will they be affected if you insist on saving

    a criminal?¡±

    Hellen bit her lip and exchanged a look with Paul.

    Then she slowly pushed Harper away.

    ¡°Harper¡­my baby¡­¡±

    Hellen wiped the corner of her eyes for some invisible tears and sighed, ¡°I have told you not to do

    those things¡­but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Now look at you¡­¡±

    Harper staggered back shockingly. Then she turned to look at Paul.

    ¡°¡­Dad?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Harper.¡± Paul gave her aforting smile, ¡°We will take care of you even if you are

    expelled. You will always be our baby daughter.¡±

    Harper mped her mouth shut to stifle a desperate scream.

    How ironic

    She once promised the same thing to Angelina. So she knew perfectly well that what her father just

    said was nothing but pretty words.

    Her family gave up on her.

    Everything she once held so dearly in her life¨Cher rich family, her title, her Luna position, her

    reputation¨Ceverything was gone now!

    And it was all because of¡­JANET!

    If it weren¡¯t for J, she would still be the love of Daran¡¯s life.

    She would still be Riverside Pack¡¯s princess, admired and adorned by everybody!

    If today was her doom, she swore to take J down with her!

    ¡°You!¡±

    Harper jerked around at J and stepped toward her. There was an insane look on Harper¡¯s face

    as though she would lose her mind and turn crazy the next second.

    ¡°It was all you¡­¡±

    Harper gritted with hatred, ring at J.

    ¡°You have no right to use me of anything, you FILTHY BITCH! How did you get this gamma

    position, huh? I bet you must have fu cked every man in Blood Moon Pack to do that! And Casper¡­

    did he fu ck your cunt like a fu cking dog¡ª¡±

    An angry look appeared on Casper¡¯s face.

    ¡°Shut up you crazy woman!¡± Kass snaped.

    ¡°Why? Am I wrong?¡±

    Harper challenged back giggling, ¡°Do you love her? Do you know how many men have visited her

    cheap cunt?¡±

    Kass was about to say something, but J stopped him.

    ncing around the room, J found that almost all people were looking at them curiously.

    They must all have heard the rumor about Casper and her.

    And Daran was staring at her as well, his jaw slightly tensed.

    ¡°It is probably the time to clear this,¡± J said slowly.

    She looked at Casper briefly.

    Upon receiving a small nod from him, J continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to exin anything. Because I

    have proven my capability as a Gamma. But the rumor has gone wild, and it is now hurting my

    Alpha.¡±

    J took a deep breath and announced loudly to the entire room:

    ¡°-My real name is J Manning. I am Alpha Casper¡¯s blood sister. Blood Moon Pack one and only

    princess!¡±

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    A loud and astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd.

    What did J just say? That she was Casper¡¯s blood sister? And Blood Moon Pack¡¯s princess?

    But how was this possible!

    Other people might not have a clue, but everyone from Riverside Pack knew that J was the

    Diaz¡¯s daughter. Her mom and dad were Hellen and Paul!

    After a little pause, Hellen broke the silence with augh, ¡°J, are you crazy? Do you long for

    power so much that you start to fantasize things now? I gave birth to you! You are My daughter!

    How can you deny this!¡±

    The crowd started to agitate again.

    Paul talked over the noise in a roaring voice, ¡°This is absurd! I have never seen such a barefaced

    liar before! Rejecting her own biological parents just to suck up to an Alpha¡¯s ass. J, don¡¯t you

    have no shame?¡±

    Even John raised his voice and cried, ¡°I loathe you, J! Are you neglecting us now because we

    are civilians and Casper is Alpha? You don¡¯t seem to have a problem with

    this family before when we fed you, clothed you and put a roof above your head!¡±

    The look on people¡¯s face changed and they looked at J with a clear despise in their eyes.

    What Harper did was disgracing, but J¡¯s behavior was no better.

    What kind of person would deny her own biological parents?

    Daran spoke up in a deep voice while looking at J, ¡°I will do you justice. And I will punish

    Harper for her crime as we agreed. So there is no need for you to lie about this.¡±

    At the center of attention, J stood on her spot calmly with her arms crossed in front of her

    chest.

    She let out a light chuckle, ¡°So you don¡¯t trust me either, Alpha Daran? Do you rather believe in

    Harper¡¯s words? That I am Casper¡¯s mistress?¡±

    Daran frowned, ¡°No. But I have known you since we were little. Yourst name is Diaz, and you are

    Hellen and Paul¡¯s daughter. There is no mistake with that.¡±

    Of course, he didn¡¯t want J to have any connection with Casper. But to say that J was

    Casper¡¯s blood sister? This was even more absurd.

    He had known the Diaz sisters since their childhoods. He saw J growing up in the

    Diaz family. He was her mate and husband! He knew everything about her inside and out.

    And now what? J was saying that everything he knew about her was all false? How was this

    possible!

    Daran stared at J with a sulky look on his face and said, ¡°Stop lying about having an Alpha

    brother, J. Your parents might have done many wrong things. But they still don¡¯t deserve to be

    treated like this.¡±

    A disappointed look flickered across J¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You thought you knew me, Daran. But you don¡¯t.¡± J said in a cold voice, ¡°You never really

    cared about me or paid attention to me or trusted me. You have neglected me your whole life. And

    now, it is toote.¡±

    Casper took a step forward and wrapped his arm around J¡¯s shoulder.

    He said, ¡°Don¡¯t get angry with this bunch of losers. It is not worth it. Just show them the proof.¡±

    J nodded.

    She reached into her pocket and took out a piece of paper, presenting it to the entire crowd.

    It was a report of a DNA test.

    She had been carrying this with her for a long time just in case.

    ¡°Take a look, everybody.¡± J said with a mocking smile on her lips, ¡°This should prove that

    Casper and I are biological brother and sister. I have nothing to do with the Diaz family

    whatsoever!¡±

    Daran grabbed this piece of paper and scanned it quickly.

    The more he read, the more astonished he looked.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    Harper suddenly staggered off the ground and snatched the report from Daran.

    She clenched the paper tightly with shaky hands while muttering, ¡°No¨Cimpossible¡­this can¡¯t be

    true¡­¡±

    Hellen, Paul and John all gathered up around Harper. The look on their face gradually became a

    startled one.

    ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t understand¡­¡± John stuttered, ¡°J and Casper are rted? But¡­but how is this

    possible? We were all there when mom gave birth to her in the hospital 20 years ago!¡±

    There was a nk look on Hellen¡¯s face as well.

    After taking one more look at the report, she looked up and said confusedly, ¡°This can¡¯t be true.

    This report is forged. It must be! I gave birth to J! I remembered that day crystal clear!¡±

    But her tone was less certain than before.

    To her, Casper replied with a nod, ¡°Yes, you gave birth to a baby 20 years ago. But that baby was

    not J. On the same day when your child was born, my mom was also inbor in the same

    hospital. A nurse in the delivery room mixed things up. She gave my sister to you by mistake. So

    J should be a Manning, not a Diaz!¡±

    Paul roared back furiously, ¡°Bullshit! You are lying! No nurse will make a mistake like that-¡±

    ¡°Watch your tone, old man. You are talking to an Alpha.¡±

    Casper said icily.

    ¡°And I did a little digging on this. You are right. This incident was not a coincidence. Your babe with

    born with an ugly birthmark on her face. You and your wife didn¡¯t want to ept this. You med

    the obstetrician and the nurse for this birthmark,

    saying that something must have gone wrong during thebor. And you threatened to burn down

    the hospital if they couldn¡¯t remove the birthmark, remember?¡±

    Paul swayed on the spot, sweating severely.

    ¡°Y¨CYes, I remember.¡± He muttered nervously, ¡°But the hospital did find a way to remove the

    birthmark from my child¡¯s face! The baby we took home with had a perfect, clean face-¡±

    ¡°You dumbass!¡± Balvina cut him off sharply and snapped, ¡°There was no way they could remove a

    birthmark from a newborn¡¯s face! The hospital took a random baby from the NICU and gave it to

    you to shut your mouth! And that baby was J, Blood Moon Pack¡¯s true princess!¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    Hellen let out a short and terrified scream as Paul mped his mouth with his hand. Neither of them

    could ept it.

    They spent 2 decades rising a child who was not rted to them at all. And their true kid had been

    abandoned by them 20 years ago because they didn¡¯t like the birthmark

    on her face.

    None of this would happen if they didn¡¯t me the birthmark on the obstetrician and nurse.

    But it was toote to regret it now!

    ¡°How do we know if you are lying? A¨CAnd that DNA test! You can easily have it forged!¡± John asked

    shakily. He still found this hard to believe.

    ¡°It is easy,¡± said J coldly as she marched forward to the Diaz. ¡°I can show you.¡±

    Standing in front of the Diaz, she straightened herself up and let out a roaring wolf howl!

    A strong, intimidating Alpha aura swept across the room!

    All the civilians, including the Diaz, bent their knees involuntarily. It was their animal instinct, urging

    them to submit themselves to the Alpha bloodline.

    It was clear now.

    J did carry Alpha blood!

    She couldn¡¯t have such a strong aura if she weren¡¯t a member of the Alpha family!

    J was a true princess!

    After a long silence, the entire room burst into loud mutterings with people discussing this sudden

    turn of events enthusiastically.

    This was thergest scandal they had ever heard in years!

    The Diaz¡¯s faces were pale as ghost.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    The truth struck them harshly.

    Hellen staggered backwards and almost tripped herself to the ground. John rushed to give her a

    hand. And there was a horrified look on his face.

    ¡°Mom, dad!¡± John cried in panic, ¡°W¨CWhat should we do now?¡±

    They all believed that they could do anything they wanted to J and got away with

    it because she was a member of their family.

    Yet now as it turned out, J was not rted to them at all!

    She was actually the Alpha¡¯s sister!

    John remembered all those terrible things he had done to J and couldn¡¯t help but

    start shivering.

    He would be so dead if J decided to hold him responsible!

    God, what should they do now!

    Just then, Harper let out a loud scream. She shredded the report into piece and cried on the top of

    her lung, ¡°NO! I don¡¯t believe this! You are a BITCH! You are no princess! No¨CYou are lying-

    ¡°Shush it, Harper!¡± John cried urgently, ¡°We have all seen the proof already. Stop offending J

    anymore¨C¡±

    Yet Harper was still screaming hysterically, ¡°You are all fooled by her! She is a tramp! A whore! A

    bitch! Not a princess! NO!¡±

    J curved her lips into a mocking smile and said, ¡°This hit you really hard, didn¡¯t it, Harper? For

    all those years, you called yourself the Riverside Pack¡¯s little princess. But no matter how many

    times you said that, it doesn¡¯t make you a real one. Unlike me on the other hand¡­I am born with

    the royal blood.¡±

    ¡°NO! SHUT UP! Stop saying it¡ª¡±

    J strode forward and looked down at Harper¡¯s hopeless face.

    ¡°And I guess I should thank you, Harper.¡±

    J smiled.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t trick me over the border and left me to the rogues, I would never have the chance to

    discover who I really am¡­It was you who helped me to reim my princess identity.¡®

    And that was thest straw that broke Harper.

    If she hadn¡¯t set up that trap and lured J in, J would still be the Diaz¡¯s most unwanted

    daughter.

    They could still bully and torture J however they wanted.

    And J would still have to beg for their mercy every single day.

    Harper regretted it so much!

    But it was all toote now.

    Getting a sudden panic attack, Harper had her eyes rolled to the back and fainted on the floor.

    J snorted and looked back at Daran, ¡°I guess everything is clear now, Alpha Daran. I demand

    to bring Harper to a trial and judge her in front of all her victims!

    Daran¡¯s lips were pressed into a thin line. He stared at J deeply and nodded, ¡°Of

    course.¡®

    With everything wrapped up, J had already lost her interest in this party. She

    gave a quick nod at Casper and Balvina before striding towards the front door.

    She needed some fresh air.

    And she didn¡¯t want to stay in the same room with those liars, lunatics, and scumbags anymore.

    Just when J came downstairs and headed towards the parking lot, a series of rushed footsteps

    came behind her back.

    ¡°J, wait!¡±

    J paused and looked beyond her shoulder.

    It was Daran.

    He abandoned a room full of guests and chased her down.

    ¡°What is it, Alpha Daran?¡±

    J said in a cold voice when he came close, ¡°Your guests are still waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to walk away just like that?¡±

    Daran demanded frustratedly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to say to me? You and Casper are brother and sister! Why didn¡¯t you

    say anything to me when you came back to Riverside Pack?¡±

    J paused.

    Then she let out a sarcastic sneer, ¡°Because it is over between us, Daran. You rejected me,

    remember?! You refused to pay that 100 million to bail me out of rogue¡¯s hands. So now I don¡¯t own

    you a damn exnation anymore! Just stop bothering me and get the fu ck out of my life!¡±

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡®

    Daran grabbed J¡¯s hand forcefully and snapped, ¡°I paid your ransom! I thought those rogues

    would let you go, just like they set Harper free!¡±

    ¡°Stop fu cking lying!¡± J shook him off and growled back, ¡°You only paid Harper¡¯s share!

    Because you only cared about her! If we weren¡¯t mates, you would marry Harper instead of me,

    wouldn¡¯t you!¡±

    She hated Daran for choosing Harper instead of her.

    As her mate andwful husband, Daran had betrayed her from beginning to end. She

    could never forgive Daran for that.

    But a long time had passed since then. J had a family now, a brother who truly cared about her.

    She didn¡¯t give a damn about Daran anymore.

    Why couldn¡¯t Daran leave her alone?!

    ¡°There must be some misunderstandings between us, J.¡± Daran insisted firmly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk it out.

    I hate to see us like this.¡±

    J found him unreasonable, ¡°Are you fu cking kidding me now? You never showed

    me the same kind of interest when I was married to you! Why? Because I am the Alpha¡¯s sister now

    and you suddenly find me much more attractive?!¡±

    Daran looked indignant, ¡°Is this how you think of me? I have been trying to talk to you ever since

    you came back! It was you who pushed me out over and over again! Why can¡¯t you just give me a

    chance!¡±

    ¡°BECAUSE-!¡±

    J raised her volume.

    She was basically screaming now.

    ¡°BECAUSE you threw away that chance already when you rejected me! If you really care about me

    that much, why did you reject me! Why abandoned me when I needed you the most!¡±

    Daran¡¯s face was pale.

    He rejected J because he was told by many people¨Cincluding Harper, Hellen, and many of his

    pack members¨Cthat J was not the Luna material.

    Yet now he found out that all those people who he once believed in were not trustworthy. What they

    said about J might also be wrong.

    So was it toote to win back J now?

    ¡­No, he wouldn¡¯t ept it.

    It was never toote for him and J.

    He was used to getting everything he wanted in life.

    He could MAKE J trust him and fall in love with him again. He was certain of that.

    Taking in a deep breath, Daran took a step forward and said to J in a hoarse voice, ¡°I know you

    still hold grudges towards me. So just give me a chance to make

    for what I have done wrong.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    up

    Yet before J could say anything, a voice came from their back yelling:

    ¡°-Gamma J!¡±

    It was Kass.

    He came rushing down the stairs and arrived at J¡¯s side slightly out of breath. His eyes darted

    warily from Daran to J and asked, ¡°Gamma J, is he bothering you again?¡±

    J answered with a smile, ¡°No, Kass. We were just talking. What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t

    you be at the party right now?¡±

    ¡°The party was no fun without you. So I volunteered to drive you back to the hotel. Are you ready to

    go now?¡±

    Daran looked at the smile on J¡¯s face and felt a sore feeling rising in his chest.

    He could remember J smiling to him like that when they were still married, like he was her

    whole world..

    But he tossed that away himself.

    Now he could see nothing but hatred and disdain in J¡¯s eyes when she looked at him.

    ¡°Of course, let¡¯s go now,¡± J said.

    She walked away with Kass for a few steps and then paused. Looking back beyond her shoulder,

    J said to Daran in a freezing voice:

    ¡°Alpha Daran, I hope this is thest time you bother me with ancient history. I will see you at

    Harper¡¯s trial.¡±

    Daran stood on the spot staring at her back as she and Kass walked away.

    A sullen look appeared on his face.

    ***

    Words spread out fast.

    By the next morning, everyone from nobles to servants had found out about what happened the

    previous night at the party.

    It was a shocking news really! The youngest daughter of the Diaz family tried to frame Alpha

    Casper for raping, and it was followed by the astonishing disclosure of Gamma J¡¯s real identity!

    People couldn¡¯t shut up about it. For 3 days straight, this was all they could talk about.

    On the third day of the party, an open trial was held in Civic Square.

    ording to Riverside Pack¡¯sw, the Alpha and elders would determine Harper¡¯s penalty and the

    public¡¯s opinion would also be taken into consideration.

    With the first ray of sunlight, people started to pour into the Civic Square.

    By the time Alphas and nobles arrived around 9 a.m., the Civic Square was already clogged with

    peopleing to observe Harper¡¯s trial.

    Harper might be adorned by many young men in the upper ss, but she didn¡¯t have

    a good reputation among themoners.

    Many had heard how she bullied and tortured her maids and servants. People just never had the

    chance to expose it.

    Everyone was now thrilled to see Harper get punished for what she had done.

    J arrived at the Civic Square right after Daran did. That armless maid Angelina was by her side

    as well.

    There was an exciting look on her face.

    Today was the day she avenged herself.

    With everyone present, it was time for the trail to begin.

    ¡°Let the defendante up!¡± said an elder in a booming voice.

    Two guards escorted Harper up to the stage.

    Harper was wearing chains and shackles. Her face was smeared with tears stains and her hairs

    was a mess. She was still wearing the same gown from the party the other day, but it was all dirty

    and ragged now.

    She spent thest 3 days in prison so there was no ce for her to shower. There was

    an unpleasant smelling from her.

    Boos broke out from the crowd when she appeared.

    ¡°God, what is that awful smell!¡± someone cried covering his nose. ¡°She stinks!¡±

    ¡°How dare she calls herself ady? Even more so¨Ca princess? I amughing my ass off!¡±

    ¡°Get out of here. Gamma J is the real princess! Harper was nothingpared to her.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe that I once found her attractive. She makes me want to puke now!¡± said a young

    man bitterly.

    His words won a round ofughter from the crowd.

    Harper had heard everything people were saying. She held her head really low trying to avoid those

    hostile res. Her face was ming red with shame.

    The guards brought her to center of the stage, facing the nobles and elders.

    Harper stared down at her feet nervously and heard the elder¡¯s voiceing from above her

    heard:

    ¡°The defendant had arrived. Does the defendant have any family or friends who want to act on the

    defendant¡¯s defense?¡±

    The guards replied, ¡°The defendant¡¯s family is waiting outside of the square. Shall I bring them in?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Bring them in.¡±

    Harper snapped her head up and looked around eagerly.

    Her family hade.

    She knew they woulde! She was their only daughter. There was no way her parents would

    abandon her.

    Harper felt a revival of hope.

    Her dear family was her only chance to get out this now!

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    With everyone watching, Hellen, Paul, John, and a young man came across the crowd and arrived

    at the stage.

    J immediately recognized that young man as the Diaz¡¯s middle son, Owen.

    Owen was arge and sturdy man with his bulging muscles and bushy mustache. He seemed like

    one of those people who would pick up a random fight on the street.

    And as the matter of fact, Owen was exactly like that: hot¨Ctempered, aggressive, and

    abusive.

    When they were child, J was his personal punching bag, and he would beat her up just for fun.

    And all other kids like Harper and John would stand by the side and cheer for Owen when he

    abused her.

    The harder he punched, the merrier the group got.

    J could never forget the pain and humiliation. Those miserable memories were forever

    engraved on her soul.

    She hadn¡¯t seen Owen after she returned to Riverside Pack this time. She heard that

    Owen wanted to serve in the army and was sent to the border.

    He probably rushed backst night because of what happened to Harper.

    ¡°Mom! Dad! My brothers!¡±

    Harper let out a sharp scream and crawled forward, grabbing Hellen¡¯s skirt by its edge.

    ¡°I miss you so much mom!¡± she looked up at Hellen with red eyes and sobbed, ¡°You don¡¯t know

    what kind of ce they tossed me into! That cell was horrible! It is dark and damp. And I got rats

    nibbling my feet at nights¡­I was so scared, mom!¡±

    Hellen stroked her long hair lovingly and said, ¡°It is OK now. You are no longer in that cell, my

    dear.¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to return to that ce, EVER!¡±

    Harper tightened her grip on Hellen¡¯s skirt and whispered urgently, ¡°Mom, you must get me out of

    this. Just pay that filthy rat Angelina enough money and I am sure she can forgive me!¡±

    John said with a frown, ¡°But Harper, we had tried to talk to Angelina for the past few

    days. And she declined ourpensation, saying that all she wanted was justice.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡±

    Harper snapped, darting him a re.

    ¡°Those lowlymoners don¡¯t care about the justice. All they care is money! Double the

    compensation! Triple it! Writer her a nk check if needed!¡±

    Owen suddenly let out a cold snort.

    ¡°And all those money areing from our family¡¯s saving? It hardly seems fair, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Squinting at his little sister, Owen said in a sarcastic voice. ¡°You have made no money for this family

    so far, Harper. All you do all day is shopping for luxury clothes and getting your nails and hairs

    done. You had a shot of bing the Luna but that went down the drain as well. You are useless

    now. Why should we spend all those money on you?¡±

    Harper red at her middle brother as a hysterical look passed across her face.

    ¡°Because I am your sister! By blood! You have to save me!¡± Harper shrieked, ¡°And I am still better

    off than you, you dumbass! What have YOU done for this family, huh? You couldn¡¯t even get

    yourself into the army!¡±

    ¡°What did you just say? Do you want me to hit you?!¡±

    The elder¡¯s voice traveled down from the stand and interrupted their quarrel:

    ¡°Have the defendant¡¯s family reached to an understanding yet?¡±

    Hellen wiped the corner of her eyes and stepped aside, raising her volume, ¡°Yes, we have.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then.¡±

    The elder stood up from his seat and said to the whole crowd in a booming voice:

    ¡°The defendant, Harper Diaz, was charged with the crime of defamation, illegal harassment, threat,

    detention, and abuse. By Riverside Pack¡¯sw, she should be

    expelled and have her wolf ws chopped off and her forehead tattooed! Does anyone have a

    question with that?¡±

    There was a loud apuse and cheering from the bystanders. Someone even yelled ¡°she deserves

    it.¡±

    Harper bit her lips and looked at her parents eagerly.

    She was their favorable child!

    Among all 5 Diaz¡¯s kids, J was dull, Owen was stupid, John was weak and Elias¨Ctheir big

    brother¨Cwas never really home.

    Only she¨CHarper¨Cwas pretty, smart, sophisticated, and adorable, the whole package.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Her parents picked her without hesitation when she and J were abducted by rogues together.

    So she was sure that her parents would save her again.

    Even though she flumped temporarily, she was sure that she could win back everyone¡¯s heart within

    no time.

    Holding her breath, Harper stared at her parents and waited them to voice out their disagreement.

    Hellen took a step forward facing the whole stand and answered in a firm voice, ¡°The entire Diaz

    family agrees with these penalties.¡±

    WHAT?!

    Harper couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard¡­What did her mother just said?!

    Even the elder seemed taken aback. After a pause, he asked again, ¡°The defendant¡¯s mother, are

    you sure you have no problem with these penalties? They will be executed immediately after Ms.

    Diaz is sentenced.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am sure.¡±

    Hellen sobbed and wiped her eyes again, ¡°What can we say? We failedpletely at raising

    Harper. We don¡¯t know how she became this cold, vicious and heartless monster. This is not at all

    how we wanted to raise her. So we agree¡­that she deserves all these penalties.¡±

    Paul took a step further and held his wife¡¯s shoulder, raising his head to look at Daran, ¡°We just

    hope the Alpha could remember how¨Cselfless and impartial¨Cwe all are on this thing.¡±

    Daran remained expressionless as though he didn¡¯t hear Paul¡¯s ttering words at all.

    Sitting to his right, J slightly raised her brow as a sarcastic smile touched upon her lips:

    Hellen and Paul were even more heartless than she had thought.

    But she was not too surprised either.

    She knew Hellen and Paul¡¯s heart was made of stones.

    This couple only loved themselves.

    They chose Harper over her when they were abducted by the rogues simply because Harper had a

    better shot at winning Daran¡¯s love than her.

    So they picked the best candidates among the two, Harper.

    Yet now, Harper¡¯s reputation stink. Daran hated her.

    And the entire upper¨Css people had seen the ugliest side of Harper at the party.

    No noble man would marry Harper after that incidence.

    Harper was ruined.

    It was no surprise that the Diaz would give up on her now.

    Quivering on the ground, Harper clenched her ragged clothes and screamed at her parents in

    disbelief,

    ¡°Mom! Dad! Are you kidding me right now?! Are you going to let them torture me like that? Why!

    WHY!¡±

    ¡°Because you deserve it!¡±

    Paul snapped his head around and growled at Harper sternly, ¡°We gave you the best education and

    raised you to be ady. Yet you disappointed uspletely. How dare you still yell and question

    your parents like that?¡±

    Harper¡¯s lips twitched.

    She seemed as though she just got struck by a thunder.

    Then she suddenly started to scream, tearing her hair, and scratching her own skin like a lunatic.

    ¡°You bunch of liars!¡± she shrieked with sheer rage, her eyes bloodshot, ¡°MOM! You taught me to lie!

    You asked me to snatch Daran from J! And you agreed when I wanted to frame Casper! How

    can you forget! How can you

    The Diaz looked terrified.

    ¡°My daughter has lost her mind!¡± Hellen said loudly, ¡°Somebody clog her mouth!¡±

    John and Owen rushed forward urgently to mp Harper¡¯s mouth shut.

    John bent down and whispered into Harper ears, ¡°Don¡¯t fight it, little sister. Mom and dad had made

    up their mind. This is what is best for the family.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And thatpensation you talked about had a better use now,¡± Owen sneered. ¡°Mom and

    dad intended to bribe the gamma and get me into the army.¡±

    H?rper struggle violently, groaning, with tears streaming down her face.

    She was betrayed by her whole family.

    She hated them!

    She hated them so much! These cold¨Chearted hypocrites!

    Two guards ran over and clogged Harper¡¯s mouth. Daran rose from his seat and nced across the

    Civic Square.

    ¡°If there are no more objections¡ª¡®

    He slowly began with a deep voice.

    ¡°-I hereby sentence Hellen Diaz a permanent sentence of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Suddenly a voice came from the stand, interrupting Daran¡¯s announcement.

    Everyone turned their heard and looked towards the objector.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    A woman had stood up from the stand.

    And to everyone¡¯s surprise, this objector was Angelina, Harper¡¯srgest victim.

    Daran looked toward Angelina with a frown, ¡°Are you raising objections now Angelina?¡±

    ¡°Sorry to interrupt you, Alpha Daran. But yes, I do object to those penalties,¡± Angelina answered

    with a nod.

    ¡°But why?¡± one of the elders cried in disbelief, ¡°Harper caused all of your sufferings. An eye for an

    eye. Don¡¯t you want to see her pay for what she did?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I do. But I don¡¯t want her to get expelled. No.¡±

    Angelina walked around the long table and stand in front of Daran and the elders. She bowed to

    them humbly before looking up and asked:

    ¡°Pardon me, Alpha Daran and my lords. But have you ever lived in the rogue¡¯s world before?¡±

    ¡°I have fought them, killed them, but I have never lived them.¡± Daran answered coldly, ¡°Do tell me

    how your question is rted to the issue we are dealing with now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want Harper Diaz to get expelled because it would be a reward for her, not a punishment.¡±

    Angelina took a deep breath and turned to look at Harper, her eyes gleaming with hatred.

    ¡°Thanks to her, I have been to the rogue¡¯s world. I know those rogues. They are all vicious, ruthless,

    and cold, just like her. I have no doubt that Harper would fit right in when she came to the rogue¡¯s

    society.¡±

    There was a moment of discussion among the elders. And then one of the elders asked Angelina,

    ¡°Then what do you suggest? Your opinion matters greatly because you are Harper¡¯srgest victim.¡±

    Angelina raised her head, ¡°Instead of setting her free by expelling her, I think we should keep her

    here and let her take up heavybors in our pack. She will no longer be ady, but a lowly ve.

    She will redeem her sin through hard works.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t you think it is too mild a penalty? How can we make that sure gets enough punishment

    for her sins?¡± the elder frowned with disagreement.

    Angelina slightly curved her lips, ¡°That is why I wish you could appoint Harper to me as my maid. I

    will keep an eye on her personally and make sure she repents her crime.¡±

    There was an astonished gasp from the crowd.

    This was truly a bold suggestion!

    Letting a formerdy serve as a maid? This had never happened before in Riverside Pack!

    ¡°B¨CBut you can¡¯t do this!¡± John stuttered nervously, ¡°Harper didn¡¯t know how to serve as a maid.

    She had never cleaned or wiped anything in her entire life!¡±

    Angelina countered fiercely, ¡°She can learn, can¡¯t she? Do you think I am born to be a maid

    myself?¡±

    John wanted to keep arguing. Yet Owen tugged at his shirt gesturing him to shut up.

    Daran pondered on this briefly before gazing at J and asked, ¡°What do you think, Gamma

    J? Do you think this is a good idea?¡±

    J stood up from her seat.

    ¡°I think this penalty serves Harper justly. I will help Angelina to keep an eye on Harper.¡± J

    smiled. ¡°And I insist on that tattoo on her forehead as well. It will serve as a constant reminder to

    Harper and everyone else of what crime she hadmitted.¡±

    Hearing J¡¯s words, Harper suddenly started to struggle and scream furiously. But her mouth

    was clogged. So she couldn¡¯t make any sounds beside muffled groans.

    J nced at Harper and added with a smile, ¡°In fact, why don¡¯t we give that tattoo to her right

    here today? Many people hade a long way to witness this. We don¡¯t want them toe back

    home disappointed.¡±

    Exited cheering and shouts could be heard from the crowd.

    People were all pping to J¡¯s suggestion.

    After receiving a nod from Daran, guards rushed to get the equipment and they returned with a

    tattoo needle.

    Harper was forced to kneel on the ground, facing the entire public.

    Her eyes were wide with dread and horror as the guards with the tattoo needle approached her.

    She gritted the clog in her mouth so hard that it was starting to make a squeaky sound.

    ¡°Hold on a second.¡±

    Angelina took a step forward and stuck her hand out to the guard, ¡°Actually, can I do

    it?¡±

    The guard looked towards the stand hesitantly. Seeing no one had objected, he gave Angelina the

    tattoo needle and stepped down.

    ¡°Well¡­Miss Harper, have you seen this daying?¡±

    With the tattoo needle in her one hand, Angelina grabbed Harper¡¯s chin with another

    hand and forced her to look up.

    ¡°I bet

    you have never imagined that I woulde back one day.¡± Angelina giggled, raising the needle.

    ¡°But here I am, just for you. And we are going to have so much fun together¡­forever.¡±

    The needle touched Harper¡¯s skin, making a sizzling sound.

    A muffled cry escaped Harper¡¯s gritted teeth as her whole body twitched in pain involuntarily.

    Two guards held Harper still as Angelina continued with her work.

    ¡°It hurts, doesn¡¯t it!¡±

    Angelina snapped while looking down at Harper¡¯s tear¨Cstained face.

    ¡°Well, you should know this when you have my forehead tattooed! Remember how you asked your

    maids to ssh salty water over my face to increase my pain?! You deserve all these, Harper!¡±

    Hellen let out a small cry and fainted into Paul¡¯s arm.

    John seemed as though he was about to shit his pants in horror.

    Still sitting on the stand, J looked closely at this with a cold smile on her lips.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She felt a sweet sense of victory at heart.

    At this moment, everything Harper had ever done to her came rushing back to her. All those

    damages that Harper had once caused her, physical ones and emotional ones, were all still fresh in

    her mind.

    This was J¡¯s revenge as well.

    Letting out a small breath, J nced around at the other Diaz.

    Harper was only the first one.

    If the others couldn¡¯t learn their lesson today, she would make sure for them to suffer, just like

    Harper.

    Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

    After a long 10 minutes, Angelinapleted with the tattoo. She let go of Harper, who copsed

    onto the ground almost immediately.

    There was a striking tattoo on her forehead now, which read:

    SLAVE.

    Starting today, Harper was no longer a mightydy.

    She would spend the rest of her life working as a ve in redemption of her crimes. Angelina turned

    toward the stand and bowed, ¡°My work here ispleted. I ask for your permission now to take

    Harper back to my home.¡±

    ¡°Allowed.¡±

    Daran stood up from his seat and said to the whole crowd deeply:

    ¡°Let this incident be a lesson to everyone here today. Riverside Pack does not endure frauds,

    schemers, and criminals. Rogues are threatening our safety and we can¡¯t waste time on fighting our

    own brothers and sisters. Anyone dares to challenge this will receive the same amount of

    punishment.¡±

    The crowd responded him with a round of deafening apuse.

    After the trial was dismissed, J rose from her seat and walked down the stand, heading towards

    her car

    She wanted to head back to the training field.

    Now that Harper was taken care of, she could finally focus on the training.

    She did agree with Daran on what he just said earlier¨CThey couldn¡¯t afford to waste a single second

    on infighting anymore.

    The rogues wereing.

    And they needed to be prepared.

    J was passing through the crowd, thinking about her training ns, when a voice came from

    her back:

    ¡°J¨CWait!¡±

    It was Paul, followed by Hellen, John, and Owen.

    J stopped and frowned at these clowns.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± J asked impatiently, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time now.

    ¡°Not so fast, my little sis¨Cor should I say, Blood Moon Pack¡¯s little princess?¡±

    Owen said with a snort.

    ¡°Now that you have taken down Harper, shall we talk about what you owe us?¡±

    J looked at them coldly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Hellen strode forward.

    Her eyes were still swollen from tears.

    She pointed a finger at J and cried loudly:

    ¡°You were never my real kid, you fraud! We spent money on you, we fed you, we raised you for 20

    years! How are you going to pay us back?!¡±

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    The crowd hadn¡¯t fully dispersed yet.

    Hearing Hellen¡¯s usation, many people halted in their tracks and looked at their direction.

    J was in no mood arguing with them. She darted them a cold re before turning around and

    walking away hastily.

    ¡°Stop her! That fraud is getting away!¡± Hellen shrieked.

    John jumped at J reaching out an arm to grab her shoulder. J shook him off with one move

    and shoved him away.

    John staggered backwards and tripped himself.

    Falling to the ground, he covered his chest and cried hysterically, ¡°The Gamma is bullying the

    civilians! Help! Somebody helps us!¡±

    J clenched her fists in anger.

    As much as she wanted to avoid these clowns, they didn¡¯t allow her a single moment of peace.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t bully you. You tripped yourself. Everyone here could be my witness.¡±

    J said icily.

    ¡°And fine, let¡¯s talk if you insist. Should I remind you of how you tortured me over the years? Living

    under your roof, I had never had a full meal. I spent my entire childhood doing hardbors. Kids like

    Owen beat me whenever they wanted to. There were broken ribs and bruises on my body during

    my entire upbringing. I haven¡¯t asked you for the medical bills yet. How dare youe back now

    and ask me

    for money?!¡±

    Hellen took out arge handkerchief and sobbed into it.

    Paul held her waist, letting her lean on his shoulder, and snapped at J, ¡°You are not our child.

    How can you expect us to treat you like one of our own? You are a freeloader, J, hovering over

    our house and snatching food from my children! We won¡¯t leave until you pay us back what you

    owe!¡±

    J felt a furious feeling at heart.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    The Diaz were even more barefaced than she had expected.

    She couldn¡¯t get violent with them with everyone watching. She couldn¡¯t walk away either¨CJohn and

    Owen had blocked her way.

    Just then, a deep voice came from behind their backs, ¡°What is going on?¡±

    It was Daran.

    He walked through the parting crowds and arrived at the scene.

    His cold eyes surveyed the group and focused on Paul in the end, ¡°I just said no more dramas and

    riots. Have you forgotten already?¡±

    Daran¡¯s Alpha aura was very intimidating. The Diaz quivered in fear involuntarily. ¡°A¨CAlpha Daran.¡±

    Owen plucked up the courage and stepped forward, facing Daran with a ttering smile.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember me anymore because I have spent thest few years serving in your

    patrol team at the border. It is my great honor to-¡±

    ¡°Cut to the chase.¡± Daran said icily, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are.

    Owen gulped nervously and pointed a finger at J, ¡°As you have known, J is not my parents¡®

    kid. She has been freeloading our family for years, keeping her identity a secret from us. Now we

    simply ask her to give the money back to us. It sounds fair, right? But J refused us and shoved

    my little brother violently! Alpha, please, you must do us justice!¡±

    J looked at Daran briefly.

    She didn¡¯t expect him to take her side.

    She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he stood with the Diaz and demanded her to pay back the money.

    ¡°So you said that J shoved you?¡± Daran asked John.

    John nodded eagerly.

    ¡°I doubt it.¡± Daran said with a snort, ¡°J is a Gamma. If she really did push you on purpose, you

    would end up with two broken ribs and a concussion. It seems more likely to me that you tripped

    yourself.¡±

    The crowd burst into a gale ofughter. And John¡¯s face turned red.

    J raised an eyebrow in surprised.

    Daran was taking her side this time?

    How odd.

    ¡°And about the money you talked about-¡±

    Daran turned to Hellen and Paul and asked, ¡°Give me a figure. How much does she owe you?¡±

    The couple exchanged a greedy look with each other.

    ¡°She did spend a lot of our money.¡± Paul said, ¡°So she owes us at least 100 million-¡±

    ¡°500 million!¡± Hellen cried, talking over her husband, ¡°I haven¡¯t even counted in the jewelries we

    bought her over the years!¡±

    J widened her eyes in rage.

    500 million?!

    Were they crazy?

    The entire Diaz family didn¡¯t even have a worth of 100 million. How could they have spent 500

    million on her?

    They were ripping her off, tantly!

    ¡°You have never bought me a single piece of jewelry!¡± J snarled, ¡°And I wore the boys¡® hand¨C

    me¨Cdowns growing up! I didn¡¯t even have any girl¡¯s clothes when I was little!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± John agreed with his mother loudly, ¡°500 million! We are not asking for much!¡±

    Daran raised a hand and silenced their quarrel.

    ¡°Fine. 500 million it is.¡± He said.

    J jerked around ring at him in disbelief, ¡°What are you talking about? I am not paying them a

    penny!¡±

    Daran gave her aforting look and said to the Diaz, ¡°This 500 million will being from my

    ount.¡±

    Everyone was taken aback by his words.

    ¡°Daran, don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± J said hastily, ¡°I can¡¯t let you pay for this.¡±

    Daran looked at her softly, ¡°You were my Luna. This is the least I can do for you now.¡±

    Jpsed into silence as a mixed feeling surged up in her.

    Daran turned to the Diaz again and said, ¡°But let¡¯s do the math first. You borrowed 200 million from

    me when Harper and J were abducted by the rogues. J was my Luna and I am happy to

    pay for her share. Yet the rogues never received her 100 million. You pocketed that money yourself,

    didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Hellen¡¯s mouth dropped open and stammered, ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t-¡±

    Yet Daran continued anyway, ¡°Harper had nothing to do with me. So now it is time for you to pay me

    back her share of 100 million. That is 200 million in total. And I was going through yourpany¡¯s

    ounts the other day and noticed some missed

    tax bills¡­In fact, yourpany hadn¡¯t paid any tax in almost 10 years.¡±

    He lifted the corner of his lips into a sarcastic smile and looked around the Diaz¡¯s panicked faces.

    ¡°Do the math, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz. Subtract what you owe me and your missed tax bill from that 500

    million and I am happy to pay for the rest. But I am afraid that you will end up owing me instead.¡±

    He turned away from the Diaz and nodded at J, ¡°Shall we go now, Gamma J?¡±

    J smiled and followed him walking away.

    Daran walked her all the way to her car and got the door for her himself.

    Yet J didn¡¯t get into the car right away.

    She looked at Daran and said to him sincerely, ¡°Thank you, really, for today.¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for him, she really didn¡¯t know how to get rid of the Diaz.

    ¡°It was nothing. I am happy to do this for you,¡± Daran smiled.

    ¡°And you really paid my ransom?¡± J couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    She had been ming Daran for this ever since she was abducted.

    She thought Daran was coldhearted enough to watch her die in the rogue¡¯s hands and do nothing

    about it.

    But as it turned out, she might be wrong about this.

    It was the Diaz who pocketed the money.

    ¡°I did.¡± Daran said with a nod, ¡°You are my mate, my Luna, my wife, I just regret. not getting there

    sooner and rescuing you from the rogues. And I also

    regret¡­rejecting you when you needed me the most.

    J didn¡¯t know what to say to this.

    A strong wave of emotions had overwhelmed her.

    ¡°I know it is probably toote but¨C¡± Daran looked down at her and said in a serious voice, ¡°¨CCan you

    give us a second chance, J?¡±

    The crowd hadn¡¯t fully dispersed yet.

    Hearing Hellen¡¯s usation, many people halted in their tracks and looked at their direction.

    J was in no mood arguing with them. She darted them a cold re before turning around and

    walking away hastily.

    ¡°Stop her! That fraud is getting away!¡± Hellen shrieked.

    John jumped at J reaching out an arm to grab her shoulder. J shook him off with one move

    and shoved him away.

    John staggered backwards and tripped himself.

    Falling to the ground, he covered his chest and cried hysterically, ¡°The Gamma is bullying the

    civilians! Help! Somebody helps us!¡±

    J clenched her fists in anger.

    As much as she wanted to avoid these clowns, they didn¡¯t allow her a single moment of peace.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t bully you. You tripped yourself. Everyone here could be my witness.¡±

    J said icily.

    ¡°And fine, let¡¯s talk if you insist. Should I remind you of how you tortured me over the years? Living

    under your roof, I had never had a full meal. I spent my entire childhood doing hardbors. Kids like

    Owen beat me whenever they wanted to. There were broken ribs and bruises on my body during

    my entire upbringing. I haven¡¯t asked you for the medical bills yet. How dare youe back now

    and ask me

    for money?!¡±

    Hellen took out arge handkerchief and sobbed into it.

    Paul held her waist, letting her lean on his shoulder, and snapped at J, ¡°You are not our child.

    How can you expect us to treat you like one of our own? You are a freeloader, J, hovering over

    our house and snatching food from my children! We won¡¯t leave until you pay us back what you

    owe!¡±

    J felt a furious feeling at heart.

    The Diaz were even more barefaced than she had expected.

    She couldn¡¯t get violent with them with everyone watching. She couldn¡¯t walk away either¨CJohn and

    Owen had blocked her way.

    Just then, a deep voice came from behind their backs, ¡°What is going on?¡±

    It was Daran.

    He walked through the parting crowds and arrived at the scene.

    His cold eyes surveyed the group and focused on Paul in the end, ¡°I just said no more dramas and

    riots. Have you forgotten already?¡±

    Daran¡¯s Alpha aura was very intimidating. The Diaz quivered in fear involuntarily. ¡°A¨CAlpha Daran.¡±

    Owen plucked up the courage and stepped forward, facing Daran with a ttering smile.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember me anymore because I have spent thest few years serving in your

    patrol team at the border. It is my great honor to-¡±

    ¡°Cut to the chase.¡± Daran said icily, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are.

    Owen gulped nervously and pointed a finger at J, ¡°As you have known, J is not my parents¡®

    kid. She has been freeloading our family for years, keeping her identity a secret from us. Now we

    simply ask her to give the money back to us. It sounds fair, right? But J refused us and shoved

    my little brother violently! Alpha, please, you must do us justice!¡±

    J looked at Daran briefly.

    She didn¡¯t expect him to take her side.

    She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he stood with the Diaz and demanded her to pay back the money.

    ¡°So you said that J shoved you?¡± Daran asked John.

    John nodded eagerly.

    ¡°I doubt it.¡± Daran said with a snort, ¡°J is a Gamma. If she really did push you on purpose, you

    would end up with two broken ribs and a concussion. It seems more likely to me that you tripped

    yourself.¡±

    The crowd burst into a gale ofughter. And John¡¯s face turned red.

    J raised an eyebrow in surprised.

    Daran was taking her side this time?

    How odd.

    ¡°And about the money you talked about-¡±

    Daran turned to Hellen and Paul and asked, ¡°Give me a figure. How much does she owe you?¡±

    The couple exchanged a greedy look with each other.

    ¡°She did spend a lot of our money.¡± Paul said, ¡°So she owes us at least 100 million-¡±

    ¡°500 million!¡± Hellen cried, talking over her husband, ¡°I haven¡¯t even counted in the jewelries we

    bought her over the years!¡±

    J widened her eyes in rage.

    500 million?!

    Were they crazy?

    The entire Diaz family didn¡¯t even have a worth of 100 million. How could they have spent 500

    million on her?

    They were ripping her off, tantly!

    ¡°You have never bought me a single piece of jewelry!¡± J snarled, ¡°And I wore the boys¡® hand¨C

    me¨Cdowns growing up! I didn¡¯t even have any girl¡¯s clothes when I was little!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± John agreed with his mother loudly, ¡°500 million! We are not asking for much!¡±

    Daran raised a hand and silenced their quarrel.

    ¡°Fine. 500 million it is.¡± He said.

    J jerked around ring at him in disbelief, ¡°What are you talking about? I am not paying them a

    penny!¡±

    Daran gave her aforting look and said to the Diaz, ¡°This 500 million will being from my

    ount.¡±

    Everyone was taken aback by his words.

    ¡°Daran, don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± J said hastily, ¡°I can¡¯t let you pay for this.¡±

    Daran looked at her softly, ¡°You were my Luna. This is the least I can do for you now.¡±

    Jpsed into silence as a mixed feeling surged up in her.

    Daran turned to the Diaz again and said, ¡°But let¡¯s do the math first. You borrowed 200 million from

    me when Harper and J were abducted by the rogues. J was my Luna and I am happy to

    pay for her share. Yet the rogues never received her 100 million. You pocketed that money yourself,

    didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Hellen¡¯s mouth dropped open and stammered, ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t-¡±

    Yet Daran continued anyway, ¡°Harper had nothing to do with me. So now it is time for you to pay me

    back her share of 100 million. That is 200 million in total. And I was going through yourpany¡¯s

    ounts the other day and noticed some missed

    tax bills¡­In fact, yourpany hadn¡¯t paid any tax in almost 10 years.¡±

    He lifted the corner of his lips into a sarcastic smile and looked around the Diaz¡¯s panicked faces.

    ¡°Do the math, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz. Subtract what you owe me and your missed tax bill from that 500

    million and I am happy to pay for the rest. But I am afraid that you will end up owing me instead.¡±

    He turned away from the Diaz and nodded at J, ¡°Shall we go now, Gamma J?¡±

    J smiled and followed him walking away.

    Daran walked her all the way to her car and got the door for her himself.

    Yet J didn¡¯t get into the car right away.

    She looked at Daran and said to him sincerely, ¡°Thank you, really, for today.¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for him, she really didn¡¯t know how to get rid of the Diaz.

    ¡°It was nothing. I am happy to do this for you,¡± Daran smiled.

    ¡°And you really paid my ransom?¡± J couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    She had been ming Daran for this ever since she was abducted.

    She thought Daran was coldhearted enough to watch her die in the rogue¡¯s hands and do nothing

    about it.

    But as it turned out, she might be wrong about this.

    It was the Diaz who pocketed the money.

    ¡°I did.¡± Daran said with a nod, ¡°You are my mate, my Luna, my wife, I just regret. not getting there

    sooner and rescuing you from the rogues. And I also

    regret¡­rejecting you when you needed me the most.

    J didn¡¯t know what to say to this.

    A strong wave of emotions had overwhelmed her.

    ¡°I know it is probably toote but¨C¡± Daran looked down at her and said in a serious voice, ¡°¨CCan you

    give us a second chance, J?¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53

    A second chance?

    J didn¡¯t know how to respond to this. Nor did she see thising.

    ¡°Why do you want to get back with me anyway? And what about Harper?¡± J asked.

    Daran frowned, ¡°What about her? I am talking about us.

    ||

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you in love with her?¡± J questioned, ¡°You only married me because I am your mate.

    Your heart was with Harper. I thought you were going to marry her right after I was gone¡­But why

    didn¡¯t you do it?¡±

    The furrow between Daran¡¯s brows grew deeper.

    ¡°Nonsense. Who told you that I have feelings for Harper?¡± he asked.

    11

    ¡®¡­Everyone,¡± J said.

    Hellen and Paul had never stopped telling J how much she didn¡¯t deserve Daran ever since

    they were married.

    And Harper just loved to show off to her how intimate she and Daran were.

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t his mate. He would definitely marry me instead. You snatched my loved one, J!¡±

    These were Harper¡¯s exact words.

    And Daran had been nothing but cold and aloof with her, which further confirmed J¡¯s theory¨C

    that Daran only married her because they were mates.

    ¡°Well, they are lying! Or maybe they didn¡¯t know me at all!¡± Daran growled frustratedly, ¡°I never

    loved Harper. I only thought of her as my sister¡ª¡±

    ¡°But she said that she was going to be your Luna!¡±

    ¡°I never agreed to that!¡± Daran snapped, ¡°The only woman I have ever loved is you, J. And I

    won¡¯t make any other women my Luna, except you. I am sorry for treating you coldly once before¡­

    But I will make it up for you.¡±

    J felt like the fate had yed a big joke with her.

    When she was still married to Daran, all she ever wanted in life was for him to love her back. She

    was willing to give up anything in life in exchange of Daran¡¯s heart.

    It was toote now. however

    Taking in a deep breath, J said with an aloof tone, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to make it up

    for me because I don¡¯t care anymore. And frankly, I don¡¯t want to be

    your Luna either. I am a Gamma now. My life has a purpose, and it is a much more thrilling life

    compared to the life I had when I was your Luna. I won¡¯t give that up for you.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to!¡± Daran said eagerly, ¡°You can still be Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Gamma. This can

    work!¡±

    ¡°This won¡¯t work! And the most important thing is¨CI don¡¯t love you anymore!¡±

    J cried that out and held her breath waiting for Daran¡¯s reaction.

    Daran¡¯s face turned dark instantly.

    He narrowed his eyes at J as anger flickered across his face.

    After a little pause, he asked deeply, ¡°Who do you love then?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Who is your loved one now, J!¡± Daran demanded strongly, ¡°Your soldier? The boy named

    Kass? Or Silver w Pack¡¯s Alpha Jared?¡±

    His aggressive attitude pissed J off and she started to get mad.

    ¡°NO ONE!¡±

    She snapped wrenching the car door open.

    ¡°And even if I do love somebody, it is none of your fu cking business!¡±

    She got into the car and wanted to m the door shut. But Daran grabbed the door frame

    forcefully.

    ¡°I won¡¯t give up, J. I always get what I want in life. And you¡­are no exception,¡±

    he said.

    ¡°Oh yeah? Then it is time for you to grow up and learn about losing. I am happy to be your lesson

    one!¡±

    J shut the door with a huge noise and stomped on the gas furiously. The car raced away

    leaving Daran behind.

    ***

    The Diaz returned to their house with a panic expression on their faces.

    As soon as the door closed, Hellen immediately turned to her husband and demanded, ¡°We have

    missed tax bills? Is that true? Or was Alpha Daran bluffing us?¡±

    Paul looked exhausted.

    He tossed his jacket on the floor and slumped down on to his seat.

    ¡°What do you know about business?¡± he said impatiently.

    ¡°Just tell me if it is true!¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Hellen¡¯s high¨Cpitched voice startled Paul. He jerked up and roared to his wife, ¡°Stop yelling at me

    you stupid bitch! Yes, I NEVER paid any tax! And it is the sole reason we can acquire this much

    wealth in such a short time!¡±

    His confession shocked everyone.

    ¡°Are you crazy, father?¡± John gasped, ¡°Tax evasion is a serious crime! We can all end up in jail! You

    have to close the money gap, father. QUICK!¡±

    ¡°With what money then, smart ass?¡± Paul sneered and squinted at his son, ¡°We had no savings left!

    Shall we sell this house? Or shall we sell all of your fancy sports cars?¡±

    John¡¯s sports car collection was his everything. He quickly shook his head in panic, ¡°No! Not my

    cars!¡±

    ¡°God! What will others think of us! Are we down to the point of selling up?¡± Hellen covered her face

    and wailed, ¡°All my friends willugh at us! This family¨Cthe Diaz family is doomed!¡±

    The living room was filled with John¡¯s panic voice and Hellen¡¯s desperate cries.

    Paul clenched his fists with a vein popping on his forehead and bellowed, ¡°SHUT UP!

    Stop crying! NOW! Let me fu cking think for a moment!¡±

    Owen looked around his desperate families and sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are all

    freaking out. This issue is quite easy to fix to me.¡±

    There was a moment of silence in the room.

    Hellen looked up from her palms with teary eyes and asked shakily, ¡°W¨CWhat do you mean, son?¡±

    ¡°You all heard the Alpha today. He had found out about our tax issue a long time ago. But he never

    said anything till today. Why?¡± Owen asked.

    Paul rubbed his chin, pondering, ¡°You think Alpha Daran has been cutting us a ck? Because of

    Harper?¡±

    Owen nodded, ¡°Exactly. When Harper was around, Alpha considered us families. The tax issue was

    basically nothing. So what we should do now is to fix our rtionship with the Alpha.¡±

    Hellen twisted her fingers nervously, ¡°But how? Alpha is hot with that freeloader J now. And we

    have lost Harper already¡­¡±

    She had a moment of regret¡ªWas it too soon to give up on Harper?

    ¡°Who said you needed Harper, mother?¡± Owen let out a snort, ¡°You heard Alpha Daran¡¯s pep talk

    today. His top priority is on the uing war. The person he needed the most right now is not a

    Luna¨Cbut a right hand.¡±

    He straightened himself up and added with a confident smile, ¡°Yes. I am talking about me.¡±

    Hellen and Paul exchanged a shocking look as John gasped in disbelief, ¡°You? Didn¡¯t you just get

    kicked out of the patrol team? How are you going to be Alpha Daran¡¯s right hand?¡±

    ¡°They kicked me out because they are jealous of my capability!¡± Owen snapped, ¡°I need to join

    Alpha Daran¡¯s army, the one that is training with the other packs and will go fight the rogues,one

    day! I will be a general. I will win Alpha¡¯s trust! And I will definitely bring glory back to this

    family!¡±

    His firm words mad¨¦ Hellen and Paul excited.

    Paul stood up from the couch and said to Owen, ¡°Here is my son! Tell me. What do you need to get

    into Alpha¡¯s army?¡±

    ¡°The army isn¡¯t recruiting new members now. But I bet this rule can be bent if we bribe the right

    person.¡±

    Owen said with a smile.

    ¡°I heard that Gamma Baron is a very reasonable man. I am sure he will appreciate my talent if I go

    to him with money. It will be a small amount to paypared to

    our tax bill.¡±

    Paul gritted his teeth. After pondering for a while, he nodded firmly, ¡°Let¡¯s do it son. I will prepare

    the money and you can pay Gamma Baron a visit tonight!¡±

    ¡°What money? I thought we are broke,¡± John grumbled.

    Hellen wiped away her tears and beamed, ¡°We still have Harper¡¯s jewelries. And the dowry she has

    been saving up. Now that she has be a lowly ve, she won¡¯t be using that money anymore.

    We can put it into a good use.¡±

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    J couldn¡¯t stop thinking what Daran said about giving them a second chance.

    Truth to be told, she found his proposal ridiculous.

    Who made Daran think that there was a chance for them to start over?

    Yes, Daran paid her ransom.

    But he also rejected her cold¨Cheartedly when she was in danger.

    And she hadn¡¯t even mentioned the cold shoulder that he had been giving her throughout their

    entire marriage.

    She was not some sort of cargo that he coulde back to anytime he wanted.

    His cocky attitude irritated her. Daran is being Daran again.

    He wasn¡¯t even her Alpha anymore. Yet he still hadn¡¯t learnt to drop that condescending attitude.

    ¡­What a jerk.

    The next morning, J woke up early and headed towards the training field. With Harper out of

    her way, she was in a particrly good mood today.

    Yet this good mood didn¡¯tst as long as she had expected.

    There was arge group of people gathered outside of the Riverside Pack¡¯s training field when

    J arrived.

    They seemed to be in the middle of a celebration.

    ¡°What is the fuzz here?¡±

    J walked over and asked Balvina, who was standing a few feet away from that gathering crowd

    with a sarcastic look on her face.

    ¡°They are celebrating the return of Baron.¡±

    Balvina curled her lips with disgust.

    ¡°What a barefaced jerk. If I were him, I would never return to the public¡¯s sight after that kind of

    humiliation.¡±

    ¡°Well, he has got a more checky face than the both of usbined,¡± J said.

    After that incident with the crazy bears, Baron had been hiding in his house, letting Maxie take care

    all of the trainings. He didn¡¯t even show up at the party a few days

    ago.

    But J knew that Baron woulde back sooner orter. He was still Riverside¡¯s Gamma,

    nevertheless.

    She looked over and spotted Baron at the center of the crowd.

    He had a triumph smile on his face as though he just returned from a battlefield of victory.

    ¡°OK, soldiers, I know you all miss me very much.¡±

    Baron spread his arms wide open and announced loudly, ¡°And now that I havee back, I have

    no doubt that we will crush other packs at thepetition next month. Who is with me!¡±

    His speech won a deafening round of cheering.

    ¡°And I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine-

    Baron pulled a man over and let him face the entire crowd.

    11

    Owen Diaz! My new right hand! And he will be responsible for your trainings from now on!¡±

    It was indeed Owen, standing by Baron¡¯s side, waving his hands at people and grinning like a fool.

    ¡°Christ!¡± Balvina whispered into J¡¯s ear, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Diaz¡¯s second son? What is he doing

    here? And how did he hook up with Baron?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    J¡¯s eyes searched across the crowd sullenly. Then she asked Balvina lowly, ¡°And if Owen

    bes the new trainer, what happened to Maxie?¡±

    She didn¡¯t see Maxie among the crowd.

    Balvina frowned and she seemed worried as well.

    On the other side, Baron had done making his speech. He turned and noticed J and Balvina

    staring at him in the distance.

    An evil smile spread on his lips as he paced over.

    ¡°What are you looking at, Gamma J? Trying to steal our training n?¡± Baron said in a cold,

    drawling voice, ¡°Oh, and Owen, I trust you know Gamma J personally?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I do. She is my family¡¯s freeloader.¡±

    Owen looked down at J with his arms crossed in front of his muscr chest. He seemed like

    Baron¡¯srge and thuggish crony.

    Although he was much taller andrger than J was, J was not intimidated by

    him.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    Taking a step further, J met his eyes and sneered, ¡°How is your family¡¯s tax issueing

    along?¡±

    Owen¡¯s body tensed immediately.

    That tax issue was really a pain in the ass.

    Alpha Daran¡¯s Minister of Treasure came to their house this morning and delivered them an official

    notice.

    As it turned out, the Diaz family owed 800 million of tax!

    Even after subtracting that 500 million Daran agreed to pay, it was still a giant figure!

    Hellen and Paul had a massive meltdown when they received the notice. Hellen knelt

    on the floor and wailed as Paul broke a vase.

    They didn¡¯t have that much money even if they sold everything they owe!

    Owen was their only hope now.

    They all counted on Owen to be brilliant in the army and persuaded Daran to forget about the

    tax.

    Thinking about all those pressures that he was under, Owen red at J and hissed, ¡°You listen

    to me, you piece of shit. Stay out of my way! Or I will make crawl on the ground like a fu cking dog

    like you used to!¡±

    you

    J let out a coldugh, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­You are even more stupid than Harper.¡±

    ¡°WHAT DID YOU SAY?!¡±

    Letting out a deafening roar, Owen reached out his giant hand trying to grab J by her cor.

    J stepped sideways, seizing Owen¡¯s arm with both hands, and gave him a nice and clean

    shoulder throw!

    Owen¡¯s body was smashed onto the ground harshly, making a huge noise.

    ¡°Well-¡±

    J put a foot on Owen¡¯s shoulder, stopping him from getting up, and smiled:

    ¡°-Who is crawling on the ground like a fu cking dog now?¡±

    There was a horrific look on Owen¡¯s face.

    When did J be this strong?

    He thought she was still that weak, little girl, who couldn¡¯t fight back and could only cry and sob

    pathetically.

    ¡­What changed her?!

    Baron was standing by the side the whole time when this happened. He started to panic when J

    wrestled Owen to the ground.

    Yet he wasn¡¯t dared to rush forward and rescue Owen¨Che knew what J was capable of.

    So he decided to call for help.

    ¡°Where are my soldiers!¡± Baron raised his volume and cried, ¡°Your gamma has been attacked! Get

    your ass over here!¡±

    Yet his voice didn¡¯t attract many Riverside Pack¡¯s soldiers.

    Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers heard him first and rushed out of the training field together.

    ¡°What is going on here!¡±

    Kass dashed over and yelled.

    ¡°What are you doing to our Gamma!¡±

    They henimed Baron and Owen in and looked at J, waiting for her order.

    Baron took a shaky step back. He felt a strong sense of insecurity being surrounded by Blood Moon

    Pack¡¯s soldiers like that.

    ¡°I warn you! Don¡¯t do anything rush, J!¡± Baron pointed a finger at J and cried, ¡°You heard

    Alpha Daran yesterday! He didn¡¯t appreciate infighting!¡±

    J sneered.

    She was disgusted by the horrific look on Baron¡¯s face.

    ¡°Look at yourself. You are shitting your pants. How can you go to the battlefield like that?¡± she

    asked sarcastically.

    She let go of Owen¡¯s arm and turned to leave the crowd.

    Owen quickly scrambled to his feet and stared at J¡¯s back resentfully. He still seemed furious.

    But he wasn¡¯t dared to challenge J¡¯s authority again.

    Balvina hurried to catch up with J, ¡°Hey where are you going? Aren¡¯t you going to the training

    field today?¡±

    ¡°You are in charge of today¡¯s training.¡± J said briefly, ¡°I need to talk to Alpha Daran about his

    Gamma.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t stand Baron anymore.

    And the situation had worsened now with Owen jumping on board.

    All 5 packs would dispatch their troops together very soon. She couldn¡¯t focus on fighting the rogues

    with scumbags like Baron and Owen in the

    army.

    And she was sure that Owen wouldn¡¯t stop messing with her.

    As much as she didn¡¯t want to stumble into Riverside Pack¡¯s business, this nonsense with Owen

    must stop now.

    Plus, she was worried about Maxie as well.

    Maxie was an excellent trainer; yet she was reced by Owen now.

    Did something happen to Maxie?

    Where was she now?

    With these questions at heart, J jumped on her car and headed towards the central packhouse,

    looking for Daran.

    A maid told her that Daran was in his study going through paperwork.

    J knew the way to his study perfectly well. So she thanked the maid and headed to the study

    directly.

    The study¡¯s door was left open with a crack when she got there.

    And there was no guard standing outside.

    J wanted to knock first.

    Yet the scene she saw through the door crack made her froze on the

    ¡­Daran was sitting behind the desk.

    And there was a beautiful woman snuggling by his side.

    Her big boobs were almost touching his arm.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

    J¡¯s hand froze on the doorknob.

    spot.

    She heard that woman saying to Daran in a sweet voice, ¡°Alpha, don¡¯t you ever get tired from all

    these works? The day is beautiful outside. Let¡¯s go for a pic. Or go hunting in the forest.¡±

    ¡°I have works to do.¡±

    Daran¡¯s voice was cold. But he didn¡¯t push that woman away.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here in the first ce, Salvia. Why didn¡¯t my guards stop you?¡±

    Salvia giggled and leant in even closer, ¡°Your guards know that we are intimate. They walked away

    when I came in to give us some space. Come on, Daran, don¡¯t be a buzzkill. You know we have a

    better way of spending this afternoon¡­A much better way¡­¡±

    Her hand traveled down Daran¡¯s chest as she spoke and tried to unbutton his shirt.

    Daran grabbed her hand forcefully.

    J couldn¡¯t watch anymore. If she didn¡¯t go in there, the two might start doing it right on the desk

    soon.

    So she flung the door open with a quick sharp movement.

    The noise startled the woman named Salvia. She jerked around looking at J and snapped,

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock! The Alpha is busy!¡±

    J raised her eyebrow, ¡°Busy with work? Or busy banging you?¡±

    Salvia seemed furious, ¡°Who the hell are you!¡±

    ¡°J.¡±

    Daran rose from his chair hastily looking at J. He seemed pleased to see her here.

    ¡°Are you here to see me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That depends.¡± J shrugs, ncing at Salvia. ¡°Am I interrupting?¡±

    ¡°No. Of course not,¡± Daran said firmly.

    Then he turned to Salv¨ªa, who was ring at J hostilely, and demanded, ¡°Leave us, Salvia.¡±

    ¡°No! I am not leaving you with her!¡± Salvia cried.

    She darted a look at J and gritted, ¡°I know who you are. You are Daran¡¯s ex.

    Didn¡¯t he reject you already? What are you still doing here? Begging him to take you back?¡±

    ¡°Enough Salvia!¡± Daran snapped.

    Yet Salvia was still yammering, ¡°You were rejected by him once already. You are basically damaged

    good! If you still have any sense of self¨Crespect, you should stay away from him as far as

    possible!¡±

    J surveyed Salvia from head to toe.

    Frankly speaking, this woman was very beautiful, even more so than Harper. She also had a very

    nice body, the kind that could easily attract men¡¯s attention on the

    street.

    ¡°If you

    know my name, you should also know that I am Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Gamma and princess.¡±

    J let out a cold sneer looking at her.

    ¡°You should bow to me and keep your voice low while talking to me. It is the most basic upper¨C

    society courtesy. Have you learnt nothing back in school?¡±

    Salvia¡¯s face went red in rage.

    ¡°I am a noble myself!¡± she cried, ¡°I don¡¯t need to bow to you!¡±

    ¡°That is enough! You are crossing the line here, Salvia.¡± Daran snarled, raising his voice. ¡°Guards!¡±

    With a series of hurried footsteps, two guards rushed into the room.

    Daran said to them coldly, ¡°Escort Miss Salvia out. And if you ever let people into my

    study without my permission, all of you will be fired.¡±

    Guards quivered under his sharp gaze and dragged Salvia out immediately.

    J waited for them to close the door before asking Daran, ¡°Do I have your permission to stay,

    Alpha Daran?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Daran walked around the table to her and said, ¡°Look, about Sylvia-

    ¡°I am not here to talk about your personal life, Alpha Daran.¡± J cut him off sharply, ¡°It is about

    Baron.¡±

    A furrow appeared between Daran¡¯s brows.

    ¡°What did he do now?¡± he asked.

    J told him everything that happened this morning outside of the training field and then added, ¡°I

    can¡¯t go to war with these people, and certainly not with Owen. If you refused to rece Baron and

    Owen, I am afraid that the Blood Moon Pack will have to back down from this alliance.¡±

    Daran breathed out a heavy sigh, ¡°I understand your frustration, J. But it isn¡¯t that easy. Baron¡¯s

    family is very influential.¡±

    ¡°Even more influential than the Alpha?¡± J asked sarcastically.

    Daran pretended that he didn¡¯t notice J¡¯s sarcastic tone and said, ¡°Baron¡¯s father¨Cthe former

    Gamma¨Cwas a very respected warrior. He died in the battlefield fighting rogues, heroically. He was

    Riverside Pack¡¯s soldier¡¯s icon. If I take his son

    Baron down without a legitimate reason, the public will get mad.¡±

    This piece of information was new to J.

    ¡°So you are just going to sit around and let Baron corrupt your army?¡± J asked with a frown,

    ¡°Because let me tell you, Baron is nothing like his father. He is a weak puss. And he is fully capable

    of turning you over to the rogues in exchange of his own life. I assure you that.¡±

    ¡°I am fully aware of that. Let me show you something.¡±

    Daran pulled a piece of paper out of the deck of files on his desk and handed it to J, ¡°We have

    50% of our annual budget going into the army. Yet the ount doesn¡¯t check out. My Minister of

    Finance and I suspect Baron of pocketing that money himself.¡±

    J scanned through the paper.

    Daran was right.

    More than 5 billion were allocated to the army this year. Yet 80% of that money got vanished in the

    thin air.

    ¡°If you can prove this, you have a legitimate reason to remove Baron,¡± J said.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Daran nodded.

    ¡°I am just having trouble getting my hands on Baron¡¯s ount book. I am actually thinking about

    issuing a warrant to search his house. We are moving closer to the day of the dispatch. The sooner

    we take care of Baron, the better it is.¡±

    J pondered on that for a moment.

    ¡°Hold that thought on the warrant. I don¡¯t think he keeps that ount book in his house. It is too

    risky.¡±

    ¡°Then do you have a better idea?¡±

    J looked at him with a smile, ¡°Not an idea. A person, Maxie. She might happen to

    know everything about Baron¡¯s shady deals but doesn¡¯t dare to say anything

    because of Baron¡¯s power. Let me talk to her today.¡±

    She gave the paper back to Daran and walked towards the door.

    Yet Daran stopped her again, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know who Sylvia is?¡±

    J stopped by the door.

    She looked over her shoulder and sneered, ¡°Let me guess¡­She is Baron¡¯s sister, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    She and Baron had the exact same eyes, and a huge ego.

    The simrity was striking.

    ¡°That is right,¡± Daran said with a nod. ¡°Baron had sensed my dissatisfaction towards him and sent

    his sister over to put in some good words for him. When we get rid of Baron, I can finally get some

    peace in my study as well.¡®

    ¡°No need to exin. Again, not interested in your personal life,¡± J shrugged. She paused.

    And then couldn¡¯t help but added to that acidly, ¡°But you do strike people as the easily manipted

    type. Or why does everyone keep sending their female family member to you side?¡±

    First Harper¡­then Sylvia.

    Did they ever stop?

    There was a small smile on Daran¡¯s lips.

    He didn¡¯t seem mad.

    Amusement gleamed in his eyes as he asked in a hoarse voice:

    ¡°So when does Alpha Casper nning on sending his female family member to me? I promise I

    won¡¯t push her away this time like what I did to Sylvia and Harper.¡±

    ¨C

    J felt her face went red.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself!¡± she snarled, holding the door frame. ¡°Now stop pestering me. I have an

    ount book to find. And a witness to talk to!¡±

    Daran called behind her back, ¡°But aren¡¯t you at least a little bit of jealous when you walked in

    earlier?¡±

    ¡°Not even a bit!¡±

    J snapped and shut the door close with a loud bang.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    The witness J wanted to talk to was Maxie.

    Although Baron hadn¡¯t been very nice to Maxie, he trusted her very much. He brought her to the

    first between¨Cpackspetition, and he even let her fill in as the substitute trainer while he was

    absent.

    Maxie must know something about his dirty deals.

    The only problem was whether or not she would be willing to tell J everything that she knew.

    It seemed that Maxie was terrified of Baron. She didn¡¯t even dare to say a word of defiance when

    Baron med her for the mad bear incident.

    Baron must have found a way to control her somehow.

    J needed to find out by what means Baron was controlling Maxie.

    And she needed to win over Maxie¡¯s trust.

    Maxie was living in the central packhouse. Since she didn¡¯t show up in the training field today, J

    thought she might have the luck of finding Maxie in her room.

    J arrived outside of Maxie¡¯s room and gently knocked on the door.

    Nobody answered.

    J didn¡¯t give up. She knocked again.

    This time she heard a series of light footsteps approaching the door, followed by a guardedly tensed

    voice asking, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°It is me, J, from the Blood Moon Pack.¡± J leant closer to the door and

    asked, ¡°Can we talk for a minute?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything we can talk about,¡± said Maxie warily.

    It didn¡¯t kick off with a great start.

    But J didn¡¯t leave.

    Instead, she held the doorknob and insisted, ¡°Give me a chance to talk to you Maxie. This is

    important. You don¡¯t need toe out. We can talk through the door if you like.¡±

    There was another long silence.

    And then, the door was opened up a crack, revealing a small part of Maxie¡¯s face.

    ¡°What do you need?¡± Maxie asked lowly.

    ¡°You were not at the training field today. I heard that Baron reced you with Owen. But you were

    doing great training your soldiers. So what happened?¡±

    ¡°Gamma Baron felt that Owen is a better fit than me. And I don¡¯t mind that, really. I was temporarily

    filling in anyway¡ª¡®

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± J gasped, raising her voice. ¡°Both you and I knew that is bullshit. Have you met

    Owen? The guy knew nothing but waiving his fists in the air like a giant gori. And you are

    counting on a guy like him to train your soldiers?¡±

    Maxie¡¯s face went pale.

    After a pause, she muttered, ¡°This is Riverside Pack¡¯s business. And you are Blood Moon Pack¡¯s

    Gamma. This doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±

    She wanted to close the door, but J took a step further and put her foot between the door panel

    and the wall.

    And J insisted, ¡°But this is an alliance, Maxie. And we are going to the battlefield together one

    day. I can¡¯t stand aside and do nothing when a real capable person like you gets bullied and

    dismissed, while scumbags like Baron and Owen take the control!¡±

    Maxie bit her lips and subsided into silence.

    J stared at her and asked abruptly, ¡°What happened to your arm?¡±

    Maxie was wearing long sleeves, But her sleeves rolled up when she tried to shut the door,

    revealing her upper arm skin.

    There were a few striking bruises on her skin. All seemed rtively new.

    Maxie panicked and quickly pulled off her sleeve to cover her skin. But it was toote.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I saw it already.¡± J said solemnly, ¡°I get it. It isn¡¯t easy for you to stand up against

    Baron¡¯s tyrant. It took me a long time to learn about how to fight for my own right as well. But you

    can do it, just like me. This is your chance now, Maxie!¡±

    Maxie inhaled sharply. Her lips started to tremble.

    She still had the door half¨Copen. But she stopped trying to close it.

    ¡°What do you want then?¡±

    Maxie asked eventually.

    ¡°Are you trying to get me back to the training field? We both know that Gamma Baron won¡¯t allow

    that.¡®

    11

    ¡°And that is why we can¡¯t let Baron take the wheel.¡±

    J looked into Maxie¡¯s eyes and said,

    We need to take down Baron.¡±

    A look of shock flickered across Maxie¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You are crazy!¡± Maxie gasped in disbelief, ¡°Do you know who Baron is! He is-¡±

    ¡°A respected warrior¡¯s son, right? And so what? His father won all those glories, not him. We can¡¯t

    let him keep corrupting your army. Even your Alpha is with me on this. We have your back!¡±

    Maxie was still shaking her head, ¡°Baron is too respected among the soldiers. You can¡¯t kick him out

    of power. You will cause a riot.¡±

    ¡°And that is why we need to show those soldiers that Baron doesn¡¯t deserve their respect.¡®

    J took in a deep breath and got to the gist.

    ¡°Alpha Daran told me that there was an ount book, documenting all details of Baron¡¯s secret

    deals. If you happen to know where that ount book is¡ª¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Maxie snarled abruptly.

    There was a mixed look of fear and anger on Maxie¡¯s face as she red at J and cried, ¡°Forget

    it! I am not giving you that ount book!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Maxie. Let¡¯s work it out-

    ¡°No, I am done talking to you. Goodbye!¡±

    Maxie mmed the door close with a huge bang and shut J outside.

    J took a quick step back to avoid getting hit by the door.

    Then she frowned.

    So there was indeed an ount book.

    And Maxie knew where it was.

    Which were all great news.

    And Maxie didn¡¯t seem to hate the idea of taking down Baron. She must hate Baron

    too.

    But why did she react so strongly when J asked her about the ount book?

    Did Baron threaten her with something?

    J knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to get Maxie¡¯s trust unless she found out what Baron

    threatened Maxie with.

    J turned to leave Maxie¡¯s room while still pondering on these questions.

    When she reached the end of this hallway, she heard a series of conversationing Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    from around the corner.

    Two maids were talking in a cautiously low voice.

    ¡°¡­Miss Maxie was still in her room?¡± one maid asked.

    ¡°Yes. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything since yesterday. Poor thing. I was thinking maybe I should bring

    her something to eat.¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t eat. She won¡¯t even open the door. She is always like this after¨Cyou know.¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± the other maid snapped, ¡°Are you crazy? We are not supposed to talk about it! Do you

    want to be expelled? Or do you want to be dead?¡±

    J narrowed her eyes standing in the shadow.

    It seemed that these two maids knew what happened to Maxie. But they were too scared to say a

    word about it.

    ¡°I just feel terrible for Miss Maxie! She didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like this.¡± the maid cried with an

    aggrieved voice.

    ¡°I know. But what can we do about it? We are only maids. There was nothing we can do about it.¡±

    The two sighed and were ready to walk away.

    Just before they left, J stepped out of the shadow and cried out, ¡°Wait!¡±

    Two maids jerked around in panic.

    ¡°Gamma J!¡± one gasped, ¡°When did you-¡±

    ¡°I have heard everything.¡±

    J walked toward them and surveyed their pale and frightened faces, ¡°So tell me what happened

    to Maxie. And why did she lock herself inside of her room.¡°

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    These two maids look horrified.

    ¡°Gamma J, what are you talking about? How would we know what happened to Miss Maxie?¡±

    one maid said stiffly.

    ¡°I heard what you said earlier. And please don¡¯t be afraid. I am not going to tell you off. On the

    contrary, I am here to help so you can totally trust me.¡±

    J said that to ease off their guards.

    But the maids still seemed very tensed.

    ¡°Please, Gamma J, don¡¯t drag us into this.¡± one of them begged, ¡°It was wrong of us to gossip

    about our masters. We promise not to do that ever again. Please let us go this time.¡±

    J sighed helplessly, ¡°I already told you¨CI won¡¯t tell anyone what you said. This is between you

    and me.¡°/

    One maid bit her lip reluctantly. Yet after a long moment of silence, she still shook her head and

    muttered:

    ¡°I know that you meant well but¡­We simply can¡¯t take the risk. All maids are held by strict

    disciplines here. One wrong move and we will totally get skinned alive for it. So please, Gamma

    J, can you just pretend that you didn¡¯t hear anything

    earlier?¡±

    J let out a frustrated sigh.

    She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be about to fish anything out of these maid¡¯s mouth today.

    And honestly, she didn¡¯t me them.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Riverside Pack kept a tight rein on its maid and servants, making them live in constant fears of

    getting punished.

    J knew that through her own experience as a maid here.

    It was not fair to ask these two maids to take the risk.

    ¡°OK. So how about this.¡±

    J crossed her arms and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s take a different approach here. No need to say

    anything. If you feel like that Maxie is being mistreated, wink your left eye.¡±

    They exchanged a look with each other.

    And then one maid winked her left eye hesitantly.

    ¡°Great,¡± J pursued. ¡°And now, wink your right eye if she is bullied by someone in power.¡®

    The maid winked again.

    ¡°Very well.¡± J let out a big sigh, ¡°I understand that you can¡¯t give me any details. But can you

    point me to somebody who can? You can¡¯t be the only two people who knew about what

    happened.¡±

    ¡°I¨CIf you can find a maid who trust you¡­I think you will be able to find out about the truth.¡± The maid

    suggested tentatively, ¡°It is not such a big secret among the servants¡­¡±

    J thanked them with a nod.

    They scrambled onto their feet and quickly escaped the scene.

    J watched them disappear into the distance and pondered upon what they just told her.

    And then, she thought of a great person whom she could talk to.

    Angelina.

    Angelina was once a maid in Riverside Pack as well, so she must know things like most maids did.

    And most importantly, she trusted J very much for helping her revenge against Harper.

    Making up her mind, J went to find Angelina immediately, who had currently taken up a job as a

    receptionist at the pack clinic.

    When J arrived at the clinic, she was informed by another nurse that Angelina was out to check

    on her patients at the moment.

    ¡°Should I call Angelina and ask her toe back now?¡± the nurse suggested eagerly. ¡°No, it is fine.

    I will wait for her outside. Thank you,¡± J smiled.

    She was d to see that Angelina was living a peaceful life like a normal person now. Even without

    her hands, she still found a way to prove herself useful.

    J paced back to the waiting area and took a seat there.

    She pulled her phone out to text Daran about her process today.

    Just then, she heard a quarrels and arguments down the hallway.

    ¡°Who the hell are you! How dare you ask me to scrub the toilet! I am telling you¡ªBACK OFF

    NOW!¡±

    This high¨Cpitchy voice sounded very familiar.

    J stood up from her seat and walked toward the direction of that sound. She saw a group of

    nurses gathered up outside of the restroom.

    And among them J spotted a familiar face-

    Harper.

    J almost didn¡¯t recognize Harper at all.

    The Harper she used to know was always dressed in luxury clothes. Her makeup was always

    wless, and her hair was shining and silky.

    Now, however, Harper seemed as though she must have aged at least 10 years within 10 days.

    Her hair was messy and greasy like it hadn¡¯t been washed for a long time. And her skin was no

    longer smooth due to theck of attention. She was dressed in a ragged, old clothes with many

    patches and dirty stains on it.

    Harper was yelling at other nurses in a crazy voice now:

    ¡°My name is Harper Diaz! Lady Harper! Learn to have some respect to me you bitch-¡±

    A nurse raised a hand and pped Harper harshly across her face.

    ¡°Stop calling everyone bitch!¡± the nurse snapped, ¡°You are not ady anymore. We all heard your

    judgement at the Civic Square. Alpha Daran said loud and clear that you are a ve now. And you

    should spend the rest of your life doing hardbors to redeem your sin!¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± agreed by another nurse loudly, ¡°And we are not picking up on you. All nurses clean the

    restroom. It just happened to be your turn. How can you reject your duty?¡±

    ¡°This is not my duty!¡± Harper shrieked, ¡°My duty is to be the Luna! I am Alpha Daran¡¯s Luna!

    He loves me. And he will definitely get me out of here one day. Just wait and see you filthy rats!¡±

    She burst out some hystericalughter and started humming a tuneless song.

    It seemed as though she had lost her mind.

    J heard a few people whispered behind her back, ¡°Look at that woman. She is aplete

    nutcase now. And she is still dreaming about bing Luna¡­¡±

    ¡°What a joke. Doesn¡¯t she know what she looks like now?¡±

    A nurse strode forward and dumped a mob and a bucket of water in front of Harper.

    ¡°That is enough.¡±

    She snapped.

    ¡°Stop acting crazy. We all know you are faking it to get out of works. Now get your ass moving and

    go clean the toilet!¡±

    ¡°Hell no!¡± Harper clenched her fists and roared back, ¡°And I am warning you¨Cif

    you

    dare toy a single finger on me, I will-

    ¡°1

    ¡°And what will you do exactly?¡± a stern voice came behind J¡¯s back, talking over Harper.

    It was Angelina.

    She walked through the crowd in long strides and soon arrived at Harper¡¯s side. There was a

    horrified look on Harper¡¯s face as though she was terrified of Angelina. ¡°S¨CStop right there! Don¡¯t

    come any closer!¡±

    Harper cried while blundering back, trying to get away from Angelina.

    ¡°Are you trying to chop off my hand now? I will shove your head into the toilet I

    swear-

    11

    ¡°Nobody is trying to chop off your hands. I just want you to get your works done and yet you can¡¯t

    even manage that,¡± Angelina sneered mockingly.

    She raised a foot to kick on Harper¡¯s leg.

    Harper fell on her knees and knocked over that bucket of water. The dirty water was spilled all over

    her, soaking her clothes wet with a stinky smell.

    Harper uttered a terrific scream.

    She struggled in that pond of dirty water, trying to get up on her feet and jump at Angelina.

    But a nurse grabbed her hair from the back and stopped her.

    ¡°Do you seriously think people are still afraid of you now?¡±

    Angelina let out a cold snort looking down at Harper.

    ¡°You are a nobody now. Even your own family has abandoned you. Without your money and power,

    you are no better than any of us.¡±

    Angelina straightened herself up and nodded to the nurse, ¡°Lock her in the toilet. She wille

    around eventually.¡±

    The nurse dragged Harper up and shoved her into the restroom forcefully. The door was locked

    from the outside.

    ¡°NO! No, please!¡±

    Harper cried and thumped the door desperately from the inside.

    ¡°It stinks in here! I am sorry. SORRY! Just let me out, please!¡±

    ¡°Scrub the toilet and I will let you out. Or you can spend the night in there.¡± Angelina said icily.

    The crowd dispersed and all nurses got back to their works, leaving Harper screaming and crying in

    the toilet.

    Angelina turned around and spotted J.

    ¡°Gamma J!¡± a bright smile came across her face, ¡°Do you need me for something?¡±

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58

    ¡°Are you doing alright at the Harper front?¡±

    J asked Angelina as they went into her office.

    ¡°Good. It is a lot of work to try to keep her out of troubles. But there is nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡±

    Angelina closed the door and walked to the fridge. ¡°Something to drink? Water? Iced tea?¡±

    ¡°Water will be fine. Thank you.¡±

    J sat down on the couch and said, ¡°We can always throw Harper into jail and let her rot in a

    dark cell. You don¡¯t have to be trapped by her.¡±

    Angelina walked over with two sses of water and set one of them in front of J. Taking her

    seat next to J, Angelina said with a smile, ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel trapped. Instead, I feel my passion

    for life being rekindled. Do you know how many times I have imagined Harper crawling under my

    feet and begging for my forgiveness? It was the only thing that guided me through the dark times. I

    am practically living my

    dream right now.¡±

    ¡°But Harper doesn¡¯t seem to feel sorry about what her did at all,¡± J said.

    ¡°Oh, we will get there. Slowly.¡±

    Angelina shrugged.

    ¡°Many nurses and maids here were once victims of Harper. They would love to help me get Harper

    back on the right track. So anyway, what do you need me for today?¡±

    J set the ss back on the table and leaned forward to Angelina, ¡°I am here to ask you about a

    member of the Riverside Pack¡­Maxie.

    The moment J said that name, she noticed a strange look flickering across Angelina¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Why? Have you heard about her?¡± J pursued eagerly.

    ¡°Well, yeah¡­But it¡¯s a long time ago.¡± Angelina frowned, ¡°Did something happen to her?¡±

    ¡°I think so, yeah. But neither her nor her maids are willing to tell me what happened. I suspect that it

    has something to do with the Gamma of Riverside Pack, Baron.¡±

    J told Angelina everything that happened today.

    The furrow between Angelina¡¯s brows kept getting deeper.

    ¡°¡­That bastard,¡± Angelina gritted at the end of J¡¯s story.

    ¡°As you can see, Angelina, I am here to help,¡± J said. ¡°And not just to help Maxie, but also to

    help the entire Riverside Pack army. We will go to war with the rogues very soon. We can¡¯t let a

    dirtbag like Baron lead the troops. We have to take him down!¡±

    A resentful look appeared on Angelina¡¯s face when she heard J said ¡°the rogues.¡±

    ¡°Well, no one hates the rogues more than I do.¡±

    Angelina gave J a brief smile.

    ¡°And to answer your earlier question¡­ Yeah, I do know what happened to Maxie.¡± J sat up

    straighter, listening intently.

    ¡°Maxie started off as a soldier in Baron¡¯s father¡¯s troops. Baron¡¯s father appreciated her talent and

    soon pointed her as the captain. She was a great warrior. Many girls would sneak out during lunch

    break and went to the training field to see her train. And she was nice to us too, unlike mostdies

    and nobles. So everyone loves her downstairs.¡±

    So Maxie was Baron¡¯s father¡¯s right-hand warrior.

    It exined why Baron trusted her with all his dirty secrets.

    ¡°And then¡­Baron¡¯s father died. Baron took over his troops¡­And everything changed.¡±

    Angelina tightened her fists. Her body was shaking slightly.

    ¡°One night, me and the other maids were dusting Maxie¡¯s room and bumped into hering back

    from training. Her hair was messy, and she got bloody lips and bruised forehead¡­And most

    importantly, her clothes were all ripped apart.¡±

    J widened her eyes.

    A wild anger took hold of her.

    Baron¡­That son of a bitch! How dare him!!

    ¡°Nobody tried to expose what Baron did?¡± J snapped.

    ¡°Who dares? We are all lowly servants. We would be skinned alive if we were caught gossiping

    about our masters. And Maxie¡­you can imagine the awkward situation she was in. Baron¡¯s father

    was basically a mentor to her. How can she foul mouth her mentor¡¯s son? Plus, Baron is well

    respected in the army. No one will believe what

    she said.¡±

    Poor Maxie.

    Nobody would believe her. So she could only suck it up herself.

    For years, she cleaned Baron¡¯s messes quietly and endured his disgusting harassment. If J

    didn¡¯t find this out, how long would this keep going? ¡°This must stop. NOW.¡±

    J gritted with rage burning inside of her.

    ¡°Baron¡­that son of a bitch deserves to die a thousand times.¡±

    Angelina nodded, ¡°I was d that you came to me today, J. If you didn¡¯t step out, I doubt

    anyone would ever do.¡±

    She paused and let out a sarcastic snort, ¡°And it is funny. Harper framed an innocent person for

    raping, but the true victim of a se xual assault was forced to stay in silent. This world is so fu cking

    twisted.¡±

    ¡°And they are all going to hell. One after another.¡±

    J said coldly and stood up from her seat.

    ¡°Thank you today, Angelina. I think I have works to do now.¡±

    J turned and walked towards the door.

    But Angelina called behind her back again.

    Her eyes were gleaming with a sign of fear when she looked at J.

    ¡°Be careful of the rogues, J.¡±

    She said.

    ¡°They are more dangerous than you think¡­especially their king.¡±

    ¡°You have met with the rogue king?¡± J asked in surprise.

    The head of the rogues was a very mysterious figure.

    Although everybody called that person the ¡°Rogue King,¡± nobody knew if that was a man or woman,

    let alone what that person looked like.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yeah¡­Once. At a party.¡±

    Angelina gulped nervously as though she was going through some very terrible memories.

    much.¡±

    ¡°I know that those people are barbaric. But it exceeds your imagination, way

    She said with a quivering voice full of aghast.

    ¡°And that is why you need the best warriors in this war. Or you will lose. And don¡¯t want to end up in

    the rogues¡¯ hands after losing.¡±

    you

    Angelina¡¯s warning carried significant meaning.

    As much as J loved to stay and ask more questions about the rogues, she still had Baron to

    take care of.

    So after setting another time to discuss this with Angelina, J left the clinic and went back to the

    training field.

    It was approaching dusk, and soldiers were leaving the training field at the end of a day.

    J pushed her away through the crowd, trying to find Balvina.

    Yet she spotted Maxie in the distance first.

    Maxie wore a baseball hat that was pulled down low to cover most of her face.

    She was dragging a cart of training facilities and heading toward the warehouse.

    She seemed depressed and defeated.

    ¡°Maxie!¡± J cried running towards her.

    Maxie froze and turned around. Her eyes widened with shock as J came close. Then she took

    a sudden step back and snapped:

    ¡°What are you still doing here? I said. We have nothing to talk about!¡±

    ¡°Maxie-¡±

    ¡°It is still about that ount book, isn¡¯t it?¡± Maxie hissed, keeping her voice low. ¡°I won¡¯t give it to

    you. And if you keep pestering me, I will tell Baron about this. I swear!¡±

    ¡°No! It is not about the ount book. It is about you!¡±

    J grabbed Maxie¡¯s arm. Maxie quivered significantly. J must have touched the bruises on

    her forearm.

    Looking directly into Maxie¡¯s eyes, J said, ¡°I know what happened to you, Maxie. That is not

    right. It has to stop. NOW!¡±

    ¡°What? How¡­Who told you!¡± Maxie gasped in panic.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. But you can¡¯t let that bastard keep bullying you. Baron¡¯s father wouldn¡¯t want to

    see this either. Plus, if you keep your mouth shut, who knows how many innocent girls will keep

    bing Baron¡¯s victims?¡±

    That was when Maxie started to hesitate.

    She stared back at J with a clear struggling look on her face and shook her head, ¡°No, no

    way¡­Baron is too powerful¡­¡±

    ¡°Even more powerful than the Alpha?¡± J said urgently, ¡°Alpha Daran is with us this time. You

    have our support! This is your chance! Take it, Maxie!¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t! You don¡¯t understand. Baron has gotten my-¡±

    ¡°What are we talking about here?¡± a voice appeared behind Maxie¡¯s back, interrupting her words.

    Baron strolled to their side and wrapped an arm around Maxie¡¯s shoulder casually, with Owen

    grinning like a fool behind his back.

    ncing at J¡¯s furious face, Baron chuckled and wrapped a lock of Maxie¡¯s hair around his

    finger yfully.

    ¡°Is someone bothering my Maxie?¡± he asked in a cold, drawling voice.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59

    ¡°Let her go.¡±

    J said freezingly, staring at the hand Baron put on Maxie¡¯s shoulder.

    Baron spat at her, ¡°What the fu ck does this have to do with you? Go mind your own business,

    J. This is my soldier!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t stand here and watch you bully her. Take your hand off her, right now!¡± J persisted

    sternly.

    Baronughed, raising his voice for everyone near them to hear, ¡°This is new! The Gamma of Blood

    Moon Pack is giving me orders now! Do you want to stage a coup, J? Or do you think that we

    Riverside Pack¡¯s soldiers are so below you that we need to start listening to you now?¡±

    Baron was very good at shifting focus.

    From a peripheral look, J found many Riverside Pac¡¯s soldiers ring at her.

    ¡°This is very typical of J,¡± Owen said with a strangeugh. ¡°She thinks she is so above

    everyone. She is always right. And she is the center of the whole wide world.¡± The two burst into

    laughter together.

    Yet J ignored them.

    ¡°You know what I am talking about, Baron.¡±

    She stepped forward and whispered in a warning voice.

    ¡°I know what you did¡­This is your final chance toe clean. Don¡¯t toss it away.¡±

    Baron snorted. He leaned forward as well and grinned, shing his mouth full of bad

    teeth.

    ¡°Oh yeah? What did I do exactly?¡± he provoked. ¡°And do you have any proofs?¡±

    J¡¯s face turned cold.

    Here was the problem-she didn¡¯t have any proofs.

    And Baron saw right through that.

    Seeing the frustrated look on J¡¯s face, Baron beamed even brighter. His hand. traveled down to

    Maxie¡¯s butt and grabbed a handful of it.

    ¡°Maxie, Gamma J seemed to be defending you against me. Now, do tell her-Am I treating you

    unjustly?¡± Baron crackled.

    Maxie¡¯s body was stiff like a board.

    She held her head down as though she was going through some unsufferable humiliations.

    It took her a long moment to whisper, ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Louder!¡± Baron cried, ¡°Let Gamma J hear this clearly!¡±

    ¡°No! I am not being mistreated!¡± said Maxie loudly.

    When J looked at her, she saw glitters of tears in her eyes.

    ¡°And is Gamma Baron a good leader or what!¡± Owen demanded rudely. ¡°Tell J-loud and clear!¡±

    ¡°Yes. And I am¡­very lucky¡­to follow¡­Gamma Baron¡¯s lead,¡± answered Maxie in a shaky voice.

    Wrath and indignation were all J could feel right now.

    She clenched her fists and was ready to throw them at Baron¡¯s face. But Maxie looked up and shoot

    her a warning look.

    She gave J a small shook of her head.

    ¡°Alright, I guess this is settled then.¡± Baron stretched his back and hocked his arm around Owen¡¯s

    neck, ¡°You interested in an iced cold beer, man?¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Owenughed.

    Baron whistled and beckoned Maxie as though he is calling to a dog, ¡°Hustle up, Maxie!¡±

    Maxie quickly wiped the corner of her eyes and turned to follow them.

    When she passed by J¡¯s side, she whispered in a voice that was only audible to the two of

    them:

    ¡°Back down from this¡­for you own good, Gamma J.¡±

    Then she ran off.

    J remained on the spot, staring at their back.

    She didn¡¯t

    But Baron and Owen left her with no choice.

    They were two vicious and vindictive pieces of trash. Fighting side by side with them was like

    suicide, especially when they were facing the rogues.

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    With a loud cry, Balvina rushed over from the distance and gasped, ¡°I just saw everything! What the

    hell just happened?¡±

    J breathed out a frustrating sigh and said icily, ¡°You just witnessed how Baron bullied Maxie.

    And I bet this happens everything single day in her life.¡±

    ¡°God, I don¡¯t get it. Why didn¡¯t her fight back?¡±

    Balvina crossed her arms and sighed sadly.

    ¡°That scumbag Baron is weak like a baby chick. I can crush his throat with one hand. Maxie is so

    much stronger than he is.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Maxie is concerned about his power,¡± J said.

    ¡°But you said you would help her, right? Even a maid like Angelina was brave enough to step out

    and challenge Harper, what was holding back a strong warrior like Maxie?¡±

    That was what baffled J too.

    Maxie seemed like the strong and determined type.

    And she hated Baron very much.

    So what was she so concerned about?

    What did Baron have on her that could guarantee her loyalty?

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± J said abruptly, ¡°Do you remember what Harper threatened Angelina with?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­With her family?¡±

    Balvina paused and her eyes gleamed with excitement.

    ¡°Right! Baron probably did the same thing to Maxie! He controlled her through her families!¡±

    J pulled her phone out and texted Daran immediately.

    [J: Does Maxie have any families?]

    [Daran: Yeah, I think so. Her parents and two siblings. Want me to find where they are at?]

    [J: Please do.]

    Momentster, Daran¡¯s message came in again.

    [Daran: Seems like that they moved to another city 3 years ago. No one had seen them recently. Is

    something wrong about this?]

    ¡°3 years ago was when Baron¡¯s father died.¡±

    J looked up from the text and said to Balvina, ¡°And that must be when Baron

    started controlling Maxie with her families. I need to talk to Daran. We must find her

    families first!¡±

    ¡°I aming with you!¡± Balvina cried.

    Together, they left the training field hastily.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ***

    Maxie followed Baron and Owen into the warehouse.

    She kept her head down low and went to tidy those training tools.

    But she was kicked to the ground from the back. Then another kicknded on her stomach, and she

    heard Baron¡¯s furious voice on the top of her head:

    ¡°What the fu ck did you say to that bitch J? Have you forgotten all about your families? Do you

    want to see your brother skinned alive? Or do you want your little sister end up in a fu cking

    whorehouse?¡±

    ¡°No¡­No!¡±

    Maxie cried and struggled to sit up, grabbing Baron¡¯s pants.

    ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t tell her anything. I would never betray you, Gamma Baron. Please don¡¯t hurt my

    families¡­¡±

    Owen gave a hard kick on her shoulder, knocking her back to the floor again.

    ¡°Keep your hands off the Gamma, you filthy tramp!¡± he snarled.

    Maxie bit her lips harshly.

    She could easily take the both of them down if she wanted to.

    But she couldn¡¯t.

    Not with her families still in his hands.

    She hadn¡¯t seen her families for 3 years. She didn¡¯t even know where they were at right now. Baron

    only let her video chat with them when he was in a good mood.

    So she couldn¡¯t get him mad.

    Maxie curled her body up and suffered without a sound as Owen punched and kicked her like a

    punching back.

    When he finally finished venting it out, Owen panted and paced to Baron¡¯s side, who was sitting on

    a desk and enjoying this scene the whole time.

    Maxie coughed and she could taste blood in her mouth.

    Bruise and wounds hurt like hell.

    She had to grit her teeth tightly to stifle groans of pain.

    Pulling her upper body up from the floor, Maxie crawled to Baron and grabbed his pants again.

    ¡°Gamma Baron¡­it has been 3 weeks since Ist talked to my family¡­¡± she said. weakly, ¡°So can

    you¡­ let me talk to them?¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Owen snapped, ¡°Haven¡¯t you caused the Gamma enough trouble in one day?¡±

    Baron crackled, ¡°It is OK, Owen. She is a greedy bitch. I am quite used to that

    already.¡±

    He dusted his pants with one hand and put his left foot on Maxie¡¯s knee.

    ¡°See that little dirt on my shoe?¡± Baron grinned malevolently, ¡°If you can clean the dirt using your

    tongue, I might consider your request.¡±

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60

    Maxie froze.

    She was struggling internally.

    On the one side, there was her pride and dignity; yet on the other side, there was her families.

    After a painful long pause, she chose thetter and slowly buried her face down to Baron¡¯s shoe.

    Baron and Owen crackled withughter as she did.

    Maxie was the strongest female warrior in Riverside Pack. Having her submitted herself beneath

    their feet gave then a great sense of pleasure.

    ¡°See that, Owen?¡±

    Baron leaned back in his chair and chuckled proudly.

    ¡°As long as you get the right handle, you can make the strongest warrior wiggle her butt in front of

    you like a fu cking dog.¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Owen smirked, ¡°You are right, Gamma Baron.¡±

    Baron put his foot on Maxie¡¯s chest and asked, ¡°Why were you talking with J before I arrived?

    What did she want?¡±

    Maxie lowered her head and muttered, ¡°She¡­heard some rumors and wanted to check on me to

    see if I am alright.¡±

    ¡°What a nosy bitch!¡± Baron snarled, ¡°And those rats in the packhouse need to be shaken up a bit.

    Owen, find out who has been a big mouth to J and plucked that person¡¯s tongue out.¡°!

    ¡°Yes, Gamma Baron.¡±

    ¡°But she didn¡¯t ask about the ount book?¡± Baron asked Maxie.

    Maxie¡¯s long hair fell from her shoulder and covered her face like a curtain. After a short silence,

    she slightly shook her head.

    ¡°Good.¡± Baron let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Alpha Daran isn¡¯t very happy with my performance recently. I

    can¡¯t have him find out about this ount book. Or we are going down together. Keep that thing

    safe, Maxie, and you will be rewarded for your loyalty.¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course, Gamma Baron.¡±

    Baron rubbed his chin for a while and said to Maxie with a grin, ¡°Now that I think about it¡ªit has

    been 3 years since youst saw your family. It is probably time for you to go and visit them, don¡¯t

    you think?¡±

    Maxie snapped her head up.

    Her eyes gleamed with thrill and excitement.

    ¡°Really? Do you really mean it, Gamma Baron?¡± she gasped.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Baron smiled idly, ¡°You have been a good dog, Maxie. And it is time for you to get your

    treat.¡±

    He turned the screen of his phone over to Maxie and showed her an address. It was a ce at the

    suburb.

    Maxie grabbed the phone and read the address three times to memorize it.

    ¡°Thank you, Gamma Baron¡­¡±

    Maxie choked, her lips twitching.

    ¡°Thank you for letting me meet with my family.¡±

    Baron waved his hand, ¡°Just go and see them. Ande back in time for the training tomorrow. But

    I do need to warn you this¨CDon¡¯t try to take your family away. That ce is heavily guarded.¡±

    ¡°No. Of course not. Thank you so much¡­¡±

    Maxie scrambled up on her feet and dashed out of the warehouse.

    She couldn¡¯t wait to meet with her family again.

    She used to have a happy family. Her parents were all civilians, and they lived afortable life

    with her father being a building manager and her mom a teacher at a local school. She had one

    brother and one sister, both of whom were in elementary school.

    Things were perfect.

    Until Baron came along and destroyed everything.

    Maxie could still remember the day when Baron and his guards burst into their house and abducted

    her families.

    Her parents were forced into the car with their eyes blindfolded.

    Her little sister was carried away by 2 men and her devastated screaming still rang in Maxie¡¯s ear

    even today.

    And everything was because of Baron.

    She did try to report on Baron. But nobody in the upper society would believe her. They all thought

    Baron was a righteous man just like his father.

    Maxie wanted to talk to Alpha Daran. But Baron kept a closed eye on her and never allowed her to

    come near to the Alpha.

    So there was no one to do her justice.

    The only way left for her was to do dirty works for Baron and kept her mouth shut about everything.

    And she could handle these, as long as her families were safe.

    Maxie ran out of the training field and jumped in her car. She started the engine and raced toward

    the direction of that location.

    Thest time they video chatted, her little sister cried about not being fed, which

    drove Maxie crazy.

    Soon¡­very soon¡­she would be able to see her families and make sure they were OK¡­

    Her car arrived at the location an hourter.

    And it turned out to be a lumber camp.

    Maxie jumped off her car and rushed toward the front gate, almost tripping herself along the way.

    In the distance, she saw four very familiar figures.

    It was her mom, her dad, her brother, and her little sis.

    And the view of them made her heart ache¨Cher aged parents were chopping woods under the

    surveince of the guards. They were obviously exhausted but didn¡¯t dare

    to rest.

    And her younger brother and sister were both carrying logs much heavier than they could handle.

    The moment they slowed down, they earned a whip on the back from the guard.

    ¡°Hustle up,zy ass!¡± the guard snapped.

    Maxie was devastated.

    She picked up her speed running towards them and cried, ¡°NO¨CDon¡¯t hit them! Please¡ª¡®

    Her families jerked up and saw Maxie. They gasped a cry of shock and rushed to Maxie as well, all

    of them in tears.

    But they were immediately stopped by the guards.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± one guard bellowed, ¡°You still haven¡¯t finished your work. Get

    back to it. NOW!¡±

    Maxie tried to talk some sense into him, ¡°I am here on Gamma Baron¡¯s order. He allowed me to visit

    my family. Please let me talk to them and I will help them get these works done.¡±

    ¡°And Gamma Baron asked me to keep a closed eye on them! So go back to your work-¡± the guard

    wielded his whip making a cracking sound, ¡°-NOW!¡±

    The sound of the whip caused Maxie¡¯s little sister to burst into tears.

    Maxie clenched her fists in rage.

    She could see wounds and blood stains on her families¡® faces and bodies. And they all seemed

    haggard as though they had been living in constant fear for thest 3 years.

    She couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    ¡°I said ¡±

    Maxie hissed, shing her wolf fangs.

    ¡°-MOVE!¡±

    The guard took a step back in shock and gasped, ¡°I¨CIf you don¡¯t follow the rules, I will report to

    Gamma Baron! And he will tear you apart!¡±

    Just then, a deafening wolf howl came from the front gate, freezing everyone on their spots.

    A gigantic ck wolf appeared from the darkness of the night.

    Its golden eyes gleamed coldly like two hugenterns.

    And the next second, it charged, quick as a thunder at the guard!

    The guard let out a terrified scream and turned to ran. But he got knocked to the ground from the

    back. The giant wolfnded a paw on his head and trod his face directly into the mud.

    The chaos attracted more guards¡® attention. They poured out of the lumber camp with guns and

    weapons in their hand.

    But then they were horrified to discover that this lumber camp was surrounded by arge group of

    soldiers.

    Maxie had rushed to her families and pulled them behind her back.

    Turning to look that giant ck wolf, Maxie inhaled sharply and gasped in disbelief:

    ¡°¡­A¨CAlpha?¡±

    The wolf shifted back into a tall and handsome man.

    Daran kept his foot on that guard¡¯s neck firmly and nodded to Maxie, ¡°You are safe now.¡±

    Maxie couldn¡¯t believe this sudden turn of event, ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­how did you-¡±

    A hand was ced on Maxie¡¯s shoulder. Maxie jerked around and found J smiling to her.

    ¡°We are here to help you,¡± J said.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61

    Daran¡¯s soldiers poured into the lumber camp and controlled all guards. All hardbors in the camp

    were shivering in fear. Balvina quickly came to calm these people down.

    Maxie still couldn¡¯t believe what she was saying, ¡°But how did you know where my families are¡­¡®

    11

    Daran walked over and answered on J¡¯s behalf, ¡°J believed that Baron must have

    something on you to have you work for him. She found that your family hadn¡¯t returned to your old

    house for almost 3 years. And I have my men dug out the old surveince footage from 3 years ago

    and found out where Baron took them.¡±

    He paused and then said with a deep voice, ¡°Sorry Maxie, I should have found out that you were

    living under his control earlier.¡±

    Maxie covered her mouth and shook her head in tears. She and her families fell into each other¡¯s

    arms, sobbing on each other¡¯s shoulders, venting out everything they had suffered for thest 3

    years.

    J looked at them and felt her heart swell. She knew what it felt like to reunite with families. She

    got the same feeling when Casper brought her home almost an year ago.

    At the meantime, Daran¡¯s soldiers brought the guard of this lumber camp over. The

    guard was no longer harsh and violent like he was earlier. Instead, he dropped on his knees

    unvolunteetarily in front of Daran in fear and trembled like a sheep.

    ¡°Alpha Daran,¡± the guard quivered. ¡°Please forgive us¡­We know nothing¡­We were simply told to

    keep an eye on these workers!¡±

    ¡°By whom?¡± Daran asked with a freezing voice.

    The guard hesitated. The soldier standing behind his back grabbed his left hand and pinned it on

    the ground forcefully. Picking up an axe, the solider looked at Daran and waited for his order.

    ¡°Chop his hand off,¡± Daran sneered icily. ¡°Maybe that will get him to talk.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha!¡±

    The soldier raised the axe high in the air. The lumber camp¡¯s guard let out a horrific screaming,

    ¡°NO¨CWait! My boss is Gamma Baron! Please¡­let me go!¡±

    The soldier dropped the axe back down and grabbed his cor bringing him to Daran. Daran looked

    down at his fearful and sweaty face and asked, ¡°Who are these workers? And what is this lumber

    camp for?¡±

    The guard almost wet his pants earlier. He was ready to spill everything out now.

    ¡°T¨CThese workers are all Gamma Baron¡¯s hostage. If someone defied him at work, Gamma Baron

    would abduct that person¡¯s family and brought people here. We got the family of his father¡¯s former

    captain who refused to take his order now, the ountant who wouldn¡¯t cook the book for him, a

    journalist who threatened to expose him and a few girls who didn¡¯t want to be his mistress¡­¡±

    The longer that list got, the darker the look on J¡¯s face was.

    She thought Baron was just a gutless puss. But as it turned out, he was so much more than that.

    She regretted not getting to the bottom of this when Baron first set her up in the crazy bear

    incident.

    Daran seemed furious as well. He red at the guard and snapped, ¡°So what do you have these

    people do all day? Chopping woods?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­yeah. This lumber camp is actually very lucrative, made Gamma Baron lot of money. And if

    somebody refused to coborate, we¡¯d take them into the forest and kill them there¡­¡®

    Maxie¡¯s little sister gasped a small cry and buried her face into Maxie¡¯s arms. Maxie patted her

    shoulder and casted a resentful look at the guard.

    Then she bent down to pick up the whip on the ground and turned to ask Daran, ¡°Alpha, if I may?¡±

    Daran gave her an affirmative nod.

    Maxie strode forward, raising the whip up in the air, andid a harshsh across the guard¡¯s face, ¡°-

    This one if for my father!¡±

    1

    The guard screamed covering his face, rolling around in pain. But Maxie continued anyway,shing

    that whip mercilessly.

    ¡°And my mother! My brother! My sister¡­And all the innocent people in this lumber camp!¡±

    Workers gathered up around them and they watched Maxie beat that guard up. When she was

    through with it, the guard was on the ground, half¨Cdead. A round of enthusiastic apuse broke out

    from the crowd.

    Maxie dropped the whip and turned back to J and Daran. Grateful tears were shinning in her

    eyes.

    ¡°Thank you¡­Alpha Daran, for stepping up for me and my family.¡± She choked, ¡°And Gamma J,

    thank you for getting to the bottom of this. I treated you terribly earlier today and I feel awful¡­¡±

    ¡°You were threatened by Baron. We all get it,¡± Jforted her. ¡°We¡¯ll let the soldiers clean up

    this mess. But at the meantime, is there a ce we can talk?¡± Maxie¡¯s father quickly wiped the tears

    away from his eyes and nodded, ¡°Of course. Please follow us, Alpha and Gamma J.¡±

    They led Daran and J into a small cabin and closed the door.

    ¡°Your family is safe now, Maxie.¡± Daran said, ¡°And I believe that you havee to realize what an

    evil person Baron is. All Riverside soldiers need to know that too. They can¡¯t go to the battlefield

    with that bastard. So to aplish that, we will have to-¡±

    get that ount book. Yeah, I get it,¡± Maxie said with a low voice.

    She fumbled in her cor and pulled out a ne. There was a tiny golden locket on the

    ne.

    ¡°Here.¡± she handed the locket to Daran, ¡°There was an address and a number engraved inside of

    the locket. The address is the safe where I kept Baron¡¯s ount book in. And the number is the

    password.¡±

    Daran took the locket and gripped it firmly.

    ¡°Thank you for your trust,¡± he said solemnly to Maxie.

    ¡°No need.¡± Maxie took a deep breath and replied to Daran with a smile, ¡°I know that you are a

    wonderful Alpha. And I am d to continue serving in your troops.¡±

    With this lumber camp being taken down, all workers/prisoners needed to be sent back home.

    Daran spent a few hours talking to these people, making arrangement for them, and documenting

    their testimonies.

    When all those works were done, Daran turned around and found that J still hadn¡¯t left.

    She was leaning against the wall, smiling to him.

    A gentle smile touched Daran¡¯s lips as well as he walked towards her, ¡°What happened? I thought

    you left already.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°I wanted to see if you need any help,¡± J looked up into his gorgeous eyes. ¡°You are quite a

    badass today, Alpha Daran.¡±

    Daran chuckled lowly and backed against the same wall next to J, ¡°Not as badass as the

    Gamma who ughtered a bunch of crazy bears.¡±

    The night breeze brushed their cheeks. The silver moonlight was soft and beautiful. After a long

    night of chaos, they both felt rxed at this moment.

    ¡°You know-¡±

    J broke the silence all of a sudden. There was a hint of nostalgic in her voice.

    I was very happy when I found out that you are my mate. But not because you are handsome, or

    that you are the Alpha,¡± she said.

    Daran averted his head to look at her. His voice became hoarse, ¡°Then what¡¯s the reason?¡±

    ¡°Because you always give people a sense of security. Like these prisoners here. The moment they

    saw you by the front gate, they instantly knew that they were safe. You

    have that kind of power in you, Daran.¡±

    ¡°¡­But I let you down. Didn¡¯t I?¡± he asked.

    J let out a small sneer, ¡°Yeah, because you were so busy protecting someone else¡­But why

    are we talking about it now? It is so in the past already.¡±

    She stood up straight and wanted to leave. But arge hand caught her wrist and spined her

    around.

    The next second she fell back into his arm.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t need my protection anymore but¡­¡±

    TH

    His s e xy and husky voice was by her ears. And his muscr arms tightly wrapped around her slim

    waist.

    ¡°¡­But I¡¯m willing to take a bullet for you anytime, J,¡± He said.

    His firm chest was on an inch away from her nose. The familiar smell of his scent filled her nostrils.

    J felt her heart skipped a leap at this moment.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62

    J had to breath deeply to calm herself down.

    ¡°You are doing it again,¡± she said and tilted her head away. There was a hint of usation in her

    voice.

    ¡°Doing what?¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Treating me like an innocent little girl and trying to fool me with sweet talks.¡± J struggled out of

    his arms and said, ¡°You taking a bullet for me¡­That¡¯s total crap.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Daran stepped aside and blocked her way of leaving, ¡°You don¡¯t think I can do it?¡±

    ¡°Well yeah. You are the Alpha¡­and it makes no sense for you to put your own safety at risk to

    protect me, another pack¡¯s Gamma-¡±

    ¡°Who says an Alpha can¡¯t protect his loved one?¡± Daran asked.

    Words froze on J¡¯s lips.

    She was stunned. Shocked by Daran¡¯s ¡°loved one.¡±

    ¡­What did he mean by that?

    Was he saying that she¨CJ¨Cwas his loved one?!

    ¡°You are being ridiculous again.¡± J gulped in panic. Her cheek was going red. She was d that

    it was so dark right now that Daran couldn¡¯t see it.

    ¡°J-¡±

    Daran seemed that he had something else to say. But before he said anything, J turned around

    abruptly and dashed away.

    She ran all the way back to her car, jumped in and started the engine. As the car fast¨Cforwarded

    down the countryside road, she finally let out that breathe she had been holding for a long time.

    Her heart was thumping like crazy. She had to clench her grip tightly on the wheel to

    focus on the driving.

    She hated to have her feelings and emotions being manipted by Daran, which reminded her of

    her past, when she was crazily in love with Daran and would overthink the meaning of the smallest

    stuff he did.

    But that was in the past now.

    Right now, she should be focusing on training soldiers and going to war with rogues.

    As for Daran¡­Well, he could go ahead and hit on any girls he liked.

    Just not on her.

    ***

    The following week, an explosive news spread across the entire Riverside Pack.

    -Gamma Baron had been charged with corruption, false imprisonment, torture, abuse, and a series

    of other serious crimes.

    Alpha Daran presented an ount book to the elders which detailly documented all

    Alpha Daran presented an ount book to the elders, which detailly documented all the dirty trade

    Baron had been doing. Apparently, 80% of the military budget was pocket by Baron himself.

    And arge group of people from the lumber camp was willing to testify for Baron¡¯s false

    imprisonment.

    Everyone was shocked, especially those in the army.

    Riverside soldiers all respected Baron¡¯s father very much. Naturally, they reflected some parts of

    that feeling on Baron, thinking that Baron was a decent guy too.

    This news took a pretty hard strike on these people.

    J found many soldiers getting distracted during the recent couple of days. Everyone¡¯s mind was

    on the Baron case, which had a more profound influence on the public than Harper.

    With Harper, she was an upper¨Cssdy, and the public would love to see her dirty get dug out.

    But she didn¡¯t have the power to shake things up in the society.

    Yet Baron was the Gamma. Everything about him was tightly associated with the future of Riverside

    Pack.

    Especially since this was a sensitive time¨Cthey were going to war with rogues with

    soon.

    If Baron was taken down, who would be Gamma? And who would lead Riverside¡¯s troops?

    It was natural for soldiers to get anxious.

    On the fourth day after the news was released, Maxie went to talk to J during the

    training.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going? How are your families?¡± J asked her.

    A smile came across Maxie¡¯s face at the mention of her family, ¡°They are good. Thanks for asking.

    My parents might need to get their physical checkup and my brother and sister need to find a new

    school¡­but everything is on the right track now.¡±

    ¡°d to hear that,¡± J smiled. ¡°Let me know if you need my help.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I do right now¡­And it is about Baron.¡±

    Maxie showed J some text messages. And they were all from Baron during thest couple of

    days.

    His tone in some earlier texts were nasty as ever.

    [You bitch¡­ You gave the ount book to Baron, didn¡¯t you!]

    [Your families were so dead! Prepare to receive body parts of your families!]

    And then he gradually started to panic.

    [How did you get your families out? Did you ask J to help you?!]

    [Are you working with them right now?]

    [We should be a team, Maxie! Wake up already!]

    Then he practically started begging in the messages he sent to Maxie this morning.

    [Pleasee and talk to me Maxie.]

    [We can work this out.]

    J chuckled and gave the phone back to Maxie, ¡°You basically owned him right now. But why

    does he want to meet with you anyway?¡±

    ¡°I bet he wants me to take the me for him, which had happened many times before,¡± Maxie said

    icily.

    ¡°That bastard¡­ You know you can totally ignore him, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do. But¡­¡±

    Maxie paused and bit her lips. There was a reluctant look on her face.

    ¡°¡­It is just that most people in the army still didn¡¯t believe Baron was guilty,¡± Maxie said with a

    heavy tone.

    J frowned, ¡°Really? Why? The evidence is right there.¡±

    ¡°It is no secret that Alpha Daran didn¡¯t like Baron. Some soldiers believed that the evidence Alpha

    Daran presented are all fabricated. And this whole thing is a conspiracy.¡±

    The look on J¡¯s face became sullen.

    These soldiers were more stubborn than she thought.

    But these people¡¯s opinion couldn¡¯t be ignored. Daran might have the right to sentence Baron guilty,

    but he couldn¡¯t control the public opinion. If soldiers were convinced that their Alpha was a

    calcting tyrant, the whole army would fall apart. And it would be harder for them to win the war

    against rogues.

    ¡°So what do you think?¡± Maxie asked, ¡°Do you have any good idea, Gamma J?¡±

    J pondered for a while.

    ¡°I do have an idea,¡± she said slowly. ¡°But it might require you to meet with Baron again. And I totally

    understand if you don¡¯t want to do it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    Maxie said eagerly without hesitation, ¡°My families are safe now. Baron has no way to control me

    anymore. I want help Alpha Daran to take Baron down. And I will do anything for it!¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± J smiled and patted her shoulder. ¡°Come with me. Let¡¯s talk to Alpha Daran. We

    might need his help on this.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63

    Half an hourter, arge group of soldiers poured into Baron¡¯s front yard. They attracted quite a

    few people¡¯s attention on their waying down there. So right now there was a group following

    them, watching them avidly.

    There were even some discussions among the watching crowd:

    ¡°What is the fuzz here? Why are so many people heading over to Gamma Baron¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°I checked with one of the soldiers¡­he said Gamma Baronmitted a serious crime. And they

    are going to confront him with it.¡±

    ¡°Christ. I know that Baron is no decent person! Remember the time he got paraded publicly? First

    Lady Harper and then him¡­ Riverside Pack is so doomed.¡±

    ¡°Who cares? Let¡¯s go see him get beaten up by his own soldiers.¡±

    Soon enough, Baron¡¯s front yard was jammed with infuriated soldiers and nosy bystanders.

    One soldier marched up to the top stair and hammered on Baron¡¯s door:

    ¡°Open up!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, open the damn door! We know you are in there!¡±

    ¡°Spill our money out, you asshole!¡±

    Nobody came to the door. People soon lost their patience and one suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s kick the door

    down!¡±

    His suggestion was agreed by many. A few soldiers rushed at the door and bumped against the

    door with their shoulders together.

    With a great thump, the door budged, and people poured into the house together. In the living room,

    Baron was crawling towards the back door trying to get away. He had heard people calling his

    name outside of the door and he got panic. He tried to attack Maxie and sought a way of escaping.

    But Maxie grabbed his cor and stopped him.

    Finding that he was now surrounded by angry soldiers, Baron gulped down nervously with a terrific

    look on his face. But he quicklyposed himself. Scrambling up to his feet, Baron pointed a finger

    at the crowd and cried:

    ¡°Who allowed you into my house?! This is trespassing! I can have you beheaded for that! Now get

    the hell out of my ce!¡±

    He was still trying to scare people by ying the mighty Gamma.

    But nobody gave a shit about him anymore.

    He had lost people¡¯s trust and respect already.

    ¡°Is it true, Gamma Baron? That you pocketed the pack¡¯s money?¡± someone in the crowd cried.

    Baron wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and stammered, ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. I devoted every

    penny I received into our army-¡±

    ¡°But how do you exin the crappy training facilities, the terrible food served in the army and

    everyone¡¯s shabby uniform?! Some people got food poisonst year eating expired food you gave

    us!¡±

    Baron backed away from the furious crowd slowly, ¡°That¡¯s on the head of purchasing. Not on me.,.¡±

    An angry voice came from the crowd, ¡°I am your head of purchasing! I applied for more money to

    purchase better ingredients for our soldiers, but you denied my application! You said that we didn¡¯t

    have that kind of money! And it was simple food poison, nothing too serious. How dare you me

    this on me now!!¡±

    §â§à§Ù§à§ß, §á§à§ã§ß§Ú

    Scious. Low call you via uns on me now::

    The crowd with filled with indignation when they heard this.

    ¡°Simple food poison?!¡± somebody snarled, ¡°I got diarrhea for a week straight! I almost died out of

    dehydration! How would you like to have some bad food?¡±

    ¡°And that was not even the worst thing he did!¡±

    A young man pushed across the crowd and came to the front. His eyes were glinting with fury

    tears.

    He pointed at Baron and cried loudly, ¡°He imprisoned my brother for 2 years! Just because my

    brother didn¡¯t want to take order from him when he became Gamma! He told everyone that my

    brother died in the battlefield fighting rogues. But the truth is he kept my brother in a lumber camp

    as his ve! None of us knew that my brother was still alive until Alpha Daran rescued him a few

    days ago! It was 2 f**king years! My brother didn¡¯t even get to see our mother for thest time

    before she passed away! You deserve to rot in hell, Baron!¡±

    With hot tears streaming down his face, the young man raised his fist up high in the air and rushed

    at Baron. Baron dodged in panic, but the young man¡¯s fist still caught him on his chin.

    Blood ran down from the corner of his mouth. Baron jerked around and faced the crowd with a

    raging face.

    ¡°Stop this¨CRIGHT NOW!¡±

    Baron breathed heavily and backed against wall facing therge crowd by himself. His fists were

    tightly clenched. And his wolf fangs were starting to appear.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been convicted for any crimes yet! Which means¨CI am still your Gamma!¡± he roared.

    ¡°Not for long!¡± Maxie snapped, ¡°After all that you had done, do you seriously believe that we are still

    going to allow you to lead us?¡±

    ¡°Who cares what you think!¡± Baron cried.

    He grinned hideously, ring at the whole crowd with a crazy enthusiasm gleaming in his eyes.

    ¡°My father is a war hero. And he is friend with every elder in Riverside Pack! The elders will know

    that I am innocent. They will protect me! And I will still be your Gamma. And when that dayes-¡±

    He cackled evilly.

    ¡°-I will have every single one of you flogged and beheaded! For your disrespect to me today!!!¡±

    There was a short moment of silence among the crowd.

    And then, a voice came from the door, ¡°Are you sure about this, Baron?¡±

    People turned around to look for the source of that voice.

    J and Daran just stepped through the door together, with all 6 elders following them behind

    their back!

    There was a sarcastic smile on J¡¯s face as she went over to Baron, ¡°You won¡¯t admit your own

    failure till the very end, will you? I have got to give you credit for that, Baron¨CYou are so

    exceptionally stupid and arrogant

    Baron¡¯s face was pale. He gazed at the elders and stammered in panic, ¡°No¨CNo you won¡¯t do this to

    me. Elders, please! For my father¡¯s sake-¡±

    ¡°You have exploited your right as the hero¡¯s son, Baron.¡± An elder said sternly, ¡°Your sin shall not be

    forgiven!¡±

    Baron quickly looked towards the other elders. Some avoided eye contact with him, some red

    back at him coldly.

    ¡°N¨CNo¡­you can¡¯t..¡±

    Baron shivered terribly from head to toe. He was on the verge of a meltdown, ¡°I inherited this

    position from my father. I am always the Gamma. You can¡¯t take it away from me¡­

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Daran interrupted his crazy muttering coldly, ¡°I certainly can. Starting today, the Gamma position

    will not be inherited. A more capable person will rece you and that person will bring justice and

    order back to this army.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Baron shrieked, ¡°Who on earth is more capable than me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Maxie.¡±

    Daran raised his voiced and looked toward Maxie, who seemed a little taken aback when she got

    called upon.

    ¡°From now on, you will be our next Gamma,¡± Daran announced with a smile.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64

    Half an hourter, arge group of soldiers poured into Baron¡¯s front yard. They attracted quite a

    few people¡¯s attention on their waying down there. So right now there was a group following

    them, watching them avidly.

    There were even some discussions among the watching crowd:

    ¡°What is the fuzz here? Why are so many people heading over to Gamma Baron¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°I checked with one of the soldiers¡­he said Gamma Baronmitted a serious crime. And they

    are going to confront him with it.¡±

    ¡°Christ. I know that Baron is no decent person! Remember the time he got paraded publicly? First

    Lady Harper and then him¡­ Riverside Pack is so doomed.¡±

    ¡°Who cares? Let¡¯s go see him get beaten up by his own soldiers.¡±

    Soon enough, Baron¡¯s front yard was jammed with infuriated soldiers and nosy bystanders.

    One soldier marched up to the top stair and hammered on Baron¡¯s door:

    ¡°Open up!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, open the damn door! We know you are in there!¡±

    ¡°Spill our money out, you asshole!¡±

    Nobody came to the door. People soon lost their patience and one suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s kick the door

    down!¡±

    His suggestion was agreed by many. A few soldiers rushed at the door and bumped against the

    door with their shoulders together.

    With a great thump, the door budged, and people poured into the house together. In the living room,

    Baron was crawling towards the back door trying to get away. He had heard people calling his

    name outside of the door and he got panic. He tried to attack Maxie and sought a way of escaping.

    But Maxie grabbed his cor and stopped him.

    Finding that he was now surrounded by angry soldiers, Baron gulped down nervously with a terrific

    look on his face. But he quicklyposed himself. Scrambling up to his feet, Baron pointed a finger

    at the crowd and cried:

    ¡°Who allowed you into my house?! This is trespassing! I can have you beheaded for that! Now get

    the hell out of my ce!¡±

    He was still trying to scare people by ying the mighty Gamma.

    But nobody gave a shit about him anymore.

    He had lost people¡¯s trust and respect already.

    ¡°Is it true, Gamma Baron? That you pocketed the pack¡¯s money?¡± someone in the crowd cried.

    Baron wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and stammered, ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. I devoted every

    penny I received into our army-¡±

    ¡°But how do you exin the crappy training facilities, the terrible food served in the army and

    everyone¡¯s shabby uniform?! Some people got food poisonst year eating expired food you gave

    us!¡±

    Baron backed away from the furious crowd slowly, ¡°That¡¯s on the head of purchasing. Not on me.,.¡±

    An angry voice came from the crowd, ¡°I am your head of purchasing! I applied for more money to

    purchase better ingredients for our soldiers, but you denied my application! You said that we didn¡¯t

    have that kind of money! And it was simple food poison, nothing too serious. How dare you me

    this on me now!!¡±

    §â§à§Ù§à§ß, §á§à§ã§ß§Ú

    Scious. Low call you via uns on me now::

    The crowd with filled with indignation when they heard this.

    ¡°Simple food poison?!¡± somebody snarled, ¡°I got diarrhea for a week straight! I almost died out of

    dehydration! How would you like to have some bad food?¡±

    ¡°And that was not even the worst thing he did!¡±

    A young man pushed across the crowd and came to the front. His eyes were glinting with fury

    tears.

    He pointed at Baron and cried loudly, ¡°He imprisoned my brother for 2 years! Just because my

    brother didn¡¯t want to take order from him when he became Gamma! He told everyone that my

    brother died in the battlefield fighting rogues. But the truth is he kept my brother in a lumber camp

    as his ve! None of us knew that my brother was still alive until Alpha Daran rescued him a few

    days ago! It was 2 f**king years! My brother didn¡¯t even get to see our mother for thest time

    before she passed away! You deserve to rot in hell, Baron!¡±

    With hot tears streaming down his face, the young man raised his fist up high in the air and rushed

    at Baron. Baron dodged in panic, but the young man¡¯s fist still caught him on his chin.

    Blood ran down from the corner of his mouth. Baron jerked around and faced the crowd with a

    raging face.

    ¡°Stop this¨CRIGHT NOW!¡±

    Baron breathed heavily and backed against wall facing therge crowd by himself. His fists were

    tightly clenched. And his wolf fangs were starting to appear.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been convicted for any crimes yet! Which means¨CI am still your Gamma!¡± he roared.

    ¡°Not for long!¡± Maxie snapped, ¡°After all that you had done, do you seriously believe that we are still

    going to allow you to lead us?¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Who cares what you think!¡± Baron cried.

    He grinned hideously, ring at the whole crowd with a crazy enthusiasm gleaming in his eyes.

    ¡°My father is a war hero. And he is friend with every elder in Riverside Pack! The elders will know

    that I am innocent. They will protect me! And I will still be your Gamma. And when that dayes-¡±

    He cackled evilly.

    ¡°-I will have every single one of you flogged and beheaded! For your disrespect to me today!!!¡±

    There was a short moment of silence among the crowd.

    And then, a voice came from the door, ¡°Are you sure about this, Baron?¡±

    People turned around to look for the source of that voice.

    J and Daran just stepped through the door together, with all 6 elders following them behind

    their back!

    There was a sarcastic smile on J¡¯s face as she went over to Baron, ¡°You won¡¯t admit your own

    failure till the very end, will you? I have got to give you credit for that, Baron¨CYou are so

    exceptionally stupid and arrogant

    Baron¡¯s face was pale. He gazed at the elders and stammered in panic, ¡°No¨CNo you won¡¯t do this to

    me. Elders, please! For my father¡¯s sake-¡±

    ¡°You have exploited your right as the hero¡¯s son, Baron.¡± An elder said sternly, ¡°Your sin shall not be

    forgiven!¡±

    Baron quickly looked towards the other elders. Some avoided eye contact with him, some red

    back at him coldly.

    ¡°N¨CNo¡­you can¡¯t..¡±

    Baron shivered terribly from head to toe. He was on the verge of a meltdown, ¡°I inherited this

    position from my father. I am always the Gamma. You can¡¯t take it away from me¡­

    Daran interrupted his crazy muttering coldly, ¡°I certainly can. Starting today, the Gamma position

    will not be inherited. A more capable person will rece you and that person will bring justice and

    order back to this army.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Baron shrieked, ¡°Who on earth is more capable than me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Maxie.¡±

    Daran raised his voiced and looked toward Maxie, who seemed a little taken aback when she got

    called upon.

    ¡°From now on, you will be our next Gamma,¡± Daran announced with a smile.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65

    Maxie slightly parted her lips as though she couldn¡¯t believe what Daran just said. And so was

    everyone else.

    They were all staring at Daran and Maxie, dumbfounded, as this information sank in.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    J was the first one to start pping. She smiled looking at Maxie and cried, ¡°Go Maxie!¡±

    Maxie¡¯s face went red instantly.

    ¡°W¨CWait! I can¡¯t!¡± she waved her hands in panic and gasped, ¡°There are so many capable and

    strong warriors in the army. I can¡¯t be your only choice-¡±

    ¡°You are not our only choice. But you are our best choice,¡± Daran said with an encouraging smile.

    ¡°You have been training our soldiers. You have the experience, and

    you are familiar with how things are done here in Riverside Pack. I have discussed this with the

    elders. They all agreed with me on this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Maxie. You have all of our support,¡± one of the elders echoed. ¡°With you being the

    Gamma, we can finally bring things back on the right track.¡± Maxie still seemed overwhelmed.

    There was a heated discussion among the crowd.

    ¡°I agree with Alpha Daran. Maxje is a great choice,¡± one soldiers said esthetically. ¡°Baron was never

    around much. It was Maxie who led us through all those trainings. She is strong, smart, and

    experienced. I can¡¯t think of a better person.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with her being our Gamma! She is way better than Baron!¡±

    A female soldier cried feverishly, ¡°And she will be our first female Gamma in Riverside Pack! Finally,

    we put a woman in charge!¡±

    Gradually, all noises mixed together, and they became one strong and united voice. Everyone was

    cheering, calling the same name loudly:

    ¡°-Maxie! Maxie! Maxie!¡±

    Maxie¡¯s cheeks seemed to be on fire. She looked both ttered and nervous. Apparently, she hadn¡¯t

    received this much attention before.

    J noticed her embarrassment. Leaning toward Maxie, J whispered into Maxie¡¯s ear, ¡°You

    better agree to them now or they will keep calling your name forever.¡±

    Maxie looked at her helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know, J¡­I don¡¯t know if I can do it or not. Leading a

    whole army? It might be too much for me.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? You HAVE BEEN doing this for a while already, remember? You

    stopped this army from falling apart while Baron was absent. Now it is time for you to receive your

    credit.¡±

    J gave a gentle nudge at Maxie¡¯s shoulder and cried, ¡°Attention, everyone! Your new Gamma

    would like to have a word!¡±

    The crowd quite down instantly. All eyes were on Maxie.

    Maxie gulped nervously. For a second, she seemed as though she was getting a panic attack. But

    she pulled through that.

    Slightly raising her voice, Maxie said with a shaky yet determined voice, ¡°Thank you for your trust

    and support everyone¡­I really appreciate it. Let¡¯s¨Clet¡¯s work together to defend our pack¡­and kick

    some rogue¡¯s ass!¡±

    She was responded by a round of loud cheering and apuse.

    ¡°Well said, Gamma Maxie!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    Maxie¡¯s face took on an affectionate glow. She peeked at J and smiled gratefully. Just then, the

    young man who used Baron of imprisoning his father stepped out and cried, ¡°Wait a second.

    What about Baron? Was he going to face a public trial like Lady Harper? We are all waiting for him

    to get punished!¡±

    Baron had dropped down on his knees when Daran announced Maxie as the Gamma. His face was

    ashy with terror and despair.

    He was forced to face with the fact that this was probably the end for him.

    His soldiers all betrayed him. The elders had stopped protecting him. And ying his father¡¯s card

    didn¡¯t work anymore.

    He had got nowhere else to turn anymore..

    Now with everyone¡¯s eyes back on him, Baron trembled like a leaf in the wind. He shuffled forward

    on his knees, groveling, and begged:

    ¡°Alpha Daran¡­and the elders¡­I have realized my mistake now. I really am! I am willing to work as

    a ve for the rest of my life¨Cjust don¡¯t kill me. Please!¡±

    Daran looked down at Baron coldly. His face was filled with despise.

    ¡°Where is the money you took from the pack?¡± Daran asked, ¡°Spill it out first. Then we¡¯ll talk about

    your sentence.¡±

    Baron avoided Daran¡¯s eyes shiftily, ¡°I spent it¡­There is nothing left.¡±

    People gasped in shock. An elder cried angrily, ¡°You took 3 billion out of the military budget. And

    now you are telling us you spent them all?! How is this possible!¡±

    ¡°It is true!¡± Baron straightened his upper body and said, ¡°On cars, luxury goods, women¡­However,

    if you agree to pardon me from the death sentence, I can probably remember where I keep the rest

    of the money at¡­¡±

    There was an ugly look on Daran¡¯s face.

    This was straight¨Cup ckmail!

    Baron knew they needed this money¨Cespecially at a time when they were building an army to fight

    back the rogues.

    This missing 3 billion was Baron¡¯sst resource. He wouldn¡¯t spill it out easily!

    ¡°Hey!¡± J called and got people to look at her.

    She was standing by the wall of the firece. She brought her thumb to scrub on the brick wall a

    few times. Oddly, the brick started to peel as though it was made of mud and pulp, instead of

    concrete.

    ¡°This is quite an artistic wall you have here.¡±

    J turned around and smiled at Baron, whose face turned paled almost instantly.

    ¡°Tell me, Baron. Why do you build your house with mud and paper? What are you trying to hide

    behind these walls?¡±

    ¡°N¨CNothing! It is environmentally friendly this way¡­DON¡¯T TOUCH MY WALL!¡± Baron shrieked out

    of despair.

    J let out an icy snort and picked up a side table. Raising the table above her head, J threw

    it at the wall with her whole might!

    The table hit against the wall and shattered into pieces. And the most astonishing thing happened¨Ca

    crack appeared on the ¡°brisk wall¡± and it gradually becamerger.

    Then, with a crashing sound, the entire three¨Cstory wall peeled and crumbled.

    Revealing a massive stock of gold hidden behind!

    This was where Baron kept his dirty money at¨Cright here in his own house and everyone¡¯s eyes!

    His whole house was made of pure gold!

    ¡°OH. MY. GOD.¡± An elder murmured in disbelief.

    Everyone present was rendered speechless by this shocking scene in front of them. Just then,

    Baron suddenly jumped up from the floor and dashed to the front door. He wasshing out like a

    cornered animal!

    Yet he didn¡¯t even make it to a few steps far before getting tackled down by Maxie again. The angry

    crowd sprung upon him. Countless kicks and punches fell on his body.

    Baron covered his head with both of his head and screamed. But his cry for help was drown out by

    the noise of the crowd. And from their back came Daran¡¯s old and stern voice:

    ¡°Lock him up in the dungeon. He will be executed in the Civic Square. In 3 days.¡°

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66

    The news of Baron being thrown into jail spread across the Riverside Pack fast. Soon everyone

    knew about it.

    And that included the Diaz.

    Hellen was in the dining room having lunch with Paul when the news broke. She got so mad that

    she poured a whole pot of hot tea onto the maid¡¯s face and smashed the pot against the wall

    afterward.

    ¡°What are we going to do?!¡± Hellen screamed at Paul, ¡°We spent 20 thousand on Baron so that

    Owen could get that job. It hasn¡¯t been a whole week yet and Baron is in jail now? We are basically

    throwing away cash!¡±

    Paul was frustrated as well.

    The Minister of Finance was on his back every single day pushing him to pay back the missing tax.

    It was a hell lot of pressure.

    Yet the Diaz didn¡¯t have much money left. Theirvish lifestyle drained their pocket. They wouldn¡¯t

    have that 20 thousand to bribe Baron if Paul didn¡¯t sell a few of his diamond watches.

    All their hope was on Owen now¨Choping that he could have a say in the pack business by cozying

    up Baron.

    But now, their only leverage was gone!

    ¡°I knew this was a terrible idea!¡± Paul couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°We should never bribe Baron! I

    even sold my watch for this-¡±

    ¡°The entire family is going down and you are worried about your stupid watch?!¡± Hellen screamed at

    the top of her lungs, her face going red. ¡°And you were the first one to jump on board when Owen

    came up with that idea, you dumbass!¡±

    ¡°Stop yelling at me you crazy woman-

    Hellen grabbed the tablecloth and pulled, sweeping everything on the table to the floor, ¡°I will yell if I

    want to! I said we shouldn¡¯t give up on Harper! But you cold¨Cblooded monster said Harper was

    finished! And now what¨Cnot only your daughter but your son was also finished!¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!!¡± Paul clenched his chest and shouted, spitting all over the ce. ¡°I WILL F**KING

    strangle you if you yell at me again. I f**king swear!!!¡±

    The couple slumped down on the mess, and both breathed heavily.

    After a long while, Paul raked his hair and sighed, ¡°It is too early to assign me¡­ What we should

    do now¡­is toe up with a n.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what n do you have, brilliant mind?¡± Hellen asked sarcastically.

    ¡°Shall we go back to Harper again?¡± Paul asked reluctantly.

    ¡°Your daughter was in the slum scrubbing toilet like a ve! She couldn¡¯t even get Alpha Daran to

    make her Luna when she was a princess. Why do you think he will like her now?! No man will like

    her the way she is, not even a hobo!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that!¡± Paul snapped, ¡°Well then, I think we should talk to Owen first! It was his

    idea in the first ce to bribe Baron. He should know what to do now!¡±

    Hellen pulled herself up and dusted off the food scraps off her skirt, ¡°Yeah good call.¡±

    The couple hurried out of the dining room and went to find Owen.

    They eventually found him in the home gym downstairs, lifting weights.

    ¡°Oh my god, Owen! What are you still doing here? The world is about to end!¡±

    Hellen screamed rushing into the home gym and snatching the weight away from Owen, ¡°Haven¡¯t

    you heard? Baron is in jail!¡±

    Baron smiled and picked up a towel to drain his sweet, ¡°I heard you, mother. Rx. There is

    nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Paul pursued eagerly, ¡°Do you have a n already?¡±

    ¡°Baron might be in jail. But do you know who became Gamma after him?¡± Baron grinned.

    ¡°Who?¡± asked the couple simultaneously.

    ¡°His subordinate, AKA his father¡¯s apprentice, Maxie.¡±

    Hellen blinked nkly, ¡°¡­A woman?¡±

    Paul rolled his eyes, ¡°Pointing a woman as Gamma¡­Alpha Daran is seriously out of his mind.¡±

    ¡°But this works in my advance, father!¡± Baron said, ¡°Think about it. With Baron around, I will never

    get to be the mainstay. I will always be his puppet. Yet with Maxie¡­I can finally get my hands on

    the wheel! She is weak and fragile-¡±

    ¡°Right. Woman in army is good for nothing,¡± Paul snorted.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Exactly. So she needs a strong and capable man like me to fight the battles! I will have many more

    chances to shine now, mom and dad!¡±

    Hellen covered her mouth and gasped in joy. Even Paul seemed much happier than he was earlier,

    ¡°Brilliant thinking, son. So how is your rtionship with this Maxie? Have you talked to her before?¡±

    Owen shrugged, ¡°A couple of times, yeah. I might have punched her a few times during training but

    that just proved that I am manly.¡®

    Hellen and Paul exchanged a worried look.

    ¡°I think we should probablye with you to visit this Gamma Maxie¡­ You know. To pave the way

    for

    you,¡± Hellen said. ¡°I will bring some of my handmake cookies.¡± Owen shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t think that is

    necessary but if you insist, mother.¡± He tossed the towel on the floor and pulled a sweety jersey

    over his head.

    Aren¡¯t you going to wear something more decent, son?¡± Paul asked. ¡°You don¡¯t know women well

    enough, father. They love it when we dress athletically. Show them that we are butch. Let¡¯s go now,

    mom and dad.¡±

    ***

    Owen took Hellen and Paul to the training field and asked a soldier where Maxie was. He was told

    that the new Gamma was in her office right now.

    So they went to the Gamma¡¯s office. Owen pushed the door open without knocking and found J

    and Maxie putting pins on a huge map together in the room.

    Hellen¡¯s mouth formed a shocking ¡°o¡± when she saw J.

    ¡°What is she doing here!¡± Hellen pointed at J and cried.

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°This is the Gamma¡¯s office. I am a Gamma. Of course, I can be here.

    What are YOU doing here, Mrs. Diaz? Coming to kiss the new Gamma¡¯s ass with your son?¡±

    Maxie looked at Owen. Her eyes freezing cold.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked.

    Owen strode forward very confidently and beamed at Maxie, ¡°I am here to propose a partnership.¡±

    Maxie said nothing and simply stared at him icily. J crossed her arms in front of her chest and

    asked, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it. What partnership?¡±

    Owen darted J a look and turned to Maxie again, ¡°I am willing to fight battles for you in

    exchange for more power in the army. I get it that as a female Gamma, you have many

    disadvantages. You don¡¯t have a strong physique and your fighting skill is poor. But don¡¯t worry. I

    am here for you now.¡±

    J couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. She burst intoughter.

    ¡°What are youughing at!¡± Hellen snapped furiously, ¡°My son is talking to his new Gamma now!¡±

    J giggled, ¡°Every time I think you guys have reached the top of dumbness, youe in and

    surprise me all over again. Tell me, Owen, do you really think Maxie is weaker than you?¡±

    Owen rolled his eyes at J, ¡°Of course, you are both women. Women are by birth weaker than

    men. You can¡¯t argue with the natural course.¡±

    Maxie seemed as though she wanted to punch Owen in his face. But J put a hand on her

    shoulder to stop her.

    ¡°Well, if you say so-

    J rolled up her sleeves and walked up to Owen, smiling.

    let¡¯s do a one¨Con¨Cone. Right here. Right now. The loser will dops around the field on their knees

    while barking like a f**king dog.¡°

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67

    Hearing J¡¯s proposal, Owen couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.

    ¡°You want to do a one¨Con¨Cone with me?¡±

    Owen stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. There was an arrogant smile on his lips.

    ¡°Forgot how I used to punch you like a sack of potatoes when we were little? Missing all those

    bruises and wounds now, little J?¡± Owen teased.

    J stretched her neck a little and raised her fists, getting into her fighting pose.

    ¡°Bring it in, Owen,¡± she said.

    Owen snorted and pulled off his jersey, revealing his rock¨Chard muscles. He spent 20 hours a week

    in the gym to build this body. He was very proud of his huge biceps. and firm chest.

    J was like a skinny chick in front of him. He could crush her into crumples with one thumb.

    ¡°Go get her son!¡± Hellen cried by the side, ¡°Kick her ass for your sister!¡±

    With a loud roar, Owen raised his fist and jumped at J. She dodged sideways and waltzed to

    his back, quick and agile like a cat. She raised a leg and kicked on Owen¡¯s butt and sent him

    staggering a few steps before falling on his knees.

    ¡°Looking for something on the floor there, Owen?¡± Jughed.

    Maxie chuckled as well and started pping and cheering for J.

    Owen¡¯s face became tomato red. He let out a furious roar and scrambled back onto his feet. He

    turned and charged at J again like a crazy bull.

    This time J didn¡¯t dodge. Instead, she remained firmly on her spot and raised a single hand.

    Even Hellen couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes in shock: J was going to take his punch

    barehanded? But that was impossible! She was tiny!

    ¡°Punch her son!¡± Paul cried excitedly, ¡°Crash her skull!¡±

    Owen howled and smashed down his massive fist. Yet in the next second, his hand fell right into

    J¡¯s firm grip and froze in the air. Owen tried to pull his hand back, but he couldn¡¯t.

    It was like his hand was mped by a pincer.

    J looked up at Owen¡¯s red face and grinned:

    ¡°-My turn now.

    She balled her hand into a fist and caught Owen on the chin with a perfect uppercut. Everyone

    present heard a crisp crashing sound¨Cthe sound of breaking bones.

    Then Owen let out a painful cry and dropped to his knees, holding his dislocated jaws.

    Hellen and Paul couldn¡¯t believe their eyes¨Cit was less than half a minute and Owen

    was already defeated!

    And J already struck again. She kicked Owen¡¯s face brutally and knocked his huge body to the

    ground.

    Hellen literally saw a broken tooth fly out of Owen¡¯s mouth.

    Owen cried desperately and tried to get back up on his feet. Yet J stepped on his shoulder the

    next second and pinned him to the floor.

    ¡°You think I am still that little girl who couldn¡¯t fight back?¡± J snorted, ¡°This is for looking down at

    women. And for looking down at me.

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    She grabbed Owen¡¯s cor, aiming at his nose, and punched again.

    Hellen couldn¡¯t watch this anymore. She wanted to rush forward and stop J but Pull tugged at

    her sleeve.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait till she finishes,¡± Paul whispered into her eye. ¡°If Owen is injured severely, she will have

    to pay us a shit load of medical fees.¡±

    5 minutester, J finally dropped Owen back on the floor, who had passed out already.

    She casually wiped the blood off her knuckle onto Owen¡¯s jersey and turned to the Diaz couple,

    smiling, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to end up on the floor like your son, now is the time for you to f**k off.¡±

    Hellen was shivering tremendously in fear. She gulped and asked with a shaky voice, ¡°Y¨CYou

    abused our son! Isn¡¯t that against thew? We won¡¯t leave until you send him to the hospital¨Cand

    pay for the medical bill!¡±

    ¡°And our emotional trauma!¡± Paul added quickly, ¡°Write us a check!¡±

    J rolled her eyes.

    Maxie spoke up with a cold voice, ¡°The duel has clear rules. Each participant is responsible for their

    own life and death. J doesn¡¯t need to pay you a nickel even if she kills your son right here

    today.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Hellen cried, ¡°We never heard of such rules! It doesn¡¯t count!¡±

    ¡°It was written in the Pack¡¯sw,¡± J shrugged. ¡°If you have a problem with this, maybe I should

    send you to the person who made the rule. Say¡­Alpha Daran?¡±

    Hellen and Paul both quivered.

    Their tax problem hadn¡¯t been sorted out yet. Thest person they wanted to see right now was

    Daran.

    ¡°Then we should probably take him home and treat his wounds¡­¡± Hellen said. weakly.

    ¡°You son already missed the training this morning. He will stay here as I see through his daily

    practice,¡± Maxie said icily.

    ¡°He has passed out! How do you expect him to train like that!¡± Paul cried.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have plenty of ways,¡± Maxie nced in Owen¡¯s direction coldly as though looking at

    a dead corpse.

    ¡°Well, I should probably get going.¡±

    J grabbed her coat on the couch and winked at Maxie, ¡°Can I leave Owen with you?¡±

    Maxie grinned shing her white teeth, ¡°Certainly. He will be in very good hands.¡± Jughed

    and walked out of the office. She could still hear Hellen and Paul¡¯s voices pleading for mercy when

    she reached the staircase.

    J knew that she had beaten Owen a little too hard today.

    But that was necessary.

    On the one hand, she did want to get back at him for how he abused her in the past; on the other

    hand, she needed Owen to stop causing drama one thing for all.

    She and Maxie were studying the map before the Diaz walked in. The alliance had decided to send

    troops to the border soon. Both J and Maxie were in the advance force leaving in a few days.

    A war was happening.

    And they couldn¡¯t afford to have a mole in their troops.

    So she needed to make sure Owen was docile like a kitten.

    J left the building and went to meet with the other 3 Gammas. The four of them nailed down a

    couple more details of this deployment of troops. They even went over their program of defense one

    more time.

    None of them knew when the rogues would attack.

    All they could do now was to be prepared.

    When the meeting came to an end, it had already passed midnight. They came out of

    the training field and headed back to the hotel together.

    Jeff, the Gamma from ck Water Pack, yawned widely on their way back, ¡°God, I am exhausted.

    All I want to do is to sleep right now.¡±

    ¡°Get ready to the life with no sleep,¡± Steven from Crimson Peak Pack told him, ¡°Because you ain¡¯t

    getting any of those on the battlefield.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know! This is why I need to get as much sleep as I can before I am forced to spend the

    night in a pond of icy mud or on tree branches¡­Hey Glen! Where are you going?¡±

    Jeff called out to Glen, who was walking in the opposite direction from them.

    ¡°I got a call from the girl I met in the barst night,¡± Glen waved his phone and chuckled. ¡°Later,

    boys!¡±

    His long hair flew as he marched down the pavement in long strides.

    Jeff stared at his back jealousy, ¡°I envy his energy. Never miss out on the fun in life even at a time

    like this¡­This dude is a legend.¡±

    ¡°What about you, J?¡± Steven asked, ¡°Are you going back to the hotel with us?¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­¡±

    J looked back at him and smiled, ¡°Why don¡¯t you two head back first? I think there is someone I

    want to see as well.¡±

    She was gazing into the distance when she found that the light in Daran¡¯s office was still on.

    And she was suddenly in the mood for a ss of wine.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68

    Thest time J was at Daran¡¯s office, there weren¡¯t any guards standing by the door outside.

    She walked in and found Baron¡¯s sister Silvia groping all over Daran.

    Tonight when she arrived at Daran¡¯s office, she happened to run into Silvia again.

    Only this time Silvia was kept outside of the office door.

    Two guards blocked her way. And she was crying in an anguished tone, ¡°Please¡­Just

    let me talk to him! Let me go inside. You guys let me thest time, remember?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t, Miss.¡±

    One guard said, ¡°Alpha said that he didn¡¯t want to see you.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even check with him first! How do you know whether he wants to see me or not?!¡± Silvia

    snapped.

    Two guards exchanged a look together.

    And then another guard said, ¡°Your brother, the former Gamma, had caused enough trouble to this

    pack. The Alpha is in his office dealing with the mess your brother left. It is best if you don¡¯t go in

    there and disturb him.¡±

    Silvia¡¯s beautiful face contorted in rage.

    ¡°You bunch of snobs! You are only stopping me because my brother has lost his power! But my

    father is a war hero! And he will always be a hero! Doesn¡¯t that mean anything to you? You wouldn¡¯t

    even be here if my father hadn¡¯t fought off the rogues! So move your ass and let me in now!¡±

    She charged forward and tried to run past the guard. They seized her arms, and she started

    screaming abruptly:

    ¡°Somebody help! Alpha Daran! Your guards are touching me! They are harassing me! God, they are

    tearing off my clothes-¡±

    ¡°Stop yelling!¡±

    J raised her voice and snapped as she stepped out of the corner where she had been

    standing.

    The guards seemed relieved to see J. They bowed to her humbly and asked, ¡°Good evening,

    Gamma J. Miss Silvia demanded to see Alpha Daran and we don¡¯t know what to do-¡±

    Silvia struggled against the guard¡¯s grip and snarled, ¡°Why are you asking for her opinion?! She

    wasn¡¯t even a member of the Riverside Pack. She is a f*cking outsider!¡±

    ¡°Outsider?¡±

    J sneered and walked up to Silvia. Her gorgeous eyes gleamed with sarcasm, ¡°Should I remind

    you that I was once your Alpha¡¯s mate and the Luna of Riverside? I share half of the ownership of

    everything in this pack¡­including the property that you are currently standing on.¡±

    Silvia looked furious, ¡°Everyone knew that Alpha Daran rejected you! You are ancient history now!

    Damaged Goods! Alpha Daran doesn¡¯t give a damn about you anymore. So you have no right to-¡±

    ¡°Wrong.¡±

    An icy voice came behind their back. The office door was wrenched open from inside and Daran

    was standing there staring at Silvia sullenly.

    Silvia was stunned, ¡°Alpha Daran¡­¡±

    Daran¡¯s eyes glinted coldly.

    And he said, ¡°J is the most important person in my life and I will any price to have her back as

    my mate and my Luna. Which means that she has every right in this pack as I do, including

    expelling you from Riverside.¡±

    Silvia couldn¡¯t help but quiver away from Daran¡¯s sharp gaze,

    Daran stepped aside and turned to J, the look on his face turned soft immediately, ¡°You want to

    come inside?¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    J nodded and walked over,

    Before she shut the door onto Silvia¡¯s face, she looked at Silvia in her eyes one more time and

    smiled, ¡°Oh one more thing. I don¡¯t need to be Daran¡¯s mate and Luna to throw you out of here. I

    am a Gamma, who has thousands of soldiers following my lead. I don¡¯t have to rely on anybody.

    Unlike you, without your father and brother, you are nothing.¡±

    She shut the door with a bang and blocked Silvia¡¯s screaming from outside. She turned and looked

    at Daran, who had a frustrated look on his face.

    ¡°Sorry you have to see that,¡± Daran sighed.

    ¡°No, I get it. Crazy admirer. Been there,¡± J shrugged with a smile.

    Daran slightly narrowed his eyes. And his voice turned dark, ¡°You have crazy admirers too?¡±

    J sensed a hint of jealousy in his voice. But she pretended that she didn¡¯t notice that, ¡°It is

    perfectly natural for a single woman like me to have admirers, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Anyone I have met?¡± Daran demanded, ¡°That soldier of yours, Kass? Glen? Silver w¡¯s Alpha

    Jared? Or-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a list. How long have you been working on that?¡± J giggled.

    She paced to the wine cab to pour herself a ss. Daran followed right behind her. His eyes

    lingered on the back of her neck and his voice became hoarse, ¡°How I wish to mark you as mine

    and no man would ever dare toe near you ever again-¡±

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t.¡±

    J turned around with two sses of wine and shoved one of them into Daran¡¯s hand.

    She smiled slyly, ¡°You could, but you threw that chance away. Remember?¡±

    Daran tightened his grip on the wine ss, ¡°How many times are you going to remind me of the

    biggest mistake of my life?¡±

    ¡°Till I get bored. And I am enjoying this little inside joke too much right now. So it is not going to

    happen anytime soon.¡±

    J tilted her ss and clinked it with Daran¡¯s, ¡°Cheers.¡±

    She took a sip and then paced to Daran¡¯s desk, ¡°What are you walking on sote at night?¡±

    ¡°The mess Baron left behind. I need to make sure all the money he pocketed flows in the right

    direction now¡­And also, the battle n.¡±

    Daran followed J to his desk and pulled out a map from the bottom of the pile of files.

    ¡°I got a report from the border early today saying that they had found trails of the rogues moving

    eastward. If this piece of information is urate, I think the rogue¡¯s

    first stop is going to be¨C¡±

    He tapped a red circle on the map.

    ¡°Greenwald Vige,¡± J agreed with a nod. ¡°Yes, Maxie and I were just talking about this today.

    We¡¯ll take the advance force to Greenwald Vige and build an outpost there. If the rogues dare to

    invade us, we will kick their ass hard.¡± ¡°Promise me to stay safe. And don¡¯t get yourself in danger,¡±

    Daran said huskily. J turned to meet his eyes. A soft smile appeared on her lips, ¡°Are you

    questioning my ability?¡±

    ¡°No. I know you are a strong warrior and a capable Gamma. The thing is¡­¡± He paused. And raised

    a hand to push a lock of J¡¯s hair out of her face.

    ¡­I care too much about you,¡± he breathed.

    J held her breath involuntarily as he brought his hand to cup her cheek. They both stared at

    each other deeply with their heart rates quickening.

    J put her hand on Daran¡¯s. But she didn¡¯t push him away.

    ¡°You know¡­¡± she whispered with a quiet voice, ¡°There is something I want to do before-¡±

    Just then, the office door flew open interrupting their moment. A guard came rushing inside and

    cried, ¡°Alpha Daran!¡±

    Daran snapped his head around and snapped, ¡°Out!¡±

    But the guard didn¡¯t listen to his order this time. Instead, he stood on his spot and said with a shaky

    voice:

    ¡°Alpha Daran¡­The rogues areing. NOW!¡±

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69

    ¡°Now? Have they arrived at the border already?¡± Daran snapped.

    ¡°No, not the border.¡°.

    The guard looked horrified.

    ¡°They attacked Fox Town earlier this evening, which is only about 50 miles from here! The whole

    vige was burnt down to the ground¡­Alpha, you have got toe and take a look!¡±

    J widened her eyes in shock.

    ¡­How was this even possible?

    How did the rouges cross the border without anyone noticing ande this far into their territory?

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Most importantly, the timing was super suspicious.

    They were just about to send out their advance force to the border. Yet the rogues acted before they

    did and ambushed their vige first.

    Did the rogues know where they nned to deploy troops?

    ¡­Had anyone been feeding information to the rogues?

    That thought sent a chill down J¡¯s spine.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Daran cried and snapped J back to reality.

    ¡°I need to go down to the Fox Town immediately,¡± he said.

    ¡°I aming with you!¡± J hissed.

    Daran frowned. He dashed out of the office with J following on his heels. When they reached

    the ground floor, Daran said to her hastily, ¡°Gather your best men and meet me at Fox Town. Be

    careful!¡±

    ¡°You too.¡±

    J hurried down the stairs and rushed into the night.

    She called Balvina first, asking her to assemble their soldiers. Balvina sounded sleepy at first. But

    she jerked wide awake when J told her what happened.

    ¡°Rogues at Fox Town?! Tonight?¡± she cried with the rustling sound of clothes in her background.

    She was getting dressed at the same time, ¡°But how is this possible-

    ¡°It baffles me too.¡±

    J ran across the empty training field and arrived at the warehouse, wrenching the door open.

    She put the phone between her face and her shoulder and started grabbing weapons.

    ¡°Listen to me. Gather a team and meet me at the north gate in 5 minutes. We areing with

    Alpha Daran to Fox Town. Be quick!¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡± Balvina hung up the phone.

    J gathered enough supplies for a team of 10 and rushed back out. When she made it to the

    outside of the training field, she bumped right into someoneing her way.

    It was Glen.

    ¡°J!¡± he gasped astonishedly, ¡°I just came back from the bar and saw the warehouse¡¯s light was

    on¡­What happened?!¡±

    ¡°The rogues attacked us. In Fox Town.¡± J said hastily.

    ¡°WHAT? How did

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin! Just tell Steven and Jeff about this. Ande with us if you will!¡± J

    cried and rushed away.

    Balvina and the team arrived at the North Gate at the same time as J. They each grabbed a

    weapon, shifted into wolves, and started heading toward Fox Town.

    J¡¯s heart was pounding wildly as she dashed across the dark forest with her soldiers. Her heart

    was filled with worries and anxiety.

    A small part of her kept hoping that this wasn¡¯t real. That rogues didn¡¯t just sneak up to them and

    attack their vige. And that everything was simply a mixed¨Cup¡­

    -Till she smelt the burning smell in the air.

    ¡°Gamma J! Look!¡± Kass gasped behind her back.

    J didn¡¯t need him to remind her of what was happening in the distance it was quite hard to

    miss.

    mes could be seen rising through the top of the forest, painting the dark sky into scarlet red.

    They could already hear the sound of people screaming, wolves howling and houses crashing down

    in fire.

    The temperature kept rising as they approached. When they finally arrived, the ce had already

    turned into a hell of heat and zing fire.

    Hard to recognize that this ce used to be a small and peaceful vige.

    ¡°Gamma, what do we do?¡± Balvina gasped.

    ¡°You take 5 people to put down the fire and rescue the injured,¡± J said urgently. ¡°The reste

    with me. Look for any signs of the rogues!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    They split up.

    J rushed down the road with her eyes searching for suspicious figures. But anywhere she

    looked, she saw nothing but ruins and ashes.

    It was like the rogues had vanished in thin air.

    ¡°Gamma!¡± Kass called right behind her, ¡°There is someone in that house!¡±

    The roof of the house had fallen down because of the fire. And weak groans wereing out of the

    ruins.

    J came to help Kass. Together they lifted the roof and pulled a man out of it. ¡°Sir! Can you hear

    me?¡± J knelt down by his side and asked, ¡°Where are the rogues? Have you seen them?¡±

    But the man seemed traumatized. He covered his face and kept screaming in fear, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­No¨C

    Please don¡¯t kill me¨CI am begging you!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK. You are safe now. Just tell me where the rogues are¡­¡±

    ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know! Stop torturing me! Please I am begging you!¡± the men wailed hysterically.

    J sighed and said to one of his soldiers, ¡°Take him to Balvina. Treat his wounds and keep him

    safe.¡±

    The soldier nodded and carried the man away.

    J and Kass continued their searches. One by one, they rescued nearly 20 people from the fire,

    but none of them could tell where exactly the rogues were.

    These people were either scared as hell or injured too severely to say anything.

    As frustrated as J was, she couldn¡¯t me them.

    These people spent their whole lives living in a peaceful small town, which was not. far away from

    the packhouse.

    Who would have thought the rogues would attack a ce like this?

    A whileter, Glen and his men arrived.

    ¡°J!¡± he cried running towards her, ¡°Any sign of the rogues?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. These bastards vanished in thin air!¡± J snarled.

    ¡°F**k. What do we do then? Shall we draw back? The wind tonight is helping with the fire. Maybe

    we should focus on treating the injured first!¡±

    J hesitated, clenching her fists in frustration.

    She knew that Glen was probably right.

    But she didn¡¯t want to give up looking for rogues just yet.

    There were too many questions piling up in her mind. Like how did the rouges cross the border¡¯s

    lookout post? How did they pick this perfect timing? And how did they know the way so well and

    evacuate just in time?

    There was only one answer to all these questions- Somebody was helping the rogues from the

    inside.

    If she let this go now, she would never find out who the mole was. And they would definitely face

    another bigger defeat in the near future.

    Making up her mind, J turned to Glen and said, ¡°I am going into the woods to chase after

    them.¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± Glen snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t let your anger control you. It is too dark out there and you don¡¯t

    have any backups! The night and the woods are both working to the rogue¡¯s advantage-¡®

    ¡°But here is the question! How did the rogues pick their target so well?¡± J said hastily, ¡°The

    rogues had never been here before. How did they know Fox Town is a small vige surrounded by

    dense woods with very few armed soldiers?¡±

    Glen froze.

    A horrified look appeared on his face.

    ¡°J, you are not saying that¡­¡±

    ¡°It is too early to make any conclusion. But I am going into the woods!¡± J snapped.

    ¡°But to which direction? The forest extends up to 20 miles on all sides. You can¡¯t finish searching

    the ce in time!¡±

    J bit her lips anxiously.

    Glen was right again.

    She didn¡¯t have a clue about where she should go. The rogue¡¯s scent was covered by the strong

    smell of fire. And their trials disguised by ashes.

    Should she pick a random direction?

    Let her gut lead her?

    Just then, a distant howling interrupted her line of thoughts.

    It was a very strange howling, different from the kind that J and her kind spoke, like a foreign

    tone.

    ¡°It was the rogues!¡± Glen gasped in excitement, ¡°But what does it mean? Does anyone speak the

    rogue¡¯snguage?¡±

    ¡°To the West!¡± said Kass abruptly.

    Kass was standing behind J¡¯s back the whole time. He looked up to the other now and said in

    an urgent tone:

    ¡°This rogue was calling out to his fellows, asking them to meet him at the creek down the West. We

    should follow them now!¡±

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70

    ¡°A creek down the West?¡±

    Glen asked astonishedly, ¡°How do you know? Wait, why do you speak the rogue¡¯snguage?¡±

    But J had run towards the West already with Kass and other Blood Moon¡¯s soldiers following

    right behind her.

    J was going at her full speed. The burning vige quickly receded into the distance and soon

    disappeared into the darkness. All the noises were fading out and gradually the sound of her paws

    hitting against the forest floor was the only thing she could hear.

    When J realized, she had got separated from Kass and the others.

    The dense tree top blocked most of the moonlight. J¡¯s surrounding was pitch ck.

    It was so quiet. The quietness was almost unsettling.

    J slowed down her pace and strained her eyes, listening attentively for any strange sound.

    .Her eyes caught a faint crack, like someone just stepped on a twig.

    And just then, J saw a huge, dark figure passing through the woods and it streaked away

    quickly like a ghostly shadow.

    J immediately followed up.

    But that mysterious figure was gone again. Like it never existed.

    In front of her eyes were nothing but rustling branches of the trees, dim moonlight, and the fog that

    started to roll over the hill.

    She seemed to be the only living creature in this part of the forest, surrounded by eerie silence.

    J took a deep breath.

    She reached into her pocket for herpass. She needed to make sure she was going in the right

    direction.

    Just when her figure touched the mental cover of thepass, J felt something fall on her

    neck.

    It was cold and moist, like raindrops.

    Was it starting to rain?

    J touched her neck and looked up to the sky.

    And then she saw it-

    Squatting on the thick branches on top of her head was a huge ck wolf. Its yellow eyes glinting

    hungrily in the darkness. Its mouth is wide open, fangs exposed.

    What just fell on her neck wasn¡¯t raindrops at all.

    It was blood.

    Dripping down from the wolf¡¯s sharp fangs.

    The woll let out a deafening roar the moment their eyes locked.

    And it dived for J!

    J¡¯s body reacted before her mind did and she leaped to the side. Her gut reaction saved her. If

    she was a secondte, the wolf¡¯s w would cut right into her chest!

    She shifted into a wolf as well. Two wolves went at each other fiercely.

    This was a brutal battle, nothing like what J had experienced in the training field before. The

    rogue was sorge and strong that it almost seemed like another species.

    But J¡¯s fighting skills and her Alpha blood saved her.

    Although suffered a few deep cuts on her back, she eventually managed to trample on the rogue¡¯s

    neck

    She breathed heavily and bent down to hiss into the rogue¡¯s ear, ¡°Where are the others? How did

    you cross our border!¡±

    Even though he was defeated, the rogue didn¡¯t seem scared at all.

    He grinned widely shing his yellow teeth. There was a crazy, thrilling look in his

    eyes.

    ¡°What a beauty.¡±

    He giggled, licking his teeth hungrily.

    ¡°A sweet little beauty like you should nevere into the forest alone¡­¡±

    J added more pressure to her foot, ¡°Answer my question! Or I will break your neck now!¡±

    The rogue¡¯s twisted crackle grew louder.

    ¡°Look around you, my sweetmb!¡± the rogue rocked withughter, ¡°Look around before you

    threaten me again!¡±

    A chill was sent down J¡¯s spine.

    And she looked up.

    There were at least 15¨Cno¨C20 pairs of zing wolf eyes staring at her through the darkness, like

    floating yellow light bulbs.

    J had no idea when they appeared.

    Probably when they were in the middle of their fight.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    One of the wolves moved forward and stepped into the moonlight. He was

    significantlyrger than the others. There was a deep scar between his eyes, splitting

    his face in half.

    ¡°Let him go,¡± said the scar icily.

    J stood stiffly for a few seconds before slowly lifting her paw.

    She was ambushed and outnumbered.

    The wise thing to do was to y along.

    The scar¡¯s eyes glinted viciously, ¡°This is new¡­a she¨Cwolf on the battlefield. What happened to

    your men? Did they all die?¡±

    All the rogues snickered in the darkness.

    ¡°How does Daran like our little surprise to him?¡± the scar snorted, ¡°He ughtered so many of our

    brothers and sisters. I bet he didn¡¯t see thising, did he?¡±

    ¡°Coward.¡±

    J spat.

    ¡°You have the guts toe this deep into our territory and burn down our vige. But you don¡¯t

    have the nerve to face Alpha Daran directly?¡±

    The rogues agitated. But the scar shushed them with a howl.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± the scar snarled, ¡°You can say all the pretty words you like. But we won. And we¡¯ll keep

    ravaging your viges, towns, and cities¡­Till the whole wide world trembled beneath our feet!¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t!¡± J hissed, ¡°You can kill me today. But you won¡¯t stop the others. All the Alphas

    and Gammas areing at you. And together we¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Together?¡±

    The scar screeched, to a chorus of snide snickers.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have as many friends as you think, na?ve little girl.¡± The Scarughed, ¡°People may

    appear to be loyal to you on the outside, but on the inside¡­they belong to us.¡±

    J¡¯s heart sank.

    What did this mean?

    Was the Scar saying that there was a mole among them? Which exactly confirmed her theory?

    ¡°Are you the Rogue King?¡± J stared at the Scar and asked.

    ¡°Me?¡± the Scar giggled, ¡°No, no, no, no¡­And you will never have the chance to meet with the king

    ever. Because your life ends¨CTODAY.¡±

    The Scar flung at J. J rolled to the side, narrowly escaping his attack. But the next second,

    her rare left leg got caught in a wolf¡¯s mouth. A piercing pain shoots through her body.

    J screamed and struggled to pull her leg back but failed. The Scar opened its mouth and was

    about to bite down on J¡¯s n*ck-

    A deafening roar echoed across the forest, sending birds flying off from the tree branches. With that

    sound came a series of heavy, steady footsteps. It sounded like a gigantic animal was moving full

    speed at them.

    ¡°That voice sounds familiar¡­¡± one of the rogues cried shakily.

    ¡°Daran¡­I¨CIt is Daran¡­¡± another one barked, ¡°RUN!!!¡±

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71

    The group of rogues ran for their lives, including the Scar. One of them still tried to take J with

    them but he got shouted at by another:

    ¡°What the f*ck are you doing! Just f**king leave her-¡±

    He didn¡¯t get to finish. The next second a giant ck wolf leaped out from the darkness and bit

    down on the rogue¡¯s neck! Its sharp fangs pierced deep into the rogue¡¯s flesh, ending his life before

    he could even make a sound.

    The other rogue screamed at the top of his lungs. He was so scared that he couldn¡¯t even move an

    inch. The giant wolf turned swiftly, charged forward, and crashed with the rogue, sending the rogue

    flying backward like a kite. His body hit against a tree and dropped dead.

    The giant wolf bellowed deeply and shifted back to human. He rushed by J¡¯s side and held her

    wounded leg, ¡°Christ¡­You are hurt!¡±

    ¡°Forget about me!¡± J grabbed his hand and said urgently, ¡°You have to go after them! The Scar

    and the others

    ¡°Maxie is on it. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Daran pulled off his shirt and used it as a bandage to wrap up J¡¯s

    bleeding leg. ¡°The others can¡¯t get away¡­But I am not so sure about Sterning.¡±

    ¡°Sterning? Is that the one with the scar?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He is the Rogue King¡¯s most trusted man.¡±

    Daran spooned J off the ground and started to head back to Fox Town, ¡°We crossed paths a

    few times before. He is slippery like a snake.¡±

    J buried her face to Daran¡¯s neck. She could smell his enticing scent, which was now mixed

    with a rusty smell of blood.

    ¡°¡­Sorry,¡± she said with a muffled voice after a long while.

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Daran said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I am apologizing for yet.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is. I don¡¯t need you to apologize for anything,¡± Daran said deeply. ¡°You have done a

    brilliant job already. And you don¡¯t need to be so strong and perfect at everything all the time. I am

    here to help you.¡±

    J¡¯s heart swelled.

    Only Daran could give her a sense of security like no one else could.

    ¡°You could shift and carry me on your back,¡± J suggested. ¡°It¡¯s easier and faster that way.¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want you to bump around on my back as I run. Now is fine.¡±

    Daran insisted on walking and carrying J in his steady arms all the way back to the Fox Town.

    When they got there, a couple of people ran out from the vige towards them. At the front were

    Kass and Balvina.

    ¡°J!¡± Balvina cried anxiously, ¡°Where have been looking for you like crazy! Thank god you are

    safe!

    She wanted to take Jan¨¦t from Daran¡¯s arms. But Daran tilted his body and avoided her.

    ¡°Who went into the woods with J?¡± Daran stared at the two of them, his eyes cold.

    Kass bit down his lips. There was a self¨Creproachful look on his face.

    ¡°¡­I did,¡± he answered with a low voice.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stay close to your Gamma, keeping her safe?¡± Daran demanded sternly,

    ¡°Should I remind you that this is your most important job?¡± Kass held his head down low, his body

    shaking slightly. J could tell that he med himself deeply.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± J sighed. ¡°Kass didn¡¯t mean it either. Stop giving him a hard time.¡±

    Daran let out a snort and walked past Balvina and Kass.

    The fire had already been put down. Soldiers were busy rescuing people and treating their wounds.

    Steven and Jeff had arrived as well. They stood outside of the only intact house in this vige,

    talking to Maxie and Glen anxiously.

    Jeff cried out first when he saw Daran and J, ¡°They are back! Alpha Daran, what the hell is

    going on here? I heard that the rogues attacked?!¡±

    Daran nodded, ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s move inside. We need to talk.¡±

    The 6 of them stepped into the house and closed the door.

    J spoke up first. And she cut right into the chase:

    ¡°There is a mole among us.¡±

    Steven¡¯s mouth dropped open. He looked panic¨Cstricken, ¡°What the f**k are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The timing is suspicious. They attacked us first right before we sent out our advance force. And

    they chose the perfect target, Fox Town, which is geologically easy for them to attack and retreat,

    and it doesn¡¯t have many armed soldiers. They can¡¯t have this much information without somebody

    on the inside.¡±

    ¡°Even so, you still can¡¯t jump to the conclusion that we have a mole,¡± Jeff frowned. ¡°Those are my

    conjectures,¡± J said. ¡°But the rogues also confirmed my theory.¡± ¡°They what?!¡±

    ¡°I encountered a rogue¡¯s leader. His name is Sterning I think. He said and I quote, ¡®People may

    appear to be loyal to you on the outside, but on the inside, they belong to us.¡®¡°¡®

    The roompsed into a ringing silence. There was a mixed look of doubt and fear on everyone¡¯s

    face.

    After a long pause, Steven looked around the room and said, ¡°So this is what we do now? Pointing

    fingers at each other? We should be discussing our next move! Instead of wasting our time on

    somebody¡¯s conspiracy theory!¡±

    J¡¯s face turned dark, ¡°You are saying that I made it up?¡±

    ¡°Well, no one saw you talking to the rogue, didn¡¯t it!¡± Steven countered fiercely, ¡°And your

    conjectures sound groundless as well! I don¡¯t want to doubt my alliance before the war even

    started!¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to move forward if we don¡¯t dig out this mole first!¡± J snapped, ¡°Every n

    we make, every step we take¡­ The rogues will know it. And

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    they will act before we do. It is stupid to fight a war that is destined to lose at the very beginning!¡±

    Glen scratched his head and sighed, ¡°Gamma J has a point¡­Calm down, Steven Let¡¯s hear

    her out.¡±

    But Steven still looked furious. He jumped out his fist and snapped, ¡°Hear her out? Do you get what

    she is saying right Glen? She is trying to say that the mole is among the 6 of us¡­Right here in this

    room!¡±

    Glen widened his eyes. Jeff moved uneasily in his seat. And the furrow between Maxie¡¯s brows

    grew deeper.

    ¡°Among the 6 of us?¡± Maxie murmured in disbelief.

    ¡°You heard Gamma J. She said that the rogues knew about the advance force.¡± Steven

    sneered, ¡°We hadn¡¯t announced it to the soldiers yet. Only the 6 of us know about the n. So if

    somebody leaked it, it has got to be us.

    J said nothing. Her face was deadpan and serious.

    But her silence confirmed Steven¡¯s words.

    Jeff looked around the room nkly. He was clearly struggling internally.

    ¡°B¨CBut¡­who could it be?¡± he stammered, ¡°Every one of us has been in this alliance since the very

    beginning. I¡ªIt is striking to think any of us might¡­.No. Can¡¯t. I can¡¯t go down that path!¡±

    To think that their enemy had been hiding among them all along, training with them, dining with

    them, going to every meeting with them¡­

    It was horrible. And frightening!

    ¡°So who do you suspect? Huh?¡± Steven asked J with a withering look, ¡°You can¡¯t throw out a

    question like that and let it hang in the air.¡±

    J clenched the arm of her chair in silence.

    She slowly shook her head, ¡°Honestly¡­I don¡¯t know. Everyone is possible.¡±

    Steven rolled his eyes, ¡°Even you, right? Didn¡¯t you get abducted by rogues a year ago? Maybe

    they turned you at that time-¡±

    ¡°Gamma Steven!¡±

    Maxie snapped. Her eyes glinted fiercely.

    ¡°You are crossing a line!¡± she hissed.

    Steven locked eyes with her for a few seconds and turned away first. He slumped down into his

    seat and rubbed his hair frustratedly.

    A heavy silence fell on them again.

    ||

    ¡®¡­so now what?¡± Jeff let out a bitterugh, ¡°Are we going to sit here and y the game ¡®Guess

    Who¡®?¡±

    No oneughed at his joke. People were all deep in their own thoughts.

    Just then, Glen, who had stayed in silence for a long time, slowly looked up at J with a

    struggling look.

    ¡°I actually have a question for you, J,¡± said him reluctantly.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Your guard, Kass¡­Why does he speak the rogue¡¯snguage?¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72

    Everyone in the room turned to look at J, who frowned at Glen¡¯s question.

    ¡°Rogue¡¯snguage? What are you talking about?¡± she asked.

    Glen looked reluctant. After letting out a long sigh, he continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything at

    first but since we are naming names now¡­ Remember that strange howling we heard? None of us

    knew what that meant. But your guard Kass understood itpletely.¡±

    ¡°So? He helped us. What is your point?¡± J snapped.

    ¡°It is odd for a soldier like him to know the rogue¡¯snguage. And you encountered the rogues

    following Kass¡¯s instructions, right? To a creek down the West. How do you know if he was lured

    into a trap on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that does sound weird,¡± Jeff echoed. ¡°And didn¡¯t you say that you got separated from Kass

    right after you went into the woods? He was sending you into the rogue¡¯s hands!¡±

    J sprang out of her seat, her face looking furious.

    ¡°Kass is my most trusted warrior. I won¡¯t let you question his loyalty like this-¡± she hissed.

    Steven let out a sarcastic snort, ¡°Oh so now we can¡¯t do it to your soldier? But it is OK to question

    other people¡¯s loyalty? Way to y the double standard, Gamma J.¡±

    Daran looked towards J.

    ¡°Did you tell Kass about our n, J?¡± he asked with a deep voice.

    J clenched her fists. She seemed reluctant but eventually gave a small nod, ¡°¡­I told both him

    and Balvina. Because they are both captains of our advance force.¡±

    ¡°Well, there you have it!¡± Steven pped his hands together, ¡°The mole! We found him!¡±

    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± Maxie interrupted him, ¡°Kass is a great warrior. And he has been in battles

    against the rogues many times before. It doesn¡¯t make any sense for him to leak our battle ns to

    the rogues. What can he get out of it?¡±

    ¡°What is the back story of this soldier, J? Where does hee from? Does he have any

    families?¡± Glen asked.

    J bit her lips in silence

    She seemed that she didn¡¯t want to answer his questions at all. But the other¡¯s were too sharp. She

    was left with no choice.

    gazes

    ¡°Kass grew up by the border.¡±

    She began slowly.

    ¡°There was a brutal battle against the rogues¡­He came to us after the battle and volunteered to

    serve in our army because he had lost his entire family in the war. He

    *VA

    didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what he told you,¡± Jeff chimed in and said, ¡°Did you do a background check on him? See

    if he is really a member of your pack?¡±

    He stared at J waiting for her answer.

    ¡°We tried.¡±

    J said with a strained voice.

    ¡°But he lived in the forest alone with his parents. His house was burnt to the ground during the war.

    True¡­there isn¡¯t any hard evidence to back his story. But he was only 12 years old at the time! Do

    you seriously think the rogues would send a kid to spy on us?!¡±

    ¡°It is possible! That age is old enough to hold a gun. And it didn¡¯t raise any suspicions!¡± Jeff cried

    loudly.

    ¡°So it all adds up! Doesn¡¯t it!¡± Steven banged the desk hard, ¡°Kass is a rogue the entire time. He hid

    among us for years, working his way up and stole information from us and leaked it to the rogues. I

    can¡¯t believe this! You brought enemies into this alliance, J!¡±

    J felt a cold chill down her spine.

    At this very moment, even she started to question it.

    ¡­Could Kass be the mole?

    But then she remembered all the times they spent together, all theughs they shared. She also

    remembered all the tears in Kass¡¯s eyes when he talked about his parents, who got killed by the

    rogues. The hatred and longing for vengeance didn¡¯t seem made up.

    She didn¡¯t believe that Kass would betray her.

    Not in a million years.

    Taking in a deep breath, J looked around the room and said, ¡°Kass grew up by the border and it

    is natural for him to know the rogue¡¯snguage. He had been nothing but a loyal soldier so far. Until

    any hard evidence came up¡­He still has my trust.¡±

    Steven let out an angry low roar.

    Maxie and Glen both frowned with disapproval.

    Jeff looked between two sides, and he seemed torn, ¡°Now we are back to square one again. Alpha

    Daran, you have said a word. Any thoughts?¡±

    Daran rose from his seat.

    With everyone staring, he walked to the door and called over a Riverside soldier, asking him to find

    Kass.

    ¡°We should hear what Kass has to say,¡± said him deeply.

    Momentster, Kass was brought into the room.

    ¡°You requested to see me?¡± he asked nkly. ¡°Did anything happen?¡±

    ¡°Listen¡­¡±

    Maxie briefly concluded what they had been discussing and asked Kass with a soft voice, ¡°Don¡¯t

    worry, Kass. We won¡¯t use you of anything you didn¡¯t do. But you have to be honest with us¡­

    Did you, or did you not, leak our battle n to the rogues?¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Kass cried loudly, his eyes widened with shock.

    ¡°I¨CI can¡¯t believe this¡­ You think I am working for the rogues?¡± he snarled, ¡°The rogues killed my

    parents! They cut open my mother¡¯s belly and let her bleed to death! I hate them! ALL OF THEM!!¡±

    ¡°But you spoke the rogue¡¯snguage,¡± Glen asked. ¡°How do you exin that?¡± ¡°I grew up by the

    border. It¡¯s natural¡ª¡±

    ¡°Many people grew up by the border and they don¡¯t speak the rogue¡¯s tone,¡± Maxie shook her

    head.

    ¡°I¨CWe lived in the forest. So I met the rogues more often than the others did-

    ¡°Oh, what an easy story!¡± Steven cried loudly, ¡°Alpha Daran, I am telling you, this kid is guilty! We

    should execute him right now and send his head to the rogues as a message!¡±

    Kass¡¯s body trembled.

    He looked at J, his eyes gleaming with tears.

    ¡°G¨CGamma J¡­ You believe in me, don¡¯t you?¡± he said with a shaky voice. ¡°You know me the

    best¡­Please say something¡­¡±

    The painful look on his face made J¡¯s heart ache. She walked to his side and took his icy cold

    hand into her palm.

    ¡°Yeah. I trust you,¡± she said lightly.

    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Steven roared.

    J stood in front of Kass and turned to face the others. There was a determined look on her

    face.

    ¡°Kass is a victim of the rogues, just like me. I believe in him. Until we have any hard evidence at

    hand, I won¡¯t let anyone touch him.¡±

    ¡°But the mole-¡±

    ¡°I am with J,¡± Maxie sighed. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t wrong the good. Or what is the difference between

    us and the rogues? I guess we will just have to keep looking for any signs of that mole.¡±

    Jeff and Glen didn¡¯t say anything. Steven roared angrily and knocked over a chair with one kick.

    ¡°J, take Kass to have some rest. You both have been exhausted,¡± Daran said calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t

    lose track of him again.¡±

    Daran was asking her to keep a close eye on Kass.

    J nodded and led Kass out of the room holding his hand. When they were outside

    of the house, she could still hear Steven¡¯s furious voice questioning Daran¡¯s decision.

    J and Kass walked down the empty street. They didn¡¯t stop until they reached the edge of Fox

    Town.

    Tears had streamed down Kass¡¯s face when J turned around to look at him. There was a clear

    biting mark on his lower lip. Apparently, he had been biting his lips hard to stifle his sobs.

    J sighed. She reached out and wiped his tears away using her thumb.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you cry this hard when I asked you to do 1000 push¨Cups.¡± she tried to lighten the mood

    with a joke.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°¡­I caused you a lot of trouble, didn¡¯t I?¡± Kass chocked.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± J said. ¡°As long as you arepletely honest with me, I will forever stand

    by your side to defend you. No one will ever harm you again. Trust

    me.¡±

    Kass quivered slightly.

    There was a clear sign of struggle in his eyes. After a long pause, he whispered, ¡°¡­So you believe

    in me no matter what?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± J smiled.

    Kass was like the little brother she never had. She trusted him with her full heart. ¡°Then I should

    probably let you know about something¡­About my identity.¡± Kass murmured, his voice filled with

    panic and dread.

    ¡°What?¡± J asked.

    And what he said to her next rocked her whole world upside down.

    ¡°I am not what you think I am¡­¡± he said shakily, ¡°I am indeed¡­A rogue.¡±

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73

    J looked at him nkly. It took her a long moment to process what he just said.

    After what felt like an eternity to Kass, J finally muttered with a dry voice, ¡°¡­This joke isn¡¯t

    funny, Kass.¡±

    ¡°I wish it were a joke. But it wasn¡¯t,¡± Kass said breathing heavily. ¡°I¨CI can¡¯t keep this from you any

    longer, knowing that you trust me this much¡­ You deserve to know-¡±

    ¡°But you said your parents died in the rogue¡¯s hand!¡± J snapped harshly, ¡°Was that a lie as

    well?!¡±

    ¡°NO! That¡¯s true! Listen¡­¡±

    Kass took a deep breath before continuing. He kept his voice low the whole time in case anyone

    would hear them.

    ¡°I grew up among the rogues. But my family never identified us with those ravagers. We never hurt

    an innocent person¡¯s life, nor did we ever take pleasure from all the killings and robbing. So they

    looked down upon us, bullied us, and made our lives miserable. One day, a senior rogue named

    Sterning-¡±

    ¡°You know Sterning?¡± J gritted.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Yes. He is the rogue king¡¯s right hand. Does all kinds of dirty work for him.¡± Kass said lowly,

    ¡°Sterning came into our house and asked my parents to join them in the next attack on a nearby

    vige. My parents resisted fiercely¡­So they cut my mother¡¯s belly open and hung my father on a

    gpole as an example.¡±

    A cold sensation surged up in J¡¯s chest.

    ¡°¡­Where were you when that happened?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hiding in the closet. As my mother told me to. I witnessed the whole thing¡­but was lucky enough

    to survive them. And after that, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I knew I had to run¡­as far away as

    possible. Blood Moon defeated them during that attack, so

    I knew it was my chance-¡±

    ¡°So you pretended to be an orphan and enlisted in the army,¡± J murmured.

    She couldn¡¯t believe this.

    She was so convinced that Kass was one hundred percent innocent! She defended him harshly in

    front of all the Gammas.

    Yet now he was telling her that he had been lying to her all along?!

    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why you know the rogue¡¯s tone,¡± she snarled as her chest tightened in the horrible

    feeling of betrayal. ¡°Because you are one of them all along-

    ¡°NO! I am not! I might have lied about my identity but my hatred towards them is real-¡±

    ¡°But how do you expect me to believe you again?!¡±

    J snapped her head up and red at Kass.

    ¡°You lied right into my face. To everyone! Why didn¡¯t you tell the truth when Daran and the others

    asked about it earlier?¡±

    ¡®Because I knew if I told them, they would send me away!¡±

    Kass grabbed J¡¯s wrist and begged with a trembling voice, ¡°Please, J¡­I am not scared of

    dying. I am just afraid that¡­I will be separated¡­from you.¡±

    J looked away from him.

    Her chest rose and fell rapidly in anger.

    ¡°So what do you want me to do then?¡± she asked gritting her teeth, ¡°Do you want me to hide this

    from everyone else while still keeping you in this army?¡±

    ¡°I just want to stay by your side.¡±

    ¡°But how do I know if everything you just told me is another lie of yours? How can I ever trust you

    again with any battle ns? How can I trust you to lead my soldiers?!¡±

    ¡°But you just said it yourself¡± Kass cried, raising his voice, ¡°¨Cthat you will trust me no matter what!¡±

    ¡°That is before you told me that you are my biggest nemesis!¡± J bellowed.

    They red at each other, both panting roughly.

    Kass took a step back. The next second, he shifted into a brown wolf.

    J watched him stiffly.

    What was he doing? she asked herself internally. Did he get mad and want to bite her

    head off?

    J was sad to realize that she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the worst of Kass right

    now.

    Yet instead of attacking her, the brown wolfy down on the ground and rolled around, exposing its

    belly area to J.

    ¡°See that thunder¨Cshaped mark?¡± he asked.

    There was indeed a thunder¨Cshaped imprint on his upper belly region, which looked like a brand left

    by a hot iron. It burned so deeply into his flesh that it was still there even after years.

    ¡°All rogue¡¯s kids got one of those on the day of their birth,¡± Kass said lowly. ¡°There were times when

    I wanted to grab a knife and gouge it out¡­I can¡¯t choose who I am or where I came from. But does

    my identity matter more than my own will?¡±

    J stared at his ugly¨Cshaped brand.

    Her chest contracted with the cold feeling of sadness and despair.

    Then, without saying anything else to Kass, she turned on her heel and walked away. The daylight

    broke from the horizon, calling the dark forest back to life. Daran left a group of soldiers at Fox Town

    helping the people there to clear up the mess. The rest of them all headed back to the packhouse.

    The group was exceptionally quiet on the way back.

    J knew that everyone was thinking about the mole. Suspicion and doubt were spreading like a

    gue and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

    Plus, she was carrying a dark secret with her, which could potentially get all of them killed in the

    future.

    When they arrived back at the packhouse, Daran asked them to catch a rest. J did

    as he said and went back to her own room.

    But she couldn¡¯t sleep.

    Kass¡¯s identity was like a clog in her throat, making it hard for her to breathe.

    Should she break it to the others?

    If she did that, Kass would definitely be executed. Even worse, Casper and the entire Blood Moon

    Pack would be in trouble because they took in a rogue¡­

    But if she kept the secret, what if the mole acted again?

    Could she be sure that Kass was not the mole?

    These questions weighed on J¡¯s heart as she tossed and turned through the night. When she

    finally woke up the next morning, feeling worn out and exhausted, she got a message from Daran

    asking her to meet them in his office.

    All 5 Gammas were in the room when J arrived.

    Steven was clearly still holding the grudge from yesterday. He snorted coldly when J entered

    the room and snapped his head towards the other side.

    Maxie pulled out a chair and gestured for J to sit with her.

    11

    An urgent message came inst night.¡±

    Daranid out a map on his desk and said, ¡°As it turns out, the sign of rogues moving towards

    Greenwald Vige was only a fake out. They sent a small group to Greenwald to distract us. But

    their main force was actually heading towards Crimson Fortress. And based on the information we

    receivedst night, Crimson Fortress has beenpromised.¡±

    Gasps filled with disbelief and frustration could be heard in the room.

    The war hadn¡¯t even started yet and the rogues had won two rounds in a row.

    ¡°This can¡¯t wait,¡± Daran said darkly. ¡°We should dispatch troops today.¡±

    Gammas looked at each other in silence.

    ¡°But what about the mole?¡± Jeff asked, ¡°How can we go to war knowing that there is a mole among

    us? We should find that person first!¡±

    ¡°They have taken Crimson Fortress. We don¡¯t have time to dig the mole out!¡± Maxie said.

    ¡°So we hurried off to the battlefield and put everyone¡¯s life at risk? Listen to yourself!¡±

    Another quarrel was about to break out. Jeff had stood up from his chair ring at Maxie, as Steven

    looked out the window with a cold sneer on his lips.

    Just then, a knock came from the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Daran raised his voice.

    The door opened up and an armless woman stepped inside.

    It was Angelina.

    ¡°Who is she?¡± Jeff leered at her

    ¡°Meet Angelina,¡± Daran said. ¡°She had spent some time with the rogues. Her experience could be

    helpful.¡±

    Steven jeered loudly, ¡°Inviting another suspicious person into our group? Really? Like we don¡¯t

    have enough troubles already?¡±

    Angelina¡¯s eyes scanned the room. Her face was somber.

    ¡°I see that you are already fighting among yourselves,¡± she said. ¡°And this is exactly what the

    Rogue King wants.¡±

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    The roompsed into silence again hearing about Angelina¡¯s words.

    What she was saying about the Rogue King got everyone intrigued.

    ¡°You know the Rogue King personally?¡± Glen asked. ¡°What is the Rogue King like? We know so

    little about this person that we aren¡¯t even sure about the person¡¯s gender.¡±

    ¡°And neither do I. Rogue King is quite a mysterious person. Like the God to rogues, everyone had

    heard about the name, but none had seen the guy in person. I think the

    Rogue King did this on purpose. The aura of mystery and intrigue reinforces its supremacy.¡±

    Angelina walked over and sat down by J¡¯s side.

    ¡°Tell us more,¡± Maxie demanded eagerly. ¡°What else do you know about this guy?¡±

    ¡°All I heard are rumors. The Rogue King wasn¡¯t born to be a ruler. Unlike us, the rogues don¡¯t have

    a clear system of inheritance¡ª¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t either,¡± Jeff frowned. ¡°We only chose to follow our Alphas because they are strong

    and capable.¡±

    ¡°Yet they had their Alpha bloodline, which gives them the Alpha aura. That¡¯s why in our society, the

    Alpha family¡¯s offspring are destined to be the strongest ones.

    J nodded approvingly.

    Before she was imed back to Blood Moon Pack, she too was a weak girl who had nothing to fight

    back against her bullies. Her Alpha aura was awakened once she imed herst name back and

    that gave her strength and power.

    Of course, her bing the Gamma had a lot to do with her tough training. But she couldn¡¯t have

    done it without her aura.

    Steven clicked his tongue impatiently, ¡°So now you are giving us a history of Werewolf inheritance?

    How is this rted to the Rogue King?¡±

    ¡°I am just getting to my point,¡± Angelina said. ¡°Rogues are mostlymoners, including the Rogue

    King himself. Most of them don¡¯t have a strong physique and trained fighting skills like we do. And

    that guy didn¡¯t be the King because he is a great warrior or anything¡­He depends on his

    mind.¡±

    ¡°You meant that he is smart?¡± Steven asked.

    ¡°More than smart, the Rogue King is cunning, maniptive, and witted. There once were two

    groups of rogues who weren¡¯t happy with his reign. Instead of attacking them both, the King

    managed to turn them against each other and let them take care of themselves. Don¡¯t you see the

    issue here? He is doing the same to you guys!¡±

    An awkward silence fell upon the room.

    Steven moved uneasily in his seat. He opened his mouth wanting to challenge Angelina back, but

    no words came out.

    ¡°nting a mole among us is no big deal. Sooner orter, we will dig the mole out. But he has

    gotten you to distrust your fellow soldiers, and that is the scariest part.¡± Angelina said with a stern

    voice, ¡°The rogues are not as trained as we do. But we must watch out for their dirty schemes.¡±

    ULLUVULIVA

    Maxie, J, and Glen all nodded with approval. Yet Steven still seemed unconvinced.

    ¡°That was a lot of pretty words you said, but how does that help with our current situation?¡± he

    snorted. ¡°We are about to discuss our next move. Should we exclude anyone from this discussion?

    If we should, who do we exclude?¡±

    Angelina said, ¡°We can learn from the Rogue¡¯s wit. Choose a leader from this alliance and follow his

    or her orders with no questions asked. And the leader only shares parts of the battle n with the

    subordinates. This way we can keep the mole from knowing too much.¡±

    The Gammas looked at one another.

    ¡°That is actually not a bad idea,¡± Jeff shrugged. ¡°I guess we do need a leader sooner orter. And I

    vote for Alpha Daran. Riverside Pack was the first to propose this alliance. And I am willing to follow

    hismand.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Glen said. ¡°He has the experience.¡±

    ¡°And ability,¡± Maxie added.

    J looked towards Daran with a smile. Her eyes gleamed brightly, ¡°I trust him with my full heart.¡±

    Daran looked back at her, his gaze soft.

    ¡°Alright, you love birds!¡± Jeff cried and turned towards Steven, ¡°That leaves you to vote man. Are

    you with us or not?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see what other choices I have. It¡¯s 4 against 1 no matter what,¡± said Steven grumpily.

    ¡°Alright! It settles then,¡± Jeff pped his hands together. ¡°Alpha Daran is officially our new leader.¡±

    ¡°But what about the pack business? Can you leave Riverside for that long?¡± J asked.

    Daran nodded, ¡°The elders can manage. They can shoot me a message whenever something

    urgentes up¡­Now. Let¡¯s get back to our next move.¡®

    He tapped his finger on the map.

    ¡°Tomorrow at dawn we will leave for Crimson Fortress. We don¡¯t have much time. So get your

    soldiers ready,¡± he said.

    ¡°What about the mole?¡± Steven asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a n,¡± Daran replied with a deadpan face.

    ¡°What n? Don¡¯t tell me you are just going to leave it¨C¡±

    ¡°You have just agreed to take my orders with no questions asked. And it is how this ruse works,¡±

    Daran said icily. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself again and again.¡±

    Steven¡¯s jaw tightens. He quivered away from Daran¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°The meeting is dismissed,¡± Daran said.

    All Gammas stood up and filed out through the door. J was behind Angelina. When they came

    out to the hallway, she was stunned to find a woman sitting on the

    bench outside

    It was Harper.

    Harper seemed even more worn out than thest time J saw her. She was nibbling her nails

    and murmuring something hysterically. J vaguely caught a few words like ¡°Luna¡± ¡°bitch¡± and ¡°go

    to hell.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Do you take her with you everywhere?¡± J asked Angelina.

    ¡°I kinda have to. She needs a guardian. Or the minute I am gone,

    she snaps,¡± Angelina frowned, ¡°Truth be told, I am not sure if she is faking it to let my guard down.

    So I have to keep a close eye on her.¡±

    Then she looked towards Maxie by J¡¯s side, ¡°Gamma Maxie, I have a request. I am thinking

    about going to the battlefield with you. My past experience with the rogues might be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Umm, yeah. But your situation is a bit tricky¡­¡± Maxie replied reluctantly.

    ¡°I have the smith crafted a pair of artificial hands for me. So don¡¯t worry. I can keep myself safe.¡±

    Maxie looked to J asking for her advice. J thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t see

    why. We need as much help as we can find. Just remember to watch out for Harper if you are

    bringing her.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Thank you for this opportunity. I promise to be useful,¡± Angelina smiled.

    Angelina walked to Harper and got her out of the bench. Harper was giggling like a lunatic, drooling

    all over the ce. It seemed that she had really lost her sanity. Maxie looked at Angelina and

    Harper¡¯s back and let out a long sigh, ¡°Don¡¯t know why¡­but I just have a really bad feeling about

    this uing war. With the Rogue King and the mole¡­Who do you think the mole can be?¡±

    ¡°Could be anyone,¡± J shook her head.

    ¡°I just kept wondering in my head,¡± Maxie looked around them and lowered her voice. ¡°Hey, does

    Steven look suspicious to you? He seemed really jumpy since yesterday.¡±

    J bit her lips and said nothing.

    Angelina told them to forget about their doubts and work together.

    But could they really do it?

    Suspicion is a part of human nature. Even though they all shook hands on Daran being the leader,

    who knew what everyone had been thinking internally?

    Till the mole was dug out, this alliance would still be at stake.

    Plus, J had her dark secret with her¡­About Kass and his rogue identity.

    It was like an active bomb that could blow up at any second.

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75

    The next morning at dawn, all the troops departed from the packhouse and left for Crimson

    Fortress.

    The Fortress was about 800 miles far from the packhouse, which would take them roughly 2 days

    on the road.

    As they headed towards the north, the weather started to get colder, and the daylight

    shortened. The wind that gushed through the woods turned from soothing to icy and bitter. Tresses

    in the northern region were more sparse and stunted. One time when J looked up to the sky,

    she was astonished to find that there was frosting on the tree branches.

    The terrible weather was not the only thing they had to face along the way. They also

    encountered many refugees from the North.

    Many of these refugees were once residents of the Crimson Fortress. But the took their houses and

    chased them out. Now they had nowhere else to go.

    rogues

    ¡°It was brutal,¡± said one refugee to Daran. ¡°They ravaged our city, set our houses on fire, and killed

    many people. Some of us tried to fight back but the rogues captured them, peeled their clothes off,

    and let them freeze to death. They said that they wanted to make more of these ¡®human

    popsicles¡®¡­We are just lucky enough to get out of that living hell.¡±

    There was a look of grief and anger on everyone¡¯s face when they heard it.

    And Daran asked, ¡°The Crimson Fortress is guarded by arge group of soldiers. Why didn¡¯t they

    protect you?¡±

    The refugee let out a bitterugh, ¡°The rogues mingled with residents like us and got passed by the

    guards easily. Then they started an attack at midnight from within the city. Who would have

    thought? They looked just like us. There was no way to identify a rogue from the citizens.¡±

    J¡¯s face grew dark.

    Angelina was right. These rogues were cunning as hell. They might not be as trained as they were,

    but they were definitely good at pulling dirty schemes.

    Daran went to talk to his captains. He was thinking about having a group of soldiers from the main

    force escorting these refugees back to the packhouse. He also needed to contact the elders and

    ask them to help these people get back on their feet.

    The day was getting dark. So they decided to camp out in the woods for tonight while

    Daran took care of those refugees.

    After talking to some of the refugees, J returned to their camp with a heavy heart.

    On her way back, she found Kass leaning against a tree outside of a tent. He seemed to be waiting

    for her.

    ¡°I heard what those people said about the rogues. About how brutal they were,¡± Kass spoke up first,

    his voice light.

    J stayed in silence.

    This was the first time they spoke to one another after that big fight.

    ¡°What happened to them used to be my daily life.¡±

    There was a deep grief in Kass¡¯s brown eyes.

    ¡°So are you still questioning my loyalty?¡± he asked.

    J sighed and tried to walk past Kass. But he grabbed her hand and stopped her forcefully.

    ¡°So are you going to keep ignoring me like this?¡± Kass hissed, ¡°I told you my secret because I

    trusted you! If I want, I can still keep you in the dark as I have done in the past! Would you have

    preferred that?!¡±

    J shook him off and red back, ¡°What you should do is tell me the truth the minute you joined

    our army! Not wait till you be the captain and I defend you in front of all other Gammas!¡±

    ¡°If I told you in the beginning, would you still trust me the same? I know you wouldn¡¯t! We all see

    how discriminated you are when ites to the rogues-¡±

    ¡°Discriminated? Don¡¯t you think there is a reason for that? You see how ruthless and evil those

    savages are!¡±

    ¡°But I am not like-¡±

    Their quarrels were interrupted abruptly by a voice from the back, ¡°Hey are you guys fighting over

    something?¡±

    J and Kass jerked around at the same time. They found Glen standing a few steps away from

    them while looking at them suspiciously.

    ¡°I heard arguments,¡± Glen narrowed his eyes. ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    Kass¡¯s face was stiff. J answered on his behalf, ¡°Nothing. We were just talking about the n

    for tomorrow. Kass had some questions.¡±

    A flicker of doubt appeared in Glen¡¯s eyes. But eventually, he chose to say nothing. ¡°Other Gammas

    and I are cooking dinner,¡± Glen smiled. ¡°You want to join us?¡±

    J nodded, ¡°Sure. You head out first. I¡¯lle over in just a second.¡±

    Glen waved his hands and disappeared behind the tent.

    ¡°Listen,¡± J turned back to Kass and whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t keep this thing any longer. Tomorrow, I

    will tell Daran. He will decide what happens to you.¡±

    Kass widened his eyes in shock, ¡°He will rip my throat apart within a blink of an eye! And you are

    OK with that?!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let him kill you. But as the leader, he deserves to know!¡± J snapped. ¡°No. Please don¡¯t

    do this to me-

    But J didn¡¯t let him finish and walked away hastily. She knew if she stayed any longer, she

    would turn soft again.

    J found the other 4 Gammas sitting around a campfire. They were having some cookies and

    canned beans in silence.

    ¡°God, these cookies are so dry. I think it is hurting my tongue!¡± Jeffined gloomily as J

    sat down by Maxie¡¯s side.

    ¡°You have never had a field ration before?¡± Glen asked.

    ¡°Of course I have. But our food packet had sausages, dried fruits, and instant coffee in it. These are

    complete garbage,¡± Jeff made a puking face. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are seriously enjoying this, Glen.¡±

    Glen shrugged and took another bite at his cookie, ¡°I don¡¯t mind it. Silver w is always short on

    food supplies. Our field ration is way worse than this.¡±

    J took a sip from her can. Jeff was right. It tasted like overnight water with dirty rags soaked in

    it.

    But like Glen, she didn¡¯t mind it either. When she was living under the Diaz¡¯s roof, she had to feed

    on leftovers and those tasted just as bad.

    ¡°So J,¡± Steven spoke up abruptly. ¡°Glen told us that you were arguing with that soldier of yours,

    Kass. Did something happen?¡±

    J looked up. Steven was staring at her across the campfire, his eyes narrowed into slits.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± J replied briefly.

    ¡°You sure?¡± Steven asked coldly, ¡°You know that we are not supposed to give them more

    information than they need to know, right? Especially since Kass is our number one suspect right

    now.¡±

    J set the can on the ground, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to lecture me on how tomunicate with my

    soldiers.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Steven¡¯s face turned cold. They red at each other across the campfire. The atmosphere

    gradually tensed up.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Maxie tugged at J¡¯s sleeve. ¡°You want to take the food back to our tents?¡±

    J grabbed the canned beans and cookies and stood up from the ground. She walked away in

    fume. Maxie quickly caught up with her from behind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind Steven. He is just being grumpy as always. Before you came, he couldn¡¯t shut his

    mouth about how bad the weather was. What a baby,¡± Maxie whispered into her ears. ¡°If you ask

    me, he is the suspicious one.¡±

    J sighed and rubbed her temples.

    The bad weather had a bad impact on their spirit. And the suspicion that was spreading made it

    worse.

    ¡°I appreciate it, Maxie,¡± J said exhaustedly. ¡°Actually I had lost all my appetite. Probably just

    want to go back and lie down.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure. Go have some rest. Everything will be fine soon,¡± Maxie patted her shoulder.

    J went back into her tent andy down in the darkness. She was worn out so the sleep found

    her quickly.

    Yet she didn¡¯t sleep too soundly. Bad dreams came at her one after another.

    She vaguely heard some strange noises in her sleep. And that made her to snap her

    eyes open.

    It was still pitch ck in her tent.

    And there was a dark shadow standing by her bedside.

    Without a second thought, J grabbed the shlight she kept on the table and turned it on.

    The strong light lit up the tent, along with the person standing in front of her. It was Kass.

    There was a horror¨Cstruck look on his face.

    And a knife in his hand.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76

    They locked eyes for a few seconds and J reacted first. She jumped at him, kicked off his knife,

    and tackled him to the ground. Kass let out a painful gasp as J twisted his arm to his back.

    ¡°J! It¡¯s me!¡± Kass cried.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s you!¡± J hissed, ¡°What are you doing by my bedside with a knife!¡±

    Kass stared back at J with shocked eyes, ¡°W¨CWhat are you talking about? It¡¯s your knife! You

    always keep a knife under your pillow while sleeping. Remember?¡±

    J nced at the knife that had dropped to the ground.

    Kass was right. It was indeed her knife. It was an old habit of her to keep a weapon nearby when

    she was asleep.

    ¡°OK. But what were you doing with it? And what were you even in my tent?¡± J snapped.

    Kass¡¯s body shivered.

    At first, J thought he was shaking in fear, but then she discovered that it was because of shock

    and anger.

    ¡°Are you suspecting me?!¡± Kass snarled with a hurtful voice, ¡°You think I was¨Cwas trying to do

    something to you with that knife? Are you f**king crazy J? Doubting

    me like that? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is?!¡±

    He sounded generously mad.

    J loosened her grip slightly but still kept him kneeling on the ground, ¡°Then why did youe

    into my tent?¡±

    ¡°I was taking my switch off the night watch! I passed by your tent and wanted to check on you. I saw

    you asleep and that dagger was only an inch away from your face. I was afraid that it might cut you

    in your sleep, so I took it and wanted to put it somewhere else!¡±

    J froze on her spot for a few seconds and finally released Kass.

    Yet Kass didn¡¯t stand up from the ground. He looked up at her with a deeply traumatized look.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually thought I would kill you¡­¡± he murmured in astonishment.

    J didn¡¯t feel so good about this either, ¡°Sorry. I¨CI have been edgy for too long and I overreacted.

    I thought you were going to do something after I decided to tell Daran about your identity¡­

    She met with Kass¡¯s sad eyes and stopped talking.

    ¡°Th¨CThis is absurd. Before I told you my secret, you would trust me with your back on the

    battlefield. Yet now you can¡¯t even stand me standing by your bedside¡­¡± Kass choked, ¡°Is your

    trustpletely gone? Is there nothing I can do now?¡±

    J let out a long sigh.

    Her heart wanted to believe in Kass, yet her mind urged her to do the opposite. She was not simply

    J Manning. She was also the Gamma of the Blood Moon Pack,

    responsible for thousands of soldiers¡® lives

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    responsible for thousands of soldiers¡® lives.

    If she trusted the wrong person, she couldn¡¯t bear the consequences.

    ¡°I am fine, and you saw it already, Kass. Now go back to your night watch,¡± she said exhaustedly.

    Yet Kass didn¡¯t listen to her this time.

    He grabbed the knife on the floor hastily. Instead of pointing it at her, he directed it at his belly

    region.

    ¡°None of these would happen if I weren¡¯t a rogue right?¡± he hissed, clenching the knife, ¡°Do you

    want me to gouge out the brand they left with me? Will that make you trust me again?¡±

    ¡°Drop the knife!¡± J bellowed.

    Yet he cut himself with that knife instead. His shirt soon became red with blood.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lie to you. But I hate it more when you look at me with those doubtful eyes,¡± he

    choked. ¡°Maybe it was a mistakeing to the Blood Moon Pack. Maybe I should let the rogues kill

    me years ago..¡±

    J felt her chest contract with grief. Her vision became blurred with tears.

    Just then, a series of footsteps came from outside the tent. Before any of them could react, a tall

    figure burst into the tent hastily.

    It was Daran..

    ¡°What the hell happened!¡± he growled, his eyes scanning the room.

    With the blood and the knife, it sure looked like a crime scene.

    ¡°We were just talking-¡± J said weakly.

    ¡°Talking with de?¡± Daran walked up to J with one step and examined her face closely, ¡°Are

    you hurt?¡±

    J shook her head. She looked towards Kass and sighed, ¡°Go back to your shift.¡± Kass stood

    stiffly on his spot, staring at them with gloomy eyes. Blood was still dripping down from his

    fingertips.

    J took out a roll of bandage from her back and ced it in Kass¡¯s pocket, ¡°Go wrap yourself

    up.¡±

    He still didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Leave us. Now,¡± Daran spoke up eventually. His voice was deep with majesty, making Kass quiver

    and caving into his Alpha aura.

    Dropping the knife, Kass turned and left the tent holding his head down.

    ¡°So,¡± Daran turned to J with his gaze turning soft, ¡°You want to tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°Can we not do it here?¡± J said with a muffled voice. The tent smelt like Kass¡¯s blood, which

    was making her feel blue.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Daran took her hand and led her out of the tent.

    They crossed the camping area, made it through the dark forest, and eventually arrived at a small

    hill.

    The night breeze was cool and gentle up there. And without the blocking of tree branches, they got

    to see the silver moon hanging in the sky.

    ¡°Wow,¡± J let out a gasp of amazement.

    Daran stood by her side and looked up to the sky with her, ¡°I have always wanted to do this with

    you¡­Bathed under the silver moonlight on a peaceful night with

    nothing but the sound of birds and wind around us.¡±

    J felt her heart swell and she smiled, ¡°Too bad we are not back at the packhouse.¡±

    They stood there quietly for a long time, taking in this beautiful scenery in silence.

    And J spoke up eventually, ¡°There is something about Kass I haven¡¯t told you.¡±

    ¡°What about him?¡± Daran asked.

    Taking in a deep breath, J told him the secret about Kass, ¡°I know I might be acting na?ve here

    but I really do trust him. I don¡¯t think he is the mole.¡±

    Daran stayed in silence for a while and said slowly, ¡°Well, me neither.¡±

    ¡°Not even after you know that he is a rogue?¡± J asked in disbelief.

    She thought Daran would react much stronger towards this.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think he is capable of harming you,¡± Daran nced at J. ¡°He cares about you

    maybe a little too much.¡±

    J let out a long sigh of relief.

    Having Daran here to back her up really eased off her stress.

    ¡°Then who is it then? The mole?¡± J rubbed her hair frustratedly, ¡°I can¡¯t believe we are starting

    this internal fight even before the actual war breaks out. That Rogue King really does have a few

    cards up in his sleeves. Frankly, I can¡¯t trust anyone right now but you.¡±

    Daran gazed into the distance. After a long pause, he said slowly, ¡°I have a guess about the mole.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± J gasped looking up at him.

    Daran was a steady person. When he said that he had a ¡°guess,¡± good chances were he was

    already 90% sure of this.

    ¡°Well, who is it?¡± J demanded eagerly.

    Daran lowered his upper body and whispered a name into J¡¯s ear.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77

    His voice was low and only the two of them heard what he said.

    Shock flickered across J¡¯s once she heard it, ¡°Seriously? I didn¡¯t for a single second. Do you

    have any proof?¡±

    suspect that guy

    ¡°No. Which is why we want him to get sloppy and give himself away.¡±

    ¡°But how are we going to do that? He has the upper hand now. It will be quite some time before he

    gets himself exposed.¡±

    ¡°I have a n. And I need your help with it,¡± said Daran.

    He leaned to J and whispered his ns into J¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a brilliant idea.¡± J smiled after hearing him out, ¡°But is it OK if you spilled everything to

    me? What if I am also working with the mole?¡±

    She meant that as a joke.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    But Daran stared at her with a deadpan face, ¡°So are you?¡±

    His stern attitude made her panic again, ¡°No! Of course not! I was just kidding. Sorry, it¡¯s probably

    not that appropriate-¡±

    Only then did a grin appear on his lips.

    ¡°Rx. I was fooling with you too,¡± he pushed the hair out of her face and stared deeply into her

    eyes. ¡°You have my unconditional trust, J.¡®

    A gentle feeling filled her heart.

    J took a step forward and buried her face into Daran¡¯s chest, wrapping her arms around his

    waist.

    The anxiety that had been clouding her for days finally cleared out at this moment.

    The next day, they continued marching up North and finally arrived at Crimson Fortress in the

    afternoon.

    Daran ordered to have their campsite built at an opening 5 miles away from the fort. While soldiers

    working on that, he and the Gammas climbed up to a high ground trying to get a better view of the

    fort.

    A blizzard broke in around this time. The wind was gusting, and the snow was so heavy that it was

    almost impossible to gaze into the distance.

    Glen had a telescope in his hand. He looked for a long time and finally gave up,

    ¡°No.

    I can¡¯t. Wherever I see, it¡¯s a pitch white. I can¡¯t even see the rampart.¡±

    ¡°Let me have a try,¡± J said.

    Glen handed her the telescope and J pointed in the direction of the Crimson Fortress. After a

    long time of searching in the stormy white, she finally got a blurred view of the fort¡¯s gate.

    ¡°Wait, I think I saw someone on the rampart¡­¡± she murmured. ¡°And they seemed to be waving for

    us¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Maxie asked eagerly, ¡°Are they making signals? Asking for our help?¡±

    ¡°Under this weather? Shouldn¡¯t they be frozen to death already?¡± said Jeff shivering in his coat. He

    was from the South and was very bad at dealing with extreme weather

    ¡°You are right. They should be,¡± said Daran gloomily. ¡°So take another look.¡±

    He was gazing at the Crimson Fort with a telescope as well. His face had grown hard and

    expressionless.

    J looked again.

    This time she finally got a better view.

    Daran was right.

    Those were not people waving their hands at them¡­The dead didn¡¯t wave.

    Hanging on the gpole were a few corpses strappedpletely naked. Their grayish¨Cblue arms

    dangled in the strong wind, which may seem like waving if you looked from the distance.

    Their faces were all frozen at a horrified and desperate expression.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Maxie murmured.

    J felt a painful lump in her throat and a sudden sh of fury.

    The rogues knew that they wereing.

    And this was their message to them.

    Daran lowered the telescope and turned towards the campsite, ¡°Let¡¯s head back and talk about our

    next move.¡±

    They came back to the campsite and gathered up in an empty room. Daran stood in the middle and

    said, ¡°We will attack Crimson Fort tonight.¡±

    Everyone looked at each other with an astonished face.

    ¡°Well, this is a bit sudden,¡± Glen said. ¡°Are we just going to march towards its front gate like that?

    Don¡¯t we need to at least work out a n?¡±

    ¡°It is why we came this far. I am good with tonight,¡± Maxie said firmly. She was infuriated by what

    she saw earlier hanging on the gpole. She couldn¡¯t wait to chase those rogues out of the city.

    ¡°But you said yourself that rogues are cunning. I don¡¯t think it is going to work if we just attack

    head¨Con,¡± Glen said.

    Daran replied with a nod, ¡°You are right. The detailed attack n will be sent to each of your phones

    later tonight. But I will have to ask you not to discuss the n you have with any other people, for

    safety concerns.¡±

    There was an awkward silence in the tent.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Steven asked in a rather aggressive voice, ¡°We aren¡¯t even allowed to

    discuss it with people sitting in this room? So you still think that the mole is among us!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Daran said calmly.

    ¡°It is exactly what you meant!¡± Steven snarled, ¡°Just say it out loud already. Who do you suspect?

    Stop sneaking around like that!¡±

    Maxie stood up to face him, ¡°Why are you being jumpy now, Gamma Steven? We agreed to that,

    didn¡¯t we? To follow Alpha Daran¡¯s order with no questions asked. Why are you going out of your

    way to sabotage this n?¡±

    Why are you going out of your way to sabotage this n?¡±

    ? ?10???196, t#JI8.CI

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Steven growled, his eyes gleaming with rage. ¡°Are you saying that I am the mole?¡±

    ¡°So are you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± J hissed interrupting their quarrels. ¡°We can¡¯t fight over everything. The rogues

    are out there killing our pack members. Let¡¯s drop our personal grievances and focus on the bigger

    picture. I am sure Alpha Daran doesn¡¯t suspect anyone in this room. It is simply part of his n!¡±

    Steven scanned around the room in fume. Then he stood up and stormed out of the

    tent.

    Daran didn¡¯t seem to mind his attitude. Looking at the rest 4 Gammas, he said in a solemn voice,

    ¡°Keep the n to yourself, and don¡¯t share it with anyone else. Report to me at any time if someone

    tries to fish the n out of you¡­Good luck with tonight.¡±

    A few hourster, the daylight waned. And it was finally time to get moving.

    J led her soldiers out of the campsite and bumped into Maxie on her way out. They shared a

    brief look together and wished each other good luck.

    They parted ways after that, with Maxie heading towards the East and J towards the West.

    J and her soldiers trudged across the blizzard¨Cragednd and approached the Crimson

    Fortress.

    Half an hourter, they arrived at a small thicket of trees where they could already see the fort¡¯s

    tower and its heavy wall.

    J asked her soldiers to stand by and wait for signals.

    ¡°What signals?¡± Balvina asked.

    ¡°You will know when the timees,¡± J said briefly.

    So they waited in the woods and it was soon past midnight. The snow got heavier as the time

    passed.

    It had been a few hours, but they still hadn¡¯t made a move.

    Balvina kept checking her watch. And atst, she couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°What are we still

    waiting for? It¡¯s already 2 in the morning. The rogues must be asleep. It¡¯s the perfect timing for us.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll stick to the n,¡± J insisted.

    The extreme weather made everyone shiver. Many soldiers shifted into wolves to keep their bodies

    warm but soon even their fur couldn¡¯t stand the gusting wind.

    Everyone was losing their patience.

    Finally, at 3 a.m. A mor of battle broke out from the North.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78

    It was a long and deep wolf howl followed by the noise of arge group fighting.

    ¡°It¡¯s from the North Gate!¡± Balvina snapped her head towards J, ¡°Gamma J! What do we

    do?¡±

    Even till this point, none of them knew what the battle n was, except for J.

    They weren¡¯t sure whether they should stand by right where they were or go to help the others out.

    J answered briefly with a nod, ¡°Let¡¯s go and give them a hand.¡±

    She leaped forward and shifted into a silver wolf in mid¨Cair. All Blood Moon soldiers shifted behind

    their Gamma and followed her dashing towards the North.

    The view was very poor in the heavy storm. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the North Gate of the fort

    did they saw fire and fighting soldiers.

    It was a heated battle.

    There were already many injured or dead bodies lying everywhere. Red blood sshed from many

    soldiers¡® open wounds and spilled across the snowy ground, forming a striking contrast to the white

    color of the snow.

    Wolves were biting each other and wrestling on the ground with hot steam gushing out of their

    fangs¨Cbared mouth and nose.

    Some had lost energy to shift, and they engaged in sword or gunfight. The sound of bullets shooting

    and clicking and crashing of des could be heard from all over the ce.

    In the center of the battlefield, a giant ck wolf with a huge scar on its face was taking on 6

    soldiers at the same time. He was extremely strong and fierce. It took 6 men, and they still couldn¡¯t

    bring him to his knee.

    J let out a deafening roar and jumped at the ck wolf. She was smallpared to his

    massive size, but very fast and agile.

    ¡°Herees the little she¨Cwolf!¡± Sterning crackled, ¡°Ready to kneel beneath the Rouge King¡¯s

    feet?¡±

    J charged at him. She delicately twisted her body in the mid¨Cair and got onto Sterning¡¯s back.

    The giant ck wolf growled in fury and tried to shake her off. But her four paws clung tightly to its

    back fur.

    Lowering her head, she bit his neck sinking her sharp fangs into his flesh.

    Sterning roared in pain and struggled even harder trying to throw her off his back. But he failed. The

    other 6 soldiers swamped him from all sides.

    J ripped off a part of his flesh with her teeth and spat it to the ground.

    ¡°Your blood rakes,¡± she hissed with disgust.

    Just then, another rogue circled and tried to sneak up on her from the back.

    But J didn¡¯t notice. Her entire focus was on Sterning.

    Kass just finished up with a rogue. He turned around and spotted that J was in danger.

    danger.

    ¡°J WATCH OUT!!¡±

    He roared and dashed as fast as he could towards J, trying to save her from that.

    But he was too far away.

    There wasn¡¯t enough time.

    And right at this second, somebody beat him to it.

    A gigantic wolf arrived at the battlefield with a loud howl. Ile seized the rogue between his fangs and

    shook his giant head, sending that rogue flying up into the air

    and dropping dead to the ground without a sound.

    ¡°Daran!¡± J gasped with excitement. Her heart was finally at case at the sight of

    him.

    Sterning jerked around, his face horror¨Cstruck.

    ¡°Daran¡­¡± he hissed.

    Some of the other rogues cried out in panic, ¡°Daran is here!¡±

    ¡°Christ, it¡¯s Daran!¡±

    Fear spread across the battlefield like a gue.

    ¡°Steady!¡± Sterning snapped, ¡°We have Crimson Fortress! Ain¡¯t gonna lose the battle this time!

    Everybody stays right where you are!¡±

    Daran snorted coldly, ¡°You won¡¯t have it for long.¡±

    His ck fur rustled in the wind in a majestic manner, almost god¨Clike.

    Then he charged fiercely at Sterning.

    With Daran and Riverside¡¯s soldiers here, J finally had time to check on other soldiers.

    She found Glen not far away from the battlefield lying underneath a tree. There was a deep cut on

    his back.

    ¡°Glen!¡± J rushed to his side, ¡°Are you hurt? What happened!¡±

    Glen tried to pull himself up from the ground but failed. He let out a low¨Cgrown, ¡°I started the attack

    at the North Gate as nned. But the rogues were already waiting for us! It was like walking right

    into their trap!¡±

    J frowned.

    ¡°I think they got hands on our n again!¡± Glen stomped the ground with his fist in rage, ¡°That

    f**king traitor¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you told anyone about our n?¡± J asked.

    ¡°No! I got Alpha Daran¡¯s message about the battle n around dusk and haven¡¯t spoken to anyone

    since!¡± Glen said frustratedly, ¡°But I can only speak for myself. Don¡¯t know if the other Gammas had

    told anyone or not.¡±

    J nodded and knelt by his side, ¡°Let¡¯s take you to a doctor. You are still bleeding.¡±

    ¡°Forget about me! We need to retreat immediately,¡± Glen said urgently. ¡°The

    rogues know about our n already. We are losing. Call everyone back before we lose more

    soldiers!¡±

    ¡°Rx. Daran is here. We don¡¯t know it for sure yet,¡± J tried tofort him.

    ¡°Are you crazy? I know Alpha Daran is strong, but he has only one man and he is facing arge

    crowd-¡±

    He was cut off by a deafening roar.

    They jerked around to look simultaneously.

    Daran was standing on top of a dead rogue¡¯s body and howling at the moon. His strong Alpha aura

    brought many rogues to tremble down to their knees.

    Sterning struggled to stand straight but his body trembled violently under his animal instinct.

    ¡°Hand over your King!¡± Daran bared his fangs at Sterning, ¡°Or I will rip your throat open!¡±

    Sterning panted roughly with blood dripping down his face. Then he let out a strange

    ¡°Well then.¡±

    Daran¡¯s eyes gleamed dangerously, ¡°Prepare to die.

    Yet instead of quivering in fear, Sterning burst intoughter, ¡°You just won a single battle! But we

    still have the Crimson Fort and thousands of civilians living in it. Unless you want more human

    popsicles on the gpole, you better stand down now!¡±

    Furious growls could be heard across the battlefield.

    Sterning was threatening them with civilians¡® lives! And there seemed to be nothing they could do

    about it.

    The cocky smile on Sterning¡¯s face grew wider as he said, ¡°So what is it going to be, Alpha Daran?

    Retreat or stand here as I toss a couple more bodies over the wall?¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes and looked beyond Sterning to the rampant behind him. A horn broke out

    from the rampant the next second, followed by a loud cry that rang in the sky:

    ¡°Alpha Daran! We got the Crimson Fortress! We won!!¡±

    Sterning snapped his head around. The cocky smile was quickly reced by horror. ¡°Impossible!¡±

    Sterning snapped with widened eyes, ¡°How did you¨CWhy-¡±

    Daran sneered coldly, ¡°Try/and figure this out in hell.¡±

    He leapt and charged forward at Sterning at full speed!

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    ¡°IMPOSSIBLE-

    Sterning was in the middle of a furious roar when his body became stiff abruptly. Slowly, he looked

    down to his own chest.

    A wolf paw had stuck into his chest. Steaming blood gushing out from this lethal wound.

    Sterning rounded his eyes slightly. Everything happened too fast. He did not even have the time to

    feel the pain.

    Daran stood in front of him. And with one hard pull, he withdrew his wolf paw from Sterning¡¯s chest.

    Lying in his palm was a beating heart.

    Sterning gave onest look at therge hole in his own chest. And then back at his heart in Daran¡¯s

    hand.

    He had not even fully understood how they lost this battle, or how Daran defeated him, and his

    enormous body copsed to the ground.

    His eyes were enveloped in the gloom of death.

    Sterning was dead.

    The Rogue King¡¯s most trusted man, Sterning, was dead!

    Daran raised his hand up in the air, still holding Sterning¡¯s heart, and shouted out one word:

    11 -VICTORY!!¡±

    His booming voice spread out across the field. Everyone looked at him and echoed him with a

    round of roaring apuse.

    Glen held his breath and gazed at Daran with an awed look.

    ¡°How did he¡­¡± Glen gulped, ¡°How did Alpha Daran¡­ I thought we were going to lose for sure¡­¡±

    J stood by his side and was looking at Daran as well.

    This scene reminded her of the reason she fell in love with Daran in the first ce.

    Daran may have wronged her in the past. But without a doubt, he was still the strongest, most

    powerful Alpha in the world.

    J looked up to him since she was a little girl.

    And this admiration is still deeply rooted in her heart even today.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    J took her eyes off Daran and said to Glen, ¡°The Rogue King is still in the Crimson Fort.

    Hopefully, we can catch him before he runs away.

    Jostled by the crowd of soldiers, they swarmed into the Crimson Fort through the North Gate. The

    gate was wide open now, thanks to Jeff and Steven.

    Yet the city was still inplete chaos, with rogues running around like rats on the

    Jostled by the crowd of soldiers, they swarmed into the Crimson Fort through the North Gate. The

    gate was wide open now, thanks to Jeff and Steven.

    Yet the city was still inplete chaos, with rogues running around like rats on the street and taking

    civilians as their hostages.

    J and her soldiers immediately got to work.

    They spread out through the city and helped to rescue civilians from the rogue¡¯s hand and put down

    the fire that the rogues set.

    J caught a rogue under the rampart.

    The rogue was about to climb up to the wall and escape. But J grabbed him by his ankle and

    dragged him down forcefully.

    ¡°Where is the Rogue King?¡±

    J seized his throat and hissed in a dangerous voice.

    The rogue

    ugly grin.

    looked back at her, breathing heavily. His yellow teeth are based on an

    ¡°You will never catch the King,¡± he said arrogantly.

    J added pressure to his throat. Her thumb pressed down on his Adam¡¯s apple.

    ¡°You lost,¡± she said. ¡°Answer wisely or I will snap your f**king n*ck like a twig. Now let us try this

    again¨CWhere. Is. The. King?!¡±

    The rogue quivered.

    He said slowly through his gritted teeth, ¡°I said¡­you will never catch the King-¡±

    J tightened her grip abruptly as though she was about to break his neck the next second.

    ¡°B¨CBecause-¡±

    The rogue said urgently before she killed him.

    ¡°¡­We don¡¯t know who the Rogue King is ourselves!¡± he gasped.

    J froze.

    ¡°You have got to be kidding me,¡± she said.

    ¡°No, it is true! Nobody knows,¡± the rogue murmured. ¡°We took all of our orders from Sterning. We

    never met the King once. We don¡¯t even know if the King is a man or a woman. You caught

    Sterning¡­You should ask Sterning these questions!¡±

    The fight between Daran and Sterning was life or death.

    Daran did not have any time to interrogate Sterning before killing him.

    And with Sterning dropping dead, nobody knew who the Rogue King was, not even these rogues.

    How clever.

    ¡°Please¡­let me go,¡± the rogue begged J. ¡°I told you everything that I know. No one is around.

    They won¡¯t know if you set me free-¡±

    J tightened her grip mercilessly.

    J tightened her grip mercilessly.

    With a snapping sound, the rogue was broken. He was dead almost instantly. J gave one cold

    look at his body and gazed into the distance.

    The Rogue King could be anywhere now.

    He, or she, could still be in the city. Or already fled away.

    Yet J would have no way of knowing for sure because she didn¡¯t know what the King looked

    like.

    They took down Crimson Fort. But there were still many things to be worried about.

    A horrified cry came from the distance.

    J immediately turned around and rushed forward following that sound.

    When she got there, she found a group of soldiers surrounding a house on fire. Cries and yells were

    coming from the house.

    A young couple and their child were taken hostage by a rogue.

    The rogue refused to step out nor let them go.

    The roof was about to crash down in fire.

    ¡°Just step out already!¡± a soldier yelled at the rogue, ¡°You will all going to die like this!¡±

    The rogue held a knife against the couple¡¯s back. A maniacal light gleamed in his bulging eyes.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°You will f**king kill me anyway! So I am taking these people with me! We are all going to die in the

    fire! Today!¡±

    He roared with fanaticughter.

    The wife gasped a sob. Her husband held her waist tightly. His body was also trembling with fear.

    The roof would crash down any minute.

    They were running out of time.

    ¡°Step back,¡± J said to those soldiers.

    ¡°Gamma J! What are you going to do? It is too dangerous-¡±

    ¡°STEP BACK!¡±

    J rushed straight at the house, shifting into a silver wolf in the midair. She bit on

    the rogue¡¯s shoulder fiercely. The roof made a horrible squeaking sound at the

    same time.

    ¡°Take cover underneath my body!¡± J cried.

    With a loud noise, the roof fell,ing down with burning mes. But it did not hit on the young

    couple and their child. Instead, itnded on the silver wolf¡¯s back.

    The group of soldiers rushed in and rescued them out of the burning house. The rogue¡¯s body was

    left on the ground. It was soon engulfed by the fire.

    ¡°Thank you¡­thank you¡­¡±

    The husband held his crying wife with one hand and reached out another hand to J.

    His face was lit by the joy of survival.

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± he repeated over and over again. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, we would have died by

    now. You saved my family¡¯s life!¡±

    J shifted back to human and shook his hand.

    ¡°You are wee. We are just doing our job,¡± she said.

    She took one particr look at the husband.

    This was a handsome man. Even with ashes and tear stains on his face, he still managed to stand

    out from the crowd with his appearance.

    Even though he was dressed in amoner¡¯s clothes, he still looked like a noble.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± J asked.

    ¡°Lance Adler. And this is my wife, La. I am the local smith.¡±

    J nodded to them with a smile, ¡°How is your child doing? I didn¡¯t scare him, did I?¡±

    La showed J the baby in her arms. Luckily, the baby was sleeping soundly.

    J was about to ask this family a few more questions when the sound of trumpets

    rang in the distance.

    ¡°What is that noise!¡± La asked, sounding startled. ¡°Are the roguesing back?¡±

    ¡°No, it ising from our army. The Alpha is summoning us,¡± J reassured. ¡°You are perfectly

    safe. But I should go now.¡±

    She waved the Alders goodbye and went for the sound of the trumpets.

    This sound meant that the city was under control now.

    Daran was asking them to get together.

    They still had no idea who the Rogue King was. But there was a more urgent task.

    It was the time for them to dig out the mole.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80

    Arge tent was set up in the middle of Central za.

    Some soldiers were gathered outside of the tent.

    They all turned to look at J with an awed look when she came close. One of them rushed to lift

    the curtain for her.

    ¡°Gamma J, that was a great fight!¡± the soldier said to her enthusiastically.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± J replied with a smile.

    ¡°Alpha Daran is expecting you inside.¡±

    J stepped into the tent.

    Daran was standing in the middle of the room, using a towel to clean the blood stain on his body.

    He turned around abruptly when J walked in.

    Their eyes locked for a long moment.

    Daran abandoned the towel and strode forward. He seized J¡¯s shoulder and pulled her into his

    arms forcefully.

    J was taken aback.

    She could hear his quickened heartbeat and heavy breathing. His hands were also slightly shaking

    on her back.

    ¡°What is the matter?¡± J broke the silence and asked.

    Daran shook his head and buried her face into her hair, taking in a deep inhale of her

    scent.

    ¡°I was afraid of losing you,¡± he said deeply.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± J said under her breath, ¡°I am standing right here. Safe and sound. What

    made you think that?¡°,

    ¡°This is the first time that I saw you on the battlefield. I know that you have a strong wolf and

    everything. But when that rogue came at you¡­My heart almost stopped beating. I couldn¡¯t help but

    wonder¡­what would happen to you if I was a minutete¡­¡±

    He tightened his arms around her, hugging her more tightly.

    J could hardly breathe in his arms.

    Yet her heart swelled.

    This was the first time Dar¨¢n revealed his true feelings to her,

    He used to be so cold, so closed¨Cup, and it was impossible for her to figure out what he was

    thinking through his expressionless face.

    But now, he opened up to her voluntarily.

    He said that he was afraid.

    J once thought that a brave man like Daran was not afraid of anything.

    But he was afraid of losing her.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    J stroked his back gently.

    ¡°You got there on time. And I am fine. There is nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°I know. But-

    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t, I would still be alright. I am a Gamma, remember? I proved myself capable of

    fighting side by side with you. You can trust me with your back, just like I trust you with mine.¡±

    Daran straightened his back and cupped her face with his hands.

    He stared deep into her eyes.

    ¡°Always,¡± he murmured. ¡°I trust you. With my life.¡±

    J¡¯s heart rate quickened. Her mouth was dry as well.

    And it was probably an illusion but¡­somehow the room temperature seemed to be rising.

    They were only a few inches away from each other. They had not been this closed since Daran

    rejected her.

    And now, they were leaning toward one another.

    J fluttered her eyes shut and felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

    ¡ª

    She could almost feel the gentle touch of Daran¡¯s lips on hers-

    ¡°Alpha Daran! What a great fight!¡±

    A sudden voice came from the door, and they separated almost instantly.

    Steven, Jeff, Maxie, and Glen just walked in. Each one of them had arge grin on their face.

    They froze by the door when they saw J and Daran inside.

    Daran¡¯s hands were still on J¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Jeff let out an awkwardugh and scratched his head.

    ¡°Do you want us toe back?¡±

    Daran cleared his throat and dropped his hand, ¡°There is no need. Come on inside.¡±

    J felt her cheeks on fire/

    It almost felt as though her parents walked in on her while she was making out with her high school

    boyfriend in bed.

    The six of them took their seats.

    ¡°Last night was a good fight. Great work, everyone.¡±

    Daran looked around the room with a faint smile.

    ¡°Yet before you go and have some rest, I do want to take some time and recapst night. I believe

    that you all have some questions.¡±

    The 5 Gammas exchanged looks. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°OK. I will start.¡±

    Jeff spoke up first.

    ¡°My man and I were waiting outside of the East Gate. Around 3 o¡¯clock, we heard fighting noises

    coming from the north-¡±

    ¡°That is me,¡± Glen said. ¡°I attacked the North Gate and the rogues attacked back fiercely. If it

    weren¡¯t for Alpha Daran and Gamma J, we would have lost this battle already.¡±

    ¡°But that is weird,¡± Maxie said. ¡°I received no resistance from the South Gate.¡±

    ¡°Neither do 1,¡± Steven said.

    ¡°Yeah, same here!¡± Jeff added with a nod, ¡°The East Gate was wide open. It was almost like that no

    one was guarding it.¡±

    Glen raised an eyebrow, ¡°So you are saying that all the rogues were at the North Gatest night?¡±

    ¡°It would appear so,¡± J said coolly.

    ¡°Well, that is kind of crappy for me.¡± Glen shrugged, ¡°But it works out for the Just because all the

    other 3 gates were wide open, we can take down Crimson Fort this easily.¡±

    army.

    The other 4 Gammas agreed with a nod.

    But not J.

    She exchanged a look of apprehension with Daran.

    ¡°So did anyone you see the Rogue King?¡± Daran asked.

    Maxie answered, ¡°No. I tried to ask a rogue, but he said that he didn¡¯t know who the Rogue King

    was. I am not sure if he was lying or not.¡±

    ¡°He is telling the truth.¡±

    J straightened her back. A cold gleam was in her slit eyes.

    ¡°The Rogue King has been hiding from their own men, giving orders through

    Sterning and Sterning only. It is very clever. Even though they lost the battle, we still

    have no idea of where our biggest enemy is.¡±

    The room fell into a deadly silence.

    Everyone was gripped by the fear of the unknown.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s cheer up a bit, shall we?¡±

    Steven stretched his body and grinned.

    ¡°Sure, we don¡¯t know who the Rogue King is. But we just won a huge battle and saved most

    people¡¯s lives in Crimson Fort! We deserve to celebrate. So what do you say we pop open some

    beers and go wild for a night? Huh?¡±

    Glen smiled, ¡°I like that idea.¡±

    Yet before people could bepletely rxed, Daran raised a hand and said, ¡°Hold on a second. I

    think that you have forgotten about something.¡±

    She exchanged a look of apprehension with Daran.

    ¡°So did anyone you see the Rogue King?¡± Daran asked.

    Maxie answered, ¡°No. I tried to ask a rogue, but he said that he didn¡¯t know who the Rogue King

    was. I am not sure if he was lying, or not.¡±

    ¡°He is telling the truth.¡±

    J straightened her back. A cold gleam was in her slit eyes,

    ¡°The Rogue King has been hiding from their own men, giving orders through Sterning and Sterning

    only. It is very clever, Even though they lost the battle, we still have no idea of where our biggest

    enemy is.¡±

    The room fell into a deadly silence.

    Everyone was gripped by the fear of the unknown,

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s cheer up a bit, shall we?¡±

    Steven stretched his body and grinned.

    ¡°Sure, we don¡¯t know who the Rogue King is. But we just won a huge battle and saved most

    people¡¯s lives in Crimson Fort! We deserve to celebrate. So what do you say we pop open some

    beers and go wild for a night? Huh?¡±

    Glen smiled, ¡°I like that idea.¡±

    Yet before people could bepletely rxed, Daran raised a hand and said, ¡°Hold on a second. I

    think that you have forgotten about something.¡±

    Everyone turned to look at him.

    ¡°The mole,¡± Daran said.

    The smile died upon their lips.

    ¡°¡­You are really a buzzkill, Alpha Daran,¡± Jeff murmured.

    He slumped back into his seat and sighed frustratedly.

    ¡°Sure, if you want to talk about that, let us talk. We still don¡¯t know who the mole is, don¡¯t we? And

    we managed to win this battle anyway. Maybe the mole didn¡¯t take action.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe keeping information enclosed within this small group helped,¡± Maxie said. ¡°This system

    works.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    J shook her head firmly,

    ¡°The mole did take action. The battle n was leaked.¡±

    Maxie gasped sharply. And the others rounded their eyes in shock

    ¡°Only the 6 people in this room know about the battle n!¡±

    Steven straightened his back and red at J.

    ¡°Are we back to that conversation again? Are you saying that the mole is in this very room? Let me

    tell you. I am so f**king tired of you making random usations without any proof-

    ¡±

    ¡°I have the proof,¡± J said calmly.

    She stood up and nced around the room.

    She saw different looks on people¡¯s faces: shock, wonder, perplex, anger¡­and fear.

    And you are right. The mole is indeed here in this very room.¡±

    The atmosphere tensed up instantly.

    With everyone watching, J slowly raised an arm.

    ¡°The mole is-¡±

    She pointed at a certain person in this room.

    ¡°-him.¡±

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81

    Everyone followed the direction of J¡¯s finger. And they see the person that J was pointing

    at.

    Glen.

    There was a nk look on everyone¡¯s face. After a short pause, Steven broke intoughter first.

    ¡°Are you f**king out of your mind, J?¡± he sneered in disbelief, ¡°This is Glen for f**k¡¯s sake! Silver

    w¡¯s Gamma! If you said that he is the mole, I seriously don¡¯t know whom we can trust!¡±

    Even Maxie frowned with disapproval, ¡°Gamma J, I don¡¯t want to doubt you and the Alpha¡­but

    I don¡¯t feel veryfortable with pointing fingers at our own fellows randomly. It hurts the army¡¯s

    spirit.¡±

    ¡°Ipletely understand your feelings, Maxie,¡± J said softly. ¡°I won¡¯t use anyone without

    any proof. So don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Then J directed her gaze at Glen, ¡°But first¡­Gamma Glen, do you have anything to say about

    this?¡±

    Everyone in the room fixed their gaze upon Glen.

    Glen had been sitting in his seat in silence. He slightly widened his eyes when J pointed her

    finger at him. Then his face went back to being deadpan.

    ¡°What do you want me to say, J?¡±

    Glen let out a light snort, his voice full of sarcasm.

    ¡°I fought side by side with you. I even injured myself in thest battle. I risked my life and my

    soldiers¡® lives to defend this city, even if this is not our hometown¡­If that is still not enough for you

    to trust me, I don¡¯t know what will.¡±

    His speech carried a lot of weight and heavy emotions.

    It had a strong effect on people, especially those people who traveled a long way to be here, like

    Steven and Jeff.

    Jeff clenched his fists with infuriation and snapped, ¡°Alpha Daran and Gamma J, I demand you

    to present your proofs now! Or all soldiers from ck Water Pack will be retrieved from this alliance

    immediately! I will not stand here as you nder an innocent man!¡±

    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± Steven cried.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Daran nodded. ¡°I will show you our proofs.¡±

    He looked around the room, ¡°Do you still have the battle n that I gave you before this fight?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Maxie said. ¡°You said that we should keep this information to ourselves.¡±

    ¡°The fight is over. The battle n is not a secret anymore. So why don¡¯t we go around the room and

    read it out loud?¡± Daran asked.

    Still perplexed, Maxie pulled her phone out and read from the screen, ¡°Stand by till 3

    o¡¯clock and attack the South Gate.¡±

    The next person up was Jeff.

    And he read, ¡°Stand by till 3 o¡¯clock and attack the West Gate.¡±

    Daran gave him a brief nod and looked towards Steven.

    Steven rolled his eyes, ¡°Mine is basically the same, except that I am supposed to cover the East

    Gate. Seriously, how does this prove anything?¡±

    Daran ignored his attitude and looked at Glen atst, ¡°How about you, Glen?¡±

    ¡°¡­I was supposed to attack the North Gate,¡± Glen answered lowly.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Daran stood up, his eyes gleaming coldly.

    ¡°So have you ever wondered why the rest of you received very little resistance from the West, East,

    and South Gate of the Crimson Fort?¡±

    There was a moment of silence.

    Maxie blinked, ¡°Because all rogue¡¯s forces were gathered at the North Gate, which was Glen¡¯s

    target.¡±

    She inhaled sharply.

    ¡°Oh¡­I think I got it!¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jeff still, looked confused, ¡°You just got what? I still don¡¯t have a damn clue about

    anything!¡±

    ¡°It is a thinker. But try and imagine this,¡± Maxie exined to him. ¡°If the rogues didn¡¯t know about

    our battle n, how would they distribute their forces?¡±

    ¡°They would distribute their man forces evenly at all four gates.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Maxie said with a nod.

    ¡°But that was not how things turned out. All rogue forces were gathered at the North Gate, leaving

    the other three gates wide open. It sounds illogical¡­Unless the mole had told them first that the

    North Gate was our main target and not the other three gates. And then everything makes sense!¡±

    Steven and Jeff¡¯s jaws dropped.

    Glen¡¯s face gradually turned pale.

    J spoke up at this moment, ¡°This is a simple test that Alpha Daran developed to find out who

    the mole is. Wherever the rogue¡¯s forces were gathered, that person must be the mole!¡±

    ¡°But¡­But¡­Hold on a second!

    Steven stuttered.

    ¡°What if this is purely a coincidence? What if the Rogue King rolled a dice and decided which gate

    they would guard? I know it sounds a little far¨Cfetched¡­but we really need to be a hundred percent

    sure about this!!¡±

    ¡°I knew that one of you might have a question like this. So I managed to find a testimony.¡±

    Daran raised his voice and called out to the soldiers standing outside:

    Bring in the rogue!¡±

    The tent opened up and two soldiers brought in a rogue.

    The rogue was forced to kneel on the ground, facing Daran.

    ¡°Answer my question honestly, and you might get a chance to live,¡±

    Daran said icily.

    ¡°What was the order that Sterning or the Rogue King gave you before the battle?¡± The rogue

    shivered in fear.

    Then he answered in a shaky voice, ¡°Sterning told us that you would attack the Crimson Fort

    tonight¡­we didn¡¯t know why he was so sure about this¡­but he just knew. And he also said that we

    should guard the North Gate only, because that was your only target¡­¡±

    He gulped. And his voice gradually grew louder.

    ¡°That f**king Sterning! He was f**king stupid to trust whoever fed him this information! And we were

    f**king stupid to follow his dumb orders! If it weren¡¯t for him, we would definitely win! That goddamn

    Sterning-¡±

    Daran raised a hand, ¡°OK. That is enough.¡±

    Soldiers cloaked the rogue¡¯s mouth and dragged him out of the tent.

    Daran looked around the room, ¡°You all heard it. The rogue¡¯s decision was not a coincidence.

    Someone fed them the information.¡±

    ¡°And we all know who that person is,¡± J added.

    Slowly, everyone turned their heads to look at Glen. There was anger and grief in everyone¡¯s eyes.

    Glen leaned back in his seat.

    He remained in silence for a few more seconds before saying, ¡°One of my soldiers might have

    stolen the battle n from me¡ª¡±

    J cut him off sharply, ¡°You admitted to me yourself that you told no one about this n.

    Remember?¡±

    Glen snapped his head up.

    The muscle under his left eye twitched slightly.

    ¡°We can¡¯t rule out you, can¡¯t we J?¡± he hissed, ¡°You knew about this n as well. It is possible

    that you¨Cor those rogue bastard soldiers of your Kass¨Cleaked this battle n-¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°I know about the general n, but not about the details, like which one of

    you was attacking which gate. So sorry. You can¡¯t dump this on me.¡±

    Glen gritted his teeth.

    After another long pause, he slowly breathed out a long sigh.

    ¡°Well¡­what can I say?¡±

    Glen curved his lips into a sarcastic smile,

    ¡°You have managed to pin me on the crucifix. Good job.¡±

    He admitted to it.

    They dug out the mole!

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    J let out a small sigh of relief and joy.

    Yet before she could finally rx, Steven jumped up abruptly and jumped on Glen!

    ¡°Why the f**k did you do it!¡±

    Steven roared and threw a hard punch at Glen.

    ¡°I thought we were friends! I trusted you! You son of a bitch¡­WHY!!!¡±

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    Steven shouted out the question that everyone had at heart.

    Why?

    Why did Glen betray them and choose the rogue¡¯s side?

    Glen stood on his spot and let Steven punch him. He groaned lowly after the first punch but didn¡¯t

    choose to move away from the uing attack.

    Steven grabbed Glen¡¯s cor and kept hitting his former friend.

    His knuckles were white with anger.

    A storm of emotions brewed in his eyes.

    Steven thought that they used to be friends. If not friends, at least they were on the same side.

    Yet their bond was now shattered with betrayal.

    Steven felt stupid for defending Glen fiercely in front of everyone before!

    ¡°You¡­f**king bastard! Why!¡±

    Steven growled, throwing another punch directly at Glen¡¯s nose, knocking him to the ground.

    ¡°Just f**king give me a reason! Are you a rogue? How did you manage to be a Gamma if you

    are a rogue!¡±

    Glen knelt on the ground and coughed. The corners of his mouth were ripped with blood.

    ¡°No, I am not a rogue.¡±

    He wiped away the blood and answered coolly.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°As for my reasons¡­Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now, does it? I lost and you caught me. And that¡¯s it. I

    am ready for whatever punishment that you have in mind.¡±

    Glen raised his head and looked at Daran. There was no fear nor regret on his face. ¡°You can

    execute me right now, Alpha Daran. I have nothing else to say,¡± he said calmly.

    Glen¡¯s attitude rendered everyone speechless.

    They just got betrayed by one of their closest friends!

    How could they let this slide?

    ¡®At least give us an excuse or make one up for f**k¡¯s sake!¡± Jeff cried loudly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you

    would choose the rogue¡¯s side without a reason! You saw clearly how they ughtered those

    civilians! So what is it? Did they ckmail you? Did they threaten you?¡±

    Glen shrugged.

    ¡°Maybe there is no reason,¡± he said with an indifferent tone. ¡°Maybe I am just purely evil.¡±

    Jeff let out a frustrated growl. Apparently, he found this hard to ept.

    ¡°I think I know about his reasons,¡± J said abruptly.

    Glen frowned at her.

    His eyes gleamed with suspicion.

    J walked to the tent entrance and talked briefly to the soldiers outside, ¡°The girl that you caught

    last night¡­.Yes, bring her here.¡±

    Momentster, a slim figure appeared by the tent entrance.

    It was a pretty girl in her early twenties.

    She looked tired and messy. Her hair was all tangled, and her eyes were red and puffy from the

    tears. Her clothes were dirty and worn out from running.

    Yet even though she looked rough, you could still see in her eyes that she was determined to keep

    going despite everything.

    ¡°Veronica!¡±

    Glen swooped up and rushed towards the girl. She burst into tears and rushed towards him as well.

    They hugged each other tightly, like holding on to the most precious thing in their lives.

    ¡°Veronica¡­what are you doing here?¡± Glen gasped, ¡°I told you to head south and nevere back.

    Why didn¡¯t you listen to me!¡±

    The girl named Veronica sobbed, ¡°How can I leave by myself knowing that you are risking your life

    for me? I¡­I have to check on you¡­and make sure that you are OK¡­¡±

    ¡°We caught her in the woodsst night. She was sneaking and poking around. My men thought that

    she looked suspicious and bought her back,¡± J said.

    Glen held Veronica in his arms and stroked her messy hair, whispering someforting words into

    her ears.

    Steven, Jeff, and Maxie exchanged a look of perplexation.

    ¡°Umm¡­ what is going on here?¡± Jeff starched his head and asked, ¡°Who is this girl again?¡±

    ¡°She is a rogue. And Glen¡¯s lover. I think that she is also the reason that Glen brought us,¡± J

    said.

    ¡°Is that true, Glen?¡± Maxie asked.

    Glen¡¯s face was pale.

    Veronica wiped her tears on Glen¡¯s shoulder and turned around to face everyone.

    ¡°It is true. Glen did everything¡­all because of me.

    She was quivering with strong emotions.

    ¡°We met each other at the border when Glen came to fight back rogues¡­ It was love at first sight.

    Glen wanted to take me away to his pack¡­but I can¡¯t go. Not with my family still in the Rogue

    King¡¯s hand.¡±

    She took in a deep breath before continuing:

    ¡°So I went to see the Rogue King and ask for his mercy to set my families free-

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    J gasped.

    ¡°You have met the Rogue King?¡±

    Veronica shook her head, ¡°No¡­.not in person. The Rogue King was giving orders behind a curtain.

    But I can tell from his voice that he is a man.¡±

    A man.

    J and the others exchanged a look of frustration.

    Well, at least now they knew about the Rogue King¡¯s gender.

    But that didn¡¯t help to narrow it down.

    ¡°So what did the Rogue King say?¡± J pursued, ¡°I bet that he didn¡¯t let you go without a cost.¡±

    ¡°You are right.¡±

    Veronica let out a bitterugh.

    ¡°He heard that I was in love with a Gamma, and he was thrilled¡­He made me an offer. He

    promised to set my entire family free if Glen agreed to be his source of information during the war.¡±

    Glen dropped his eyes.

    It was the first time that a look of shame appeared on his face.

    Veronica continued in a low voice, ¡°So with my family still in the Rogue King¡¯s hand,

    I traveled to Riverside Pack and became a waitress at a local strip club. Glen woulde to my

    club and pass on the information, and I would send it back to the Rogue King¡­¡±

    J suddenly remembered something.

    Before the war broke out, the 5 Gammas had many long meetings in Riverside Pack. They were all

    exhausted after those meetings.

    Yet somehow, Glen could always find the time and energy to go to the bars after the meetings.

    They thought that Glen was just a hyper guy.

    But the truth was, he went to see Veronica at those times.

    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡±

    Steven cried out abruptly,

    ¡°That is your big reason? You betrayed all of us for a woman?!¡±

    ¡°Steven¡­¡±

    Maxie tried to calm Steven down. But he shook her hand off roughly.

    ¡°We lost lives in this war! Countless lives! Have you f**king thought about that?! And what about

    your Alpha? Your own soldiers? They trusted you! And what did you do in return? You were f**king

    leading them to hell! Your piece of shit!¡±

    Steven was losing his temper again.

    Steven was losing his temper again.

    He raised a leg and kicked Glen¡¯s stomach fiercely, Glen groaned and staggered back. Veronica

    shrieked covering her mouth. She wanted toe forward and help Glen. Yet J stopped her.

    ¡°You will make it worse by going in there,¡± J said to her. ¡°Now, Calm down. It is OK now. Can

    you tell me more about the Rogue King?¡±

    They found out about the mole.

    But that was so not enough.

    If the Rogue King could imnt the first mole among them, he could very well do it again.

    He was cunning and calcting beyond imagination.

    To win this war, they needed to gather more information about this man.

    J could tell that Veronica knew more about the Rogue King besides his gender.

    ¡°Tell me, Veronica. This is important,¡± J demanded. ¡°We will help you rescue your families back.

    As long as you give me the truth.¡±

    Veronica¡¯s lips trembled.

    ¡°The Rogue King is¡­cruel, powerful¡­almost charismatic. He has a certain quality that can make

    you obey his order automatically¡­And he is also a man of his own words¡­¡±

    Veronica stared deep into J¡¯s eyes, with tears welling up.

    ¡°He told me that if we failed, he would skin my family alive¡­He meant it¡­So I am sorry¡­I can¡¯t fail

    him¡­¡± she sobbed desperately.

    J took a small step back.

    A sudden thrill of foreboding hit her.

    But it was toote.

    A dagger appeared in Veronica¡¯s hand. The de shone with a greenish light, indicating that it was

    poisoned.

    With a sharp cry, Veronica raised the dagger and stabbed J!

    In a split second, someone shoved J aside.

    J stumbled sideward and jerked around in panic.

    Her eyes fixed upon the dagger.

    It had sunk deep into Daran¡¯s chest.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    ¡°Daran¨C!!!!

    J cried desperately.

    Her voice trembled as she rushed towards Daran,

    She wished that everything was just a bad dream, that Veronica hadn¡¯t tried to attack her, and

    Daran didn¡¯t shove her aside and take the hit for her.

    Yet it was true.

    The dagger was still deep in Daran¡¯s flesh.

    And the blood was pouring out from his wound, painting his white shirt into red.

    Daran held the dagger and swayed on his spot. He had to put all of his weight on J¡¯s shoulder

    to stop falling.

    His face was quickly turning grey.

    Everyone in the room was shocked by this sudden turn of events.

    Maxie acted first. She pulled over a chair and helped Daran sit down.

    Then she examined his wound.

    ¡°His blood is changing color!¡± she said in an urgent voice, ¡°This dagger is poisoned!¡±

    J looked closely at the wound.

    Maxie was right.

    The blood oozing out was turning into a deeper shade of red, which almost seemed ck. And the

    flesh around his wound was rotting at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    J¡¯s hands trembled violently.

    She considered herself a calm person, capable of handling any urgent crisis.

    Yet at this moment, her mind was aplete nk.

    She didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Without thinking too much about it, J held the dagger and tried to pull it out.

    But Daran stopped her by holding her hand.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t do that.¡±

    His voice was feeble but still steady.

    ¡°If you pull the dagger now, I might bleed to death,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do? Let it stay there?!¡±

    J¡¯s voice was so high and shrill that it didn¡¯t sound like her normal voice.

    Daran tightened his grip on J¡¯s wrist.

    Longingness gleamed in his

    eyes.

    ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± he asked with a faint smile.

    J couldn¡¯t believe his nerve.

    Does he still have time to make jokes? Was he f**king serious?!

    She jerked around to the others and snapped, ¡°Someone gets a doctor!¡±

    Jeff was finally snapped back to reality, and he said urgently, ¡°O¨COn it!¡±

    He rushed out of the tent.

    Steven let out a deafening roar and rushed at Veronica, ¡°Where is the cure you f**king b*tch!¡±

    He seized Veronica¡¯s throat. One move and her neck would be snapped.

    Yet oddly, Veronica didn¡¯t look afraid.

    She looked beyond Steven¡¯s shoulder and stared at Daran. A frantic look appeared in her eyes.

    ¡°You are Alpha Daran¡­the person that the Rogue King feared the most¡­ Yet you are willing to

    sacrifice your life for her.¡±

    Veronica gasped, half¨Ccrying, halfughing.

    ¡°Did you all see that? That is the power of love! Now how can you still me Glen for betraying his

    own men for me?!¡±

    Steven ground his teeth, ¡°Quit yammering and hand in the cure!¡±

    Yet Veronica ignored him.

    She rolled her eyes and stared at the sky, whispering in a low voice, ¡°Rogue King¡­I took down

    Alpha Daran for you¡­so please forgive my mistakes and give my family mercy¡­¡±

    Her voice faded out.

    Then she bit something hidden inside of her mouth.

    Glen had been watching her closely. Now seeing her do that, he roared desperately and rushed

    over, grabbing Veronica¡¯s jaw to force her mouth open.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly!¡± Glen cried in tears, ¡°Spill it out, Veronica! Spill it!¡±

    ¡°What is happening!¡± Steven growled.

    ¡°Rogues hid poison in their teeth so that they couldmit suicide in emergent times! Now help

    me, hurry!¡±

    Together, they forced Veronica to open her mouth. Glen reached his two fingers under her tongue

    and took out half of a white pill.

    She had swollen down the other half.

    Painful tears streamed down Glen¡¯s face as he held his lover.

    She had passed out already, her face and lips losing all color.

    ¡°What do we do now?!¡± Steven stomped his feet anxiously, ¡°Where should we get

    cure?¡±

    Just then, Jeff was back with the doctor.

    The doctor rushed to examine Daran¡¯s wound. Momentster, he wiped the sweat away from his

    forehead. ¡°It is poison¡­I need to operate on him right away.¡±

    ¡°And then he will be fine?¡± J asked worriedly.

    ¡°If the person being stabbed was a regr werewolf, they would be dead by now. But Alpha Daran

    had a strong wolf. I think he will be fine after the operation¡­But we still need to wait and see.¡±

    J breathed out shakily.

    Daran smiled and gently squeezed J¡¯s hand, ¡°Told you that I will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky,¡± J warned him lowly and then turned to the doctor. ¡°Shall we do something

    about the dagger? Can¡¯t let it stay there like that.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Let¡¯sy Alpha Daran down. I will operate right now. I will also scrape off the rotten

    flesh. It might hurt a bit.¡±

    J immediately helped Daran stand up. The doctor hastilyid a stic wrap on the table and

    instructed Daran to lie down on the table.

    Jeff was pacing back and forth anxiously outside of the crowd, ¡°Are you seriously going to operate

    here? Can¡¯t you at least find an aseptic room?¡±

    ¡°There is no time for that.¡± The doctor opened his surgical kit.

    ¡°Well then, give the poor man some painkiller! You said it f**king hurts!¡±

    ¡°There is no need,¡± Daran said abruptly.

    He reached over and interlocked his fingers with J¡¯s.

    ¡°I will be fine as long as J is by my side,¡± Daran smiled.

    J replied with a smile.

    The doctor took his scalpel and started the operation.

    J could feel Daran¡¯s muscles tense up immediately after the doctor made the first cut. His face

    was white as a piece of paper, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

    J felt her heartache.

    14

    If it weren¡¯t for Daran, she would be the one lying on this table. No. She probably wouldn¡¯tst long

    enough for the doctor to arrive. She would be dead already.

    It was at this very moment that she realized that Daran really cared about her.

    So much so that he was willing to take a bullet for her.

    Some strong emotions surged up in her chest.

    J couldn¡¯t help but nt a soft kiss on the back of Daran¡¯s hand.

    Daran¡¯s body suddenly jerked as he looked up at J slowly. His eyes were lit up by joy.

    ¡°You made this stab seem so worth it,¡± he said in a husky voice,

    The doctor pulled out the dagger and clogged the wound with some cotton balls.

    He wanted to go ahead and wrap the wound with lines, but Daran stopped him.

    ¡°Gamma J can do it,¡± he gave a small nod at J.

    The doctor hesitated and then handed J the lien resignedly.

    ¡°Please keep an eye on the Alpha tonight,¡± the doctor said to J. ¡°We don¡¯t know much about the

    rogue¡¯s poison. It looks like Alpha Daran is getting better. But there might be some post¨C

    syndromes.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure,¡± the doctor shook his head.

    Now that Daran¡¯s wound had been treated, the others wanted to give him and J some space.

    Maxie asked soldiers to escort Glen and Veronica out and lock them up. They would be sentenced

    after Daran got better.

    While the Gammas were leaving the tent, Kass appeared by the entrance.

    He gave one quick nce at Daran and his pale face, and then called out to J, ¡°Gamma J,

    can I see you for a second?¡±

    J nodded. She ced the lien on the table and was about to head out.

    Yet her hand fell into an iron grip the next second.

    ¡°I need you to stay here,¡± Daran said icily.

    His lips were pressed into a thin line. He still looked very intimidating even with the wound.

    ¡°I will be back very soon,¡± Jforted him.

    ¡°Stay,¡± Daran strengthened. It was basically an order.

    Yet J simply smiled and broke free from his grip and then walked out of the tent.

    Kass was standing outside. He seemed very tense.

    ¡°I heard that Alpha Daran was poisoned by a rogue?¡± he asked hastily.

    ¡°Yes. Do you know anything about that poison?¡±

    Kass choked.

    An awkward look appeared on his face.

    After a long pause, he put his hand on J¡¯s shoulder and said urgently, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­stay by his side

    tonight.¡±

    J frowned, ¡°Why?¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Just listen to me!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t unless you give me a reason.

    ¡°Because-¡± Kass hissed, gritting his teeth. ¡°-The poison will make him go in heat!¡±

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84

    J froze on her spot.

    ¡°No. You are joking,¡± she said stiffly after a while. ¡°That was poison. Not aphrodisiac.¡±

    ¡°Listen to me.¡±

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Kass ced both of his hands on her shoulder, his face very anxious.

    ¡°I know something about the rogue¡¯s poison. It can kill regr werewolves for sure, but not the

    Alpha kind. His alpha bloodline will rise up and fight with the toxin. His wolf will get horny, longing to

    have s*x with its mate in order to get more power. You have to get away from him before it is too

    late!¡±

    J pondered in silence for a little while.

    ¡°Thanks for letting me know,¡± she gave Kass a faint smile.

    Kass looked stunned.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?!¡± Kass gasped, sounding infuriated. ¡°Are you even listening to me? He will want to have

    s*x with you tonight! He will even force himself upon you! You can¡¯t give him that chance. I won¡¯t

    allow it¡ª¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t allow it?¡±

    J narrowed her eyes. Her voice turned cold.

    ¡°Who gave you the right to say something like that?¡±

    Kass looked mortified.

    He lurched back a bit and lowered his head.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± he murmured, ¡°I¨CWe both knew he was horrible to you before¡­I just didn¡¯t want you to go

    through that again¡­you deserve better¡­¡±

    ¡°I will be the one to decide what I want or deserve.¡±

    J looked at Kass coldly.

    ¡°I appreciate you letting me know. And I know now that you are not the mole. You will always be my

    most trusted subordinate, friend, and brother. But that is it.¡±

    ¡°J¡­¡±

    Kass reached out to grab J¡¯s hand. But he missed her. She had already turned around and

    went back into the tent.

    Daran was still lying on the carpet when she came back.

    J noticed that there was an unusual flush on his white cheek.

    ¡°What did he want?¡±

    He asked forcefully as J sat down by his side.

    J smiled and didn¡¯t answer his question. Taking the lien, she started wrapping

    his wound.

    Daran leaned toward her. His breathing was getting rougher and heavier.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to talk to him ¡± he breathed his eves bloodshot

    J raised an eyebrow. She wrapped the lien around his muscr chest and then finished up with

    a nice bowknot.

    When that was done, she raised her head and stared deep into his eyes.

    ¡°Are you getting some unusual feelings, Daran?¡± she asked quietly.

    His body tensed.

    Her fingertips were touching his bare skin, where goosebumps were starting to appear.

    He suddenly grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.

    ¡°I¡­I feel¡­¡±

    He gulped, closing his eyes. A vein popped on his forehead. His jaw was clenched.

    He was trying hard to control some strong emotions. Yet the beast inside of him was

    about to be unleashed.

    J leaned in and whispered into his ears, ¡°Do you want to know what Kass told me?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°He told me that the poison will make you go into heat.¡±

    Daran froze.

    He moved back a little, putting some distance between them. His eyes searched across her face

    hungrily, eager for an answer.

    ¡°You know that, yet you are still here,¡± he groaned huskily, clenching her wrist. ¡°J¡­I¨CI can¡¯t

    control myself¡ª¡®

    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±

    J kissed him on his lips.

    11

    Daran let out a grown. He held the back of her neck and kissed her back hungrily, like a wild beast.

    He pushed her down to the floor, trailing his hand across her body.

    His hot body temperature made her quiver slightly.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be nice and gentle,¡± he warned her, his breathing ragged.

    J let out a moan and wrapped her legs around his firm waist.

    It had been years since theyst had s*x.

    Daran pulled down her pants in one move and pushed her panties aside.

    Both of them were still covered in the rusty smell of blood that they got from the battlefield.

    But that only made things hotter.

    He poked the head of his cock at her folds, searching for an entrance. She was drenching wet

    already.

    When he thrust himself into the hole, both of them let out a pleasurable long groan.

    ¡°Oh f**k!¡± he cursed.

    J threaded her fingers into his hair and rolled her eyes backward.

    It had been so long since she felt his hard cock inside of her. The sensation was mind¨Cblowing.

    She bet that he must be feeling the same way too. His cock was throbbing excitedly inside of her.

    ¡°F**k me,¡± she whispered into his ears. And he let loose.

    He started pounding her, pulling out a bit and mming back in deeper.

    He grabbed her hip with both of his hands and separated her legs even wider. She was wide open

    for him.

    ¡°Oh f**k¡­you are so wet for me¡­J¡­¡± he groaned beside her ears, ¡°I miss this so much¡­¡±

    His movement was so rough. Her butt kept moving backward under his attack. He grabbed her

    ankles and dragged her right back, pinning her on the spot.

    J¡¯s head was aplete nk. She couldn¡¯t think or feel anything else, except for him. And the

    extreme pleasure that he granted her.

    ¡°Oh Daran-¡± she couldn¡¯t help but call out his name.

    Her inner walls were snatching his cock, hungry for more.

    ¡°Yes, say it. Say my name.¡±

    He rocked his crotch back and forth, hammering into her mercilessly.

    ¡°Say that you like this! Do you like this babe?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I like it!¡± she cried, tugging his hair subconsciously.

    He filled her pussy again and again, working like a machinery. She could feel something rising

    within. An orgasm was pumping.

    He felt the change in her body. So he picked up the pace.

    ¡°Are youing babe?¡± he breathed heavily.

    ¡°Yes¡­Yes, I aming¡­F**k me, Daran!¡± she cried.

    His hips mmed into her, easily throwing her over the edge. Her juice gushed out from her pussy,

    wetting his entire cock.

    This was the strongest orgasm that she ever experienced. And Daran was still lengthening it by

    continuing f**king her. Her body was thrumming with pleasure. She came again when she felt

    something warm and wet filled her pussy.

    It was him. His cum.

    She got chills knowing that his body fluid had filled her body fully.

    They dropped down to the floor, their chests rising and falling rapidly. Together, theyy there,

    enjoying the beautiful aftershock.

    Daran buried his head in the hollow of her neck and nibbled her skin. He slightly sank his wolf fangs

    into her flesh and then licked it.

    It was the wolf¡¯s instinct.

    He wanted to mark her as his own. Completely.

    J pushed his head away from her neck and rolled over onto his body. She was sitting on top of

    him now.

    Daran¡¯s eyes raked across her naked body, her delicate cheekbones, her plummy breasts, her tits.

    Love and passion gleamed in his eyes.

    His cock was hard again.

    J smiled. She trailed her fingertips across his chest, circling his nipples.

    ¡°Your wolf is still longing for me,¡± she said softly.

    He pulled her down and caught her lips passionately.

    ¡°And so am I,¡± he groaned.

    The night was long.

    And they still had plenty of time.

    The next morning, J woke up and found herself lying in Daran¡¯s arms.

    His naked chest was next to her back, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, his lips on her

    bare shoulder.

    She could even hear his steady heartbeat from this proximity.

    J turned around and met with his eyes. He had been awake for a while.

    ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± J asked.

    Daran nodded. He wanted to kiss her, but J moved aside.

    ¡°We better get dressed. Plenty of things to do today.¡±

    A hint of disappointment flickered across his eyes. J pretended that she didn¡¯t see that left his

    arms and started to get dressed.

    She was putting on her pants with her back facing him when he hugged her again from behind.

    ¡°J,¡± he called her name hoarsely.

    He lowered his head and kissed her shoulder, then her neck, then her cheek.

    Then he murmured into her ears, full of longingness:

    ¡°Come back and be my Luna.¡±

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85

    J stayed in silence for a long moment.

    Then she turned around to face Daran with a far¨Caway expression.

    ¡°What do you thinkst night was?¡± she asked.

    The muscle under Daran¡¯s right eye twitched.

    He sensed her aloofness.

    Joy was quickly fading away from his face.

    After a small pause, he tossed the question right back at her, ¡°What do you thinkst night was

    then?¡±

    ¡°S*x,¡± she answered in a straightforward manner.

    ¡°And nothing else?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She shrugged, ¡°Maybe a little bit of worry. I was told that mating is a part of this healing

    process. So-¡±

    Her chin fell into Daran¡¯s iron grip.

    ¡°You were having s*x with me out of pity?!¡± he snapped, looking down at her with dark eyes.

    J was not intimidated by him. She looked back at him calmly.

    ¡°Your wolf needed me. And you enjoyed the s*x. Why can¡¯t we just leave it like that?¡± she said.

    ¡°Because I want more!¡±

    Daran growled, sounding enraged and frustrated.

    ¡°I want you toe back and be my Luna. I want to im you as mine, righteously! Seriously,

    J, we were wonderfulst night. I can tell that you desire me, just like I desire you. So why can¡¯t

    youe back?¡±

    J breathed out a small sigh.

    ¡°Like I said, it was just s*x. I won¡¯t deny that I enjoyed the s*x. But it doesn¡¯t mean that I will be

    coming back to your side. I can enjoy that amazing s*x even with others-¡±

    Daran clenched her jaw abruptly.

    ¡°DON¡¯T,¡± he warned her dangerously.

    J tilted her head and broke free from him.

    ¡°You get the drill,¡± she said.

    Daran stood on his spot stiffly. Blood was oozing from the bandage on his chest. His hair was

    messy, and his eyes were bloodshot.

    He looked like a defeated beast.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    He said hoarsely after a long pause.

    ¡°You have feelings for me, clearly. So why are you pushing me away? Why make me fall for you

    and then be cold again? Is it because of another man?¡±

    ¡°This is not about any other people.¡±

    ¡°Then-¡±

    ¡°I am tired of being your Luna, Daran.¡± she said lowly, ¡°Staying in that empty room alone and

    wondering when you might show up¡­ It was like hell. When I left Riverside Pack, I kissed my past

    goodbye. I can forgive you for the pain you caused me. But we can¡¯t go back.¡±

    Daran stared at her deeply.

    There was a mixed expression on his face: anger, frustration, agony, pain¡­Those emotions were

    so heavy that even J started to feel hard to breathe.

    Eventually, he asked, ¡°Yet you are fine with us having s*x?¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    J bit her lower lip.

    Then she nodded slightly.

    Daran took a hand to stroke her long hair. His hand came to her gently rubbing her earlobe.

    ear,

    his thumb

    ¡°Like we are s*x partners,¡± he said.

    J didn¡¯t know where he was going with this. She could only nod again reluctantly, ¡°¡­if that is

    what you want to call it.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Daran turned away from her abruptly.

    ¡°You should leave my tent now, Gamma J,¡± he said with his back facing her. ¡°Like you said, we

    have plenty of things to do today.¡±

    His tone was cold and distant.

    J looked at his blood¨Ctainted bandage, ¡°at least let me change the bandage for you-¡±

    ¡°Get the doctor. You can go now.

    11

    He picked up his shirt and pulled it over his head. Then seeing that she was still standing there, he

    asked ironically, ¡°What are you still doing here? Looking for a second round?¡±

    ¡°¡­I will get the doctor for you.¡±

    J turned around and walked out of the tent.

    J wandered down the street absent¨Cminded.

    After a brutal war, Crimson Fortress¡¯s once bustling street was now scarred and broken. There was

    blood, weapons, and burned¨Cdown houses everywhere she looked.

    Yet soldiers were all helping to get local residents¡¯s lives back on track.

    Temporary shelters had been set up. And there were makeshift markets that offered essentials for

    survival. Street vendors served hot meals, filling the air with the smell of chicken soup that wafted

    through the streets.

    J knew that she should be looking for Balvina and other Gammas. And they should discuss

    their next moves.

    But her mind was still on Daran.

    Her rationality told her that she made the right choice by rejecting Daran.

    But her heart was not as determined.

    The hurtful look on Daran¡¯s face yed over and over again in her head¡­ ¡°Gamma J!¡±

    J jerked around and saw a man running down the street towards her.

    It was that smith she saved from the rogue. Lance Alder.

    ¡°Gamma J how are you doing?¡± he shook her hand enthusiastically, a bright smile on his face.

    ¡°I just want to thank you again for saving my family. If there is anything you need, just let me know.¡±

    J forced out a smile, ¡°You are wee. How¡¯s your wife and child? Do you have a ce to

    stay?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes. The rogues burned down our house, but soldiers built a tent for us on the ruins. Now I am

    working as a volunteer to help rebuild the city.¡±

    ¡°That is nice.¡±

    J could feel his gratitude. But she was tired and had a lot on her mind and was in no mood for

    small talk.

    ¡°Listen, Lance, I probably need to talk to my-¡®

    Lance suddenly leaned in, his face all serious.

    ¡°Gamma J, I want to volunteer myself to serve in your army. I hate the rogues more than

    anything. And luckily, I have some handy skills that can be useful in your army. I build weapons and

    am good with the mechanism.¡±

    J frowned.

    She appreciated his enthusiasm. But it was against the rule to enlist civilians.

    She was searching for a nice way to turn him down when another person called her behind her

    back:

    ¡°J!¡±

    It was Balvina, and Kass. Both of them looked worried.

    Balvina ran up to J and said urgently, ¡°There is something you need to know¨C

    She paused and gave a quick nce at Lance.

    Lance took the hint.

    ¡°Please think about it, Gamma J,¡± he said and walked

    away.

    Balvina waited for Lance to disappear before saying to J in a low voice, ¡°The rogues that fled

    last night were seen moving toward the same direction. Our men followed them and saw them

    gathered at the Grand Canyon.¡±

    Grand Canyon?

    11

    It was 200 miles from here, deep into the rogue¡¯s territory.

    ¡°Maybe that is their headquarters,¡± J said.

    ¡°And there is something else¡­¡±

    Kass gulped.

    ¡°Our men said that they heard some loud cheering and howling in the canyon. All the rogues were

    roaring with the same name¡­ the ¡®Rogue King.¡® Their passion ran so high that it sounded like they

    just lost a battle.¡±

    J widened her eyes, ¡°So the Rogue King is in the Grand Canyon now?¡±

    ¡°He probably never left their headquarters,¡± Balvina said.

    This Rogue King was truly a mystery.

    First, they thought that he was in Crimson Fortress; yet now they knew that he was hundreds of

    miles away.

    They thought they had defeated him by taking down Crimson Fortress.

    But as it turned out, they were not even close.

    ¡°We need to let the others know,¡± J said.

    She turned to leave. Yet Kass grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°Did you do itst night?¡± he asked, looking lost.

    ¡°Do what?¡± Balvina asked curiously.

    J¡¯s jaw tensed. She shook him off forcefully and snapped, ¡°You are crossing the line here,

    Kass!¡±

    She hurried away in fume.

    J was so eager to get away from Kass¡¯s interrogation that she didn¡¯t look for her

    surroundings.

    If she were a bit more cautious, she would notice that Lance had been hiding in a corner, listening

    to their conversation attentively.

    He never walked away too far.

    Seeing the three of them walk away, a mysterious smile slowly appeared on his lips.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86

    30 minutester, all Gammas were gathered in the same tent where they had the meeting

    yesterday.

    J was thest one to arrive. She wasn¡¯t ready to face Daran after their quarrel. When she

    stepped into the tent, she saw Daran talking to a man.

    That man looked familiar.

    ¡°J!¡±

    The man strode over with his arms spread wide open and pulled J in for a big hug

    ¡°My gosh. It was so nice to see you again! You look radiating.¡±

    J was slightly taken aback.

    It took her a minute to realize that this man was Silver w Pack¡¯s Alpha Jared, AKA Glen¡¯s Alpha.

    11

    ¡­Alpha Jared, it has been quite a while.¡± J smiled and hugged him back. ¡°How have you

    been?¡±

    ¡°I am doing just fine. Thanks for asking,¡± Jared replied briskly, still holding J¡¯s hands. ¡°I heard

    what Glen did. I am terribly sorry for that. So I traveled from Silver w Pack overnight just to be

    here to-¡±

    Daran cleared his throat deliberately, cutting Jared off.

    He cast a dark look at Jared and J¡¯s holding hands before saying coldly, ¡°Alpha Jared, one

    apology is not enough.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. And that is why I came over myself to make up for all of your loss. And to make sure

    that Glen is sentenced justly¡­¡®

    ¡°Make up for our loss?¡±

    Daran walked up to him step by step, his voice echoing boomingly across the tent, drawing

    everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°That is an easy way to say. Thanks to your Gamma, we lost thousands of people¡¯s lives, soldiers

    and civilians. You can¡¯t put a number on our loss! And let¡¯s not forget about one thing-¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes into slits.

    -We haven¡¯t ruled out your suspicion yet.¡±

    There was a ringing silence among them.

    Jared¡¯s face turned cold, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    The two men stood face to face, both of them tall and sturdy, ring at each other with sharp eyes.

    1

    Tension was quickly building up between them.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    Daran sneered.

    ¡°Maybe Glen was working for the Rogue King with your connivance. And that makes the entire

    Silver w Pack¡ªincluding you¨Ca traitor¡­¡±

    ¡°Daran!¡±

    J snapped, clenching her fists.

    She felt that Daran was being unnecessarily aggressive here.

    They all heard Glen and Veronica¡¯s testimony, Glen betrayed them for personal reasons. It was

    most likely that Jared had no idea of this.

    And even if Jared was indeed aware of it, they couldn¡¯t confront him until they had concrete proof.

    Jared was an Alpha. There was no way to talk to an Alpha like that.

    The others were also astonished by Daran¡¯s bluntness.

    Jeff let out an awkwardugh, ¡°Alpha Daran, I really don¡¯t think Alpha Jared is at fault here. And

    seriously, I am tired of pointing fingers at this group. We should really be working together right

    now.¡±

    Steven nodded to that hastily.

    ¡°That is what I think,¡± Jared said calmly.

    He looked at Daran with a candid expression.

    ¡°I understand your doubt, Alpha Daran. But I swear to the moon goddess, I didn¡¯t know what he was

    up to. And not to defend my men or anything, us Silver w men are all very emotional and crazily

    romantic. We fell in love easily. And would do crazy shit for love. But that doesn¡¯t make us traitors¡­

    We are just very dedicated to our partners.¡±

    He winked at J.

    J replied to him with a dry smile.

    Daran saw their little interactions. His face darkened.

    ¡°I am sure that most men in this room are dedicated to their partners,¡± Daran hissed. ¡°But your point

    being?¡±

    ¡°Let me talk to Glen and that girl Veronica,¡± Jared said. ¡°Our top priority is to locate the Rogue King,

    right? They must know something. So let me persuade them to work

    for us.¡±

    Daran frowned with an expressionless face, pondering.

    ¡°I agree with Alpha Jared,¡± J said. ¡°Balvina just told me that the fled rogues were gathered at

    the Great Canyon 200 miles away. They were cheering for the Rogue King. From what we know,

    they might be working on their next strike. We need to be proactive.¡±

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Daran breathed out a sigh.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    He said sullenly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Glen and Veronica. And see what Alpha Jared can do.¡±

    The group of them filed out of the tent.

    J fell a few steps behind to walk with Daran.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± J whispered.

    Daran kept his eyes straight forward with a deadpan face.

    ¡°What was what?¡± Daran said icily.

    ¡°You. Going after Jared!¡± J said in fume, ¡°You knew at heart that he was

    innocent. So why did you attack him? It makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°Do I need to exin all my decisions to you?¡± Daran¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°As you have constantly

    reminded me, you are not a member of my pack.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t be a baby, Daran. You were clearly going after him for personal issues

    She paused.

    And then something hit her.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    She slowly began, while thinking about her seemingly absurd theory.

    ¡°Daran¡­are you¨Cjealous of Jared?¡±

    Daran halted abruptly. J almost collided with his back.

    ¡°Jealous of him?¡± he snapped, his voice getting louder. ¡°Why do I need to be jealous of him? The

    only thing he can brag about himself is how much of a crazy romantic he is!¡±

    Daran WAS jealous. For sure.

    And he was acting like a baby.

    A jealous little baby.

    J felt an urge tough at him to his face. But that would infuriate him even further.

    ¡°Why are you grinning like an idiot?¡± Daran snapped.

    J tried not tough as she said, ¡°You can¡¯t deny that romance is a very important part of a

    rtionship.¡±

    Daran red at her, ¡°So that is what you see in him? That is why you turned me down and chose

    him over me?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    J shrugged, keeping her tone light.

    ¡°First, this is not a mating ritual. I am not choosing between you two. And second, picking a partner

    isn¡¯t like picking a leader. The standards are drastically different. Being a strong Alpha doesn¡¯t

    necessarily make you a great lover. Personally speaking, I don¡¯t hate my lover being romantic once

    in a while.¡±

    They looked at each other, staring deep into each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Why are you telling me this, J?¡± he asked hoarsely after a pause.

    ¡°You started this conversation.¡±

    J let out a light sneer.

    ¡°And what I think doesn¡¯t really matter, right? Since¡­you know¡­.we are just s*x partners.¡±

    Daran grabbed her hand forcefully, looking irritated, ¡°You just like to remind me of that, don¡¯t you?

    Why can¡¯t you just be a normal she¨Cwolf? Why can¡¯t you be a little more submissive?¡±

    J freed herself from his grip, ¡°Maybe because you have a type, Alpha Daran. Maybe you just

    love to be challenged.¡±

    She ignored the horrible look on his face and smiled:

    ¡°Now let¡¯s go. We still need to talk to Glen and Veronica.¡±

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87

    Glen and Veronica were kept in a severely guarded house that they temporally used as a prison

    cell.

    When Daran and J walked in, a doctor was examining Veronica¡¯s condition. She was awake

    already but looked very tired and wan.

    ¡°How is she, doctor?¡± J asked.

    ¡°If she swallowed the whole pill, she would be dead by now. The good news is that half of that pill

    isn¡¯t enough to kill her. But the bad news is that it damaged her throat, permanently.¡±

    Everyone rounded their eyes in shock.

    ¡°Are you saying that she can¡¯t talk again? That she lost her voice?¡± Glen asked urgently.

    The doctor sighed, ¡°I am afraid so.¡±

    Glen held Veronica¡¯s hand at a loss. The couple looked at each other with tears gleaming in their

    eyes.

    Jared stepped out of the crowd, ¡°Glen.¡±

    Glen quickly cast a nce at him and then looked down. There was a shameful look on his face.

    ¡°Alpha Jared¡­¡± he said in a quivering voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­I am sorry¡­for

    everything¡­¡±

    ¡°You should be.¡±

    Jared crossed his arms, looking grim and serious.

    ¡°Us Silver w men are all very proud of how dedicated we are to our partners. But that is no

    excuse for you to betray your own men! Alpha Daran was right about one thing: You can¡¯t make up

    for what you did with a simple apology. You have to take responsibility.¡±

    Glen¡¯s shoulders slumped.

    He looked down¨Chearted.

    ¡°You can kill me and toss my body to the wildness to feed the wild animals. I am fine with that,¡± he

    said in a defeated tone. ¡°But please set Veronica free. It was my idea to take the Rogue King¡¯s offer.

    Not hers.¡±

    Tears rushed down Veronica¡¯s face.

    She shook her head hastily, trying to say something in tears. But her throat was destroyed. She

    could only make a few muffled sounds that nobody could make sense of.

    ¡°Or maybe there is an alternative way,¡± J said.

    She walked up to Veronica and ced her hand on top of Veronica¡¯s, ¡°You were trying to save your

    loved ones. I get it. Now you can do the same thing by giving us information about the Rogue

    King.¡±

    Veronica looked at her.

    Suspicion flickered across her eyes.

    ¡°With such information, we will conquer the Rogue King and rescue your family out of his hands. I

    can¡¯t promise that you won¡¯t be punished after that. But at least in the meantime, you get to spend

    more time with Glen.¡±

    Jared echoed, ¡°J is right. So what do you say, Glen? Do you prefer to be executed tomorrow?

    Or enjoy some quality time with her while correcting your own mistake?¡±

    Glen looked hesitated.

    Then he turned to look at Veronica.

    ¡°I love you, Veronica, no matter what,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°This is your decision to make.¡±

    Veronica cried in silence. Shakily, she nted a kiss on Glen¡¯s lips.

    Then she turned to face the crowd and made a hand gesture, asking for something to

    write with.

    ¡°Get her a piece of paper and pen!¡± J cried.

    A soldier rushed over and handed Veronica a pad and a pen.

    Then she started writing.

    Rogue King. Man.

    She underlined the word ¡°man.¡±

    ¡°You believe that the Rogue King is a man. We get it,¡± Daran said deeply. ¡°Anything else? Have you

    heard about the Great Canyon?¡±

    Veronica nodded.

    She drew a pair of high mountains with steep cliffs and a gap in between. She marked the gap as

    Great Canyon.

    And then from the Great Canyon, she drew a road winding off to the North.

    At the end of this road, she drew arge city and a castle in the middle.

    She wrote down three words beside that city:

    The Grace Ruin.

    ¡°The Grace Ruin?¡±

    J looked closely at her hand¨Cdrawn map, ¡°Is it the rogue¡¯s headquarters? Where

    does the Rogue King live?¡±

    Veronica nodded.

    She pointed at that winding road to the North and then wrote down Only Way next to

    1. it.

    Daran and J exchanged a look of apprehension.

    ¡°No wonder those fled rogues were all gathered by the Great Canyon,¡± J said in a low voice.

    ¡°Because that is their only way back to their homnd, the Grace Ruin.¡±

    ¡°Grace Ruin is not their homnd.¡±

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°Grace Ruin is not their nomnd,¡±

    Daran shook his head with a dark face.

    ¡°I have heard about this ce. It was once called the Grd, a beautiful and fertile hignd.

    Until the rogues took it and turned the whole city into ruins.¡±

    ¡°So what do we do know?¡± Steven asked cagerly, ¡°Shall we take our best men and go snatch the

    city back from that son of a bitch?¡±

    J frowned with worry.

    She wasn¡¯t hot on the idea of sending the army out so soon.

    Their soldiers were still tired from thetest battle. They needed time to catch their breath.

    And most importantly, they still knew too little about the Rogue King.

    She had a feeling that they would fall right into his trap again if they acted too recklessly.

    She was thinking about how to voice out her concerns when Daran spoke up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hold our horses here.¡±

    Daran said deeply while ncing around the room.

    ¡°We have chased the rogues away, which is great. But I have a feeling that he wille back very

    soon. Let theme to us this time. And we will take the chance to learn more about them. Until

    then, I don¡¯t want to send any more men deep into the Rogue King¡¯s territory. It is too dangerous.¡±

    J let out a small sigh of relief and smiled.

    This was exactly what she thought.

    It was amazing how Daran and she could connect to each other so naturally.

    She couldn¡¯t even do this with Casper.

    The others didn¡¯t have a question about this. So they all left and went back to their own business.

    Jared stopped J by the door before she left.

    ¡°Hey J, I was wondering if I could ask you out for dinner tonight?¡± he smiled.

    J was caught off guard by his proposal. And Daran was walking right behind J. He heard

    what Jared said and his face darkened instantly.

    ¡°Where to?¡±

    Daran said in an ironic tone.

    ¡°Shall I remind you that the whole city was burned to the ground? And there was not a single open

    restaurant.¡±

    Jared fixed his gaze on J, ignoring Daran¡¯s irony.

    ¡°Well, I was thinking of a pic on the mountaintop?¡± Jared smiled, ¡°We can enjoy the skylight and

    the beautiful night view. It will be romantic, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    The word ¡°romantic¡± clearly struck Daran¡¯s nerve.

    He let out a cold snort.

    J hesitated and gave a quick nce at Daran.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Daran said icily, ¡°Asking for my approval?¡±

    J felt a re of anger.

    ¡°You are right. I don¡¯t need your approval,¡± she said defiantly. ¡°Alpha Jared, it would be my honor.

    See you tonight.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Jared beamed.

    Daran walked past them and left the room with a m of the door.

    J marched out behind him, puffing out her chest.

    She was so tired of Daran¡¯s juvenile behavior.

    If he really cared about her and wanted her back, he should act like it. At least he should find ways

    to impress her, like Jared did.

    Or maybe he didn¡¯t care that much about her at all.

    Maybe he was just interested in her body.

    What a dick.

    J went back to her own tent and started preparing for tonight¡¯s date.

    Probably because she was just trying to annoy Daran, she wanted to look good for the date.

    Yet sadly, she packed onlybat uniforms and sportswear. There weren¡¯t enough options for

    clothing.

    J sat down in front of the mirror and let her hair down. She started to work on a delicate braid. It

    was the least she could do.

    She was struggling with her hair when she heard somebodying into her tent. She saw through

    the mirror that it was Daran again.

    ¡°You are really trying for this date.¡±

    He walked up to her back, staring darkly at her through the mirror.

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    J sneered in a provoking manner.

    ¡°As you can see, Jared and I like each other a lot. If things go well tonight, we might actually-¡±

    She didn¡¯t get to finish.

    Because Daran had spun her around forcefully and caught her lips.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    A chill was sent down J¡¯s spine when their lips touched.

    She could feel her wolf howling inside of her, craving for the touch of her mate.

    Daran was apparently as turned on as she was.

    Holding her waist with both hands, he lifted her up to the top of the desk and squeezed in between

    her separated legs, while keep kissing her.

    His breathing grew heavier. J could already feel his erection under his pants. And his hands are

    traveling down to J¡¯s upper thighs¡­

    J grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she breathed.

    Daran¡¯s eyes were slits. The fire of lust was burning in them.

    ¡°You said that we are sex partners,¡± he said h oar sely. ¡°I am doing exactly what we are supposed to

    do.¡±

    J let out a sarcasticugh.

    ¡°Really? And this isn¡¯t a way for you to stop me from going on that date with Jared?¡±

    She shoved him aside and jumped off the desk.

    Her heart was thumping with rage.

    She felt offended and even more so, humiliated.

    Daran was treating her like a se x toy! Hopping in on her like a lost controlled animal.

    Was this the kind of respect that he nned to give his intended Luna?

    She made the right decision by turning down his offer.

    He was only interested in her body!

    J tidied her clothes and red at Daran, ¡°We are sex partners. PARTNERS! So mutual consent

    was involved! You can¡¯t force me into something when I clearly don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±

    Daran repeated after her with a wicked grin.

    ¡°Your body said the opposite.¡±

    J bit her lips in frustration.

    He was right. She was indeed turned on. Even her panties were wet right now.

    She hated her body for being so honest.

    And she hated it the most when Daran was right.

    ¡°So what?¡±

    J chined up, looking at Daran defiantly.

    ¡°You turn me on easily. And I give you credit for that. But you can never get to my heart.¡±

    Daran gritted, ¡°So Jared can get to your heart?¡±

    ¡°That is what I am nning on finding out tonight. Now if you will excuse me!¡±

    She gave up on the braid that she was working on before Daran walked in and headed straight to

    the door.

    Her long, silky hair flung in the air. Daran caught a fleeting wisp of her scent when she walked past

    him.

    But a secondter, she was gone. Along with her enticing scent.

    When J arrived at the top of the mountain outside of Crimson Fortress, Jared was already there

    waiting for her.

    It was night. A canvas of a thousand stars was above their heads. The night air was crisp, carrying

    a hint of pine and the distant rush of a babbling stream.

    A plush nket was spread over the ground with a basket of food sitting on top of it. The flickering

    candles in ornatenterns created a beautiful glow.

    ¡°I am so d that you came.¡±

    Jared took her hand and invited her to sit with him on the nket. His eyes were gleaming softly

    against the candlelight.

    J forced a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a date. Why wouldn¡¯t Ie?¡±

    Jared handed her a ss of champagne, ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that I am lucky to have you here

    tonight.¡±

    They clung to their sses and J took a small sip.

    This was what she liked about Jared. Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He knew how to avoid the sensitive subject and say some nice things. It was easy and

    pleasant being around Jared.

    Unlike Daran. Nothing good ever came out of Daran¡¯s mouth.

    J shook her head.

    Why was she thinking about Daran again?

    She had got to stop.

    They drank their wine in silence. And after a while, Jared spoke up first, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what Glen

    did.¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t be. It is not your fault¡­And I am sorry as well. I know that

    you two are really close.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we are. Like brothers.¡±

    Jared gazed into the distance with a nostalgic look.

    ¡°You know¡­things were really rough when I became the Alpha of Silver w Pack. Most of the

    elders believed that I was too young for the job. If it weren¡¯t for my Alpha bloodline, they would have

    expelled me a long time ago¡­¡¯

    He took in a deep breath.

    ¡°And Glen was the only one to root for me. For years, we stood by each other¡¯s side, facing all

    difficulties together. It wasn¡¯t easy. But we made it. And it was all because we had each other¡¯s back

    when something came up. It was hard to imagine a Silver

    w Pack without its G amma Glen.¡±

    Jared¡¯s voice faded out gradually.

    Then he turned to look at J.

    ¡°Do you think Daran will sentence Glen to death after everything?¡± he asked.

    J felt bad for him, especially when she saw the devastated look on his face.

    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know, Jared.¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°And it is not Daran¡¯s decision to make. You are Glen¡¯s Alpha. I guess that in the end, you will have

    to decide what to do with Glen.¡±

    Jared let out a bitterugh, ¡°But Glen hurt the alliance and Daran is the alliance¡¯s leader¡­Honestly,

    if we have a King of the Alphas, I think it would be Daran. So of course his opinion matters here.¡±

    J didn¡¯t know how to respond to this.

    They receded into an awkward silence.

    After a long pause, Jared heaved out a heavy sigh, ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bring up these kinds of

    stuff¡­This is not what I wanted to say to you at all tonight.¡±

    J smiled, ¡°Then what did you want to say to me?¡±

    They were sitting on the nket with a litntern between them.

    Jared suddenly moved closer toward her.

    Now his face was only a few inches away from her own.

    J could see his long eyshes flutter like butterflies.

    Her mouth turned dry.

    Then she heard Jared¡¯s husky voice whispering into her ear:

    ¡°I have a whole speech prepared¡­but I will just go ahead and say it now¡­¡±

    J clenched her hand on the nket.

    She suddenly felt very nervous.

    ¡°W-What?¡± she muttered.

    Jared reached into his pocket and took something out. He put his fist out in front of her and slowly

    spread his palm.

    There was a ring in his palm, made of straws and wildflowers.

    J held her breath.

    Pl hea

    ¡°Will you be my Luna, J?¡± he asked softly.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    J was utterly shocked.

    She stared at the grass ring in his palm for a long time before uttering a single word:

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I know that this is sudden. And you are probably scared-¡±

    ¡°No, not scared. Shocked!¡±

    J waved her hands hastily.

    ¡°I am just¡­God! What were you thinking? This is our first date and the very second time that we

    see each other¡­And you just proposed?¡±

    She thought that they were just hanging out.

    If she knew that he was going to propose, she wouldn¡¯te to this date in the first ce.

    She liked Jared, but not in that way.

    And they barely knew each other.

    Jared starched his head with a wry smile.

    ¡°I probably came on too strong with that, didn¡¯t I?¡± he sighed, ¡°Dam n¡­I knew I should have said

    my speech first. I bet it will help.¡±

    J shook her head.

    She didn¡¯t think any speech would make this proposal look better.

    ¡°Just¡­tell me what you were thinking,¡± J said. ¡°You are not seriously in love with me, aren¡¯t

    you?¡±

    ¡°I like you a lot,¡± Jared answered right away.

    But the hint of reluctance in his eyes still gave him away.

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®Like¡¯ but not ¡®Love.¡¯ And I like you, Jared. But that is not enough for me to marry you. So

    what is the real reason that you asked me to be your Luna?¡±

    Jared sighed.

    He looked frustrated.

    ¡°OK¡­you caught me there. You are a really perceptive person, J,¡± he murmured.

    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°And you were right. Asking you to be my Luna¡­this was a desperate idea. I guess I was running

    out of options and came to you as myst resort.¡±

    He looked down at his own palm, staring at that grass ring.

    ¡°Remember what I told you a moment before? That Glen is the best help I can get in my pack? Not

    that hemitted such a serious crime, I will bepletely isted in Silver w Pack. The

    elders will take this opportunity ande at me. They will find another person with the Alpha

    bloodline and rece me¡­

    ¡°So you want my help,¡± J said.

    ¡°Yeah. You are Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Alpha¡¯s only sister, a true princess. You are also a

    P

    Gamma yourself, a brilliant warrior. If you be my Luna, I will receive far less resistance from

    the elders.¡¯

    11

    He paused.

    And looked at J with a bitter smile.

    ¡°You must hate me now, don¡¯t you?¡± he sighed, ¡°Using you and asking for your help like that¡­it is

    pathetic.¡¯

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    11

    J slowly shook her head.

    ¡°Everyone wants help when they are in difficulties. I did too¡­Once. But I was not lucky enough to

    have a shoulder to lean on.¡¯

    When she was still living in the Diaz household, every single day was like hell. And she would pray

    the Moon Goddess day and night to be blessed with some help.

    So she knew what it felt like to bepletely isted. And helpless.

    So she didn¡¯t me Jared.

    J reached for his hand and softened her tone, ¡°I understand the difficult situation you are in. It

    must be hard.¡±

    Jared looked at her, with a twinkle in his eyes.

    He squeezed her hand back.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make this into a bargain, but this marriage can benefit you as well,¡± he said lowly. ¡°If

    I can get total control of Silver w after our marriage, I will propose a longsting alliance with

    your pack. Silver w will forever be Blood Moon¡¯s brother, in peace and in war. And a brilliant

    woman like you doesn¡¯t deserve to be confined in a household. I will give you enough power in

    court so that you can put your wisdom and strength to good use.

    J listened to him at a loss.

    At first, she found his proposal utterly absurd.

    Yet now¡­

    She had to admit that some parts of his speech spoke to what she truly wanted.

    One thing she hated the most about her marriage with Daran-besides his neglect-was how

    powerless she was. She didn¡¯t have a say in anything as Daran¡¯s

    Luna.

    Standing next to Daran, she was always invisible.

    Yet Jared was proposing the opposite to her.

    And Blood Moon Pack did need a longsting alliance. She would be helping Casper if she married

    Jared.

    But¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t agree to this, Jared. At least not now. I am sorry,¡± she said slowly.

    She already had one failed marriage.

    She hoped that the next time she mated with someone would be because they loved

    1

    each other so much.

    She couldn¡¯t make her marriage into a deal.

    The disappointment on Jared¡¯s face was obvious.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect you to say yes at once. Nevertheless¡­I was basically proposing with a candy

    ring,¡± he waved the grass ring,ughing to himself.

    J smiled, ¡°That was indeed a reckless move.¡±

    ¡°But at least you will think about it?¡±

    J hesitated.

    After a long pause, under Jared¡¯s nervous gaze, she slowly nodded.

    ¡°Yes, I will,¡± she promised.

    His eyes lit up immediately, ¡°And don¡¯t forget that I really like you. It¡¯s not Love yet.

    But I can already see myself being crazy for you in the future.¡±

    Jughed, ¡°Sure. I will keep that in mind.¡¯

    She picked up the grass ring from his palm and put it on her finger.

    ¡°And I will ept this as a gift,¡± she said.

    Jared grinned, ¡°I promise that the next time I propose it will be a ring with a real diamond.¡±

    They looked at each other andughed at the same time.

    They sat on the nket and finished their meal. The night sky was so beautiful. So after dinner, they

    lay down facing the sky and looked at the stars.

    Jared knew a lot about the star-chat.

    He pointed at the stars and told J which one was the Ursa Major, and which one was the Ursa

    Minor.

    1

    With his help, J even found her own star sign, the Hunter.

    Jared also told J a lot about his childhood, and how he managed to survive in those vicious

    elders¡¯ hands. Just like J, he didn¡¯t have a loving family to grow up with.

    There was no love between them.

    But they could rte to each other, deeply.

    They stayed on the mountaintop all night, drinking wine, looking at the stars, and talking.

    It was the most peaceful and rxed night that J had in a long time.

    They waited for the sun to rise up from the horizon before packing up stuff and leaving the

    mountain.

    Jared offered to walk her back to her tent. And J said yes.

    Yet outside of her tent, they encountered an unexpected person.

    Daran.

    alu all night

    It looked like that he had been standing here for a long time, probably all night.

    There were stubbles on his chin. His dark hair was now matted and silvered with frost. Dark circles

    were under his eyes and his eyes were heavy with exhaustion.

    He slowly raised his head to look at J and Jared.

    ¡°¡­You were with him all night,¡± he said, his voice dark and hoarse.

    J was stunned.

    ¡°You have been waiting for me all night?!¡± she gasped.

    Daran said nothing. He simply narrowed his eyes at Jared, like a predator fixated upon its prey.

    Jared sensed the danger. So she put a hand on Jared¡¯s shoulder and whispered urgently, ¡°You

    should leave. I will talk to youter-¡±

    Before she could finish, Daran strode over in one step.

    He grabbed J¡¯s right hand and brought it to his face, fury pumping through his eyes.

    He looked at the grass ring on J¡¯s finger.

    ¡°What the f uck¡ª¡±

    He hissed darkly.

    ¡°-IS THIS?!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    J wanted to pull her wrist back from Daran.

    But she couldn¡¯t.

    Her wrist was tightly mped in Daran¡¯s hand.

    ¡°What are you doing? Let go!¡± J gritted.

    ¡°What the hell is that? Answer me!¡±

    J felt a sudden sh of anger.

    ¡°What do you think this is?¡± she snapped, ¡°It is a ring, obviously!¡±

    Daran looked furious, as though he was about to break J¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ring¡­So he proposed to you? He f ucking asked you to be his Luna?¡±

    He tightened his grip, his knuckles turning white.

    ¡°And you said YES?!¡±

    Jared was standing behind their back and saw everything. He was astonished by the raging look on

    Daran¡¯s face.

    He stepped up to break Daran and J apart, ¡°Hey you are hurting her. Let her go-¡±

    Daran snapped his head around and let out a roaring howl!

    His face was changing. His pupils were turning gold and his wolf fangs were stuck out. The howl he

    made sounded more like the voice of a wolf instead human.

    He was shifting!

    But they never shifted in front of their own men!

    J let out a horrified cry and rushed forward. She shoved Jared to her back and stood in front of

    Daran.

    Yet her protecting gesture infuriated Daran even more.

    ¡°You said yes to him right after you rejected me-¡±

    He clenched his fists and growled, his whole body quivering in fury.

    ¡°-WHY! Do you really love him that much?!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± J cried, ¡°Just calm the f uck down Daran-¡±

    But he was tired of listening

    With one swift move, heunched forward, shifting into a giant ck wolf in midair,

    and went after Jared directly!

    Jared took a step back in panic. He knew that he probably didn¡¯t stand a chance against Daran. But

    if Daran attacked him, he had no choice but to shift as well.

    Yet J acted first.

    With a long wolf howl, she shifted into her wolf and stood in Daran¡¯s way.

    Her silver-white wolf collided harshly with giant the ck wolf with a huge noise.

    They both rolled to the ground, getting back on their feet, and red at each other with hot breaths

    coming out of their noses.

    13

    You are willing to fight me for him?!¡± Daran roared.

    ¡°No one is fighting with anybody, Daran!¡±

    J cried.

    ¡°It¡¯s you! You are f ucking insane! Just f ucking stop this nonsense!¡±

    Their quarrel caused the other¡¯s attention. A group of people rushed over.

    Angelina was running at the very front. She came to J¡¯s side and gasped, ¡°What is going on

    here? Somebody stops them!¡±

    She looked around for help. A few soldiers followed her over but none of brave enough toe up

    to Daran.

    This was Alpha Daran for god¡¯s sake!

    And most importantly, in his wolf form!

    Seeing that no one dared to step out, Angelina looked back at Daran and pleaded, ¡°Please calm

    down Alpha. This is Gamma J! You know her. Right? What could possibly happen to make you

    want to fight her?¡±

    Daran froze on his spot.

    Everyone present held their breaths, waiting anxiously for his reaction.

    After a long pause, Daran shifted back to human. His face was stone-cold, and he looked defeated.

    ¡°I was not my best self today,¡± he said hoarsely. ¡°Sorry, you have to say that.¡±

    J shifted back too.

    ¡°Daran¡­¡±

    She took a step forward and wanted to talk to him.

    But he cut her off.

    ¡°I will leave the Crimson Fortress to clear out some wondering rogues nearby. Take care of the city

    in the meantime.¡±

    He said that without looking at J,

    Then he turned on his heels and left in long strides.

    J stared at his back. And slowly, she breathed out a long sigh of frustration.

    ¡°J¡­¡±

    Jared looked at her in worry.

    ¡°I am sorry for that. I feel that it was all because of me.¡±

    J shook her head with a bitter smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It has nothing to do with you. Daran

    was just being a jerk.¡±

    Daran reacted so strongly because his ego was hurt.

    He couldn¡¯t ept the fact J would agree to marry Jared instead of him.

    What an asshole.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Angelina tugged at her sleeve.

    ¡°I was working at the makeshift market. We could really use some help right now. If you have

    nothing else to do, why note over and give me a hand?¡±

    J hesitated. And then nodded.

    She would just keep wondering about Daran and get all anxious if she was alone in her tent.

    It was better to stay upied.

    After saying goodbye to Jared, J followed Angelina to the makeshift market.

    ¡°How have you been?¡±

    She asked Angelina on their way to the market.

    ¡°I like your new hands.¡±

    She noticed that Angelina had a new pair of artificial hands made of iron.

    ¡°Oh, thanks. I ran into a local smith the other day and he helped me make this. It is way better than

    my old, wooden ones.¡±

    ¡°You mean Lance?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, very nice young fellow. Do you know him?¡±

    J nodded.

    Lance volunteered to serve in their army. She hadn¡¯t got a chance to tell him that they didn¡¯t recruit

    civilians.

    They arrived at the makeshift market soon, which was located on the main avenue. Stalls cobbled

    together from salvaged materials, line narrow alleyways and empty lots. The air was alive with the

    symphony of haggling andughter.

    J was astonished to find Harper among the group of hustling vendors and customers.

    She was lifting bags of food from a trolley and stacked them onto the shelves.

    It was heavybor. But Harper didn¡¯t look irritated or unwilling.

    Instead, she was being fast and productive.

    ¡°Harper looked¡­different,¡± J whispered to Angelina.

    ¡°She really is. She was still that whiny little bitch before we left Riverside Pack. Even put up with a

    huge fight when I asked her toe along. But she totally changed when we got to the battlefield.

    Believe it or not, she is quite docile and helpful right now.¡±

    J frowned, looking at Harper in the distance.

    ¡°Do you believe that she really changed?¡± she asked.

    Angelina shrugged, ¡°Who knows? Maybe after seeing the cruelty of the war, she finally realizes how

    ridiculous she was in the past. I like to think on positive terms. So I will sav. veah, she has changed

    a lot ¡±

    ¡°Can I talk to her?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Angelina called out to Harper and beckoned her toe over. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Harper put down her work and walked over.

    ¡°Angelina¡­Gamma J.¡±

    Harper said in a low voice and slightly bowed to them.

    Even Harper¡¯s tone had changed.

    She no longer sounded like a spoiled princess like she was in the past.

    Now, she was like a nice, ordinary teenage girl.

    ¡°How are you doing, Harper?¡± J asked, looking closely at her face.

    ¡°I am doing well. Thanks for asking.¡±

    Harper smiled sheepishly.

    ¡°This ce really helped me to calm down and repurpose my life. My life is fulfilled right now. Thank

    you, Gamma J, for giving me a second chance.¡±

    ¡°I am d. Hope that you mean it this time¡­by saying that you want to help the people in need.¡±

    Harper nodded hastily, ¡°Of course I mean it! My new life is so much better than my old life! Money,

    title, power¡­all those things that I once held so dearly in life now seem so vain.¡±

    She sounded sincere.

    But was Harper telling the truth?

    Could a person really change?

    J couldn¡¯t find an answer to that from Harper¡¯s face.

    Just then, a voice came from behind their backs:

    ¡°Gamma J, Angelina, what a nice coincidence!¡±

    They all turned around and found Lance walking toward them down the street.

    Harper¡¯s eyes darted towards Lance. And her expression changed abruptly.

    She widened her eyes in shock as though she had just seen a ghost.

    And so was Lance.

    The pleasant smile froze on his lips after he saw Harper. He halted sharply in his track.

    J noticed their strange reactions. She frowned, ¡°What is the matter? Do you two know each

    other?¡±

    ¡°No¡­no.¡±

    Harper looked down quickly, sounding rattled.

    J looked back at Lance, who was smiling again now.

    ¡°I have never met with this prettydy before ¡± he said briskly ¡°Anyway. I just want

    toe over anu say I. Allgemid, il you need help with your dia dius, you can find me in the smith

    shop.¡±

    He hurried away. Almost like he was intentionally avoiding someone.

    Harper lowered her head and hastily went back to her work again.

    ¡°Have they met each other before?¡± J asked Angelina.

    Angelina shook her head, ¡°Not that I know of. I first met Lance on the street. Harper wasn¡¯t around.¡±

    J frowned.

    There was an unsettling feeling at heart.

    Something didn¡¯t look right.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    J stayed at the makeshift market and helped out.

    They were short of some medicines. So Angelina sent Harper to the warehouse to

    fetch it.

    The warehouse was not very far away. Yet Harper was gone longer than necessary.

    And J noticed it.

    She quietly stood up and left the makeshift market, going for Harper outside.

    Her gut told her that Harper was hiding something.

    Given Harper¡¯s record, J felt it necessary to keep an extra eye on her, until she was a hundred

    percent sure that Harper had changed.

    J headed down the street.

    She wanted to check if Harper was at the warehouse. Yet before she got there, she saw a familiar

    figure disappearing around the corner.

    She immediately followed that figure around the corner. But Harper was gone from her sight again.

    And there was only one shop on this street.

    The Smith shop.

    J walked up to the door and knocked.

    Momentster, a woman came to answer it. It was Lance¡¯s wife, La.

    ¡°Gamma J!¡± she looked pleasantly surprised, ¡°Do you need help with anything?¡±

    J smiled, ¡°Is Lance here?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Come in, please,¡± La stepped aside and invited her in.

    It was a small, dingy room, with rows of tools, each with a unique purpose, adorned the soot-stained

    wall. The fiery heart of the forge roars, its orange glow

    illuminating the dark workshop, making this ce extra hot.

    La wiped her hands on the apron and fetched a stool for J.

    ¡°Please have a seat. Lance will be out in just a second,¡± she said.

    J looked at her. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Her fingers were covered in flour.

    ¡°Did Ie at a bad time?¡± J asked, ¡°Are you cooking for lunch?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it is nothing. I was just baking some rye bread. It is my little pup¡¯s favorite. He can¡¯t go for a day

    without having a piece of my rye bread.¡±

    J sensed something wrong with it.

    ¡°Your child¡­¡± she frowned, ¡°¡­is only a few months old right? You feed him bread already? Does he

    have teeth?¡±

    La froze.

    Light from the fiery forge danced on her face.

    La froze.

    Light from the fiery forge danced on her face.

    J caught a hint of panic fleeting across her eyes.

    ¡°As a mom, you should at least know about this stuff, right?¡± J pursued.

    ¡°I..¡±

    La licked her dry bottom lip nervously, searching for an answer.

    Just then, the door to the back room opened up. Lance walked out.

    ¡°Oh hey, Gamma J. I thought I heard your voice outside,¡± he nodded at J with a smile. ¡°To

    what do I owe the pleasure? Do you need to fix a weapon or something?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I was just chatting with La.¡±

    J nced at La, who looked very uneasy right now.

    ¡°About how your son can eat bread at a few months old?¡±

    Lance grinned, ¡°Oh well, that pup is an early bloomer. Got a full set of teeth when he was barely 2

    months old. Even I was surprised. La still got a bite mark on her arm when she tried to give a

    bath to my son. Don¡¯t you, La?¡±

    La nodded hastily, ¡°Yes, I do. A feisty little biter, that pup.¡±

    J studied Lance¡¯s expression closely.

    She couldn¡¯t find anything that looked suspicious on his face.

    Lance was either telling the truth.

    Or he was a hell of a brilliant liar.

    5

    ¡°So, are you here to discuss our parenting skills? Or are you here to buy a piece of weaponry? I

    have quite a wide range of selections for you. I bet that I can help you to find something you like,¡±

    Lance said.

    J shook her head, ¡°Thank you. But not today. I just saw Harper going into your shop earlier. So I

    was wondering if she is here.¡±

    ¡°Harper?¡± Lance raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°That girl you met at the makeshift market.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Sorry, but she didn¡¯te by. It is just me and La here.¡±

    ¡°You are our first customer today, Gamma J,¡± La added. ¡°Did you see her walking in here?

    Was it possible that you saw it wrong?¡±

    The furrow between J¡¯s brows grew deeper.

    She did see Harper going into this street.

    But she didn¡¯t see her walking into this house.

    ¡®Are you sure that she is not here?¡± J asked again.

    ¡°A hundred percent sure. Unless she has a magical invisible cloak or something,¡±

    Lance smiled. ¡°And you are wee to search this ce, Gamma J. Just be careful when you

    go into that back room. My pup is sleeping in there.¡±

    J shook her head.

    It was not appropriate to search a civilian¡¯s house without a warrant.

    ¡°There is no need for that. Anyway, let me know if you see her again,¡± she said. J walked

    toward the door.

    Lance hurried to get the door for her, ¡°And please remember what I said before about wanting to be

    a part of your army. I really meant that.¡±

    ¡°Normally, we don¡¯t recruit civilians. But I will see what I can do,¡± J gave him a polite smile.

    ¡°Good day.¡±

    Lance stood on the doorstep and watched J walk away. He waited for her to disappear into the

    distance before finally closing the door.

    The daylight was shut out. And the room was dark again.

    So was the look on Lance¡¯s face.

    He cast a dark nce at La, who had lowered her head nervously.

    ¡°Feeding an infant breed? What were you thinking?¡±

    His cold voice echoed in the room, sending a chill down La¡¯s spine.

    She gulped, ¡°S-Sorry¡­master. Won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°Better not. If you are to fake as a mom, at least try a little harder.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    Lance walked past by her and headed toward the back room.

    There was a closet in the back room. Lance went straight at it and wrenched the door

    open.

    Harper was hiding inside. Her face was pale and there was cold sweat on her forehead.

    ¡°Is she gone?¡± Harper breathed.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lance crossed his arms in front of his chest with a yful smile on his lips.

    ¡°So why did youe into my home and demand to talk to me? If I recall correctly, we just met

    today,¡± he said with a raised eyebrow.

    Harper clenched her jaw. She looked furious.

    ¡°You should f ucking know why I want to see you!¡± she growled lowly.

    ¡°Do I?¡± Lance smiled idly.

    His offhand attitude infuriated Harper. Her eyes red with rage.

    ¡°You want me to f ucking say it? Fine! Ie to see you because¡­at the market earlier¡­the

    moment that I saw you¡­I sensed that-¡±

    She gritted frustratedly.

    ¡ª

    -We are f ucking mates!!¡±

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    In that strange moment that J noticed at the makeshift market, something did happen.

    Harper smelt an enticing scent in the air. And her wolf started howling inside of her, calling out to

    her mate.

    And she saw the same astonished expression on Lance¡¯s face as well. So he must have felt the

    same thing.

    Yet in a split second, Harper decided not to say anything at the moment. Because she

    didn¡¯t want J to know who her mate was. And she wanted to find out more about this man first.

    So after she left J and Angelina, she went to ask vendors about this man named Lance.

    And she was furious to learn that this man was simply a lowborn cksmith!

    Most importantly, he was already married with a child!

    Harper felt rage pumping through her veins.

    Her destinated mate was only a f uckingmoner! And there was not a single drop of noble blood

    inside of his body.

    How was this even possible?

    Harper used to be so convinced that she would eventually end up with somebody with money and

    power. It was what she deserved.

    Even after she was ripped away from herdy title and became a ve, that conviction never

    wavered.

    She even yed nice andid low in front of Angelina and Harper to ease off their guards. Because

    she firmly believed that her destinated mate woulde and rescue her from all this shame one

    day.

    Yet all that was shattered now!!

    How can a f ucking cksmith help her redeem her title and freedom?

    And what would people say if they found out that the once-known ¡°Lady Harper¡± ended up with a

    nauseousmoner?

    No.

    She couldn¡¯t let anyone find out about this!

    So she went straight to the smith shop to confront Lance with it.

    ¡°You listen to me, you filthy little cksmith.¡±

    Harper clenched her teeth and poked at Lance¡¯s chest with her finger.

    ¡°I am ady. And a guy like you does not deserve me! Your face, your job, the unbearable heat, and

    the disgusting smell of your house¡­Everything about you repels me! If you don¡¯t want any trouble,

    you better stand here and let me reject you. And shut your mouth about this FOREVER!¡±

    Lance looked down at her coolly.

    Then he curved his lips into a mysterious smile.

    Harper frowned, looking back at him.

    She had to admit that this man was actually good-looking. And he had a certain kind of elegance

    that was normally possessed only by nobles.

    Too bad that he was only a filthy cksmith.

    ¡°What are youughing about?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Ady, huh?¡±

    Lance snickered.

    He took a hand and brushed Harper¡¯s forehead with his thumb.

    ¡°You wear a lot of concealers. Yet even that is not enough to cover that disgusting tattoo on your

    forehead. And what does it say?¡­Oh right. SLAVE.¡±

    He leaned closer to her, whispering in a malicious voice.

    ¡°I bet that is what you really are. A ve. Notdy.¡±

    Harper widened her eyes in rage, ¡°You-You f uckingmoner!¡±

    She roared and rushed to grab Lance¡¯s cor.

    Lance caught her arms in one swift move and mmed her body against the closet door roughly.

    He was strikingly strong!

    Harper¡¯s face was pressed against the door panel. And she was utterly embarrassed.

    ¡°You f ucking let me go-¡±

    She shrieked while struggling with her whole night. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°Your wife is out there! I can scream!¡±

    She heard Lance¡¯s chuckles from her back.

    ¡°Go ahead. Scream and see if she dares toe in,¡± he said idly. ¡°Yet before you do that. Let me

    ask you one question.¡±

    Harper¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly in anger, ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to teach those people a lesson? Don¡¯t you want to get back to those people? J,

    Daran, Angelina¡­Don¡¯t you want to see them crawl under your feet and beg for your mercy?¡±

    A chill was sent down Harper¡¯s spine.

    Amidst shock, she muttered a single word, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I can help you with that if you promise to be good,¡± Lance whispered into her ears, his voice low

    and seductive.

    ¡°Who¡­who are you!¡± Harper gasped in shock.

    She was intimidated by this man behind her back. Maybe she was wrong about him¡­because this

    man seemed nothing like a normal cksmith!

    Lance chuckled again.

    He suddenly buried his head down to Harper¡¯s neck and sank his teeth into her flesh! Harper let out

    a horrified scream.

    She felt herself dominated by a strong, enticing scent. And that scent was nothing like those regr

    scents that she had smelt from the other werewolves before. It was darker, more aggressive, and

    carried a rusty smell of blood¡­

    Harper¡¯s body twitched in shock.

    She abruptly shoved Lance away and jerked around roaring at him:

    ¡°You-You are a f ucking ROGUE!!!¡±

    She had been on battlefields as well. She had smelt the rogue¡¯s scent from their blood before.

    And it smelt just like Lance¡¯s.

    Lance grinned at her. He casually wiped her blood away from his mouth and shrugged, ¡°Yeah. So?¡±

    Harper couldn¡¯t believe how calm he was.

    He was a goddamn rogue, living in a city taken by the werewolf¡¯s alliance. He was just out there

    talking to J, Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Gamma.

    Wasn¡¯t he afraid that he might get exposed?

    And what did he want by hiding among them and pretending to be a regr cksmith?

    This man¡­he was so scary!

    Harper pointed a finger at him, her whole body shaking, ¡°You¡­I-I am going to tell on you!¡±

    ¡°Really? You are going to do that to your own mate? How sad.¡±

    Lance raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°And what will they do to you if they find out that you are a rogue¡¯s mate? They brutally tattooed you

    when you were ady. Surely, they will be a thousand times. crueler to you when they find out about

    us. Did that cross your mind?¡±

    Harper stood stiffly on her spot. Her lips trembled.

    ¡°Or¡­Alternative¡­ You can work with me.¡¯

    Lance approached her. He took a lock of her hair and wrapped it around his finger, smiling

    seductively.

    ¡°You hate J. I hate Daran. We have something inmon. Don¡¯t let those moral codes and

    wordy ideas control you. Think about the bigger picture¡­.We can aplish so much more if we

    are together.¡±

    His voice was like melting honey or the whisper of a demon. It had a strange power that could lead

    people into the darkness.

    Harper¡¯s eyshes fluttered. She was tempted by his voice.

    ¡°W-What do you want? What do you need from me?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°And most importantly¡­who are you?¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem like a regr rogue.

    Lance smiled mysteriously, ¡°You already knew my name. My name is Lance. As for what I want¡­

    Well, it is too soon to tell you that now. Find a chance to prove yourself valuable to me. Then I will

    share my secrets with you.¡±

    He picked up Harper¡¯s hand and gently kissed her fingers.

    ¡°It is nice to meet you, my mate,¡± he chuckled.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    Harper left the smith shop in a trance and wandered back to her own tent.

    She didn¡¯t even go back to the makeshift market as she should.

    She needed time to think about Lance¡¯s proposal.

    Working with a rogue.

    That sounded¡­outrageous!

    Harper knew that she was not the nicest person in the world. Yet the worst thing that

    she had ever done was expelling a maid or framing somebody behind their backs.

    Those were minor deals.

    But this¡­.this was treason.

    She spent her whole life in the Riverside Pack, listening to all kinds of horrible stories about the

    rogues growing up. She never questioned for a single second that those barbarians were her

    enemy.

    Until today.

    Until she found out that her destinated mate was her enemy.

    Harper felt that her whole world just crashed down around her.

    And that Lance¡­

    He said that he would help her. But how? He could hardly protect himself from the soldiers. How

    could he help her regain her former glory?

    And most importantly, could Lance be trusted?

    Harper spent the rest of the day and a whole night pondering on those questions. When the light

    broke out from the horizon, she still hadn¡¯t reached a conclusion. And she knew that she couldn¡¯t

    skip another day of work. Or Angelina would get suspicious.

    After freshening up, Harper went to the makeshift market with a heavy heart. She didn¡¯t want to face

    Angelina today, afraid that Angelina might interrogate her about her absence yesterday.

    Yet she bumped into someone that she was even more afraid of at first.

    J.

    J was helping a vendor stack the shelves when she walked in. Harper immediately turned her

    back to J and walked hastily down another path. But J called to her before she could get

    away, ¡°Hey Harper!¡±

    Harper froze on her spot.

    Slowly, she turned around to face J in a stiff movement.

    ¡°Do

    you need me for something, Gamma J?¡± Harper forced out a dry smile. ¡°Where were you

    yesterday?¡± J asked, giving her a searching look.

    ¡°I was here. In the market.¡±

    ¡°But where have you been after Angelina sent you to the warehouse?¡± J pursued. ¡°We waited

    for you for a long time. But you never came back.¡±

    Harper clenched her fists behind her back.

    She hated to be questioned by J like that. If she could, she wanted to jump on J, pulled her

    f u cking hair, scratched her condescending face, and ripped her f ucking mouth apart.

    But she couldn¡¯t.

    She could only pretend to be humble ande up with a lie.

    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t feeling so well,¡± Harper said weakly. ¡°So I went back to my tent andid down.

    J narrowed her eyes, ¡°Is that so? But howe I saw you outside of the smith shop? Lance is

    not a doctor. Why did you go to him?¡±

    Harper blinked with an innocent face, ¡°I didn¡¯t go to the cksmith. I simply took at detour and

    walked past his shop on my way back. Is there anything wrong with it?¡± They stared at each other

    for a long moment.

    Harper¡¯s back was covered in cold sweat.

    ¡°I hope that you are not up to anything bad, Harper,¡± J said eventually. ¡°Of course not. Why

    would you say that?¡±

    ¡°No reason. Just a simple head up. You are doing great work so far. Angelina was convinced that

    you had changed. So don¡¯t give me a reason to think otherwise, OK?¡±

    Harper¡¯s heart was filled with humiliation at that moment.

    This

    f ucking woman used to be her puppet, her punch bag, her ve. When they were little, J didn¡¯t

    dare to make a f ucking sound when she pped her across. her face.

    Yet here J stood, all mighty and condescending, giving her a hard time.

    In that split of a second, Harper made a decision.

    She would work with Lance.

    F uck the alliance. And f uck the enemy!

    Her only enemy was J and J only! She would give anything to take J down. Even if it

    meant that she would have to work with the devil!

    ¡°You can count on me, Gamma J.¡±

    Harper looked at J with a sweet smile, hiding all her dark thoughts behind that smile.

    ¡°I promise. I will be on my best behavior.¡±

    J¡¯s eyes were in slits. There was still a hint of suspicion on her face.

    Yet just then, a horn broke out from the distance.

    ¡°Alpha Daran is back!¡± somebody shouted.

    J jerked around and looked outside. Her eyes were suddenly gleaming with joy.

    ¡°Alpha Daran is back!¡± somebody shouted.

    J jerked around and looked outside. Her eyes were suddenly gleaming with joy.

    ¡°Talk to youter,¡± J said to Harper and left the market in a hurry.

    Harper gazed at J¡¯s back coldly as she walked away.

    Good. J didn¡¯t notice anything.

    Now, she just needed to find a way to prove herself valuable to Lance.

    When J arrived at the North Gate, there was already a crowd gathered to wee the Alpha

    back.

    And Daran just got out of his car.

    Dust and dirt clung to his hair and face. There was even dark blood on his clothes, which meant that

    he had just been through a brutal battle.

    Despite his resolute posture, there was a hint of weariness in his eyes.

    Their eyes found each other across the hectic crowd. Daran¡¯s face was immediately lit up with joy.

    J¡¯s heart swelled.

    They were fighting about some nonsense before Daran left. But all that nonsense seemed stupid

    now.

    All that mattered now was that he had returned, safe and sound.

    J wanted to walk up to Daran and talk to him, telling him that she had missed him. Yet before

    she could make a move, a jacketnded on her shoulders.

    J turned around and found Jared standing by her side.

    Jared gave her a smile and said, ¡°It is windy. You should put on more clothes.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­thanks.¡±

    J grabbed his jacket and was reluctant about whether she should ept his kind gesture. She

    didn¡¯t want to give anyone the wrong impression, especially Daran. ¡°That is very nice of you, Alpha

    Jared,¡± said a grim voice from behind them. ¡°But Gamma J won¡¯t be needing your clothes.¡±

    Daran walked up to them. He ripped Jared¡¯s jacket off J¡¯s shoulder and tossed it to the ground.

    ¡°Daran!¡± J hissed.

    That was rude. She didn¡¯t want to see them fight anymore.

    Daran gave her a dark look. There was a warning in his eyes.

    Then he took off his own coat and wrapped it around J¡¯s body.

    ¡°There,¡± Daran said in an arrogant voice. ¡°Much better.¡±

    His coat still carried the smell of dust and blood. Yet J found herself loving it. Besides the dust

    and blood, she could also smell Daran¡¯s scent.

    ¡°Was that really necessary, Alpha Daran?¡± Jared asked coldly with his arms crossed in front of his

    chest. ¡°I was just trying to be nice.¡±

    ¡°Was that really necessary, Alpha Daran?¡± Jared asked coldly with his arms crossed in front of his

    chest. ¡°I was just trying to be nice.¡±

    Daran gave him a grim look.

    ¡°J is not a member of your pack. And certainly not your mate. So I don¡¯t need you to be the

    good guy here. And speaking of which¡­I have something to ask you.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°What?¡± Jared huffed.

    ¡°I encountered with the Rogue King yesterday,¡± Daran said.

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd. Everyone was astonished, including J.

    ¡°What? How?¡± she asked urgently, ¡°I thought the Rogue King was still in the Great Canyon.¡±

    ¡®I went after those fled rogues and bumped right into the Rogue King. He wasing to rescue his

    own men back¡­Or should I say ¡®She.¡±¡±

    J widened her eyes in shock.

    She?

    ¡­The Rogue King was a woman?

    But Veronica clearly said the opposite!

    ¡°Even with a mask and a cloak, I can still tell from her figure that the Rogue King is a woman.¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes at Jared with danger looming within them.

    ¡°I only pardoned Glen and Veronica because they offered to help us. So Alpha Jared, would you

    care to exin why your pack member just inly lied to our face?¡±

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    There was a deep furrow between Jared¡¯s brows.

    ¡°Veronica didn¡¯t lie,¡± he said in a firm voice.

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Daran snorted, ¡°Were you with her when she met the Rogue King?¡±

    ¡°No. But I can tell from her face that she was telling the truth!¡±

    ¡°Either you are terrible at reading people¡¯s facial expressions, or you are in this with them together.¡±

    Daran took a step further, staring Jared straight in the eye.

    ¡°Your pack membermitted treason. That was strike one. And now I caught you lying with them

    together. Strike two. Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t kick you out of this alliance right

    now.¡±

    Jared¡¯s eyes were slits of rage, ¡°How about you double-check what you saw first beforeunching

    an attack against me? You said that the Rogue King is a woman. But how can you be so sure with

    all the mask and cloak? Maybe the Rogue King is just ankier, slimmer guy!¡±

    ¡°I heard her voice.¡±

    Daran said icily.

    ¡°I heard her calling out to the rogues, asking them to retreat. And I heard the rogues call her Rogue

    King. Your men were lying.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Jared snapped. ¡°Daran, I thought that you were a wise Alpha. And you would never

    me an innocent person. But maybe I was wrong. Look at you now! You are petty and jealous-¡±

    ¡°Jealous?!¡± Daran raised his voice.

    ¡°Hell yes! You and I both know that this is entirely personal! You were going after me simply

    because of me and J-¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± J snarled, cutting off their quarrel.

    Daran and Jared didn¡¯t try to keep their voices down, which meant that the entire crowd just heard

    their conversation. And everyone around was studying J with curious eyes.

    J was embarrassed.

    Great. Now that entire Crimson Fortress knew that the two Alphas were fighting about her.

    ¡°This nonsense has got to stop! Do you hear me?¡± J hissed to them in a low voice, ¡°Do you

    want the others to think that there is a riot? That we are fighting among this group?¡±

    ¡°Daran started it,¡± Jared said sternly.

    ¡°Yes, he started it. But simply because he had doubts. So instead of standing here and giving each

    other shits, why don¡¯t we go talk to Veronica and verify things with her?¡±

    Jared¡¯s jaw clenched.

    ¡°I have nothing to hide,¡± he said grumpily. ¡°So sure. Let¡¯s talk to Veronica. And find out who is lying.¡±

    He picked up his jacket from the ground and walked away in long strides.

    Daran darted an angry look at his back before turning to J, ¡°I am d that you were on my

    side-¡±

    ¡°You DID start it,¡± J said.

    Daran¡¯s face turned dark at once

    ¡°You want to start with me now?¡±

    ¡°And you are jealous and petty,¡± J said ruthlessly. ¡°I can hang with whoever I want and that is

    none of your business. So stop acting like you have a say in my life.¡±

    There was a storm looming in Daran¡¯s eyes. It was such a terrifying gaze that it could easily bring a

    normal person down to their knees.

    But not J. She was no normal person.

    She simply gave Daran an icy look before turning on her heels and walking away.

    A few momentster, they were all gathered in Veronica¡¯s cell.

    Glen was in her cell as well.

    They were both shocked to see Daran, Jared, and J walk in together.

    ¡°What is the matter?¡±

    Glen looked around at the three of them. He seemed on edge.

    ¡°Did something happen? Did you change your mind about me and Veronica?¡±

    J softened her tone and said, ¡°Rx. We didn¡¯t change our mind. And how is Veronica doing?

    Did she get her voice back?¡±

    ¡°No¡­the doctor said that the damage might be permanent. So what is it that you want today?¡±

    Jared looked at Veronica, ¡°Alpha Daran encountered with the Rogue King today. And he said that¡­

    the Rogue King seems to be a woman.

    Veronica rounded her eyes.

    ¡°If you lied to us, bettere clean before it is toote,¡± Daran said freezingly. Veronica frowned

    and waved her hands in the air hastily. She still couldn¡¯t talk, only making strange and ugly noises.

    J handed her a pad and a pen, ¡°Slow down. Write down what you want to say on the paper.¡±

    Veronica grabbed the pen and wrote down one word hastily in caps:

    MAN

    And as though that was still not enough to prove her point, she quickly wrote down another

    sentence underneath that word:

    He was sitting behind a curtain, only a few feet away from me. I heard HIS voice. Loud and clear.

    He was sitting behind a curtain, only a few feet away from me. I heard HIS voice. Loud and clear.

    J sighed.

    Then she turned to look at Glen, ¡°Have you met the Rogue King in person?¡±

    Glen gulped nervously, ¡°No. I received his orders through Veronica. And I swear that Veronica was

    telling the truth! She is counting on you to get her family back. She has got no reason to lie!¡±

    J shook her head helplessly.

    Now it seemed that it was Veronica¡¯s words against Daran¡¯s.

    One was a rogue. And the other was an Alpha.

    It was pretty easy to decide whom they should trust.

    Yet J¡¯s gut told her that Veronica was also telling the truth.

    ¡°Can you tell us anything about the man you met? Anything will do,¡± she asked Veronica.

    Veronica frowned and thought hard about that. Then slowly, she began to write: I remember telling

    the Rogue King that Glen is a Gamma and he e started tough¡­Very joyfully¡­ Then he told me in

    a brisk voice that I was a good girl and I fell in love with a great guy.

    After a little pause, Veronica continued:

    Before I met him, I thought the Rogue King was a cold and grim person¡­But he wasn¡¯t. He

    sounded like a nice person¡­even with a pleasant personality¡­

    ¡°He was nice to you because he knew that he could use your boyfriend to get to us,¡± Daran said

    coldly. ¡°If you have nothing else to say about the Rogue King besidesplementing his pleasant

    personality, I think I am done here.¡±

    He turned and walked out of the room.

    ¡°J.¡±

    Jared stopped J and said to her in a worried voice, ¡°Can you talk to Daran? I really don¡¯t want

    what happened between us to affect his judgment.¡±

    ¡°I will try my best.¡±

    J gave him a firm nod and left the room behind Daran.

    Daran was heading back to his tent. J followed him behind his back. They didn¡¯t say a single

    word to each other on the whole.

    way.

    When they were finally back at his tent alone, Daran turned to face J with an expressionless

    face.

    ¡°Do you have anything else to say to me?¡± he asked, deadpan.

    J took his coat off and ced it on the table.

    ¡°I am here to give you your coat back,¡± she said.

    Daran¡¯s jaw clenched, ¡°Why? Do you prefer his coat instead?¡±

    ¡°No. You two might have forgotten that I am a strong warrior myself. I can stand in the wind without

    an extra coat and still won¡¯t catch a cold.¡±

    She walked up to him and brushed the dust from his front.

    ¡°You must be exhausted,¡± she whispered.

    Daran lowered his gaze and stared at the bare skin behind her neck. He remembered the impulse

    of wanting to sink his fangs into her neck while they were having sex.

    And that impulse wasing back to him now.

    His wolf was howling inside of his chest, urging him to mark the woman that he loved as his own.

    ¡°So what have you been doing while I was gone?¡± he asked in a strained voice, ¡°Did you spend the

    night with Jared again?¡±

    J chuckled lightly, ¡°For your information, we simply had dinner and talked. Nothing else

    happened that night.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Daran asked hoarsely.

    Jealousy was eating him alive.

    He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about them even when he was on the battlefield facing the Rogue King.

    ¡°Really,¡± J confirmed.

    She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on his lips.

    ¡°And I certainly didn¡¯t do this with him¡­¡± she murmured. ¡°So did you miss me?¡±

    His hot breath was on her face and his hands went around her roughly, under her clothes, against

    her bare skin.

    ¡°I miss you,¡± he said in a husky voice. ¡°Like crazy.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    Daran dipped his head down and kissed her back hungrily.

    His arms tightly wrapped around her and pressed her against his chest. His body temperature was

    abnormally high. J felt as though she was melting in his arms. ¡°W¨CWhat is the matter with

    you¡­¡± she groaned as he kissed her neck. ¡°Are you having a fever?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    He murmured, nibbling her bare skin.

    ¡°I am just turned on¡­by you.¡±

    He was not lying.

    J could already feel his hard, throbbing cock against her thigh.

    The next thing she knew, her back wasid t against the floor, on the carpet. Daran¡¯s whole body

    covered hers. His hands lifted her legs and spread them apart. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­not now!¡± she said urgently,

    ¡°We have more important things to do¡­Ahh!¡±

    A gasp escaped her parted lips.

    She was taken aback when Daran suddenly buried his head down to her legs and kissed her down

    there.

    ¡°We have time for this,¡± said him in a husky voice.

    Her legs instinctively mped around his head as he pressed his lips against her folds, licking her,

    giving her an oral.

    One of his hands was ced on her upper thigh, keeping her legs spread wide so that he had room

    to explore her pussy. And another hand was gently rubbing her clit, adding anotheryer of

    sensation to this.

    J panted and stared at the ceiling. Her mind was nk. She hadpletely forgotten why she

    came into this tent and what she wanted to say to him.

    She waspletely caught up in this moment. With him.

    His tongue dipped into her pussy, mimicking the movement of sex. J¡¯s body jerked in pleasure.

    It felt like the fireworks were exploding in her body.

    ¡°Daran¡­God don¡¯t stop¡­¡±

    She panted and pulled his hair, harshly and involuntarily. The extreme pleasure was overwhelming.

    She couldn¡¯t help but coil her legs around his neck even tighter. But he was strong enough to keep

    them apart while he licked and sucked her juice.

    His tongue found her clit and circled on it. Then he gently bit her clit with his teeth, throwing her over

    the edge.

    She came, hard and fast. Her body twitched. Juice gushed out from her spilled on his chin.

    pussy and

    Shey on the carpet with her mindpletely nk. Orgasm filled her body with exhaustion and

    bliss.

    Heid down next to her and kissed her hair.

    Shey on the carpet with her mindpletely nk. Orgasm filled her body with exhaustion and

    bliss.

    Heid down next to her and kissed her hair.

    ¡°That is how much I missed you,¡± he whispered into her ears.

    J rested her head on his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat, ¡°Now I feel bad for not

    returning the favor.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I will make sure to get it back from you sometimes. So what was it that you

    wanted to say to me?¡±

    ¡°¡­I forgot,¡± she answered honestly.

    She waspletely caught off-guard by everything that just happened.

    Daran buried his head in the hollow of her neck and chuckled.

    ¡°Something about Veronica or Jared?¡± he reminded her.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    J gave him a searching look, ¡°It is OK for me to talk about them now, right? You promise me

    that you won¡¯t snap?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he promised.

    ¡°That was not how you behaved earlier today.¡±

    He let out a sigh, ¡°I was just jealous. I spent the whole day out there thinking about you and Jared,

    and what you might be doing while I was away. And the first thing I saw aftering back was you

    standing there with him, with his jacket on your shoulders. Just imagine how that makes me feel-¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him to stand there. And he volunteered to give me that jacket,¡± she protested.

    ¡°I know. Like I said, I reacted a little too strongly. And it won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    He nted a kiss on her forehead.

    ¡°You have my word.¡±

    J lifted her upper body from the carpet and looked at Daran in his eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Veronica was lying,¡± she said.

    He raised an eyebrow, ¡°So you would rather believe in their version of the story.¡±

    ¡°You just said that you wouldn¡¯t mind!¡± J cried.

    Daran chuckled. There was an amused look on his face.

    ¡°Rx. I was just messing with you. You seemed too tense.¡±

    He ced one hand on the back of her neck and started giving her a massage, which felt kind of

    nice.

    ¡°And truth be told, I don¡¯t think Veronica was lying either,¡± he said.

    ¡®Great, you think so too! I paid extra attention to her facial expression when she told us about

    everything. She looked honest.¡±

    ¡°And it made no sense for her to lie.¡± Daran added. ¡°She and Glen had already failed

    ¡°You have my word.¡±

    J lifted her upper body from the carpet and looked at Daran in his eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Veronica was lying,¡± she said.

    He raised an eyebrow, ¡°So you would rather believe in their version of the story.¡±

    ¡°You just said that you wouldn¡¯t mind!¡± J cried.

    Daran chuckled. There was an amused look on his face.

    ¡°Rx. I was just messing with you. You seemed too tense.¡±

    He ced one hand on the back of her neck and started giving her a massage, which felt kind of

    nice.. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°And truth be told, I don¡¯t think Veronica was lying either,¡± he said.

    ¡°Great, you think so too! I paid extra attention to her facial expression when she told us about

    everything. She looked honest.¡¯

    ¡°And it made no sense for her to lie,¡± Daran added. ¡°She and Glen had already failed the task that

    the Rogue King gave them. If the Rogue King was really that ruthless person as they said,

    Veronica¡¯s family would already be in danger. We are the only hope that she got to get her family

    back. She had to be truthful to us to gain our trust.¡±

    J nodded.

    Yet that puts them in a dilemma.

    The two parties were giving twopletely different stories.

    And they believed that both of them were telling the truth.

    ¡°What the hell is happening here?¡± J rubbed her temple, frustrated. ¡°Can that Rogue King really

    change their gender whenever they felt like it?¡±

    Daran pondered on this for a few moments before saying, ¡°Maybe I saw it all wrong on the

    battlefield.¡±

    ¡°Daran, we both know that you have perfect vision. No need to doubt yourself.¡± ¡°No, I am not

    doubting what I saw. What I meant was¡­the woman that I saw-the one being called the Rogue

    King-may not be the real deal. She might just be another puppet, like Sterning.¡±

    J rounded her eyes.

    Right, why hadn¡¯t she thought about that?

    She did mistake Sterning for the Rogue King when she first saw him in the woods. So one of those

    two people might only be a puppet.

    ¡°And the puppet might also be the man that Veronica met. We don¡¯t know for sure now,¡± she said

    eagerly.

    Daran nodded, ¡°That is exactly what I think. And it is also why I want to go to that Great Canyon

    myself, to confirm our theory.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡±

    J gasped and sat up straight, staring at him in horror.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that!¡± she cried. ¡°It is too dangerous! The Great Canyon leads. directly to their

    headquarters, the Grace Ruin. You saw the map yourself. That ce will be surrounded by the

    Rogue King¡¯s men. Even a great warrior like you won¡¯t be able to get out of there safe.¡¯

    ¡°I know, I know, I haven¡¯t made a decision yet. So rx.

    Daran sat up as well and pulled her into his arms again. He stroked her long hair gently and said in

    a deep voice:

    ¡°But we have been on the defense for too long. All the information that we received so far is the

    ones that the Rogue King fed us. I don¡¯t like this. I know that going out there is dangerous. But it is

    also the right thing to do.¡±

    J rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. That steady rhythm calmed her down.

    She spoke up again after a while, ¡°If you decide to go, I will go with you.¡±

    ¡°J, you don¡¯t need to¡ª¡±

    She interrupted him firmly, ¡°Don¡¯t turn me down just because it is dangerous. And I am not just there

    for you. I am doing this for the whole alliance.¡±

    A

    Daranpsed into silence.

    ¡°We will talk about this again when the timees,¡± he said after a while.

    J breathed out a sigh of relief. That wasn¡¯t a firm No. And that was all that she needed.

    ¡°J.¡±

    Daran murmured her name, kissing her on the lips gently.

    ¡°After we end this¡­can you consider my proposal again? You knowing back and being my

    Luna¡­¡±

    J held her breath involuntarily.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give me an answer now. Just say that you will think about it. So that I can have

    some hope to live with,¡± he whispered.

    J held his hand and entwined her fingers with his.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    She said lowly.

    ¡°And I will give you my answer when we end this.¡±

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    The following day, Daran left the Crimson Fortress again.

    The rogues

    had done great damage to this area when they upied the city. There were many small towns and

    viges nearby, all suffered from the rogue¡¯s tyrannies.

    Now that they had taken the Crimson Fortress, it was time to clear out this ce and bring the

    whole area back into order.

    Chapter 96.

    The following day, Daran left the Crimson Fortress again.

    The rogues had done great damage to this area when they upied the city. There were many

    small towns and viges nearby, all suffered from the rogue¡¯s tyrannies.

    Now that they had taken the Crimson Fortress, it was time to clear out this ce and bring the

    whole area back into order.

    It was also a necessary step if they nned on heading out to the Great Canyon one day.

    And J¡¯s heart was filled with worries and concerns.

    She couldn¡¯t say why¡­but she just felt a gruesome foreboding about them going to the Great

    Canyon.

    Probably because the Rogue King had been hiding in the darkness for too long. They knew so little

    about their enemy, yet their enemy knew so much about them.

    J¡¯s gut told her that something bad would happen if they went.

    But she couldn¡¯t stop Daran either.

    Like he said, it was the right thing to do. And it was also his responsibility as the leader of this

    alliance.

    The only thing she could do was to stand by his side and face everything with him together.

    While Daran was gone, J went to the makeshift market again.

    She needed to find a way to keep herself upied so that she wouldn¡¯t get eaten alive by anxiety.

    And she knew that Angelina had spent some time in the rogue¡¯s territory. So she wanted to ask

    Angelina and see if she could learn more about the Great Canyon and the Grace Ruin.

    ¡°The Great Canyon? Yeah, I have been there before.¡±

    Angelina answered right away when J asked her about it.

    They were sitting on the stools outside of the market, picking out straws from the grains. The

    afternoon sun was warm on their backs.

    ¡°What is that ce like?¡± J pursued.

    ¡°It is called the Great Canyon, but it is a ck market, exclusive to the rogues. You can get all kinds

    of quirky, kinky stuff there, beyond your imagination. It is hell for people like us, but heaven for the

    rogues. A nice guy won¡¯tst a single day in a ce

    like that.¡±

    J frowned.

    ¡°But can people like us blend into the crowd and sneak into the Great Canyon?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It is a bad idea. Those barbarians will skin you alive if they spot you among the crowd. But in

    theory, yeah, you can do that. Yet as for the Grace Ruin¡­well, that is a totally different story.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t allow normal rogues into the Grace Ruin.¡±

    Angelina said with a sullen face.

    ¡°You have to pass some sort of a test, to prove that you are a true Rogue, a pure blood, before you

    are allowed into the Rogue King¡¯s imperial city. So you can say that the Grace Ruin is filled with the

    Rogue King¡¯s most trusted men. You wouldn¡¯t be able to get in there. Even if you can, it would be

    impossible to get out.

    J stared at the grains in her palm with a sick feeling in her stomach.

    ¡°Do you know anything about that test?¡± she asked Angelina.

    Angelina shook her head, ¡°Nah. I never bothered to take it when I was there. But I heard that it was

    brutal. You will be a changed person after the test.¡±

    J breathed out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much into it, OK?¡±

    Angelina patted her shoulder with a smile.

    ¡°It is not like that you will be going to that ce any time

    J replied with a bitter smile.

    e soon.¡±

    She didn¡¯t n on telling Angelina about Daran¡¯s n. Not that she didn¡¯t trust Angelina, it was

    simply because she didn¡¯t want Angelina to worry.

    They sat on the stools and carried on with their work.

    Momentster, Glen and Veronica stopped by.

    They were newly allowed out of the cell. Since Glen was no longer a Gamma and Veronica had no

    other things to do, they offered to help out at the market.

    ¡°Great. We can use as much help as we can get!¡±

    Angelina set the bag of grains aside and stood up from the stool.

    ¡°Glen, can you report to the warehouse? They are doing some heavy work there and we just don¡¯t

    have enough men.¡¯

    Glen hesitated and then looked at Veronica.

    ¡°Are you alright on your own?¡± he asked.

    Veronica nodded with a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. And call me if you need anything,¡± he said in a slightly concerned

    voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Glen, we will take good care of her.¡±

    J smiled looking at them.

    ¡°If.Veronica wants to make a home here, she has to find a way to fit in at some point. You can¡¯t

    protect her forever.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­I know¡­you are right,¡± Glen gulped. ¡°Just look after her, alright? She just lost her voice. It

    might take her a while to adapt to this new life.¡±

    Angelinaughed, ¡°Your girlfriend is safe with us. Now just go. Duty awaits.¡±

    GUL? L?

    J smiled looking at them.

    ¡°If Veronica wants to make a home here, she has to find a way to fit in at some point. You can¡¯t

    protect her forever.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­I know¡­you are right,¡± Glen gulped. ¡°Just look after her, alright? She just lost her voice. It

    might take her a while to adapt to this new life.

    Angelinaughed, ¡°Your girlfriend is safe with us. Now just go. Duty awaits.¡±

    After Glen left, Angelina held Veronica¡¯s hand and led her to their office.

    ¡°Are you good with bookkeeping work? Have you learned any math before?¡± Angelina asked.

    Veronica gave her a small nod. She looked tense.

    ¡°Rx, there is no need to be nervous.¡± Angelina grinned. ¡°I will start you off with something easy

    today.¡±

    She pushed open the office door.

    Harper was in there behind the table, working with a pile of receipts and an ount. book

    ¡°Veronica, meet Harper. And Harper, this is Veronica. She will be helping you out today.¡±

    Angelina introduced them to each other and soon left the room.

    Harper had a big smile on her face, which made her seem very nice and weing.

    ¡°It is nice to meet you, Veronica. I have always wanted an apany in this room,¡± Harper pulled

    out a chair. ¡°Come and sit. I will show you how this works.¡±

    Harper¡¯s smiling face eased Veronica¡¯s guard off. She slowly walked over and sat down by Harper¡¯s

    side.

    Harper ced a pile of receipts in front of Veronica and said, ¡°OK. So this is what you need to do¡­¡±

    Yet just then, a series of conversations came from outside of the window. ¡°Lance, what are you

    doing here?¡± J asked.

    ¡°I am here dropping off some armor that Angelina asked me to fix. And see if you need my help with

    anything.¡±

    Veronica rounded her eyes abruptly in shock and snapped her head up to outside of the window.

    J was standing there with a man. They were talking.

    And Veronica had recognized that man¡¯s voice.

    gaze

    She had heard that voice before, in the Grace Ruin, behind a curtain, when she went to beg the

    Rogue King to release her family.

    She could never forget that voice. The voice of a demon.

    The Rogue King was here!

    Everyone was looking for him, but he had been hiding right here under their nose the whole time!!!

    Yet just then, a series of conversations came from outside of the window.

    ¡°Lance, what are you doing here?¡± J asked.

    ¡°I am here dropping off some armor that Angelina asked me to fix. And see if you need my help with

    anything.¡±

    Veronica rounded her eyes abruptly in shock and snapped her head up to gaze outside of the

    window.

    J was standing there with a man. They were talking.

    And Veronica had recognized that man¡¯s voice.

    She had heard that voice before, in the Grace Ruin, behind a curtain, when she went to beg the

    Rogue King to release her family.

    She could never forget that voice. The voice of a demon.

    The Rogue King was here!

    Everyone was looking for him, but he had been hiding right here under their nose the whole time!!!

    Veronica¡¯s whole body was quivering with fear and horror.

    She needed to tell J about this¡­NOW!!

    ¡°What is the matter, Veronica?¡±

    Harper was startled by Veronica¡¯s sudden movement, and she asked, ¡°Do you need anything?¡±

    Veronica jumped from her seat and darted toward the door. Harper shot up as well, following

    Veronica to the door and stopped her before she could get out.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Easy. What happened? Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?¡± Harper ced her

    hand on Veronica¡¯s shoulder and said softly, ¡°It is OK. You can tell

    me.¡±

    Veronica¡¯s chest was rising and falling rapidly. She seemed mortified.

    Harper gently steered her back to the table and put a pen and a piece of paper in front of her.

    ¡°Why are you so horrified to see Lance? Do you know him?¡±

    Harper bent down till she met Veronica¡¯s eye level. Aforting smile was on her lips.

    ¡°Write it down, Veronica. It is OK. You can trust me.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    Veronica grabbed the pen. Hastily, she wrote down:

    Something wrong with the man out there. We have to tell Gamma J!

    Harper looked at her writings.

    ¡°You mean Lance? He is the local cksmith. What can possibly be wrong with him?¡± she said in a

    drawling voice.

    Veronica bit her lips in anxiety. She waved her hands and wrote down another line:

    He is not a cksmith! I know him!

    ¡°Oh?¡± Harper smiled. ¡°If he is not a cksmith, then who is he?¡±

    He is-

    Veronica paused, giving Harper a suspicious look.

    ¡°You can trust me,¡± Harper softened her tone. ¡°Angelina introduced us. I am her friend. In fact, you

    probably didn¡¯t know this, but Gamma J grew up in my house. We are practically sisters. So

    you can trust me with anything that you want to

    tell her.¡±

    Veronica still looked reluctant. And Harper added:

    ¡°I just want to make sure that you are not bothering Gamma J with trifles. Nevertheless, she is

    a very busy person.¡±

    That dispelled all her doubts. Veronica picked up the pen again and started writing:

    That man is the Rogue King!

    Harper slightly widened her eyes. After a small pause, she asked with a deadpan face, ¡°How can

    you be so sure?¡±

    Veronica scribbled:

    I heard his voice before. I swear it with my soul! Hurry and pass my note to Gamma J. I am

    afraid that he will do her harm!!

    Harper picked up that piece of paper and paced to the door.

    Veronica¡¯s gaze followed Harper, her eyes full of anxious anticipation. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Yet the next second, Harper tore that piece of paper into pieces.

    Veronica¡¯s jaw dropped. ring at Harper, she made a furious noise, her mouth moving rapidly

    without a sound.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say a single word, can you? Poor thing.¡±

    Harper giggled maliciously.

    ¡°And there is something else you need to know about me and J. Yes, we used to be sisters. But

    I hate her to the gut. I would do anything to make her disappear from this world.¡±

    Veronica turned abruptly and searched for another piece of paper on the table. Her throat was

    seized by a pair of hands from the back.

    Harper strangled Veronica with her whole night. She was slightly taller and stronger than Veronica,

    which gave her the upper hand.

    Veronica groaned lowly in agony, her body twitching. She wanted to break free from Harper¡¯s grasp,

    but she didn¡¯t have the strength.

    After one painful minute, Veronica¡¯s eyes rolled to the back, and she crushed to the ground.

    Harper panted roughly. This took her a lot of her energy as well.

    She put a finger under Veronica¡¯s nose to make sure that she was still passed out, not dead.

    Just then, a series of footsteps came from outside of the door and was approaching this office.

    Panic flickered across Harper¡¯s face.

    She hastily grabbed Veronica by the ankle and dragged her body into the closet. The minute she

    mmed the closet door shut, someone pushed the office door open from the outside.

    It was Angelina.

    ¡°Where is Veronica?¡± Angelina asked with a frown, her eyes scanning across the

    room.

    ¡°Oh. She went to the restroom,¡± Harper put on a forced smile. ¡°What do you need, Angelina?¡±

    ¡°Gamma J and I need to go to the shelters to check on injured soldiers. Can you finish the

    bookkeeping work with Veronica and then send those sorted grains to the warehouse?¡±

    Harper clenched her fists behind her back. Her nails dug deep into her flesh.

    Yet the smile on her face was as sweet as ever.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± she said. ¡°You can count on me with those, Angelina.¡±

    Angelina nodded at her with a smile and then closed the office door again.

    The sweet smile vanished from Harper¡¯s face as soon as Angelina left.

    She was actually furious inside.

    Errands. Angelina was always giving her errands! She was practically a ve in everyone¡¯s eyes!

    Nobody still remembered that she was ady!

    Fortunately, now she had a way out.

    She had Lance, a great help.

    And to make things even better, she just found out that Lance was the Rogue King! She felt as

    though her heart was going to explode with joy.

    Lance, her mate, was a¡¯king!

    She knew that someone like her would end up with a great man. So what if Lance was a rogue? He

    was a man with actual, concrete power. That was all that mattered!

    And Veronica just offered her a way to prove herself valuable to Lance.

    Everything worked out perfectly.

    Harper left the office room and returned shortly after with a trolley full of sorted grains and an empty

    sack.

    She opened the closet door and shoved Veronica¡¯s body into that sack. Then she lifted that sack

    onto the trolley.

    Harper pushed the trolley out of the office and walked out to the street.

    She ran into a lot of people on the way. But nobody suspected a thing. The stuff on Harper¡¯s trolley

    seemed like nothing but a few bags of grains.

    Eventually, she arrived at the smith shop.

    Harper gently knocked on the door. A few minutester, La came to answer it.

    ¡°Is he here?¡± Harper asked in a low voice.

    La nodded hastily and let her in.

    Lance was in there forging a weapon.

    The fire from the forge roared, casting a fiery glow on Lance¡¯s body. His strong arm was swinging a

    heavy hammer with rhythmic precision, sending sparks flying.

    A red-hot bar of iron rested on the anvil, its malleable core ready for transformation.

    Harper gasped looking at him.

    She had always found Lance a bit toonky for her taste.

    She didn¡¯t know that he possessed such a muscr body of strength.

    Now it seemed that Lance was not only good-looking but also had the power and a great body.

    He was really the whole package.

    Harper could already feel herself falling in love with him.

    Seeing Harper walk in, Lance dropped his hammer and paced over.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that somebody might get

    suspicious?¡±

    ¡°You said that I need to find a way to prove myself valuable¡­And I have.¡±

    She untied the sack sitting on the top of her trolley and revealed Veronica¡¯s unconscious face.

    Lance held his breath looking down at Veronica. His eyes gleamed with joy.

    ¡°Well, well¡­see who this is. The little traitor,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I was wondering where she had been

    hiding. Didn¡¯t see her in the city recently.¡±

    ¡°That is because Daran had her and Glen locked up in a cell. They were just released today.¡±

    Lance rubbed his chin, ¡°Let me guess. She saw me somewhere and recognized my voice.¡±

    ¡°Yes. And she was going to tell J about you. But I stopped her and brought her

    here¡±

    here.¡±

    Lance smiled and petted Harper¡¯s head, ¡°Good job. I am impressed.¡±

    He treated her as though she was hisp dog. But Harper still couldn¡¯t help but beamed.

    ¡°Take her inside,¡± Lance said to La.

    La nodded and dragged Veronica from the trolley and dragged her into the back

    room.

    Veronica¡¯s head bumped against the door frame, and she slowly woke up from her slumber.

    She groaned in pain and struggled her eyes open. When she saw clearly who was standing in front

    of her, she let out a horrified gasp.

    ¡°Surprised to see me?¡±

    Lance crouched down and stared at Veronica with an intrigued smile.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t honestly believe that I would let you off the hook that easily, did you? Betraying me has

    consequences. I thought that we made that clear.¡±

    Veronica shivered in horror. Her eyes nced around the room, desperately searching for

    somebody to help her.

    Lance seized her chin and forced her to meet his eyes, ¡°Who are you looking at? Nobody will help

    you. You were already doomed when you chose the wrong side¡­ Now it is time for me to collect my

    debt.¡±

    ¡°What should we do with her?¡± Harper asked. ¡°We have to do something. Or she will definitely tell

    someone about you.¡±

    Lance smiled, enjoying the horrified look on Veronica¡¯s face, ¡°What do you think we should do,

    mate?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­maybe we can cut her hands off?¡±

    Harper suggested.

    ¡°She can¡¯t talk. And without her hands, she can¡¯t write either. It stops her from telling.¡±

    Lanceughed, amused by Harper¡¯s suggestion, ¡°Cut her hands off? That is cute. But sorry little

    mate. This isn¡¯t a childish high school drama.¡±

    He stood up with a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes.

    ¡°Let me teach you a lesson to the real world¡­Only the dead won¡¯t tell.¡±

    Quick as thunder, he dug his wolf w into Veronica¡¯s chest and seized her heart. Blood gushed

    out, spilling onto Lance¡¯s entire body.

    Veronica parted her lips.

    Yet she couldn¡¯t even make a sound before crashing down to the ground.

    Dead.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    Harper mped her mouth shut to stifle a scream.

    Veronica¡¯s dead body was lying on the ground, right in front of her eyes. Blood was pooling. Harper

    stepped back urgently to avoid her shoes being tainted.

    And she was shaking violently in fear. It took her almost a minute to utter, ¡°Y-You killed her¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah so?¡±

    Lance shrugged. He took a towel that La just handed him and wiped Veronica¡¯s blood on it.

    Neither of them seemed to find this a big deal. They reacted as though Lance just killed a fly and

    not a human being.

    Lance turned around to look at Harper and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that this is the first time that you

    ever see a dead body.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I saw dead bodies on the battlefield before¡­ But never this close¡­¡± Harper stuttered.

    ¡°Well then, you must be one lucky little princess.¡± Lance chuckled, ¡°But if you want to be

    my mate, as the Rogue Queen, you have to get used to this kind of thing fast.¡±

    The Rogue Queen.

    Harper was dazzled by that title.

    She was going to be Queen one day¡­And how awesome was that!

    Her fear at heart was quickly reced by excitement and thrill.

    ¡°You are right. I over-reacted.¡± Harper took a deep breath and said, ¡°Sorry. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°There is my girl.¡±

    Lance apuded her with a smile.

    ¡°You handled this very neatly. So, is there anything else that you want to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there is one more thing.¡± Harper said, ¡°Today I overheard J asking Angelina about the

    Great Canyon and if they can ess it without the rogues. noticing. So do you think they will-¡±

    ¡°-try to sneak in there? Yes, they definitely will. Daran is desperate to find out more about me.

    Sneaking into my kingdom is the exact thing he will do.¡¯

    Lance paced back and forth in the room with his eyes zing with crazy enthusiasm. ¡°And this is

    great¡­you know? Having them there in my territory¡­It works out perfectly. Isn¡¯t this great, La?¡±

    La bowed humbly, ¡°It is great, my King.¡±

    Harper didn¡¯t understand why they were both so excited. From her perspective, the alliance was

    already at the front door of Lance¡¯s headquarters. It would only be days before the alliance took

    down the Grace Ruin.

    So Lance should be anxious right now, not happy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why is this great again? You already lost the Crimson Fortress to Daran. If he

    attacked the Great Canyon-¡±

    ¡°No. He won¡¯t attack the Great Canyon.¡±

    Lance shook his head with a mysterious smile.

    ¡°The alliance has just been through a brutal war. Daran is too nice an Alpha to force his soldiers to

    go to another war soon. The thing that he most likely will do is to sneak into the Great Canyon

    himself with J and try to dig out more dirt about me.¡±

    Lance spread his arms andughed, ¡°We can¡¯tpete with Daran on the battlefield. But we can-

    and WE WILL-overpower him in my territory.¡±

    Harper nodded hastily.

    Now she was excited as well.

    She couldn¡¯t wait for the day when Daran was overpowered when he was brought down onto his

    knees and begged for her and Lance¡¯s mercy.

    A chill of excitement was sent through her whole body just picturing that.

    ¡°So what now? We will just wait for them to go to the Great Canyon?¡± Harper asked eagerly. ¡°And

    what about Veronica¡¯s body? We have to bury it.¡±

    ¡°We never wait for anything. We MAKE that happen,¡± Lance smiled.

    Harper wanted to ask more.

    Yet Lance waved his hands at her dismissively.

    ¡°You should go. You are gone for too long already. Let me worry about Veronica¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°GO.¡±

    Lances strengthened, in a final sort of way.

    ¡°Make yourself seen. You will need an alibi for what happens next.¡±

    J and Angelina spent the entire day in the shelter checking on those injured soldiers and

    civilians.

    When it was almost dusk, Harper came over to the shelter to help them out.

    ¡°Where is Veronica?¡± J asked when she saw Harpere by herself.

    ¡°She was still in the office doing the bookkeeping work,¡± Harper replied with a sweet smile. ¡°She is a

    bit slow with the math. So she asked me to give her some time alone. to finish the rest of the work.¡±

    ¡°Has she been helpful? Do you like having her around?¡± Angelina asked.

    ¡°Oh yes. Very helpful. And I like her a lot!¡± Harper nodded. ¡°She told me how hard it was to live with

    the rogues. Poor girl, she has been through a lot. I am really d that she is starting a new life right

    now.¡±

    J and Angelina exchanged a look of delight.

    Both of them were pleased to see Harper make new friends.

    ¡°That is wonderful,¡± J softened her tone and said to Harper. ¡°Veronica was on the wrong path,

    and she made some mistakes. But she corrected it in time, just like you. I am happy to see you two

    connect to each other.¡±

    ¡°A new life, a new chapter, for the both of you,¡± Angelina added.

    Harper smiled sheepishly.

    ¡°Thank you so much for your nice words,¡± she said. ¡°In fact, I have a little suggestion. Why don¡¯t we

    throw a party and celebrate everything? We did just win a battle. And everyone is recovering. I think

    we deserve a night to have some fun.¡±

    ¡°It is actually not a bad idea,¡± J pondered. ¡°We were so caught up in everything that we never

    really had time to celebrate our triumph.¡±

    Angelina agreed, ¡°And Alpha Daran will be back soon. He can join the partyter on.¡±

    ¡°Great. It is settled then. Let¡¯s have the party in the City Hall. I think they have arge enough

    banquet hall to fit all of us. I will let everyone know. Angelina, can you and Harper prepare the

    food?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing!¡±

    J went outside to call everyone about the party. Harper followed her and said, ¡°J,

    congrattions.¡±

    J was bemused, ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°I heard someone talking about it¡­They said that Alpha Daran wants you back as his

    Luna. I am so happy for you,¡± Harper smiled.

    J felt a bit awkward. Daran¡¯s proposal was supposed to be a secret. She didn¡¯t know how

    Harper found out about this, probably from Jared, or one of the Gammas.

    ¡°I¡­haven¡¯t made up my mind about it yet.¡± J paused, ¡°But it is nice to hear you say that¡­

    especially given our history.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you meant my old crush on Daran? Please, it is ancient history already. I don¡¯t have any

    feelings for him anymore.¡±

    ¡°You will find the love of your life one day, Harper. And I bet he is just as great as Daran.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I certainly will. And I know that I will be so happy with him¡­So much happier than when I was

    with Daran.¡±

    There was something weird about Harper¡¯s tone. But J couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on it.

    Harper gave J a meaningful smile and waved her goodbye, ¡°I need to help Angelina with the

    food. See you at the party, J!¡±

    J made a few calls to let everyone know that there was going to be a party at the City Hall.

    Then she joined Angelina and Harper in the kitchen. Together, they made stews, grilled ribs, stakes,

    and pies. It would be a feast.

    When they brought all the prepared foods to the City Hall, there was already a crowd

    gathered outside.

    All the Gammas, soldiers, Balvina, Kass, Glen¡­Everyone was here.

    1 n arkead as soon as Tapet arrived.

    ¡°Hey, where is Veronica? I didn¡¯t see her,¡± Glen asked as soon as J arrived.

    ¡°Harper said that she was still in the market¡¯s office. Don¡¯t worry. I will go and get herter myself.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s set the food in the dining hall first. And I will go with you,¡± Angelina said. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    They entered the City Hall together as onerge group. When they reached the dining hall, Harper

    stepped up and pushed the door open.

    The dining hall was spacious, and its decoration was exquisite. Towering, vaulted ceilings adorned

    with chandeliers cast a warm, ambient glow over onerge oak table.

    It wouldn¡¯t be hard to imagine how hectic this ce used to be before the war.

    Harper was the first to step into this room.

    She suddenly let out a sharp cry the next second. Staggering back, her back bumped with J.

    ¡°What happened?¡± J asked with a frown.

    She followed Harper¡¯s horrified gaze and saw what Harper was staring at.

    There was a dead body lying on that oak table.

    It was Veronica, with her chest ripped apart and her eyes wide open even after death. And there

    was something written on the linen tablecloth, in Veronica¡¯s blood:

    A gift from the Rogue King.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    There was a long, deadly silence.

    People all held their breaths in horror. Nobody could believe what they were seeing right now.

    Until a piercing cry broke the silence.

    Glen pushed through the crowd and darted towards the oak table. He held Veronica¡¯s body in his

    arms, trying desperately to call her back to life but in vain.

    ¡°No, no, Veronica¡­This can¡¯t be happening! No, you can¡¯t be dead¡­NOOO!!!¡±

    He buried his face to Veronica¡¯s broken chest and uttered a heart-rending shriek. His face was

    already covered in hot tears.

    J found everything in front of her surreal.

    How could this happen? Veronica was just alive this morning, safe and sound. J could still

    remember the way she smiled and the happy look on her face when she kissed Glen goodbye.

    And now¡­she was gone?

    How could this be?

    Still, in a trance, J staggered forward and got to the oak table.

    She looked down at Veronica¡¯s dead body.

    There was a hole in this poor girl¡¯s chest and her heart was brutally gouged out. A horrified look

    froze on her face. She must be aghast at thest minute of her life. J felt her heartache.

    Sorrow, anger, confusion¡­all those feelings clogged her throat, making it hard to breathe.

    ¡°J¡­¡± Angelina came to hold her shoulder. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­Why? HOW?!¡± J grabbed Angelina¡¯s hand and hissed, ¡°You saw her-WE

    saw her! She was alright this morning. Who killed her? Why would anyone do this?!¡±

    ¡°You saw those words.¡±

    Angelina gave a quick nod at those scarlet words on the tablecloth. Her voice was full

    of hatred:

    ¡°It was the Rogue King. He killed Veronica and left her body as a

    demonstration¡­That f ucking son of a bitch wanted us to see how he handled the

    traitors!¡±

    ¡°But how!¡± J cried, her mind racing fast. ¡°As far as we know, the Rogue King is in the Great

    Canyon right now. And how did she manage to kill Veronica in the in daylight?!¡±

    And then she suddenly realized something.

    She and Daran discussed this. The Rogue King that showed up in the Great Canyon was probably

    just a puppet like Sterning, which meant that the real deal could be anywhere right now.

    He was probably right here, in this city.

    Blended into the crowd. Watching her from the darkness.

    A chill was sent down her spine as she raised her head and looked around. Therge group of

    people was still standing by the door, looking frightened and horrified.

    Yet J felt that none of them could be trusted.

    ¡°YOU-It is your fault!!!

    Glen jerked up. He was still holding Veronica¡¯s dead body and was now ring at J with a look

    of despair.

    ¡°You promised that you would look after her! You promised! And you said that she would be safe

    and sound when I came back to her!¡±

    Glen roared with tears streaming down his cheek.

    ¡°Look at her now! You failed at your own words! Why did I trust you-Why did I agree to help you in

    the first ce!!!¡±

    J stood stiffly on her spot, feeling cold inside.

    She couldn¡¯t dispute with Glen. And frankly speaking, she felt that she was indeed responsible.

    If they didn¡¯t send Glen away to the warehouse if they didn¡¯t leave Veronica by herself, if she

    checked on Veronica once¡­This probably wouldn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°I was wrong¡­So wrong! I should know that the Rogue King woulde back for us¡­ We should

    never help you!¡±

    Glen approached J step by step, still wailing. His hand was still covered in Veronica¡¯s blood.

    And he reached out to grab J¡¯s cor with that hand.

    Just then, arge figure dashed into the dining hall and stopped Glen before he could Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    get to J.

    It was Daran.

    ¡°Alpha Daran!¡± Angelina gasped, ¡°You are back-¡±

    Daran looked freshly off the battlefield with dust on his coat and hair.

    Holding J in his arms, Daran looked Glen straight in the eye.

    ¡°Glen, I know that you are sad. And this is truly tragic.¡±

    Daran said in a deep voice.

    ¡°But none of these is J¡¯s fault.¡±

    Glen rounded his eyes with a furious face, ¡°Not her fault?! What the f uck are you talking about!

    Veronica is dead under her watch! I want to gouge her f ucking heart out if I can-¡°!

    ¡°But don¡¯t you want to know who killed Veronica?¡± Daran snapped, raising his voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that the murderer is still out there!¡±

    Glen¡¯s jaw clenched.

    After a small pause, he said abruptly, ¡°I know who did it.

    Everyone was stunned.

    Does Glen know who killed Veronica?

    Does Glen know who killed Veronica?

    Glen jerked around and gazed at therge crowd by the door. He spotted one person among the

    group and pointed a finger at her:

    ¡°YOU!¡±

    Everyone followed his finger and looked at the person he was pointing at.

    It was Harper.

    ¡°What¡­ME?!¡± Harper shrieked in panic. ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I kill Veronica?¡±

    ¡°You were with her all day! And you were thest person being seen with her! And we all knew what

    a vicious person you truly are!¡± Glen roared.

    ¡°That is your big reason? You have lost your goddamn mind!¡±

    Harper cried, her high-pitched voice echoing across therge hall.

    ¡°I have changed, alright? I am a changed person! Plus, I barely know Veronica. I just met her today.

    Why would I murder a total stranger?¡±

    ¡°People never changed! That is it. I am killing you-I am avenging Veronica right now!!¡±

    He was about to jump at Harper.

    But Angelina rushed forward and stood in hist way.

    ¡°MOVE ASIDE!¡± Glen growled.

    ¡°Listen. Harper was with us all afternoon, alright? Her alibi checks out!¡± Angelia said urgently,

    ¡°Plus¡­Look at the size of that wound. No she-wolf has that huge of a w. Veronica was killed by a

    man.¡±

    Glen stood on the spot stiffly.

    There was a hopeless look in his dull eyes.

    Angelina approached him and carefully put a hand on his shoulder, ¡°I know that this

    is traumatic for you¡­But Harper is not the murderer.¡±

    Glen covered his face with both hands.

    After a long pause, he emitted a hoarse low sob.

    The party was definitely not going to happen.

    Balvina and Kass brought in a few soldiers and together they put a white sheet over Veronica¡¯s

    body.

    J sat in the corner at a loss. She was gazing at Glen, who had sunk onto the floor with silent

    tears streaming down his face.

    He looked as though he had lost his entire soul and all that left was a corpse.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Daran sat down by J¡¯s side, ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. This is not¡ª¡±

    ¡°My fault?¡± J shook her head. ¡°No. This is exactly my fault. So just don¡¯t say anything nice and

    try to make me feel better¡­ It will only make me feel worse.¡±

    She promised Glen that Veronica was safe with her.

    She promised Glen that Veronica was safe with her.

    Yet she was too careless.

    Her carelessness put Veronica in danger and caused her death.

    ¡°I know you feel responsible, and I am not saying this to make you sure better but¡­¡± Daran paused

    before saying deeply. ¡°This is war. We lost people during the war. It might be cruel, but it is the

    reality. You are the Gamma. You should know this better than anyone else does.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­you are right,¡± J murmured.

    She took a deep breath and looked Daran straight in the eyes.

    ¡°I think ourst triumph has made me forget how much danger we are still in,¡± she said in a shaky

    voice. ¡°I was so immersed in this temporary phase of peace that I forgot about how close our enemy

    is. You are right. We need to take action before it is toote.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that-¡±

    ¡°Yes. We should go to the Great Canyon as soon as possible. Together,¡± J said. firmly.

    They looked deep into each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Even if it is dangerous?¡± Daran asked hoarsely. ¡°If the Rogue King can somehow manage to have

    Veronica killed under our watch, he probably already knows that we will being into his territory.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even so, it is still worth it.¡±

    J nodded.

    ¡°With the higher stakees the bigger reward. The Rogue King is not as strong as we are. He is

    only capable of manipting people and stabbing us in the back. So it is time for us to attack head-

    on and force him to face us. And if the best case happens, we can even end this war and reim

    our territory one thing for all.¡±

    Daran smiled and held J¡¯s hand.

    ¡°With you by my side, that is what will happen,¡± he said.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    Daran and J made the decision to leave for the Great Canyon tomorrow at midnight.

    Their main target for this trip was to find out more information about the Rogue King. So that they

    could be better prepared when they met this mysterious figure again on the battlefield.

    And if they saw the Rogue King, they would also take the chance and act on it. Killing

    that son of a bitch was the best way to end this war.

    In order to be more discrete, Daran only nned on telling a small group of people that they were

    leaving.

    On the following day of Veronica¡¯s death, Daran called the Gammas, Jared, Angelina,

    Kass, Balvina, and Glen into his tent.

    Then J informed them about her and Daran¡¯s n.

    Steven was the one to voice out his objection.

    ¡°Are you guys both crazy?¡± he cried, ¡°Veronica just died. Right here in this city. Which means that

    the Rogue King¡¯s man is right by our side! Now we should be focusing on finding the murderer,

    instead of sending our best Alpha and best warrior straight to hell!¡±

    The others didn¡¯t say anything. But J could tell from their facial expression that they all agreed

    with Steven.

    ¡°Daran, you are always a calm and wise person.¡± Jeff frowned looking at Daran, ¡°This can¡¯t be your

    idea.¡±

    ¡°In fact, this is exactly my idea.¡± Daran said deeply, ¡°Even if we can locate the murderer this time,

    the Rogue King can still send more people here and keep stirring

    the water. This is what he is good at-stabbing us in the back. And we don¡¯t even know who he really

    is. We need to find a way to force him toe out.¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t worry about our safety.¡±

    J added to that..

    ¡°The Rogue King had never dared toe at us directly. He always hides in the darkness and lets

    his puppets do the dirty work. This further proves our theory that the Rogue King himself is not a

    good warrior nor a person with a strong physique. Daran and I won¡¯t be in any life-threatening

    danger.¡±

    Everyone in this roompsed into silence.

    J was right.

    Both she and Daran were strong werewolves. Even if they couldn¡¯t kill the Rogue King, they still

    wouldn¡¯t be risking their own lives.

    ¡°But¡­but what about the murderer?¡±

    Maxie asked after a long pause.

    ¡°If

    you and Alpha go to the Great Canyon, who will leave behind and lead the search. work? We still

    need a leader in this city.¡±

    ¡°You guys.¡±

    ¡°You guys.¡±

    Daran looked around the room and said, ¡°You are my most trusted fellows, which is why I called you

    into this room today and let you know about my n. After we leave, you will stay here and keep

    this city safe.¡±

    ¡°But not me,¡± Glen said abruptly. ¡°I wille with you.¡±

    He clenched his fists and looked at Daran. His eyes glittered in anger and hatred.

    ¡°That bastard killed Veronica. I fucking want to rip his throat apart! So please, give me a chance to

    avenge my love! I will prove myself useful to you!¡± he hissed.

    J and Daran exchanged a brief look.

    They already knew that Glen would say this before they called this meeting. They couldn¡¯t stop a

    man from avenging his lover.

    ¡°Sure. If you insist,¡± Daran nodded.

    ¡°I wille with you if Glen is going,¡± Jared chimed in and said, ¡°I am Glen¡¯s Alpha. This is my war

    as well.¡±

    Glen jerked around to look at him, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this for me, Alpha Jared¡­¡¯

    ¡°Oh please.¡±

    Jared wrapped an arm around his shoulder and smiled.

    ¡°You were always there by my side helping me with everything when we were little. Just let me help

    you out this time, OK?¡±

    He then looked towards Daran, ¡°Permission to get on board, Alpha Daran?¡±

    ¡°We can use your help but¡­¡± Daran pondered. ¡°If youe with us, there will be no Alpha left in

    this city.¡±

    ¡°I can call Alpha Casper and invite him overter. It won¡¯t be an issue,¡± Balvina suggested.

    Right, Casper.

    J rubbed her temple and let out a sigh internally.

    She hadn¡¯t got a chance to tell her brother about this n yet.

    She could already imagine his anger when he heard about thister. Casper was a very protective

    person. He would never agree to this if he were here.

    The good thing was that she would already be gone by the time he got here.

    ¡°Alright. So that is settled,¡± J pped her hands. ¡°Jared, Glen, Daran, and I will be leaving

    today around midnight-¡±

    ¡°Count me in,¡± Kass said abruptly.

    He was standing in the back of this crowd. No one paid any attention to him before he spoke up.

    Now he pushed through the crowd and walked up to Daran and J.

    ¡°I aming with you,¡± he said firmly.

    ¡°You?¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°The people going are either Alpha or Gamma. What makes you think that you are qualified?¡±

    ¡°I was a Rogue,¡± Kass said in a steady voice. ¡°I know about stuff. If you are going into the rogue¡¯s

    territory, don¡¯t you think you should include someone from the inside?¡±

    Daran frowned slightly. He still didn¡¯t trust Kass with his full heart.

    ¡°This is your call,¡± he said to J.

    J smiled and offered Kass her hand, ¡°Of course. And I am d that you are here with me.¡±

    ¡°Always,¡± Kass held her hand and said solemnly.

    So a small group of 5 was formed with J, Daran, Jared, Glen, and Kass. This group was just

    the right size. They got enough help but also wouldn¡¯t have to worry about attracting other¡¯s

    attention.

    After the meeting, J led Angelina to the side and warned her about Harper.

    ¡°I think she has something to do with Veronica¡¯s death,¡± J said in a low voice. Angelina widened

    her eyes, ¡°You do? Do you have any proof?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    J shook her head.

    ¡°And I know that her alibi checks out and the wound size doesn¡¯t make sense. But my gut is telling

    me this-Harper is off.¡±

    Angelina murmured, ¡°I thought she had changed¡­¡± Yet even she sounded less sure at this

    moment.

    ¡°Yes, people change, but not that quickly. And I kept thinking back to that day when she was gone

    all afternoon. She imed that she was not feeling so well and was resting in her tent. But I clearly

    saw her around that Smith Shop. Now that I think back to it, I should never let it slide.¡±

    J looked at Angelina and said in a serious voice, ¡°I am probably just paranoid¡­but do keep an

    eye on her. Plus that Lance and his wife from the Smith Shop.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Angelina nodded.

    After a day of preparation, the group of them gathered at the North Gate and wast ready to leave

    the city under the cover of darkness.

    The rest who decided to stay alle to see them off.

    J hugged her dear friends one by one. When she got to Balvina, she sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let

    Casper get too mad at me, alright?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t control that.¡± Balvina chuckled, ¡°You can tell him to calm down yourself when you

    come back safe. Oh and Kass, try your best to protect our Gamma, alright?¡±

    Kass nodded, ¡°You have my word.¡±

    anot a bow of snacks ¡°I parked you

    ¡°Yes, people change, but not that quickly. And I kept thinking back to that day when she was goneMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org.

    all afternoon. She imed that she was not feeling so well and was resting in her tent. But I clearly

    saw her around that Smith Shop. Now that I think back to it, I should never let it slide.¡±

    J looked at Angelina and said in a serious voice, ¡°I am probably just

    paranoid¡­but do keep an eye on her. Plus that Lance and his wife from the Smith Shop.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Angelina nodded.

    After a day of preparation, the group of them gathered at the North Gate and was ready to leave the

    city under the cover of darkness.

    The rest who decided to stay alle to see them off.

    J hugged her dear friends one by one. When she got to Balvina, she sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let

    Casper get too mad at me, alright?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t control that.¡± Balvina chuckled, ¡°You can tell him to calm down yourself when you

    come back safe. Oh and Kass, try your best to protect our Gamma, alright?¡±

    Kass nodded, ¡°You have my word.¡±

    Angelina stepped up at this moment and handed J a box of snacks, ¡°I packed you

    some food. Good luck with everything.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± J smiled.

    She looked around her side, ¡°Ready to leave?¡±

    Members of her group nodded together.

    They all shifted into their wolves and dashed out of the Crimson Fortress. They were heading north.

    Soon they would leave the borderline and set foot into the rogue¡¯s territory, a mysteriousnd full of

    unknown danger.

    This time they would finally get to meet their biggest rival, the Rogue King.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    When J and the others disappeared into the distance, the people sending them off all returned

    to the Crimson Fortress.

    Except for Angelina..

    She stood in the wind and gazed into the darkness, thinking about what J said to her before

    they left.

    About Harper.

    Angelina couldn¡¯t help but ask herself: Did she really ce her trust in Harper too easily?

    Nevertheless, Harper did ask her maids to cut her hands off without a blink of an eye. Could a

    person that brutal change thatpletely overnight?

    Angelina slowly let out a shaky breath.

    If that was the case¡­

    If Harper had been faking it¡­

    And even worse, if Harper really had something to do with Veronica¡¯s death¡­

    Then she couldn¡¯t forgive herself for letting Harper off the hook that easily.

    Just then, a strange noise came from her back.

    Angelina jerked around and snapped, ¡°Who is there? Step out!¡±

    It had already passed midnight.

    No one should be out here at this hour.

    A slim figure slowly stepped out of the bush and walked into the moonlight.

    It was the same person that Angelina had been thinking about just a moment before.

    Harper.

    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Angelina gasped in shock.

    Harper chuckled, ¡°Sending my dear sister off, just like you did. Too bad that I didn¡¯t get a chance to

    wish her good luck.¡±

    Angelina clenched her fists. She suddenly felt a thrill of foreboding.

    ¡°How did you know about this?¡± she growled.

    Their n was supposed to be a secret! She even waited for Harper to turn in before leaving their

    tent.

    So how did Harper find out about everything?

    Harper seemed to enjoy the furious look on Angelina¡¯s face a lot.

    She giggled and took another step forward.

    ¡°Oh, I know about a lot of things,¡± she said. ¡°I know that J and Daran are going to the Great

    Canyon, which is practically suicide. I also know that you won¡¯t be able to boss me around like a f

    ucking ve any longer. And most importantly, I know that-¡±

    She grinned shing her teeth, with a twinkle of joy in her eyes.

    you are doomed now.¡±

    Suddenly a sharp pain pierced Angelina¡¯s body and she fell.

    Crushed to the ground, Angelina curled her body in agony and struggled to look

    around.

    La was standing by her side, holding a baseball bat, which was the weapon that she just hit

    Angelina with.

    ¡°Y-You¡­¡±

    Angelina breathed heavily, gritting her teeth.

    ¡°It was you¡­A-And-¡±

    ¡°¨CAnd me,¡± said a deep voice behind her back.

    Lance stepped out of the dark shadows and walked over. His lips curled in triumph as he looked

    down at Angelina.

    ¡°I bet that you didn¡¯t see thising, did you?¡± Lance smiled.

    Angelina red at him. She wanted to jump up and attack him. But she couldn¡¯t move. La must

    have broken her rips when she hit her with that bat.

    Lance lifted a foot and stomped on Angelina¡¯s shoulder, enjoying her humiliated face.

    ¡°This is the fatal weakness of you guys,¡± heughed. ¡°You are always too gullible. Too eager to

    believe that people have changed. That weakness makes you overlook certain things.¡±

    ¡°You¡­You killed Veronica!¡± Angelina cried hoarsely. Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Well, you caught me there, even though a bitte.¡±

    Lance shrugged.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do? Veronica was going to tell J about me. I couldn¡¯t let her do that.¡±

    He moved his feet to Angelina¡¯s neck, adding more pressure to it. Angelina¡¯s face was quickly

    turning red in suffocation.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work¡­You still won¡¯t win¡­¡¯

    Angelina uttered, struggling.

    ¡°J¡­and Daran¡­they areing at you¡­They-they are strong-¡±

    Lance burst intoughter.

    ¡°Oh you really have faith in them, don¡¯t you? OK, I admit it. Alpha Daran is the strongest werewolf I

    have ever met. I probably won¡¯tst 10 seconds with him if we are at a one-on-one showdown. But

    so what? I am still going to be thest man standing because I can outsmart him.¡±

    Angelina clenched his ankle in agony. She couldn¡¯t breathe anymore under the pressure that Lance

    put on her neck.

    ¡°Remember that box of snacks,

    you gave J?¡± Lance asked with a smile.

    Angelina¡¯s body twitched. She was choking.

    ¡°I asked Harper to add a little something extra to their snacks. If they eat those¨Cand they will

    because they trust you, they won¡¯t be as strong as they are now.¡±

    Rage seized Angelina¡¯s heart.

    This f ucking bastard-

    ¡°You seem mad,¡± Lance chuckled. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t you be more mad at yourselves? You caused

    Veronica¡¯s death. And soon, you will cause J and Daran¡¯s death as well.¡±

    He stomped on Angelina¡¯s neck hard.

    Angelina¡¯s eyes rolled to the back, and she passed out.

    ¡°Should we hide her body somewhere?¡± La asked.

    ¡°Just leave her here. We are going back to the Great Canyon today. There is no need to hide our

    tracks any longer.¡±

    Lance dusted off his hands and beckoned to Harper.

    Harper walked over and cringed against his arms like a docile sheep.

    ¡°That thing you asked me to put into their snacks¡­What is it?¡± Harper asked curiously. ¡°Is it poison?

    Is it going to kill them all before they get to the Great Canyon?¡±

    ¡°No poison is strong enough to kill a werewolf, silly girl,¡± Lance said idly. ¡°It is something much

    better¡­It is La¡¯s blood.¡±

    Harper was shocked and disappointed.

    ¡°Her blood?¡± she cried, ¡°What can her blood do? Kill them? If it can¡¯t do that, then you have wasted

    a golden opportunity to=¡±

    She suddenly quivered.

    Because she just found Lance staring at her with a dark face.

    ¡°Careful, my mate, I don¡¯t like to be questioned,¡± Lance hissed. ¡°If you areing to my kingdom

    with me, remember one thing. That I am the King. And you are my subject.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, my king,¡± Harper whispered in fear.

    ¡°And you will see what La¡¯s blood can do to them when we get back to the Great Canyon. The

    rogue¡¯s blood has special powers. You will find out about that soon. He rubbed Harper¡¯s hair like

    petting ap dog.

    ¡°Let us hit the road.¡±

    Lance smiled and gazed to the north.

    His eyes were gleaming with excitement.

    ¡°My dear guest¡­my arch nemesis Alpha Daran¡­is waiting for us.¡¯

    It took the group one full day before arriving at the Great Canyon. They moved as fast as they could

    and only stopped a few times to have some water and snacks.

    Before going into the Great Canyon, they also had aplete makeover under Kass¡¯s instruction.

    They had to make sure that their outfits and appearances could fit into the rogue¡¯s crowd.

    Angelina once told J that the Great Canyon was in fact a ck market.

    And she was exactly right about that.

    In the shadowy underbelly of the canyon, nestled amidst crumbled buildings and hidden alleyways,

    He said in a deep voice.

    ¡°We should take the test and be the true rogues ourselves.¡±

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102

    The others were all astonished by Daran¡¯s proposal.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Test? What test?¡± Jared asked with a frown.

    ¡°J heard this from Angelina and then she told me. Apparently, there is a certain test that we can

    take to be verified rogues. And then we will have ess to the Grace Ruin.¡±

    Daran looked to Kass for verification, ¡°Is that true?¡±

    Kass was reluctant, ¡°It is true. But I don¡¯t know the details of that test. It could be extremely

    dangerous. Plus, are you really willing to go that far? Once we are in the Rogue King¡¯s imperial

    city¡­there is no turning back.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to turn back.¡± Daran said deeply, ¡°This war won¡¯t end unless we kill the Rogue King.

    And the only way to do that is to face him directly. If some of you are having second thought and

    want to withdrawal back to Crimson Fortress, now is probably a good time.¡±

    Kass¡¯s jaw clenched. He looked irritated.

    ¡°I will go wherever Gamma J goes,¡± he said decisively.

    ¡°And so do we,¡± Jared nodded. ¡°So where can we take this test? Any clues?¡±

    ¡°There is a certain ce that we can sign up for the test. Finish your meal and we will go there

    immediately,¡± Kass said.

    They gobbled down their meals and left the restaurant.

    The ce that Kass brought them to turned out to be a dive bar hidden in a dingy alleyway.

    The doorbell made a jingling noise when Daran pushed the door open. Everyone inside turned their

    heads to look at them.

    The dimly lit interior was stacked with warn leather stools and cracked vinyl booths. The air was

    thick with the acrid smell of beer and decades of cigarette smoke.

    Customers hidden in the shadows of the booths eyed the neers as they made their ways to

    the bar.

    Hunched over the oily bar was an old man with messy hair and lumpy skin.

    He looked up briefly at them and huffed, ¡°What?¡±

    Kass slid a 50-dor bill across the table, ¡°5 Whiskey Ruined on ice.¡±

    The old bartender narrowed his eyes, ¡°5? For all of you?¡±

    ¡°Is that not allowed?¡± Jared asked.

    The bartender snorted, ¡°We just haven¡¯t had a group in a long time. And just so you know, that drink

    is damn strong. It will fucking kill you.¡±

    ¡°I know. And we can take it.¡±

    The bartender dumped the piece of rag that he was wiping those sses with and lurched to the

    back.

    ¡°What is a Whiskey Ruined?¡± J whispered.

    ¡°It is how you ask for the ticket for the test. You will see.¡±

    Momentster, the bartender returned with 5 sses of whiskey and 5 tickets. ¡°Finish your drink,¡±

    he mumbled. ¡°The entrance is in the back, next to the man¡¯s room.¡±

    They exchanged a brief look, and each took a ss of wine and a ticket.

    J drank her wine in one draught. The whiskey burned all the way down to her chest. She

    suddenly felt reenergized.

    After they all finished their drinks, they went to the back of the bar and found a door next to the

    man¡¯s room just like the bartender had said.

    There was a ticket gate standing outside of the door, like the one that they had in the

    subway.

    ¡°OK.¡±

    Kass turned to look at the rest of them.

    ¡°So now you are supposed to insert your ticket here and the gate will open up, leading you to the

    ce where you can take the test. But that is all I know. I have no idea what will happen beyond this

    gate.¡±

    Daran reached for J¡¯s hand and locked fingers with her.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked, his gorgeous eyes gleaming brightly in the darkness. J smiled and

    gently squeezed his hand, ¡°Whenever you are.¡±

    Daran stepped up and inserted his ticket into the ticket machine.

    The green light shed, and the door opened up, revealing a secret tunnel. The narrow staircase

    descended into the darkness, leading to somewhere unknown.

    J followed Daran and inserted her ticket as well.

    One by one, they all passed the gate.

    The tunnel was pitch-ck. And it was not even wide enough for two people to travel shoulder by

    shoulder. They could only walk as a line and held on to the moss-covered wall as they traveled

    downstairs.

    A muggy and rotten smell filled the air.

    The further they went, the more humid it got.

    And the stairs seemed to never end.

    They must had walked down 10 flights of stairs already-J was keeping counts-but still hadn¡¯t

    reached the end.

    They were deep beneath the ground already.

    ¡°How much further?¡± Glen¡¯s voice came from the darkness.

    But no one could answer him.

    Because at this point, nobody-not even Kass-knew what would happen.

    After another 5 minutes of traveling in the darkness, they finally reached to the bottom of the

    staircase.

    After they all finished their drinks, they went to the back of the bar and found a door next to the

    man¡¯s room just like the bartender had said.

    There was a ticket gate standing outside of the door, like the one that they had in the

    subway.

    ¡°OK.¡±

    Kass turned to look at the rest of them.

    ¡°So now you are supposed to insert your ticket here and the gate will open up, leading you to the

    ce where you can take the test. But that is all I know. I have no idea what will happen beyond this

    gate.¡±

    Daran reached for J¡¯s hand and locked fingers with her.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked, his gorgeous eyes gleaming brightly in the darkness. J smiled and

    gently squeezed his hand, ¡°Whenever you are.¡±

    Daran stepped up and inserted his ticket into the ticket machine.

    The green light shed, and the door opened up, revealing a secret tunnel. The narrow staircase

    descended into the darkness, leading to somewhere unknown. J followed Daran and inserted

    her ticket as well.

    One by one, they all passed the gate.

    The tunnel was pitch-ck. And it was not even wide enough for two people to travel shoulder by

    shoulder. They could only walk as a line and held on to the moss-covered wall as they traveled

    downstairs.

    A muggy and rotten smell filled the air.

    The further they went, the more humid it got.

    And the stairs seemed to never end.

    They must had walked down 10 flights of stairs already-J was keeping counts-but still hadn¡¯t

    reached the end.

    They were deep beneath the ground already.

    ¡°How much further?¡± Glen¡¯s voice came from the darkness.

    But no one could answer him.

    Because at this point, nobody-not even Kass-knew what would happen.

    After another 5 minutes of traveling in the darkness, they finally reached to the bottom of the

    staircase.

    A rusty iron door stood in their face.

    Daran gave it a small push and the door swung open, revealing a cell with the size of a bedroom.

    J was stunned to find that there was already more than a dozen of people inside of the cell.

    They were either leaning against the wall or crouched on the ground. And they all stared at them

    hostilely as they walked in.

    ¡°What is this? A group test?¡± Jared murmured.

    J looked around the room and walked to a man closest to her.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said lightly. ¡°Are you here to take the test as well?¡±

    The man stared at her in silence.

    ¡°Do you know what the test is about? We might be able to work together,¡± J said.

    The man still kept his mouth shut.

    And then the next second, he grabbed J¡¯s hand abruptly and brought her wrist to

    his nose, taking in a deep inhale.

    ¡°You¡­smell too good¡­you don¡¯t smell like a rogue.¡±

    The rogue sniffed and grinned, shing his yellow teeth.

    ¡°I can just gobble you down alive¡­like a sheep¡­¡±

    J gritted her teeth in fume..

    Yet before she could snatch her hand back, a great force came behind her back and shoved that

    rogue against the wall.

    Daran stood with his hand firmly mped around the rogue¡¯s neck.

    The rogue¡¯s feet were forced to leave the ground, his legs kicking vainly in the air.

    ¡°No¡­Please don¡¯t!¡± The rogue gasped, struggling to breathe.

    ¡°Wrong person to mess with,¡± Daran said coldly.

    ¡°Let me down¡­You-You are not supposed to kill anyone before the test!¡±

    ¡°Daran,¡± J called him in a low voice..

    Daran loosened his grip and let the rogue fall to the ground. Holding her in his arms, he led her

    back to their own group.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Kass asked in worry.

    J smiled, ¡°I am fine. These are justmon rogues, not even trained soldiers.¡± Everyone here

    had been on the battlefield and ughtered countless enemies. Those people were nothing to be

    afraid of.

    Glen scratched his head anxiously, ¡°So what the hell is this about? Locking the bunch of us in a

    cell? And what did that rogue mean when he said that we were not supposed to kill him before the

    test?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what this reminds me of?¡± J asked.

    ¡°The Coliseum,¡± Daran said icily.

    The Coliseum, a brutal battleground where the ves battled with wild beasts and each other to

    entertain the royals.

    It certain seemed like the rogue¡¯s taste.

    ¡°Filthy bastards,¡± Jared snorted.

    They took their seats on the ground and waited in the darkness.

    ¡°Filthy bastards,¡± Jared snorted.

    They took their seats on the ground and waited in the darkness.

    Daran let J learn on his shoulders and said, ¡°You can shut your eyes for a while. I will wake you

    upter.¡±

    ¡°No, I am not tired,¡± she shook

    Der head.

    ¡°Nervous?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. I guess¡­I am excited.¡±

    Fire of rage and thirst for revenge was burning inside of her chest.

    She had a feeling that they would be meeting the Rogue King soon.

    And that was exactly what they had hoped for.

    So they kept on waiting.

    Didn¡¯t know how much time had passed¡­probably an hour, or even longer than that.

    Then they heard a deep hum and rumble of the machinery.

    It was like some chains and gears were turned on to work, and the damp ground beneath their feet

    started to quake. Dust fell off the ceiling on their shoulder.

    They all jumped up.

    The brick wall slowly slid to the sides.

    Silver moonlight poured in. And they could finally see what was behind those thick walls.

    The vast arena, the opening space, the dried blood on the ground¡­

    They were standing in a Coliseum.

    fan

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103

    The rest of the rogues quivered by the door.

    Daran was the first to step into the area and J followed right behind him.

    They looked around.

    This entire space was like a titan of antiquity.

    Its towering stone walls, weathered by wind and rain, stood almost ten stories high. Within the vast

    arena, tiers of stone seats encircled the battleground, which had sandy ground with dried blood on

    it. Tons of relentless battles must have happened here before.

    Above, the open sky stretched like a canvas, with a bright full moon shining right in the middle of the

    night sky.

    ¡°Look to the stands!¡± J whispered to Daran.

    They raised their heads and looked up.

    High up in the stands, hidden in the shadow of the stone wall, sat many audiences. J couldn¡¯t

    see their faces clearly from this distance even with her perfect vision. ¡°What the fuck!¡± Glen

    snapped, ¡°Are they here to see us fight?¡±

    ¡°This is a Coliseum. It is designed to entertain the nobles,¡± Kass sighed.

    ¡°These fucking barbarians are not nobles! And I definitely don¡¯t want to fucking entertain them like

    some pets that they own!¡±

    ¡°I agree with Kass,¡± Jared said sullenly. ¡°I don¡¯t like the feeling of this either.¡±

    J understood why they were both frustrated.

    Everyone here either Gammas or Alphas, people highly respected in their own packs. It was

    already a great shame for them to try to fit into their enemy¡¯s crowd, let along entertaining those

    people.

    A huge humiliation, indeed.

    ¡°But think how far we havee!¡± J kept her voice down and said, ¡°We are just a step away

    from the Grace Ruin and the Rogue King. If we back down from this now, we will return empty

    handed, with no clue about our biggest enemy. Is that truly what you want?¡±

    Glen and Jared exchanged a sullen look.

    ¡°Alpha Daran, what about you?¡± Glen asked, ¡°Are you OK with this?¡±

    Daran raised an eyebrow.

    He brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles.

    ¡°Between a little sacrifice and victory?¡± he said in an off-handed voice, ¡°I always choose theter.¡±

    Just then, a ttering noise came from behind their backs.

    They jerked around to look.

    The four iron gates located at the four directions of this arena opened up abruptly.

    They heard the growling of hungry beasts. From those shadowy gates, a crowd of

    ????y ??¡°¡°?¡±?????AII? ? ???????

    z& LHA,-¡¢, HA?vy b¡±,*

    wild animals were released. From a rough count, there were at least dozens.

    ¡°F-Fuck!¡± a rogue cried in horror, ¡°Bears! And lions! Holy shit!¡±

    All the rogues were terrified. Even though they were werewolves themselves, they still couldn¡¯t

    compete with that many beasts.

    Yet J¡¯s group was not afraid at all.

    ¡°Beasts? Really?¡± Jared rolled his eyes, ¡°God, looks like we are really diators in this scenario.¡±

    ¡°We have practiced this before, right Gamma J?¡± Kass looked at J with a

    smile.

    J nodded.

    The first jointedpetition that they had in Riverside Pack was hunting for wild animals. Due to

    Baron¡¯s set up, J even encountered some variant bears.

    This was just old trick all over again.

    Against the background noise of animal¡¯s roars, Jared raised his voice and said, ¡°Want to make this

    more interesting, Alpha Daran?¡±

    ¡°What do you propose?¡±

    ¡°How about we don¡¯t shift and see which one of us can take down the most beasts?¡±

    ¡°Sounds interesting.¡±

    Daran curved his lips into a faint smile.

    ¡°But you are going to lose.¡±

    They dashed at those wild animals together, with Kass and Glen following right behind their back.

    The fight had begun. The sound of people screaming, animal growling, bodies being smashed

    against the ground and flesh being teared apart echoed across the space.

    J knew that they could pass this test easily. So she was not in a rush to participate in that

    chaos.

    She temporarily stepped aside and looked up at the stands one more time.

    There was somebody sitting in the middle of the stands.

    That spot had the perfect view overlooking the entire arena. And all the seats around that spot were

    all empty. It almost looked like that nobody dared to seat next to that certain person.

    J narrowed her eyes.

    Could that person be the Rogue King?

    She wanted to get a better view of that person. But she couldn¡¯t, not from this distance and plus the

    shadows.

    Yet her gut told her that this was the one that they had been looking for.

    She thought about shifting and going at that person directly. But with the distance between them, he

    would probably get away before she even got to the stands.

    No.

    Now was still not a good time.

    The noises gradually quieted down. Blood and torn body parts were lying

    everywhere on the ground. All beasts were ughtered, mostly by Daran and the others.

    Two rogues died in the process. There would be a lot more lost lives if it weren¡¯t for their group.

    Jared wiped the hot blood off his face andughed, ¡°That was fun! So now what? Have we passed

    the test already?¡±

    J shook her head slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t think it is that simple.¡±

    Just then, a lone apuse came from the stands, catching all their attention.

    ¡°Impressive.¡±

    A woman¡¯s voice echoed in the night sky.

    ¡°You just broke the record.¡±

    ¡°It is a woman!¡± Kass said urgently in a low voice, ¡°Is that the Rogue King?¡±

    ¡°It could also be his puppet,¡± Daran said.

    J searched for the woman who just spoke among the audiences but failed. She couldn¡¯t be sure

    if she was the person sitting in the middle.

    ¡°Now for the second round-

    ||

    The woman snapped her fingers. Torches suddenly lit up around the arena, illuminating the entire

    space.

    ¡°-battle until there are only 5 of you left.¡±

    J looked around.

    Fifteen people came into the arena and two just died in the first round.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    There were now thirteen people present.

    ¡°5! That is exactly the size of our group!¡± Kass looked to J and Daran, ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Jared seemed reluctant, ¡°Are we really going to kill civilians?¡±

    ¡°These are not civilians.¡±

    Daran said coldly. The fire light casted a beautiful glow over his handsome profile.

    ¡°Those are rogues. Our enemy.¡±

    Just then, a roar came from behind their backs. A rogue shifted into wolf and howled

    to the full moon. The next second, he came at Jared at full speed!

    ¡°Looks like if you don¡¯t kill them, they will kill you!¡±

    J cried loudly and stopped a rogue who tried to sneak up behind her back.

    ¡°Strike back!¡±

    The arenapsed into aplete chaos, with them fighting against the rogues and the rogues

    battling among themselves

    Most rogues had shifted.

    J could very well handle them in her human form. But she still decided to shift just to be safe.

    She called to her wolf internally and prepared to shift.

    Yet the strangest thing happened, something that never happened in her entire life.

    Her wolf didn¡¯t answer.

    She was stuck in her human form.

    A freezing chill was sent down J¡¯s spine as she stood on her spot stiffly,

    What just happened?

    That couldn¡¯t be right¡­ Why couldn¡¯t she shift?!

    She was so shocked that she didn¡¯t even notice a rogueing at her. It was Daran who noticed

    the danger and rushed to her rescue,

    ¡°Focus, J!¡±

    Daran snapped and broke the rogue¡¯s neck.

    ¡°What are you doing just standing there?¡±

    J looked up at him, her voice slightly shaking, ¡°I-I can¡¯t shift! Daran, what is going on here?¡±

    A furrow appeared between Daran¡¯s brows.

    After a small pause, his face turned cold, ¡°Me neither.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck happened?!¡±

    Daran clenched his jaw and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Stay close to me for now.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long before they cleared out the arena. The rogues pretty much took care of

    themselves. And the rest who dared to challenge the group all died in their hands.

    Yet they were facing a bigger crisis now.

    ¡°Daran! J!¡±

    Jared rushed over with his entire body covered in blood.

    ¡°I can¡¯t shift! And neither could Glen!¡± he said urgently. ¡°Can you?¡±

    J shook her head.

    Kass came back to them as well. He was the only one in this group who could shift into his wolf.

    ¡°Is there some sorts of taboo on werewolves?¡± J asked Kass.

    Kass shifted back into human. He looked anxious as well, ¡°Not that I have heard of. This is so

    weird!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can handle this,¡± Daran said.

    His voice was so calm and steady that it cooled everyone down immediately.

    And they heard the woman¡¯s voice again.

    ¡°Very good.¡±

    She said in a booming voice in the distance.

    J red at that direction, her heart full of rage, ¡°Are we done here?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    The woman giggled pleasantly, ¡°It is very rare to see people take this test as a group.

    Most rogues are loners.¡±

    ¡°What is your point exactly?!¡±

    The woman¡¯s voice turned cold:

    ¡°Now for the final round¡­Kill a friend. To prove that you are really one of us.¡±

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104

    Kill a friend?

    J rounded her eyes in rage.

    This was outrageous! There was no way they would do that in a million years!

    ¡°Fuck them!¡± Jared growled, ¡°They are fucking ying with us!¡±

    Dazan clenched his jaw. His eyes gleamed coldly like a piece of ice.

    ¡°The Rogue King is here somewhere,¡± he said deeply.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Jared asked with a frown.

    ¡°I have a feeling. Plus, a man like him would never miss out on such a great show.¡±

    He scanned his eyes across the stands.

    ¡°It would be best if we can kill him right here,¡± he said.

    J gritted her teeth.

    She agreed with Daran that this was a great opportunity to kill the Rogue King. But the problem was

    that they didn¡¯t know where he was at specifically. And the more important issue was that they didn¡¯t

    have their wolves.

    ¡°OK, let us say that we can locate the Rogue King among the crowd. But can youpete with the

    Rogue King without your wolf?¡± Jared asked in worry.

    Daran stretched his body calmly.

    There was a wild and arrogant twinkle in his eyes.

    ¡°There is no way of finding out without a try,¡± he said haughtily.

    ¡°No! No fucking way! I am strongly against it!¡±

    Jared huffed, ring at Daran.

    ¡°I know that you are a strong Alpha and everything. But this is the Rogue fucking King! We fought

    him brutally for decades and yet still couldn¡¯t end that

    motherfucker. What do you think you can take him down barehanded? The alliance can¡¯t afford to

    lose you!¡±

    Kass nodded in agreement, ¡°I agree. It is too risky. We will find another chanceter.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t go back empty-handed,¡± Daran said coldly. ¡°This trip has to aplish something.¡±

    ¡°And what if the aplishment is your death?! The Rogue King will fucking like that! It is two

    against one now. J, what do you say?¡±

    They all turned to look at J.

    J bit her lips, her heart struggling inside.

    Daran was a fierce, aggressive warrior. He never backed away in the face of danger. Which was the

    reason why so many rogues were so afraid of him.

    But this was no normal danger.

    This was the crisis of a lifetime!

    The woman¡¯s voice asked loudly from the stands, ¡°What is the dy here? I don¡¯t have all night!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Kass hissed urgently, ¡°Before it is toote, Alpha Daran!¡±

    Yet Daran ignored Kass. He was staring at J, his gaze very intimidating.

    ¡°Trust me on this, J,¡± he said pressingly.

    J licked her dry lips, her heart thumping against her ribs like crazy.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    She uttered a single word and lost her voice again.

    Just then, a rattling noise came from behind their backs.

    From a peripheral look, J saw Glen pick up a knife from the ground.

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing, Glen?!¡± she cried, her voice high and shrill.

    Glen stood a few steps away from them, holding that knife in his hand. There was a determined

    look on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Glen!¡± Jared roared, ¡°Drop the fucking knife!¡±

    J¡¯s heart had jumped to her throat.

    Was Glen really willing to kill one of them?

    She hated to doubt any of her friends but¡­

    Glen did betray them once.

    ¡°I am sorry guys.¡±

    Glen tightened his grip on the knife. His voice was dry and hoarse.

    ¡°But I can¡¯te this far and aplish nothing. Those sleepless nights and desperate hopes¡­ it

    is killing me¡­¡±

    Kass let out a deep growl and stood in front of J. He was the only one who had shifted into his

    wolf.

    ¡°Drop the knife, Glen!¡± Daran snapped.

    Glen lifted the corners of his lips into a bitter smile.

    And then, he turned the knife around and pointed it at his own chest.

    ¡°NO-!¡± J cried loudly.

    The four of them dashed at Glen together. But it was still toote. By the time they got to Glen¡¯s

    side, the knife had been stabbed into his heart.

    ¡°No¡­No, don¡¯t¡­Glen!¡±

    Jared knelt by Glen¡¯s side and tried to use his hands to cover the wound. But he couldn¡¯t stop the

    blood.

    ¡°Why the fuck Glen!!!¡± Jared roared with tears streaming down his face.

    Glen¡¯s lips trembled. His eyes were already starting to lose focus.

    ¡°You-You need to kill someone-to keep going¡­it might as well be me¡­¡± he said shakily.

    ¡°Those motherfuckers are fucking ying with us! You fucking listened to them?!¡±

    ¡°Whatever man¡­¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Glen smiled weakly. Tears were circling in his eyes.

    ¡°Veronica died¡­and I am a traitor¡­call me a coward but I don¡¯t want to live anyway¡­¡±

    He struggled to lift a hand and give it to Daran.

    Daran held his hand tightly.

    ¡°Y-You are our hope, Alpha Daran¡­I believe in you¡­¡± Glen breathed lightly, ¡°So kill that filthy

    bastard and avenge me and Veronica¡­¡±

    Daran clenched his hand.

    ¡°You have my word,¡± he gritted.

    Glen breathed out a long sigh. He gazed at the full moon hanging in the middle of the night sky and

    murmured:

    ¡°¡­Veronica¡­¡±

    Then he stopped breathing.

    J¡¯s mind was aplete nk.

    She couldn¡¯t believe this. Everything felt so surreal.

    They had so many options. They could retreat, or they could risk it and attack the Rogue King.

    Neither way would lead to the death of their friend.

    But Glen still chose the most tragic way.

    Just like he said, he didn¡¯t want to live anymore.

    J blinked and a tear dropped on Glen¡¯s face. She had never hated the Rogue King this much in

    her entire life!

    ¡°We can¡¯t let Glen¡¯s death be vain,¡± Daran said in a dark voice.

    He nced at J and Jared before looking at Kass.

    ¡°Remember what I said to you before we left Crimson Fortress?¡± he asked.

    Kass paused.

    He nodded reluctantly after a few seconds.

    ¡°Good,¡± Daran said. ¡°Stick to our n when the timees.¡±

    J looked at them in a daze.

    She had no idea what they were talking about.

    Stick to the n?

    What n?

    And howe she didn¡¯t know that Daran talked to Kass before they left Crimson Fortress?

    Before she could ask about it, a roaringughter traveled down from the stands and broke the

    silence.

    They all jerked around to look for the source of thatughter.

    A tall figure rose from the seat and casually made his way down from the stands. He stepped into

    the arena and kept walking.

    Eventually, he came into the light.

    ¡°I have been waiting for you, my friends. Wee to my Kingdom!¡± heughed.

    J stared at him.

    The gorgeous face, thenky body figure, the pleasant smile¡­

    It was Lance.

    The Rogue King was Lance.

    In that split second, she understood everything.

    The nice cksmith that she saved from the rogue¡¯s hand was actually theirrgest enemy. He had

    been hiding under their noses all these times with a fake identity.

    He was the one who killed Veronica.

    And Harper.

    He must have had Harper working for him as well.

    ¡°Why the furious look, my friends?¡±

    Lance giggled. His face was lit up with happiness and excitement.

    ¡°It took me a lot of effort to get you here. Especially you, Alpha Daran. You ughtered so many of

    my men and sabotaged all my ns¡­We ought to get to know each other sooner. What a pity.¡±

    Daran stood up and stared at Lance.

    There was a bloodthirsty gleam in Daran¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Because you have been hiding in the shadows like a fucking rat,¡± he said

    dangerously.

    Lanceughed, ¡°True, true! But I have to put my own safety into consideration here. Not everyone

    was born with a strong physic and an Alpha aura. But it is not toote, is it? Today is a memorable

    day. We finally get to meet.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Daran said darkly. He clenched his fists, his muscles bulging.

    ¡°Very memorable. Because today-is also the day you die!¡±

    Daran suddenly let out a roaring howl, his Alpha aura sweeping across the field like a gush of

    strong wind!

    Horrified gasps could be heard from the stands.

    Everyone present-including Lance himself-wobbled on their spots because of the Alpha aura.

    Daran dashed at Lance at full speed.

    He got to Lance¡¯s side fast as thunder and gripped Larice¡¯s throat.

    With a ck noise, he snapped Lance¡¯s neck like a twig!

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105

    J rounded her eyes in awe.

    Daran snapped the Rogue King¡¯s neck.

    Did this mean that¡­

    They just killed theirrgest enemy?!

    Excitement exploded in her chest like a million fireworks. Yet before she could rush forward and

    congratte Daran, something horrible happened.

    Lance didn¡¯t crush down to the ground as he was supposed to.

    He stood on his spot and slowly raised a hand, holding his own head.

    J couldn¡¯t believe what she just saw.

    How was this possible?

    How could somebody still be able to move around after their heads were snapped?!

    With a cracking noise, Lance twisted his own neck, and his head was back to its normal position.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Jared uttered in horror.

    It was like one fucking freak show!

    ¡°Well, that was unnecessarily hostile,¡± Lance coughed holding his chest.

    Everyone was glowering at him with a mixture of disgust and shock.

    ¡°What the fuck are you?¡± Daran hissed dangerously.

    ¡°What am I?¡±

    Lance shrugged with a pleasant smile.

    ¡°Well, I am a werewolf, just like you guys. The only difference is that I am a rogue and this is the

    rogue¡¯s Kingdom. You can¡¯t possibly believe that you will be able to kill me the King of all rogues-in

    my kingdom, do you?¡±

    ¨C

    J¡¯s heart sank.

    The Rogue King was¡­immortal?

    But it didn¡¯t make any sense!

    Lance became King after the former Rogue King died. If the Rogue King was really immortal, how

    did Lance¡¯s predecessor die?

    There were so many things that didn¡¯t make sense.

    And so many strange things had happened since they set foot into the rogue¡¯snd.

    Like the fact that they couldn¡¯t shift here.

    And the Rogue King¡¯s immortality.

    J felt that they were onto something. But there were still manyyers of truth waiting to be

    unveiled.

    ¡°So.¡±

    ¡°What should I do with you now, ny dear guests?¡± he asked,

    J looked at Daran anxiously, waiting for him to give an order,

    She was torn inside.

    Did they retreat?

    Or did they attack again?

    If they retreated, Glen¡¯s death would be in vain; yet attacking didn¡¯t work either because apparently

    the Rogue King couldn¡¯t be killed-or at least he couldn¡¯t be killed in a normal way.

    Nothing seemed right!!!

    Just then, a deep voice traveled from behind her back, breaking the silence:

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°I surrender.¡±

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat as though she just missed a step while walking down the

    staircase.

    ¡­What?

    Turning around stiffly, she looked at the person who had just spoken and found that it was Kass.

    She red at Kass, her eyes wide with disbelief.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± she snarled, ¡°What the fuck did you just say, Kass?!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t believe this.

    Something must be wrong.

    Kass chose to stand by her side even when his identity was questioned by the entire alliance! His

    loyalty was without question!

    Why would he give in all of a sudden and turn to the Rogue King now?!

    Under everyone¡¯s furious gaze, Kass straightened his back and repeated himself

    once more:

    ¡°I pledge my loyalty to you, my king.¡±

    -You fucking bastard, Kass!!!¡± Jared barked, ¡°You are a disgusting piece of shit!¡± Jared¡¯s eyes were

    bloodshot.

    He wanted to dash forward and throw a punch at Kass. But Daran stopped him. Jared struggled

    fiercely and kept roaring at Kass:

    ¡°You want to surrender now? Do you remember how J defended you in front of everyone? She

    took you in! She had faith in you! Is this how you want to pay back her

    trust?!!¡±

    Kass¡¯s body trembled.

    There was a hurtful look on his face.

    After a small pause, he repeated once more in a low voice, ¡°¡­I surrender to you, my King.¡±

    ¡°FUCK!¡± Jared spat.

    ¡°FUCK!¡± Jared spat.

    Lance rubbed his chin with an intrigued smile, ¡°I always wee new friends. The more the

    merrier. But do tell me one thing. Why do you choose to pledge your loyalty to me.¡±

    ¡°Because¡­I am a rogue.¡±

    Kass took a deep breath and pulled his clothes up,

    There was a thunder-shaped imprint on his abs, which looked like a brand left by a hot iron. It

    burned so deeply into his flesh that it was still there even after years.

    He showed this to J when he told her about his identity.

    It was the symbol of the rogue.

    ¡°You should recognize this symbol, my King.¡±

    Kass said in a slightly shaking voice.

    ¡°I got this on the day of my birth. I was born as a rogue. Always have been. The packs and the

    werewolves¡­they never thought of me as one of them-¡±

    ¡°KASS!¡± J cried.

    Yet Kass continued anyway, ¡°So it is time for me to return to my real home, my real family¡­my real

    King.¡±

    Lance burst intoughter abruptly.

    Heughed so hard that his whole body rocked back and forth.

    ¡°Well, well, well¡­What a nice surprise! I like you. Wee home, Kass!¡± he pped.

    J stood on her spot stiffly as Kass walked over to her.

    They looked at each other.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t¡­¡± J murmured, tears welling up in her

    Don¡¯t do this, Kass.

    eyes.

    Don¡¯t make me lose another friend right after Glen¡¯s death.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kass said in a low voice.

    He raised an arm abruptly and knocked on J¡¯s neck, catching her off guard. She was crushed to

    the ground.

    Before passing out, she gave onest look at Daran and then fell into the darkness.

    When J woke up again, she found herself lying in the back of a moving car. Her head hurt so

    much as though it had been cut in half by a chainsaw.

    Groaning painfully, she struggled to pull herself up from the ground.

    Arge hand held her shoulder and helped her to sit straight.

    J snapped her head around and found that it was Daran.

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    She cried, throwing herself at Daran and wrapping her arms around his neck.

    ¡°Thank god you are OK! I was so afraid¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t know that Kass would knock her out all of a sudden,

    She waspletely caught off guard.

    Even though she knew that Daran was strong enough to protect himself, she stil! couldn¡¯t help but

    worry for him.

    It was so nice to see him alright.

    Daran held her tightly against his chest and kissed her forehead, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am fine.¡±

    J hid her face under the cor of his jacket. Tears fell out of her eyes.

    ¡°I¡­I am so sorry¡­¡±

    She sobbed.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know Kass would betray us¡­everything is my fault¡­¡±

    If she knew that Kass¡¯s loyalty was with others, she would never agree to bring him here.

    What a horrible mistake.

    Daran stroked her long hair gently, ¡°Hey, there is something that I need to tell you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It is all part of the n,¡± he said.

    J rounded her eyes.

    She sat up straight and looked at Daran with teary eyes.

    ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± she gasped.

    ¡°Before we left the Crimson Fortress, I called Kass aside and informed him about this n. I asked

    him to surrender to the Rogue King when things be handy. Kass¡¯s identity will make it easier

    for the Rogue King to believe him. And that way, we will have someone on the inside working for

    us.¡±

    He smiled and cupped J¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°So don¡¯t worry. We haven¡¯t lost Kass. He is still our friend,¡± he said.

    J¡¯s jaw dropped.

    ¡°So it is a faked act,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes.¡¯

    Can¡¯t you at least let me know about this?!¡± J cried, hitting him in the chest. ¡°Do you know how

    hurt I was when Kass surrendered himself? And now I feel like an idiot!¡±

    Daran chuckled and caught her fist, nting a soft kiss on the back of her hand. ¡°Sorry. I should

    have let you know. My bad.¡±

    J pouted, her chest rising and falling rapidly in fume.

    ¡°So where are we heading? What happened after I passed out?¡± she asked.

    J¡¯s jaw dropped.

    ¡°So it is a faked act,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least let me know about this?!¡± J cried, hitting him in the chest. ¡°Do you know how

    hurt I was when Kass surrendered himself? And now I feel like an idiot!¡±

    Daran chuckled and caught her fist, nting a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

    ¡°Sorry. I should have let you know. My bad.¡±

    J pouted, her chest rising and falling rapidly in fume.

    ¡°So where are we heading? What happened after I passed out?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Lance sent Jared back. He wanted Jared to spread the words that we are in his hands now. As for

    where we are going¡­¡± Daran lowered the car window and gestured her to look outside, ¡°See for

    yourself.¡±

    J peeked outside.

    They were in the middle of a desert with a scorching sun above their head. The road stretched into

    the horizon and a great city was graduallying into her view.

    ¡°¡­The Grace Ruin,¡± she murmured.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°Lance brought us here? Why? Why bring hisrgest enemy back to his own home?¡± J asked

    perplexedly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it goes perfectly with our n anyway. A lot of our questions will be answered

    here.¡±

    J nodded.

    She gazed at the city in the distance.

    She couldn¡¯t wait to unravel all those mysteries.

    Like why they couldn¡¯t shift in the rogue¡¯snd.

    Why Lance brought them here?

    And most importantly¡­How could they kill him?

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106

    J was very curious to see the Rogue King¡¯s headquarters.

    They had heard a lot of rumors about this ce, the Grace Ruin. But none of the people they knew

    had actually set foot here.

    Until today.

    They arrived at the mysteriousnd by themselves.

    It was actually a beautiful city with ancient and exotic architecture. The streets winded through a

    mosaic of buildings, from towering spires to weathered stone bridges arching gracefully over the

    canals.

    The scent of spices mingled with the melodies of street musicians, flooding into the car through the

    lowered window.

    ¡°Well, it is actually not that bad.¡±

    J whispered to Daran while watching a group of children running down the street, chasing a

    falling kite.

    ¡°It is nothing like what I have imagined before.¡±

    ¡°What have you imagined?¡± Daran asked while ying with a lock of her hair. ¡°Like streets filled

    with blood and corpses? Buildings built with skulls? You know¡­like hell?¡±

    Daran let out a light snort, ¡°Lance is not stupid. This is his home, his headquarters. If he turns this

    ce to hell, no rogues will ever want to settle down here. He needs the manpower. So he has to

    make this ce weing.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    His face turned dark slightly.

    ¡°But he is not this nice to other people¡¯s homes,¡± he said in a cold voice.

    J was reminded of the soaring fire in the Fox Town, the hung bodies on the gpoles of the

    Crimson Fortress.

    Lance was a monster for sure. Inside and out.

    They needed to end his life before he got another chance to invade their territory.

    The car came all the way deep into the belly area of the city and stopped in front of a magnificent

    pce.

    This must be where Lance resided.

    Daran and J got out of the car.

    They looked around and found a group of rogues watching them from the distan They all dressed

    like servants and were whispering to one another with horrified faces.

    Eventually, one servant plucked up the courage and approached them carefully.

    ¡°A-Alpha Daran¡­and Miss J¡­Good day.¡±

    The servant bowed, quivering slightly, and continued in a shaky voice:

    ¡°The King is expecting you in the main hall, Alpha Daran. He wants to speak to you alone¡­And in

    the meantime, Miss J can follow me to the guest room and have

    This must be where Lance resided.

    Daran and J got out of the car.

    They looked around and found a group of rogues watching them from the distance. They all

    dressed like servants and were whispering to one another with horrified faces.

    Eventually, one servant plucked up the courage and approached them carefully.

    ¡°A¨CAlpha Daran¡­and Miss J¡­Good day.¡±

    The servant bowed, quivering slightly, and continued in a shaky voice:

    ¡°The King is expecting you in the main hall, Alpha Daran. He wants to speak to you alone¡­And in

    the meantime, Miss J can follow me to the guest room and have some rest¡­¡±

    Daran let out an icy sneer.

    ¡°I am in no mood to see him now,¡± he said coldly. ¡°Now, show us to our room.¡±

    The servants looked astonished.

    He obviously didn¡¯t want to obey Lance¡¯s order. Yet he also didn¡¯t have enough courage to force

    Daran into anything.

    While the servant was still in a trance, Daran held J¡¯s hand walked past him in long strides, and

    made his way up the staircase.

    ¡°H-Hold on a second!¡±

    The servant cried in panic, catching up with them hastily, ¡°This way please¡­¡±

    On their way to the guest room, they bumped into many servants and maids.

    All those people dodged to the sides franticly when they saw Daran and lowered their heads as

    much as possible to avoid eye contact with him.

    J was amazed by this.

    ¡°They all seem terrified of you,¡± she whispered to Daran.

    Daran smiled faintly.

    ¡°Apparently so,¡± he said.

    ¡°For what? Do you know?¡±

    Daran said in an offhand voice, ¡°I have fought too many battles. Killed too many rogues.¡±

    If this was said by another person, it would sound like bragging.

    But not for Daran.

    Daran simply told the truth.

    Even though they were alone in the Rogue King¡¯s kingdom, these rogues still feared Daran like

    hell.

    They were brought into a suite on the top floor. The room was gorgeously furnished with a great

    garden view.

    Looked like Lance was really treating them like guests, not prisoners.

    ¡°What do you think he is up to?¡± j asked Daran in a low voice. ¡°Bring us back here and treat us

    so nicely?¡±

    Daran took his seat on the couch very calmly.

    ¡°He is apparently up to something. And we will find out about that soon,¡± he said. ¡°This is a race.

    Does he get what he wants first, or do we kill him first?¡±

    J smiled and sat down next to him, ¡°I bet my money on thetter.¡±

    They snugged on the couch. J felt a little tired. Daran held her in his arms and told her to a

    nap.

    J shut her eyes, taking a deep breath of Daran¡¯s scent.

    This was amazing.

    They were in their enemy¡¯s headquarters, But she didn¡¯t feel afraid at all.

    Probably because she knew that she was safe as long as Daran was by her side.

    He was the greatest Alpha. Capable of anything in the world.

    J fell asleep in Daran¡¯s arms. She slept lightly. After what felt like an hour or so, she heard

    some low whisperings.

    ¡­I am truly sorry, Alpha Daran. But the King is here, waiting to see you¡­¡±

    J let out a small yawn and opened her eyes.

    A maid knelt on the floor in front of them. She was too afraid to raise her head and look at them.

    J rubbed her sleepy eyes, ¡°Lance is here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, apparently he came himself,¡± Daran shrugged. ¡°Do you want to sleep a little longer? I am

    sure he can wait.¡±

    J chuckled, ¡°No, I am fine. Go ahead and see what he wants. He seems really desperate.¡±

    ¡°Do you want toe along?¡± Daran asked.

    ¡°The King wants to see you only, Alpha Daran,¡± said the maid carefully.

    Daran cast a freezing look at her, ¡°Nobody cares what he wants.¡±

    The maid quivered and shut her mouth.

    ¡°So?¡± Daran asked J again.

    ¡°No, I am fine. You go ahead,¡± J smiled. ¡°I have had enough of that face in one day already.¡±

    Daran nodded and stood up, kissing J on her forehead.

    ¡°I will be back shortly,¡± he said.

    Daran and the maid left the room.

    J stretched her body a bit and walked to the window.

    She looked outside.

    There were guards patrolling around. And servants were mowing thewns and

    trimming the trees under the guard¡¯s watch If the servants were a minute slow

    trimming the trees under the guard¡¯s watch. If the servants were a minute slon, they would get

    lashed by the guards immediately.

    J¡¯s eyes darkened.

    This ce wasn¡¯t so peaceful and quiet at a second look.

    Just then, a loud noise came from behind her back.

    J turned around and found the suite¡¯s room had been busted open and a group of people

    marched right inside.

    The woman walking at the front was nobody else but Harper.

    J narrowed her eyes dangerously.

    She was not surprised to see Harper here.

    This evil woman must have been working with Lance when they were still in Crimson Fortress.

    Together, they killed Veronica.

    ¡°Well, hello there, my little sister.¡±

    Harper curved her lips into a malicious smile.

    ¡°Do you miss me?¡±

    ¡°You and I are no sisters.¡± J said in a cold voice, ¡°Now get the fuck out of my room. I didn¡¯t ask

    you toe in.¡±

    Harper burst into roaringughter abruptly.

    ¡°Your room? Oh my, I amughing my ass off here! This is not your room. This is the Rogue King¡¯s

    kingdom. You are a fucking nobody here! You better pay me some respect, or I will have you

    executed right away!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    J sneered and walked up to Harper,

    Harper took a quick step back intuitively, J approached her one more step

    ¡°What makes you think that you have the right to execute me?¡± J hissed

    Harper was intimidated by J,

    She gulped nervously and puffed her chest, pretending to be mighty and tough. ¡°Because-I am the

    King¡¯s mate!¡±

    Harper announced proudly,

    Meet the Queen of all rogues, you bitch!¡±

    rogues,

    Ever

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107

    Chapter 107

    ¡°Queen?¡±

    J repeated, looking amused.

    Then she started tough, her voice growing louder and louder. Soon she was roaring withughter.

    ¡°What is so funny!¡± Harper snapped, irritated.

    ¡°You. Apparently!¡±

    J sneered.

    ¡°You are just a piece of trash, Harper. Do you still remember how you suck up to Daran before and

    go around telling everyone that you are his Luna? And what did that get you? You became a fucking

    ve. And this is just like thest time. Sooner orter, it will blow up to your face and you will

    be nothing. It is only a matter of time!¡±

    Harper¡¯s face turned red in anger.

    ¡°No! I will not!¡± she shrieked, ¡°This time it is different! I am Lance¡¯s mate! I love him! Deeply-¡±

    J grabbed her cor and drew her close.

    ¡°You said before. That you were in love with Daran. So which one is the truth?¡±

    She stared straight into Harper¡¯s panicked eyes.

    ¡°Or maybe none is true. Because you are just a power-obsessed cunning whore who is full of shitty

    lies!¡±

    Harper cried loudly in fume. She tried to break free from J but failed, which made her even

    more infuriated.

    ¡°What are you doing all standing there!¡±

    Harper shouted to the group of maids who followed her into the room.

    ¡°Do something! Take her down! Fucking tied her up! I am your queen for Christ¡¯s sake!¡±

    Maids exchanged a look of worry with each other.

    But nobody made a move.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? I brought you here for a reason! Hurry! p her face for me!¡± Harper

    yelled.

    ¡°Miss Harper¡­¡±

    One maid spoke up carefully.

    ¡°We are not here to help you bully anybody. On the contrary, we are here to help Miss J freshen

    up and get dressed for the banquet this evening.¡±

    Harper rounded her eyes in shock, ¡°No¡­No way! Does the King know about this?¡±

    ¡°Actually, this came directly from the King.¡±

    Another maid said.

    ¡°He asked us to bring the fine gowns and jewelry for Miss J to choose from. He made it clear

    that Miss J is our most important guest, and she should be treated with respect.¡±

    She snapped her finger, and a few rackets of clothes were brought into J¡¯s suite.

    ¡°Feel free to choose whatever you like, Miss J,¡± the maid said to J humbly. ¡°If nothing here

    fits your taste, we will find more.¡±

    Harper swayed on her spot,

    She looked as though she had just been struck by a thunder.

    ¡°You¡­ You are a whore! J!¡± she snarled, glowering at J. ¡°You snatched Daran from me and

    that was still not enough? Why do you have to take Lance as well!¡±

    J let out a coldugh.

    ¡°Lance is my enemy and always will be. One day I will chop his head off and hang it on a fucking

    gpole. I am perfectly clear about that. The problem is with you, Harper. You are a weak puss who

    wants everything but always ends up getting none.¡±

    She shoved Harper on the shoulder and sent her staggering back a few steps. ¡°Now fuck off. Your

    face disgusts me,¡± J said warily.

    She turned around marching into the room in long strides. All maids followed behind her back

    hastily, bringing all those clothes and jewelry inside.

    Harper was left there alone.

    Her face twisted in rage.

    She made a huge fussing down here. She was determined to give J a hard time. She even

    put on the nicest clothes that Lance had got her as a demonstration of

    how well off she was now.

    Yet what did she just see?

    The diamond earrings that Lance sent to J were twice asrge as hers!

    And J managed to humiliate her in front of everyone once again!

    Harper couldn¡¯t help but felt pissed¡­And most importantly, panicked.

    Why did Lance treat J so nicely?

    Did he¡­like J?

    Did all the men in the world like J?!

    Harper let out a furious growl.

    No.

    She wouldn¡¯t ept this!

    She was so much prettier than J. And so much smarter. Daran was a fool to fall for J.

    Lance wouldn¡¯t be like that!

    But she had to find out why Lance was so kind to J.

    Making up her mind, Harper followed J into the dressing room.

    And she was angry to find that a maid was cing a tiara on J¡¯s head.

    A goddamn tiara! And it was loaded with diamonds!

    Each diamond was three timesrger than the pathetic little ones on her earrings.

    Harper gritted her teeth, a savage envy in her heart.

    ¡°This tiara really fits you, Miss J,¡± the maid smiles.

    J took one quick nce at her own reflection and said nonchntly, ¡°Take it away.¡±

    ¡°M-Miss¡­but this is the most expensive one in all the jewelry that we have here. The King

    specifically asked us to give it to you-¡±

    ¡°It might seem expensive to your King, but not to me. From where Ie from, this is basically

    nothing. And I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    J looked the maid through the mirror and said in a chilling voice:

    ¡°What? Are we going to have a problem here?¡±

    The maid held the tiara stiffly in her hands, not knowing what to do. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Harper finally saw an opening for her to attack J. So she immediately raised her voice and

    cried, ¡°You are so ungrateful, J! How dare you decline the King¡¯s generous offer!¡±

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°I dare, and I will. What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I-I-

    Harper clenched her fists. She was mortified. She was desperate to do something to make J

    look bad.

    ¡°-I am fucking teaching you a lesson!¡± she cried.

    Grabbing the ss of water on the table, Harper sshed the full ss right onto J¡¯s face!

    All maids mped their mouths and gasped.

    Everyone was horrified.

    How could Miss Harper do this to the King¡¯s most precious guest? Not to mention that this certain

    guest was a famous Gamma herself, who was said to have killed thousands of rogues!

    If the King¡¯s guest was infuriated and suddenly decided to bloodbath the entire room, what should

    they do then?!

    Nobody dared to make a sound.

    They all held their breaths and watched J¡¯s reaction nervously.

    J looked at Harper with water dripping down from her face.

    Her eyes were ice cold. Her gaze was so intimidating that it was enough to scare people to shit their

    pants.

    Harper took an involuntary step back in fear.

    ¡°W-What?¡± Harper snapped, pretending to be tough. ¡°I am warning you. We are on

    the Rogue King

    bitahl I will tell

    ??????

    the Rogue King¡¯s territory! Don¡¯t fucking touch me, you bitch! I will tell on you!¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡±

    J sneered, her eyes gleaming coldly.

    ¡°But if I rip your chest open right here, right now, you will not be able to tell.¡±

    Harper¡¯s body started to tremble, ¡°No. No, you won¡¯t dare-¡±

    Right at this heated moment, a cold voice traveled from their backs:

    ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    J and Harper both turned around to look.

    There was a woman standing by the door. Her curvy long hair was scarlet red. And there was a

    mask on her face.

    ¡°Lady Morgana!¡±

    All maids curtseyed to this woman immediately.

    ¡°L-Lady?¡± Harper stuttered, ¡°Who is she?¡±

    She hadn¡¯t seen this woman around since she got here.

    ¡°This is the King¡¯s Cab Minister, Lady Morgana,¡± a maid said lowly.

    Morgana stepped into the room and removed her mask.

    There was a red birthmark on her face. As though her face was kissed by fire.

    J rounded her eyes in shock.

    Hold on a second.

    A girl with a birthmark on her face¡­Why did this sound so familiar?

    And then she suddenly remembered it.

    Didn¡¯t Hellen Diaz give birth to a baby like that? The Diaz weren¡¯t happy with the baby¡¯s birthmark,

    so they forced the hospital to swap a healthy baby for them. And that was why they took J

    home instead of their own child.

    Nobody knew what happened to that child.

    Could it be¡­Was it possible that¡­

    ¡°Hello there.¡±

    Morgana curved her lips into an icy smile, ¡°I have been expecting for you. Miss J

    and¡­my blood sister.¡±

    Harper was as shocked as J.

    She did know that her sister existed. But she never thought she would see her again one day.

    But this was great!

    Her biological sister was the King¡¯s Cab Minister! A great help to her!

    She would never have to be afraid of J anymore!

    ¡°Oh my god! So nice to meet you!¡±

    Harper rushed forward, grinning widely.

    ¡°My beloved sister, pleasee and help me teach this fucking whore a lesson! You

    are the minister, a big shot here¡±

    Yet before Harper could finish, Morgana raised a hand and pped harshly across

    her face!

    SLAP!

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108

    Harper held her burning cheek with mortified tears circling in her eyes.

    ¡°W-Why did you hit me!¡±

    She cried, humiliated.

    ¡°We are sisters! Long lost sisters! You should be hugging me and helping me instead!¡±

    Morgana snorted, ¡°Are you deaf? I just said it. Your parents abandoned me. They left me in the

    hospital, like tossing away a piece of garbage, simply because they didn¡¯t like the way I looked

    when I was born. I hate you. Each one of you.¡±

    ¡°Mom did give birth to you-¡± Harper stuttered.

    ¡°But did she care for me? Feed me? Protect me for even a single day in my life? Hell fucking no.¡±

    She gave a disgusted look at Harper and snarled:

    ¡°Now fuck off. You should be thankful that I am not tearing your face off right now.¡±

    Harper bit her lower lip in shame.

    She thought Morgana was here to help her. But no! Her so-called sister was on J¡¯s side.

    She wouldn¡¯t allow this.

    She was the queen. She should establish her sense of power!

    ¡°You can¡¯t talk to me like that! I am the King¡¯s mate. His queen!¡± Harper snapped sternly, ¡°I demand

    you to apologize to me right now!¡±

    Morgana snorted and looked around the room.

    ¡°I have been here for over a decade. Howe I don¡¯t know that Lance has a queen?¡± she asked

    the maids, ¡°Do you guys know about that?¡±

    The maids all shook their heads.

    Harper was infuriated, ¡°He just hasn¡¯t got a chance to properly announce me as his queen!¡±

    ¡°Well, until then, you are nothing but a piece of this to me. Even after he makes you his queen, I can

    still tell you to fuck off whenever I want.¡±

    Morgana waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Escort her out.

    ??

    Two maids strode forward and grabbed Harper¡¯s shoulder.

    They shoved Harper out of the room forcefully.

    J could still hear Harper¡¯s furious cries and cursesing from the hallway even after she was

    kicked out.

    ¡°Well, well, well¡­ Isn¡¯t this the legendary Gamma J?¡±

    Morgana crossed her arms and surveyed J up and down.

    ¡°They said that you are a legendary warrior. It is a shame that I haven¡¯t got a chance to fight you

    personally. Or you would have died in my hands a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°They said that you are a legendary warrior. It is a shame that I haven¡¯t got a chance to fight you

    personally. Or you would have died in my hands a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Likewise.¡±

    J replied calmly, ¡°Your wolf head would make a nice decoration for my house.¡± Morgana raised

    an eyebrow. She looked intrigued.

    ¡°You are an interesting person, J. Too bad that we are enemies,¡± she giggled. ¡°I heard that you

    were raised in the Diaz¡¯s house. So how was it like that?¡±

    ¡°It was a hell hole,¡± J said. ¡°You already saw what the Diaz¡¯s family members were like.¡±

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Morgana burst intoughter, ¡°Well then, I should be d that they abandoned me. Growing up in

    the rogue¡¯s territory alone is way better than being raised by a bunch of pricks.¡±

    She snapped her fingers and beckoned a maid over.

    ¡°Get a towel for Gamma J. And don¡¯t let that bitch Harper into this room ever again.

    Understand?¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, Lady Morgana.¡±

    J sat back down behind the dresser again. A maid came to dry her face and started doing her

    hair.

    J took this chance and asked Morgana, ¡°Do you know about the banquet tonight?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±

    Morgana lit a cigarette and leaned her body against the wall, smiling.

    ¡°All the important people in this city will be there¡­to wee you and Alpha Daran. It is the King¡¯s

    order.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± J asked coldly.

    She still couldn¡¯t understand why Lance brought them back here.

    Did he honestly think that they could be bought with some clothes and jewelry?

    It would be ridiculous.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t tell you, can I? Because we are enemies.¡±

    Morgana giggled.

    ¡°And you won¡¯t get an answer from me. Our King¡­is a very stubborn and bossy man. He rarely

    shares his thoughts with us. You and Alpha Daran¡¯s arrival has caused a city-wide panic. But

    apparently, our King doesn¡¯t care about what the rest of us think.¡±

    So even Lance¡¯s Cab Minister didn¡¯t know about the reason.

    Looked like it was left for them to find out themselves.

    Morgana finished thest drag and stubbed the cigarette in an ashtray, ¡°OK. I will see you at the

    banquet tonight, alright? I can¡¯t wait to meet the famous Alpha Daran.¡¯

    11

    ¡°See you.¡±

    J watched Morgana leave the room.

    They were enemies, indeed.

    But she had a gut feeling that Morgana was not a bad person.

    The maids finished her makeover in about an hour. She had washed away all the dust and blood.

    Now she was dressed in a ck long gown with her hair stylishly braided behind her back.

    ¡°Wow, Miss J¡­¡±

    The maid looked at J in awe. Despite her fear of J, she still couldn¡¯t help but gasp, ¡°¡­ You

    look amazing.¡±

    J smiled faintly, ¡°Thank you. Now where is this banquet?¡±

    The maid led her out of the room. There was already a group of guards waiting outside of the door.

    ¡°These men will show you the way to the banquet hall,¡± the maid said.

    J was astonished to see a familiar face among the guards.

    Kass!

    J tried hard not to let her excitement show and gave a simple nod at the guards, gesturing them

    to lead the way.

    On their way to the banquet hall, J delicately slowed down her pace and walked side by side

    with Kass.

    ¡°How have you been? Everything alright?¡± she asked in a voice that was only audible to the two of

    them.

    ¡°Yeah, I am fine.¡±

    Kass whispered and kept his eyes straight ahead, ¡°Look, about what happened earlier-¡±

    ¡°Daran told me. It was all part of the n.¡±

    Kass let out a small sigh of relief, ¡°Great. I was afraid that you might get the wrong idea. Lance

    totally trusts me now. He puts me on the patrol team, which means that I get to move around more

    freely and have ess to more information.¡±

    ¡°So what have you learned?¡±

    Kass looked the other guards over cautiously before whispering back, ¡°Now is not a good time to

    talk. I will have a night off 3 dayster. I will go and find you in your

    room.

    J nodded slightly.

    Momentster, they arrived at the banquet hall. A guard stepped forward and pushed the door

    open. /

    ¡°The King is expecting you,¡± the guard lowered his head and stepped aside.

    J stepped into the hall calmly.

    This banquet hall exuded luxury, a grand symphony of crystal chandeliers casting a

    soft light upon glided walls adorned with tapestries.

    The long table draped in silk liens was in the middle of the room. Each seat had a set of polished

    silver and delicate china.

    There were already many people sitting around that long table.

    All chatter stopped at the moment J walked in. They all turned around and stared at her.

    At the far end of the table sat Lance.

    He had changed out of his cksmith outfit and was now dressed in a daunting ck coat, looking

    very much like a King.

    ¡°Miss J, wee!¡±

    He stood up with a big smile.

    ¡°Come and join us. Meet my men.¡±

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109

    J stood reluctantly by the door, keeping her guard up.

    Just then, Daran stood up from his seat. He was sitting at the opposite end of the long table facing

    Lance.

    He held out his hand to J with a warm smile.

    J¡¯s heart was immediately set at ease. She walked up to Daran and took her seat next to him,

    holding hands with him under the tablecloth.

    ¡°Fabulous.¡±

    Lance pped, grinning widely.

    ¡°Guys, as you can see, we have two special guests here with us today. And I don¡¯t think you need

    me to introduce them. You all know who they are.¡±

    The roompsed into a deathly silence.

    Nobody said anything. But they were all ring at J and Daran hostilely.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°My King!¡±

    Anky man shot up from his seat. He was a bony middle-aged man with a horse face. His greasy

    ck hair was worn to the back, revealing his sullen, dark eyes. The man said in a booming voice,

    ¡°My King, I am just going to speak out for everybody here. These two people are not wee! They

    are our enemies! And I certainly don¡¯t understand why you are serving them with nice wine and

    good food!¡±

    Many echoed him with low mutterings.

    Lance smiled idly, ¡°Alpha Daran, meet my Great General, Danton. And his foster son, Andre.¡±

    A roughly 18-year-old boy was sitting next to Danton, sipping from his ss of wine. He looked

    bored and was probably the only person in this room who paid no attention to Daran and J.

    ¡°No need to introduce us. I know him,¡± Daran said icily. ¡°We crossed paths a few times on the

    battlefield. He lost many of his men to me. Hey Danton, do you still have enough men left to form a

    decent army?¡±

    Danton looked infuriated.

    He mmed the table and barked at Daran, ¡°Don¡¯t be so cocky Daran. You are in our

    hands now! I can fucking torture you, or skin you alive whenever I want. My bedroom is in need of a

    new wolf carpet!¡±

    Daran let out a cold sneer.

    ¡°Ambitious,¡± Daran said freezingly. ¡°But I am not sure if yourpetence can live up to your

    ambition. Don¡¯t we have a try here? One-on-one. Just you and me.¡±

    Danton¡¯s body quivered slightly.

    ¡°O-One on one?¡± he gulped.

    ¡°Yes. One-on-one. Right here, right now,¡± Daran brought his hands together and his knuckles

    cracked. ¡°Bring it up, Danton.¡±

    Danton took an involuntary step back and he bumped against his chair, causing his chair to make a

    scratchy noise against the floor.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t need to fight you myself!¡±

    Danton cried, pretending to be brave.

    ¡°You are surrounded by our soldiers now. One word and I can have thrown into the dungeon-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to? Or are you just too afraid?¡± J snickered.

    Danton red at the two of them.

    He looked as though he was going to explode out of rage and embarrassment. ¡°OK. That is

    enough.¡±

    Lance ttered his fork against the ss, bringing the whole room back to silence.

    ¡°Nobody is fighting anyone. Alpha Daran and Gamma J are our guests. I want everyone to treat

    them nicely. This is an order, and it is final,¡± Lance said with a forceful tone.

    Morgana was sitting on the right side of Lance.

    She coiled a lock of her red hair around her index finger and smiled, ¡°And we are not

    even allowed to ask the reason for it?¡±

    Lance caught her hand and kissed her fingers, ¡°I will answer all other questions that you have. But

    not this one, darling, no.¡±

    Morgana giggled and shrugged about it.

    ¡°But we demand to know why,¡± J said abruptly.

    She looked around the room. Eventually, her gaze fixed upon Lance¡¯s face.

    ¡°I think you are up to something evil here, Lance.¡± she said coldly, ¡°But I suggest you give up on that

    already. Because there is a great chance that we will manage to have you killed before you seed

    in whatever evil things that you are nning.¡± ¡°My king!¡± Danton gasped, ¡°You heard them! They are

    threatening to kill you! Are you still going to allow them to sit here?¡±

    A panic whisper swept across the banquet hall.

    Yet the smile on Lance¡¯s face remained unchanged.

    ¡°Gamma J, why do you always have to think of me as a bad person?¡± Lance sighed, ¡°Can¡¯t I

    just want to be friends with you?¡±

    ¡°You are a fucking murderer who killed my friends! We can never be friends,¡± J hissed.

    She picked up her knife from the table, holding it up.

    People winced away in panic seeing her do that.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what kind of a freak show that you have going on here. But eventually, we will find a

    way to kill you.¡±

    J pointed the knife at Lance, her voice freezing cold.

    ¡°Even if we can¡¯t kill you, we already know where your headquarters is at. We will

    bring an army here and ughter anyone who dares to stand in our way. By the time

    all of your men are down, can you still call yourself King?¡±

    A few people jumped from their seats, rattled.

    ¡°King! We should stop them now before they hand our location to others!¡± one man

    cried.

    Lance waved his hand. He still looked calm and unwavering.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Lance smiled. ¡°Gamma J and Alpha Daran won¡¯t be able to leave this city.

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    J sneered.

    ¡°I would love to see you try and stop us.

    Lance spread his hands, looking very delighted.

    ¡°The point is¡­¡± he beamed, ¡°I don¡¯t need to stop you. You just can¡¯t.¡±

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    What did that mean?

    Was Lance saying that they couldn¡¯t get out of the Grace Ruin even if they wanted to?

    And why was that?

    Were there some strong soldiers guarding the gates?

    ¡°And I think you have also noticed that you can¡¯t shift ever since you arrived at my territory.¡±

    ¡°What did you do!¡± J snapped.

    With a pleasant smile on his face, Lance asked idly, ¡°Remember the snacks that Angelina gave to

    you before you left Crimson Fortress?¡±

    J widened her eyes in shock.

    Yes.

    She did remember that box of snacks.

    They trusted Angelina so much that they didn¡¯t double-check those snacks before eating them.

    But now she knew that Harper was working with Lance. And Harper was always around Angelina¡¯s

    side. It would be very easy for Harper to get her hands on those snacks.

    ¡°W-What did you put into our snacks?¡± she asked hoarsely.

    Lance raised his ss as though he was toasting to J.

    ¡°Rogue¡¯s blood,¡± he said.

    J and Daran exchanged a brief look with each other.

    ¡°What can it do?¡± Daran asked darkly.

    ¡°Oh, a lot of things,¡± Lance smiled. ¡°Your Alpha bloodline can empower you and

    give you an Alpha aura. Our Rogue¡¯s blood has certain powers too. With our blood in your system,

    you can¡¯t leave this city without my permission¡­and neither can you shift.¡±

    J glowered at this cunning bastard.

    Lance sighed lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, J. I just want to spend more time with you and

    be friends with you. In fact, I even prepared a little¡­entertainment for this special asion.¡±

    He pped his hands.

    The banquet hall¡¯s door swung open, and a gigantic cage was brought into the room.

    J widened her eyes in shock looking at this cage.

    A few people were locked inside. 6 men and a young woman.

    Those men were apparently rogues. And that woman looked like a civilian that they caught beyond

    the border.

    Those rogues were all drooling all over the ce with their eyes bloodshot. They ganged up on that

    poor woman, chasing her around like a sheep, as she cried desperately trying to avoid them.

    It was a bloody hunt show!

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!¡± J snarled furiously.

    ¡°Those men are high. And they are desperate in need of a woman,¡± Lanceughed. ¡°How long do

    you think they can get her? Why don¡¯t we ce our bets and find out while having dinner?¡±

    ¡°I say 10 minutes!¡± Danton cried.

    ¡°5!¡± said another rogue.

    J was so angry that her body was shaking violently. She dashed forward and tried to pull the

    cage¡¯s door open. But it was secured by a huge lock.

    ¡°Give it up, J!¡± Lance said loudly, ¡°Only I have the key.¡±

    The young woman wailed, reaching her hand out of the cage, crying for help.

    A rogue had already caught her shoulder.

    Right at this second, a dining knife flew through the air and struck the rogue¡¯s temple directly. His

    head exploded like a watermelon, blood gushing out.

    Daran lowered the hand that just darted out that knife, his face icy cold.

    ¡°Back the fuck away from her,¡± he hissed.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110

    There was a short, astonished silence.

    Then the entire hall fell into chaos.

    Most people jumped up from their seats, backing away from Daran in horror. Danton gritted his

    teeth and dashed at Daran. Yet he got stopped by J before he could get to Daran.

    J raised a leg and kicked him on his chest, sending him lurching back. Danton fumbled to hold

    onto something to regain his bnce. He grabbed the tablecloth in panic, pulling the whole cloth off

    the table, causing all the silver and china to crash down to the floor.

    On the other side, Daran had got to the cage. He held the huge iron lock in his palm. With a simple

    twist, the lock broke into pieces in his hand.

    He wrenched the door open and pulled the young woman out.

    ¡°Get out of here. Now!¡± he snapped.

    The woman staggered away from the cage in panic.

    One rogue tried to persuade her. Daran grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up from the floor.

    The next second, the rogue was sent flying across the room and crashing into the wall.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Lance squeaked, ¡°Somebody stop them! Guards! Guards!¡± But most people in the banquet

    hall were too afraid to make a move.

    Danton was still sitting on the floor, groaning for his broken hips.

    Morgana was still in her seat, drinking wine. She looked as though she couldn¡¯t be bothered.

    Daran turned around to Lance, his whole body covered in blood. With a grim face, he walked up to

    the Rogue King in long strides.

    He picked up a candlestick along the way.

    Lance backed away hastily, still crying for help, ¡°Guards! Get the fuck in here! Morgana-¡±

    Morgana raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

    Guards finally poured into the banquet hall at that moment. But they were all the way across the

    room. It was toote for them to save Lance.

    Daran had arrived at Lance¡¯s side already. Lance dodged him awkwardly but failed. His cor fell

    into Daran¡¯s hands.

    With a thumping noise, the candlestick was stuck all the way into Lance¡¯s heart!

    Everyone let out a collective gasp.

    J saw this scene on the other side of the hall.

    Her heart jumped up to her throat.

    Apparently, Daran was aiming at Lance¡¯s heart this time.

    Was that enough to kill him?

    Lance huched back, holding the candlestick with both of his hands, panting roughly

    Then with a firm pull, he plucked the candlestick out, blood oozing out

    ¡°Y-You did it again¡±

    Lance coughed, blood streaming down from the corner of his mouth.

    ¡± I said I wanted to be friends with you¡­¡±

    ¡°The fuck you are,¡± Daran snaped.

    He stared at Lance coldly, waiting for him to crash to the ground.

    But that never happened.

    That stab wound was healing at a speed visible to the human eyes. By seconds, Lance¡¯s chest was

    good as new again, as though he had never been stabbed.

    As werewolves, their wolves could help them heal the wounds and fast-forward the healing

    process.

    But the heart was one of their vulnerable areas, They couldn¡¯t be healed if their hearts were

    stabbed.

    Not to mention a stab wound like that would normally take months to heal, even with the help of

    their wolves.

    Yet Lance just did it within seconds!

    J felt a cold feeling up and down her back.

    This man¡­the Rogue King¡­was a fucking monster!

    How the hell did he do that?

    ¡°I am very disappointed in you, Alpha Daran.¡±

    Lance wiped the blood away from his mouth and said in a sullen voice.

    ¡°I thought I already told you¡­The Rogue King can¡¯t be killed. It is the gift that the Moon Goddess

    blessed us with!¡±

    Daran let out a snort, ¡°It is worth a try.¡±

    Lance¡¯s jaw tightened.

    ¡°If you are ready to shake hands and be friends, I am right here,¡± he said.

    ¡°You should go and fuck yourself,¡± Daran said freezingly. ¡°If you dare to keep up in the city, prepare

    to be stabbed at least once a day.¡±

    He ignored Lance and strode towards J.

    Rogues hurried to make way for him.

    They walked out of the banquet hall together, holding hands, and they never gave another look at

    the rest of the people left inside.

    J was a bit disappointed to see Lance survive this attack again.

    If aiming at his heart didn¡¯t work, she honestly didn¡¯t know what would.

    ¡°Do you think he is truly immortal?¡±

    J asked Daran worriedly after they got back to their room.

    To her surprise, Daran answered right away without hesitation, ¡°No, he is not.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±

    ¡°Lance is not the first Rogue King. He became King after his predecessor died. And I heard some

    rumors that the former Rogue King didn¡¯t die in a natural cause. He was killed by somebody.¡±

    ¡°¡­Which means that the Rogue King can be killed. We just haven¡¯t found the right way,¡± J

    murmured.

    ¡°Precisely.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Daran nodded, ¡°And I already have an idea about this.¡±

    ¡°What? Tell me,¡± J pursued eagerly.

    ¡°There must be someone from the past generation who knows about who killed the former Rogue

    King and how. If we have hands-on information, it will not be hard for us to kill Lance.¡±

    J bit her lips.

    Daran was right about this. But¡­

    ¡°Everyone here is rogues. Are they really willing to tell us how to kill their King?¡± she asked lowly.

    Daran pulled her into his arms, ¡°We just need to find the right person. And don¡¯t forget that we still

    have a person on the inside, Kass.¡±

    J¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement immediately.

    Right, Kass!

    How could she forget about him?

    ¡°You said that he wille and find us in 3 days,¡± Daran said. ¡°Let us be patient for now. And see

    what kind of information he might bring us.¡±

    J nodded.

    She was really looking forward to talking to Kass.

    And she also got a feeling that these 3 days wouldn¡¯t be very peaceful for them. Lance wouldn¡¯t

    give up on whatever he was working on.

    And neither would Harper.

    That vindictive woman would definitalu

    L¨C

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111

    J was right about that presumption.

    On the following day, Harper sent a maid to J¡¯s room and invited her to a small gathering.

    ¡°And what is this gathering for?¡±

    J asked the maid. She was sitting in front of the dresser, brushing her long hair. ¡°M-Miss Harper

    said that it is a beautiful day outside¡­so she hoped that you could join them at the canal. It is the

    perfect weather for a cruise tour.¡±

    J let out a cold sneer, ¡°And what if I don¡¯t want to go?¡±

    The maid quivered slightly in fear. She lowered her head and said in a pleading tone, ¡°Please¡­Miss

    J. Miss Harper really wants you there. She said that she will be truly disappointed if you don¡¯t

    show up-¡±

    ¡°Those are her exact words?¡±

    The maid hesitated.

    J ced theb on the dresser and turned around to look at her, ¡°It isn¡¯t, right? Tell me

    precisely what she said.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯d rather not, Miss J¡­¡± the maid sounded horrified.

    ¡°It is alright. Those are her words, not yours. Say it.¡¯

    The maid gulped.

    And then slowly, she said in an extremely low voice, ¡°¡­Miss Harper said¡­ ¡®If that bitch J

    refuses toe, send a group of guards down to her room. Strip her, tie her up, and throw her into

    the canal. Then she will know who is really in charge here.¡±

    J snorted sarcastically.

    ¡°She really said that?¡± a deep voice came from behind their back.

    Daran just walked out of the bathroom.

    He apparently had heard what the maid just said.

    ¡°A-Alpha Daran!¡± the maid gasped in awe.

    Daran paced over and ced his hand on J¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Tell your master that Gamma J is too busy for her stupid little y.¡±

    Daran said dangerously.

    ¡°And watch her mouth, if she doesn¡¯t want her tongue to be plucked out.¡±

    The maid murmured a yes.

    ¡°Actually¡­¡± J said, looking at Daran, ¡°I don¡¯t mind going.¡±

    Daran frowned, ¡°Why waste your time on that woman?¡±

    ¡°I have got nothing going around here anyway. Might as well go and see what Harper is up to. We

    need to gather more information about the rogues. This is a great chance.¡±

    ????

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Daran kissed J¡¯s forehead, ¡°You want me toe with you?¡±

    ¡°It is fine. I can handle it by myself,¡± J smiled.

    She followed the maid and left the room.

    By the time they arrived at the canal, there was already a wooden boat on the water.

    Harper and a few girls were waiting for her inside the boat.

    Seeing that J had arrived, Harper stood up immediately and ced her hands on her hips.

    ¡°What took you so long!¡± she snapped at J.

    J sneered, crossing her arms in front of her chest, ¡°The next time you want to invite me to

    something, you better ask more nicely.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t invite you! I ordered you toe! I am the Queen. And you have to do whatever I want

    from you!¡±

    Harper stomped her feet in fume. But she forgot that she was on the water. The boat rocked

    violently because of her moment. Everyone on board gasped in panic.

    Harper swayed and waved her hands in the air like a frightened goose.

    J caught her wrist and shoved her back into the boat.

    Then she jumped onto the boat and looked down at Harper¡¯s horror-struck face with an icy smile:

    ¡°If you want me toe, I wille. But don¡¯t you regret itter?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course I won¡¯t!¡± Harper shrieked, ¡°Hey you, the boatman, roll this damn boat!¡±

    The boatman paddled and the boat drifted away from the shore.

    Right at this second, a voice traveled down from the shore, ¡°Hey, you got room for one more?¡±

    Everyone looked around. And they found that it was Morgana.

    ¡°No!¡± Harper rejected immediately, looking a little bit on edge. ¡°T-The boat is full already!¡±

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    J moved to the side and made room for one extra seat, ¡°Here is a seat for you, Morgana!¡±

    Harper jerked around and red at J. Yet before she could say anything else to turn Morgana

    away, Morgana already leaped lightly onto their boat.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she beamed.

    Harper¡¯s face twisted in anger. She wanted to tell Morgana to fuck off. But the boat had already

    drifted away from the shore.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± she hissed at Morgana, ¡°You are not invited! This is a private

    event!¡±

    Morgana yed with a lock of her hair, smiling idly, ¡°I invited myself. The King had made it clear that

    he didn¡¯t want anyone to treat Miss J rudely. I am just here to make sure that you are not

    deliberately going against the King¡¯s will

    A round of hisses could be heard on the boat.

    ¡°The King is too nice to them!¡± a rogue girl snapped, ¡°This woman killed many of our brothers and

    sisters! We should cut their heads off!¡±

    J countered icily, ¡°Only because you invaded us first. And you are wee to try

    and cut off my head anytime. I dare you.¡±

    ¡°Y-You think I wouldn¡¯t dare?!¡± the girl cried furiously.

    ¡°Please. Be my guest.¡±

    The girl was forced into a dilemma. She didn¡¯t want to look weak in front of everyone after what she

    just said. Yet she was also not braved enough to challenge J, a well-known Gamma.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Harper said in an encouraging tone. ¡°J is not that strong at all. The rumors

    totally exaggerated her power. When we were little, I used to hit her like a punching bag and ride

    her around like a horse all the time!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Morgana chimed in, looking intrigued. ¡°Then how did she be the Gamma?¡±

    Harper shot J a disgusted re, ¡°By spreading her legs and pleasing men in bed, obviously.

    She slept with all the men in Blood Moon Pack to get that job, including her brother, Alpha Casper. It

    is fucking twisted incest-Ahh!¡±

    J straightened up abruptly. She grabbed Harper by her hair and drew her close forcefully.

    There were mes of fury burning in J¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Take it back,¡± she hissed.

    Harper winced in pain. She felt as though her entire scalp was being pulled off.

    ¡°N-NO!¡± she shrieked stubbornly, ¡°You are whole! A filthy whore who spread your fucking legs for

    your own brother! You should beg for my mercy now! I am ady! I am the Queen!!!¡±

    J gave a good shove on Harper¡¯s shoulder.

    She cried panicky and fell into the water.

    Amidst the chaos, she caught J¡¯s wrist.

    Then with a loud, sshing noise, Harper and J fell off the boat together!

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112

    The water was freezing cold. J felt a chill traveling through her body almost immediately.

    Fortunately, she held her breath as soon as she dropped out of the boat, so she didn¡¯t choke on

    water.

    Swinging her arms and kicking her legs in the water, J tried to swim up to the water¡¯s surface to

    get the air.

    But her ankle was caught by someone from below.

    Astonished, J looked down and found Harper underneath her.

    Harper was apparentlyck of air as well. Her face was pale like a ghost with her cheeks puffed out.

    Even her eyeballs were bulging.

    Yet despite her critical condition, Harper was not trying to swim upwards.

    She had both of her hands around J¡¯s ankle and was trying to drag J down with her whole

    might!

    She wanted to kill J!

    Fuck!

    J couldn¡¯t believe how vicious Harper was!

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    If she remembered correctly, Harper was not very good with water. When they went cliff diving in the

    Blood Moon Pack, Harper panicked big time and made a total fool of herself.

    Yet even so, she was still staying in the water now, trying to pull J down.

    She hated J so much that she was willing to risk her own life to have J drown here!

    J felt her anger red.

    She raised a leg and kicked hard on Harper¡¯s forehead, trying to get rid of her.

    Harper opened her mouth and cried. But no sound came. Only bubbles flew out of her mouth.

    Her hands were still mped tightly around J¡¯s leg.

    J felt that her chest was going to explode.

    And the worst thing was that they were now both sinking towards the bottom of this canal.

    J knew that she couldn¡¯ Harper.

    She reached into h

    It was a dagger.

    drag

    pocket and dny longer. She had to find a way to get

    her fingers touched something made of iron.

    rid of

    She had been carrying this around ever since she found out that they couldn¡¯t shift into their wolves

    in the Grace Ruin.

    Pulling that dagger out, J swung it at Harper.

    The dagger cut open Harper¡¯s skin. Blood squirted out and mixed up with the water.

    J felt the grip around her an de loosen.

    So she immediately took this chance to kick her legs at a fast speed and swam towards the

    surface.

    She managed to stick her head out of the water before she choked. The air was crisp and fresh.

    She breathed in hungrily.

    There were a lot of people crying and yelling in the distance. They sounded anxious.

    ¡°Help! We need help here! They fell into the water!¡±

    ¡°Guards! Over here!¡±

    ¡°Save the King¡¯s mate first!¡±

    J wanted to raise her arm up high in the air and called for their attention, letting

    them know that she was there.

    Yet before she could do that, a strong force came from beneath her feet again. And she was

    dragged back into the water!

    It was Harper again!

    Harper swam towards J rapidly and wrapped her arms around J¡¯s waist, pressing J

    down to the bottom of the canal.

    J could see her hatred-filled eyes in the water.

    A gust of rage swept over J.

    She punched on Harper¡¯s face. But her strength was reduced by water resistance. She pulled on

    Harper¡¯s hair and tried to force Harper to let go. Harper opened her mouth and bit hard on J¡¯s

    arm.

    They wrestled with each other, like two crazy beasts.

    Harper couldn¡¯t get J to drown, and J couldn¡¯t shake her off either.

    Right at this moment, another person jumped into the water again and lunged towards them at full

    speed.

    This must be a guard who came to rescue them.

    J clearly heard people asking guards to save the King¡¯s mate first.

    Yet instead of going for Harper first, this guard swam towards J and wrapped his arm around

    her shoulder.

    He helped J kick off J forcefully and brought her swimming towards the shore.

    SPLASH!

    They rose to the surface. J coughed violently, her body shaking.

    She felt a pair of strong arms lift her up and help her to climb up onto the shore. ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡±

    J turned around to look at the guard who just saved her.

    She was shocked to find that it was Kass.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She gasped.

    Kass grinned. His brown eyes were gleaming gorgeously against the sparkling water. ¡°I was on the

    patrol team. I heard people crying for help and came over. Thank god that I am not toote,¡± he

    said.

    A few girls ran over. One of them was the girl who threatened to chop J¡¯s head off earlier.

    ¡°W¨CWhere is Miss Harper!¡± that girl shrieked, ¡°I asked you to save Miss Harper first! She is the

    King¡¯s mate for Christ¡¯s sake!¡±

    Kass gave her a cold look, ¡°I didn¡¯t see her down water. Maybe she drowned already.¡±

    ¡°I-Impossible! You get back in there! NOW!¡±

    Just then, another sshing noise came from their back.

    Harper stuck her head out of the water, panting roughly. Nobody came to help her. She floundered

    around and struggled to the shore herself.

    ¡°Miss Harper! Are you alright?¡± the girl hurried to offer her a hand, ¡°Come on. Let me help you.¡±

    The girl¡¯s gaze fixed on Harper¡¯s forehead. The look on her face changed abruptly. ¡°M-Miss Harper,

    what is that on your face?¡± she asked reluctantly.

    J followed the girl¡¯s gaze. She almost burst intoughter.

    The concealer that Harper wore every day to cover her tattoo was worn out in the

    water.

    The tattoo was now clear as day-SLAVE.

    ¡°Why do you have the word ¡®ve¡¯ tattooed to your forehead?¡± the girls demanded, ¡°I thought you

    were ady back in Riverside Pack.¡±

    Harper widened her eyes in horror.

    With a desperate cry, she turned her back to people and covered her forehead with both of her

    hands.

    Yet everyone around had seen her tattoo already.

    A round of mutterings and whispers could be heard from the crowd.

    ¡°Are you a ve? Why did you lie?¡± a girl cried.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this¡­Our King¡¯s mate is a ve?¡±

    ¡°There must be something wrong with this!¡±

    ¡°T¡ªThis is a misunderstanding! I am a Lady! Not a salve!¡± Harper cried in a shill voice, ¡°Guards!

    Guards! I want this woman J arrested immediately!¡±

    A group of soldiers rushed over and surrounded J.

    J¡¯s voice turned cold, ¡°What did I do?¡±

    ¡°You tried to drown me!¡± Harper growled, ¡°You tried to kill me, the King¡¯s mate and Queen!¡±

    Harper was the one who tried to have her killed in the water.

    Twisting the fact.

    Twisting the fact.

    This was what Harper was best at.

    ¡°ARREST THEM! NOW!¡± Harper cried again.

    Soldiers took a step further.

    Kass stood in front of J and kept her behind his back.

    Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from their backs-Morgana arrived at the scene.

    ¡°Drop your weapons!¡± Morgana snapped, ¡°Nobody makes a move until I

    say so!¡±

    Everyone turned around to look at her, including J and Kass.

    Morgana and Kass¡¯s eyes met in the air.

    They held their breaths in shock and excitement together.

    And then the next second, they muttered in unison:

    ¡°-Mate!¡±

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113

    Kass and Morgana were¡­mates?

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    J was shocked.

    She nced at Kass and found a horror-struck expression on his face as well.

    Their destined mates were assigned by the Moon Goddess and there was absolutely no logic and

    reasoning behind the system.

    Anyone could be possible. The match could be totally random, like Harper and

    Lance.

    Yes still, it must be very hard for Kass to ept that his destined mate was the Rogue King¡¯s

    Cab Minister, an enemy.

    Morgana soon recovered from her shock and a smile appeared on her face.

    She walked up to Kass.

    Kass immediately took a quick step back.

    ¡°I know who you are.¡±

    Morgana surveyed Kass up and down with a searching look.

    ¡°You joined the rogue test with J and Alpha Daran. And surrendered yourself to the Rogue

    King, didn¡¯t you?¡± she smiled.

    ¡°H-How did you know?¡± Kass asked in a stiff voice.

    ¡°I was sitting on the stands, watching you guys,¡± Morgana shrugged. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that you

    were my mate at the time.¡±

    J realized something at once-Morgana was the woman who spoke on the Rogue King¡¯s behalf

    in the arena!

    No wonder she found Morgana¡¯s voice somewhat familiar.

    Morgana was probably the fake Rogue King that Daran encountered outside of the Crimson

    Fortress. She had been ying the King¡¯s role while Lance hid out in the city.

    Who would have thought that she was Kass¡¯s destined mate?

    ¡°Y-You stay away from me!¡± Kass said in a panic voice, ¡°I don¡¯t like you. W-We are not suitable for

    each other¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? And why is that?¡±

    Morgana didn¡¯t listen to Kass¡¯s words asking her to back away. Instead, she moved even closer to

    him.

    Then she caught his wrist.

    ¡°Now that you have surrendered to the Rogue King, we are on the same side. You are new to this

    city, and I am the Cab Minister, I can make your life veryfortable here. Give me one reason

    why we are not perfect for each other?¡± Morgana chuckled.

    Kass¡¯s face was ming red.

    ¡°I-I am in love with another woman.¡± he murmured.

    Kass¡¯s face was ming red.

    ¡°I-1 am in love with another woman,¡± he murmured.

    Morganaughed, ¡°OK that is cute. But you heard your wolf calling out to me, didn¡¯t you? You want

    me, physically and emotionally. Can you really fight against that animal instinct?¡±

    She raised a hand and rubbed his carlobe in a very seductive manner.

    His breathing became rough almost instantly.

    ¡°And the woman you are in love with¡±

    Morgana said as she cast a casual nce at J.

    it wouldn¡¯t happen to be someone that I know, would it?¡±

    Seeing that Morgana was looking at her, J replied at once, ¡°I don¡¯t know whom Kass was

    talking about.¡±

    Kass tilted his head and put a little distance between him and Morgana.

    He took in a deep breath and said with a struggling expression, ¡°I¡­I need to think this over¡­

    everything is too sudden¡­¡±

    Morgana shrugged, ¡°Most men would plunge on their mates and have sex together as soon as

    possible. But if prudence is your style, then sure, I respect that.¡±

    Her finger brushed across his corbone, making his body shiver.

    ¡°Come and find meter,¡± she smiled.

    Kass gulped.

    He didn¡¯t even dare to look at her.

    ¡°Guards!¡± Morgana blew a whistle, ¡°Let theme through!¡±

    Soldiers obeyed at once.

    They stepped aside and made way for Kass and J to pass. Yet right at this moment, Harper

    cried out furiously, ¡°WAIT!¡±

    She rushed forward and came to Morgana, glowering at her.

    ¡°I ordered to have them rescued!¡± Harper snapped, ¡°Who the hell are you?! You can¡¯t overpower

    me. I am the Queen!¡±

    Morgana crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking down at Harper sarcastically.

    ¡°Oh yeah? Then give your order and let us find out whom they listen to,¡± she taunted.

    Harper looked around at the guards and those girls.

    ¡°You heard me!¡± Harper cried, ¡°Take them down!¡±

    But nobody acted.

    They all looked back at Harper silently in a passive-aggressive manner.

    Harper was mortified. She stomped her feet in fume and cried, ¡°Why are you all

    listening to her?! I AM THE. 11

    ¡°Queen?¡±

    One girl rolled her eyes and grunted, ¡°The King never recognized you so can you stop calling

    yourself that? Morgana has been our minister for years. Of course, we listen to her.

    ¡°Y-You bunch of traitors!¡±

    Harper looked as though she was about to pass out in anger. Then she jerked around to re si

    Morgana and Kass and glowered, ¡°And you two¡­ Well, I wish you happily ever atter! A bitch and a

    prick, what a perfect match!¡±

    Morgana leaped forward abruptly.

    She caught Harper by the hair and dragged her to the canal forcefully.

    Threatening Harper¡¯s face to the water¡¯s surface, Morgana snapped, ¡°Apologies. Now!¡±

    ¡°NO! YOU BITC-¡±

    Harper didn¡¯t get to finish her curse.

    Because Morgana just dipped her head into the water!

    A gale ofughter broke out from the crowd.

    Morgana pressed her head down for a few seconds and then pulled her back up. ¡°How about now?¡±

    Morgana asked idly.

    ¡°N-No¡­please¡­don¡¯t do it again¡­¡±

    ¡°All you need to do is to apologize,¡± Morgana reminded her.

    Harper shut her eyes with a humiliated look and cried out in despair, ¡°Sorry-Sorry!

    I shouldn¡¯t have said that! I am sorry!¡±

    Morgana dragged her back and tossed her to the ground, ¡°Now we are talking. I would me your

    parents for yourck of education. But we all know what your parents are like. No wonder you turn

    out like this.¡±

    Harper coughed holding her chest.

    She was now drenched wet, with her messy hair clung to her skin and her ve tattoo visible on her

    forehead.

    She pulled herself up from the ground hastily and hurried off, escaping the scene like a rat caught in

    the bright daylight.

    Everyone stared at her back with disdain.

    J turned to look at Morgana and said, ¡°Thank you,¡±

    Morgana let out a snort, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. I didn¡¯t do it for you. We are still

    enemies.¡±

    ¡°But we can at least side with each other when ites to Harper,¡± J said with a

    smile.

    ¡°Well¡­I guess you are right.¡±

    Morgana pulled out a pen and grabbed Kass¡¯s hand.

    On his palm, she wrote down her phone number.

    But we can at least side with each other when ites to Harper,¡± J said with a smile.

    ¡°Well¡­I guess you are right¡¯

    Morgana pulled out a pen and grabbed Kass¡¯s hand.

    On his palm, she wrote down her phone number.

    ¡°Call me.¡±

    She winked at him seductively. He blushed, which made her smile grow even wider.

    After Morgana left, Kass immediately turned to J and said with an urgent tone, ¡°Please, let me

    exin-

    J patted his shoulder, ¡°She is your mate, and she likes you. What is there to exin? Plus¡­¡±

    She looked around. Some of the soldiers hadn¡¯t walked away yet.

    ¡°Let us not talk here.¡±

    She lowered her voice and whispered to him, ¡°You will have a night off tonight, correct? Find me in

    my room. We will talk then.¡±

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114

    When J was back to their suite, she found a few maids and servants gathered by the door.

    There was a frightened look on their face. They were all whispering in an urgent

    voice.

    J stopped and hid behind the corner, listening quietly to what they were saying. ¡°Are you

    serious?¡± one maid gasped in hushed tones. ¡°The King seriously asked Alpha Daran to OUR

    training field. What was he thinking?¡±

    The guard sighed, ¡°I am deadly serious. And who knows what the King was thinking? All I know is

    that a few of our best warriors challenged Alpha Daran to a duel. And all of them were defeated by

    Daran. One guy was so badly injured that he was still in aa right now.¡±

    The group took in a collective intake of breath.

    ¡°I thought he couldn¡¯t shift in our city. Even without his wolf, he is still so incredibly strong. My god¡­

    can you believe this?¡±

    ¡°Just think about what happened at the banquet a few days ago,¡± another maid added quietly.

    ¡°Daran snapped an iron lock with his bare hands and stuck a candlestick into our King¡¯s chest! I

    don¡¯t think that there is a single man in this city who can handle him. Keeping him here is like

    locking a wild beast in our own home!¡±

    ¡°Keeping him here is the King¡¯s decision. But if you ask me, I think we should have him killed, as

    soon as possible, before things get out of control!¡± the guard groaned.

    ¡°But who dares to challenge the King? And who is powerful enough to have Alpha Daran killed?¡±

    ¡°C-Can¡¯t we figure something out?¡± a maid suggested reluctantly, ¡°We all have close ess to him

    and his Gamma. Can we like¡­I don¡¯t know¡­add some wolfsbane to their soup or-or muffle them

    with a pillow?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill an Alpha with wolfbane, silly!¡±

    J was done listening to their conversations.

    She cleared her throat and stepped out of the corner.

    The group jerked around at once. Their face grew pale as soon as possible.

    ¡°G-Gamma J!¡± a guard gasped, horrified.

    J walked towards the door. She made a brief stop at the maid who suggested killing them with

    wolfsbane.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    The maid lowered her head in fear. Her body was trembling violently.

    ¡°Your friend was right,¡± J said with an icy smile. ¡°You can¡¯t kill an Alpha with wolfsbane.¡±

    ¡°G-

    -Gamma J, I-I didn¡¯t mean to¡­please¡­please forgive me¡­

    ¡°But if you dare to make a move, we will find out. And we will make sure that you pay the price for

    your recklessness,¡± J said coolly.

    With that said, she stepped into the suite and shut the door in their face.

    Daran was sitting on the couch, drinking a ss of wine when she walked in. He raised an eyebrow

    in surprise when he noticed that her clothes were all wet.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    He walked up to her, pulling her into his arms.

    ¡°You went for a swim today?¡±

    ¡°Sort of.¡±

    J wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly, ¡°I had a st today. How about you?

    I heard that you kicked some asses today. Did you have fun?¡±

    Daran chuckled lowly.

    ¡°I did,¡± he said. ¡°Lance invited me to his training field and asked a few warriors to challenge me. He

    probably thought that I would be vulnerable without my wolf, and he could take this chance and

    have me publicly humiliated¡­But apparently, he was wrong.¡±

    Jughed, ¡°That is my man!¡±

    Daran¡¯s eyes darkened when he heard her referring to him as her man.

    He stared at her deeply, with love and passion burning in his eyes.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    He nted a kiss on her lips, murmuring hoarsely.

    ¡°Any reward for the man who just won a few rounds of duel?¡±

    J stood on tiptoes and kissed him back, ¡°Of course¡­Anything that you like.¡±

    Daran picked her up from the floor and had her legs wrapped around his waist. He carried her to the

    couch and kept kissing her hungrily.

    They fell onto the couch together.

    Daran rolled over and kept her under him. He started peeling off her wet clothes.

    J raised her neck, panting roughly. His tongue now circled around her belly button, which

    created a tingling sensation between her legs.

    ¡°L-Let¡¯s move into the bedroom¡­¡± she breathed.

    ¡°Here is fine.¡±

    He rolled up her skirt and kissed her upper thigh eagerly.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait a second longer,¡± he said huskily.

    J closed her eyes as a trembling moan escaped her lips.

    Her mind was clouded by desire.

    ? ??????????

    Daran separated her legs. And just when he was about to take things to the next base, they heard

    the widow make a cracking noise behind their back.

    ¡°Who is there!¡±

    Daran jerked around immediately and snapped.

    3

    J sat up straight as well.

    She saw a dark figure outside of their window. After a short moment of shock, she realized who that

    was.

    It was Kass.

    She asked him to find her in their room tonight.

    But she was so caught up in their passion that shepletely forgot about it.

    ¡°What is he doing here!¡± Daran hissed.

    ¡°I asked him toe.¡±

    J got off the couch and hurried to open the window to let Kass in.

    Kass jumped in. He cast a dark look at J¡¯s loosened cor and his jaw tightened.

    ¡°Were you messing around with him before I got here?¡± Kass asked aggressively. ¡°Did you forget

    about our meeting?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget. It is just-

    ¡°Watching your fucking tone.¡± Daran stepped forward and gave Kass a withering look. ¡°It was none

    of your business.¡±

    Kass clenched his fists.

    He looked furious. But he didn¡¯t dare to challenge an Alpha.

    ¡°I just think that¡­we should really keep our mind focused on the real business here,¡± he said slowly

    while trying hard to contain his temper. ¡°I was simply looking out for us. That is all.¡±

    Daran let out a snort, ¡°Is that so? Or are you just jealous?¡±

    Kass gritted his teeth in fume.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Daran. Kass is not jealous,¡± J said quickly. ¡°As a matter of fact, Kass just

    found his mate today. He already has a woman that he really cares about.¡±

    Daran raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Well then, congrattions,¡± he said coolly. ¡°In this case, go mind your own business between you

    and your mates. Stop snooping around here.¡±

    Kass took in a deep breath andpsed into silence. He looked rather frustrated and defeated.

    ¡°Tell us what you have found out, Kass,¡± J said, eager to bring the subject back on the right

    track.

    ¡°Fine¡­I followed the lead that you gave me and tried to ask people if they knew how the former

    Rogue King died.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Nobody knew,¡± Kass shook his head. ¡°Apparently, if people know how the former King died, they

    will also know how to kill the current King. So Lance kept this as a top secret.

    He saw the disappointed look on J¡¯s face and quickly added to that, ¡°But I found

    of information !!

    ¡°Which is?¡± J pursued.

    ¡°The former King¡¯s son is still alive,¡± Kass said.

    ¡°Wow, that is amazing!¡± J gasped in joy, ¡°If we can have his son work with us, we will be able to

    crack the mystery of how to kill Lance. So who is this former King¡¯s son? Where can we find him?¡±

    ¡°The person that I talked to didn¡¯t give me a name. He said that only people who ranked really high

    up would know¡­¡± Kass said reluctantly, ¡°Someone like¡­the King¡¯s Cab Minister.¡±

    ¡°Morgana?¡± J raised her voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t she your mate?¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes, ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Go ask your mate.¡±

    Kass gave Daran a gloomy look, ¡°I-I just met her today! I barely know her¡­I don¡¯t even like her that

    much. I don¡¯t think she will tell me.¡±

    Daran let out a sarcastic snort.

    J patted Kass¡¯s shoulder and said in aforting voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We are here to help. She

    gave you her number today, right? Call her. See if she is willing to meet up.¡±

    ¡°I already called. She said that¡­she was in a club downtown tonight. But I don¡¯t want to go alone,¡±

    Kass murmured.

    ¡°Then we will go as a group.¡± J beamed, ¡°I am just in the mood for a night drink.¡±

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115

    Daran wasn¡¯t very hot on the idea of them going to the nightclub together. But J insisted. So he

    agreed to do this eventually.

    When the three of them got there, it was already near midnight and the nightclub was packed with

    people who were in the rhythm of the bass-heavy music.

    A crowd filled the dimly lit space, their bodies moving in sync with the beat. The air was thick with

    the scent of perfume and sweat, the atmosphere electric.

    Neon lights illuminated the dance floor, casting colorful shadows on the walls. The interior was sleek

    and modern, with plush velvet booths and a gleaming bar that served an array of exotic cocktails.

    They pushed through the crowd and searched for their target.

    J eventually spotted Morgana sitting in a booth near the dancefloor with a bunch of her friends.

    ¡°She is there!¡±

    J shouted into Kass¡¯s ear, fighting with the loud music in the background, ¡°You should go talk to

    her!¡±

    Kass shouted back, ¡°What am I going to say? Ask her directly who the former King¡¯s son is. She

    won¡¯t tell me!¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Go to her and talk to her. Win her trust first before asking all those questions. We

    don¡¯t need an answer tonight. But you have to make a move first.¡±

    Kass stood stiffly on his spot, neon lights dancing on his handsome profile.

    He still seemed relucent.

    J let out a sigh internally and turned to Daran, ¡°Can you get us a drink?¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes. J could tell that his patience was running out.

    ¡°Please?¡± she softened her tone and asked again. She really needed a few minutes alone with

    Kass.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Daran gently squeezed her hand, ¡°10 minutes. I will be at the bar.¡±

    Then he walked away and disappeared into the hectic crowd.

    J turned back to Kass, ¡°Alright. Now you can talk. What is the holdback here? Why are you

    being so reluctant? It is just talking to a girl. No big deal. You are very popr back in our pack. You

    can do this.¡±

    Kass raked his fingers through his hair. He looked edgy and frustrated.

    ¡°It is a big deal!¡± he groaned, ¡°Morgana is our enemy! A fucking rogue! When I fled the rogue¡¯s

    territory, I swore to myself that I would never side with these bastards again¡­But if I do this now-if I

    recognize her as my mate-who I am then? Am I a rogue? Or am I with you guys? It is all so very

    confusing¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    J ced both of her hands on Kass¡¯s shoulder and forced him to look at her.

    ¡°No matter who your mate is you will always be that decent righteous person that I

    ¡°No matter who your mate is, you will always be that decent, righteous person that I know Nothing

    will change that,¡± she said.

    Kass¡¯s lips trembled slightly.

    ¡°And if you really hate her, you can reject her. That is always an option. But I still think that you

    should give it a shot. Get to know her a little bit before you make the decision.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You really think so?¡± Kass asked lowly.

    J nodded with a smile, ¡°Of course. And if you are really reluctant to do this, I won¡¯t push you

    either. We will find another approach. It is fine.¡±

    Kass stared deep into her eyes. A wave of strong emotion, nearly sorrowful, surged up in his eyes.

    ¡°There is another reason¡­¡± he murmured, ¡°¡­why I didn¡¯t want to do this¡­¡±

    J held her breath involuntarily.

    She wanted to stop him from saying but it was already toote.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like her. I love you!¡± Kass blurted out, ¡°If I recognize her as my mate, it¡­it would mean the

    end of us¡­I-I don¡¯t want that¡­¡±

    J¡¯s tone turned soft, ¡°There is no ¡®us¡¯ to begin with. We went through this already, Kass. I have

    no feelings for you.¡±

    Kass¡¯s jaw tightened, ¡°That is hurtful.¡¯

    ¡°It is the truth. Anyway, if you don¡¯t want to do this, I won¡¯t force you-

    ¡°I will do it.¡±

    Kass said abruptly, giving her a firm look, ¡°But just so you know, I am doing this for you.¡±

    He turned on his heels and went for Morgana directly.

    J sighed internally. She didn¡¯t know how to kill Kass¡¯s nestling feelings for her. The only thing

    she could do was to wait for that feeling to be worn out by time.

    She turned around and headed towards the bar, looking for Daran. While she wasing through

    the dancefloor, she bumped into a drunken man.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± the man roared at her..

    ¡°Sorry,¡± J apologized swiftly..

    She wanted to leave. Yet the man grabbed her wrist and drew her close forcefully. ¡°S-Sorry?¡± he

    burped, his breath smelling like sour booze. ¡°I don¡¯t want your fucking apology¡­You-You are

    dancing with me!¡±

    He moved one hand down from J¡¯s back towards her hips.

    J pped his hand away.

    She stared at this man with a frown.

    No, technically, it was not a man, but a teenage boy, roughly around 17 or 18 years

    old.

    L

    hair and deen-set blue

    He was undeniably handsome and cute with his chestnut hair and deep-set blue eyes.

    Yet his face was now flushed, and his eyes were zed over with an unfocused, distant look.

    Even his movements were unsteady, causing him to sway slightly as he stood. And most

    importantly, J knew this boy.

    She met him once at the banquet a couple of nights back.

    He was General Danton¡¯s foster son, Andre.

    Yet judging by Andre¡¯s current behavior, he didn¡¯t have a damn clue about who she

    was.

    ¡°C-Come, dance with me!¡±

    Andre stuttered, lurching while dragging J back towards the dancefloor, ¡°After we dance, I-I will

    bring you back to my room and fucking bang you¡­¡±

    J almost burst intoughter, ¡°Are you even old enough to drink?¡±

    Andre stared at her with rage-filled eyes, ¡°You bet I am! Are you fucking

    undermining me? If I say that I want to bring you back to my room, I WILL bring you back to my

    room! Nobody here dares to stop me!¡±

    J chuckled.

    Probably because this boy was so young that she felt more amused than insulted.

    ¡°That is cute.¡¯

    She patted his cheeks and said in a perfunctory voice, ¡°But I don¡¯t have time for you tonight. Maybe

    another day.¡±

    She turned to leave.

    But Andre grabbed her shoulder.

    Then in a very rough manner, he started ripping off her clothes right in the middle of the dancefloor.

    J widened her eyes in shock. Anger red up in her chest almost immediately. What the fuck

    was wrong with this boy?!

    Without a second thought, she raised her hand and pped harshly across his face.

    SLAP!

    Andre let out a sharp shriek and staggered back, ¡°Y-You hit me!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I fucking did. So what?!¡± J snapped, ¡°If you dare touch me again, I will fucking rip your

    fingers off, I swear!¡±

    ¡°You bitch! Do you know who the hell I am?!¡± Andre clenched his fists and roared, ¡°Security!

    Security!¡±

    The crowd dispersed rapidly. People all backed away from them and watched their quarrels from

    the distance.

    Just then, a tall figure appeared behind Andre¡¯s back.

    Andes

    quarrels from the distance.

    Just then, a tall figure appeared behind Andre¡¯s back.

    Andre thought that it was security. He pointed a finger at J and cried in an arrogant manner, ¡°I

    want her fucking arrested

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Yet the next second, Andre was spun around by arge hand, and he finally saw who was standing

    in front of him.

    It was Daran.

    Andre narrowed his drunken eyes, trying hard to bring his eyes into focus, ¡°Y-You¡­you are¡­¡±

    Daran cast him a dark look.

    Then he raised a leg and kicked Andre¡¯s chest!

    With a horrified scream, Andre was sent flying across half of the dancefloor and fell right into that 2-

    meter-high champagne tower!

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116

    BANG!

    The two-meter high champagne tower crushed down with a loud noise. The wine was spilled

    everywhere, and the sses were shattered. Andre was buried in the middle of this ruin.

    All the customers cried out in horror and backed away quickly to avoid being injured.

    Even J parted her lips in shock.

    She did mean to teach this little prick a lesson. But she had only thought about pping him one

    more time or breaking one of his little pinkies.

    Knocking him into the champagne tower¡­.was it a little too much?

    ¡°Daran!¡± she lowered her voice and said in an urgent voice, ¡°You probably have gone too far¡­

    Andre is General Danton¡¯s child, nevertheless¡­¡±

    ¡°It is fine.¡±

    Daran rolled his wrists and cast a dark look on Andre, ¡°He can be the Rogue King¡¯s son and I still

    won¡¯t give a shit. He should feel lucky enough that he is still breathing alive.¡±

    The loud noise attracted the nightclub¡¯s security.

    A fewrge men dressed in ck suits rushed over. One of them tried to help Andre up from the

    scattered sses.

    ¡°Master Andre!¡± he gasped in horror. ¡°Are you alright? Are you hurt?¡±

    Andre groaned in pain.

    His right leg was twisted in a strange ankle-probably a broken bone. There were numerous cuts and

    bruises on his body. Some of the bruises started to bleed.

    ¡°I-I am alright? You fucking idiot! Of course, I am not alright!¡± Andre roared like an angry beast,

    ¡°What are you waiting for? The man who kicked me was standing right there! Arrest him!!¡±

    The security immediately turned his head and looked at Daran and J.

    There was a menacing look on his face at first. Yet when he recognized Daran, that look quickly

    changed into horror.

    ¡°A-Alpha Daran!¡±

    The security staggered back, crying out in a high-pitched voice, ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡±

    Daran nced at him coldly, ¡°Am I not wee here?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course not¡­¡±

    ¡°That little brat tried to assault my mate,¡± Daran said in an icy voice. ¡°I was already being merciful

    enough for not snapping his hand and neck. Now, do you want to try and arrest me?¡±

    The security gulped nervously. There were 6 of them. But none was brave enough to make a move.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so too,¡± Daranald arrogantly

    ¡°You bunch of losers!¡± Andre snapped, ¡°I will tell my father about this and have you

    all fired!¡±

    The security went back to him and whispered into his ears, ¡°Master Andre, we know that you are

    frustrated but that is Alpha Daran! Nobody can hurt him¡­not even the King¡­¡±

    ¡°Coward!¡± Andre hissed, ¡°He is our enemy! And you are all acting like a bunch of cowards! Shame

    on you!¡±

    J slightly raised an eyebrow.

    Andre came off as a spoiled little brat at first. But as it turned out, this kid had some backbones.

    Just then, the nightclub¡¯s manager pushed through the crowd and ran over. He brought a few

    medical staff with him.

    Together, they brought Andre onto a stretcher.

    ¡°Take Master Andre to the hospital,¡± the manager said urgently.

    Andre was carried away by them. His face was pale due to the pain. And his shirt was messy and

    tainted with blood.

    When he passed by Daran and J¡¯s side, he spat at them and hissed, ¡°¡­You will fucking pay for

    this one day.¡±

    Daran let out a sarcastic snort. A kid¡¯s vain threat meant nothing to him.

    After Andre was brought away, the nightclub manager walked up to Daran and J and bowed to

    them, ¡°Good evening and wee.¡±

    Daran looked down at him freezingly, ¡°Are we going to have more troubles?¡± ¡°Oh no, Alpha Daran,

    of course not. I am just here to tell you that-¡±

    The manager pointed at the balcony on the second floor and said, ¡°Lady Morgana invited you two to

    the private lounge. She wants to have a word with you.¡±

    J looked around and noticed that Kass and Morgana were no longer in their booth.

    No wonder Kass didn¡¯t rush over during their little quarrel with Andre.

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    Daran nodded.

    ¡°Please show us the way.¡±

    The manager led them to the second floor and stopped at a closed door. He knocked on the door 3

    times and stepped aside humbly.

    ¡°Lady Morgana is expecting you inside,¡± the manager said.

    Daran stepped up and pushed the door open.

    Together, they walked into the room.

    This private lounge wasrge enough for 50 people to have a party here. But right now, there was

    no one else around. When the door closed behind their backs, the

    This private lounge wasrge enough for 50 people to have a party here. But right now, there was

    no one else around. When the door closed behind their backs, the loud music from downstairs was

    completely cut off, It was extremely quiet in here. Morgana was sitting on arge, curved sofa,

    smoking a cigarette. She looked very rxed.

    In sharp contrast to her, Kass was super nervous. He sat a few feet apart from Morgana and kept

    his head down.

    ¡°I heard that you wanted to talk,¡± J broke the silence first.

    ¡°Well yes, I do.¡±

    Morgana smiled idly and breathed out smoke, ¡°My mate told me what you are after. I am here to

    help, willing to answer all of your questions.¡±

    ¡°Name your terms,¡± Daran said.

    Morgana chuckled, ¡°There is no term, no condition, no strings attached. I am willing to help. For

    free.¡±

    J frowned. She found this too good to be true.

    ¡°You are Lance¡¯s Cab Minister. You should be on his side,¡± she said. ¡°Why are you willing to help

    us for free?¡±

    Morgana snorted.

    She stubbed the cigarette on the ashtray and her face turned dark.

    ¡°I never wanted to be a fucking rogue,¡± she said gloomily. ¡°My bastard parents abandoned me. No

    foster care was willing to take in me because of my hideous birthmark. I lived on the street and

    wandered into the rogue¡¯s territory¡­I survived in this shit hole. I made a living here. But it didn¡¯t

    necessarily mean that I enjoy living in this barbarian world.¡±

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°If you hate this so much, why not leave?¡± J asked.

    Morgana snorted, ¡°And give up everything that I fought so hard for? No, thank you. I hate my

    current life. But I just want to change, not give up on it.¡±

    She sat up straighter and looked J in the eyes.

    ¡°I am not happy with Lance being the King.¡±

    She said pointedly.

    ¡°I am fucking tired of being ruled by an ipetent man. It is time to change that. I like you. And

    most importantly, Kass is my mate. All those are my reasons to help.¡±

    J exchanged a brief look with Daran.

    It seemed like that Morgana was speaking the truth.

    But this could also be a part of Lance¡¯s dirty schemes¡ªhe had done something like this before.

    After a little pause, Daran said, ¡°We have been crossed by a friend before. Right now,

    I don¡¯t trust you.¡±

    Morgana shrugged and leaned back to the couch.

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± she smiled, ¡°There is plenty of time for us to build a healthy,

    coborative rtionship. For now, as a friendly gesture, I can tell you who the former Rogue King¡¯s

    son is.¡±

    J held her breath involuntarily, ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°Actually, you all have  him already,¡± Morgana chuckled.

    J frowned. She searched among all the faces that she had seen since she got here. But no one

    seemed to fit the profile.

    ¡°And you just kicked his ass downstair,¡± Morgana hinted.

    J widened her eyes in shock.

    ..Andre?!

    That little brat was the former Rogue King¡¯s son?

    ¡°Andre?¡±

    Daran frowned. A clear hint of suspicion flickered across his eyes, ¡°If I remember correctly, he is

    Danton¡¯s son.¡±

    ¡°Foster son.¡±

    Morgana corrected.

    ¡°Lance asked his best man Danton to adopt Andre after the former King died. This is a smart move,

    really. You know, keeping your enemy close.¡±

    J still found this hard to believe, ¡°But if Andre is really the former King¡¯s kid, why didn¡¯t Lance kill

    him? Why bother keeping him close?¡±

    Morgana shrugged, ¡°Who knows? Maybe there are some mysteries about the former

    King that Lance hasn¡¯t cracked yet, which made his son useful. Lance never shares his decision-

    making process with his subordinates. Like why does he keep you guys here? Nobody knows what

    he is thinking.¡±

    J bit her lower lip, pondering.

    Morgana was telling the truth. She could feel it.

    If Andre was really the person that they were looking for, things would be quite

    difficult.

    They made a terrible first impression downstairs.

    It would be hard to persuade Andre to help them now.

    ¡°Anything thoughts on how to break Andre?¡± Daran asked, ¡°What is he like? Does he have any

    weak spots? Anything we can use?¡±

    ¡°Andre is a spoiled little prick, which you have seen for yourself. Danton treated him very nicely over

    the years. He made sure that Andre had everything, money, women, booze, you name it. You can

    probably approach him with women-that kid is a dog-but you won¡¯t be able to buy him. He is very

    close to his foster dad¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    J interrupted her, ¡°Andre is close to Danton? Are you sure?¡±

    1137

    1

    1:1

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117

    ¡°Andre?¡±

    Daran frowned. A clear hint of suspicion flickered across his eyes, ¡°If I remember correctly, he is

    Danton¡¯s son.¡±

    ¡°Foster son.¡±

    Morgana corrected.

    ¡°Lance asked his best man Danton to adopt Andre after the former King died. This is a smart move,

    really. You know, keeping your enemy close.¡±

    J still found this hard to believe, ¡°But if Andre is really the former King¡¯s kid, why didn¡¯t Lance kill

    him? Why bother keeping him close?¡±

    Morgana shrugged, ¡°Who knows? Maybe there are some mysteries about the former

    King that Lance hasn¡¯t cracked yet, which made his son useful. Lance never shares his decision-

    making process with his subordinates. Like why does he keep you guys here? Nobody knows what

    he is thinking.¡±

    J bit her lower lip, pondering.

    Morgana was telling the truth. She could feel it

    If Andre was really the person that they were looking for, things would be quite

    difficult.

    They made a terrible first impression downstairs.

    It would be hard to persuade Andre to help them now.

    ¡°Anything thoughts on how to break Andre?¡± Daran asked, ¡°What is he like? Does he have any

    weak spots? Anything we can use?¡±

    ¡°Andre is a spoiled little prick, which you have seen for yourself. Danton treated him very nicely over

    the years. He made sure that Andre had everything, money, women, booze, you name it. You can

    probably approach him with women-that kid is a dog-but you won¡¯t be able to buy him. He is very

    close to his foster dad¡­

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    J interrupted her, ¡°Andre is close to Danton? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course. Everybody knows it. Danton treats Andre like his own. They have a real

    connection,¡± Morgana said firmly.

    J frowned. She looked uncertain.

    Daran noticed her reluctance and he asked, ¡°Why did you ask? Did you notice anything?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­yeah.¡¯

    J said slowly while trying hard to recall what she saw earlier.

    ¡°When they carried Andre out of the nightclub¡­and his shirt was loose¡­I happened to notice some

    old scars on his body.¡±

    ¡°So? It doesn¡¯t mean anything,¡± Morgana yawned. ¡°You guys just kicked his ass. It was natural to

    leave some scars.¡±

    ¡°Ancient. Scars.¡± J stressed.

    Morgana froze. After a short pause, she said, ¡°Maybe he bumped into a wall or something-¡±

    ¡°By scars, I meant burn marks and weal.¡±

    The roompsed into silence.

    Everyone was rendered speechless by this.

    If Andre was really General Danton¡¯s beloved son, why would there be evidence of physical abuse

    on his body?

    And more importantly, who dared to abuse the General¡¯s son?

    Did Danton know about this?

    ¡®Are you sure you saw it right?¡± Morgana frowned, ¡°Danton adored his son. He would never allow

    anyone toy a finger on Andre.¡±

    J wanted to say that she was absolutely certain.

    Yet when everyone questioned something, she began to question its uracy herself.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    J paused. Then she shook her head, ¡°Never mind. Maybe I saw it wrong.¡± Daran rubbed her

    tensed neck and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will find a way to confirm itter. For now, we just focus on

    how to approach Andre.¡±

    Morgana let out a big yawn.

    ¡°You mind if I skip this session?¡± she said idly. ¡°Like you said, we haven¡¯t entered a trustworthy

    rtionship yet.¡±

    Daran nodded. He held J¡¯s hand and turned to leave.

    J nced at Kass, ¡°Are youing with us?¡±

    Kass made a funny movement. It seemed as though he wanted to stand up but there was an

    invisible force dragging him back to his seat.

    Morgana leaned over and ced her hand on Kass¡¯s shoulder.

    She chuckled, ¡°No. You stay.¡±

    Kass gulped nervously. He seemed even more nervous now than before.

    ¡°Are

    you sure?¡± J asked Kass again.

    She didn¡¯t want Kass to feel that this was a quid pro quo and that he was obligated to do this

    against his will.

    S

    Kass licked his dry lips uneasily. After a small pause, he gave a small nod to J. Morgana

    giggled, ¡°Attaboy.¡±

    She pecked his cheek. His face was now ming red.

    J smiled and left the room with Daran.

    The nightclub was as loud and hectic as before. The dancing crowd got even crazier after midnight.

    A lot of people recognized Daran and J earlier. So they decided to take the back

    after midnight.

    A lot of people recognized Daran and J earlier. So they decided to take the back door instead to

    avoid unnecessary attention.

    On the way, J asked Daran, ¡°So how should approach Andre? It would be hard after¡­what

    happened tonight.¡±

    ¡°If given another chance, I would still kick his ass. He deserves it,¡± Daran said coldly. ¡°Making

    friends with Andre is practically impossible even without our little encounter tonight. We can¡¯t win

    him over with Danton in the picture.¡±

    J sighed.

    Daran was right.

    The main issue was not with Andre but with Danton.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You can leave it to me,¡± Daran said in a soft voice. ¡°If

    necessary, I will just abduct that piece of shit to the middle of nowhere and torture an answer out of

    him.¡±

    J smiled briefly.

    She was still concerned.

    Violence was not a smart move. She didn¡¯t want to go down that road unless they absolutely must.

    They arrived at the employee exit. Daran pushed the door open. Yet he froze the next

    second.

    J gave him a questioning look. Daran put his index finger on his lips, gesturing her to keep

    quiet, and beckoned her to peek through the door crack.

    J followed his instructions.

    Outside of the employee exit was a back alley. A few people were gathered by the

    trash bin.

    It was Andre and a few guards.

    J frowned. Shouldn¡¯t Andre have been taken to the hospital already? What was he doing here?

    Right at this moment, Andre spoke up. His voice was slightly trembling. It sounded as though he

    was in a lot of pain.

    ¡°H-How much longer?¡± he asked.

    One man checked his watch and said, ¡°Soon. Master Andre.¡±

    Andre breathed heavily, ¡°Y-You should take me to a fucking hospital for fuck¡¯s sake! My bone is

    fucking broken! How dare you ask me to wait here in a fucking alley!¡±

    The man repeated himself in a respectful yet distant manner, ¡°Very soon. Master Andre.¡±

    J exchanged an incredulous look with Daran. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    It seemed like Andre was forced to wait for somebody. But who was powerful enough to make

    Andre wait with a broken leg?

    The sound of a car engine came from the distance. A few momentster, a ck car. drove into the

    back alley and stopped in front of Andre.

    The passenger door opened up.

    A man got off.

    It was General Danton.

    Andre sat up straighter. There was cold sweat on his forehead.

    He looked up at Danton, half-awed, half-afraid, and murmured in a low voice, ¡°¡­Father.¡±

    Danton let out a light snort.

    Slowly, he pulled something out of his pocket.

    It was a whip!

    With a ripping noise, Danton wielded that wipe andshed Andre mercilessly!

    SPLASH!

    A gruesome mark appeared on Andre¡¯s face. Blood rushed down instantly.

    J opened her mouth in shock. A gasp almost escaped her lips. But Daran mped her mouth

    just in time to stifle that gasp.

    ¡°Kneel.¡±

    Danton said coldly.

    He put a foot on Andre¡¯s broken leg, adding pressure to it. Andre squirmed in pain, which made the

    wicked smile on Danton¡¯s lips grow wider.

    ¡°Fucking kneel for me. You piece of shit,¡± Dantonughed maliciously.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118

    J couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.

    Everyone told her that Danton adored Andre and he was a loving father.

    But what kind of loving fathershed his son in a dark back alley?!

    All guards stood in their spots quietly, watching this scene in silence. They seemed quite used to

    this.

    Hearing that Danton asked him to kneel, Andre¡¯s body quivered.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    He looked at Danton with a pleading look and begged, ¡°Father¡­I-I can¡¯t. My leg is broken. Can you

    spare me for this time, please?¡±

    There was a wicked gleam in Danton¡¯s eyes. His face was cold and heartless as ever.

    ¡°You are a fucking dog to me, Andre. You do whatever I ask you to do,¡± Danton said icily, ¡°Get on

    your fucking knees. NOW.¡±

    Andre bit his lips with tears circling in his eyes.

    Slowly, he moved his injured legs. The extreme pain caused him to sweat heavily.

    He eventually managed to kneel on the ground, panting nonstop.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Danton said in a freezing voice, ¡°I heard that you got into some troubles with somebody tonight.

    Who did you mess with?¡±

    ¡°A-Alpha Daran and his Gamma J¡­but I was drunk, father! I didn¡¯t know who. they were when

    I-Ahh!¡±

    SLAP!

    A hot pnded on Andre¡¯s cheek. His left side face became swollen immediately. ¡°Fucking lying

    piece of shit!¡± Danton roared.

    He grabbed Andre by the cor and red at the kid, ¡°Did you approach them on purpose? Do you

    think that they can help you? Getting you out of my control? Is that what you were thinking?!¡±

    ¡°NO! Father!¡± Andre cried in despair, ¡°It was a coincidence! I know that they are our enemy. I would

    never approach them on purpose. I swear!¡±

    Yet his pleading meant nothing to Danton.

    Another hot pnded on his right cheek this time.

    ¡°You should be grateful for being alive,¡± Danton looked down at Andre

    condescendingly. ¡°The King pardoned your life, and I nurtured you up. You will talk and behave

    exactly like we want you to. Understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, father.¡±

    ¡°I am watching you, son. Be a good boy. You don¡¯t want to get punished, do you?¡± Andre¡¯s body

    twitched when he heard the word ¡°punish¡± as though it triggered some horrible memories.

    He nodded hastily, ¡°No, no punishment, father. I will be good.¡±

    Danton smirked and patted his head, ¡°Now we are talking. As long as you listen to me, I will make

    sure that you live afortable life. Oh, I heard that you signed up for abat lesson with a

    private trainer. Why do you need to learnbat?¡±

    Fear flickered across Andre¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°¡­Nothing. Just a little interest,¡± he murmured.

    ¡°Well, a worm like you doesn¡¯t need to learnbat,¡± Danton scorned. ¡°I have canceled that lesson

    for you.¡±

    Andre lowered his head, ¡°¡­Yes Father.¡±

    ¡°Go to some parties. Women and booze are enough to keep you upied. I heard that there is a

    Spring Fling party next week. Be there and have some fun. OK?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes Father.¡±

    Danton seemed pleased with Andre¡¯s obedience. He snapped his fingers and beckoned the guards

    over.

    ¡°Bring Mater Andre to the hospital. I don¡¯t want my son to be a fucking limp.¡±

    ¡°Yes, General.¡±

    They brought Andre into the car.

    The car drove away and disappeared into the darkness.

    Daran opened the door and walked into the back alley with J. Both of them were still in shock

    because of what they just saw.

    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t believe this.¡± J shook her head in astonishment, ¡°Danton treated Andre horribly! How

    come nobody ever found out about this?¡±

    Daran snorted, ¡°Danton must be really careful. He doesn¡¯t want the others to raise questions about

    Andre¡¯s true identity. But when they are alone, his monster sidees out again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Poor kid,¡± J murmured.

    When she first met Andre, she thought that he was nothing but a spoiled little brat.

    Yet after seeing what happened in the back alley, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him.

    Andre must have lived a difficult life.

    Nobody in this city cared for him.

    He had to put up with Danton¡¯s violence while pretending to be Danton¡¯s loving son on the outside.

    And there was no one he could turn to for help.

    The kid was barely 18.

    ¡°This works to our advantage,¡± Daran turned to J and said. ¡°Now we know that Danton and

    Andre¡¯s rtionship isn¡¯t as solid as we believe. We can find a chance to crack it and persuade

    Andre to work with us.¡±

    J nodded, ¡°We just need a chance to talk to him.¡±

    ¡°You heard what Danton said to Andre. Spring Fling party, next week. It is a perfect opportunity.¡±

    J pulled out her phone and dialed Morgana¡¯s number.

    It went through on the first ring, ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Morgana, we heard that there will be a Spring Fling party next week and Andre will be there. Can

    you get us on the guest list?¡±

    ¡°Sure. You want to talk to Andre at that party?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But we don¡¯t want to catch people¡¯s attention. Thest thing we need is for Lance to find out

    that we are approaching the former King¡¯s son.¡±

    Morgana chuckled pleasantly, ¡°Well, then this party works out perfectly for your n.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Because it is a masquerade ball. No one will have a damn clue about who you are.¡¯

    The masquerade ball was on the uing Monday,

    All the officers and nobles in the city would be there, including Andre. J asked Morgan¨¢ to help

    them make the ball gown in secret. So nobody-not even their maids and guards-knew that they

    were going to the masquerade ball. On the day of the ball, J did her own makeup and got

    dressed. Daran was at the

    11

    ball already. They would meet at the ballter.

    Tonight, J was dressed in an exquisite, ankle-length ck velvet gown. The fitted bodice was

    ented with a deep sweetheart neckline, highlighting her graceful corbone.

    A gold masquerade mask, adorned with ck and gold feathers, obscured her face. Her hair was

    pinned up in a soft, romantic updo, tendrils framing her face. The finishing touch was a pair of ck

    satin stiletto heels, giving her an air of mystery and allure.

    When J stepped into the venue, everyone nearby turned to look at her.

    Among all those beautiful women who attended the ball tonight, J was without doubt the

    brightest star.

    Yet J didn¡¯t pay any attention to other¡¯s gaze.

    She was busy searching among the guests, looking for Daran in the crowd.

    Everyone here wore a mask tonight. She wasn¡¯t sure which one was Daran.

    Just then, a tall figure made his way down the marble staircase and walked towards J.

    He wore a sharp ck tuxedo, whichplemented his athletic build perfectly. The tuxedo was

    expertly tailored to entuate his broad shoulders and muscr arms. The slim-cut trousers

    hugged his thighs and calves, showcasing the strength in his legs.

    The overall look emphasized his powerful and statuesque physique, making him a striking figure in

    the sea of guests at the masquerade ball.

    He walked up to J directly, as though he was certain that she was the one that he was looking

    for.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    J smiled and looked at him.

    The silver masquerade mask that he wore covered half of his face, revealing a hint of

    his strong jawline.

    ¡°How do you know that it is me?¡± she giggled.

    Daran¡¯s lips curved up into a gentle smile. He gently stroked the feather on her mask

    and answered in a husky voice, ¡°I can find you in a sea of people instantly. It is my superpower.¡±

    Just then, an orchestra started to y ssical tunes in the background, setting the rhythm for the

    dancers twirling around the dance floor.

    ¡°Look over there,¡± Daran whispered into J¡¯s ears.

    J followed the direction of his gaze and found Andre standing alone by the dancefloor, holding a

    ss of champagne.

    Target spotted.

    ¡°Let us go talk to him,¡± Daran said.

    Yet J put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

    ¡°No, I got this one.¡± she smiled. ¡°You look out for me

    supripowel.

    Just then, an orchestra started to y ssical tunes in the background, setting the rhythm for the

    dancers twirling around the dance floor.

    ¡°Look over there,¡± Daran whispered into J¡¯s ears.

    J followed the direction of his gaze and found Andre standing alone by the dancefloor, holding a

    ss of champagne.

    Target spotted.

    ¡°Let us go talk to him,¡± Daran said.

    Yet J put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

    ¡°No, I got this one,¡± she smiled. ¡°You look out for me.¡±

    She picked up her long skirt and walked towards Andre.

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119

    Andre was sipping his ss of champagne, looking bored. J approached him from the back

    and bumped into his shoulder. Andre¡¯s hand shook. Some champagne spilled onto his white shirt.

    ¡°On my god! I am so sorry sir!¡± J gasped, ¡°Are you alright?!¡±

    Andre jerked around in fume.

    He was about to scold J. Yet when his eyes fixed upon J¡¯s face, the angry look was quickly

    reced by an awed expression.

    He was dazzled by J¡¯s beauty.

    And from the look on his face, J could tell that he didn¡¯t recognize her at all. Which made

    sense. Because her face was covered by a gold masquerade mask, and they had only met each

    other two times.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, miss.¡± Andre grinned, shing his white teeth. ¡°And I bet a lot of men here

    tonight would love to have a prettydy like you bumping into them.¡±

    J giggled, fluttering her eyshes, ¡°You tter me. Is there any way that I can make up for my

    clumsiness?¡±

    ¡°How about a dance with me?¡± Andre held out his right hand to J.

    ¡°My pleasure,¡± J smiled, cing her hand in Andre¡¯s palm.

    Together, they waltzed into the crowd of dancers.

    The hall was filled with the harmonious melody of a waltz, couples gracefully twirling across the

    floor.

    Andre held J¡¯s right hand and his left hand was on her waist, leading swirling across the

    dancefloor.

    He was actually a masterful dancer, his movements fluid and precise, leading her effortlessly

    through the steps. Each twirl and dip was executed elegantly.

    Yet J didn¡¯t have time to enjoy this dance.

    She looked beyond Andre¡¯s shoulder and spotted a few guards standing by the dancefloor,

    watching them intently from the distance.

    They were monitoring Andre¡¯s every move.

    If she wanted to talk to Andre without causing the guard¡¯s suspicion, now was her only chance.

    ¡°What is the matter?¡±

    Andre had noticed her absence of mind. He raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to enjoy

    this dance very much. Did I step on your feet or anything?¡±

    J gulped.

    She had to cut right into the chase.

    Her time was limited.

    har line barely

    ¡°Andre, do you know who I am?¡± she whispered into his cars, her lips barely moving

    Andre frowned.

    Then he let out a dryugh, ¡°I don¡¯t. But this is the point of a masquerade ball, isn¡¯t it? Should I

    know you?¡±

    They whirled around. And J happened to have her back facing those guards.

    So she quickly took this chance and lifted her mask slightly so that Andre could take a clear look at

    her face.

    Andre¡¯s eyes widened abruptly.

    At that moment, he recognized who she was.

    ¡°Y-You!¡±

    He gasped, sounding infuriated.

    ¡°You are Daran¡¯s Gamma! What are you doing here?!¡±

    ¡°Keep your voice down! I don¡¯t want to alert your guards. They are watching you like a fucking

    hawk,¡± J said in a low and urgent voice. ¡°And I am here to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Forget it! We have nothing to talk about,¡± Andre snapped.

    He tried to pull his hand back and walk away.

    Yet J held his hand and shoulder tightly and kept him on the spot.

    ¡°Keep dancing. And listen to what I have to say!¡± shemanded.

    Her voice sounded very authoritative.

    Andre winced. After a little internal struggle, he chose to stay.

    ¡°OK. What do you want to say? But make it quick. Father will kill me if he catches me talking to

    you,¡± he said reluctantly.

    J nodded.

    She got straight to the point, ¡°I saw how Danton abused you in that alley behind the nightclub. I

    know that he is not a great father as everyone else believes. So if you are willing to trust me, I am

    here to help you.¡±

    Andre¡¯s body became stiff.

    He gave J a nasty stare and huffed, ¡°No. You saw it wrong. That wasn¡¯t me. My father is

    awesome and he has been nothing but loving to me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just cut the crap, Andre! We all know that you are lying to yourself. Why are you trying to protect a

    horrible person like Danton?¡± J snarled.

    ¡°He is my father. Of course, I have to defend him-¡±

    ¡°Your FOSTER father,¡± J stressed. ¡°You are the former Rogue King¡¯s son. Danton only adopted

    you because he needs to keep an eye on you for Lance. You are his captive, not son.¡±

    Andre red at J.

    A hint of panic flickered across his eyes.

    ¡°¡­How did you know about this?¡± he asked dryly.

    ¡°I have my source,¡± J said. ¡°Anyway, I know that you are living a horrible life without any

    freedom and dignity. And I know that deep down you want to change that. So work with us. We are

    here to help you.¡±

    Andre blinked his eyes. He looked at a lost.

    J held his hand and took the lead. They couldn¡¯t stop dancing. Or they would catch the guard¡¯s

    attention.

    After a long pause, when her patience was about to run out, Andre finally spoke up again:

    ¡°No.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    J frowned, ¡°So you would rather stay by Danton¡¯s side like a salve than working with us? Why is

    that?¡±

    Andre let out a sneer, ¡°You are a Gamma and I am a rogue. I will never work with my enemy.¡±

    ¡°But we have shared interest here. Don¡¯t think of me as an enemy for now-

    Andre cut her off sharply, ¡°Plus, how are you going to help me anyway? You can¡¯t walk up to Danton

    and give him a fucking lesson on parenting. You can¡¯t help me. Nobody can help me. This is my

    fate. My destined fate.¡±

    ¡°Andre¡­¡¯

    ¡±

    She wanted to say something else to change his mind.

    But right at this moment, the song came to a stop. This dance was over.

    Andre gave J a freezing look pulled his hand back and turned to leave.

    J bit her lips, staring at his back, frustrated.

    She knew that it would take some effort to persuade Andre.

    But it still came as a shock when Andre turned her down with such a firm attitude.

    She took in a deep breath and picked up her long skirt, rushing towards Andre.

    ¡°Wait!¡± she called out to him.

    When she finally caught up with Andre by the edge of the dancefloor, she found Andre surrounded

    by his guards.

    ¡°¡­General Danton asks to see you now,¡± said one guard in a cold voice.

    Andre gulped nervously. His face was pale due to fear.

    Bearing his head down, Andre walked up to those guards and was ready to leave with

    them.

    J rushed forward. But one guard stuck out an arm and stopped her.

    ¡°Miss, the dance is over,¡± the guard said warningly.

    J ignored him.

    She stared at Andre¡¯s back and said in an eager voice, ¡°Just-think about it. Come and find me

    later¡­Please.¡±

    C

    J ignored him.

    She stared at Andre¡¯s back and said in an eager voice, ¡°Just-think about it. Come and find me

    later¡­Please.¡±

    Andre halted in his tracks. His fists were clenched by his body side.

    After a small pause, he said lowly, ¡°I enjoyed our dance¡­But that is it. Don¡¯te and talk to me

    ever again.¡±

    With that said, he followed those guards and walked away decisively.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120

    ¡°Shit,¡± J cursed lowly.

    Danton called Andre away..

    She didn¡¯t know what would happen to Andre. But it was not too hard to guess. Judging by what

    she saw earlier in the back alley and the fearful look on Andre¡¯s face

    when he left, it must be something horrible.

    Though frustrated, J could understand why Andre was reluctant to work with her.

    He had lived in hell for too long, deprived of any right to be happy. So when she approached him

    with a hope to be free from all those miseries, he found it too good to be true.

    And most importantly, they were on opposite sides.

    He didn¡¯t trust her.

    J let out a frustrated, long sigh.

    She needed some air to organize her thoughts.

    So she walked away from the joyful crowd and headed towards the patio leading to the backyard

    garden.

    Once she was outside, she leaned against the patio¡¯s handrail and took a deep breath of the

    midnight air.

    The air was cool and crisp. She could smell the perfume of flowers in the night breeze.

    Everything was so peaceful and calm.

    For a brief moment, she almost forgot that she was in her enemy¡¯s camp.

    Footsteps came from behind her back. J turned around and found Daran walking

    over with two sses of champagne.

    He handed her one of the sses and joined her leaning against the handrail.

    ¡°Tough kid?¡± he asked.

    J took a sip and smiled bitterly, ¡°Very. He doesn¡¯t trust us at all. And honestly¡­I don¡¯t me

    him. Even his own men abuse him¡­for him, we must be worse.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he will tell Danton about what happened tonight?¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t trust us. But I can tell that he hates Danton even more. He

    will keep his mouth shut.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Daran took her hand and gently squeezed it, ¡°¡±Tonight we nted a seed in his heart. Now we will

    just have to wait for that seed to sprout one day,¡±

    J forced out a smile.

    She knew that Daran was simply saying that to make her feel better.

    The hard truth was that they didn¡¯t have a lot of time.

    Lance kept them in this city for a reason, which they hadn¡¯t found out what that was

    Lance kept them in this city for a reason, which they hadn¡¯t found out what that was yet.

    So the longer they waited, the more danger they would be in.

    ¡°Care to join me for a little walk?¡± Daran looked at her with a gentle smile.

    J nodded and followed him down the patio and into the garden.

    Tonight was the full moon.

    Under the luminous glow, the backyard garden came alive with an ethereal beauty. Moonlight

    bathed the delicate petals of blooming flowers, casting a silver shimmer that transformed the

    landscape into a dreamscape.

    J and Daran walked down the path through the garden. The only sound that could be heard

    was the gentle rustling of leaves in the night breeze.

    J wrapped her arm around his elbow, resting her head on his shoulder. She could smell his

    scent from this proximity, something that smelt even more enticing than the perfume of flowers.

    ¡°What if we can¡¯t get Andre to work with us?¡± she asked abruptly.

    He slightly turned his head andnded a kiss on her forehead, ¡°We will keep trying.¡±

    ¡°But what if we just can¡¯t? No matter what we do?¡±

    His voice remained steady and calm, ¡°Then we will cut all these craps and go after Lance directly.

    We will chop his fucking head off and burn his body into ashes. There must be something we can

    do to kill him.¡±

    J giggled.

    Daran was saying this to lighten the mood. And it worked.

    She felt much better already.

    They walked deep into the garden and sat down on a bench under aurel tree.

    Shey down and ced her head on hisp. He threaded his fingers through her silky long hair,

    again and again.

    ¡°Something just urred to me,¡± he said with a hint of a smile on his lips. ¡°You never dance with

    me.¡¯

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°Nonsense. We dance all the time,¡± she let out a small yawn.

    The night breeze, the flowers, his fingersbing through her hair¡­everything was

    soothing. She was quickly getting sleepy.

    ¡°One time. On our wedding night. And that was it,¡± he said with aining voice.

    J looked up and stared at his handsome profile.

    ¡°Wait. Are you jealous that I danced with Andre earlier?¡± she asked, amazed.

    He asked in return, ¡°Are you surprised if I am?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Daran. Andre is just a kid. Plus, that dance was just a covert for us to talk.¡¯

    ¡°I know. But still.¡¯

    He coiled a lock of her hair around his finger

    He coiled a lock of her hair around his finger.

    ¡°Whenever I see you with another man, mes of jealousy burn inside of me. And I would get a

    terrible impulse to shift, to attack, to snatch you back, and to hide you somewhere that nobody can

    find you. This impulse¡­the desire¡­¡±

    He paused, and continued with a hoarse voice, ¡°It is getting harder and harder to control myself.¡±

    J licked her dry lips. Her heart suddenly started to race.

    She could tell that he was telling the truth.

    And she was shocked by his possessiveness.

    ¡°But I am here with you,¡± she said gently. ¡°Just you. Not anybody else.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips softly, ¡°To have you by my side is the only

    way I can calm myself down.¡±

    Even though their mission tonight waspleted already, none of them wanted to go back to their

    suite.

    So they stayed under theurel tree.

    J felt her eyelids getting heavier. And she fell asleep eventually.

    Even though she was surrounded by enemies, she still slept soundly. Because Daran was right here

    by her side.

    As long as Daran was here, it was safe.

    She slept for about an hour, or probably even longer, and was woken up by Daran.

    ¡°J¡­J.¡±

    He was patting her shoulder, calling her name next to her ears.

    She opened her eyes, still half-asleep, and yawned, ¡°¡­W-What happened?¡±

    ¡°Someone is nearby,¡± he said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear. ¡°Listen.¡±

    J held her breath and listened attentively to her surroundings.

    Then she heard a low sobing from the distance.

    It was barely audible.

    But it was there.

    J sat up abruptly. She was wide awake now.

    ¡°Shall we go find out?¡± she asked Daran lowly.

    Daran nodded.

    They stood up and followed that sobbing sound. It came from the darkness, deep into the shadow

    of trees, hidden from all passersby¡¯s eyes.

    They kept their bodies down and carefully moved forward.

    The sob was getting louder, which told them that they were moving in the right direction.

    When they were finally close enough, Daran stopped. He hid behind a tree and pushed a branch

    aside.

    And J was finally able to see what was happening a few meters away.

    It was a small clearing.

    A few guards were sitting on the ground, ying pokers.

    By their side, Andre was hung upside down from a tree.

    His feet were tied to a tree branch and his head was a few inches away from the ground. His face

    was red because his blood was flowing toward his head.

    He was trembling like a leave in the wind.

    ¡°Please¡­P-Please¡­¡±

    Andre sobbed, his voice broken.

    A snake, as thick as a baby¡¯s arm, was coiled around his body.

    It made a sizzling sound and wasing close to his bare neck.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121

    J widened her eyes in shock.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Andre was brought away by the guards a few hours ago. Why did he end up here in the garden?

    And why did they put a snake on his body?

    The snake wrapped its body around Andre and tightened its grip, its coils

    constricting around him like a living prison.

    The serpent¡¯s scales were cool and smooth against his skin, sending chills down his spine.

    Andre gasped for breath, his face getting redder, sweat dripping down from his forehead.

    It looked like he was having a panic attack.

    ¡°P-Please!¡± he groaned weakly, ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t. Let me off¡­Please¡­I would do anything¡­Just-Please!

    Let me off¡­¡±

    The guards didn¡¯t look at him. They were having a good time with their poker game. ¡°General

    Danton asked us to hang you for at least 6 hours,¡± one of the guards said idly. ¡°How long has it

    been now?¡±

    ¡°Two hours and a half.¡±

    ¡°You hear that, Master Andre? It was not even half yet. So just shut your mouth and enjoy the night

    breeze.¡±

    Andre closed his eyes. His breathing was getting shallower.

    ¡°A-At least, get the snake away!¡± he begged, half-crying, ¡°I am terrified of it¡­please!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, kid. No can do,¡± the guard shrugged with a nasty grin. They all seemed to enjoy the kind of

    torment that Andre was in.

    The snake held Andre firmly in its grasp, its yellow eyes glinting coldly. Andre shivered and tears

    streamed down his cheek.

    ¡°Why is father doing this to me?¡± he cried, sobbing in despair. ¡°I came to the ball as he asked¡­I-I

    did everything he asked! Why!¡±

    One guard clicked his tongue impatiently, ¡°We are just following General Danton¡¯s order. Plus, the

    General doesn¡¯t need a reason to do anything. He does things when he is pleased.¡±

    J gritted her teeth in fume.

    She could see what was happening now.

    This was what Danton did-pulling Andre away anytime he wanted and punishing Andre randomly

    without any reason.

    He just loved to torment this kid.

    And Danton must know that Andre was afraid of the snake. He put a snake on Andre¡¯s body to

    spice things up.

    What a twisted fucking prick.

    And Danton must know that Andre was afraid of the snake. He put a snake on Andre¡¯s body to

    spice things up.

    What a twisted fucking prick.

    J and Daran exchanged a brief look. Although nobody said a word, they could understand what

    the other was thinking perfectly.

    They needed to rescue Andre.

    Daran first pointed at the guards and then pointed at himself.

    J knew what he meant.

    He wanted to draw those guards away so that J could take this chance and rescue Andre.

    She gave him a firm nod.

    Daran gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then moved away quietly. He circled up to the other

    side of this clearing and tossed a stone at the guards.

    The guards were alerted.

    They jumped up immediately.

    ¡°Who the fuck is there!¡± one guy snapped.

    Daran hid in the shadows and tossed another stone at them.

    ¡°Fuck! Somebody is over there,¡± one of the guards hissed. ¡°You two follow me and let us check it

    out.¡±

    That guard took two men away from him.

    And there was only one guy left here to watch Andre.

    J narrowed her eyes into slits and stared at her target intently.

    She sprang out from the bushes swiftly and jumped on the guard¡¯s back. He waspletely caught

    off guard. She mped his neck tightly with her arms and twisted

    it sharply.

    The guard crushed to the ground without a sound and passed out. He wasn¡¯t even given the time to

    find out who attacked him.

    J rushed over to Andre and patted his cheek.

    ¡°Hey! Are you alright?¡± she asked urgently.

    The snake spotted the intruder. It straightened its body and made a threatening sound at J.

    J grabbed the snake by its neck, flung her arm, and smashed the snake¡¯s head harshly on the

    ground.

    The snake twirled, and the next second, died.

    Andre was still shaking violently. His eyes had lost focus. It almost looked like he was having a

    seizure.

    J decided to rescue him down first. She pulled out the dagger that she always had in her pocket

    and was ready to cut Andre loose.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    J looked down and found Andre staring at her. He repeated himself once more, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­G-Get

    away from me¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy? I am trying to help you!¡± J snapped, ¡°Look at you! You are on the verge of

    passing out!¡±

    ¡°Lea¡­Leave me be. It is just a little hanging¡­and a snake¡­if Danton finds you helping me¡­then-

    then I am dead¡­¡±

    ¡°Fuck it! We will figure it outter. Now you areing with me.¡±

    She threw her dagger, and the dagger sliced the rope in two.

    Andre dropped down and fell right into J¡¯s arms.

    She held his shoulder and wiped the cold sweat away from his forehead, ¡°Hey, listen to me, you are

    safe now. OK?¡±

    Andre gritted his teeth. A look of despair shed in his eyes.

    ¡°You are really fucking with my life¡­¡±

    He muttered weakly, closed his eyes, and then passed out.

    A light whistle came from the distance. J knew that it was Daran telling her that the other

    guards wereing back.

    She couldn¡¯t stay.

    She went to collect her dagger.

    Carrying Andre on her back, she quickly fled the scene and disappeared into the darkness.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122

    With Andre with her, J couldn¡¯t march right into the pce. It caused too much attention. And

    she didn¡¯t want that.

    She circled to the back of the building and found the window to their suite. She waited there for

    about ten to fifteen minutes and the window cracked open. Daran stuck his head out. When he saw

    J, he let out a slight sigh of relief.

    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± he said.

    He carried a coil of rope and climbed out of the window, jumping onto the ground lightly. He moved

    Andre to his back. J helped to tie Andre¡¯s body firmly to his back.

    ¡°You go ahead,¡± she said in a whisper. ¡°I will watch out for you.¡±

    Daran nodded.

    Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and jumped, stepping onto the wall for support and

    grabbing the windowsill.

    He moved so effortlessly and didn¡¯t make a single sound during the whole process. It seemed as

    though he was carrying a feather on his back and not a human being.

    J looked around and made sure that nobody was around. Then she followed Daran¡¯s steps and

    got into the suite herself.

    Andre¡¯s breathing was still light and shallow. There was a deep furrow between his brows even

    when he was asleep, as though he was having a nightmare.

    ¡°Is he going to be alright?¡± J asked worriedly.

    ¡°Yeah. He was just having a light fever. Just move him into the room and give him a wipe down and

    he will be alright.¡±

    J nodded.

    They carried Andre into the bedroom and set him down on the bed.

    J took a hand to unbutton Andre¡¯s shirt.

    Yet Daran grabbed her wrist forcefully.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Giving the boy a wipe down¡­like you said.¡±

    ¡°You seriously think that I will allow you to see and touch another man¡¯s body?¡± he said coldly.

    J withdrew her hands. She was slightly embarrassed.

    ¡°Come on, Daran, don¡¯t be ridiculous. He is just a kid,¡± she muttered.

    ¡°And I am an envious man.¡¯

    He grabbed her chin, his thumb caressing her soft skin, ¡°Don¡¯t give me a chance to be jealous.¡±

    J held her breath.

    They hadn¡¯t been together for so long that sometimes she forgot how possessive i and bossy he

    was

    ¡°Fine. I will leave this to you¡­as long as you don¡¯t mind the work,¡± she pouted.

    Daran gave a gentle nudge on her shoulder, ¡°Go wait in the living room.¡±

    J walked out of the room and slumped down on the couch.

    She was exhausted. Yet her mind was still sharp as ever, thinking about everything that happened

    tonight.

    They brought Andre back, which was not part of their original n, but it worked out just fine. Now

    they had more time to persuade Andre into working with them.

    The only loose end was those guards.

    When they came back and found that Andre was missing, they would definitely tell

    Danton.

    Luckily, none of the guards saw their faces and nobody knew that they were at the masquerade ball

    tonight.

    So Danton wouldn¡¯t suspect them.

    About an hourter, J heard some noisesing from the bedroom.

    She jumped up from the couch and dashed inside.

    Andre was awake.

    He sat on the bed with a haggard and distraught face. Some angry tears were circling in his eyes.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ¡°Why did you fucking take me back!¡± he cried in despair, clenching the bedsheet. ¡°I told you to leave

    me alone! Why can¡¯t you just mind your own fucking business!¡±

    ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± Daran threatened dangerously.

    Andre quivered under his sharp gaze.

    He bit his bottom lip and red at Daran indignantly, ¡°I know what you are up to¡­ You just want to

    be friends because there is something you want from me.¡¯

    ¡°You are not too stupid after all.¡±

    Daran crossed his arms and said in a cold voice, ¡°Look. My patience is limited. So I will just cut right

    into the chase. I know that you hate Danton, and you want to be free of him.¡±

    Andre parted lips as though he was going to say something to refute.

    Yet Daran raised a hand and stopped him before he could say anything.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that loving-father, loving-son bullshit. You can fool the others, but

    not me.¡¯

    Daran said impatiently,

    ¡°You know perfectly well that the two of us are the only people in this city who can challenge Danton

    and Lance. If you want freedom, we are your only chance. So the wise thing for you to do now is to

    make a deal with us, let us help you and we will give you what you want.¡±

    Andrepsed into silence, his body slightly shaking.

    For the first time ever, he didn¡¯t reject the offer immediately.

    He was hesitating.

    J noticed his subtle change of attitude and added, ¡°And nobody is trying to be your friend. We

    can go our separate ways after this one time. We don¡¯t need to see eye to eye on everything.¡±

    Andre held his head down, pondering.

    After a long pause, he breathed out a small sigh, ¡°You didn¡¯t leave me with much choice by bringing

    me back here¡­ Fine. Tell me what you want first.¡±

    ¡°You are the former Rogue King¡¯s son. We want to know how your father died.¡±

    Andre snorted, ¡°So that you can use the same method to kill Lance?¡±

    J didn¡¯t answer his question directly, ¡°As I said, we will go separate ways after this one-time

    deal. You don¡¯t need to know what we are going to do. Now, your turn.¡±

    Andre shrugged.

    ¡°It is pretty obvious, isn¡¯t it? I am done with being Danton¡¯spdog. How can you help me?¡±

    ¡°We can help you escape the city,¡± J said. ¡°And we will assist you to settle down at a ce of

    your choice. As long as it is out of the rogue¡¯s territory, we have that kind of power.¡±

    ¡°No way. This city is my father¡¯s legacy. I am not leaving home.¡±

    J frowned.

    The trickiest part was that they didn¡¯t want Lance to notice that they were approaching Andre right

    now.

    They wanted to go around Lance¡¯s back and give him a fatal strike when the time came, which

    wouldn¡¯t work if Lance was alerted ahead of that time.

    So how to help Andre without causing Lance¡¯s attention?

    That was an issue.

    ¡°See?¡± Andre shrugged. ¡°I told you already. Lance and his minions controlled this city. You can¡¯t

    help me.¡±

    Right at this moment, Daran spoke up in a calm voice, ¡°There is a simple solution to this.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡± Andre challenged.

    ¡°We kill Danton,¡± Daran said.

    ©`©`

    When We

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123

    There was a ringing silence in the room. Both J and Andre were shocked.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Andre gasped, ¡°You can¡¯t kill Danton! Not that I want him alive or anything¡­ You

    just won¡¯t be able to kill him! It is impossible!¡±

    Daran snorted, ¡°Why? Is he immortal like Lance?¡±

    ¡°No. But he is a General, a bit shot in this city! Always surrounded by plenty of guards. Killing him is

    an impossible task.¡±

    ¡°I have killed thousands of rogues. And there are more soldiers on the battlefield than here. So

    nothing is impossible,¡± Daran said with an offhand tone.

    He turned to look at J, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    J slowly shook her head in awe.

    Killing Danton had never crossed her mind.

    Because they were under Lance¡¯s watch. Keeping a low profile had always been their top priority.

    Murdering the Rogue King¡¯s general was definitely high profile.

    Yet¡­on the contrary¡­

    If they could have this thing done quietly, without causing any attention, it certainly worked to their

    advantage.

    Andre would be free from Danton¡¯s torment, permanently.

    Lance would lose a great help.

    And on top of that, she hated that bastard. It would be fucking awesome to cut his throat open.

    Thinking about that, J stretched her mouth into a grin and said briskly, ¡°Yeah, I am on board.

    Let us do this.¡±

    They looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

    ¡°Fuck¡­God. You are crazy. The both of you!¡±

    Andre groaned, pulling his own hair in frustration.

    ¡°If you fail and this thing gets exposed, Danton and the Rogue King will toss me into a fucking oven

    and roast me to death!¡±

    J ignored the freaking-out kid and looked at Daran.

    ¡°But this thing has to go quietly,¡± she said. ¡°We need to find a time when he is al?ne. And it needs to

    be clean so that no trace can lead back to us.¡±

    Daran nodded, ¡°How about we kill him in his sleep?¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡±

    Andre chimed in and said, ¡°He never sleeps alone. Always has a mistress in his bed to keep him

    company. And his guards stayed in the room when he sleeps, keeping a close watch on him.¡±

    J rolled his eyes.

    What a fucking coward.

    This prick looked nothing like a general.

    ¡°It is better if we can make it seem like a suicide instead of murder,¡± Daran

    pondered. ¡°If it is a suicide, Lance won¡¯t look too much into it. Our hands will be cleaned.¡±

    J let out a sarcasticugh, ¡°Danton doesn¡¯t look like a guy with suicidal intent. He is too busy

    making other people want to kill themselves.¡±

    A short silence fell upon them.

    Everyone was working their brain, thinking about how toplete this seemingly impossible task.

    ¡°Actually¡­I have an idea.¡±

    Andre broke the silence and raised his head up to look at J and Daran.

    ¡°There is a perfect time and location for you to do that.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead. We are all ears,¡± J said.

    Andre gulped and said in a slightly shaky voice, ¡°Every spring, Danton would organize hunting in

    the woods. This will be an exclusive event and only a few of his friends will be invited¡­¡±

    J nodded.

    Hunting was amon social event for werewolves.

    Back in Riverside Pack and Blood Moon Pack, they often organized hunting, especially in hunting

    seasons like spring and fall.

    ¡°Sure. We can fake an ident and kill Danton during the hunting. But it is not going to be easy.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    J said with a frown.

    ¡°Danton will be surrounded by more people during an event like that. Plus, the hunting takes ce

    in bright daylight. Bad timing for a clean assassin.¡±

    If they were back in their own packs and they had the man source, J was confident that they

    could fake an ident.

    But here?

    She was not so sure.

    Andre shook his head, ¡°No. You got me wrong. I am not asking you to kill him during the hunting¡­I

    am talking about-afterward.¡±

    He took in a deep breath and a disgusted look appeared on his face, as though some nasty

    memories just came to his mind.

    ¡°The highlight of this event is not hunting itself, but the afterparty,¡± Andre said with a revolted tone.

    ¡°After the daytime hunting, they will camp out in the woods, build tents, and stay the night. Because

    it is so far away from the city, the public¡¯s eyes, will¡­go crazy. A carnival, a fucking boarish and

    goaty one.¡±

    J frowned.

    Her stomach swirled in disgust.

    ¡°How crazy are we talking about here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Very.¡±

    Andre¡¯s jaw tightened.

    ¡°Booze, women, drugs¡­ you name it. Danton would force the nearby peasants and hunters to bring

    their female family members to this party as tributes. Not all girls can survive a horrible incident like

    that¡­Every year when the sun rises up, we end up burying some fresh bodies.¡±

    J clenched her fists with anger boiling inside of her.

    ¡°Does Lance know about this?¡± she hissed.

    ¡°Of course, he knows. What else do you expect?¡± Andre rolled his eyes. ¡°Danton is like his best

    buddy. They do all kinds of nasty things together.¡±

    ¡°Good to know.¡±

    J gritted her teeth, a cold and merciless gleam in her eyes, ¡°I already can¡¯t wait for the day

    when I finally kill them.¡±

    Daran ced a hand on her shoulder, ¡°Soon. You won¡¯t wait for long.¡±

    He turned to look like Andre, ¡°But Lance won¡¯t be at this hunting, right?¡±

    ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t like to be seen with themoners.¡±

    ¡°Good. And during the night, do they get their own tent?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Andre nodded, ¡°It is the one night that he doesn¡¯t ask the guards to stay in his room.¡±

    ¡°Fabulous. And I already have the idea of how to kill him and fake it as a suicide¡­the drug,¡± Daran

    said.

    J¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Right. If we force him to take a lethal amount of drugs, it will kill

    him. And it will seem like a drug misuse, not murder.¡±

    A decent n was graduallying into shape.

    Only one problem was left.

    ¡°Can we sneak into this camp area without alerting the guards?¡± J asked.

    ¡°The outside will be heavily guarded. So you need a clever way in.¡±

    Andre paused. His eyes flickered towards J.

    ¡°You know¡­I was thinking¡­Those civilian daughters. If you can blend into the female tribute¡¯s

    crowd, you will have easy ess to Danton¡¯s tent-¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Daran snapped abruptly.

    Andre was startled. He shut his mouth immediately.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Daran repeated in a stern voice.

    ¡°Why not?¡± J frowned, ¡°It sounds logical to me.¡±

    ¡°Logical my ass! Do you have any idea of what kind of people are going to be there? Drunk, thirsty

    men and they are all high on drugs! Have you considered the risk?!¡±

    J was pissed.

    She raised her volume and snarled back, ¡°I am well aware of the danger! And don¡¯t you forget that I

    am a warrior! I can protect myself! If it is Balvina here tonight, or Maxie, will you stop them from

    doing this?¡±

    Daran clenched his fists in rage.

    If it was Balvina or Maxie, he would not object to this n.

    Because he didn¡¯t give a damn about other women.

    J was the only woman he cared about in this world.

    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me.¡±

    J said in a serious voice, looking at Daran straight in the eyes.

    ¡°It is my battle. And I am going to fight it.¡±

    Daran looked right back at her. Anger flickered across his eyes.

    Yet there was no further objection from him.

    Andre starched his head nervously and asked, ¡°So¡­Have you reached a conclusion?¡±

    J nodded firmly, ¡°On the night of the hunting. We do this.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± Andre let out a sigh of relief, ¡°There is still a week left before the hunting. Enough time for

    us to prep things. Now I better head back¡­before Danton gets suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Take the window,¡± J said. ¡°And have a story ready when Danton asks about what happened

    tonight. We don¡¯t want to alert him.¡¯

    ¡°You bet.¡±

    J went to see Andre off.

    11

    When she returned to the bedroom, she found Daran standing by the window alone with his back

    facing her.

    She could sense his anger.

    She walked up to him and coiled her arms around his waist.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad.¡±

    She leaned her face against his back, whispering, ¡°I just want to be there with you at every fight.¡±

    There was a short moment of silence.

    Then Daran turned around abruptly and backed her against the wall. He caught her lips hungrily.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just be a normal woman for a change?¡±

    He breathed heavily, biting her bottom lip harshly as a punishment.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just let me protect you?!¡±

    J wrapped her arms around his neck. She opened her mouth and weed his tongue in.

    ¡°¡­Because that is what you love about me,¡± she groaned. ¡°We are fighters¡­We are

    perfect for each other¡­¡±

    11.

    They fell to the bed together.

    And immersed themselves in the wild passion.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124

    Andre messaged them about two dayster, saying that he had nned the whole thing out.

    He would help J blend into the crowd of female tributes. And Daran could wait in the forest

    during the day. When night fell, Daran could take the cover night and found a way to sneak into the

    campsite.

    Everything was ready to go.

    On the day of the hunting, J and Daran told the maids that they would go to the market and do

    some shopping and left their suite.

    An hourter, they arrived at the meet-up point, a hidden cave near a creek deep into the forest.

    They waited for Andre to show up.

    Yet half an hour had passed since their appointed time and there was still no sign of Andre.

    Daran¡¯s face was getting darker with the passing of time.

    ¡°This kid is going to bail on us,¡± he said coldly.

    J patted his tensed shoulder, ¡°Have some patience.¡±

    Daran gave her a sullen look, ¡°I never liked this n for a starter. Maybe it is time to take a step

    back and evaluate¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look!¡±

    J interrupted him and pointed to the distance, ¡°He is here.¡±

    Andre appeared from the dense forests across the creek.

    He rushed over, slightly out of breath with hot sweat on his forehead, and said to them in an urgent

    voice, ¡°Sorry, sorry. I got caught up in things¡­¡±

    ¡°You arete,¡± Daran said warningly.

    ¡°I know. Danton was watching me like a fucking hawk. I didn¡¯t find the right time to sneak out,¡±

    Andre mumbled. ¡°And¡­there is a slight change of n.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± J asked.

    Andre gulped. He looked anxious.

    ¡°¡­The King is here,¡± he sighed.

    J widened her eyes,

    shocked.

    ¡°Lance is here?¡± she gasped, ¡°But I thought you said that he doesn¡¯t like to be seen with

    commoners!¡±

    Andre rubbed the back of his neck nervously, ¡°That is normally the case! But I don¡¯t know what

    happened this year! Maybe Danton invited him, or maybe he just wants to have some fun¡­Anyway,

    I saw Danton wee him into the campsite when I snuck out.¡±

    There was a short silence.

    Then Daran grabbed J¡¯s wrist and said with a forceful tone, ¡°Abort the n.¡±

    ¡°Hold on a second-¡±

    ¡°Lance is here. It changes everything!¡± Daran snapped, ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to do this. in the first

    ce. You have to listen to me on this, J. I am your

    ¡°Alpha? Husband? Mate? Daran, you can¡¯t tell us what to do! We went through this. already!¡± J

    said sharply. ¡°I know that I can do this. So stop protecting me like I am a delicate China!¡±

    They red at each other with tension building in the air.

    Andre urged them, ¡°You need to decide now. Those girls are outside of the campsite already. It is

    now or never!¡±

    ¡°We have made the decision already. We are doing this,¡± J said firmly.

    Andre peeked at Daran, who still carried a sullen look on his face but didn¡¯t say another word.

    ¡°OK, then.¡± Andre handed a bag of clothes to J, ¡°Put this on. All girls wear the same outfit

    tonight.¡±

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Jante took over the clothes and went into the cave to get changed.

    There were just Andre and Daran standing outside.

    Andre took a small step back, putting a little more distance between him and Daran. He was clearly

    afraid of Daran.

    Amidst this awkward silence, Daran spoke up darkly, ¡°You better look out for her in the campsite.¡±

    ¡°O-Of course,¡± Andre let out a dry smile. ¡°We are in this together. I know that. I will do my best to

    keep Gamma J safe.¡±

    ¡°You better be.¡±

    Daran walked up to him and looked down at his panic-stricken face with an intimidating gaze.

    ¡°My initial n was to abduct you to the middle of nowhere and torture a fucking answer out of you,¡±

    Daran said coldly. ¡°Those little torments that you got from Danton¡­those are nothingpared to

    what I had in mind.¡±

    ???

    Andre winced.

    He could tell that Daran was speaking the truth.

    ¡°But J is too nice a person to do that. She chose to risk her life for you. So just remember this-if

    you get cold feet down the road or throw her under the bus in the middle of a crisis, I will make your

    life a million times harder than the one you have with Danton right now. Understood?¡±

    Andre¡¯s teeth ttered in fear.

    He couldn¡¯t utter a single word. He could only nod hastily to show that he understood what Daran

    said.

    ¡°Good,¡± Daran said freezingly.

    Just then, J walked out of the cave with a new outfit.

    She was dressed in a cropped top and a fitting skirt, adorned with sequins, beads, or

    coins The clothes were made in a light flimsy texture revealing her gorgeous body

    coins. The clothes were made in a light, flimsy texture, revealing her gorgeous body figure.

    Her hair was braided, with flowers woven into her hair and scattered throughout the braid. A veil

    was wrapped around the lower half of her face, providing a cover.

    Andre was amazed by her look.

    He knew that he shouldn¡¯t be staring-especially with that scary Alpha by his side¨Cbut he just

    couldn¡¯t take his eyes off J.

    This outfit was designed in a very revealing style, aimed to please the viewers. Yet J wore it

    elegantly and there was something very graceful and sacred about her. She looked like a goddess.

    ¡°Are you done staring?¡± Daran hissed coldly.

    Andre was snapped back to reality and quickly moved his eyes away. His heart was still racing.

    Then he stuttered nervously, ¡°T-This outfit will do. But maybe just mess up your hair a bit¡­ You look

    too¡­great. I am afraid that you might be the center of attention and we don¡¯t want that¡­¡±

    J nodded. She took off those flower hairpins and loosened her braid, letting her long hair fall

    naturally down her back.

    She walked up to Daran and put a hand on his cheek, ¡°I am going. See youter tonight.¡±

    Daran held her hand and nted a kiss on her palm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take any risks. Be safe. I will be right outside of the camp near you,¡± he said in a hoarse

    voice.

    After kissing Daran goodbye, J followed Andre and they went into the forest. After about fifteen

    minutes of traveling through the woods, J heard the hound dog howling and some people

    yelling andughing.

    Arge campsite came into her view.

    There was a group of girls waiting outside of the campsite. They huddled together like a herd of

    terrified sheep. Some of the girls still had dry tear stains on their faces. Andre gave a gentle nudge

    on J¡¯s back.

    She hurried over and joined the crowd quietly.

    While waiting in the group, J carefully raised her head up and studied her surroundings.

    This campsite wasrger than she thought. And it was indeed heavily guarded. There was a every

    five meters and several patrol teams walked back and forth outside of the camping area.

    Her heart sunk slightly

    It would be easy for Daran to sneak in here even with the cover of the night.

    But it was Daran.

    She trusted his ability.

    After another thirty minutes of walt, people who went hunting finally returned to the camp.

    J quickly nced up and spotted Danton at the front of the team riding on a horse. And Lance

    was by his side.

    She held her head down low and hid behind the other girl¡¯s back.

    The team came close and stopped in front of them.

    ¡°Those are the tributes for tonight?¡± Danton asked with augh.

    ¡°Yes, father,¡± Andre answered nonchntly,

    ¡°You did a good job. Pick one and have some fun tonight,¡± Danton said with a nasty grin. ¡°My King,

    would you like to select an apany for tonight?¡±

    J held her breath and she heard Lance reply in a casual tone, ¡°You got some nice

    girls here, Danton.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, My King. And they are all virgins, fresh and clean. If any of them serves you well

    tonight, I can send them back to your pce¡­Of course, if that is OK with the Queen.¡±

    ¡°Queen?¡± Lance asked.

    ¡°Yeah. We all know that you found your mate recently.¡±

    Lance sneered, ¡°That despicable woman is not the Queen. And I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s approval to

    have fun.¡±

    Danton let out a boomingugh, ¡°Certainly, certainly.¡±

    Lance got off the horse and walked toward the group of girls, some of whom were now sobbing in

    fear.

    J¡¯s heart jumped up to her throat.

    Lance was going to select an apany among them?

    Fuck. She didn¡¯t know this ahead of time. Andre didn¡¯t tell her!

    If Lance chose her, the whole n would be sabotaged.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s see¡­¡± Lance scanned the crowd with a smile. ¡°Which one of you will be lucky tonight?¡±

    He raised a hand, ready to point at his target.

    J was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t breathe.

    ¡­Would Lance pick her?

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125

    ¡°You.¡±

    Lance¡¯s voice came from above her head.

    J held her head down stiffly. She was afraid that Lance would recognize her if she met his

    eyes.

    ¡°You. Raise your head,¡± Lance demanded.

    From a peripheral look, J saw that he was pointing at her!

    J¡¯s heart sank.

    Did Lance pick her? Among all the girls here¡­He picked her?!

    What were the fucking odds!

    Her stepping up right now meant that she could save an innocent girl from going through the torture,

    which was nice.

    But it also meant that she wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Danton tonight. Hence, everything that they

    nned would go down the drain.

    J¡¯s mind was racing fast.

    What should she do?

    Should she abort the original n?

    Was there a way to get out of this?

    In the slit of a second, she came up with a n.

    ¡°My King¡­I¡­¡±

    She faked a small cough and said in a fake voice, ¡°I caught the cold the other night. I am probably

    not fit to serve you.¡±

    Lance gave her a searching look, ¡°Really? Or is it because you don¡¯t want to keep mepany?¡±

    ¡°No! Of course, I want to. Serving you is the best thing that happens in my life¡­I am just afraid that

    I might give you the cold,¡± she said in an obedient voice.

    Andre had been watching them anxiously. He rushed over and backed her story, ¡°It is true, My King.

    This girl is sick. And that is why she is wearing a veil. So please, pick

    somebody else. There are some other pretty good options here.¡±

    Danton huffed on the back of his horse, ¡°Getting a sick girl here? What were you fucking thinking

    Andre?! Kick her out!¡±

    ¡°Father-¡±

    ¡°No, that is fine. Let her stay,¡±

    Lance raised a hand and stopped their argument. He looked bored.

    ¡°Just send a couple of healthy girls to my tent tonight. I trust you with your taste, Andre.¡±

    Andre bowed to him humbly. Lance walked back to his horse.

    J let out a small sigh of relief.

    J let out a small sigh of relief.

    Looked like she had dodged the bullet.

    The camp¡¯s gate opened up and weed Lance and Danton in. Guards came to chase the girls

    into the camp, like driving a flock of sheep corral.

    Andre was in charge of assigning the girls to each tent. He quickly gave his orders and then took

    J by the wrist and pulled her out of the crowd.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± he whispered. ¡°I will lead you to Danton¡¯s tent.¡±

    J followed him behind the back. She heard some girls bursting into tears as they walked away,

    which made her heartache.

    ¡°What will happen to those girls?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Something shitty¡­ But it is not our problem.¡±

    J grabbed his shoulder forcefully and hissed, ¡°It IS my problem. You fucking listen to me. I am

    saving those girls!¡±

    Andre¡¯s jaw tightened, ¡°How! Our own fucking asses are in danger right now. Stop being a fucking

    saint!¡±

    ¡°After I kill Danton and they discover the body, there will be a moment of chaos in the campsite. You

    find a chance to open the gate for those poor girls and let them escape.¡±

    Andre stared at her stiffly. He looked reluctant.

    J tightened her grip on his shoulder, ¡°Did you fucking hear me?!¡±

    Andre winced in pain, ¡°¡­Yes! Yes, I hear you. I will do as you said, OK? As long as we survive the

    night.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± J let go of his shoulder.

    Andre brought her to arge tent in the middle of the campsite.

    There was nobody inside when they walked in.

    ¡°OK. You wait in here.¡± Andre said to J, wiping his damp forehead. ¡°They will probably send

    another girl in hereter¡­Danton and Lance are having dinner. I will bring Danton backter tonight

    and then you can do your job¡­¡±

    J stared at him, ¡°You are nervous as hell.¡±

    ¡°A-Am I? I didn¡¯t notice¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. You look like shit,¡± J pointed out sharply. ¡°Sweating a lot and your eyes are not in focus.

    You better keep yourself together or Danton will notice something wrong right away.¡±

    Andre clenched his fists, his body shaking violently in a mixture of fear and anger.

    ¡°How can I not be freaking out!¡± he growled lowly, ¡°We are fucking talking about murdering Danton,

    the General! Right under the King¡¯s nose! Oh fuck¡­this is probably a horrible idea. Maybe¡­Maybe

    we should give up on the n¡­¡±

    SLAP!

    J pped him hard across the face without any mercy.

    ¡°Better?¡± she asked coldlv.

    Andre gulped. He touched his burning cheek and sighed, ¡°¡­Yeah. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Remember all the humiliation and insults that he gave you. Tonight is a big night. You are avenging

    yourself.¡±

    Andre bit his lip and nodded, ¡°Right.¡±

    He turned away and walked out of the tent. This time his steps became steadier.

    After he left, J found herself in a corner and sat down.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    She wasn¡¯t too nervous about killing Danton.

    She knew that Danton wasn¡¯t a great warrior and he probably became the general simply because

    he was friends with the King.

    Sticking a knife into his throat would not be too hard.

    She just needed Lance to stay out of her way tonight.

    There was no clock in the tent, so she had no sense of time. After what felt like an hour, she heard

    scolding and crying from the outside.

    A girl was tossed inside by the guards.

    This girl¡¯s hands were tied behind her back, and she was sobbing in a low voice.

    ¡°P-Please¡­¡± she tried to beg those guards. ¡°Please let me go¡­I have a fianc¨¦! I didn¡¯t want to do

    this¡­I am begging you¡­¡±

    The guard kicked her to the ground and snapped, ¡°You will be serving the general! It

    is a great honor! A chance that most girls don¡¯t get in a lifetime! Be grateful you fucking bitch.¡±

    He ignored the moaning girl and left the tent.

    The girl bent down and buried her face between her knees, weeping desperately.

    J looked at her. Anger red in her chest.

    There were many innocent girls like this each year.

    Those bastards were going to pay for this.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    J came near the girl and whispered to her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You are going to be alright.¡±

    ¡°No-No!¡± the girl cried in a choked-up voice. ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t understand. Each year they ask for

    new girls¡­ Each year! And it is my turn this year¡­I know¡­I know I won¡¯t make it¡­¡±

    J reached into her bra and pulled out a small de with the size of her thumb.

    She started cutting the rope that tied the girl¡¯s hands together.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± the girl asked in shock.

    ¡°Shush.¡±

    J kept working the rope until there was only one single fiber left. The girl could easily break free

    with her bare hands.

    ¡°Now listen,¡± J whispered into the girl¡¯s ear. ¡°I have cut your loose. When

    J came near the girl and whispered to her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You are going to be alright.¡±

    ¡°No-No!¡± the girl cried in a choked-up voice. ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t understand. Each year they ask for

    new girls¡­Each year! And it is my turn this year¡­I know¡­ I know I won¡¯t make it¡­¡±

    J reached into her bra and pulled out a small de with the size of her thumb.

    She started cutting the rope that tied the girl¡¯s hands together.

    ¡­ What are you doing?¡± the girl asked in shock.

    ¡°Shush.¡±

    J kept working the rope until there was only one single fiber left. The girl could easily break free

    with her bare hands.

    ¡°Now listen,¡± J whispered into the girl¡¯s ear. ¡°I have cut your loose. When Danton came in

    later¡­If he tries to force himself upon you, break it loose and run. But don¡¯t do it now! Wait for the

    right time.¡±

    The girl looked at her in awe, ¡°T-Thank you¡­But what about you?¡±

    ¡°I will be fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    She wanted to say a few moreforting words to the girl. Yet right at this moment, they heard

    heavy footsteps from outside.

    The girl¡¯s face turned pale instantly.

    The tent¡¯s door flew open the next second and Danton and Andre walked in.

    Danton looked pretty wasted. He couldn¡¯t even walk in a straight line. He leaned on Andre¡¯s

    shoulder for support and then shoved Andre aside once he sat down.

    ¡°You!¡±

    He gave an enormous hup and beckoned to the girls with a nasty grin, ¡°Come over here!¡±

    J narrowed her eyes.

    Danton leaned back, spreading his legs apart, and patted his thigh, ¡°Move your ass! Come and sit

    on myp. Let us have some fun!¡±

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126

    J took a look at the girl.

    She was too scared to move an inch.

    Seeing this, J slowly rose from the ground and walked up to Danton.

    ¡°General, would you like some wine first?¡± she asked with a smile.

    Danton stared at her with a lewd gaze, ¡°I have had plenty of wine already¡­But sure. I will have

    some more.¡±

    J nced at Andre, who quickly brought over a bottle of wine and two sses.

    J opened the bottle of wine and filled the ss.

    She was dragging the time on purpose.

    It was not toote into the night yet. If she killed Danton now, there might be noises and the guards

    outside might be alerted.

    She needed to wait until everyone got hammered and immersed themselves in the party.

    ¡°For you, General Danton.¡± she handed Danton one of the sses with a smile. ¡°It is my pleasure to

    be here tonight.¡±

    Dantonughed, ¡°You! I like you. You know what you are doing. You are respectful and docile. I like

    that in a woman.¡±

    He grabbed J¡¯s arm and pulled her close, forcing her to sit down closely by his side.

    ¡°Have you had a taste of man yet?¡± he asked her, grinning. His breath smelt like rotten fish.

    J held her breath in fume. She could feel his hand traveling down her back, groping her butt,

    and it made her stomach swirl in disgust.

    She would fucking chop that hand offter. She swore.

    ¡°No general, you are my first.¡± she smiled. ¡°So please¡­take things gentle and slow. I don¡¯t think I

    am ready yet.¡±

    Danton¡¯s breathing became rough. He buried his head in the hollow of her neck and took a deep

    breath of her scent, ¡°Well¡­my pretty thing. I don¡¯t normally have much patience with women. But

    for you, I can cut you some cks. And I guarantee you¡­after this one night¡­you will never forget

    me. I am that good.¡±

    He beamed jauntily.

    J rolled her eyes internally.

    But the good thing was that this pig was now too drunk to recognize her.

    Danton leaned back on the couch and kicked his legs, ¡°Where is my footstool?¡±

    Footstool?

    J looked around the room.

    She didn¡¯t see a footstool here.

    ¡°Right here father ¡°Andre replied in a low voice

    ¡°Right here¡­father,¡± Andre replied in a low voice.

    He walked over and knelt on the ground.

    Under J¡¯s astonished gaze, he got on his fours and offered his back for Danton to

    rest his feet on.

    J couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.

    She knew that Andre had a rough time around Danton¡­ Yet the kind of humiliation exceeded her

    imagination.

    Danton stretched his body a bit and kicked on Andre¡¯s body, ¡°Lower.¡±

    Andre lowered his body in silence.

    J looked at him. The kid had closed his eyes, his eyshes fluttering, and there was a deeply

    humiliated look on his face.

    ¡°Do you know who that is?¡± Danton pointed at Andre and asked J.

    ¡°¡­No sir. Your servant?¡±

    Danton giggled, ¡°Yeah, you can say that. And most importantly, the former King¡¯s son! Can you

    believe it? The former King¡¯s son as my fucking human footstool! If you stay with me, my pretty little

    thing, I will lend you my footstool once in a while. Pretty awesome, huh?¡±

    Andre¡¯s body trembled as though he couldn¡¯t bear the shame.

    ¡°Steady! You fucking idiot!¡± Danton snarled.

    Andre held his head down and steadied his body in silence.

    Danton spat at him, ¡°Useless piece of shit¡­Hey you!¡±

    He beckoned the girl at the corner.

    ¡°What are you fucking doing there? Come and join the party!¡±

    The girl quivered, moving away from Danton on her butt.

    ¡°No¡­no¡­¡± she cried in fear. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    ¡°Fucking whore!¡±

    Danton spat and gave a shove at J¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You go and drag her here!¡±

    J stood up and walked to the girl. When she passed by the door, she strained her ears and

    listened to the outside noise.

    Those yelling andughing had quieted down. It sounded like people had all gone back to their

    tents to have fun.

    It was high time she made a move.

    Having made up her mind, J went up to the girl and crouched down until she met with her eye

    level.

    ¡°Hey, what is your name?¡± she asked the girl in a soft voice.

    ¡°D-Dora.¡±

    ¡°OK. Dora. Come and serve the general. You don¡¯t want him to lose his temper,¡± she said with a

    smile.

    Dora stared at her with teary eyes, looking reluctant.

    J leaned close to Dora¡¯s ears and whispered in a voice only audible to the two of them, ¡°¡­

    Remember what I said to you earlier. Be brave.¡±

    Dora held her breath. Hope ignited in her eyes.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    J held her shoulder and helped her to stand up. This time Dora didn¡¯t resist. She let J take

    her to Danton.

    ¡°¡­G¨CGeneral,¡± Dora uttered nervously.

    Danton huffed a sound, ¡°What is that face for? Why? You don¡¯t want to be here?¡±

    ¡°General, I-I have a fianc¨¦¡­I am engaged¡­¡±

    ¡°Fuck your fianc¨¦!¡± Danton snarled, ¡°You have a chance to spend the night with the General! You

    will be aplete idiot not to take that chance!¡±

    He leaned forward, grabbed Dora by her arm, and forced her to kneel down.

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± he kicked at Andre, who immediately staggered away.

    Danton separated his legs and pulled Dora close, pressing her head to his crouch.

    ¡°Let me see a little effort,¡± he snorts.

    Dora struggled with tears streaming down her cheeks. Yet her little resistance only further infuriated

    Danton.

    ¡°You whore¡­¡± he breathed heavily, taking one hand to unbuckle his pants. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to

    suck a man¡¯s dick?¡±

    He gave a hard p across Dora¡¯s face.

    Dora was pushed to her limit. With a sharp cry, she broke free from the ropes that tied her hands

    and gave a harsh punch to Danton¡¯s stomach.

    Danton was caught off guard. He bent down covering his stomach in pain and roared, ¡°Fuck! Who

    the fuck untied your hands! Fuck!¡±

    He jumped at Dora furiously, raising a fist up high in the air, and was ready to swing a punch at

    Dora¡¯s face.

    Dora covered her head with both of her hands, screaming in horror.

    Danton had his whole mind focused on Dora and he didn¡¯t notice what was

    happening behind his back.

    A cold de was pressed against his throat the next second.

    Danton froze.

    His mind was nk for a second. A chill was sent down his body.

    Then he heard a freezing cold voiceing from his back, ¡°Let the girl leave.¡±

    Danton gritted his teeth and slowly averted his head. He looked at J, who was holding a sharp

    de against his neck.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± he gritted.

    J snorted and pulled down the veil, showing her face.

    ¡°It is good to see you, General Danton,¡± she said with an icy smile.

    Danton took a sharp inhale of breath, his body trembling.

    ¡°Guards!¡± he suddenly started to roar, ¡°Guards! There is an enemy here-¡±

    Yet he didn¡¯t get to finish.

    J shoved her de into his open mouth and cut his tongue off in one quick

    move.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127

    Blood gushed out from Danton¡¯s mouth and spilled everywhere.

    Dora screamed and backed away from this horrible scene.

    She saw something dropped to the ground.

    It took her a second to realize that it was half of Danton¡¯s tongue.

    Danton¡¯s knees sunk to the floor. He covered his bleeding mouth with both of his hands and made a

    muffled cry.

    J grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up.

    ¡°It fucking hurts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± she asked with a freezing smile on her lips, ¡°But have you ever

    considered how painful your victims were?¡±

    Danton red at her, his eyes bloodshot.

    J let out a low chuckle, ¡°Oh I forgot. You lost your tongue. You can¡¯t talk.¡±

    Danton struggled. A hoarse groan came from his throat.

    Although it didn¡¯t sound like a human¡¯s voice anymore, J still recognized that he was calling

    Andre¡¯s name.

    J snorted and looked to her side, ¡°Andre, he is calling for you.¡±

    Andre walked over slowly.

    His face was pale. When he saw Danton¡¯s face covered in blood, his breathing quickened.

    Danton reached out a hand to him, mumbling out a few words with his injured mouth, ¡°¡­H¡­

    Help¡­¡±

    Andre grabbed his hand and looked down at him, ¡°You want me to help you, father?¡±

    Danton nodded eagerly.

    A cold gleam appeared in Andre¡¯s eyes.

    He tightened his grip on Danton¡¯s hand.

    Then with one hard twist, he snapped Danton¡¯s arm right off making a crisp sound!

    Danton howled in pain and was crushed to the ground.

    11

    ¡®Are you seriously asking for my help?! After everything that you have done to me?¡± he hissed, his

    face full of hatred. ¡°How many times have I begged you to let me go? Huh? Have you answered my

    pleading for one fucking time? Now this is my revenge! MY FUCKING REVENGE!¡±

    Danton¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly in shock and rage.

    He red at Andre as though it was the first time that he realized that his son was not all as docile

    and obedient as he thought.

    But that realization came in a little toote.

    ¡°Watch out, Andre!¡± J cried abruptly.

    Danton caught Andre¡¯s throat with his intact hand and tackled Andre to the ground. He was like one

    cornered beast, in pain but fiercer than ever.

    Andre was shoved to the ground. Danton jumped onto him and buried his face to Andre¡¯s throat.

    His wolf fangs stuck out. He was going to rip Andre¡¯s throat apart!

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    At that split of a second, J pounced on Danton¡¯s back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

    She tightened her arms with her whole night.

    Danton was forced to throw his head to the back, his eyes gazing into the air, his face red in the

    lack of air.

    It was a tough fight. J didn¡¯t have her wolf to help her. So she was basicallypeting against

    a full-grown man in her human form, which was tough.

    She could feel Danton¡¯s muscle bulge. He was trying everything he could to escape this death trap.

    She couldn¡¯t fully suffocate him, and it was getting harder and harder for her to keep him in her

    arms-

    BANG!

    A wine bottle was crushed on Danton¡¯s head.

    Danton¡¯s eyes were rolled to the back. He crushed to the ground and passed out.

    J sank to the floor, panting roughly. She looked up and found that it was Dora who hit Danton

    with that bottle.

    ¡°Good job,¡± sheplimented.

    Dora replied with a sheepish smile.

    Andre shoved Danton¡¯s heavy body to the side and crawled up. He hurried to the corner and pulled

    out a box from underneath the tablecloth.

    It was a box full of drugs.

    Andre took out an injector and measured the amount, ¡°OK. I am going to give him 15

    grams of this, which is the lethal dose for a man of his size.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it is enough to kill him?¡± J asked. ¡°We don¡¯t want him to waketer and use us

    of murdering.¡±

    up

    ¡°Positive.¡±

    Andre rolled up Danton¡¯s sleeve. Yet before he sunk the needle underneath Danton¡¯s skin, he took

    one quick nce at Dora.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± J asked.

    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Andre said sullenly. ¡°She is not part of the n. Yet now

    A deadly silence fell upon them, with Andre and Dora staring at each other.

    Andre looked away first.

    He picked up the injector again and slowly injected the drugs into Danton¡¯s veins.

    There was a short pause.

    Danton took a sharp inhale and snapped his eyes open abruptly. His body started to squirm. His

    eyes bulging. He was foaming at the mouth.

    J watched his reaction closely, ¡°How long will this process take?¡±

    ¡°Normally about one or two minutes. Then he will be dead as hell,¡± Andre checked his watch.

    J nodded.

    Yet just then, they heard footstepsing from outside and it was quickly approaching their tent!

    The three of them exchanged a panicked look.

    Who wasing over at this hour?

    J quickly grabbed a pillow and muffled Danton¡¯s face with it, in case he made any sound.

    Right at this moment, she heard a familiar voice across the door, ¡°Danton, are you asleep yet?¡±

    It was Lance!

    Fuck!

    Andre¡¯s face turned pale instantly. He looked at J and mouthed her: What should we do?

    J shook her head, gesturing him to hold still.

    ¡°Danton?¡± Lance asked again, ¡°Are you in there? Mind if Ie in?¡±

    J gave a small nod at Andre and Andre answered hastily, ¡°M-My King, father was exhausted

    and had turned in already. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°At this hour?¡± Lance sounded suspicious.

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­He was worn out by the girls.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. Don¡¯t fucking fool me, Andre.¡± Lance chuckled, ¡°I aming in.¡±

    A deathly panic seized their hearts.

    ¡­What the fuck should they do now?!

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128

    Andre rushed to hold the door still.

    Lance pushed it open slightly. Yet Andre shoved it right back.

    ¡°Andre?¡± Lance¡¯s voice turned dark, ¡°What the hell is going on here? Why don¡¯t you want me to go

    in?¡±

    There was cold sweat on Andre¡¯s forehead. He was so nervous that he started to stutter, ¡°F-Father

    took his clothes off already¡­He is not decent to meet you, My King.¡±

    ¡°Your father and I go way back. I can handle a little indecency.¡±

    Lance pushed the door one more time.

    ¡°Let me in, Andre,¡± he said with a warning tone. ¡°Or I am breaking the door down.¡±

    What to do?

    J¡¯s mind was racing. Her heart was thumping against her chest.

    She could probably get out through the window before Lance walked in. She could save herself.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Yet Andre and Dora were still here. And Lance would find out that Danton was murdered, which

    contradicted to their whole n.

    Most importantly, she couldn¡¯t abandon Andre and Dora.

    But were there any other options?

    Her time was running out.

    Right at this crucial moment-when J thought that Lance was about to break in and see

    everything-another series of urgent footsteps came from the outside.

    ¡°My King!¡± a guard cried in an urgent voice, ¡°There is fire on the North side of the campsite!¡±

    ¡°What? What happened?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. But a few people said that they saw someone setting the fire. It was arson!¡±

    ¡°Yes! Right over here!¡±

    Lance¡¯s voice became ¡°Under,

    my fucking nose? Show me the way!¡±

    Before Lance left with the guards, he said onest sentence to Andre through the door, ¡°Get your

    father up. And tell him to meet me at the fire!¡±

    The three of them waited for their footsteps to disappear into the distance before letting out a long

    breath that they had been holding.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡±

    Andre wiped his forehead, relieved, ¡°That was fucking close¡­That fire really saved

    our ass.¡±

    It really had.

    But was that fire purely a coincidence?

    It really had.

    But was that fire purely a coincidence?

    J didn¡¯t think so.

    It seemed a little too convenient.

    Just then, a gentle knock came from the door. And before Andre could rush to hold the door again,

    the door swung open, and a figure dashed into the room.

    It was Daran.

    ¡°Daran!¡± J gasped, running to hug him.

    Daran took her in his arms and kissed her on the forehead, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    J nodded. There was a strange smell on his coat, like gasoline, ash, and pine woods.

    ¡°You set the fire?¡± she asked in amazement.

    ¡°Yes. I did it to attract the guard¡¯s attention and create an opening so that I could sneak in.¡±

    J smiled in relief, ¡°It also happened to save us in the middle of a crisis.¡±

    Daran walked to Danton¡¯s side and removed the pillow from his face.

    He tested Danton¡¯s breath.

    It had stopped.

    Danton was dead.

    ¡°Well done,¡± Daran said in a deep voice.

    J lifted her lips and looked at Andre, ¡°Congrattions. You have avenged yourself.¡±

    She then looked to V

    ¡°And you

    too.¡±

    Andre fixated his eyes on Danton¡¯s dead body. Momentster, tears welled up

    eyes.

    Yet J knew tha

    those are not sad tears, but tears of joy. ¡°Y-Yes¡­I have avenged myself.¡± Andre choked, ¡°Thank

    you¡­¡±

    He wiped his eyes and looked at J and Daran.

    ¡°You should probably go now.

    loose. Now is the perfect time to escape,¡± he said.

    time tryone will be busy saving the fire. The security is

    Yet Daran remained firmly on his spot.

    ¡°We did our part,¡± he said deeply. ¡°Now I am cashing out the promise you made to us.¡±

    Andre frowned, looking slightly astounded, ¡°Now? Do you want to talk now? There are Lance¡¯s men

    everywhere and soon enough they will find out that Danton is dead! Just go.

    We will find another time-¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Daran

    firmly, ¡°We talk now.¡±

    J stood by Daran¡¯s side.

    Andre frowned, looking slightly astounded, ¡°Now? Do you want to talk now? There are Lance¡¯s men

    everywhere and soon enough they will find out that Danton is dead! Just go. We will find another

    time-

    ¡°No.¡± Daran said firmly, ¡°We talk now.¡±

    J stood by Daran¡¯s side.

    She agreed with Daran on this.

    Too many things could happen after tonight and the situation might change again.

    They worked too hard for this answer. They couldn¡¯t wait a single secondter.

    Now was the time.

    She looked at Dora and said, ¡°It is time for you to leave. Take the cover of the night and run. Be

    careful.¡±

    Dora nodded.

    She gave J onest grateful look and walked out of the tent hastily.

    It was just J, Daran, and Andre left in the room now.

    ¡°Now. You can talk,¡± J said.

    Andre scratched his head in frustration and said, ¡°You maniacs are really not fucking afraid of death.

    Fine. I will tell you. You want to know how my father died and use it against Lance, correct?¡±

    ¡°What can you tell us?¡± J asked.

    ¡°As you have seen, the Rogue King is protected by a strong power. He is unbeatable and immortal

    as long as he remains in thend dominated by the rogues.¡±

    J was intrigued by the premise of that statement, ¡°¡®As long as he remains in thend dominated

    by the rogues?¡¯ Then what if the King leaves the rogue¡¯s territory? Is he no longer protected by that

    power?¡±

    Andre nodded, ¡°You are pretty damn smart. Yeah, that is what I am getting at. Thend dominated

    by the rogues is the key. To kill the King, there are two ways. One, you kill all the rogues in the

    Grace Ruin. With all the subjects gone, the King loses his

    power. Or, alternatively-¡±

    ¡°We lure him out of hisnd and kill him there,¡± Daran said.

    ¡°Yes. Those are your options.¡±

    J bit her lip.

    Now they knew the answer. But none of the ways seemed easy.

    Kill all the rogues in the Grace Ruin?

    But there were so many of them. And she really didn¡¯t think that all the rogues deserved to die.

    Many of the rogues

    rogues were expelled and those were all innocent people.

    Not to mention that many of her friends were rogues! Kass, Morgana, and Andre¡­

    She couldn¡¯t do it.

    Yet luring Lance out of hisnd? That would be even harder.

    Not to mention that many of her friends were rogues! Kass, Morgana, and Andre¡­

    She couldn¡¯t do it

    Yet luring Lance out of hisnd? That would be even harder.

    Lance knew his weakness. He would stay in this city forever if he could, to stay away from any

    potential danger.

    So¡­Which path should they go down?

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129

    ¡°If it is absolutely impossible to get Lance out of the city, I don¡¯t mind going for the first option,¡±

    Daran said icily.

    J gave him a look of astonishment.

    That was a hard decision to make. And few people were tough enough to make that decision this

    quick.

    ¡°You are crazy,¡± Andre snapped in fume. ¡°Do you know how many people are there in the city of

    Grace Ruin? And you are going to kill them all?¡±

    ¡°If that is what it takes to kill Lance, then yes,¡± Daran answered ruthlessly.

    ¡°Including me? Your friend? And all those women and children?!¡±

    A cold gleam appeared in Daran¡¯s eyes, ¡°We had already agreed that we would

    go separate ways after this one-time cooperation. We are no friends, Andre. If you are so afraid of

    dying, switching sides and abandoning your rogue identity is always an option.¡±

    Andre clenched his fists, looking as though he wanted to throw a punch at Daran¡¯s face.

    J quickly stepped in between them to stop the fight, ¡°Calm down, the both of you. We are not

    making this decision right now. Andre, tell us how your father died. Did someone kill him outside of

    the rogue¡¯s territory?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­that is right.¡±

    Andre lowered his voice, a sad look on his face.

    ¡°My father didn¡¯t quite understand the rules of this power when he was the King. He knew that a

    sacred power was protecting him from being hurt by the others, but he didn¡¯t know that the charm

    would be busted once he was out of ournd¡­One time he went hunting and went beyond the

    borderline, and he was ambushed by an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t the person who killed your father be King?¡± J asked.

    ¡°The Rogues doesn¡¯t have a clear line of session. If the former King dies, the next King won¡¯t

    appear until all the rogues pledge their loyalty to the same person. After my father passed away,

    there was a long time of turbulence¡­..And then Lance showed

    up.¡±

    ¡°He united all the tribes,¡± Daran said.

    ¡°Yeah, with dirty tricks and sow discord,¡± Andre snorted in disgust. ¡°And he chased me down and

    tortured me..,until I told him the rules of this sacred power. And now I am handing this key to you.¡±

    He raised his head and looked at Daran and J with a pleading face.

    ¡°I know that we are on different sides, and you need to do what is necessary¡­but just remember

    this-not all rogues are bad. My father never invaded yournd once. Lance is the source of all

    evilness¡­Don¡¯t go for the rest of us. Don¡¯t make me regret giving you this key.¡±

    Daran looked back at him, deadpan.

    Daran looked back at him, deadpan.

    ¡°We need to go,¡± he said eventually.

    He didn¡¯t give Andre a clear answer of what they were going to do.

    When the two of them left the tent, they saw guards running around, busy to save the fire, and

    panicked girls fleeing the campsite in the middle of the chaos.

    In the distance, a soaring fire lit up the night sky.

    J gazed at the fire with a sweet sense of triumph at heart.

    They sessfully burned this hell hole to ashes.

    Now that Danton died¡­Lance was next up on the list.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Daran whispered to her ears.

    J nodded. They held hands and ran into the woods.

    The fire went so high that they could still see that part of the sky being lit up when they were back to

    Lance¡¯s pce.

    People back at the pce had all heard about the fire. Panic was spreading. Guards left their spots

    and went up to the rampart to get a better view of the fire.

    Nobody noticed that J and Daran were gone for half of a night and had juste

    back.

    Once they were in the suite, J took off her clothes and threw them into the firece, destroying

    all the evidence.

    Daran went to pour her a ss of wine.

    ¡°Cheers.¡± he raised the ss, ¡°I think we deserve a little celebration for tonight.¡±

    J smiled and clinked her ss with his.

    ¡°So what is your decision?¡± she asked lowly after a a sip.

    Daran sighed. He ced his ss on

    the table and leaned forward to hug her, ¡°Do

    we really have to talk about that right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­I want to know what you think.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t like my answer,¡± he said

    Jpsed into silence.

    She knew Daran.

    He was a decisive and ruthless person, an Alpha, always willing to make the hard. decisions.

    s person, an

    And frankly speaking, destroying the Grace Ruin was easierpared to luring Lance out of the

    city.

    They could now summon their forces, start an attack, take down the city, and. ughter any rogues

    who decided to stick with Lance.

    Most rogues were not as trained as their soldiers. So this battle wouldn¡¯t be a hard

    one.

    But¡­she was reluctant.

    She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about all those people whom she had be acquainted with since she

    got here, people who had helped her, like Morgana, Andre, or even that girl Dora tonight.

    Many of them didn¡¯t choose to be rogues.

    And they certainly didn¡¯t deserve to be buried with Lance.

    ¡°Remember the time that I was kidnapped by the rogues and left in the woods. alone?¡± she asked

    Daran.

    Daran¡¯s jaw tightened. That was his darkest memory, something that he would.

    never want to revisit.

    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± he asked lowly.

    ¡°If my brother didn¡¯t arrive just in time to bring me back to Blood Moon Pack, I might be a

    rogue myself. If that happens, will you kill me along with the others?¡±

    Daran tightened his grip on J¡¯s hand. He looked frustrated.

    ¡°No! I won¡¯t allow that to happen!¡± he growled darkly.

    ¡°I know. But hypothetically¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a horrible hypothesis.¡± He pulled her into his arms and pressed her head firmly

    against his chest, ¡°Just¡­don¡¯t.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine that. It hurt too much.

    He lowered his head and buried his nose into her hair. He could smell her scent, which calmed the

    beast inside of his chest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t do anything to upset you, J,¡± he said.

    ¡°Really?¡± J beamed. ¡°Even if it means that you will have to choose the more difficult path?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even so.¡±

    He gently stroked her long hair, immersing himself in her enticing scent.

    ¡°You are always my top priority¡­no matter what happens, despite all

    circumstances.¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    J¡¯s heart swelled. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tighter.

    He was a cold and ruthless Alpha.

    But the ruthless Alpha was willing to turn soft for her.

    They could hear urgent footsteps and people crying and shouting all night.

    At around dawn, someone came to knock on their doors.

    J was woken by that noise.

    She slowly opened her eyes, letting out a small yawn. Daran was already awake. He was lying on

    his side with his head propped up on one hand, and he was coiling a lock of her hair around his

    long index finger.

    ¡°Do you want to get the door?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just ignore them,¡± he said idly.

    ¡°They might break in here if we don¡¯t answer.¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    J chuckled and gave him a gentle nudge, ¡°Go.¡±

    Daran raised an eyebrow and got out of bed as she told. J wrapped a nightrobe around her

    body and followed him out.

    The door opened up. A great group of soldiers stood outside.

    ¡°Alpha Daran, the King would like you toe to the Counseling Hall immediately,¡± one of the

    soldiers said. ¡°General Danton diedst night.¡±

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130

    Chapter 130.

    Daran kept his hands in his pocket, looking indifferent.

    ¡°Danton was dead?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha Daran. It happenedst night.¡±

    ¡°And that is the reason that you came banging at my door this early in the morning?¡± Daran said

    coldly, ¡°I am not interested. Go tell your King to leave us out of it.¡±

    He moved to shut the door.

    ¡°A-Alpha Daran! Wait!¡± the soldier gasped, putting a hand on the doorframe to stop the door from

    closing up. ¡°The King demanded your presence at the Counseling

    Hall. He said that it was urgent¡­¡±

    ¡°Demanded?¡±

    Daran chuckled darkly, ¡°Who gives him the right to demand me to do anything?¡±

    The soldier gulped nervously, too scared to look at Daran in the eyes.

    When the King ordered to bring Daran to the Counseling Hall, none of the soldiers was willing to

    take up this difficult job.

    If Daran refused to go with them, or if he was mad and decided to give them a hard time, there was

    absolutely nothing they could do about it.

    Yet they couldn¡¯t obey the King¡¯s order.

    The soldier froze on his spot and hesitated.

    The clicks of high heels on the hardwood floor came from their backs, breaking this awkward

    silence. Everyone looked around and found Morgana making her way down. the hallway towards

    them.

    ¡°Lady Morgana!¡± the soldier gasped in joy.

    He finally saw a savior who could rescue them from this predicament.

    Morgana walked over and said to them with a polite smile, ¡°The King is inviting the both of you to

    the Counseling Hall.¡±

    Daran crossed arms in front of his chest, ¡°We are not going. Because it is none of our fucking

    business.¡±

    ¡°Ohe on. Aren¡¯t you interested in who killed that cocky prick Danton?¡± Morgana gave him a

    searching look, ¡°Or¡­do you know the murderer already?¡±

    Daran¡¯s face showed no sign of panic or nervousness, ¡°How would I know? I am just not

    interested.¡±

    ¡°Well, just stop by and enjoy the drama then. It would be fun watching people point fingers at each

    other.¡± Morgana shrugged, ¡°Do you want me to beg you? Does saying ¡®please¡¯ help in this

    scenario?¡±

    Daran frowned, looking impatient.

    J stuck her head out and replied with a smile, ¡°Fine, we will go. But give us a moment to get

    changed.¡±

    She dragged Daran back into the room and closed the door.

    She dragged Daran back into the room and closed the door.

    ¡°Do you really want to go?¡± Daran asked J as she went into the room to freshen up. ¡°It might

    get ugly.¡±

    ¡°Sure, why not? Like Morgana said, it will be fun to watch the dog fight.¡±

    J put her hair up into a high ponytail and grabbed a hoodie out of the closet and pulled it over

    her head.

    ¡°Plus, if Lance is really growing suspicious of us, I want to be the first to know,¡± she said.

    When they finished changing and walked out of the door, all the soldiers were gone. It was just

    Morgana standing in the hallway, waiting for them.

    ¡°Where are those daunting soldiers?¡± J asked with a slightly sarcastic tone.

    ¡°I sent them away. It is a bit melodramatic to have arge crowd of soldiers escorting you two to the

    Counseling Hall¡­This way please.¡±

    Morgana led the way and apanied them into the elevator.

    She pressed the button and waited for the elevator door to close up before asking them in a low

    voice:

    ¡°Where are youst night?¡±

    ¡°In our room. Sleeping. Why?¡± J asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°No reason¡­Just checking in,¡± Morgana chuckled. ¡°I simply thought that we could use a little

    sincerity if we were to form a coborative rtionship. So J, really, where were youst

    night?¡±

    J didn¡¯t answer that question right away. Instead, she asked, ¡°If Lance uses us of murdering

    Dantonter, will you take our side and defend us? Are you willing to challenge your King?¡±

    Morgana narrowed her eyes, ¡°At least up until now, I am still the King¡¯s Cab Minister.¡±

    J replied with a calm smile, ¡°Well in that case, to answer your earlier question, we were indeed

    sleeping in our roomst night.¡±

    She knew that Morgana was testing the water here.

    She was not ready to trust Morganapletely just yet.

    Yes, Morgana told them that Andre was the former Rogue King¡¯s son and she helped them into the

    masquerade ball, but that was still not enough.

    For what was worth, Morgana could be acting on Lance¡¯s order the whole time.

    ¡°What will it take for you to trust me, J?¡± Morgana asked coolly, ¡°I already told you that I am

    willing to help.¡±

    ¡°Maybe saying is not enough. You should do something to prove that,¡± J said.

    Just then, the elevator stopped.

    The door opened up to the Rogue¡¯s Counseling Hall.

    This hall looked grand and spacious. Vaulted ceilings soared high above, adorned with gilded

    embellishments that caught the light of immense chandeliers. Marble

    For what was worth, Morgana could be acting on Lance¡¯s order the whole time.

    ¡°What will it take for you to trust me, J?¡± Morgana asked coolly, ¡°I already told you that I am

    willing to help.¡±

    ¡°Maybe saying is not enough. You should do something to prove that,¡± J said.

    Just then, the elevator stopped.

    The door opened up to the Rogue¡¯s Counseling Hall.

    This hall looked grand and spacious. Vaulted ceilings soared high above, adorned. with gilded

    embellishments that caught the light of immense chandeliers. Marble pirs lined the periphery,

    framing the immense space.

    At the chamber¡¯s heart sat a table of polished mahogany, ringed by velvet chairs.

    What caught J¡¯s eyes the moment she walked into the hall was the centerpiece of

    that table-

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    A gigantic wolf¡¯s head.

    Its eyes rounded and its mouth wide open with sharp fangs exposed, looking as though it was

    beheaded right in the middle of a furious howl.

    Everyone by the table turned their heads around when J and Daran walked in.

    The air was thick with an unspoken tension.

    ¡°Wee!¡±

    Lance stood up from his chair, smiling warmly, ¡°Wee to my Counseling Hall. You haven¡¯t been

    here before, have you? How do you like it?¡±

    Daran took his seat opposite Lance and said in an indifferent voice, ¡°Not bad.¡±

    ¡°And do you like my centerpiece?¡± Lance pointed at therge wolf head, ¡°It belonged to an Alpha

    that I killed on the battlefield. I chopped off his head and brought it back and made it into a sample. I

    think it makes a nice ornament in my Counseling Hall. Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    J gritted her teeth in fury.

    ¡­That bastard.

    Daran¡¯s lips lifted into an icy smile, and he said, ¡°It is nice. Maybe I ought to get one of these in my

    pack as well¡­I think your head will do.¡±

    There was an astonished gasp going around the table.

    One guy mmed his hand against the table furiously. Yet when Daran turned to look at him, he

    quickly looked down to avoid eye contact.

    Lance waved his hand, ¡°Calm down. Alpha Daran and I were joking around. In fact, the reason I

    invite you here today is because of a tragic matter that happenedst night.¡±

    ¡°Danton. We heard.¡± J said coldly, ¡°But how is that our business?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­and I said maybe¡­you happen to know something about my general¡¯s death?¡± Lance

    said with his shrewd smile.

    ¡°How should we know? We didn¡¯t even know how he died,¡± J snorted. ¡°If he drowned himself in

    a bathtub is that our problem as well?!

    drowned himself in a bathtub, is that our problem as well?¡±

    ¡°General Danton diedst night in drug abuse,¡± Morgana said.

    ¡°Oh, a drug addict,¡± J spread her hands. ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t be too surprised. by his death.¡±

    There were some low mutterings in the room. And one man said, ¡°Yet we discovered some unusual

    marks on General Danton¡¯s body. For example, half of his tongue was cut off. And there is a cut on

    his neck. Looks like someone held a knife against his throat before he died.¡±

    ¡°Then

    you need to question people who were with Dantonst night, instead of interrogating us.¡±

    Lance slightly narrowed his eyes, ¡°Where were youst night, Alpha Daran?¡±

    Daran let out a cold sneer. He pushed away the chair and stood up.

    ¡°This is feeling like an interrogation. I am not wasting my time on this,¡± he said freezingly. ¡°J,

    shall we?¡±

    J nodded and followed him towards the door.

    ¡°Hold on a second.¡±

    Lance stood up as well. His voice became dark.

    ¡°I weed you into my home, Alpha Daran. Although many don¡¯t believe in this¡­but I actually

    thought we could aplish something great together.¡± He hissed, ¡°¡­Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

    ¡°My position never changed,¡± said Daran ruthlessly. ¡°Your head will make a great centerpiece on my

    tea table.¡±

    Lance¡¯s nostrils red with anger.

    Then the next second, he startedughing, ¡°So you are iming that you were not with Dantonst

    night?¡±

    Daran rolled his eyes impatiently and said nothing.

    ¡°Fine! Bring him in!¡± Lance snapped.

    J frowned. Did they have a witness?

    The door opened up and two soldiers brought in a peasant-looking man and threw him to the

    ground.

    ¡°Who am I speaking to?¡± Lance asked dauntingly.

    The man shivered in fear, ¡°M-My name is Gorden. I am a peasant.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what you sawst night.¡±

    ¡°N-Not what I saw, My King¡­it was actually my fianc¨¦,¡± Gorden stuttered. ¡°She was supposed to be

    at General Danton¡¯s partyst night¡­she ran back home earlier today and told me that

    He cast a panicked nce at J and Daran.

    ¡°-These two killed General Danton!¡± he shrieked.

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131

    J frowned looking at the man.

    He was Dora¡¯s fianc¨¦.

    This man came as an unexpected factor.

    Looked like that Dora ran back home in a panic and told her fianc¨¦ about everything that happened

    last night.

    J could be sure that this was just an honest mistake and Dora didn¡¯t try to tell on them on

    purpose.

    It was just that this man named Gorden turned out to have a soft spine and a big mouth and chose

    to work with the monsters who tried to hurt his own fianc¨¦.

    An astonished gasp could be heard in the room.

    One guy jumped up from his seat and pointed a finger at Daran and J, ¡°Ah ha! We caught you

    right there! How do you intend to respond to this witness¡¯s words?¡± Daran crossed his arms in front

    of his chest with a cold face, ¡°I did not intend to respond to anything. This isplete bullshit.

    ¡°But you heard the man-¡±

    ¡°This man¡¯s testimony held no credibility!¡± J snapped, ¡°As far as I am concerned, this man could

    be just a pawn of yours and you are trying to use him to frame us for something we didn¡¯t do!¡±

    ¡°Come on, Gamma J. Nobody has time for that. We are just trying to find the murderer here,¡±

    Lance said sullenly.

    ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t his fianc¨¦e out and testify?¡± J snarled.

    She went up to the man. Gorden started to quiver even more violently when she came close.

    ¡°You are not even the first witness,¡± J looked down at his horror-struck face. ¡°Where is your

    fianc¨¦?¡±

    Gorden stuttered, ¡°She¡­she didn¡¯t want toe¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? And why is that?¡±

    Gorden gulped nervously. His eyes flickered and looked away to avoid J¡¯s sharp gaze.

    Then his eyes met with Lance¡¯s.

    Lance was staring at him from this distance with a clear hint of warning on his face, which sent a

    shiver down Gorden¡¯s spine.

    ¡°My My fianc¨¦ didn¡¯te because¡­¡± Gorden mumbled, ¡°Because she was scared! She was afraid

    that you might hurt her if she came in person. She sent me here to represent her. You-you cold-

    hearted fucking murderers!¡±

    J gritted her teeth in rage.

    This Gorden was a real fucking prick.

    Did he have any idea that those people-including Lance-were the sole reason that

    his fianc¨¦ had been in pain?

    If it weren¡¯t for she and Daran, Dora would have been raped by Danton. This poor girl probably

    wouldn¡¯tst till the next dawn.

    Yet instead of avenging his fianc¨¦, Gorden chose to bend over and work with the

    monsters.

    J felt sorry for Dora.

    Right now, she just wanted to p the man in the face and tell him to fuck off.

    Before she put her thoughts into action, somebody beat her to it.

    Daran strode forward and raised his right leg, giving a hard kick on Gorden¡¯s chest! Gorden was

    sent flying backward. His body mmed against the wall and dropped down.

    He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­STOP!¡±

    Everyone around the table jumped from their seats and red at Daran in horror. They were all

    taken aback by Daran¡¯s sudden moment.

    Soldiers stepped forward and drew out their des as a sign of warning.

    Yet Daran was not intimidated by that at all.

    He nced at the soldiers icily. One look and those soldiers were frozen in their spots, terrified.

    ¡°What are you doing, Alpha Daran?¡± Lance hissed. ¡°Are you trying to kill our witness and wipe the

    evidence away?¡±

    Daran turned around and faced the crowd.

    Everyone took an involuntary step back, including Lance.

    ¡°I will not stand here and have a fucking nobody nder me, calling me a murderer.¡±

    Daran said in a cold voice.

    ¡°You invited me here, Lance. So you better make me feel wee. Keep throwing shit at me and I

    will make you regret it. You won¡¯t like my temper.¡±

    Lance inhaled sharply. Fear flickered across his eyes.

    ¡°My King! This is a tant threat!¡± one guy cried indignantly, ¡°You brought them in here, and for

    what? They are acting like they own this ce! Walking around and killing our men under our

    noses! We should teach them a lesson, show them whe is the real boss!¡±

    J stepped forward, clenching her fists, ¡°How dare you! If you dare to make a move, our troops

    will burn this ce down to the ground!¡±

    ¡°Then we will fucking kill you today!¡± one soldier roared, ¡°You can¡¯t shift. You can¡¯t even leave the

    city! You won¡¯t be able to gather your forces. This is the day you

    die!

    Daran stood before J, his face cold as a stone.

    ¡°Then go ahead. Give it a try.¡±

    He sneered, staring at those alerted soldiers.

    ¡°It has been some time since I killed a rogue. My wolf and I are both getting thirsty.¡±

    The roompsed into a ringing silence, with tension building in the air.

    Everyone stood, stock-still, ring at the opposing side.

    They would lunge at the enemy at any second.

    J held her breath, her mind racing fast, quickly assessing the situation.

    This Gorden guy really ruined their whole n. It seemed that Lance was now convinced that they

    killed Danton.

    If these soldiers attacked them, J was confident that she and Daran could get out. But they

    couldn¡¯t leave the city, not with the rogue¡¯s blood still left in their body. So it would be tricky to gather

    their forces¡­

    Right in the middle of this heated moment, Lance cleared his throat and spoke up: ¡°OK. That is

    enough. Everyone, drop your weapon.¡±

    ¡°But my King-

    ¡°I said, DROP IT.¡± Lance stressed, ¡°This is not how we treat our guests.¡±

    Everyone looked reluctant. They slowly lowered their weapons while still ring at J and

    Daran.

    Well, this was unexpected.

    J raised an eyebrow.

    Lance was really willing to bend this far to put up with her and Daran. But what for? Was he afraid of

    Daran? Or was he nning on something?

    J didn¡¯t know.

    She got a feeling that there was a part left in Lance¡¯s n that they had yet to find

    out.

    ¡°But My King¡­¡± one soldier said with a hesitant tone, ¡°Are we really going to let them off the hook

    like that? What about General Danton¡¯s

    s case?¡±

    Before Lance could answer, the door to the Counseling Hall flew open and someone came rushing

    in.

    It was Andre.

    ¡°My King!¡± Andre cried, slightly out of breath. ¡°I heard that there is an open trial to investigate my

    father¡¯s death. Why am I not included in this?¡±

    ¡°Andre! You came.¡± Lance said with a simper, ¡°I am just afraid that you are still deep in your sorrow

    and don¡¯t have the energy to deal with all these. But I am d that you are here.¡±

    ¡°So what is happening here? Fill me in,¡± Andre said.

    ¡°A witness hade forward-¡± Lance pointed at Gorden, ¡°-saying that your father was killed by

    Alpha Daran and Jst night.¡±

    ¡°BULLSHIT!¡± Andre snarled.

    Whispering suddenly broke out all over the hall.

    All the people on Lance¡¯s side stared at Andre, astonished and suspicious.

    ¡°Master Andre, are you sure?¡± one man couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°This witness clearly said that-¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°I am sure!¡± Andre said with a hundred percent certainty. ¡°My father died due to drug abuse. It was a

    great tragedy. But he was not murdered!¡±

    An astonished gasp could be heard among the crowd.

    ¡°But what about those strange marks on his body?¡± someone questioned, ¡°His haif-missing tongue.

    The cut on his throat¡­¡±

    With his hands behind his back, Andre answered loudly and clearly, ¡°Last night, my father was in a

    very good mood. So he took in a great amount of drugs, greater than the safe amount. I tried to talk

    him out of it, but he wouldn¡¯t listen¡­ Then he went into a seizure. It was when he bit off his own

    tongue.¡±

    ¡°He bit his own tongue off?¡± someone gasped.

    Andre nodded, ¡°Yeah. I rushed to keep him steady¡­but he had lost his mindpletely. He

    snatched a de and tried to kill me when I came close. There was a moment when we fought for

    the de¡­ That must have been how he got that cut on his throat.¡±

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    Andre gave them apletely different story.

    But whom should they trust? Andre or Gorden?

    ¡°NO-¡± Gorden straightened his upper body and cried, ¡°NO! You are lying! Dora told me herself¡­

    these two killed General Danton!¡±

    Andre jerked around and stared at Gorden with a cold gleam in his eyes, ¡°I am lying? I am General

    Danton¡¯s son! Why would I lie about my own father¡¯s death? My father has been nothing but kind to

    me. Everybody knows this!¡±

    Many nodded along. It was true. Everyone here knew that Danton adored Andre. ¡°And you on the

    other hand-¡±

    Andre hissed and approached Gorden step by step. He grabbed Gorden by the hair and pulled his

    head up.

    you piece of shit with your mouth full of craps! How dare you fabricate things about my father¡¯s

    death and disturb him in his sleep! You will pay for this!¡±

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t-¡± Gorden cried.

    ¡°My King!¡±

    Andre raised his voice and talked over Gorden.

    ¡°I demand to have this man execute! Flogged to death! For his audacity to lie to all of our faces!¡±

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132

    ¡­F-Flogged to death?¡±

    Gorden cried, his body shivering violently.

    ¡°No¡­NO! No, you can¡¯t! I am telling the truth! My King! I am your loyal servant. Your have to save

    me! My King-

    ¡°Silence,¡± Lance said grimly.

    Then he turned to Andre and sighed, ¡°Andre, I understand that you are furious. But there is no need

    to punish this poor man. As far as I am concerned, he just wants to offer us his version of the

    story-¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, my king, there are no other versions of the story. My father ¡°With all due

    respect, my king, there a

    in drug abuse. Period,¡± said Andre forcefully.

    ¡°I know. But-¡±

    ¡°And did you promise this man anything in return if hees forward and testify?¡± Andre pursued.

    Lance frowned, looking slightly offended by Andre¡¯s aggressive attitude.

    After a long pause, Lance said slowly, ¡°Yes, I did. I promised him some money, to reward his

    bravery.¡±

    ¡°Then there you go, my King. This man is not a loyal servant. He is a fraud. His mouth is full of crap.

    He made up a random story to get a share of the reward that you promised him. This whole thing is

    a fucking scam!¡±

    Andre straightened his back and looked around the room, ¡°I still think we should punish him. The

    harder the better! And set an example to those who think they can lie to the King¡¯s face!¡±

    There were some low mutterings in the room.

    Lance¡¯s face turned dark

    ¡°Gorden,¡± Lance called the peasant¡¯s name in a cold voice.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­My King¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you dare to swear on your soul that what you imed against Alpha Daran and Gamma J

    is true?¡±

    Gorden quivered, ¡°S-Swear? Yeah¡­ Yeah, I can swear¡­¡±

    ¡°Then how do you intend to respond to Master Andre¡¯s words?¡± Lance questioned.

    ¡°How¡­How do I respond¡­?¡± Gorden mumbled.

    He looked horrified, dumbfounded.

    He sat stiffly on the ground.

    A few secondster, a stinky smell came from his lower body.

    Everyone looked down and found that he had wet his pants in fear.

    ¡°¡­Eww.¡±

    Many wrinkled their noses in disgust.

    ¡°¡­Eww.¡±

    Many wrinkled their noses in disgust.

    ¡°My King, can we please have the guards drag this clown out of here?¡± Morgana said with a sneer.

    ¡°I think it has been made clear now that this man knows nothing about General Danton¡¯s death. He

    is just after the money that you promised.¡±

    Lance let out a frustrated sigh.

    Then he waved his hand, ¡°Guards. Approach.¡±

    Several armed soldiers came forward and stood in front of Gorden.

    ¡°Drag this man to the Central Square and flog him 50 times,¡± Lance said wearily. ¡°Let the world

    know the consequence of lying to the King.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my King!¡±

    The soldiers bent down and picked Gorden up from the ground. They dragged him to the door like

    dragging a dead pig.

    Gorden had passed out in fear. His wet pants left a smelly stain on the hardwood floor.

    ¡°God.¡±

    Morgana covered her mouth and rolled her eyes, ¡°This room smells like piss. Can someone wipe

    the floor please?¡±

    Lance snapped his fingers and called over a few maids. The maids cleaned the floor and opened

    the windows, letting some fresh air in to get rid of the smell.

    ¡°Well, what a shit show.¡± Daran crossed his arms and said with a sneer, ¡°Are we done with this

    now?¡±

    ¡°Well, I think so¡­yeah.¡±

    Lance gave Daran and J a searching look, ¡°But I might need to add a few guards to your room,

    Alpha Daran¡­for safety concerns.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to spy on us?¡± J asked in fume.

    ¡°No, of course not, Gamma J. This is a temporary measure. Trust me. I will pull the guards right

    away when¡­things quiet down again.¡±

    Lance said with a grin.

    ¡°And those e guards are there to protect you. You can¡¯t shift in this city and our General just died¡­

    This is really a turbulent time. So please, ept my good will and let the guards protect you.¡±

    This wasplete bullshit.

    Lance simply wanted to keep an eye on them.

    He was not fully convinced by Andre¡¯s story. Yet he couldn¡¯t prove that they were guilty either.

    So he sent over those guards to have them closely monitored.

    J bit her lip, reluctant.

    If they said no, it would make Lance suspicious; yet if they agreed, they would lose their freedom to

    move around in the city¡­

    If they said no, it would make Lance suspicious; yet if they agreed, they would lose their freedom to

    move around in the city¡­.

    ¡°My King.¡±

    Morgana spoke up abruptly, taking a step forward.

    ¡°Leave this to me. Me and my guards will take good care of Alpha Daran and Gamma J.¡±

    J looked at Morgana.

    Morgana gave her a small wink.

    ¡°Very well, then.¡± Lance cleared his throat. ¡°Are you fine with this arrangement, Alpha Daran?¡±

    Daran shrugged, ¡°If you feel that it is necessary.¡±

    Morgana beckoned over a few guards and asked them to send Daran and J back. to their

    suite.

    Once they were back in their room, J immediately closed the door behind her and said to

    Daran, ¡°Does Lance seem weird to you?¡±

    Daran raised an eyebrow, ¡°You mean how soft he was on this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He sensed that we were involved in Danton¡¯s death, but he still decided not to pursue it¡­

    Why?¡± J bit her nails anxiously. ¡°It almost seems like that he was trying to protect us. How weird

    is that?¡±

    ¡°It is weird,¡± Daran nodded. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I am almost getting the feeling that he was in

    love with you.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± J pouted, ¡°Stop it! It is not the time for joke.¡±

    Daran chuckled.

    He walked over and rescued J¡¯s thumb out of her teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. We don¡¯t need

    to understand the mind of a psycho like Lance. We already knew how to kill him. Now we just need

    to wait for the right time and make the move. Maybe we will give him a moment to confess himself

    before he dies.¡±

    J smiled.

    Daran always had a way to calm her down.

    ¡°Then do we have a n?¡± J asked, ¡°How should we lure Lance out of the city?¡±

    ¡°I already have something in mind. But this n involves Kass. We should make contact with him.¡±

    But how?

    J frowned.

    There were almost a dozen soldiers outside guarding their door right now.

    From an earlier peek out of the window, she even saw a few guards walking around. underneath

    their window.

    Their suite was literally an iron bucket.

    Daran put a thumb in between her brows and ttened the furrow, ¡°Let me worry

    should do!!

    Daran put a thumb in between her brows and ttened the furrow, ¡°Let me worry about these. Now

    there is something more important we should do.¡±

    J gave him a perplexed look.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a nap.¡± Daran grinned, ¡°I didn¡¯t get enough sleep this morning. Join me

    in the bed.¡±

    He spooned her up and carried her to the bedroom. She was giggling the whole way. They slept

    through the whole afternoon.

    When they woke up from the nap, the sun had already set.

    J sat up and reached for themp on the nightstand.

    Daran wrapped his arms around her waist dragging her back and pulled the sheet over to cover

    their heads.

    His body was on top of her. He lowered his head to nibble her neck, his hot breath. spread on her

    bare skin.

    It was itchy. She giggled, ¡°¡­S-Stop! We need to get up now¡­¡±

    She pushed him on the shoulder.

    Yet he caught her wrist and pinned her hand back to the bed.

    ¡°Says whom?¡± Daran said in a husky voice. ¡°I just want to stay in this bed with forever.¡±

    He lowered his head and caught her lips eagerly.

    J opened her mouth. A hoarse groan escaped her parted lips.

    Just when he was moving his hand up her thigh, a knock came from the door.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Daran cursed, looking frustrated.

    you

    J giggled. She pushed him away and jumped off the bed, running to get the door.

    It was Morgana.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Morgana took a look at J¡¯s messy hair and smiled, ¡°Did Ie at a bad time?¡± ¡°No, you are

    good,¡± J raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Room service. I brought you dinner.¡±

    Morgana raised her voice for every guard standing in the hallway to hear, ¡°From now on, Alpha

    Daran¡¯s meals will be delivered to his room. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lady Morgana!¡± the guards answered in unison.

    Morgana walked into the room. A servant with a mask over his face pushed a car full of food and

    followed her in.

    The door closed behind their backs.

    ¡°Wow, room service,¡± J said with a slightly sarcastic tone. ¡°Looks like we are really grounded.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily so.¡±

    Morgana gave her a mystery smile, ¡°I brought you a surprise.¡±

    The connant tools ff his mac and abou

    The door closed behind their backs.

    ¡°Wow, room service,¡± J said with a slightly sarcastic tone. ¡°Looks like we are really grounded.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily so.¡±

    Morgana gave her a mystery smile, ¡°I brought you a surprise.¡±

    The servant took off his mask and showed his face.

    ¡°Kass!¡±

    J rounded her eyes and gasped in surprise.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133

    ¡°Gamma J!¡±

    Kass rushed forward to hold J¡¯s hands with a worried face, ¡°Are you alright? I heard that you

    were brought to the Counseling Hall today. Some people were saying that you killed Danton¡­ Was

    it true? Are you hurt?¡±

    J patted his shoulder with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am fine.¡±

    Kass let out a sigh of relief and bent his back to hug her, ¡°That is so nice to hear¡­I was worried

    sick.¡±

    J wanted to hug him back. Yet Kass was shoved aside roughly the next second.

    It was Daran.

    Daran wrapped his one arm around J¡¯s shoulder in a possessive gesture and gave Kass a

    warning look, ¡°You are a mated man now. Keep your distance.¡±

    Kass¡¯s jaw tightened, ¡°We were just talking.¡±

    ¡°Do you always cuddle the person you talk to?¡± Daran taunted, ¡°What is it? Some skin hunger

    disorder?¡±

    J frowned, ¡°Daran, that is enough¡­¡±

    Kass¡¯s cheeks seemed to be on fire, ¡°You-You are a fucking control freak, Daran! Everyone in Blood

    Moon Pack thinks that J did a hell of a good job when she rejected you! Including Alpha

    Casper! You are no longer mates! It is you who should keep your distance from J!¡±

    ¡°Mind your tongue, Kass.¡± Daran hissed with his eyes gleaming coldly. ¡°Just because J treats

    you like a little brother doesn¡¯t mean that you get to fuckingment on our business!¡±

    ¡°Anyone is better than you!¡± Kass cried, ¡°Just wait till she finds her second-chance mate-¡±

    ¡°OK, OK!¡± Morgana gave a tug at Kass¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Easy you guys. I didn¡¯t sneak Kass in here so that

    you two can trash talk to each other. So truce?¡±

    The two men didn¡¯t say anything.

    But they were still ring at each other.

    ¡°OK, good enough.¡± Morgana pped her hands and turned to J, ¡°J, you said that I haven¡¯t

    done anything to win your trust yet. So now I brought Kass to you. To show that I am really on your

    team. How is that? Are you ready to finally include me in your n?¡±

    J pondered.

    Then she looked to Kass, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Kass took a quick nce at Morgana, blushing a little.

    ¡°I think¡­she can be trusted,¡± he said in a whisper.

    Morgana giggled and pecked his cheek, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    J smiled looking at their little interaction. They really made a great couple. She was so happy

    for Kass.

    ¡°Daran?¡± she asked.

    Daran crossed his arms indifferently, ¡°I reserve my opinion.¡± ¡°Of course you do,¡± Kass rolled his

    eyes.

    ¡°OK, full pass. Wee to the team, Morgana,¡± J said.

    Morgana flipped her red hair and smiled, ¡°Finally. Now, I know that you have got an answer out of

    Andre. You don¡¯t need to give me the details. Just tell me what is your next move? What should I do

    to get rid of that fucking psycho Lance?¡±

    ¡°We need to lure Lance out of the city,¡± J said. ¡°We can¡¯t kill him on rogue-dominatednd.¡±

    Morgana frowned, ¡°That is a bit tricky¡­ Lance rarely leaves our city. He is like a turtle hiding in his

    shell¡­Oh, except for that time when he went to the Crimson Fortress by himself.¡±

    J sighed.

    That would be a great opportunity to kill Lance.

    But they didn¡¯t know who the Rogue King was at that time.

    ¡°So now what do we do?¡± Kass asked, ¡°Can we knock him down and bring him out of the city? It

    shouldn¡¯t be very hard if the four of us go after him together.¡±

    Morgana shook her head, ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t work. He is always surrounded by his guards. Even if

    we can find a way to knock him down, the soldiers will catch us on our way out.¡±

    J bit her lips, frustrated.

    So was there really no way around this?

    ¡°I have a n,¡± Daran said abruptly.

    Everyone looked at me, and he asked Morgana, ¡°Why did Lance leave the city and to Crimson

    Fortress?¡±

    go

    ¡°Well, he likes to y with his prey before he kills them,¡± Morgana said with a disgusted tone. ¡°It

    gives him a sense of power, making him feel like he is in control.¡±

    ¡°Then we will use that mindset against him,¡± Daran said deeply. ¡°I want to send words to Crimson

    Fortress and ask Casper toe and rescue us. We will flee the city in the meantime and meet

    Casper halfway.¡±

    ¡°Lance might notice,¡± Kass said.

    ¡°We want him to notice. Actually, Morgana, I want you to tell Lance that Casper ising to get us,

    and I want you to give Lance our detailed escape route. He will teel like he has all the information.

    He will definitelye after us.¡±

    J¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Right.

    Lance liked to act as a hunter. His eagerness to catch Daran and J would win over his

    rationality, causing him to take the risk and leave the city.

    ¡°Once he chases us to the border and crosses the borderline, we will gang up with Casper and kill

    him right on the spot,¡± Daran said ruthlessly.

    J¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Right.

    Lance liked to act as a hunter. His eagerness to catch Daran and J would win over his

    rationality, causing him to take the risk and leave the city.

    ¡°Once he chases us to the border and crosses the borderline, we will gang up with Casper and kill

    him right on the spot,¡± Daran said ruthlessly.

    ¡°This is quite brilliant,¡± Morganaughed and pped her hands. ¡°The best part is that Lance

    doesn¡¯t know I am working with you guys. So he will trust whatever information I feed him.¡±

    J nodded along, ¡°And he doesn¡¯t know that we have already got a hand on the method of how

    to kill him. So he won¡¯t be on his guard when he leaves the city.¡±

    Everyone was excited about Daran¡¯s n.

    This actually worked!

    ¡°I will send words to Alpha Casper,¡± Kass nodded. ¡°I am a rogue. I can leave the city without being

    affected by the taboo.¡±

    And that reminded J.

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave the city right now, right? Not with the rogue¡¯s blood still left in our body. How should

    we cross the border and kill Lance in that case?¡± she asked, slightly concerned.

    Morgana snapped her fingers with a smile, ¡°I can help with that.¡±

    She pointed at the food that Kass brought in and said, ¡°These are clean foods, which don¡¯t have

    rogue blood in them. From now on you should only consume the food that I personally deliver to

    your room. Give it 3 to 4 days for the remaining rogue blood in your system to be removed and then

    you will be able to leave the city.¡±

    ¡°3 to 4 days.¡± Kass rubbed his chin, ¡°That is about the time I let Alpha Casper know about our

    n.¡±

    ¡°OK. So we set the action time at the evening, 4 days from now on.¡±

    Daran said in a deep voice, looking around the room.

    ¡°By that time, Casper should have known about our n and the rogue blood in our system should

    have already worn out. Morgana, please find a way to draw your soldiers away from our room that

    night and me and J will leave the city, heading towards the border. Are we all clear on this?¡±

    Everyone nodded eagerly.

    J clenched her fists tightly, feeling the fire of vengeance burning inside of her chest.

    Finally, they were able to kill Lance.

    And avenge all those people who died in that monster¡¯s hand.

    The following 4 days went by quite peacefully.

    Daran and J never left their room. They followed Morgana¡¯s instructions and only consumed

    food that she delivered to their room.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Soon, the fourth night came. And it was go

    time.

    And avenge all those people who died in that monster¡¯s hand.

    The following 4 days went by quite peacefully.

    Daran and J never left their room. They followed Morgana¡¯s instructions and only consumed

    food that she delivered to their room.

    Soon, the fourth night came. And it was go time.

    J and Daran all changed to light sportswear, which allowed them to move more freely.

    J was dressed in a sports bra and ck leggings, paired with ck sneakers. She put her hair

    up high in a ponytail.

    They waited patiently in their room for the nightfall.

    At around 11 o¡¯clock at night, a small taping noise came from the outside as though someone had

    just thrown a rock at their window.

    It was Morgana¡¯s signal to them.

    J rushed to the window. She found that the patrol team outside was no longer there.

    Now they were free to escape the city.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Daran asked.

    J nodded firmly.

    Daran smiled and pecked her lips, ¡°After you, mydy.¡±

    J climbed up to the windowsill and was ready to jump off to the ground.

    Yet right at this very moment, they heard a knocking from the door, which froze them right on

    their spot.

    ¡­Who could it be?

    Who coulde and knock on their door at this hour? On the very night that they were about to

    start their mission?

    Daran gave J a quick look telling her to stay put. He raised his voice and answered, ¡°What is

    it?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Daran, sorry to disturb you.¡±

    A guard¡¯s voice came from outside of the door.

    ¡°But the King is here to see you.¡±

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134

    J rounded her eyes in shock.

    Did Lancee to see them?

    Why? Did he find out about their n?

    ¡°Do you think he has noticed anything?¡± J asked Daran in a whisper, ¡°And. should we

    answer?¡±

    ¡°We should. He probably just wants to chat,¡± Daran said with a frown.

    The timing definitely seemed weird though.

    Daran kicked off his sneakers and hid his sportswear underneath a nightrobe.

    He gave J a gentle nudge on the back, ¡°Go hide in the bedroom. I will find out what he wants.¡±

    J nodded and hastily went into the bedroom.

    When she closed the bedroom door behind her, she heard Daran answer in a deep voice, ¡°Come

    in.¡±

    J left the door open with a small crack and peeked outside.

    Lance had just walked into the room. He had his hands in his pocket, looking quite rxed, as

    though he was just out for a walk after dinner and suddenly decided to pay Daran a visit.

    ¡°Alpha Daran, did I wake you?¡± Lance asked with a simper.

    ¡°Wake me or not, you are here already,¡± Daran said coldly. ¡°What do you want?¡± Lance shrugged,

    ¡°Nothing¡­I am just in the mood for a little chat.¡±

    He paced around the room and eventually took his seat on the couch.

    Resting his feet on the footstall,id back, Lance looked at Daran and smiled, ¡°Hey, do you know

    that we held General Danton¡¯s funeral today?¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes, ¡°No. But I guess you can¡¯t leave his body out in the wilderness to rot.¡±

    ¡°No. We buried him today. And I gave a speech at his funeral.¡±

    Lance shook his head, a nostalgic look on his face.

    ¡°That speech¡­it brought back so many memories. Do you know that Danton and I were buds even

    before I became the Rogue King? He offered me so much help. If it weren¡¯t for me, I would never

    have the chance to rise to my current position¡­Christ, I wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to talk to

    you, a mighty Alpha!¡±

    J frowned listening to their conversation behind the door.

    She was really baffled.

    What the hell did Lance want anyway?

    Was he simply here to share his childhood story with Daran?

    How odd.

    Daran let out a cold snort. His patience seemed to be running out.

    ¡°Why am I hearing this anyway?¡± he asked impatiently.

    Lance spread his hands, ¡°Now you know how important Danton was to me. You killed my most

    important friend, but I still let it slide. I am really being extra kind to you, Alpha Daran.¡¯

    There was a moment of ringing silence in the room.

    J sucked in a small breath.

    Wait a second¡­Lance he-he knew?!

    No. No way.

    He was probably just bluffing.

    ¡°Are we doing this again? Andre already said that Danton died because of drug abuse. It is already

    crystal clear,¡± Daran said freezingly, ¡°Stop dumping shits on me. I don¡¯t have time for that.¡¯

    Lance chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t have any proof, but my instinct tells me that you did. it¡­Anyway, I am not

    here to point fingers. I am here to tell you that you are an important asset to me, Alpha Daran.¡±

    ¡°I am not your fucking asset,¡± Daran hissed.

    ¡°Sure you are. You just don¡¯t know what you can do yet. Once you do, you will understand why I am

    saying this,¡± Lanceughed.

    J was even more confused.

    What the fuck was Lance even saying here?

    His whole speech was very elusive. But it vaguely sounded like Lance was trying to say that Daran

    could help him aplish something big..

    And this ¡°something big¡± was the sole reason why Lance brought them back to the Grace Ruin.

    J held her breath.

    She wanted to know what this ¡°something big¡± was.

    And then she heard Daran voice out her question for her.

    ¡°Then tell me,¡± he said to Lance forcefully. ¡°Tell me what I can do. Why am I so important? Stop

    circling around the main point.¡±

    Lance let out a boomingugh, ¡°No, no, no, I can¡¯t. Not yet. You still think of me ast an enemy,

    right? I only share things with my friends. When can we be friends, Alpha Daran?¡±

    ¡°Wait till the day you fucking die,¡± Daran snorted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cruel.¡±

    Lance stood up and walked up to Daran. He reached out a hand to pat Daran¡¯s shoulder, but Daran

    pped his hand away roughly.

    ¡°I have listened to enough yammering already.¡±

    Daran¡¯s eyes were slits of anger.

    ¡°It is time for you to leave.¡±

    Lanceughed, ¡°Fine I will go. I guess we can¡¯t rush it, right? There is still plenty of time for us to get

    friendly. Just consider my proposal, Alpha Daran. I brought you back out of kindness. Trust me.¡±

    With that said, he turned around and left the room.

    J waited till she heard the sound of the door closing before dashing out.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±

    She asked Daran urgently.

    ¡°Did you understand a word that he said? I know that I didn¡¯t.¡±

    Daran shook his head, ¡°He was being pretty vague about it.

    ¡°It sounded like he needs your help for something. And he was waiting for you two to be

    friends before telling you what it is.¡±

    ¡°That day will nevere,¡± Daran said mercilessly. ¡°Because we are killing him today.¡±

    He ced his hands on J¡¯s shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

    ¡°Hey, look at me,¡± he said softly.

    J blinked and then looked him in the eyes.

    ¡°Are you feeling anxious?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, a bit.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°It is perfectly natural to get a little anxious before the big mission. But J, don¡¯t worry, you still

    have me.¡±

    He cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers.

    ¡°I will protect you from all the dangers,¡± he whispered. ¡°So don¡¯t think too much into what Lance

    said. We have a n. We got this.¡±

    J took in a shaky breath.

    Daran was right.

    They had a n. And that n was to kill Lance. So what Lance wanted or what he intended to do

    didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    She shouldn¡¯t let that weasel¡¯s words get into her head.

    ¡°I am ready to go,¡± she said to Daran solemnly.

    ¡°Good.¡± Daran bent down and kissed her, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They left their suite through the window and snuck out of the pce under the cover

    of the night.

    Morgana had drawn all guards out of their way. So they didn¡¯t meet any resistance leaving the city

    of Grace Ruin.

    Once they were out of the city, they started running at full speed.

    Morgana didn¡¯t give them a car. The car made too much noise and attracted too much attention.

    They had to go by their feet.

    Fortunately, the two of them were both trained warriors. This was indeed.

    Fortunately, the two of them were both trained warriors. This was indeed

    exhausting. But nothing they couldn¡¯t handle.

    They kept running through the wilderness like this for 5 hours straight, their breathing in short

    gasps.

    J¡¯s sports bra was already drenched by hot sweat.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    It was about dawn. The first light of dawn painted the sky with hues of pink and. orange.

    A truly breathtaking scenery.

    Thendscape was rugged and untamed, with tall grasses brushing against their legs and the

    asional thorn pricking their skin.

    But they were undeterred, fueled by a sense of urgency and the adrenaline coursing through their

    veins.

    As they ran, J suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her.

    They were getting closer to the borderline.

    And beyond the borderline was her homnd.

    She had left her homnd for a long time. Even training in Riverside Pack felt like things that

    happened a century ago.

    Her memory about the Blood Moon Pack had also faded. Her bedroom, the training field, the

    mountain that she and Casper often went hiking¡­.

    Everything was a blur now¡­

    She didn¡¯t get this feeling before. But at this very moment, she was suddenly homesick.

    She missed Blood Moon Pack, a ce of safety andfort, a stark contrast to the chaos and

    danger that had be her reality.

    The strong emotions that surged up in her caused J to miss a step.

    She staggered forward.

    Daran caught her shoulder before she fell.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked worriedly. A drop of sweat was hanging on his long eyshes. ¡°If you

    are tired, we can take 10.¡±

    J shook her head.

    Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

    ¡°I am fine.¡± she told Daran./

    She knew they couldn¡¯t afford to slow down, not when they were so close.

    ¡°Tell me what you are thinking.¡± Daran insisted.

    ¡°I¡­I am just a little nostalgic¡­since we areing so close to home.¡±

    Daran pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, listening to his steady heartbeats,

    which calmed her down slightly.

    ¡°I am always here with you,¡± he said deeply. ¡°Plus¡­Look. Someone is here for us.¡±

    J raised her head and followed Daran¡¯s gaze.

    homesick.

    She missed Blood Moon Pack, a ce of safety andfort, a stark contrast to the chaos and

    danger that had be her reality.

    The strong emotions that surged up in her caused J to miss a step.

    She staggered forward.

    Daran caught her shoulder before she fell.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked worriedly. A drop of sweat was hanging on his long eyshes. ¡°If you

    are tired, we can take 10.¡±

    J shook her head.

    Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

    ¡°I am fine.¡± she told Daran.

    She knew they couldn¡¯t afford to slow down, not when they were so close.

    ¡°Tell me what you are thinking.¡± Daran insisted.

    ¡°I¡­I am just a little nostalgic¡­since we areing so close to home.¡±

    Daran pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, listening to his steady heartbeats,

    which calmed her down slightly.

    ¡°I am always here with you,¡± he said deeply. ¡°Plus¡­Look. Someone is here for us.¡±

    J raised her head and followed Daran¡¯s gaze.

    In the near distance, standing at the edge of the treeline, was Casper.

    His familiar grin tugged at her heartstrings as he waved, his eyes sparkling with joy

    and relief.

    ¡°J!¡± he called to her.

    ¡°Casper!¡±

    J cried, her heart thumping with thrill.

    She rushed forward at her full speed, eager to hug him.

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135

    J threw herself into Casper¡¯s arms.

    He held her tightly.

    ¡°God¡­.Casper! I-1-¡± she choked as though there was a lump in her throat. ¡°I miss you so much¡­¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    Casper rubbed the back of her head.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t leave the Crimson Fortress without telling me first! And deep into the rogue¡¯s

    headquarters? Christ, what are you even thinking? Do you know how worried I was when I heard

    the news?¡±

    She smiled. It felt nice to know that someone was worried about her safety.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t have the time to tell you,¡± she exined. ¡°But look at me. I am fine. Safe and sound.¡±

    ¡°You should leave this kind of dirty work to men,¡± Casper said in a reproachful tone.

    ¡°Truth be told, I am starting to regret pointing you as my Gamma. You are Blood Moon Pack¡¯s

    princess. This kind of dangerous life doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±

    He grabbed her hands, tightening the grasp

    ¡°Forget about that fucking n,¡± he said eagerly. ¡°Come home with me. Don¡¯t you miss everything

    back home? The pretty dresses, the fancy balls, the time you spend with our soldiers¡­You deserve

    all these!¡¯

    ¡°No!¡± J cried, ¡°Me and Daran had a n already-¡±

    ¡°Fuck Daran! He has already ruined a few good years of yours. I am not letting him ruin the rest of

    your life!¡± Casper growled.

    Daran had walked up to them from the distance. And he heard thest part of Casper¡¯s sentence.

    His eyes darkened.

    Casper looked at Daran and said to him in a provocative tone, ¡°I was telling J that she should

    come home with me. Live afortable life and wait for her second-chance mate to show up. Don¡¯t

    you agree with me, Alpha Daran?¡±

    J groaned, ¡°Casper¡­¡±

    ¡°There will be no second chance mate,¡± Daran said in a freezing tone. ¡°J is destined to be with

    me.¡±

    Casper was infuriated and he snarled, ¡°You prick! You rejected J first,

    remember?! And now you are bringing her into all those dangers! Destined my ass!¡± Daran ignored

    Casper¡¯s yelling. He looked to J instead.

    ¡°I want you by my side. Because I can¡¯t stand a life without you,¡± he said hoarsely, a soft light

    gleaming in his eyes. ¡°This will never change.¡±

    J¡¯s heart swelled.

    ¡°But this is indeed too dangerous for you,¡± he continued. ¡°So if you decide to go

    home I respect your decision Actually I do think it is the right call.¡±

    The two men looked at J together, waiting for her to make a decision.

    Just then, a bright firework shot up into the sky from the direction of the Grace Ruin. and lit up the

    close-dawn sky.

    It was Morgana¡¯s signal to them.

    She had told Lance that they escaped the city. And they wereing to get them.

    They were moving towards the most important part of this n.

    J looked away from the fireworks and to Casper.

    ¡°I stay,¡± she said firmly.

    Casper looked frustrated, ¡°If this is about Daran-¡±

    ¡°No! This has nothing to do with Daran!¡± J growled, ¡°OK. I won¡¯t give you that ¡®I care about the

    safety of our packs and someone has to do the right thing¡¯ bullshit. The most important thing is that

    the kind of life that you painted for me is boring! I enjoy fighting fights, taking battles, beating the

    shits out of the bad guys.¡±

    She gently punched on Casper¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°If we grou

    up in Blood Moon Pack together, I might be the Alpha, instead of you. Don¡¯t undermine me

    just because I am a woman,¡± she said.

    There was a strange look on Casper¡¯s face.

    Then he burst intoughter.

    ¡°Oh well!¡± he chuckled, ¡°I am not going to argue with that!¡±

    There was a smile on Daran¡¯s lips as well. He looked at her with an appreciative gaze.

    ¡°When you are both doneughing,¡± J rolled her eyes. ¡°Can we get back to our n now?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Casper said, ¡°Kass has filled me in already. The n is to kill the Rogue King on ournd, right? So

    now we are still standing on the rogue¡¯snd. But keep moving South for another 5 miles and we

    will reach the borderline. Kass and Balvina are waiting for us. We will ambush Lance there.¡±

    Daran said with a nod, ¡°So wait here for Lance to show up and then lure him to the borderline.¡±

    Casper snapped his finger, ¡°Correct. And Lance won¡¯t notice that we have crossed the border. I set

    our ambush spot in the wilderness. There is no clear road sign.¡±

    ¡°Then how do we know for sure that we have crossed the borderline?¡± J asked, ¡°If there is no

    sign or anything.¡±

    ¡°There is an easy way to find out,¡± Daran looked at her deeply. ¡°You will be able to switch.¡±

    Right.

    Her wolf had been sleeping since she entered the rogue¡¯snd.

    She missed her.

    ¡°OK, so now we have nothing to do but wait.¡± Daran looked at his watch. ¡°Lance and

    Morgana should be here in

    Morgana should be here in less than 2 hours.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go wait in the woods,¡± Casper said and walked away.

    J was about to leave with Casper.

    Yet Daran caught her wrist first.

    ¡°It is somewhat about me though, right?¡± he asked abruptly.

    J paused.

    Then she suddenly remembered what Casper asked her just a moment before-if she was taking all

    these risks for Daran.

    There was a pink tinge on her cheeks. She shook him off, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself.¡± He looked down at

    her deeply. There was a gorgeous gleam in his eyes.

    ¡°I am very happy, J,¡± he said softly.

    The way he looked at her made her heart rate quickened.

    She turned on her heels abruptly and ran to catch up with Casper, escaping the scene. in panic.

    Casper brought them some food and beverages. They sat underneath the trees and had their

    meals.

    J was a bit embarrassed to sit with Daran after the little moment that they had earlier.

    So she chose a spot away from Daran and ate alone.

    Momentster, Casper came to sit with her with his food.

    ¡°You are making a horrible decision,¡± he said right after he sat down.

    J signed, ¡°Again?¡±

    ¡°Not about you staying, but about Daran,¡± Casper said with an all-serious tone. ¡°He clearly wants

    you back. And he is slowly wearing you out by keeping you close to his side. When we first went to

    Riverside Pack to train, you clearly said that you didn¡¯t want him anymore. But I can tell that you are

    not as determined now as you used to be.¡±

    Jpsed into silence.

    Casper was right. She wasn¡¯t.

    About a year ago, all she wanted was to avenge those who had hurt her. Harper, Owen, John, and

    the Diaz couple, including Daran.

    She wanted them to suffer.

    And she had seeded, for the most part.

    Yet Daran¡­she just couldn¡¯t do it.

    Daran was special.

    ¡°Do you want to be with him again?¡± Casper pursued, ¡°He rejected you for that fake bitch Harper.

    He might act like a decent man now, but he WILL do it again for another woman. You know what

    they said, ¡®Once a cheater, always a cheater.

    ¡°I know ¡± J signed

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°I know¡­¡± J signed.

    That was also the main thing that she couldn¡¯t get over with.

    ¡°And you will get a second chance mate!¡± Casper said in a way like luring a kid with candy. ¡°He

    might be a much better guy than Daran.¡±

    J groaned in frustration.

    Why did everyone keep saying this recently? First Kass, and then Casper.

    ¡°I might not get a second chance,¡± she said. Not everyone did. It waspletely up to the Moon

    Goddess.

    ¡°But you do. Call it a brother¡¯s instinct,¡± Casper grinned.

    J had no idea where Casper got that.

    But she really didn¡¯t want to get into this right now.

    So sheid down, rolled around, and faced Casper with her back.

    ¡°I am going to get some shut eyes,¡± she said. ¡°Wake me up when Lance gets here.¡±

    She closed her eyes.

    Yet her heart was still racing in her chest.

    She really shouldn¡¯t be thinking about Daran right now¡­but she couldn¡¯t stop.

    If they killed Lance and ended the war, Daran would definitely ask her toe back.

    What should she do then?

    She didn¡¯t know¡­

    Only if someone could make this whole thing easier¡­

    Shey there underneath the tree for about an hour or so.

    Then she felt the ground starting to shake as though arge group of people wereing in their

    direction.

    She jumped up instantly.

    ¡°Did you feel this?¡± she cried, looking around for Daran and Casper. ¡°Is this-¡±

    Daran was standing on top of a pine tree, gazing into the distance.

    ¡°It is.¡± He said, ¡°They areing.¡±

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136

    At first, it was just the ground shaking slightly, sending some small rocks rolling around.

    But then they heard those noises, the heavy thud of paws hitting against the ground,

    the booming wolf howls, the sound of soldiers yelling in the distance..

    Lance was closing up on them.

    The three of them ran out of the woods and gazed to the north.

    Arge group of soldiers appeared in their field of vision. Some had shifted into their wolves, and

    some remained in their human forms driving the cars.

    Leading up front was Lance, riding on the back of a wolf.

    The amount of the pursuers wasrger than they expected.

    Looked like that Lance was really determined to catch them back.

    ¡°Alpha Daran!¡± Lance shouted out to them, his voice echoing in the field. ¡°Just give up already! You

    won¡¯t be able to escape!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Daran grabbed J¡¯s hand urgently, ¡°Let¡¯s lure our fishes into the.¡±

    They sprinted southward, leaving the rugged wastnd behind them and deep into the forest.

    The sun had barely risen, casting long shadows across the woods. The forest was dense, the

    underbrush slowing their progress, but it could also form a hindrance to their pursuers.

    J could hear her own ragged breaths and the pounding sound of her heart hitting against her

    chest.

    Besides the sound of their own footsteps, there was also the distant sound of boots. crashing

    through the underbrush and the asional shout of a soldier as they closed the distance.

    Luring the soldiers to the borderline was a tricky task.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    They didn¡¯t want to go too fast for the soldiers topletely lose track of them.

    Yet they also didn¡¯t want to go too slow so that the soldiers would catch them before they reached

    the border.

    So they kept an appropriate distance from their pursuers.

    Daran looked back beyond his shoulders a couple of times to make sure that the rogues stayed on

    the hook.

    J was soon exhausted/

    She had been running like this for 5 hours straightst night. And she barely got any sleep.

    Her legs ached and her lungs burned. Without the help of her wolf, she was pushing closer to her

    human limit.

    It was getting harder and harder to keep up with the guys.

    Vetpot pushed herself harder

    Her legs ached and her lungs burned. Without the help of her wolt, she was pushing closer to her

    human limit.

    It was getting harder and harder to keep up with the guys.

    Yet J pushed herself harder.

    She didn¡¯t want to be anyone¡¯s bunder.

    She was a trained warrior. She was a Gamma. She could do this.

    J raised her head and looked ahead.

    There was Daran, leading the way. His tall frame easily navigated the terrain despite hisbored

    breathing.

    His presence gave her a great sense of security.

    As long as he was here, she felt that she could do anything, her body fueled with immense power.

    Daran noticed her gaze when he looked around. He slowed his steps slightly and started running

    with J¡¯s shoulder to shoulder.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t wait for me!¡± J gasped, panting roughly. ¡°¡­Just keep going!¡±

    Daran held her hand and squeezed it.

    ¡°We are close.¡± he said, ¡°Close to the borderline. Stay with me!¡±

    They picked up the pace again.

    The slope of thendscape was getting steeper. J started to get the feeling that they were

    climbing up a hill.

    J raised her head and looked to the front. She could already see the edge of the woods. And

    past the treeline was the top of the hill.

    ¡°We go beyond the hill!¡± Casper cried to them, ¡°Then we are there!¡±

    J¡¯s heart raced with excitement.

    Beyond the hill was the borderline, where Kass, Balvina, and all the Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers

    were waiting.

    They were indeed close!!!

    Yet suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the forest.

    A bullet whizzed past J¡¯s ear.

    Somebody drew the gun!

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Daran cursed loudly and pressed J¡¯s head down urgently. She stumbled but regained her

    footing, her heart pounding even harder.

    The gunshot came again. This time followed immediately by Casper¡¯s sharp cry.

    J jerked around in panic.

    Her brother was shot!

    ¡°Casper-!¡± she screamed.

    ¡°No, I am fine!¡± Casper rushed to her. holding his bleeding right arm ¡°That son of a

    The gunshot came again. This time followed immediately by Casper¡¯s sharp cry J jerked

    around in panic.

    Her brother was shot!

    ¡°Casper¨C!¡± she screamed.

    ¡°No, I am tine!¡± Casper rushed to her, holding his bleeding right arm. ¡°That son of a bitch Lance shot

    me with a fucking riffle-Catch!¡±

    He tossed her a 9mm.

    J caught the pistol and pointed it to her back.

    As werewolves, they didn¡¯t normally fight with weapons. But J was a skillful snipper. She was

    good with guns.

    She saw Lance¡¯s face in her telescope.

    With the fire of hatred burning in her chest, she pulled the trigger.

    The bullet whizzed through the woods and caught Lance¡¯s left shoulder, knocking him down from

    his wolf.

    ¡°He is down!¡± Daran snapped, ¡°Go, go, go!¡±

    Together, they rushed out of the woods and climbed up to the top of the hill.

    Arge group of people were waiting for them there.

    J saw the face of her closest friend.

    ¡°Balvina-!!!¡± she yelled.

    Balvina rushed over and the two hugged tightly with each other.

    ¡°J!¡± Balvina choked, ¡°God¡­I miss you so much!! And so is everyone!¡±

    J looked around.

    She saw many familiar faces. All were soldiers from the Blood Moon Pack. And Kass was standing

    among the crowd as well.

    ¡°Gamma J!¡± one soldier cried, ¡°We are all here for you!¡±

    ¡°We miss you! Gamma J!¡±

    J¡¯s lips trembled. She missed this as well. To be with her own men.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± she said loudly, ¡°Now. Let¡¯s take down the bad guy!¡±

    They all turned around and looked to their backs.

    The rogue soldiers were gathered by the edge of the woods, ring at them on full alert.

    Lance stood at the front of the group.

    His shirt was drenched with blood because of the gunshot on his left shoulder.

    There was a crooked smile on his lips.

    ¡°What a touching reunion¡­¡± he let out a sinisterugh. ¡°But the more the merrier! You will all regret

    coming here! Nobody is leaving here alive!¡±

    The rogue soldiers were gathered by the edge of the woods, ring at them on full alert.

    Lance stood at the front of the group.

    His shirt was drenched with blood because of the gunshot on his left shoulder.

    There was a crooked smile on his lips.

    ¡°What a touching reunion¡­¡± he let out a sinisterugh. ¡°But the more the merrier! You will all regret

    coming here! Nobody is leaving here alive!¡±

    J took a firm step forward.

    She called to her wolf. And she heard her wolf¡¯s response. Because now she was standing in her

    homnd.

    ¡°I can say the same thing to you, Lance.¡± she snarled, ¡°Today is the day you die!¡±

    She raised her head and let out a long wolf howl.

    Her body grewrger andrger, with white fur covering her human skin.

    She switched into a silver-white wolf!

    Lance rounded his eyes in utter shock. He waspletely taken aback by the scene happening in

    front of his eyes.

    ¡°NO!¡± he cried, ¡°How can you shift?! It is impossible. You can¡¯t-¡±

    Daran let out a cold sneer. He spread his shoulders and shifted into a gigantic ck wolf.

    ¡°Because you are standing on ournd right now, idiot,¡± he taunted.

    Lance took a quick step back, his whole body trembling in fear.

    ¡°RETREAT!¡±

    He jerked around and cried to his rogue soldiers.

    ¡°Move back! Everyone leaves here right now-

    Yet words froze on his lips the next second.

    Somebody dashed out of the rogue soldier¡¯s crowd and stabbed him with a sharp de.

    Morgana looked into his horror-struck eyes with a cold smile. She clenched the de and sent it

    deeper into his chest.

    ¡°You are not going anywhere else, asshole,¡± she hissed.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137

    Lance parted his lips in shock.

    He stared at Morgana unblinkingly as though he was trying to understand why he was suddenly

    betrayed.

    Morgana pulled the de abruptly. Blood gushed out and spilled all over her body. Lance lurched

    but regained his bnce quickly.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    He covered the wounds with one hand and asked through gritted teeth. ¡°Because I don¡¯t like a man

    ruling over me! Not to mention a monster like you!¡± Morgana snarled, ¡°Is that a good enough reason

    for you?¡±

    She raised her hand to stab him again.

    But Lance caught her wrist this time.

    He suddenly startedughing, his voice getting louder and louder.

    ¡°You think this can kill me?¡± Lance took a step back and snarled, ¡°You¡­ You bunch of idiots! You

    had no idea! YOU KNOW NOTHING!!!¡±

    He let out a rumbling howl and shifted.

    This was the first time J saw Lance¡¯s wolf.

    It was a bony beast with mottled fur, a mixed color of grey and brown. Its size was small, even

    smaller than most soldier¡¯s wolves.

    This was not the physique of a warrior. It looked too weak, almost sickly.

    ¡°My soldiers-¡±

    Lance pounded the ground with its front paw and roared:

    ¡°KILL THEM!!!¡±

    The rogues yelled, raising their weapons, and came at the Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers. Wolf

    howled, gunshot, and the nging noise of des echoed in the air. J dodged the attack from a

    rogue and looked for Lance urgently.

    She spotted that mottled wolf running down the hill.

    ¡°That cunning bastard is getting away!¡± J cried, ¡°He is using his soldiers to drag us back. Stop

    him!¡±

    They couldn¡¯t afford to have Lance running back to the rogue¡¯s territory again.

    Or they wouldn¡¯t be able to kill him.

    ¡°I got this!¡± Daran sprinted forward and went after Lance.

    J wanted to follow him, but she was stopped by the rogues.

    Theyunched into a fierce battle.

    Soon there were dead bodies lying around everywhere and the blood painted the rock and soil

    scarlet red.

    rock and soil scarlet red.

    The rogues outnumbered them. But the Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers were more well-trained.

    After wiping out the rogues that surrounded her, J looked around again. The fight was still

    ongoing. But they had managed to get the upper hand.

    Yet there was still no sign of Daran and Lance.

    It had been about 15 minutes already. It shouldn¡¯t take Daran that long to kill a weak, injured wolf.

    ¡­Did anything happen?

    J felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.

    She left the hill and ran into the woods, taking the direction of Daran and Lance.

    The woods were dark.

    The dense canopy of trees overhead casts the forest floor into shadow. A cloud covered the sun,

    further darkening the already dim environment.

    J took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart as she moved deeper into the forest.

    She knew that Daran could handle himself.

    But the ominous feeling gnawing at her gut wouldn¡¯t go away.

    The forest was eerily silent, the only sounds being the asional rustle of leaves and

    the distant call of a bird.

    J¡¯s senses were on high alert. She found herself jumping at every little noise.

    Eventually, her ear caught something in the wind.

    It was human whisperings,ing from the distance.

    Her heart leaped into her throat as she hurried forward to check it out.

    A few momentster, she found two figures ahead, down in a low valley.

    It was Daran and Lance.

    Lance was slumped against a tree, his face pale and a bloody stain spreading across his shirt. He

    looked extremely weak, and it would only take one more hit to kill him.pletely.

    Daran was standing in front of Lance, holding a gun, and pointing at Lance.

    But Daran didn¡¯t pull the trigger.

    J stared at them from behind a tree, anxious.

    She didn¡¯t understand¡­ Why didn¡¯t Daran pull the trigger? Why didn¡¯t he kill Lance now?!

    Yes, think about what I just said to you¡­Alpha Daran. I can tell that you are already hesitating.¡±

    Lance chuckled, with blood streaming down from the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°Killing me is the wrong decision¡­The wise thing to do is to keep me alive¡­¡±

    J rounded her eyes in shock.

    What the fuck was happening right now?

    Killing him was the wrong decision? That was fucking bullshit!

    They worked so hard for today! Everything they did-all the sacrifices that they made-was for killing

    Lance!! Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Why hadn¡¯t Daran pulled the trigger yet?

    What was he waiting for?!

    She was about to jump out and shout at Daran, telling him to do this alread, and end everything.

    Yet the next second, she heard Daran¡¯s voice:

    ¡­Was it true? What you just said?¡±

    The evil grin on Lance¡¯s lips grew wider as heughed, ¡°Of course! Of course, it was true! Why

    would I lie to you? I already said that I want you as my friend and together we can aplish so

    many great things together! It was you who betrayed me first!¡±

    He coughed. More blood poured out of his mouth.

    ¡°But I am willing to let it slide¡­as long as youe and work with me,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Together, we

    are unstoppable.¡±

    Bullshit!

    J let out a furious cry internally.

    Just do it, Daran! KILL HIM!

    ¡°¡­I can make you be The One True King,¡± Lance said.

    The low valleypsed into a deathly silence.

    Daran¡¯s hand dropped, lowering the gun down.

    ¡­The One True King?¡± he repeated lowly after Lance.

    ¡°Yes! Not the Alpha King, not the Rogue King¡­ But the one true King who has the power to rule

    both worlds! To dominate both the werewolves and the rogues! The King of the whole wide world!¡±

    Lance¡¯s voice got louder, filled with enthusiasm.

    ¡°You have been wondering why brought you back to the Grace Ruin and treated you. as my guest?

    Well, now I am telling you¡­it was because of this! To be The King requires both of us working

    together. Our union is destined!¡±

    ¡°It sounds like craps to me,¡± Daran said coldly.

    ¡°But aren¡¯t you curious?¡± Lance said in a tempting voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about the power you

    can possess? If you be The King, everyone will have to take orders from you-amon

    soldier, an Alpha, or a rogue-Everyone! Oh, and Gamma J¡­you love Gamma J, right?

    Aren¡¯t you afraid that another man will snatch her from you? Maybe her second-chance mate? But if

    you be The King, no man will dare to do that, EVER!

    It was like the whisper of a devil, luring people down the dark path.

    J couldn¡¯t listen to this nonsense anymore.

    She rushed out of the woods and cried out loudly: ¡°-Don¡¯t listen to him, Daran! Just kill him!!!¡±

    Daran¡¯s body became stiff when he heard her voice.

    But he didn¡¯t turn around to face her.

    J clenched her fists. She couldn¡¯t believe that Daran was hesitating.

    Was he seriously considering this?

    No! The Daran that she knew was not a power-hunger person¡­

    Or was he?

    Lance grinned. He reached out a hand to Daran and said, ¡°Take my hand, Alpha Daran. I can make

    you The King. Only I know how!¡±

    ¡°DON¡¯T!!¡±

    J roared. Anger clouded her mind.

    ¡°FUCK! If you don¡¯t do this, I WILL!¡±

    She rushed forward, her eyes fixed on Lance. But she didn¡¯t notice that a rogue soldier had snuck

    up on her behind her back.

    A sharp pain came from her neck, coursing through her whole body.

    Somebody knocked her on the neck.

    J crushed down to the ground, still panting in rage.

    Thest thing that she saw before passing out was Daran taking Lance¡¯s hand, and pulling Lance

    up from the ground.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138

    J woke up from a splitting headache.

    Her senses gradually returned as the harsh reality of her situation sank in. She remembered

    everything before she passed out.

    They gathered Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers and were ready to kill Lance.

    The two sidesunched into a fierce fight. Daran went after Lance alone. She followed them deep

    into the woods and caught them talking.

    She witnesses the whole scene in which Lance turns Daran against them with her own eyes.

    Before she was knocked out, she saw Daran taking Lance¡¯s hand.

    And now she was no longer in the safety of her home, with Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers, but instead

    found herself lying on a cold, hard stone floor.

    She seemed to be in a dungeon.

    As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she took in her surroundings.

    The walls were made of roughly hewn stone, damp with moisture, and covered in patches of mold.

    The air was thick and stale, and the only sound was the distant dripping of water.

    She could vaguely guess what happened after she passed out.

    Daran turned to Lance.

    And they brought her back to the Grace Ruin.

    A wave of strong emotions surged up in her¡­Anger, disbelief, sorrow, shock.

    It almost felt like there was a rock pressing on her chest. She couldn¡¯t breathe. How was this even

    possible¡­Daran betrayed them?!

    He bought Lance¡¯s words.

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    He chose to believe in a monster who promised him superior power.

    He turned against his own people and her for that power.

    J would never believe this if she hadn¡¯t seen everything with her own eyes.

    Daran was the most righteous and noble person she knew. Although he could be cold-hearted from

    time to time, she still had no doubt that he was a decent Alpha.

    J took in a shaky breath and pulled her hair frustratedly.

    No.

    She still couldn¡¯t believe that this was true.

    There must be something that she didn¡¯t know, some hidden facts that caused Daran to make such

    an outrageous decision.

    She would have to find out.

    But first¡­she needed to find a way out of there.

    She moved her body and tried to stand up. Yet she found her hands and feet mped

    by cuffs.

    An iron chain was connected to those cuffs and anchored tightly to the stone wall, making a rattling

    noise once she moved her body.

    She couldn¡¯t break free.

    The darkness seemed to press in on her from all sides, and her mind raced with thoughts of what to

    do now.

    Just then, she heard some footstepsing from the distance. Somebody wasing.

    J snapped her head up, holding her breath in anticipation.

    ¡­Could it be Daran?

    The door to the dungeon burst open and a group of people filled in.

    J¡¯s heart sank.

    It was Harper, with a group of sturdy soldiers.

    ¡°Oh, well, well, well¡­¡±

    Harper giggled, her shoulders rocking withughter, ¡°Look at you, all disappointed. Did you think it

    was Daran? Are you waiting for him to show up? But sorry to let you down. He won¡¯te.¡±

    J¡¯s jaw tightened, ¡°What the fuck are you doing here, Harper? And where am I! ¡°Where else? In

    the dark dungeon underneath the royal pce of Grace Ruin, where we kept the prisoners. That is

    right. You are a prisoner now.¡±

    Harper walked up to J.

    A grim smile twisted her lips.

    ¡°Handcuffs and chains definitely suit you, bitch!¡± she spat.

    J¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly in anger. And she cried, ¡°Where is Daran! Get him here!¡±

    ¡°Oh, haven¡¯t you heard? Daran and our King are best buddies now,¡± Harper giggled. ¡°And Lance

    has punished everyone who dared to help you escape, like that tramp Morgana. Your gigolo Kass

    ran away with Blood Moon Pack¡¯s soldiers, but we will catch him soon. All in all, your pathetic little

    n to kill Lance failed. The Rogue King is unbeatable. My man always triumphs in the end!¡±

    Agony seized J¡¯s heart.

    It was one thing to think about these in her head, but a totally different thing to hear

    it from somebody else, which made it be a harsh reality.

    ¡°No. You are lying¡­¡± J gritted. ¡°That is not Daran¡­Daran would never betray me¡­¡±

    ¡°Wake up, bitch! That is exactly who Daran is, a cold-hearted asshole!¡± Harperughed, ¡°He

    rejected you and tossed you aside ruthlessly once already. He is fully capable of doing it again! He

    will get rid of anything that stands in his way. I just don¡¯t know why you all call Lance a

    monster¡­.because clearly the biggest monster I know is Daran!¡±

    J¡¯s body trembled, causing those chains and cuffs to rattle.

    J¡¯s body trembled, causing those chains and cuffs to rattle.

    She wanted to convince herself that Harper was lying and that she shouldn¡¯t jump to a conclusion

    before seeing Daran.

    But she couldn¡¯t.

    She knew well enough that some parts of Harper¡¯s words were true.

    And Harper

    per was still bbering jauntily, ¡°I am actually d that I dumped Daran. Lance is so much better

    than Daran. Just look at where we are now¡­Daran is working under my man, and you are chained

    to a wall like a fucking dog on a leash. You have to admit that this is quite something-

    ¡­Shut up,¡± J hissed abruptly.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Harper rounded her eyes.

    ¡°I said-SHUT UP YOU PIECE OF TRASH!¡± J sprang up and roared, stretching the iron chains,

    ¡°Get the fuck out of my face!¡±

    Harper¡¯s face turned red instantly in rage.

    ¡°How dare you disrespect me! The Queen!¡± she shrieked and raised a hand to p J.

    But J was faster. She caught Harper¡¯s wrist with her left hand and waved her right arm with her

    full might-

    SLAP!

    A ming red p mark appeared on Harper¡¯s cheek.

    A tooth flew out of Harper¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°AH-¡±

    Harper screamed at the top of her lungs, holding her red cheek. She slumped onto the ground,

    horrified, and fumbled in the darkness.

    ¡°My tooth!¡±

    She cried and opened her mouth, which was covered in blood.

    One of her front teeth was gone.

    ¡°My tooth! Where is my tooth!¡± she screamed hysterically, ¡°I can¡¯t miss a tooth now! The King will

    hold our mating ceremony soon. I have to look perfect!!!¡± She jerked around to those soldiers,

    ¡°What are you still standing there? FIND IT!¡±

    The soldiers filed in and illuminated the dungeon with their shlights.

    But Harper¡¯s missing tooth was nowhere to be found.

    J let out a cold sneer, ¡°I can p you again to make it symmetrical.¡±

    Her words made Harper even more furious.

    Pointing a finger at J, Harper cried, ¡°Hit her! p her! Break her ribs! Whatever! I don¡¯t fucking

    care! Just make her suffer!!!¡±

    Soldiers came at J together.

    J wanted to fight back but her hands and feet were still anchored to the wall. She

    J let out a cold sneer, ¡°I can p you again to make it symmetrical.¡±

    Her words made Harper even more furious.

    Pointing a finger at J, Harper cried, ¡°Hit her! p her! Break her ribs! Whatever! I don¡¯t fucking

    care! Just make her suffer!!!¡±

    Soldiers came at J together.

    J wanted to fight back but her hands and feet were still anchored to the wall. She dodged one

    punch, but another followed right after.

    They pulled her up andshed her with a whip. The whip ripped her flesh apart, causing blood to

    stream down.

    ¡°Harder! Harder!¡± Harper cried excitedly, pping her hands.

    Pain coursed through J¡¯s body.

    But she gritted her teeth to stifle painful groans.

    She would not give Harper the satisfaction of torturing her.

    This tormentsted for 10-15 minutes, and they finally stopped before she passed out again.

    She heard Harper¡¯sughter from the near distance, ¡°¡­I wille back and visit you again, dear

    J.¡±

    Footsteps went away and the door mmed shut.

    They were gone.

    She was left in this dark dungeon again.

    She curled up her body to ease off the pain. But those physical pains were nothingpared to the

    emotional ones.

    What are you doing right now, Daran?

    What were you even thinking¡­

    Morgana was locked in her bedroom right now. Her hands and feet were bound tightly.

    She hadn¡¯t had any food or water since they brought her back to the Grace Ruin.

    But she was not hungry, nor thirsty.

    Her mind was consumed by fury.

    Just then, she heard some whisperings outside of the door. The guards standing in the hallway

    were talking to someone.

    Her bedroom door swung open the next second.

    Steady footsteps came. And a tall figure walked into the dark room.

    Morgana snapped her head up and red at the man as he stepped into the silver moonlight.

    The light illuminated his handsome profile.

    Morgana¡¯s eyes were slits of rage.

    They were gone.

    She was left in this dark dungeon again.

    She curled up her body to ease off the pain. But those physical pains were nothingpared to the

    emotional ones.

    What are you doing right now, Daran?

    What were you even thinking¡­

    Morgana was locked in her bedroom right now. Her hands and feet were bourd tightly.

    She hadn¡¯t had any food or water since they brought her back to the Grace Ruin. But she was not

    hungry, nor thirsty.

    Her mind was consumed by fury.

    Just then, she heard some whisperings outside of the door. The guards standing in the hallway

    were talking to someone.

    Her bedroom door swung open the next second.

    Steady footsteps came. And a tall figure walked into the dark room.

    Morgana snapped her head up and red at the man as he stepped into the silver moonlight.

    The light illuminated his handsome profile.

    Morgana¡¯s eyes were slits of rage.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Traitor!¡± she hissed.

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139

    Daran¡¯s face was expressionless.

    He didn¡¯t respond to Morgana¡¯s cry.

    Walking close, he grabbed the rope that bound Morgana¡¯s hands and gave it one hard pull.

    The rope snapped. And Morgana¡¯s hands were free.

    She remained in her seat and looked at Daran suspiciously, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°You are free to

    leave the room,¡± Daran said in a cool voice.

    ¡°Does thise from Lance?¡±

    ¡°I made this call.¡±

    Yet instead of being grateful, Morgana let out a loud, sarcasticugh, ¡°Oh so you are

    in charge now? Making all the calls? Because you betrayed all your friends and sucked up to your

    enemy, you suddenly be the big boss? And what is this? You want me to thank you with

    gratitude?¡±

    Daran ignored her sarcastic words with the same expressionless face.

    ¡°Where is the dungeon?¡± he asked abruptly.

    Morgana¡¯s nostrils red. She asked pointedly, ¡°Why do you ask? Are you looking for someone

    important?¡±

    Daran¡¯s face darkened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that attitude. Answer my question,¡± he demanded.

    Morgana was pissed.

    She thought Daran would exin himself, or at least act like he was sorry.

    But no.

    He was still cold, arrogant, and cocky as ever! He didn¡¯t even seem to believe that he owed

    everyone an exnation!

    Morgana was never too crazy about Daran. Men were all assholes and Daran was no exception.

    She only proposed a coboration because of J-she could trust J. And since Daran was so

    crazily in love with J, she was fine with Daran getting on board. with them.

    But this bastard screwed them over!

    He even threw the woman he loved under the bus!

    Was his heart made of stone and ice?

    ¡°Do you want to know where Lance kept J?¡± she red at Daran, ¡°Do you feel sorry?

    Sorry that you betrayed her and caused her in this situation?¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes, ¡°This is none of your business.¡±

    ¡°Then fuck you!¡± Morgana spat, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. Definitely not going to let you hurt her again! As far

    as I am concerned, she doesn¡¯t want to see you either. She

    Was his heart made of stone and ice?

    ¡°Do you want to know where Lance kept J?¡± she red at Daran, ¡°Do you feel sorry? Sorry that

    you betrayed her and caused her in this situation?¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes, ¡°This is none of your business.¡±

    ¡°Then fuck you!¡± Morgana spat, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. Definitely not going to let you hurt her again! As far

    as I am concerned, she doesn¡¯t want to see you either. She probably hopes that you died in a

    fucking shithole!¡±

    Daran let out a snort.

    Her threats and curses seemed to have zero effects on him.

    Which further proved that he was a barefaced, heartless prick!

    ¡°If you are such a big boss, go find out where she is yourself. Or ask Lance,¡± Morgana taunted. ¡°You

    saved Lance¡¯s ass big time. I bet he is willing to tell you anything.¡±

    Daran looked away from her.

    He reached into his pocket and put something on the table.

    It was some antibiotics and bandages.

    ¡°You are right. J probably doesn¡¯t want to see me,¡± he said deeply. ¡°Give this to her when you

    see her. Tell her to take care of herself. And tell her that I have my reasons.¡±

    He turned to leave the room.

    Morgana stared at his back.

    She knew that she probably shouldn¡¯t say another word to him ever again.

    But after a little pause, she couldn¡¯t help but cry to his back, ¡°Hey! What is your fucking reason!¡±

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t answer.

    He didn¡¯t even slow his steps.

    He went straight out of the room and closed the door behind him.

    The following few days were like a living hell for J.

    Harper would visit her every single day, bringing arge group of soldiers to torment her.

    She tried to fight back. But there was not much she could do with her hands and feet anchored to

    the wall.

    Harper enjoyed humiliating her greatly. She would dress up and sit by the side as soldiers beat

    J up.

    Yet no matter how many makeups she applied, it still wouldn¡¯t cover the fact that she had a missing

    front tooth.

    On the fourth time she showed up, J noticed that she had nted a golden tooth.

    ¡°Shiny.¡±

    Jmented with a cold smile.

    Jmented with a cold smile.

    ¡°It fits your bad taste.¡±

    Harper¡¯s face twisted in rage. She knew that the golden tooth was tacky. But it was the best she

    could do within such a short time.

    She received quite a few mocking and cold eyes from the otherdies recently.

    And it was all because of this bitch J!

    ¡°Shut up, bitch!¡±

    Harper yelled at J, clenching her fists.

    ¡°I am giving you a good lesson today! Maybe that ought to teach you to shut your filthy hole!¡±

    She beckoned to a soldier, who brought over a stun gun.

    They had used all kinds of weapons on J for the past few days, like whips, sticks, and stones.

    But a stun gun¡­this was a first.

    J¡¯s body became stiff.

    She could already imagine the electronic shots coursing through her body¡­ It must fucking hurt.

    But she didn¡¯t want Harper to see that she was afraid. So she took a deep breath and closed her

    eyes, ready to endure any pain in silence.

    ¡°Take it, bitch!¡± Harper cackled viciously, ¡°Nobody ising to save you-¡± ¡°Who says there isn¡¯t?¡± a

    sudden voice came from the door.

    J snapped her eyes open, astonished.

    A tall and beautiful woman with ming red hair stood by the door, with her arms. crossed in front of

    her chest.

    ¡°Morgana!¡±

    Harper cried in horror.

    ¡°W-What are you doing here? You traitor should be locked up!¡±

    Morgana chuckled and stepped into the dungeon, with armed soldiers following behind her back.

    ¡°The King released me and gave me my old job back. As the Cab Minister,¡± Morgana sneered.

    ¡°And I guess I should be the one asking that question: what are YOU doing here? Did anyone

    authorize you to visit Gamma J?¡±

    Harper took a small step back. Then she raised her head stubbornly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t need an authorization! I am the Queen! I can go anywhere as I please!¡± she cried.

    ¡°Wrong.¡±

    The cold smile on Morgana¡¯s lips grew wider.

    ¡°Without an authorization, you aremitting a serious crime. You and your

    Harper cried in hortor.

    ¡°W-What are you doing here? You traitor should be locked up!¡±

    Morgana chuckled and stepped into the dungeon, with armed soldiers following behind her back.

    ¡°The King released me and gave me my old job back. As the Cab Minister,¡± Morgana sneered.

    ¡°And I guess I should be the one asking that question: what are YOU doing here? Did anyone

    authorize you to visit Gamma J?¡±

    Harper took a small step back. Then she raised her head stubbornly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t need an authorization! I am the Queen! I can go anywhere as I please!¡± she

    cried.

    ¡°Wrong.¡±

    The cold smile on Morgana¡¯s lips grew wider.

    ¡°Without an authorization, you aremitting a serious crime. You and your aplices should all

    be punished.¡±

    She snapped her fingers. Her soldiers closed up on Harper¡¯s men.

    ¡°One arm,¡± she said idly.

    Harper¡¯s men were all horrified. They dropped to their knees as fast as they could. One guy even

    cried out loud begging, ¡°Please Lady Morgana! I-I won¡¯t do this again! Please!!!¡±

    Yet one soldier caught his arm forcefully. And then-

    CRACK!!

    His right arm was snapped.

    The man crushed to the ground, rolling around in pain.

    Within 5 short seconds, all of Harper¡¯s men lost one arm.

    The dungeon echoed with wails. Harper¡¯s face was pale, and her body was quivering

    in fear.

    Morgana looked at her, smiling, ¡°Does the future queen like to have a taste of that?¡± Harper¡¯s lips

    trembled, ¡°¡­Why¡­Why would Lance give you your job back? You betrayed him!¡±

    Morganaughed, ¡°Because I am too important! 90% of the men in his pce took orders from me.

    He can¡¯t simply rece me. Unlike you, bitch. He can toss you aside

    without a blink of an eye. So watch yourself around me.¡±

    Harper bit her lower lip, humiliated.

    But she couldn¡¯t argue with Morgana on this. It was a fact.

    ¡°Beat it!¡± Morgana snapped.

    Harper hurried off instantly. Her men followed behind her back, staggering. They were gone within

    seconds.

    Morgana waved at her soldiers, ¡°You guys can leave as well.¡±

    Everyone was cleared out. And it was just Morgana and J in the room.

    Morgana looked at her, smiling, ¡°Does the future queen like to have a taste of that

    Harper¡¯s lips trembled, ¡°¡­Why¡­Why would Lance give you your job back? You betrayed him!¡±

    Morganaughed, ¡°Because I am too important! 90% of the men in his pce took orders from me.

    He can¡¯t simply rece me. Unlike you, bitch. He can toss you aside without a blink of an eye. So

    watch yourself around me.¡±

    Harper bit her lower lip, humiliated.

    But she couldn¡¯t argue with Morgana on this. It was a fact.

    ¡°Beat it!¡± Morgana snapped.

    Harper hurried off instantly. Her men followed behind her back, staggering. They were gone within

    seconds.

    Morgana waved at her soldiers, ¡°You guys can leave as well.¡±

    Everyone was cleared out. And it was just Morgana and J in the room.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­ Look at you! That fucking Harper!¡±

    Morgana rushed to J¡¯s side and checked her wounds.

    ¡°I should fucking kill her!¡± Morgana gritted.

    J grabbed her hand.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Forget about Harper. Have¡­Have you heard from Daran

    she asked urgently.

    Morgana rolled her eyes, ¡°Why are you still asking about that traitor? He should be dead to you.¡±

    J looked at her, stunned, ¡°¡­.Maybe he has his reasons.¡±

    ¡°What reasons!¡± Morgana jumped up, infuriated. ¡°Did hee and visit you once since you were

    caught? NO! He is out there having parties and good times with Lance! He haspletely forgotten

    about you! I don¡¯t care what fucking reasons he had. He is a fucking prick! Period!¡±

    J shook her head.

    She turned a tortured face to Morgana.

    ¡°I know Daran¡­This isn¡¯t like his normal self,¡± she said lowly.

    Morgana¡¯s jaw tightened.

    ¡°FINE!¡± she said abruptly and then pulled out a key, unlocking J.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    She pulled J up from the floor.

    ¡°You will believe me if you see with your own eyes.¡±

    Morgana took her out of the dungeon.

    They were seen by many soldiers on their way. But none of those soldiers made a move to stop

    them.

    J grabbed her hand.

    ¡°Forget about Harper. Have¡­Have you heard from Daran?¡± she asked urgently.

    Morgana rolled her eyes, ¡°Why are you still asking about that traitor? He should be dead to you.¡±

    J looked at her, stunned, ¡°¡­ Maybe he has his reasons.¡±

    ¡°What reasons!¡± Morgana jumped up, infuriated. ¡°Did hee and visit you once since you were

    caught? NO! He is out there having parties and good times with Lance! He haspletely forgotten

    about you! I don¡¯t care what fucking rea ons he had. He is a fucking prick! Period!¡±

    J shook her head.

    She turned a tortured face to Morgana.

    ¡°I know Daran¡­This isn¡¯t like his normal self,¡± she said lowly.

    Morgana¡¯s jaw tightened.

    ¡°FINE!¡± she said abruptly and then pulled out a key, unlocking J.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    She pulled J up from the floor.

    ¡°You will believe me if you see with your own eyes.¡±

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140

    Morgana took her out of the dungeon.

    They were seen by many soldiers on their way. But none of those soldiers made a move to stop

    them..

    So it wasn¡¯t hard at all to rescue her out of here.

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t even try.

    Morgana shoved her into a car waiting outside and told the driver their destination. ¡°Where are we

    going?¡± J rubbed her temple.

    She felt so exhausted and betrayed that she just wanted to lie down right now.

    ¡°Proving my point!¡± Morgana hissed, ¡°First we are going to a fancy salon to get your hair done and

    your dresses picked. Then we are going to a nightclub, where Lance and Daran are hanging out

    tonight.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we just go straight to the nightclub?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not!¡± Morgana cried, ¡°I won¡¯t let him see you like this. You have to look glorious,

    especially the first time you see your ex after the breakup.¡±

    J wanted to tell Morgana that she and Daran didn¡¯t break up.

    They weren¡¯t even in a rtionship.

    Yet she opened her mouth and decided that she couldn¡¯t be bothered with all the exnation.

    She looked out to the passing streetlights andpsed into silence at a loss.

    She didn¡¯t know what exactly Morgana wanted to show her tonight. She didn¡¯t think she was ready

    for that either.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    If¡­If she saw anything-things that proved Morgana right, was she really ready to cut the ties with

    Daran?

    She had no idea.

    Their first stop was a fancy salon.

    Morgana asked the shop owner to clear the floor so that all stylists could only serve the two of them

    tonight.

    J first took a long shower and then she was seated in front of a dresser with a full-sized mirror

    facing her.

    While two hair stylists fumbled with her hair, the make-up artist started to apply makeup for her.

    The wounds and bruises on her face and body were carefully covered by concealers. The stylist

    gave her a sultry, smoky eye look with dark eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, and coats of mascara.

    Her gorgeous face was brought out with a touch of bronzer and glittering highlighter, and a nude lip

    color with a glossy finish.

    As the stylists worked with her face and hair, Morgana was sitting on the couch flipping through a

    shopping brochure, choosing an outfit for her.

    As soon as J was done with her makeup, she was shoved into a dressing room to get

    changed.

    When she came out with a finished look, everyone was stunned, including the stylists who did her

    makeover.

    ¡°Holy fuck¡­¡±

    Morgana shot up from the couch, rounding her eyes at J,

    ¡°Look at you! You are glowing!¡±

    J was wearing a silver bodycon dress that hugged her curves perfectly The deep V-neckline

    showed off her cleavage. One side slit-up design brought out

    Her hair was made into wavy curves and fell down to the middle of her back. The hairstylist gave

    her a byage hair dye.

    leg.

    Now her hair color started with darker roots and gradually faded into a lighter, silver color at the

    ends, which was also the color of her dress.

    Morgana cried excitedly and rushed to hold her hands, ¡°My god! Men in your packs are so damn

    lucky. They must all be crazy for you!¡±

    J gave a tug at her dress with a bitter smile.

    ¡°Not exactly¡­No.¡±

    When she was at Riverside Pack, she didn¡¯t have the money and time to look pretty. Back at that

    time, all spotlights were on Harper. And she was a nobody.

    Daran didn¡¯t even notice her until they mated to each other.

    She had all the resources when she was imed back to Blood Moon Pack. But she soon became

    the Gamma and wore light sportswear every day for the training.

    Thinking back, she seemed to never have the chance to dress up.

    Morgana looked stunned when she heard this from J.

    ¡°Then what about your Luna Ceremony with Daran?¡± Morgana asked, ¡°At least your dressed up for

    that.¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°We didn¡¯t have a ceremony.¡±

    The Diaz gave her a ride to Daran¡¯s vi and dumped her at the front door. And that

    was it.

    Daran didn¡¯t evene back on the first night of their mating. He spent the night at Harper¡¯s.

    ¡°Fuck¡­That fucking prick!!!¡± Morgana yelled.

    She grabbed J¡¯s hand and led her to the door, ¡°You need to see a bastard for he really is. And

    he needs to see what he is missing out!¡±

    The car drove them to a buzzing nightclub. Arge group of customers was waiting in line outside.

    J couldn¡¯t help but notice that those customers were all girls. No man.

    ¡°That is Lance¡¯s idea!¡±

    ¡°That is Lance¡¯s idea!¡±

    Morgana shouted to her ear as they skipped the line and went through the front door.

    ¡°He booked the ce for 7 days straight! And set a no-man policy. All the girls in the city are here to

    impress the King and his new friend!¡±

    They stepped inside.

    And found themselves in a fancy nightclub with a dimly lit, industrial-chic interior that was alive with

    the throb of bass-heavy music.

    Strobe lights flickered across the dance floor, casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the writhing

    bodies of the dancers.

    The air was thick with the scent of heavy perfume and sweat.

    J had to hold her breath as they pushed through the crowd.

    ¡°Look!¡±

    Morgana pointed in a certain direction for her.

    J followed her finger and caught sight of Daran.

    It was quite hard to miss.

    Because he was on stage dancing with the stripper.

    The girl was dressed in a bikini. Her big boobs were pressed against his chest.

    They were pressed close together, their bodies moving in sync with the rhythm of the music.

    The girl kissed his throat and led his hand to her hips.

    He didn¡¯t pull his hand back. Instead, his long finger hooked the string of her bikini bottom, ready to

    pull it loose at any second.

    The crowd downstage exploded with cheers, excited to see him stripe the girl.

    J widened her eyes.

    She found herself lost in shock and disbelief.

    The man on stage¡­.

    He didn¡¯t seem like Daran at all.

    The Daran that she knew never indulged himself in parties and booze. He was cold and indifferent,

    but also an industrious Alpha.

    He kept his distance from most she-wolves, even when they threw themselves at him.

    He was only nice to Harper, and then her.

    So who was this man dancing on stage with the stripper?

    J didn¡¯t know.

    She hardly recognized him anymore.

    Just then, someone popped a champagne and sprayed the wine all over their bodies. The girl

    giggled and raised her head to lick the wine dripping down his face.

    So who was this man dancing on stage with the stripper?

    J didn¡¯t know.

    She hardly recognized him anymore.

    Just then, someone popped a champagne and sprayed the wine all over their bodies. The girl

    giggled and raised her head to lick the wine dripping down his face. Yet Datan pushed her away and

    jumped off stage, heading towards a booth.

    J saw Lance in that booth as well, surrounded by wasted, pretty girls.

    Daran said something to Lance.

    But they were too far away, and the music was too loud. She couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying.

    Just when she decided to move closer, she saw Lance grab a mic.

    Then his booming voice echoed in the nightclub, ¡°Somebody kills the music.¡±

    The loud music died out instantly.

    All the girls stopped dancing and looked at the Rogue King, perplexed.

    Lance turned to Daran with a big smile and asked, ¡°Do you like the girl I chose for you?¡±

    Daran was drinking a ss of champagne.

    Hearing Lance¡¯s question, he raised a brow nonchntly and said, ¡°She is fine.¡±

    The stripper¡¯s eyes sparkled with joy, and she was looking at him with an expression

    of adoration.

    J felt a sharp pain shoot through her body.

    Lanceughed, looking pleased with Daran¡¯s answer, ¡°And what if I tell you that she used to be a

    member of your pack?¡±

    ¡°Riverside Pack?¡± Daran frowned.

    ¡°That is right. She was expelled after being found stealing.¡± Lance snapped her fingers, ¡°No, I

    changed my mind. I don¡¯t want you to spend the night with a former member of Riverside Pack.

    Definitely not a thief.¡±

    He reached into his pocket.

    And pulled out a gun.

    ¡°Shoot her dead,¡± he said to Daran with a grin, tossing the gun onto Daran¡¯sp. A horrified gasp

    could be heard from the crowd. Girls backed away hastily in fear.

    The stripper froze on the spot. She widened her eyes at the gun, taken aback by this sudden turn of

    events.

    ¡°M-My King¡­¡± she stuttered, ¡°You are joking¡­¡±

    The smile on Lance¡¯s lips faded away, ¡°Why would I joke to a tramp like you? You had once danced

    with him. Lucky bitch. Now is the time for you to die.¡±

    The once noisy clubpsed into a deathly silence.

    The stripper trembled, her face pale as a piece of paper.

    ¡°No¡­don¡¯t¡­¡± she sobbed looking at Daran pleadingly. ¡°I was once your member¡­don¡¯t do it¡­¡±

    ¡°Shoot her, Daran. Shot your former member,¡± Lance smiled. ¡°Prove resolution to me.¡±

    J clenched her fists, her heart pounding in her chest.

    No, Daran wouldn¡¯t.

    your

    She could ept him dancing with a stripper but this¡­ No. A decent Alpha would never shoot an

    innocent girl-

    Daran picked up the gun and pointed it at the stripper.

    ¡°NO-¡± J cried abruptly.

    And he had pulled the trigger!

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141

    J sprinted forward and reached out a hand to grab that innocent girl.

    But she was too far away

    She couldn¡¯t make it!

    Yet the expected explosive noise of the gunshot didn¡¯te, nor did she see any blood gushing out

    of the girl.

    The girl staggered back and fell right into J¡¯s arms. She was so scared that she was on the

    verge of passing out.

    J held her and checked her again. No, she was fine. There was not a trace of wound and

    blood.

    J jerked around and red at Lance and Daran.

    A furious growl escaped her gritted teeth, ¡°¡­What the fuck!!!¡±

    Daran¡¯s hand dropped. He looked at J deeply and a hint of amazement flickered across his

    eyes.

    Lance suddenly started tough. The angry and confused expression on J¡¯s face seemed to

    have amused him..

    ¡°Gamma J! You are right on time! Come and join the party!¡± he said yfully.

    J ignored him.

    Her eyes were fixed on Daran..

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°¡­You shot her,¡± she said hoarsely.

    Daran east a casual nce at the gun, ¡°it is not loaded.¡±

    ¡°Yes, unloaded.¡± Lance chuckled. ¡°Just a little test to see his resolution. You passed, by the way, my

    friend,¡±

    J clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her flesh.

    ¡°You pulled the trigger!¡± she cried, losing all control. ¡°What if the gun has bullets in It? Are you

    perfectly fine with killing an innocent woman?¡±

    Daran said in an offhand voice, ¡°She is a rogue. It is not a big deal.¡±

    How was this not a big deal?

    J red at him in disbelief.

    It was one thing to kill rogue soldiers on the battlefield.

    But a totally different case to shoot at a civilian.¡±

    They were warriors, not cold¨Cblooded murderers.

    ¡­Or maybe Daran was.

    A ruthless, cold¨Cblooded murderer who was willing to do anything to achieve his goal

    He was fine with ughtering all rogues in the city of Grace Ruin to kill Lance. She talked him

    of it. He gave up on that because he said that her feelings mattered

    more.

    But he certainly didn¡¯t give a fuck about her feelings now.

    He let her rot in the dungeon, beaten up by Harper daily, while he was out here hanging out with

    Lance, dancing with strippers, shooting civilians for fun.

    Maybe he never really cared about her.

    If he did, he would not reject her in the first ce.

    She was just fooled by his sweet talks before.

    Tears were welling in her eyes. But she quickly blinked them away.

    No.

    She wouldn¡¯t cry.

    Crying was weak.

    She would not let herself look weak in front of Daran and Lance.

    ¡°Why did you betray us?¡± she asked word by word.

    Daran narrowed his eyes darkly.

    ¡°You want to talk here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Why not?¡± J gritted, ¡°You had the audacity to turn against your own men. So you should have

    the gut to say your reasons out loud.¡±

    Lanceughed abruptly.

    He leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs, looking rxed.

    ¡°Well, go ahead, talk! Don¡¯t mind us,¡± he giggled. ¡°I am actually quite curious to hear.¡±

    Annoyance flickered across Daran¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You already heard my reasons in the woods,¡± Daran said.

    ¡°So it is true?¡± J found herself trembling in rage. ¡°Because he promised you power? He said he

    could make you The King? What if he is lying?!¡±

    Lance spread his hands, ¡°Every word I said was true.¡±

    ¡°He will honor his promise. I will make sure of that,¡± Daran said tly.

    J felt light¨Cheaded.

    The world started to spin around her. Everything felt so surreal.

    They went so far as to put an end to this war, to kill the Rogue King, from Riverside Pack to

    Crimson Fortress, and then the Grace Ruin.

    They had gone a long, exhausted way.

    Yet

    they failed at thest moment.

    Because of Daran.

    Because of a reason as ridiculous as that.

    With hatred and sorrow washing over her body, J asked for thest time, ¡°Even if this means

    losing everything you have now?¡±

    Daran looked back at her calmly.

    ¡°I will have everything back once I seed¡­And even more,¡± he said.

    J took a shaky step back.

    Her heart was in so much pain that it felt as though somebody just stabbed her..

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    She snapped, breathing harshly.

    ¡°But you won¡¯t have me back. Never. From this point, we are officially enemies.¡± Daran¡¯s face grew

    dark

    Before he could say anything, Lance suddenly burst intoughter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself too much, Gamma J!¡± Lance cackled, ¡°There is a room full of pretty girls

    here for Daran to choose from. He can take any one of them to bed

    tonight. You are really not his top choice!¡±

    shut

    up, Lance,¡± Daran said freezingly.

    Yet J was done talking to them.

    She turned and rushed to the entrance, feeling utterly humiliated.

    Tears blurred her vision. She didn¡¯t even know where she was heading. She just kept running,

    getting as far away as possible from those monsters behind.

    Eventually, somebody caught up with her and grabbed her shoulder.

    ¡°Hey! J¡­Wait!¡±

    It was Morgana, looking at her worriedly.

    J realized that they were now standing on the empty sidewalk. She blinked. Tears streamed

    down her cheeks instantly.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t dress up for this,¡± she said lowly.

    Morgana signed, ¡°Don¡¯t say this¡­ You look gorgeous. He will regret it.¡±

    J shook her head.

    It was never about how she looked.

    Daran just didn¡¯t love her that much.

    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t believe this¡­¡±

    J swayed and slumped down on the curb. She buried her face in between her knees.

    ¡°Our best Alpha is with the rogues now¡­I¡­What should I do?¡± she murmured.

    She didn¡¯t know how Casper and the other soldiers were right now.

    They must be worried sick.

    And how should she tell them that Daran had turned?

    Without an Alpha, would Riverside Packpse into total chaos?

    Everything was so fucked up.

    a nave an idea, morgana sain

    J looked up at her, ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Run.¡± she said.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142

    Run?

    J looked at her friend at a loss.

    After a long pause, she asked nkly, ¡°¡­Run to where?¡±

    ¡°Back to Blood Moon Pack! To be with your friends and family of course.¡± Morgana grabbed her

    hand and held it tightly.

    ¡°Yet what about Daran? I¨CI am going to just leave him here?¡±

    ¡°Fuck Daran!¡± Morgana snapped. ¡°You saw how he was like back in there. That man is doomed,

    beyond salvage. You should just leave him be, J. Go do what you are supposed to do.¡±

    J rubbed her face, frustrated.

    It was pretty clear now that Daran had made up his mind to stay with Lance, for power, for title, or

    whatever fucking reasons that he had.

    There was nothing else she could do even if she stayed.

    Staying here in the Grace Ruin would only give Harper and Daran more chances to humiliate her.

    So Morgana was right about her leaving. It was the right thing to do.

    Yet J still couldn¡¯t help but feel devastated.

    She had a feeling that if she left the Grace Ruin this time¡­it would be the end for her and Daran.

    ¡°If I leave¡­¡±

    J said slowly.

    ¡°¡­will Lance attack us again? Or even worse¡­will he bring Daran to attack us?¡±

    She and Daran came all the way to the Grace Ruin to kill Lance, to put a stop to this.

    war.

    But now it seemed like the war wasn¡¯t going to end anytime soon.

    She couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what it would be like when she encountered Daran on the

    battlefield in the future¨Cwith him on the enemy¡¯s side.

    It would crush her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Lance will go back to war recently.¡±

    Morgana shook her head.

    ¡°Ever since you and Daran got here, he never said anything about going back to the battlefield. It

    appears that Daran is what he has wanted all along. I think there is going to be a brief moment of

    peace between the two sides.¡±

    J let out a sarcasticugh, ¡°We traded Daran for a temporary truce. It sounds like a great deal

    But she knew that the truce would only be temporary.

    Lance said that he would make Daran The King. But nobody knew how. It would probably take

    more than a simple crowning ceremony.

    And they all knew that Lance was a cunning bastard who had absolutely no credibility to talk about.

    He would not keep his word.

    When the coboration between Daran and Lance fell apart, the war would probably begin again.

    But those were all in the future.

    Morgana gave a gentle nudge on her shoulder and said, ¡°Stop taking up all the responsibilities. You

    did everything you could. Go back to be with your pack members. Don¡¯t give Daran any more

    chances to hurt you.¡±

    J breathed out a long sigh, ¡°Thank you, Morgana. I¡­will think about it. Do I need to go back to

    the dungeon tonight?¡±

    ¡°Hell no.¡±

    Morgana stood up and offered her a hand, pulling J up from the ground.

    ¡°You are the Cab Minister¡¯s friend. You deserve the best room in this city.¡±

    Morgana brought her back and put her in a suite right next to the Cab Minister¡¯s

    room.

    All the maids and guards knew about her recent escape. And they were allughing at her behind

    her back.

    They called her a clown, a joke, aplete failure. Theyughed at her for losing Daran and

    believed that she should be sent to scrub the toilet like a ve.

    And all the maids were pretty excited about Daran joining the rogue¡¯s side. With his handsome

    appearance and great power, he soon became every girl¡¯s dream. J already heard a few maids

    talking about asking Daran out for a date.

    It seemed that everyone¡¯s hatred and dislike was targeted solely at her.

    Yet J was not bothered by that stuff.

    First, she couldn¡¯t care less about what those empty¨Cheaded rogue maids thought. And most

    importantly, she would leave the city of Grace Ruin soon.

    Morgana nned to send her out of the city in 3 days.

    3 dayster, she would kiss this sad ce goodbye and go back to the Blood Moon Pack, where

    everyone adored her and treated her like a true princess.

    She should feel more excited about this.

    But she was not.

    She just couldn¡¯t shake her mind off Daran.

    On the night of J¡¯s nned departure, Morgana came back from patrol and gave

    her a backpack.

    ¡°You will find everything you need in the backpack¡±

    Morgana said to her.

    ¡°Pood, water, and a car key. You will find the car 15 miles to the South after you leave the city. Just

    stay on the main road and you won¡¯t miss it. Once you find the

    ar, you should be able to hit the border before dawn

    J nodded in silence.

    ¡°Oh And I have already talked to all the guards on patrol tonight. Most of them will stay out of your

    way. But if any of them dares to stop you

    Morgana opened the side pocket of the backpack and there was a gun.

    -Just blow that bastard¡¯s brain out.¡±

    J replied to her with a brief smile and took the backpack.

    ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡±

    She leaned in to hug Morgana, ¡°I am really going to miss you¡­When can I see you again?¡±

    Morgana hugged her back, ¡°Soon, I guess. When Daran and Lance fuck up, we will meet again.¡±

    J¡¯s heart sank slightly when she heard Daran¡¯s name.

    ¡°Does he know that I am leaving the city tonight?¡± J asked.

    ¡°No. I tried to keep this thing discreet. Nobody knows besides my most trusted men.¡±

    Morgana let out a cold sneer after a little pause.

    ¡°Plus, I really don¡¯t think Daran would care even if he knew¡­You should see what he was like for

    the past few days, parties, booze, pretty girls¡­He doesn¡¯t have the time to think about you, J.¡±

    Sadness and agony seized J¡¯s heart.

    ¡°¡­ Are there other women?¡± she asked Morgana in a low voice.

    Morgana hesitated.

    Then she signed, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. You won¡¯t be happy with my answer.¡±

    A bitter smile tugged at J¡¯s lips.

    Morgana was right.

    Daran was probably out there messing around with other women right at this very

    moment.

    But what she could do about it?

    Nothing.

    It was better if she didn¡¯t know.

    That man had changed his heart. And that was all that mattered.

    Morgana asked her to leave the city at midnight, under the¨Ccover of the night.

    -Mourit

    Now it was a quarter to 12.

    15 minutes before the departure time.

    J was sitting on the floor doing onest round of check¨Cups of her backpack supplies.

    And that was when a knock came from the door.

    J snapped her head up instantly¨CWho could it be?

    Morgana patted her shoulder, gesturing her to stay calm, and went to get the door.

    A few momentster, J heard an astonished gasping from the door:

    ¡°¡­What the fuck are you doing here?!¡±

    What the hell?

    J jumped up and rushed to the door. She saw two guards standing by the door facing

    Morgana.

    They pulled their masks off and showed their faces.

    ¡­They were Kass and Casper!

    J was too shocked to even make a sound¡­Kass and her brother were here in the Rogue

    King¡¯s pce!

    They would die if anyone caught them!

    ¡°Fuck¡­Juste in! Quick!¡±

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Morgana cursed and pulled them in, mming the door shut.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Casper rushed to J with a worried look. There were dark circles under his eyes. He looked

    exhausted and haggard.

    ¡°J, are you alright?¡± he asked urgently.

    J nodded at a loss, ¡°I am fine. But what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°To get you back from that fucking bastard Daran!¡± Casper snarled, ¡°He betrayed

    didn¡¯t he? Fuck, I knew it was wrong to trust him.

    us,

    He noticed the bruises on J¡¯s face and his voice grew louder, ¡°Did he fucking hit you?!¡±

    ¡°No, it was Harper¡­ But that is not the point! Do you know how much danger you are in right

    now?!¡±

    A former rogue and an Alpha sneaking into the Rogue King¡¯s pce¡­. It was too dangerous!

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gamma Jariet, we were very careful,¡± Kass said to her in aforting voice. ¡°I know

    the way in. So nobody noticed us. We have toe¡­for you.¡±

    He cast a quick nce at Morgana.

    ¡­I was worried about you too,¡± he said lowly.

    Morgana kissed him, ¡°Thanks babe. I am touched. But it won¡¯t change the fact that your n is

    stupid and reckless.¡±

    ¡°We need to go.¡± J said hastily, ¡°As soon as possible. Morgana is sending me away tonight.

    You two areing with me. The 3 of us might draw more attention. but-

    Another knock came from the door, cutting her off.

    The four of them held their breaths, standing on their spots in perfect silence, and turned to look at

    the door suspiciously.

    More visitors?

    Who could it be this time?

    A familiar voice answered their question the next second:

    ¡°J. It is me. Open the door.¡±

    J widened her eyes.

    It was Daran!

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143

    J jerked around to stare at Morgana and asked with her mouth:

    Did you ask him toe?

    Morgana shook her head hastily with an anxious expression.

    It was clear. Nobody invited Daran. He came by himself.

    Casper gave a hard pull at J¡¯s shirt and tilted his head towards the window.

    J understood what he meant by that.

    Casper was asking her to ignore Daran and get out of there through the window.

    But¡­

    ¡°J.¡±

    Another knock came, harder this time.

    ¡°I saw the light in your room. I know you haven¡¯t slept yet. Open the door.¡± Daran¡¯s cold voice came

    from the outside.

    Morgan¡¯s lips moved. J could tell that she was cursing Daran under her breath. Morgana strode

    to the closet and wrenched the door open.

    She looked back at the three of them and pointed at the closet, urging them to get inside.

    J, Casper, and Kass shared a brief look and quickly did as she said.

    Casper and Kass couldn¡¯t be seen.

    J just didn¡¯t want to face Daran.

    After the three of them were properly hidden, Morgana made sure that the closet door was shut and

    went to get the door.

    Inside the closet, the three of them had their faces pressed to the door panel, peeking through the

    small crack.

    The room door opened open, and they saw Daran standing outside.

    Daran frowned seeing Morgana behind the door, ¡°What are you doing here? Where is J?¡±

    Morgana crossed her arms in front of her chest and said with a nasty tone, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to see

    you.¡±

    ¡°A piece of advice,¡± Daran sald freezingly. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking stand in our way.¡±

    ¡°Me? Standing in your way? What the fuck are you talking about?¡± Morgana raised her voice

    furiously. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you think about J when you were fucking around for the past few days? It

    shouldn¡¯t be a surprise that she doesn¡¯t want to see you now!¡±

    Daran took a step further, ¡°Tell her toe out. I want to talk to her.¡±

    ¡°She has gone to bed already¡­Hey!¡±

    Daran shoved her aside and strode into the room.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you toe in!¡± Morgana snapped.

    Yet Daran had already gone into the bedroom. The bed was empty. He came back out

    with a dark look.

    ¡°I will give you onest chance¡­¡±

    He approached Morgana with a cold gleam in his eyes, ¡°Where is she!¡±

    His aura was very intimidating, Morgana stood firmly in front of him. Yet her tightly clenched fists

    showed that she was in fact very nervous.

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± she gritted, ¡°You guys broke up.¡±

    ¡°Is that what she said?¡± Daran growled, ¡°Morgana¡­I swear to god¡­if you dare to help her leave

    me, I will fucking rip your throat apart!¡±

    J heard Kass¡¯s breathing suddenly be heavy.

    And she was furious herself.

    Why did Daran think that he had the right to say something like that?!

    He was the one who betrayed this rtionship¨Cif they had one in the first ce!

    What a fucking asshole¡­.She wanted to punch at his face!

    J¡¯s mind was clouded by anger. She felt an urge toe out there and help Morgana. But

    Casper held her wrist tightly and kept her in the closet.

    Yet right at this moment, they saw Daran¡¯s nostrils moved.

    And he sniffed the air.

    ¡°The scent¡­it smells familiar,¡± he said darkly.

    Morgana gulped, ¡°W¨CWhat scent? J¡¯s scent?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Daran slowly turned his head.

    He stared at the closet behind his back, ¡°Kass and Casper,¡±

    The next second, he dashed and came right into the closet!

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°RUN!!!¡± Casper¡¯s roar exploded right next to J¡¯s ear.

    Kass shifted into his wolf and crushed the closet into pieces.

    Daran came to grab J¡¯s shoulder. But Kass caught J¡¯s cor with his teeth and threw her

    onto his back.

    Daran missed her and let out a furious long howl.

    ¡°Run!¡± Morgana screamed, ¡°I will stall him!¡±

    She shifted into a wolf with chestnut fur and knocked Daran to the ground.

    Kass took this chance and sprinted forward with J and Casper on his back. His wolf crashed

    the window open and jumped right off from the 8th floor!

    The night wind gushed at her face. J¡¯s body flew up. Casper caught her arm just in time and

    pulled her back up.

    ¡°Hang tight!¡± he cried.

    They clung onto Kass¡¯s fur. The wolf touched the ground with a small lurch and sprinted to the

    South Gate.

    ¡°Morgana won¡¯t be able to stop him!¡± J cried in the gushing wind.

    That was Daran! The strongest Alpha!

    Nobody could stop him!

    ¡°She just needs to buy us a little time!¡± Casper snapped.

    J¡¯s heart was seized by anxiety. She couldn¡¯t help but look back to Morgana¡¯s

    room.

    With a piercing cry thatpletely broke the silence of the night, tworge wolves one ck and

    one chestnut red¨Ccame crashing down from the 8th floor! The giant ck wolf had the chestnut

    wolf¡¯s neck in his teeth. He threw her body against the wall and let out a furious howl.

    J¡¯s heart stopped a beat¡­Daran hurt Morgana!

    He had lost his fucking mind!

    Kass came to a sharp halt and pounded the ground angrily with his front paws.

    He looked back in Morgana¡¯s direction, worried.

    ¡°Keep going, Kass!¡± Casper urged, ¡°Daran won¡¯t kill her!¡±

    J interrupted Kass urgently, ¡°No. You go back to her, Kass.¡±

    Morgana was Kass¡¯s mate. The two of them had helped her enough already. She couldn¡¯t ask Kass

    to stand aside when Morgana was in danger. They jumped off from the wolf¡¯s back. Kass

    immediately rushed back.

    J and Casper started running towards the South Gate on their feet.

    The moon hung low in the night sky, casting long shadows through the narrow cobblestone streets

    of the city.

    J ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her chest.

    She could hear the growls and snarls of the werewolves in the distance. She knew that Morgana

    and Kass wouldn¡¯t be able to stall Daran for long.

    He woulde at them again soon.

    And that thought filled her with terror.

    The sound of the fight woke up the entire city. J could hear the distant sounds of horns and

    rms and the heavy thudding of boots on the ground.

    The soldiers were altered. And they wereing out in force to hunt them down.

    Her initial n to sneak out of the city quietly was fucked now.

    But she couldn¡¯t let them have Casper.

    Not in a million years.

    ¡°HURRY!¡± she cried to Casper out of breath and picked up the pace.

    They rounded a corner, the south gateing into view.

    Their only chance of escape!

    Yet J¡¯s heart sank before she could get excited.

    The massive gate was beginning to close.

    The soldiers were probably alerted already, and they were shutting the gate.

    The gate was shutting inch by inch.

    J gasped and started to rush forward at her whole might¡­But they were still two

    blocks away from the gate!

    They wouldn¡¯t make it in time.

    A desperate feeling surged up in her.

    J nced back at Casper.

    At that moment, she made a decision.

    She couldn¡¯t let her brother be caught. She had to get him out, even if it meant she would be

    trapped inside the city.

    ¡°J-¡± Casper shouted, ¡°-Faster!¡±

    They were moving close to the gate. And they were spotted by the soldiers.

    The soldiers cried and threw in.

    J pulled out the gun from the side pocket of her backpack and fired away. One soldier was

    down, but more followed.

    And the gate was only open with a crack now.

    With a surge of adrenaline, J picked up the pace and pushed Casper ahead of her.

    She stood behind his back and shot down a couple more soldiers.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Casper snarled, ¡°Get to the front!¡±

    J ignored him.

    She gave him one hard shove on the back.

    The shove sent Casper staggering forward and sprawling out into the safety of the

    The shove sent Casper staggering forward and sprawling out into the safety of the forest bevond

    Betore she could tollow him, the gate mmed shut with a deafening ng. separating them apart

    and trapping her inside the city.

    ¡°TANET-

    Casper¡¯s desperate roar came from beyond the gate.

    ¡°GO¡°¡± J cried at the top of her lungs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! I will figure something out!¡±

    She pounded on the gate, her fists bloody and bruised, but it was no use.

    The gate was sealed tight.

    J turned around, her heart sinking as she saw the soldiers closing in on her.

    She was surrounded, with no way out.

    The heavy sound of wolf paws hitting the ground came from the distance, sending ravens soaring

    into the night sky.

    J knew that it was Daran.

    He wasing to get her.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144

    J knew that she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get away.

    But she just didn¡¯t want to give Daran the easy win

    The soldiers were closing in. She shot them a couple more times till she was out of bullets

    She drew her dagger from her belt, firmly gripping the hilt.

    One soldier charged at her. She shed at him with her dagger and flung his body against the

    concrete wall. That created an opening, which allowed her to quickly turn and run down a dark

    alley.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    The soldiers were crying behind her back, ¡°You won¡¯t get away! Just give up already!¡±

    J knew that they were telling the truth. The gate was closed, and Morgana was hurt. There was

    no way that she could get out

    But she just didn¡¯t want to give up.

    At least not just yet.

    This part of the city was a web of secret back alleys and hiddeners.

    Luckily, J and Daran did some field research a while ago. Now she knew these streets like the

    back of her hand.

    She ducked down a narrow passage, her breathing in ragged gasps as she weaved through

    the maze of twisting streets.

    She could hear the sounds of heavy boots pounding the cobblestones getting closer.

    but they were still a couple of blocks away.

    ¡°STOP!¡± the soldiers shouted, ¡°Alpha Daran ising at you right now! You won¡¯t get away from

    him!¡±

    Fuck you.

    J said internally.

    She rounded a corner. But then realized that this was the wrong way.

    She found herself in a dead¨Cend street, surrounded by tall buildings.

    She nced around, looking for a way out, but there was none. She wanted to turn around and go

    down another path, but the soldiers¡® footsteps were right behind her.

    She was trapped.

    Right at this moment, a door flung open beside her.

    ¡°Come on in!¡± gasped a female voice.

    The soldiers were right around the corner. J didn¡¯t have the time to check who that person was

    and rushed right in.

    The door closed behind her. The woman who helped her grabbed her wrist and shoved her into a

    small pantry.

    The faint light illuminated the dingy space and the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°You!¡± J gasped.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    It was the girl who helped them to kill Danton at the camping site, Dora.

    J hadn¡¯t heard from her again ever since she fled the camping site. She didn¡¯t expect to see

    Dora again, especially under this circumstance.

    ¡°Keep quiet!¡±

    Dora said under her breath and drew the pantry¡¯s curtain shut.

    The soldiers had followed her into this dead street. Their paces slowed down and stopped outside

    the door.

    J held her breaths, listening to their moves attentively.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± one soldier snapped, ¡°I saw her get in here!¡±

    ¡°This is a dead¨Cend street! She has nowhere else to run. She must be hiding. somewhere in these

    houses. Search the house!¡±

    Fuck.

    J¡¯s heart sank slightly.

    If they came in and searched the house, they would find her sooner orter. Maybe she should just

    step out already, to avoid dragging Dora into this mess¡­

    Just then, she heard another voice from outside of the door, ¡°Actually, I saw her run down another

    path.¡±

    It was a man¡¯s voice, deep and velvety, with a smooth and sultry tone that sent shivers down her

    spine.

    A fleeting thought flickered across her mind:

    That must be a gorgeous guy.

    ¡°Are you sure, Westin?¡± the soldier asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Yeah. Positive,¡± said that sexy voice.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier? Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The footsteps hurried away, fading into the distance.

    J perked up her cars.

    ¡­Did they all leave?

    She waited for a few seconds and was about to get out of the pantry when she suddenly heard a

    knock on the door.

    ¡°W¨CWho is it?¡± Dora asked nervously. ¡°Please open the door, miss.¡±

    It was that guy called Westin!

    He pointed the other soldiers the wrong way and stayed behind himself. J frowned.

    What did he want?

    ¡°Go away!¡± Dora cried. ¡°I¡­I won¡¯t let strangers into my house!¡±

    Although her tone was firm, her shaky voice still gave her away.

    ¡°I know you have the person that we are looking for.¡± Westin said calmly behind the door, ¡°Please

    open up. You have a nice oakwood door. It would be a pity to knock it down.¡±

    J pulled the drapes open and stepped out of the pantry.

    ¡°Open the door,¡± she said to Dora.

    Dora looked at her, panicked, ¡°What are you doing? Get back inside. I can get rid of him¡­¡±

    ¡°No, he has got us. It is OK. Just open it up.¡±

    J gave a gentle nudge on Dora¡¯s shoulder. Dora hesitantly went to lift the lock. and wrench the

    door open.

    A tall figure was standing on the doorstep.

    The man stood tall, his lean and muscr frame exuding a quiet confidence that was impossible to

    ignore.

    His light blonde hair was painted silver by the moonlight.

    J looked at his face.

    She was right earlier.

    This guy was indeed gorgeous.

    His chiseled jaw and strong cheekbones gave him a handsome and masculine appearance, while

    the slight stubble on his face added a touch of ruggedness. He looked like a mercenary, but not so

    dangerous and cold.

    And when he smiled, two dimples appeared on his cheeks, making that smile seem sweet, warm,

    and inviting.

    J couldn¡¯t imagine any woman saying no to that irresistible smile.

    The man saw J standing behind Dora and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°It took us a great effort to catch you, Gamma J,¡± he chuckled.

    J looked at him quietly on full alert:

    He was dressed in the soldier¡¯s uniform. So he should be one of the others.

    But why did he direct the other soldiers away?

    ¡°What do you want?¡± J asked in a strained voice.

    The man smiled and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

    A gush

    of wind swept in, bringing a strange yet enticing smell into J¡¯s nostrils. That smell sent a shiver

    down her spine. Her body temperature started to rise, her blood started to boil, and her wolf started

    to make a purring sound.

    She had that same feeling with Daran years ago.

    A crazy thought appeared in her mind.

    No way¡­but¡­could it¡­this man¡­could he be her¡­

    J took an involuntary step further, her body shaking.

    That man did the same thing.

    The casual smile faded away from his lips, reced by an astonished look.

    ¡°You¡­¡± he murmured, perplexed.

    Their gaze met in the midair, sparkles flying.

    They gasped out the same word simultaneously:

    ¡°-Mate!¡±

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145

    J stood on her spot, frozen.

    Everyone had been telling her that she would find her second chance mate soon. She didn¡¯t believe

    it.

    Yet here she was, standing face to face with her second chance mate, at a most unexpected space

    and timing.

    The second chance mate worked very differently from the first¨Ctime mating.

    They would be able to recognize each other¡¯s scent, but the mate bond would not be active till they

    both recognized each other as their mate.

    So both J and Westin had a chance to decide whether they wanted this person as their mate or

    not.

    ¡°¡­What a pleasant surprise.¡±

    Westin walked up to J in one long stride and looked down at her with a charming

    J stood on her spot, frozen.

    Everyone had been telling her that she would find her second chance mate soon. She didn¡¯t believe

    it.

    Yet here she was, standing face to face with her second chance mate, at a most unexpected space

    and timing.

    The second chance mate worked very differently from the first¨Ctime mating.

    They would be able to recognize each other¡¯s scent, but the mate bond would not be active till they

    both recognized each other as their mate.

    So both J and Westin had a chance to decide whether they wanted this person as their mate or

    not.

    What a pleasant surprise.¡±

    Westin walked up to J in one long stride and looked down at her with a charming

    smile.

    His thick eyshes fluttered, underneath which was a set of deep blue eyes.

    ¡°My mate is you, Alpha Daran¡¯s rejected Luna.¡± he chuckled. ¡°That is something beyond my wildest

    dream.

    J frowned.

    The guy was charming for sure.

    But she didn¡¯t like the way he referred to her as ¡°Daran¡¯s rejected Luna.¡±

    She hated to be known for that.

    ¡°Stop calling me that.¡±

    J said freezingly and took a step back, putting some safe distance between them. The smile on

    Westin¡¯s lips became wider, his dimples standing out.

    ¡°My apology.¡±

    He put his right hand on his chest and bowed to her, which may seem a bit too dramatic if other

    people did it, but he had a way to make it seem natural.

    ¡°Of course, you are more than that,¡± he smiled: ¡°I also know that you are Blood Moon Pack¡¯s

    princess, Alpha Casper¡¯s sister. If you hate to be defined by titles, I also know that you are an

    extraordinary Gamma.¡±

    J stared at him, ¡°Do you sweet talk to the woman you just met like that?¡±

    Westinughed, ¡°No. Of course not! But we are mates. So that is different.¡±

    He reached out a hand, his palm facing up, an inviting gesture.

    ¡°Shall we recognize each other as mates right now?¡± he asked politely.

    J narrowed her eyes.

    Slowly, she lifted her arm.

    Westin thought she was going to give him her hand. So he stepped in, closing the gap in between.

    Yet the pleasant smile froze on his lips the next second.

    A dagger was pressed against his throat, the steel glinting icily in the darkness.

    His smile faded away. His face became expressionless.

    This man looked very intimidating with that casual smile.

    ¡°Threatening your mate with a dagger? Really?¡± he asked tly.

    J held the hilt tightly.

    ¡°Why did you draw the other soldiers away?¡± she hissed. ¡°Who are you? And what are you up to?

    Before you give me a clear answer, this de will stay on your fucking neck.¡±

    Westin chuckled, his body slightly shaking with thatugh. The sharp de cut open

    the surface of his skin, some blood oozing out.

    But he didn¡¯t back away from her and the dagger.

    He leaned in instead, looking deep into her eyes.

    ¡°My name is Westin. Westin Lawson,¡± he said.

    His sexy, husky voice sent a shiver down her spine. Yet she ignored that strange feeling.

    ¡°And?¡± she demanded.

    ¡°And I report to Lady Morgana,¡± Westin shrugged. ¡°I know that you n to escape. the city tonight.

    That n seems to fall apart now. But I don¡¯t want the Rogue King¡¯s

    men to catch you first. So I draw them away. If you want, I can take you to meet with Morgana and

    you can figure out your next move with her.¡±

    So this was Morgana¡¯s guy?

    J checked him up.

    Morgana did say that she had told some of her most trusted men about the n. But J didn¡¯t

    know who those men were.

    After a long pause, she withdrew the dagger.

    ¡°Can you help me to get out of the city?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Sadly, no. You caused too much noise, and all the gates are secured now.¡±

    J nodded.

    She knew the hope was slim.

    ¡°Take me to Morgana then.¡±

    She stuck the dagger back to her belt and said to Westin with a threatening tone, ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with

    me on the way though. It will only take me 1 second to slit your throat.¡±

    Westinughed, his shoulders shaking.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    He pulled the door open for her, ¡°After you, my mate.¡±

    J turned to Dora, who was looking at her with a concerned look.

    ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± Dora asked worriedly..

    ¡°Yes. I will be fine. Thank you for helping me again.¡±

    ¡°No problem¡­and I am sorry about my fianc¨¦ going to the court and testifying,¡± Dora bit her lips.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t check with me first. He was just crazy about the money. that the King promised him.¡±

    ¡°Where is he now?¡± J asked.

    ¡°His legs were all broken after the flogging. And I dumped him. He is not my fianc¨¦ anymore.¡±

    ¡°Great job,¡± J smiled.

    She wished Dora the best of luck and left the house with Westin.

    The chilling night wind made her shiver slightly.

    A thick jacketnded on her shoulder the next second, still carrying Westin¡¯s warm body

    temperature.

    ¡°Put it on,¡± Westin said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need-¡±

    Westin cut her off, ¡°My jacket can help to cover parts of your scent. Your crazy ex is still searching

    for you all over the city. You wouldn¡¯t want him to track you down following your scent.¡±

    Jpsed into silence.

    She could hear some distant wolf howls echoing in the night sky. She knew that it was Daran.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± she zipped the zipper.

    Westin smiled. His dimples appeared again.

    ¡°This way,¡± he took the lead and walked down the empty street.

    Westin knew the city even better than she did.

    They took back alleys and shortcuts and sessfully stayed away from the soldiers who were still

    searching for her.

    15 minutester, they arrived at a small courtyard.

    J saw Morgana standing under a ne tree.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Morgana gasped and rushed forward to hug her, ¡°Fuck, you didn¡¯t get away. OK. But

    where is Casper?¡±

    ¡°I shoved him out before the gate closed up. Where is Kass? Is he alright?¡± J asked urgently.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Morgana said reluctantly, ¡°It just urred to me that¡­Westin might be a fake

    ¡°What?¡± J rounded her eyes, ¡°How so? I thought he was your most trusted guy!¡±

    ¡°He climbed the rank just recently. I didn¡¯t know that he existed 2 months ago. And when he caught

    my attention, I pulled out his file and did some background checks on him¡­¡±

    ¡°And?¡± J pursued eagerly.

    ¡°His file ispletely forged,¡± Morgana said in a hushed voice. ¡°His address is fake. His emergency

    contact doesn¡¯t exist¡­His whole identity is made up. J, this guy is not just a simple soldier.¡±

    J stood stiffly on her spot, feeling a creeping chill.

    More and more mysteries¡­

    So who was Westin really?

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Morgana said reluctantly, ¡°It just urred to me that¡­Westin might be a fake identity.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± J rounded her eyes, ¡°How so? I thought he was your most trusted guy!¡±

    ¡°He climbed the rank just recently. I didn¡¯t know that he existed 2 months ago. And when he caught

    my attention, I pulled out his file and did some background checks

    on him¡­¡±

    ¡°And?¡± J pursued eagerly.

    ¡°His file ispletely forged,¡± Morgana said in a hushed voice. ¡°His address is fake. His emergency

    contact doesn¡¯t exist¡­ His whole identity is made up. J, this guy is not just a simple soldier.¡±

    J stood stiffly on her spot, feeling a creeping chill.

    More and more mysteries¡­

    So who was Westin really?

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146

    ¡°If you know that he is fake. Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± J asked Morgana.

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t think that it matters.

    Morgana shrugged and said in an indifferent sort of way.

    ¡°Lance¡¯s army is already fucked, full of thieves, killers, bandits, and all kinds of scum. Sure, Westin

    faked his identity, but his issue is basically nothingpared to the others. I just need to

    ow that he is a good warrior and that is all that I need.¡±

    J let out a sigh.

    That was fair.

    Most rogues were expelled from their packs because they did something horrible. You couldn¡¯t

    expect a group of convicts to have a clean background.

    ¡°So you have no idea who Westin really is? And why did he take his identity and be a soldier

    of yours?¡±

    Morgana paused. And then slowly shook her head.

    ¡°No. I never bothered to find out. And he is really careful with keeping himself away. from the radar.

    He followed my every order, nailed every task, and reported back to me on time. I never felt the

    need to check on him again.¡±

    The furrow between J¡¯s brows grew deeper.

    Sounded like that this Westin guy was really smart and good at hiding himself.

    ¡°I think he is a friend, not an enemy.¡±

    Morgana rubbed her chin and spected.

    ¡°Just think about it. If he really wants to pledge his loyalty to Lance, why bother faking his identity?

    The only reason that he went undercover was because he was nning on something against

    Lance.¡±

    J nodded, ¡°That makes sense¡­But if he is a friend from our world, howe I never see him

    before?¡±

    With that face and body, Westin was someone impossible to ignore.

    J had met with every important person from all therge packs during their alliance, from the

    Alphas to the Betas.

    She was certain that this was their first encounter.

    ¡°Maybe hees from a smaller pack?¡± Morgana suggested. ¡°Or maybe he is just amon

    soldier.¡±

    ¡°No. He is definitely someone from power. I can feel it.¡±

    Although Westin was dressed in amon soldier¡¯s uniform, he still exuded grace. and nobility.

    It was the kind of nobility that J had only seen in people from high positions, like Daran and

    Casper.

    Morgana scratched her head, ¡°Do you want me to check him out? See what I can find?¡±

    ¡°Thank you. That would be nice.¡± J nodded.

    ¡°And you can ask him yourself¡­not directly though. Just beat around the bushes. See what he is

    up to. You guys are mates now. You should get to know him a little bit better.¡±

    J nodded.

    But there was a subtle undercurrent of resistance inside of her heart.

    Probably because her second chance mate appeared too out of the blue and she was not ready.

    Or simply because¡­she was not over a certain someone.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡± J asked, bringing the topic back to the main issue. ¡°Is there still a

    chance for me to leave the city?¡±

    ¡°It is going to be hard, with all the chaos and messes that we caused tonight. But

    don¡¯t worry. I will help you the best I can.¡±

    Morgana wrapped J in a long coat and pulled down the hood.

    ¡°I will take you to a training site and hide you there. When these calm down, I will find another

    chance to sneak you out of the city¡­¡±

    Yet her words were interrupted by a roaring wolf howl.

    J and Morgana jerked around in shock and saw a figure loosen up out of the darkness.

    It was a gigantic ck wolf, its eyesrge as yellownterns, its height higher than the stone walls.

    It jumped over the courtyard¡¯s wall andnded on the cobblestone ground in front of

    J and Morgana with a loud thump.

    It was Daran.

    He had found them.

    J looked up to the giant wolf and her heart quickly sank.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Probably because they always fought side by side with each other, so she never realized how

    intimidating and scary Daran¡¯s wolf was¡­

    Until now.

    ¡°Why can he shift in the city!¡± J hissed.

    ¡°He recognized himself as rogue. So the taboo is lifted!¡± Morgana grabbed her wrist, ¡°Get behind

    my back!¡±

    But there was no use.

    There was nowhere else for J to hide.

    The ck wolf was lowering its head towards them, its fangs bared, its eyes bloodshot.

    ¡°You should never run away from me, J.¡±

    Daran¡¯s dark voice echoed in the empty courtyard.

    ¡°You promised that you would always stay by my side¡­So looks like your own words meant nothing

    to you.¡±

    J gave a sudden sh of anger.

    ¡°How dare you talk about promises!¡±

    She raised her head and cried to the ck wolf furiously.

    ¡°You made a lot of promises to me yourself! Remember?! You promised that we would end this war

    together and kill Lance! You promised that I would be the only woman you love! And you fucking

    forgot all those!!! So don¡¯t expect me to keep my words as well you fucking asshole!

    The wolf arched its back and made a deep growl.

    J thought that it was going to jump at her and tear her apart.

    She shut her eyes, clenching her fists with despair.

    Yet the expected pain never came

    A few secondster, an icy¨Ccold hand grabbed her wrist.

    J opened her eyes again and found that Daran had shifted back to human again.

    He was now looking down at her with dark eyes.

    ¡°Come back with me,¡± he said forcefully.

    ¡°NO!¡±

    J struggled with her full might, ¡°Why do you still want me anyway? You have plenty of women

    now, You made a choice! So just fucking let me go!¡±

    Daran¡¯s jaw tightened in rage.

    ¡°You wish!¡± he hissed, clenching onto her hand. ¡°Come back with me and let me exin. But letting

    you leave¡­ NEVER.

    J¡¯s body shook furiously.

    She reached for her dagger with another hand.

    She wanted to stab this fucking asshole.

    It probably wouldn¡¯t kill him¡­.but anything to make him feel the pain!

    Yet before her finger touched the hilt of the dagger, a figure came in between her and Daran.

    ¡®Alpha Daran, this is not the way to treat ady,¡± said Westin in a calm yet stern voice.

    The two men stood about the same height, ring at each other. Tension was quickly building in the

    air.

    Daran¡¯s eyes were slits of fury, ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±

    Westin curved his lips into an icy smile, ¡°I report to Lady Morgana.¡±

    Daran let out a cold snort, ¡°Your boss is in deep shits herself right now. So fuck off soldier. This is

    none of your business.¡±

    Yet Westin stood in front of him, unyielding.

    ¡°But I kind of feel that this is my business,¡± Westin said.

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    She had a sudden feeling of what Westin was going to say but she hardly thought that this was a

    good time¡­

    ¡°Westin!¡± she hissed urgently, hoping that he would shut up.

    But he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°J is my mate,¡± said Westin loud and clear. ¡°So keep your hand off, my mate.¡±

    A deathly silence fell upon them.

    Daran rounded his eyes, astonished.

    His handsome face was slowly contorted by fury.

    ¡°¡­She is your WHAT?¡± he snarled.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147

    Daran¡¯s roar made everyone quiver in their spots.

    But not Westin.

    Instead, he replied calmly in a provoking sort of way:

    ¡°You heard me already. I am her mate.¡±

    ¡°BULLSHIT! I am-¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you WERE her mate. But not anymore.¡± Westin sneered. ¡°You rejected her for another

    woman, didn¡¯t you? Even a rogue like me knew about that. Does it surprise you that she finds her

    second chance mate now?¡±

    Daran red at Westin in silence. He was like a volcano, ready to erupt at any second.

    After a long pause, he turned to J.

    ¡°Was it true?¡± he asked word by word.

    J frowned. She was on full alert, afraid that anything she said would trigger Daran¡¯s rage and

    cause him to attack all of them again.

    Just then, Morgana spoke up for her, ¡°It is true! J just found him today! Why are

    you acting like a big¨Co saint all of a sudden? We saw you with other women! If you have moved on,

    so can J-¡±

    And that was the final straw.

    Without warning, Daran lunged forward, his fist connecting with Westin¡¯s jaw. Westin was sent

    staggering back, his face contorted in pain.

    ¡°¡­Violence?¡±

    Westin wiped the blood on the corner of his mouth and red back at Daran, his eyes filled with

    rage.

    ¡°If that is the best you can do, no matter if J grows tired of you.¡±

    He charged forward abruptly, his own fist aimed at Daran¡¯s face.

    The two men grappled with each other, their punches flying back and forth. The air was filled with

    the sounds of their grunts and the thud of their fists connecting with flesh.

    They were evenly matched, both strong and determined.

    None of them even had the time and mind to shift into their wolves.

    Both fueled by anger and jealousy, they fought brutally, determined to kill each. other on the spot.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± J cursed.

    She wanted to break their fight. But it was too brutal. She couldn¡¯t do it, not without her wolf.

    ¡°Let us go.¡± Morgana took her hand and whispered into her ears urgently, ¡°Let Westin handle this.

    Let us take this chance and run!¡±

    Yet they didn¡¯t make it to the courtyard¡¯s entrance before hearing a furious growl from behind.

    Daran shoved Westin aside and rushed at them again.

    He snatched J¡¯s hand back and held her tightly in his arms. Blood dripped down from his face,

    his own blood. He got injured in the fight earlier.

    ¡°¡­Stay,¡± he said hoarsely, half¨Cpleading, half¨Cdemanding. ¡°You don¡¯t have an option.¡±

    J stared at him coldly.

    She could hear the sound of heavy boots approaching. The soldiers wereing. They were

    trapped again.

    The chance was gone.

    She raised her hand and pped harshly across Daran¡¯s face.

    SLAP!

    ¡°You are a fucking jerk,¡± she snapped.

    Daran¡¯s jaw moved, and his face darkened, but he didn¡¯t say anything or strike back.

    The soldiers poured into the courtyard, surrounding them in the middle.

    ¡°Morgana.¡±

    With J in his arms, Daran turned to look at Morgana, his eyes ice cold.

    ¡°That man is your soldier. What do you n to do?¡±

    Westin had pulled himself up from the ground, his face covered in blood and bruises as well

    Morgana kept Westin behind her back and raised his chin, ¡°Westin did nothing wrong. You can¡¯t

    punish a soldier for nothing.¡±

    ¡°He fucking tried to help you two escape!¡± Daran said grimly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it nothing.¡±

    ¡°That orderes from me! You will have to punish me first!¡±

    Daran let out a cold sneer. Just when he was about to give the order to take down Morgana and

    Westin, J spoke up beside him:

    ¡°Daran. Don¡¯t make me hate you even more.¡±

    Daran¡¯s chest rose and fell.

    He gave J a dark look.

    ¡°Fine.¡± he gritted, ¡°Back to the pce.¡±

    He stuck out a hand to take J¡¯s hand. But she avoided him coldly.

    ¡°I can walk by myself,¡± she said.

    She puffed her chest and walked straight past by Daran, without casting him a single look

    anymore.

    J thought Daran would take her back to the dungeon and lock her up again.

    Vet instead be

    Yet instead, he took her to their suite, the room they stayed in when they first arrived at the Grace

    Ruin.

    J stepped into the room and felt a wave of strong emotions washing over her.

    This room carried so many memories.

    They used to stay in this room all night discussing tactics against Lance and cuddling to sleep on

    the couch.

    They were surrounded by so many dangers before. But at least their hearts were close to one

    another.

    Yet now, everything had changed.

    ¡°Leave us,¡± Daran said.

    The soldiers bowed and backed out of the room.

    Jane turned around to face him, a sarcastic smile on her face.

    ¡°They really treat you as the big boss. Seems that you already have Lance wrapped around your

    finger. Congrattions,¡± she mocked.

    ¡°I have my reason,¡± Daran said coldly.

    J rolled her eyes.

    She was getting tired of him saying that.

    Her disdainful face enraged him. He strode up to her and grabbed her chin forcefully with one

    hand.

    ¡°You never give me a chance to exin,¡± he gritted.

    J snorted, ¡°I stayed in a fucking dungeon for almost a week, and you didn¡¯t show up. Morgana

    brought me to the nightclub to confront you and the only thing I saw was you groping a striper. So if

    you still think that you haven¡¯t been given a chance to exin, fine, fire away now.

    ¡°Lance said something to me in the forest. Before I kill him.

    ¡°You mean your new boss?¡±

    Daran ignored her sarcastic tone and continued, ¡°Killing him doesn¡¯t solve our problem. Even if he

    dies, another Rogue King will appear, probably someone even worse. The war won¡¯t stop. They will

    tramp our border again.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t know for sure!¡± J cried, ¡°Maybe someone better will take over, someone better,

    someone decent¡­like Morgana or Kass!¡±

    ¡°The rogues will never pledge their loyalty to a soft soul. The Rogue King is always someone cold,

    cruel, and ambitious.¡±

    J¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly in anger.

    And she taunted, ¡°Someone cold, cruel, ambitious¡­.Are you talking about yourself?¡± Daran¡¯s face

    darkened instantly.

    ¡°OK! I can see what is happening here.¡±

    J pped his hand away and red at him.

    ¡°You believe that by bing The King, you can make all the rogues submit

    themselves to you. You will be the one uniting the two worlds. Hence solving the problem is one

    thing for all. Is that right?¡±

    Daran looked straight into her eyes, ¡°That is right.¡±

    ¡°But you are not in this for the peace, Daran! You are just power¨Cfueled! You said that you didn¡¯t

    want a monster to be the Rogue King¡­But look at yourself! You are bing that cold and cruel

    monster that we are all afraid of!¡±

    Daran snarled, ¡°Is that how you fucking think of me? A fucking monster?!¡±

    ¡°You almost shot that girl in the nightclub!¡±

    ¡°A necessary sacrifice!¡±

    A creeping chill was sent down J¡¯s spine.

    ¡­A necessary sacrifice.

    He was willing to kill anyone who stood in his way.

    First, it was just a random girl in the nightclub; then it would be Morgana, or Kass, or Casper¡­

    Eventually, it would be her.

    She meant nothing to Daranpared to his ambition.

    After a long pause, J said in a hoarse voice, ¡°¡­Did Lance say anything about how. to make you

    The King?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. He hinted that there was going to be a special ritual but hadn¡¯t given me. the details. I am

    going to find it out.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    J nodded.

    ¡°Go be friends with Lance. Do what you have to do. Go be a fucking brutal monster. I don¡¯t care

    anymore.¡±

    A sh of anger flickered across Daran¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Then who do you care!¡± he growled, ¡°Your second chance mate? That Westin guy? Are you going

    to recognize him as mate?!¡±

    She didn¡¯t have that n.

    But now she would say anything to piss Daran off.

    ¡°Yes!¡± she raised her chin defiantly, ¡°I am going to recognize him as my mate first thing in the

    morning! We will have sex, fall in love, and live happily ever after-¡±

    He bent down and caught her lips, silencing her forcefully.

    His lips were hot and slightly trembling. J bit on his tongue hard but he didn¡¯t let go. She could

    taste his blood.

    He kissed her with his whole might till she almost passed out due to theck of air.

    Then he pulled away from her and rubbed her chapped lips with his thumb.

    ¡°You are not going anywhere.¡±

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Daran said in a low voice, like the whisper of a devil.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to see Westin. Not anyone else. From now on, you just stay in

    this room.¡±

    J rounded her eyes in shock¡­ Was he going to lock and imprison her?!

    Yet before she could shout out her objection, Daran turned and strode out of the

    room.

    The door shut with a loud bang, locking her inside.

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148

    J was locked in this very room.

    She lost all freedom.

    Her door was guarded by armed soldiers.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    A couple of maids stayed in the room all day, keeping a close eye on her. She tried to ask them to

    leave but failed.

    Her every move was monitored.

    And Daran would not let anyone visit her.

    Morgana came to visit once, but she was asked to leave by the guards. Morgana threw arge

    temper tantrum but even that couldn¡¯t get the guards to open up the door for her.

    This very room became an isted ind. She waspletely cut off from anyone that she knew.

    Daran was always out during the day. But he woulde back at night, no matter howte it was.

    He would climb up to her bed and pull her into his arms forcefully.

    J tried to push him away. But he seized her hand and threatened her in a dark voice, ¡°You

    would not want me to handcuff you to the bed. So behave.¡±

    So J could only let him hug her to sleep.

    Then she was haunted by horrible nightmares in her sleep.

    She was getting more and more anxious by the day.

    How long would this kind of lifest? Would Daran lock her here forever to keep her away from her

    friends?

    It was crazy¡­but sounded like something that Daran would do.

    She tried to save herself by going on a hunger strike.

    She figured that if she starved herself ill, Daran would have no choice but to let her out and take her

    to the hospital.

    On the way to the hospital, she would find a chance and escape.

    Yet on the second day of her hunger strike, Daran came back to the room early.

    7

    He tossed his coat to the couch and looked down at her coldly with his arms crossed:

    ¡°The maid told me that you refused to eat.

    J sat on the floor and gazed into the distance through the window.

    She had made up her mind not to say a single word to him.

    Daran let out a cold snort, ¡°Are you nning on running away again? For your second chance

    mate?¡±

    J gave him a cold shoulder, saying nothing.

    Daran picked up a te of sandwiches and walked up to her.

    ¡°Eat,¡± he ordered.

    J raised her head and red at him..

    The hatred in her eyes was so obvious that it stung him.

    Daran got down on one knee and met her eye level.

    T

    ¡°If you keep doing this, I can¡¯t promise what will happen to Morgana, Kass, or that piece of shit

    Westin,¡± he warned darkly.

    J widened her eyes in rage, ¡°¡­You won¡¯t!¡±

    Heughed icily, ¡°You used me of being a heartless monster. Threatening you with your friends

    sounds like something that I might do.¡±

    That jerk!!!

    They red at each other with tension heating up the air.

    After a long pause, J grabbed one slice of sandwich and took an angry bite.

    Who knew what this monster was capable of?

    Daran stared at her as she ate.

    Yet weirdly, he didn¡¯t seem so happy to see her cave in.

    ¡°You care about them very much.¡± he said darkly, ¡°Which one of them do you care the most?

    Morgana? Kass? Or Westin?¡±

    J finished her sandwich and pushed the te away.

    ¡°You get jealous a lot. You know that?¡± she snorted, ¡°The list is quite long¡­Casper, Kass, Jared,

    and now Westin.¡±

    His eyes darkened, ¡°Because a lot of men are crazy about you.¡±

    A hint of vulnerability flickered across his eyes.

    Yet J ignored that.

    ¡°Before, I would tell you that you have nothing to worry about because you are the only man I ever

    fell in love with. But now¡­

    She chuckled, in a dark and evil sort of way.

    ¡°Go ahead. Be jealous. Because I AM leaving you. No matter what you do, it won¡¯t change the fact

    that you will never have me back.¡±

    Daran shot up abruptly

    His fists were tightly clenched by his sides. J could tell that he was doing everything he could to

    control his temper.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t have you,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°then no one else can.¡±

    He stormed out of the room.

    J picked up the te and smashed it against the wall.

    She panted furiously.

    She would not let Daran keep her here. She needed to get out! Fast.

    Her determination was getting stronger than ever.

    Now that the hunger strike turned out to be a dead end, J figured that she needed to contact

    her friends first. Even if she could sneak out of this room, she needed help to escape the city.

    Her phone was confiscated. Maids watched her during the day and then Daran took over by the

    night.

    It seemed that there was absolutely nothing she could do.

    Before J could figure out a doable n, a group of soldiers came to bring her out

    of there.

    ¡°The King asked to take her to the Counseling Hall.¡± J heard a voice saying to

    the guards outside of the room.

    The guards sounded reluctant, ¡°But Alpha Daran clearly said that she stayed in this room no matter

    what¡­¡±

    ¡°Last time I checked, Alpha Daran is not the King! Whose order do you follow?¡±

    The guards paused for a few more moments and then opened the door.

    At the end of the day, they were still rogues, Lance¡¯s subjects.

    A group of armed soldiers rushed in and handcuffed J.

    They forcefully escorted her to therge hall where Lance questioned them about Danton¡¯s death

    before.

    When she stepped in, Lance was sitting at the end of the long table, in his old seat.

    Harper was by his side this time.

    Her eyes gleamed evilly with joy when she saw J in handcuffs.

    J soon understood what this was.

    They were going to punish her for escaping the Grace Ruin the other night and killing a bunch of

    soldiers.

    ¡°Gamma J.

    Lance lifted the corner of his lips into a cold smile, ¡°Alpha Daran did a good job at protecting you. I

    asked to bring you to an open trial a couple of times already, but he rejected me firmly. You really

    meant a lot to him.¡±

    Jane taunted, ¡°If you have a problem with the way he does things, maybe don¡¯t bring him on board

    in the first ce.¡±

    Lance¡¯s lips twitched. He looked humiliated.

    ¡°Shut up, bitch!¡±

    Harper jumped out of her seat and pointed a finger at J, ¡°Drop that cocky attitude! Daran is out

    of the city today and he is not here to protect vou! You will pay

    for the crime youmitted. TODAY!¡±

    J raised an eyebrow.

    No wonder they waited till today to bring her out of the room.

    It was because Daran was away

    ¡°So what crime are you talking about?¡± J asked defiantly.

    ¡°You killed 14 soldiers in one night. Remember?¡± Lance snorted.

    ¡°I had killed even more rogues on the battlefield. That is not my best strike number.¡±

    Harper mmed the desk angrily and then rounded the table, rushing at J.

    ¡°But now you are in our hands, bitch!¡±

    Harper grabbed J¡¯s hair, forcing J to look up, her eyes filled with hatred and excitement.

    ¡°I can do whatever I please with you. Killing you would be too easy¡­I want to take this torturing

    game nice and slow. How about we start with a nice and hot p to warm up the game?¡±

    She raised a hand.

    ¡°How is that golden tooth working for you?¡± J asked abruptly.

    ¡°You¨CYou bitch! How dare you mention that again!¡±

    ¡°If you dare to p me-¡±

    J narrowed her eyes, which were slits of icy fury.

    ¡°-I will fucking bite your fingers off and you will have to rece your human fingers with golden

    ones. So do it! Hit me. NOW!¡±

    Harper¡¯s hand froze in the air.

    Intimidated by J¡¯s aura, she took a small, shaky step back

    Feeling mortified, Harper jerked around and cried to Lance, ¡°My King! My dear mate! Look at the

    way she talks to me! Are you going to let her disrespect me like that?!¡±

    Lance rested his chin on his hand and was enjoying the scene with a smile. ¡°There is a room full of

    soldiers, sweetie.¡± he smiled, ¡°Let them help you.¡±

    Harper¡¯s eyes lit up excitedly.

    She hastily turned to order those soldiers, ¡°Hold her hands and body to the floor! And bring me an

    axe! A sharp one!¡±

    Two soldiers came to press J¡¯s hands against the floor.

    One rushed to get Harper¡¯s axe.

    With a sharp axe in her hand, Harper looked down at J¡¯s anger¨Cfilled face and grinned:

    ¡°You bitched about me cutting off that whore Angelina¡¯s hands for a long time. Now I am cutting

    yours as well. Happy?¡±

    J clenched her teeth.

    She couldn¡¯t break free from the soldiers. She couldn¡¯t even shift.

    She was going to lose her paws to Harper today!

    Harper raised the axe above her head, her evil grin growing wider.

    The ax¨¦ fell, aiming at J¡¯s hands!

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149

    At the veryst second before the axended, J let out a sharp cry and pulled her hands with

    her full might!

    The strength was enormous.

    Her hands dodged the de by less than half an inch.

    The axe didn¡¯t chop down her hands, but it pared a thinyer of skin and smashed down to the

    hardwood floor with a loud thud!

    ¡°FUCK!!!¡±

    Harper shrieked at the top of her lungs.

    Failed to cut off J¡¯s hands in one move pissed her off greatly.

    ¡°Are you some 1

    idiots?!¡±

    Harper cried to the soldiers.

    ¡°I fucking asked you to hold her still! STILL! Don¡¯t you know what stills mean?!¡±

    The soldiers exchanged a grouchy look with each other.

    ¡­You didn¡¯t aim at the right ce, mydy,¡± grumbled a soldier.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Harper stomped the floor, ¡°Are you saying that it is my problem?!¡±

    Although she had risen up and be ady again after mating with Lance, Harper could tell that

    none of these soldiers and maids took her seriously.

    She kept screaming at them that she was their Queen, but nobody listened.

    And that made her furious.

    What made her even more furious was that those soldiers and maids seemed to bepletely in

    awe of J.

    They referred to J as ¡°Gamma J¡± and they would bow to her in the hallway. Fuck!

    Didn¡¯t they know that J was just a fucking prisoner here and she was the Queen?!

    She was more important than J!

    Harper gritted her teeth and tried to pick up that axe and did it again.

    But the de cut too deep into the hardwood floor and now the axe was anchored firmly on the

    ground.

    Harper couldn¡¯t pull it out, no matter how hard she tried.

    Lance¡¯s voice traveled from her back, sounding slightly impatient:

    nave

    ¡°If you can¡¯t lift an axe, just let the soldiers do it.¡±

    ¡°NO¡­No, I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± Harper hissed.

    She kept pulling, sweating horribly, and panting roughly.

    But the axe would not budge.

    She could feel everyone¡¯s gazes on her¨Cand they were looking at her like a clown!!!

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Harper cursed in rage.

    Just then, the door to the Counseling Hall flew open and hit the wall with a loud. bang.

    Everyone jerked around, astonished.

    A tall figure was standing by the wide open door.

    It was Daran.

    He had apparently just traveled a long way to rush back here in time. His breath was heavy, and he

    was covered in hot sweat. The fabric clung to his body, outlining his muscr frame.

    Despite his exhaustion, everyone could tell that he was in full rage.

    His hands were clenched into fists, with veins standing out against his skin.

    His eyes were aze with a fiery rage, narrowed and focused as if he could burn. holes through

    steel with his gaze alone.

    He nced across the room and his gaze fell upon Harper and the axe in her hand, which still had

    blood dripping down from the de.

    His dark gaze sent Harper to stagger back in horror.

    ¡°W¨CWhat are you doing here?¡±

    Harper gulped, her body shaking like a leaf in the wind, ¡°I¡­We thought that you were out of the city

    today¡­¡±

    Daran walked into the hall, his grim voice echoing across the room:

    ¡°Why? So you can take advantage of my absence and torture her?¡±

    Each step he took made the soldiers back away further.

    By the time he got to J¡¯s side, the soldiers and Harper had all drawn back to behind the table.

    Daran knelt and held J¡¯s shoulder.

    His eyes darkened with rage when he saw J¡¯s bleeding hand.

    ¡°Who did this?¡± he asked in a strained voice.

    J didn¡¯t say anything.

    But it was pretty obvious.

    The criminal was still holding the axe.

    Daran raised his head and gazed at Harper icily.

    Harper couldn¡¯t stand this kind of pressure and she blurted out, ¡°I¨CI did it! But so what?! You are

    with us now and J is your enemy! You shouldn¡¯t have a problem with that!¡±

    Lance stood up and backed Harper, ¡°That is right. Daran, I have sent you plenty of beautiful

    women. And they are all better than her. Why do you still care?¡±

    Daran stared at Lance, unblinking.

    ¡°She is MY woman. No one can touch her besides me. I made this clear to you already, Lance. Yet

    you went behind my back.¡±

    Lance frowned, looking a bit anxious.

    ¡°But¨CBut you broke up, didn¡¯t you¡­.¡± Harper stuttered. ¡°She is not your woman anymore¡­You

    have someone better already¡­¡±

    Daran silenced her with one cold look.

    ¡°One more word and I will pluck your tongue out,¡± he hissed.

    Harper shivered.

    She knew that Daran was capable of doing that.

    And if he did that, nobody here could save her, not even Lance.

    Daran turned to Lance again and said in a sullen voice, ¡°So? How do you n to make this up?¡±

    Lancepsed into an awkward silence.

    After a long pause, he forced out a simper, ¡°Look, Daran, I am sorry that I didn¡¯t check with you first.

    But J did kill many of my soldiers. If I don¡¯t punish her, it might be hard for the other soldiers to

    ept¡ª¡±

    ¡°That is your problem, not mine.¡± Daran cut him off.

    Lance bit his lips, looking humiliated.

    ¡°Fine. Then what do you propose?¡± he gritted.

    Daran replied right away, ¡°Your woman wanted to cut off J¡¯s hands. Then I am cutting off hers.¡±

    ¡°NO!!!¡±

    Harper screamed.

    She swayed on her spot and quickly held onto a chair to regain her bnce.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Then she cried, ¡°I¨CI did want to¡­but I didn¡¯t go through with it, did I! You can¡¯t punish me for that!

    You can¡¯t! And I am the Queen. I¨CI-¡±

    She jerked around to look at Lance.

    ¡°My King!¡± she shrieked, ¡°Help me! Don¡¯t let this monster do this. Please¡­I beg of you!!!¡±

    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Lance rubbed his temple, looking vexed.

    Harper¡¯s shrill voice was giving him a headache.

    ANARI UGMan It is disgracefi

    Iance said with a froum lind

    ¡°Don¡¯t shout like a crazy woman. It is disgraceful.¡± Lance said with a frown, ¡°And Harper, you did go

    too far with this. You shouldn¡¯t harm Gamma J like that.¡±

    Harper widened her eyes in shock.

    Lance clearly told her that she could torture J however she wanted today.

    Was he throwing her under the bus now?

    She muttered, ¡°B¡­ But my King¡­ You said it yourself that¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet. I know what I said!¡± Lance snapped grumpily.

    He looked to Daran and put on a fake smile, ¡°Is there an alternative way? Nevertheless, Harper is

    my mate. Letting you cut off her hands¡­it doesn¡¯t look good.¡±

    Daran let out a cold snort.

    Just when he was about to scold Lance again, J gave a gentle tug at Daran¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°I have a thought,¡± she said weakly, her face still pale due to the blood loss.

    Daran immediately bent down to hold her hand, ¡°Yes?¡±

    J narrowed her eyes at Harper.

    She knew that Lance would never allow them to chop off Harper¡¯s hand.

    It was going to be a meaningless argument.

    But she had an even better idea to make Harper pay.

    J raised her voice so that everyone in the room could hear:

    ¡°I want her to apologize to me. On her knees.¡±

    Hearing her say that Lance let out a long sigh of relief and answered right away, ¡°Of course, that

    can be done.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Harper cried with rounded eyes, mortified.

    A cold smile appeared on J¡¯s lips.

    She knew it.

    The thing that Harper cared about even more than her appearance was her self¨Cesteem.

    And she was going to take a hit on that.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Lance stressed, staring at Harper pressingly. ¡°Daran and J had already cut you a ck

    here. What else do you want?¡±

    There were shameful tears circling in Harper¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°B¡­ But my reputation¡­I am your Queen! How can I kneel and apologize to a criminal¡­¡± she

    cried.

    ¡°You are not my Queen yet,¡± Lance said ruthlessly. ¡°If you disobey my order, I don¡¯t think you

    deserve that noble title anymore.¡±

    Harper breathed heavily, struggling internally.

    After a long while, Daran hissed, ¡°We don¡¯t have all day. Or maybe you prefer the

    first option.¡±

    Seeing that Daran had lost his patience, Lance clicked his tongue and urged:

    ¡°What are you still waiting for? Do you need me toe over and press down on your neck?¡±

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150

    Harper held her head down, still struggling internally.

    ¡°Guards.¡± Lancemanded, ¡°Lady Harper needs some help.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my King!¡±

    Soldiers took an eager step forward immediately.

    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Harper cried.

    Being forced by a bunch of lowly guards¡­ It looked even worse than getting on the knees herself.

    Harper took a deep breath and shuffled forward:

    She murmured, ¡°J, I-¡±

    ¡°Get on the right pose,¡± Daran reminded in a freezing voice.

    Harper quivered.

    She was always more horrified when facing Daran than the others. Probably because he used to be

    her Alpha and she betrayed him.

    With an utterly humiliated face, Harper slowly knelt down in front of J.

    ¡°J¨CJ¡­¡±

    She gritted.

    ¡­I am

    sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Louder,¡± J demanded. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you.¡±

    Harper shot her a resentful look but obeyed eventually.

    ¡°J, I am sorry!¡± she cried shakily.

    Yet J didn¡¯t n to let her off the hook that easily, ¡°You are sorry for what?¡±

    Harper clenched her fists in fume, ¡°I¨CI am sorry for harming you¡­behind Alpha Daran¡¯s back¡­And

    I plead for your forgiveness¡­

    J chuckled lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t even have your King, AKA your mate¡¯s support on this. How does

    that make you feel, huh? Do you feel like aplete idiot?¡±

    Harper snapped her head up, her eyes gleaming angrily, ¡°I am not going to answer that! That is not

    part of the-¡±

    ¡°Answer her,¡± Daran stressed. ¡°NOW.¡±

    Lance cleared his throat awkwardly. Yet he didn¡¯t say anything to help Harper. He simply watched

    by the side as this yed out.

    Harper lowered her head even further as though there was a heavy stone on her

    neck

    ¡°Yes, I feel like an idiot,¡± she repeated in a venomous tone.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    The soldiers jeered lightly.

    Nobody liked the King¡¯s rude and arrogant mate.

    Harper always treated the servants horribly, scolding them and punishing them whenever she felt

    like it, an old habit that she got back in the Riverside Pack

    But here was the Grace Ruin.

    No one would put up with her bad temper.

    So all the soldiers were gloating over her being humiliated by J.

    ¡°Yes, an idiot.¡± J let out an icyugh. ¡°Remember that. And don¡¯te and mess me ever

    again.¡±

    Harper said nothing but instead gave J a secret look full of malice.

    J knew that Harper must hate her to the bone now.

    But she was not too afraid of that.

    She had made a decision to kill Harper when she had the chance again, something she should

    have done a long time ago.

    She should have ended this evil woman when they were still in Riverside Pack Instead, she gives

    Harper a second chance, which causes Harper to gang up with Lance and leads to Veronica¡¯s

    death.

    When the right time came, she would fix her own mistake.

    Without hesitation

    ¡°You need a doctor,¡± Daran said.

    He bent down to pick her up from the floor. But she avoided him instantly.

    ¡°I can walk by myself,¡± she said aloofly.

    Daran¡¯s face darkened when she rejected him.

    ¡°You are injured,¡± he snapped.

    ¡°My legs are fine. I can walk.¡±

    J tried to pull herself up from the floor.

    And just then, Lance spoke up again, ¡°Alpha Daran, I think we are not done yet. We still haven¡¯t

    discussed her punishment¡­for killing my soldiers.¡±

    Daran¡¯s jaw tightened.

    ¡°We covered that,¡± he snarled. ¡°My attitude is clear.¡±

    ¡°Look, I agree that cutting J¡¯s hands off was too much. But I have to do something to make

    things seem fair. Plus, now that you have be one of us, those dead soldiers are your soldiers

    as well.¡±

    Lance looked at Daran with a smirk, ¡°If you refuse to avenge your own soldiers¡­.I might begin to

    wonder if you are serious about joining us.¡±

    J¡¯s heart sank.

    Lance was threatening Daran.

    He hadn¡¯t told Daran about when and how he was going to make Daran The King yet.

    Now was not a good time for Daran to mess with him.

    ¡°Look¡± Lance spread his bands, ¡°I am talking about serious punishment.

    Something minor will do. Gamma J, how about you take up some maid duties to

    J raised an eyebrow

    Lance wanted her to serve as a maid.

    His motive was quite clear. He wanted to humiliate her by degrading to a lowly maid.

    But Lance didn¡¯t know that she was quite used to life as a maid, something she used. to do all the

    time in the Diaz family.

    Plus, being a maid meant that she could get out of the room and walk around.

    She would get her freedom back

    It was a great deal

    So j answered right away without hesitation, ¡°Yes.¡±

    But Deran spoke up at the same time, ¡°NO.¡±

    Having heard about her answer, Daran snapped his head toward her with an angry look

    ¡°You would let them do this to you?¡± he hissed.

    ¡°It is none of your business.¡±

    His face darkened. ¡°I know what you are trying to do here, J. You just want to stay the fuck

    away from me. Do you really hate me so much that you are willing to serve Lance and Harper as a

    maid?!¡±

    J sneered, amused by what Daran just said.

    ¡°Yes, I hate you. I think we have made that clear already.¡±

    She met with Daran¡¯s hurtful eyes and said, ¡°And don¡¯t make it sound like that being a maid is such

    a horrible thing. You let me work as a maid for years, remember? When I was still your Luna.

    Daran¡¯s breathing became heavy.

    There was a defeated look on his face.

    After a long pause, he said through his gritted teeth, ¡°If that is what you really want, fine. But don¡¯t

    crawl back and beg me to help you when you are in trouble.¡±

    He said that and stormed out of the room in long strides.

    ¡°Well then, looks like a decision has been made!¡±

    Lance pped his hands together with a simper, ¡°Gamma J, are you ready for your new job?¡±

    J looked at him coldly.

    She knew that he would use this chance to make her life miserable.

    But she was ready for the task.

    Her main goal was to find a chance and ascape the cit: When cha rauni

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± she said.

    ¡°Great,¡± Lance smiled. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t try sneaking around and running away again. You will be

    closely watched by all guards.¡±

    He beckoned a maid forward and asked her to bring J to the maid¡¯s dominantly to get ready.

    Her new job officially started tomorrow.

    When she followed the maid and left the Counseling Hall, she heard Harper¡¯s sweet yet malicious

    voice behind her back:

    ¡°My King, can I boss that bitch around? Since she is a lowly maid now?¡±

    Lance answered in a fondly voice, ¡°Of course, you can do whatever you want¡­¡±

    The maid led her all the way down to the basement.

    J had never been to this part of the pce before. The ceiling, floor, and hallway all seemed

    dingy with an unpleasant smell in the air.

    The maid took her to an office and closed the door.

    ¡°OK. My name is Wendy, and I am going to be your supervisor here.¡±

    The maid sized J up with a picky look. Then she said:

    ¡°I know that you used to be ady. But now you are a servant, a maid, a lowly ve. So drop your

    condescending attitude and give me some hard work. I will flog you if you make a mistake.

    Understand?¡±

    J raised an eyebrow and said nothing in reply.

    Wendy didn¡¯t seem so happy with that attitude. Her tone turned nasty, ¡°Are you defy? Always

    answer when you are called upon! That is rule number one for being a maid!¡±

    J lifted the corner of her lips icily, ¡°I hear you.¡±

    Wendy rolled her eyes, ¡°And there are a couple more rules. It is on the wall. Read it yourself. You

    can read, right?¡±

    J looked at the wall and noticed that there was a piece of paper stuck to the board.

    Code of Conduct

    Rule 1: Always answer when you are called upon.

    Rule 2: Never look at the masters straight in the eyes.

    Rule 3: The master¡¯s orders are absolute. Never talk back to the masters.

    Rule 4: Stay at your spot. Do not wander around.

    Rule 5: Never enter the West corridor on the -4 floor.

    Looked like the maids here were governed by even stricter rules than the maids in Riverside Pack.

    It was the final rule that caught her attention.

    J pointed to thest line and asked Wendy, ¡°What is on the west corridor on the -4 floor? Why

    is it forbidden?¡±

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151

    It is not your damn business, OK?¡±

    Wendy snarled with an eye roll.

    ¡°The rule is there for a reason. You just follow the rules. And stop asking silly questions.¡±

    She took one more critical look at J and let out a snort, ¡°Let me go fetch you a maid¡¯s uniform.

    You can¡¯t wear your current clothes.¡±

    Wendy left the room, grumbling someints.

    J¡¯s gaze fell back on that piece of paper, focusing on thest line.

    The West corridor on the ¨C floor.

    Lance was the owner of this castle. It must have been he who made this rule.

    So what was in the west corridor on the -4 floor that he didn¡¯t want people to see?

    Whatever it was, it must be something important to Lance.

    She remembered that location at heart and decided to check it out sometimes.

    Wendy returned shortly after with a maid uniform.

    ¡°Put this on.¡± she tossed the clothes on the floor and demanded.

    The texture of that uniform was very raw, and it felt itchy against the skin.

    J moved around ufortably in the clothes and scratched the back of her neck

    Wendy noticed that and let out a sarcastic snort, ¡°The lowly servant¡¯s clothes don¡¯t suite you, my

    lady? Too bad but it is the only thing you are going to wear from now on¡­ Wait a second!¡±

    Her eyes caught something that just fell out of J¡¯s cor.

    ¡°What is that?¡± she gasped, astonished.

    ¡°A golden locket,¡± J said tly.

    It was a gift from Casper.

    He gave this to her before she went to the Riverside Pack for the training.

    Wendy gulped. A hint of greed flickered across her eyes.

    ¡°Y¨CYou can¡¯t wear this in the pce. It is against the rule!¡±

    Wendy stuck out a hand, her palm facing up.

    ¡°I am confiscating it now.

    J sneered, ¡°What rule? I didn¡¯t see such a rule on the wall.¡±

    ¡°I¨CIt is a convention! The maids are not supposed to wear expensive jewelry in front of the masters.

    Give it to me!¡±

    She reached over to snatch the golden locket from J.

    Yet J caught her hand hastily.

    ¡°It is mine,¡± J looked down at her icily.

    Wendy¡¯s lips trembled. A fearful look appeared on her face.

    J¡¯s iron grip was hurting her wrist¡­ This woman was so powerful and strong!

    No wonder that she could be the Gamma.

    ¡°Are we going to have a problem?¡± J asked.

    ¡°No¡­No. I am sorry.¡± Wendy stuttered.

    J pped her hand away, ¡°OK so now I am dressed. What is next?¡±

    ¡°Now we are going to have dinner and then I will assign you a room¡­This way.¡± They left the office

    walked down the hallway and got to the dining hall.

    This underground dining hall was a thousand times shabbier than the one upstairs where the

    masters ate.

    Because it was underground and there were no windows, the entire room was dark and dingy.

    The floor, the chairs, and the table¡­everything seemed so dirty and sticky.

    There was a thickyer of dirt and grease on the table surface as though it hadn¡¯t. been washed in

    decades.

    J grabbed a tray and joined the line of maids taking food.

    She could feel hostile resing from all directions. But she ignored all of them. When it was

    her turn, the chef stared at her for a few seconds and then pushed a bowl of soup across the

    counter.

    J frowned.

    But she clearly saw the others have cold slices of sandwich for dinner.

    ¡°What! Do you have a problem?¡± the chef howled, ¡°Starve if you don¡¯t like the soup!¡±

    J looked down at the soup.

    She could tell that it tasted horribly just by looking at it.

    Eventually, she said nothing took that bowl of soup, and walked away.

    She heard some nasty jeers behind her back.

    Of course, no one would sit her during dinner. So she found a corner and sat down, taking a sip of

    her soup.

    She almost spat it out instantly.

    The soup tasted like rotten eggs mixed with dirt. And she would not be surprised if there was the

    chef¡¯s spit in the soup.

    J took a deep breath and pushed the bowl away.

    She would definitely get sick if she had this. A stomachache would make her first day

    tomorrow even worse.

    Wendy came up to her after dinner.

    She took a look at J¡¯s untouched bowl of soup and giggled, ¡°You don¡¯t like your

    meal?¡±

    ¡°You mean a bucket of slop?¡± J said coldly.

    ¡°Watch your tongue!¡± Wendy warned, ¡°You are lucky enough that we feed you. If you want to starve

    yourself, fine. Just don¡¯t pass out tomorrow in front of the maters.¡±

    With that said, she tossed J a room key.

    ¡°The key to your room. The room number is b13. Tomorrow¡¯s gathering time is 5:00

    a.m. Don¡¯t fucking bete.¡±

    Wendy walked away.

    J didn¡¯t want to stay in the dining hall and faced her disgusting bowl of soup. So she pushed the

    chair away and left the room, going to find her room.

    But she couldn¡¯t find the room b13.

    She searched the entire basement, from East to West. Yet there was no room b13. She tried to stop

    someone in the hallway and asked them where this room was.

    But nobody would talk to her.

    Everyone just strode right past her as though she didn¡¯t exist.

    She wandered around for nearly an hour. All the maids and servants had finished. dinner and went

    back to their separate rooms.

    Eventually, before the light in the hallway went out, J found where room b13

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    was.

    But it was not exactly a room, more like a utility closet where they kept the mops, located right next

    to the public toilet.

    There was a small, handwritten sign on the door which said ¡°b13.¡± And J was pretty sure that

    the sign wasn¡¯t there before today.

    No wonder she missed it earlier.

    She opened the door with her key and found that the closet was even smaller than she thought.

    The space was not even enough for a grownup to lie t.

    And there was no bed. Just a patched, crumpled, dirty nket tossed on the floor.

    J picked it up.

    The nket was still wet, and it smelt horribly. As though someone just used it to mop the toilet

    floor.

    J¡¯s chest rose in rage.

    She grabbed the nket and turned around, hurrying down the hallway.

    She found Wendy¡¯s dorm and banged on the door with her fist.

    ¡°Come out!¡± she snarled.

    The door opened a crack after a few seconds and Wendy stared at her warily through

    the crack

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t wander around in the hallway It is hadtime alreadu

    J showed her the nket, ¡°This is all I find in my so¨Ccalled room. Where is my bed?¡±

    Wendy replied with a nervous smile, ¡°We don¡¯t have any extra beds. Get used to it alright? I am

    going to sleep now. Don¡¯te and knock again.¡±

    She was about to close the door. But J held the door panel and stopped her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t look for troubles. But I certainly will not let the others bully me.¡± J said in a freezing

    voice. ¡°Find me a proper room with a decent bed. Or, I am taking your room instead.¡±

    Wendy quivered for a brief moment and then snarled, ¡°I am your fucking supervisor! Learn about

    your ce! You are not ady anymore! Fuck!¡±

    J grabbed her cor and pulled her out of the room.

    ¡°That is right. I am not ady.¡± J stared straight into her fearful eyes. ¡°Ady doesn¡¯t punch

    people. But I will.¡±

    Wendy shivered even more violently. And then she suddenly started screaming:

    ¡°-Help! Help! The crazy bitch is attacking me! Somebody help!!!¡±

    Doors flew open in the hallway and a lot of maids stuck their heads out to look.

    When they found that J had Wendy¡¯s cor in her hand, they all rushed out screaming and

    came at J.

    Someone pulled J¡¯s hair. And another one scratched her face.

    J gritted her teeth in frustration.

    She could easily take down all those women if she wanted to. But she didn¡¯t want to harm any of

    these girls and certainly didn¡¯t want to turn this into a dogfight.

    Right at this very moment, a husky voice came from the end of the hallway: ¡°Wow. What is going on

    here?¡±

    All the girls jerked around simultaneously.

    A tall and muscr figure was leaning against the wall with a smile on his lips. His golden hair was

    as bright as the sunshine even u

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152

    Westin was thest person J expected to see here.

    This was the maid¡¯s dormitory, restricted to men. The guard¡¯s rooms were on the other side of the

    building.

    Westin shouldn¡¯t have the ess.

    Yet nobody here was top panicked to see a man enter their dorm. Instead, all maids seemed pretty

    excited to see Westin.

    ¡°Westin!¡±

    One maid cried and hurried to wee Westin, wrapping her arm around Westin¡¯s, ¡°What are you

    doing here? Are you here to y poker with us tonight?¡±

    Before Westin could answer, two more maids rushed over pped the first maid¡¯s hand away, and

    yelled:

    ¡°Gill! You stick at poker! Westin, you should not let her y with us this time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she is such a bad yer. Westin,e over to my room. I just bought a new bottle of

    Bourbon, your favorite kind.¡±

    The first maid named Gill blushed with embarrassment.

    She snapped, ¡°The Bourbon you bought is the cheapest kind you can find in a liquor store! Westin

    doesn¡¯t drink her wine. It will hurt your tongue. Come and hang out with me. You said that you liked

    ying poker with me, didn¡¯t you? Tell them, Westin!¡±

    J watched this bunch of women fight over Westin with a raised eyebrow.

    It sounded like Westin often came to the maid¡¯s dorm during the night and hung out

    with them.

    He made all the girls go crazy for him.

    What a womanizer.

    Just then, Wendy cleared her throat, silencing all yells and yammers.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± she said sternly to those maids, ¡°There is a curfew! And you are all

    getting up early to serve the masters tomorrow. Have you all lost your mind?¡±

    Gill and the other maids pouted and lowered their heads.

    Wendy then turned to Westin and a smile appeared on her lips again, ¡°Westin, but if you would like

    to kill some time before bedtime. We can talk over a nice bottle of wine in my room¡­¡±

    J let out a loud, sarcasticugh.

    ¡°What the hell are youughing about!¡± Wendy red at her.

    J shrugged, ¡°You didn¡¯t allow the other girls to hang out with Westin, but you can do it yourself. I

    am justughing at the double standard.¡±

    Wendy¡¯s face turned tomato red.

    ¡°I am the supervisor!¡± Wendy yelled, ¡°I am just¨CWe are going to discuss some serious matters-¡±

    ¡°What serious matter? Oh, like when can I get a decent room with a proper bed?¡±

    ¡°You whiny little bitch-¡±

    Westin raised a hand and interrupted their quarrel, ¡°Wendy, I appreciate your offer. But I am not

    here to chat with you or y poker tonight.¡±

    Wendy looked disappointed, ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Not tonight,¡± Westin said in a polite yet firm voice. ¡°I am here to check on a certain someone.¡±

    Hearing him say that, all the maid¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement.

    ¡°Who?¡± Gill asked with an expectant look, ¡°Is it me?¡±

    Westin smiled.

    His gaze traveled across the crowd andnded on J¡¯s face, ¡°J, how are you doing

    tonight?¡±

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd.

    ¡°You are here to check on her?!¡± Gill snarled, ¡°How did you know her?¡±

    Yet Westin didn¡¯t answer. He was still looking at J with his full attention, ¡°So what is the earlier

    fuss about? I heard that you don¡¯t have a room?¡±

    J looked sideways at Wendy, who suddenly seemed very nervous.

    ¡°All I get is a closet with a dirty rag tossed on the floor,¡± J said. ¡°As for the reason, maybe you

    should ask the supervisor.¡±

    Westin turned his gaze back to Wendy.

    ¡°Wendy?¡± he demanded, his voice

    cold.

    Wendy gulped. Her breathing became shallow, ¡°I¡­It is just temporary. We don¡¯t have an extra

    room. All dorms are full¡­¡±

    ¡°So when can I get my own room?¡±

    ¡°Soon.¡± Wendy simpered, ¡°Let me see what I can do.¡±

    But J knew that ¡°soon¡± probably meant never.

    Westin said with a nod, ¡°OK. I see what is going on here. I have a simple solution to this,¡±

    J looked at him.

    Just when she thought that Westin was going to press Wendy to arrange her a room, she heard his

    voice saying:

    ¡°Before J gets her own room, she stays in my room.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± gasped all maids in unison.

    ¡°NO! It is against the rule!¡± Wendy cried.

    J parted her lips in astonishment, staring at Westin in awe.

    Her staying in Westin¡¯s room¡­ Was he crazy?

    Westin still looked very calm, ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. J doesn¡¯t have a room and I am inviting her

    to stay with me. Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Maids shouldn¡¯t stay the night in the guard¡¯s room!¡± Wendy cried, ¡°And you only have one

    bed¡­.Are you giving it to her? Or are you¨Care you staying in the same bed?¡±

    Westin chuckled lightly, ¡°I believe that the rule can be bent. As for the sleeping arrangement, me

    and J will figure something out.¡±

    With everyone staring at them in disbelief, he offered a hand to J.

    ¡°What do you say?¡± he asked with a smile.

    After a long pause, J answered with a nod, ¡°Sure. That works.¡± ¡°NO!!¡± Wendy snapped.

    She looked furious, partly because J wouldn¡¯t be sleeping on the cold, damp floor as she had

    hoped, partly because J was going to spend the night with the man that they all loved.

    J darted her a cold re, ¡°It is your problem that I don¡¯t get a room tonight. If you don¡¯t like this

    arrangement, fix it soon.¡±

    She walked up to Westin.

    ¡°Let us go,¡± she said.

    Westin beamed and rounded his arm around her waist.

    When they were about to leave, J heard Wendy¡¯s angry voice behind her back, ¡°If you leave, I

    will report this to the maters-¡±

    Westin paused and looked beyond his shoulder. His gaze turned cold and sharp abruptly, ¡°I don¡¯t

    see why we need to bother the maters with this. Don¡¯t you agree, Wendy?¡°.

    Although Westin looked nice and approachable most of the time, he could be pretty intimidating

    when he was serious.

    Wendy quivered. Slowly, she lowered her head and murmured a ¡°yes.¡°¡±

    Westin smiled, ¡°Good. I am d that we reached amon ground.¡±

    He held J and led her to leave the maid¡¯s dorm.

    J shook his hand off as soon as they stepped onto the staircase.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She said in a polite yet distant voice, ¡°But I can crush on a bench somewhere. You don¡¯t need to

    take me to your room.¡±

    Westin chuckled, ¡°Are you dumping me already? How cruel.¡±

    His sexy, husky voice sent a shiver down her spine.

    She quickly looked away from his gorgeous face and asked, ¡°Why are you here tonight?¡±

    ¡°I heard that your crazy ex finally let you out of his room. So I have toe and see how you are

    doing. Looks like Ie at the right time.¡±

    J gazed into the air, saying nothing.

    ¡°Come and stay with me for the night, alright?¡± Westin said, persuasively, ¡°The guards are patrolling

    around everywhere. They will catch you if you stay on a bench and ask a bunch of questions. You

    don¡¯t want that kind of trouble.¡±

    J sighed.

    He was right about that.

    ¡°Fine.¡± she caved in, ¡°Where is your room?¡±

    Westin¡¯s room was not/in the basement but on the third floor. It was not as fancy as Morgana¡¯s

    room but nice and spacious enough. It even has its own private bathroom.

    Probably the captain¡¯s privilege.

    Westin turned on the light and said. ¡°Make yourselffortable Would you like to

    Westin turned on the light and said, ¡°Make yourselffortable. Would you like to take a shower?¡±

    ¡°No. I am good.¡±

    Westin chuckled and pulled his shirt over his head, ¡°Then excuse me for a moment.

    He got into the bathroom.

    J looked around the room, which was tidier than she had expected. No dirtyundry on the

    floor. All clothes were properly hung in the closet. Even the bed was made.

    There was only one twin¨Csized bed.

    J cast a quick look at the bed. Her heart rate quickened slightly.

    Don¡¯t be ridiculous. She told herself internally.

    Then she went to sit on the couch and waited for Westin.

    Momentster, Westin got out of the shower.

    His damp hair clung to his forehead, adding to his rugged charm.

    The water droplets glistened on his chiseled chest and slid down his n body following his well¨C

    defined abs, eventually disappearing into his shorts.

    upper

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    He was indeed gorgeous, making it impossible to look away.

    ¡°Why are you sitting on the couch?¡± he asked, drying his damp hair with a towel.

    ¡°There is only one bed.¡± J pointed out the obvious.

    ¡°And?¡± Westin raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind taking the couch,¡± J shrugged.

    Westin chuckled lightly and walked up to her. He bent down, bracing his hands on the back of the

    couch, and looked straight into her eyes.

    ¡°There is only one bed. We are mates. And I am crazy about you.

    His eyes gleamed brightly under the damp, golden hair.

    ¡°You see where I am going with this?¡±

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    She could smell the fragrance of the shampoo and his enticing scent. Her wolf was making a light

    little purr, urging her to ept his invitation.

    But she shushed her wolf.

    ¡°Do you want to fuck?¡± she asked, cutting straight to the chase.

    Westin blinked, looking a little taken aback. After a little pause, he burst outughing, ¡°You just

    made me love you even more, J.¡±

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°Do you? Or do you not?¡±

    ¡°I do. But I prefer to put it like this: I want to please you in bed, both physically and

    emotionally in a most loving and respectf

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    emotionally, in a most loving and respectful yet very rough and dirty kind of way.¡±

    He smiled, and wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger, ¡°How does that sound? Any better?¡±

    J shrugged, ¡°Sounds no different to me.¡±

    Westin chuckled, ¡°Then what do you propose, mydy? I will that you ask me to do.¡±

    V was to ¨C

    ¡°I know nothing about you yet,¡± J said. ¡°How about we get to know each other at little bit better

    first?¡±

    This man was hiding something.

    She could be sure of that.

    His identity was a mystery. He went undercover in the city of Grace Ruin for a certain reason. She

    must dig that out.

    At least, she should know whether he was an enemy or a friend.

    She would rather spend the rest of her life alone than mating with an enemy.

    Westin chuckled, ¡°Old¨Cfashioned. I like that.¡±

    He sat down on the floor, crossing his legs, and propped his hands on the floor behind his body,

    looking chilled and rxed.

    ¡°So, what do you want to know?¡± he asked.

    J stared at him, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    She was asking about his real identity, not the fake one that he currently uses.

    He smiled, ¡°Westin Lawson. I already told you my name.¡±

    Her heart sank slightly.

    1. OK. So he chose to keep on lying.

    But she decided to give him one more chance, ¡°Why do youe to the city of Grace Ruin? Why

    pledge your loyalty to Lance? And why do you serve in Morgana¡¯s troops?¡±

    ¡°That was a lot of questions,¡± he said, smiling.

    ¡°You just said that you would agree to anything that I asked you to do.¡± J pointed out.

    ¡°Well, yeah, fair enough.¡±

    He rubbed his chin, pondering, and answered after a little pause, ¡°To answer your second question

    first, no, my loyalty is not with Lance. My loyalty is with my people and my people only.¡±

    ¡°Your people?¡± J pursued eagerly. ¡°Who are they?¡±

    Was he an Alpha of a smaller pack? And that was why she hadn¡¯t met him before?

    Yet Westin simply replied with a mysterious smile and an elusive answer, ¡°Yes, my people, AKA the

    people under my reign.¡±

    J frowned.

    That was practically bullshit.

    ¡°Oh And I came to this city because I have noticed the chaos, the turmoil. I want to stay in the

    center of this storm and keep myself updated on the progress.¡±

    ¡°Anyone who is not blind can notice that,¡± J said coldly. ¡°There is a war.¡±

    ¡°There is always a war, between the werewolves and the rogues.¡± Westin corrected her. ¡°But this

    one is different. This is no normal war. If someone doesn¡¯t put a stop to this turmoil, the order of this

    world will be lost, permanently.¡±

    She looked at him, even more suspiciously.

    ¡°So you are talking about yourself, right?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask in a slightly satcastle voice,

    ¡°You. Amon rogue soldier. Putting a stop to this world war,¡±

    Westin didn¡¯t look offended.

    He startedughing again, sounding amused.

    ¡°A little guy can have dreams,¡± he blinked innocently.

    ¡°I would call it narcissism.¡±

    Heughed, ¡°Sure. But maybe I was talking about your ex, Alpha Daran. Maybe he is the world¡¯s

    savior, not me. You two came to this city to kill Lance and end this war, right? That was the original

    n¡­.Till he lost all control and decided to hang with the evil guy instead.¡±

    J didn¡¯t like to discuss Daran with him.

    So she looked away.

    ¡°Mind if I ask a couple of questions myself? Since we are getting to know each other now?¡± Westin

    asked.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Since your ex is one of the bad guys now¡­¡± Westin leaned in and stared at her with a charming

    smile on his lips. ¡°¡­What are the chances of you getting back with him. again?¡±

    This man just didn¡¯t know how to take a hint.

    She didn¡¯t want to talk about Daran.

    But he just kept stepping on her pain spot.

    ¡°I am not going to answer that,¡± she shrugged.

    ¡°I thought this is a must¨Canswer kind of situation.¡± he protested.

    ¡°I would rather stay in silence than lie,¡± she mocked.

    And that was you, a r.

    She added internally.

    A charming liar, of course. But still, a r full of bullshits and craps.

    Westin let out a sigh, ¡°OK. So looks like you are not very happy with my answers tonight. Do I still

    have the chance of taking you to bed tonight?¡±

    Her wolf was screaming ¡°Yes.¡±

    But she ignored that and answered icily, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Very well then.¡±

    Westin stood up and stretched his body a little bit.

    Then he bent down and spooned J up from the couch in one swift move.

    J was shocked.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± she cried, struggling in his arms, ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    Was he going to force her just because she said no?

    His arms were wrapped firmly around her shoulders and legs no matter how hard. she resisted.

    ¡°Rx,¡± he said.

    He walked to the bed, and set her down, nice and gentle.

    ¡°You have a nice sleep,¡± he smiled, looking down at her panic¨Cstricken face. ¡°Do you want me to tug

    you in?¡±

    She red at him, her heart still racing.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    A yful smile appeared on his lips, making those dimples on his cheeks even more obvious.

    ¡°If you keep staring, I might get the wrong idea and climb up to the bed as well,¡± he said, half¨C

    joking, half¨Cserious.

    ¡­You are going to take the couch?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Obviously. Can¡¯t let thedy sleep on the couch.¡±

    He yawned, stretched, and paced back to the couch.

    ¡°Good night,¡± he said before turning off the light. ¡°I will wake you before the maid¡¯s gathering time.

    The light was off. The darkness fell upon them.

    J pulled the bedsheet up to her chin and wrapped herself in it.

    She could not figure out this man.

    Daran was hard to read already. But this man was even worse.

    His thoughts and mind were hidden behind the charming smile that he wore as a mask, and it was

    impossible to decipher.

    He was dangerous. And mysterious.

    And most importantly, very charming.

    When J woke up again, the room was already filled with bright morning sunshine.

    She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds in a daze. And then sat up abruptly.

    Fuck!

    What time was it?

    Why didn¡¯t Westin wake her up? He said he was going to wake her up!

    The couch that Westin slept inst night was now empty. He was not in the room

    anymore.

    She found a note beside her pillow:

    Couldn¡¯t wake you in your sleep. I will be thinking about you all day today. Lots of love, Westin.)

    She looked at the clock on the wall.

    It was already 6:45, way past the gathering time.

    ¡°Shit!¡± J balled that note and threw it into the trash bin angrily.

    Westin really fucked her with this.

    And she suspected that he did it on purpose.

    If she got punished for beingte, she was definitely going to pin this one on him.

    J dashed into the bathroom to freshen up and then dashed out.

    She left his room in a hurry and ran to the basement as quickly as possible.

    When she got there, she found all the maids already gathered in the hallway, standing in lines.

    And Wendy was standing at the front of the lines, talking to a tall man.

    Everyone turned to look at J when she dashed in, including Wendy and that man. J came

    to a sharp stop, and her jaw dropped.

    It was Daran!

    What the hell?

    What was Daran doing in the basement this early in the morning?

    Shouldn¡¯t he be in his suite right now, waiting for the maids toe up and serve him?

    ¡°You arete!¡± Wendy snarled.

    ¡°Y¨CYeah¡­I know.¡± J answered absent¨Cmindedly, still looking at Daran.

    There was a sullen look on his face. He was eyeing her darkly.

    ¡°Your master came to get you, but he couldn¡¯t find you in your room!¡± Wendy

    snapped, ¡°Alpha Daran, my deepest apology. This is indeed outrageous. I have never seen such a

    disrespectful maid in my entire life-¡±

    ¡°Where were youst night?¡± Daran asked abruptly.

    J bit her lips, feeling reluctant to answer.

    Daran let out a cold snort and turned to Wendy, ¡°Where did she sleepst night?¡±

    Wendy hesitated.

    Westin warned her not to tell the master about it. But now she was questioned by the

    Alpha himself, right to her face.

    Between Westin and Daran, she chose to cave into thetter.

    ¡°She¡­she was with a guardst night¡­¡± Wendy muttered. Daran¡¯s voice got dangerously cold,

    ¡°Which guard?¡± ¡°Wendy!¡± J hissed.

    But she had already answered, ¡°A¨CA guard named Westin.¡±

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154

    Westin.

    The moment Daran heard that name, a scary expression appeared on his face.

    His eyes narrowed and brows furrowed as he took in deep, ragged breaths, trying to contain the

    rage bubbling up inside of him.

    ¡­You spent the night with him,¡± he said in a strained voice, staring at J for confirmation.

    J bit her lips.

    She didn¡¯t want Daran to know about this since she didn¡¯t want to cause Westin unnecessary

    trouble.

    Yet it is out in the air now. She would not deny it either.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She answered briefly, loud and clear.

    any

    Daran balled his fists at his sides, his knuckles turning white from the force of his grip.

    His whole body radiated an energy of barely restrained fury.

    ¡°How¡­dare¡­you!¡± he growled, his voice rumbling with anger.

    ¡°Who I spent the night with has nothing to do with you,¡± J said quickly.

    Wendy and the other maids looked back and forth between the two of them with an astonished

    look.

    They were probably all wondering how J gathered the courage to talk to a master like that.

    Daran let out a cold snort.

    He strode forward and held J¡¯s arm in an iron grip.

    ¡°I am taking this maid away with me.¡±

    He was talking to Wendy, but his eyes were fixed on J¡¯s face like a hawk.

    Wendy nodded hastily, ¡°O¨COf course, Alpha Daran. Whatever that works out for you¡­¡±

    Daran grabbed J¡¯s wrist and marched away, causing her to stagger behind him. They took the

    elevator and went up to his suite. On the way, they encountered many maids who were about to

    wake their masters from their sleep.

    Those maids all looked at them with shocked eyes as they walked by and kept staring even when

    they were gone.

    Rumors about her being dragged to Daran¡¯s room would be flying around the pce even before

    the breakfast was served.

    Daran kicked the door open and shoved J in.

    There were already a few maids waiting inside. They were here to help Daran freshen up and get

    changed.

    ¡°Everyone out.¡± Daran let out a cold sneer as he stared at J. ¡°She will be my maid today.¡±

    The other maids bowed and hurried out of the room, escaping the scene hastily. The door closed

    and left the two of them standing face¨Cto¨Cface with each other. ¡°What are you doing still standing

    there?¡±

    Daran opened his arms and said in a cold voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to help your master get

    changed?¡±

    He was still dressed in loungewear, which proved that he had left the room in a hurry this morning

    and didn¡¯t even have the time to get changed.

    J took a deep breath.

    She knew that Daran was mad and he was venting his fume on her.

    If she resisted or argued back, this would turn into another meaningless fight, which was thest

    thing that she needed right now.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    So she walked up ced her hands on the first button of his shirt and started undressing him.

    When she got to the third button, a hoarse voice traveled down from above her head:

    ¡°You used to help me get dressed like that all the time when we were married.¡±

    He sounded sad and nostalgic.

    But not all the time. J corrected him internally.

    He was not around most of the time. She spent eighty percent of their marriage waking up in an

    empty room alone.

    That lonely feeling still haunted her even today.

    Daran didn¡¯t get the reaction that he was hoping for. His breathing became heavy again.

    He asked in a freezing voice:

    ¡°Did you undress that Westin guy like this yesterday?¡±

    J¡¯s hands paused.

    He caught her wrist again/His palm was surprisingly cold and slightly shaking as though he was

    afraid of something.

    ¦°

    ¡°¡­.Answer me,¡± he said, half¨Cdemanding, half¨Cpleading.

    J took in a deep breath and said, ¡°No.¡±

    mes of hope rekindled at the back of his voice, ¡°So you didn¡¯t sleep with himst night?¡±

    J got to thest button and took his clothes off

    J got to thest button and took his clothes off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother you with my personal stuff, master.¡± She stressed thest word, reminding

    him of their current positions.

    She walked to the closet and came back with his suit.

    She was going to help him get dressed and he snatched the clothes from her and put it on himself.

    ¡°I am going to find that out.¡± He said to her darkly, ¡°If you dare to betray me and sleep with that

    lowly guard, I can make him regret being born. It only takes me one thumb to crush somebody like

    him to death.¡±

    Rage red in J¡¯s chest.

    Betray him?

    What the fuck was he talking about?

    Was he so delusional that he had forgotten that they were no longer mates

    nymore? They had nothing to do with one another!

    Did jealousy really make him go crazy?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere to be, master?¡± she reminded icily, hoping that he could fuck off as

    soon as possible.

    Daran was in the middle of tying his tie.

    Hearing her say that, he pulled the tie back out again and dumped it to the floor furiously.

    ¡°You would love me to disappear, don¡¯t you? So you can sneak out during the day and hang out

    with your second chance mate?¡±

    He let out a coldugh.

    ¡°But too bad. I am staying in today. Right here. With you.¡±

    His jealousy and paranoia were getting out of control.

    J rolled her eyes internally and decided that she was not going to let his bad temper affect her.

    A few momentster, the maids came back to the room to do the daily cleaning.

    They often did this during the day when the masters were out.

    So when they walked in and found Daran still sitting in a chair with a book in his hand, they hastily

    lowered their backs and stuttered:

    ¡°M¨CMy apology, Alpha Daran¡­we cane back¡­¡±

    ¡°No need. Do whatever you need to do.¡± Daran turned the page and said, ¡°And give her something

    to do. Keep her busy.¡±

    He was talking about J.

    The maids hesitated. After a short pause, one maid walked up to Jane and asked her in a careful

    voice:

    So do you know how to dust the bookshelf?¡±

    L nodded

    ¡°OK. You will be in charge of the dusting-¡±

    ¡°Give her something more difficult!¡± Daran snapped with his eyes still on the book.

    Startled by his sudden snarl, the maid shivered in fear.

    J sighed and said to her, ¡°It is OK. You can give me something more challenging to do.¡±

    Daran apparently wanted her to suffer.

    He would not stop until he got what he wanted.

    The wise thing to do was to simply obey.

    The maid gulped nervously and went to grab her adder and a bucket of rags, ¡°Well¡­in that case,

    you can clean the window. Be careful when you climb up¡­don¡¯t fall down from thedder.¡±

    Daran¡¯s suite had a floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, about 5-6 meters high.

    J first went to the bathroom and filled the bucket with soap and water and then came back.

    She rinsed the rags in soap water till it was nice and clean.

    Then she set thedder against the window and climbed up.

    Cleaning was not challenging at all.

    She did this all the time in Riverside Pack.

    The Diaz always drowned her in hardbor. And when she married Daran, she hoped

    that she could get the others to like her by taking up house chores.

    But that didn¡¯t work out at all.

    She cleaned the window from the top to the bottom. First, wipe it with a damp rag and a second

    round with a dry rag.

    Then the ss was spotless.

    Half an hourter, the maid came to check on her progress and was shocked. ¡°Wow! You are really

    good at this!¡± the maid gasped.

    J looked down and smiled, ¡°The trick is to use soap water instead of tap water.¡±

    From a peripheral look, she noticed that Daran¡¯s eyes were no longer on his book anymore.

    He was peeking at her.

    Was he worried that she couldn¡¯t get her job done?

    J let out a cold snort internally held thedder and started to climb down.

    Yet she missed a step.

    Thedder swayed dangerously and then crushed to the floor!

    ¡°Watch out!¡± the maid screamed.

    J fell off thedder.

    She immediately protected her head with both of her arms and waited for the pain.

    ¦§

    Yet it never came.

    The next second, she fell into a pair of steady arms, which held her tightly against his chest in a

    princess¨Cstyle hug.

    She blinked and looked up and found that it was Daran.

    He just sprinted at her from his chair and caught her before she fell to the floor.

    His breathing was short and ragged. And there was a furious look on his face. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± he

    snapped, ¡°If I haven¡¯t been watching you, you might break your fucking legs! Can¡¯t you just be more

    careful?¡±

    J blinked, perplexed.

    Wait.

    So he had been peeking at her because¡­he was genuinely worried that she might fall?

    **Please stay tuned for more on how J gets herself out of this dilemma, story will be updated

    everyday!

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155

    Daran held J in his arms.

    When he found that she was staring at him, he quickly dropped her down to the floor

    again.

    ¡°If

    you hissed.

    can¡¯t climb thedder without falling, find something easier to do.¡± He

    J pulled herself up from the floor and said, ¡°You asked me to do something challenging.¡±

    ¡°That was because I didn¡¯t know that you are such an idiot.¡±

    J frowned.

    When she thought that he was worried about her, she had a fleeting gratitude at heart.

    Yet that gratitude quickly died out again.

    He was aplete jerk. And that was it.

    He had never treated her with a horrible attitude even when they were back in

    Riverside Pack. Back then, he just ignored her all the time.

    J had to admit that his cold shoulder was easier to put up with than this moody, petnt version

    of him.

    Where did all his tempere from?

    Was it because of jealousy?

    The maids rushed over and took thedder and the bucket of rags away.

    J promised them that she would be careful this time. But they would not let her climb up and

    clean the window again.

    She was sent to fold the bed sheet and arrange flowers in the vase.

    Daran was called to the Counseling Hall in the afternoon.

    He warned her dangerously before leaving the room.

    ¡°Stay here. Do not wander around. You hear me?¡± he grabbed her chin and forced her to meet his

    dark eyes. ¡°If Ie back and find that you have left, I might lose control of my temper.¡±

    She stayed in silence stubbornly.

    ¡°Say that you have heard me!¡± he snapped, tightening his grip.

    ¡­Yes.¡± She gritted, irritated.

    He stormed out of the room.

    The other maids had finished cleaning and left as well. So J was all alone by herself without

    anything to do at the moment.

    She picked up the book that Daran read earlier and flipped through a few pages.

    Then she paced to the door and ced her hand on the doorknob.

    She tried turning the doorknob.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    The door was not locked.

    Which meant that she could sneak out and go find Morgana, Kass, or even Westin if she wanted

    to.

    She froze by the door, pondering.

    But was it worth the risk?

    After a few moments of hesitation, she decided to give up on that.

    Daran couldn¡¯t watch her every single day. She would get a better chanceter.

    Now she would just stay on the safe side and try not to enrage that angry beast.

    That proved to be a wise decision.

    Because Daran came back sooner than expected.

    He said that he would be gone for 3 to 4 hours. But it only took him less than 2 hours

    and now he was back.

    When he burst into the room and found J on the floor flipping through his book, a gleam of joy

    lit up in his eyes.

    ¡°You stayed,¡± he said deeply, sounding appeased.

    ¡°I kind of have to, don¡¯t I? You didn¡¯t give me a second chance.¡±

    J turned the page and nced at him briefly.

    ¡°Did you run all the way back?¡± she asked with a frown.

    There was a thinyer of sweat on his forehead. And his breathing sounded shallow.

    Daran let out a snort, ¡°I thought you had snuck out. Can¡¯t concentrate while thinking about that.¡±

    J closed the book and looked at him. ¡°I am curious What would you do if you

    J closed the book and looked at him, ¡°I am curious. What would you do if you came back and

    found that I was gone

    She didn¡¯t believe that he would hurt her.

    He paused. And then gave her an evil grin.

    ¡°I will make you a customized cor and chain and lock you to my right hand.¡± He said in a nasty

    tone, ¡°That way, you have to stay closely by my side no matter where I go. Like a fucking dog on a

    leash.¡±

    A chill was sent down her spine.

    She red at him.

    That was disgusting!

    He was pleased by the horrified look on her face and walked up to her.

    ¡°So? Do you like that idea?¡± he knelt down by her side and leaned in, breathing into her ears.

    She tilted her head to avoid him, ¡°I hate it.¡±

    ¡°It can be a golden cor and chain. Better?¡± he murmured hoarsely.

    She breathed angrily in silence.

    He chuckled and bent down to kiss her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± she tried to push him back.

    Yet he caught her resisting forcefully and pressed his lips on hers.

    To her surprise, it was a rather soft kiss. He savored her lips gently, very tender and careful, like

    caressing a delicate petal.

    Electricity coursed through her body.

    It was sad. Really. Although she hated Daran to the gut now, she still couldn¡¯t resist the physical

    temptation.

    Her wolf woke up and made a purring sound like a cat being rubbed on the belly.

    Her wolf was not as excited as when she was with Westinst night. But J could tell that she

    missed Daran¡¯s wolf as well.

    God! Which one did you pick?

    J couldn¡¯t help but yell at her wolf internally.

    Daran finished that kiss with a gentle peck on the cheek and pulled away.

    He stared at her, deeply.

    J felt that she was about to drown in those heavy emotions in his eyes. Her mouth dried. And

    her heart rate quickened.

    He parted his lips as though he was about to say something.

    Yet just then, her stomach made a grumbling noise.

    ¡°¡­I am hungry,¡± she admitted frustrated.

    Daran froze. And then burst outughing.

    He stood up and rang the hell asking for the dinner to be delivered to his room

    He stood up and rang the bell, asking for the dinner to be delivered to his room.

    J secretly let out a sigh of relief internally.

    Whatever Daran had to say at the moment, she was not ready for it.

    15 minutester, a servant brought a tray of food to the room and set it down on the dining table.

    J stood by the table, wondering if she should take this chance and excuse herself.

    She was a maid now. All maids dined in the basement.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    She uttered one word and was interrupted by Daran.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the avocado on the sd,¡± he said critically.

    J frowned. What was wrong with the avocado?

    ¡°And the stake as well. It is medium rase, not rare as how I like it.¡± Heined.

    She sighed, ¡°Do you want me to run down to the kitchen and bring you something else?¡±

    ¡°No. It is fine.¡±

    He pushed the tes across the table to her.

    ¡°You can have these,¡± he said.

    J froze.

    She looked at him and found a suspicious tinge on his cheek. And he was avoiding her gaze as

    though he was suddenly nervous to meet her eyes.

    And then she got it.

    This was his way of asking her to stay and have dinner with him.

    After a short moment of hesitation, she sat down by the table and grabbed the folk.

    He didn¡¯t yell and grab her hand forcing her to stay this time, which was an improvement.

    Plus, she was really hungry. And the food looked really nice, much better than those slop that they

    served in the basement.

    She could feel him staring at her as she gobbled down.

    There was a gentle smile on his lips.

    J finished up her dinner and then collected the dirty tes.

    ¡°I am going back to the basement if you don¡¯t need me for something else,¡± she said.

    Daran leaned back in his chair and opened the top two buttons on his shirt.

    ¡°Draw me a bath,¡± he said idly.

    It was gettingte and J really didn¡¯t want to stay in the same room with him.

    It was too dangerous.

    She didn¡¯t trust him She also didn¡¯t trust her calf¨Ccontrol

    She didn¡¯t trust him. She also didn¡¯t trust her self¨Ccontrol.

    But since he had already asked¡­

    J set the dirty tes down and went into the bathroom.

    She turned on the water tap and added a few drops of essential oil to the bath water.

    She still remembered his favorite flour: grapefruit and geranium.

    There were so many things about him that she wanted to forget but just couldn¡¯t chase them out of

    her head.

    J sat on the bathroom floor and stirred the water.

    She began to think about another pressing matter-

    Where was she going to sleep tonight?

    She still didn¡¯t have a room. And she didn¡¯t want to go back to Westin¡¯s.

    So her only option is the bench?

    Just then, footsteps came behind her back.

    ¡°The bath is almost ready.¡± She said without turning around, ¡°You cane back a few minutes

    later¡­Ahh!¡±

    A startled gasp escaped her lips.

    Daran rounded his arms around her waist and pressed her against the bathtub. His hot lips fell on

    the back of her neck and started nibbling her bare skin.

    ¡°No!¡± she cried urgently, trying to fight back with her elbow. ¡°Get off me!!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t push me away¡­Just don¡¯t¡­OK?¡±

    He murmured in a strained and bitter voice as though going through some painful struggles

    internally.

    ¡°Every day without you¡­it is like hell¡­I can¡¯t stand it anymore,¡± he breathed.

    J gritted her teeth. She cupped some water with her hands and sshed at him!

    He froze.

    J jerked around and found water dripping down from his hair to his face. And his eyes were slits

    of rage.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156

    J knew that Daran was pissed by her rejection.

    But she was angrier than him.

    She had made it clear that she didn¡¯t want anything to do with him anymore! But he just kept

    harassing her.

    This had to stop!

    J grabbed the nozzle and pointed at Daran.

    She turned on the cold water and the water sprayed all over Daran¡¯s head.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Daran growled furiously. ¡°STOP!¡±

    J dumped the nozzle on the bathroom floor and shoved him aside, dashing out of the

    bathroom.

    She headed straight towards the door to leave.

    But before she could reach the door, Daran grabbed her shoulder from behind and forced her to

    stop.

    There was water dripping down all over his body. He took one hand to wipe his face. and red at

    her in full rage:

    ¡°-What the hell was wrong with you?!¡±

    ¡°I thought you knew why,¡± she gritted. ¡°If you like to y this master and maid game, fine, I am all

    gamed. You are the master and I am kept here as a prisoner. It is what I deserve.¡±

    His jaw tightened, ¡°It is not what I want-¡±

    ¡°But us? It is done! Finished! The end! How many times do I have to repeat that to you? No matter

    how many times you beg me, seduce me, or force me, we can never go back! You understand?!¡±

    The roompsed into a deathly silence.

    Daran stared at her in a frenzy of sadness and anger. She didn¡¯t know where those strong emotions

    came from¨Cshe was the one who was entitled to be sad and angry, not him!

    Yet seeing him like that, a sharp pain seized her heart.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Her wolf made an agonizing little moan, weeping internally.

    After a long pause, he asked, ¡°But what if I can¡¯t stand the life without you?¡±

    ¡°You should have thought about that before you betrayed all of us.¡±

    ¡°I told you! I did that for a reason! For a brighter future!¡±

    ¡°Yes, a brighter future, and plus the extreme power and a shiny new throne! God, Daran, you made

    a choice! Stop moaning about the price you paid and just bear with the consequences! Don¡¯t tell me

    that you have already regretted it!¡±

    Daran heaved out a heavy breath.

    ¡°I don¡¯t regret it,¡± he said coldly. ¡°If given a second chance, I would do it all over again.

    J clenched her fists.

    Yes, that was the Daran that she knew. Cold, ruthless, decisive, willing to do anything to get his

    way.

    A heartless aspirant.

    Daran stared deep into her eyes and changed the topic, ¡°Where are you going to sleep tonight?¡±

    ¡°¡­.None of your business.¡±

    She could crush out on a bench and wait for the morning to confront Wendy again. ¡°Sleep here,¡± he

    said in a forceful tone.

    ¡°We went through that already! I am not going to sleep with you!¡± she snapped.

    ¡°Sleep in this room! Not sleep with me!¡± he snarled, ¡°There is plenty of room here. Pick a damn spot

    where you want to sleep at. The bed, couch, chair, even the bathtub

    or the floor!!

    J gave him a suspicious look.

    If she stayed the night, would Daran take this chance and make again?

    a move on her

    Seeing the look on her face, his face darkened again, ¡°I will not take advantage of at woman who

    just clearly rejected me, OK? I am not that low.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    J walked to the couch andid down, closing her eyes, ¡°Good night then.¡±

    She heard his footsteps going into the bedroom, and then the light was out, and the bedroom door

    closed with a gentle bump.

    She slept in two different men¡¯s rooms for the past two nights.

    One man, sweet and charming, yet had his mouth full of bullshit and lies and was full of mysteries.

    He didn¡¯t even trust her enough to give her his real name;

    The other man, cold and ruthless, had just thoroughly betrayed her. Yet she could. feel that he still

    cared for her deeply and the way he looked at her often gave a tug at her heartstring.

    The moon goddess gave her twopletely different men.

    Yet it was not up to her whom she would be with eventually.

    It was always in the hands of the fate.

    J let out a small sigh in the darkness and closed her eyes.

    J slept on the couch.

    Yet when she woke up the next morning, she found herself sleeping on the bed, inside the

    bedroom, with a soft nket covering her whole body.

    Shey there in a daze for a few moments and then slowly sat up.

    She looked to her side.

    Daran was not in bed with her anymore.

    She heard footsteps and voices in the living room. So she got out of bed and walked outside.

    Daran was sitting by the table drinking his morning coffee. A few maids were setting the table and

    serving breakfast.

    They looked around simultaneously when she stepped out of the bedroom.

    The maids seemed astonished at first.

    Then they quickly lowered their heads and exchanged a meaningful look with each

    other.

    J instantly knew that they had the wrong idea.

    They probably thought that she climbed onto Daran¡¯s bedst night and seduced

    him.

    But she didn¡¯t even know who she ended up in his bed herself!

    This was unbelievable.

    ¡°Did you have a good sleepst night?¡± Daran asked with a faint smile.

    She marched over, pulled the chair, and sat down by his side.

    ¡°How did I get to the bed?¡± she asked in a voice that was only audible to the two of them.

    Daran raised an eyebrow, ¡°You sleepwalked to the bedroom and kept knocking on the door. I had to

    let you in before you woke the entire floor.¡±

    She was pissed, ¡°Bullshit! I never sleepwalk!¡±

    ¡°Well, you didst night.¡±

    He set the coffee mug back on the table and changed the topic before she had the chance to ask

    more:

    -Come and meet Harper and Lance with me after breakfast.¡±

    She frowned, ¡°Why?¡±

    His long finger tapped on the table and he said, ¡°Lance is going to hold a Crowning Ceremony for

    Harper.¡±

    J was stunned.

    A Crowning Ceremony?

    Harper was going to be queen?

    She screamed about her being Lance¡¯s queen all the time but nobody took her seriously.

    Now, she was finally getting what she wanted.

    ¡°Lance agreed to that?¡± J asked, skeptical. ¡°I thought he was not that into Harper.¡±

    She saw how Lance was when he was with Harper. He didn¡¯t even defend Harper in front of Daran.

    A man like him would seriously crown Harper as his queen.

    ¡°Yes, he agreed himself,¡± Daran said with a light snort. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t easy. Harper climbed up to the

    roof and threatened him with her life. She said that she would jump off in front of everyone¡¯s face if

    he didn¡¯t give her a title. Lance was furious. But he caved in eventually.

    That was what Harper was best at¨Cusing her craziness to get what she wanted. ¡°So, how are you

    feeling right now?¡± she asked.

    Daran looked at her with a frown, ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The woman you rejected me for is now marrying another man, your new boss. How does that

    make you feel? Jealous? Angry?¡± she smiled a sarcastic smile.

    His face darkened.

    Yet she was not done teasing him just vet, ¡°Are you going to barge in and ruin the

    wedding? Screaming ¡®I object¡® when the pastor asks if anyone objects to this marriage? Like in a

    cheesy soap opera?¡±

    Daran stood up abruptly and grabbed her chin forcefully.

    ¡°Stop that,¡± he warned darkly.

    She looked back at him defiantly.

    ¡°First of all, I never loved Harper. So I don¡¯t give a damn about who she is marrying. And second-¡±

    His thumb caressed her cheek gently.

    ¡°if you dare to marry Westin, not only would I barge in and object, I would also bring a gun and

    shoot every fucking man standing in my way.¡±

    A shiver was sent down her spine.

    ¡°Now hurry.¡± He let go of her and said icily, ¡°I am going to meet Harper and Lance. You areing

    as well.¡±

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157

    Daran took J to Harper¡¯s suite, which was the very first time J stepped into Harper¡¯s room

    in this pce.

    Her room was extremelyvish, decorated with delicate tapestries and expensive ornaments. The

    tea set was made of pure gold and the carpet was made by one hundred percent cashmere.

    This room was even fancier than the room that Harper had back in Riverside Pack. Harper was

    really doing everything she could to show off her wealth and power. When Daran and J came in

    through the door, Harper was standing before a full¨Clength mirror, fitting for the uing Crowning

    Ceremony.

    The room buzzed with the chatter of maids and designers, all desperate to please the

    new queen and make her look absolutely the best for the asion.

    ¡°Daran, youe!¡±

    Lance beamed and stood from the sofa. He was flipping through a jewelry brochure, looking very

    bored, before they walked in.

    ¡°My best man!¡± Lance said fondly to Daran.

    What the fuck¡­best man?!

    J snapped her head towards Daran, rounding her eyes in disbelief.

    Daran agreed to be Lance¡¯s best man.

    A respected Alpha as the Rogue King¡¯s best man?

    J was stunned by the irony behind this.

    Daran epted that title calmly, ¡°Why do you ask me toe?¡±

    ¡°Well, since you are my best man, I think you should also do a fitting. We have the Grace Ruin¡¯s

    best designer in this room. They are probably not as good as the people in your pack, but they will

    do. Go on to the next room and have them measure you.¡±

    Daran nodded.

    He walked away for a few steps and then paused looking beyond his shoulder. ¡°Stay here,¡± he said

    to J deeply.

    Lance smiled and looked at Daran¡¯s back as he walked into the next room.

    Then he turned back to J.

    ¡°How is the maid life suiting you, J?¡± he asked with a snide smile.

    ¡°Not so good,¡± J said icily. ¡°I prefer my life as a Gamma.¡±

    Lance burst outughing, ¡°Well! I am sorry to hear that, but that is not going to happen. You are a

    maid now. Try to enjoy all the cleaning,undry, and house chores. You may fall in love with all

    those eventually. If you behave, I will marry you to a rogue butcher or peasant and let you build a

    life here.¡±

    J said nothing and replied with a hostile re.

    Just then, Harper called out to her from the mirror:

    ¡°J! Come to me.¡±

    Lance gave a nudge on her shoulder, ¡°Go on. The queen is asking for you.¡± J dragged her

    steps and slowly walked towards the full¨Clength mirror. Harper was dressed in a flowing gown of

    delicatece and shimmering silk. Her maids fussed over here, making sure that every detail was

    just right.

    When J came close, a designer was adjusting the waistline with a couple of pins. She

    identally pricked Harper with one of the pins.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    Harper cried loudly and jumped up, ¡°You pricked me, you idiot!¡±

    The designer immediately fell on her knees, shivering in fear, ¡°M¨CMy apology my Queen¡­it is an

    ident¡­¡±

    An ident?! I don¡¯t think so!¡±

    Harper pointed a finger at the designer and snarled, ¡°I think you did it on purpose! There are a lot of

    bitches like you who think that they can hurt me and rece me as Queen themselves. I am telling

    you now¨Cit is not going to happen!¡±

    ¡°No, my queen!¡± The designer cried desperately, ¡°I have never thought about recing you¡­I was

    just doing my job!¡±

    Harper spat at her face, ¡°Shameless liar. Guards! Drag her out and flog her!¡±

    The guards jumped at the designer and yanked her up from the floor.

    J saw all that and clenched her fists.

    This was ssic Harper.

    Always eager to torment her servants and maids to prove her superiority.

    The designer was weeping.

    J couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°There is no need for that.¡±

    Harper paused.

    Then she slowly directed her gaze at J.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± she stared at J, gritting.

    ¡°I said there is no need to flog this poor girl,¡± J looked back at her defiantly. ¡°She made a small

    mistake. Be a good master and forgive her.¡±

    ¡°Forgive her?¡±

    Harper started to giggle, a malicious gleam in her eyes, ¡°Are you trying to act like a saint now

    J? Do you think that you can get everyone to like you by shing those big, innocent eyes? It is

    not going to work, bitch! I am the queen. And you are a maid! You don¡¯t get to teach me what to

    do!¡±

    Harper waved her hand and hissed at the guards, ¡°Take her away!

    The guards dragged that designer and took her out of the room.

    Harper finally looked pleased.

    She opened her arms and showed off her fancy gown to J, ¡°Look at me. How do I look?¡±

    J snorted and looked away, revolted.

    ¡°You are jealous!¡± Harperughed, ¡°Well, you have a reason to be. You never had a big, crowning

    ceremony, right? Daran didn¡¯t give you shit. Because he doesn¡¯t like you. Not even a bit. Oh, your

    wedding night, do you know what he did?¡±

    J held her breath.

    Daran was not with her on that night.

    Harper giggled and leaned in, whispering into her ears:

    ¡°Daran was in my room on our wedding night. He was drunk andined to me what a horrible

    mate the moon goddess had blessed him with. He even said that¡­if he had a choice¡­he would

    rather have me as his mate.¡±

    J¡¯s lips slightly quivered.

    ¡°That is right!¡± Harper beamed, ¡°Nobody likes you! You are an unwanted, sad little bitch. Even if you

    have be the

    Gamma and Blood Moon Pack¡¯s princess, he could still toss you aside in the snap of a finger!¡±

    J¡¯s body started to shake.

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    Her wolf was growling furiously inside of her..

    Harper was provoking her on purpose, making her do something stupid in front of everyone so that

    Harper could punish her.

    She shouldn¡¯t fall for that trap.

    But it was so hard to control her temper and she just wanted to punch Harper¡¯s face right now-

    ¡°What are you talking?¡±

    J jerked around and saw Daran standing by the door.

    He was looking at the two of them with narrowed eyes.

    There was a moment of silence in the room. Everyone froze in their actions and. stared at him,

    unblinkingly.

    Daran looked so hot in his freshly tailored suit.

    The suite was impably crafted, the sleek lines and sharp angles entuating his strong jawline

    and broad shoulders.

    The color of the fabric, a deep jade,plemented his eye color perfectly, and the subtle sheen of

    the material caught the light in a way that made him look even more dashing.

    The maids began to blush.

    They were not supposed to look at the masters directly.

    But he was impossible to look away from.

    Daran ignored all other maid¡¯s gazes and looked straight at J.

    ¡°What were you talking about?¡± he pursued, ¡°Why do you look mad?¡±

    J cast a cold look at Harper.

    ¡°N¨CNothing!¡±

    Harper stuttered in panic, afraid that Daran might find out about how she tried to provoke J,

    ¡°God! Daran, you look really nice. No wonder all the girls in this pce are all crazy about you.¡±

    Daran frowned.

    ¡°That is right,¡± Lance crossed his arms and echoed. ¡°I have heard many maids. talking about you,

    Daran. I know that these lowly maids are not good enough for someone in your status. But they are

    good enough to have some casual fun with.¡±

    ¡­What is your point?¡± Daran asked coldly.

    Lance shrugged with an idle smile, ¡°There are many pretty girls here in this room. Come on. Pick

    one. Or two. I will have them bathed and sent to your bed tonight.¡±

    The maids held their breath and exchanged excited looks with each other.

    They were all very fond of Daran.

    His gorgeous appearance, his mighty aura, his masculinity¡­

    He was every girl¡¯s dream.

    So who got to be the lucky one tonight and spent the night with him?

    Their heart rate quickened just thinking about the way this handsome man fucked in

    bed.

    He must be a wild beast.

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158

    ¡°No, I am good,¡± Daran said coldly without hesitation.

    A lot of the maids looked disappointed.

    Why did he reject them? Were they not pretty enough?

    Some of them even bent their back on purpose to show off their cleavages.

    ¡°Daran, you are hurting these poor girls¡® hearts.¡± Lance chuckled, ¡°What is the matter? Are they not

    good enough for you? Because I know there are some prettier girls in the pce. Just say the word

    and I will have them delivered to you.¡±

    Daran frowned.

    ¡°What is this obsession of yours to keep sending women to me?¡± He said impatiently. ¡°I already told

    you. I don¡¯t want them.¡±

    Lanceughed, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, brother. I just want to make sure you have everything that you

    need here. Come on, how long has it been since youst had a woman? Even that girl in the

    nightclub¨Cyou just danced with her and that was it. What is the matter?¡±

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat hearing Lance say that.

    Daran didn¡¯t sleep with all those women?

    But¡­ But she thought that he was having crazy fun here.

    Why did he turn down all those girls?

    While she was thinking about that, Lance voiced out her question for her:

    ¡°Daran, is it because you are still in love with another woman?¡°¨C

    The roompsed into a deathly silence.

    Everyone was looking at Daran, holding their breath, waiting for him to answer.

    Even Harper had stopped fiddling with her earrings and stared at Daran instead. The furrow

    between Daran¡¯s brows grew deeper.

    He looked reluctant to answer.

    Seeing his reaction, Lance chuckled, ¡°Then let me make a wild guess here. The woman that you

    are still in love with¡­is it J?¡±

    All eyes darted to J in unison.

    J clenched her fists and felt her palms sweating.

    ¡°Where are you going with this?¡± Daran asked icily.

    ¡°Well, I just think there is a slight issue here¡­if you are still in love with J. She is our enemy. I

    am afraid that hanging out with her may get you to change your mind again and she might tempt

    you to go back to Riverside Pack.¡±

    Daran raised an eyebrow.

    Then he slowly turned around to face J.

    There were many strong and heavy emotions looming in his gorgeous eyes.

    The way he stared at her right now¡­ made J¡¯s heartrate fasten.

    Daran slowly opened his mouth and said, ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°He is not in love with me.¡±

    J beat him to it and spoke up first.

    Her heart was racing inside of her chest. She gulped, calming herself down, and looked to Lance.

    ¡°Maybe he has a woman that he loves but that is not me. We are ancient history already. And¡­And

    I don¡¯t love him either. There is no feeling between us,¡± she said firmly.

    Everyone in the room was stunned.

    And there was a brief moment of awkward silence.

    Lance first burst outughing, ¡°Oh my god. You hear that, Daran? She rejected you¨Cin front of

    everyone¡¯s face! How cruel¡­and you are going to let her do that to you?¡±

    Daran¡¯s face was dark

    He red at J, the muscle under his right eye slightly twitching because of rage.

    He looked like he wanted to thread J into pieces with his paws. J¡¯s heart was thumping like

    crazy against her chest.

    She dodged his gaze nervously and looked down at her feet.

    She was lying.

    She knew that Daran still had feelings for her.

    And there was a small part of her that still cared for him.

    But this was wrong¡­They could never go back.

    Might as well just deny it and move on.

    After a long pause, Daran spoke up icily, ¡°I have probably been too nice to you¡­to let you think that

    you have the right to reject me.¡±

    J bit her lips in silence, saying nothing.

    ¡°That is right, J. You don¡¯t get to say no to your master.¡± Harper sneered. ¡°You are a maid

    now¡­a lowly fucking ve. Any guards, servants, or staff in this pce. can take you to bed,

    whenever and wherever they want. You should realize that by now already.¡±

    The crowd jeered.

    Lance rubbed his chin and said, ¡°But J is a beautiful woman. I can tell why you are still

    interested in her body. If that is the case-¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Daran cut him off icily, ¡°I have no interest in that disrespectful woman. Her sole presence disgusts

    me.¡±

    J¡¯s body trembled involuntarily.

    Her wolf made a sad little growl internally.

    Harper jumped in and said excitedly, ¡°Well, in that case, you should allocate her to me! I will surely

    teach her how to behave around the masters. Not to tter myself, but I am pretty good at training

    ves.¡±

    ¡°I can train my own ve,¡± Daran said in a freezing tone. ¡°And¡­You.¡±

    He pointed at a pretty maid standing in the corner.

    ¡°You areing into my room tonight,¡± he ordered.

    The maid widened her eyes in excitement, her face turning red.

    She couldn¡¯t believe that she was this lucky!

    All herpanions looked at her in jealousy.

    ¡°Well, nice.¡± Lance beamed, ¡°Have fun, my brother. I still see youter.¡±

    Daran turned and walked to the door. The pretty maid that he chose hurried to follow.

    When they got to the door, Daran jerked around and snapped at J:

    ¡°Hustle. You should get the door for your master.¡±

    J breathed, controlling her temper.

    She walked over and pulled the door open for them.

    Daran didn¡¯t say a single word on their way back to the suite.

    As soon as he got into the room, he walked to the couch and sat down, his face stone.

    cold.

    The maid snuck up to him and breathed into his ear, ¡°Master¡­do you want to start now? I am

    ready.¡±

    Daran said nothing. He sat there, perfectly still, like a marble statue.

    The maid pouted in frustration.

    She climbed up to his knees and wrapped her arms around his neck.

    ¡°Master¡­my feet hurt,¡± she said in a sweet, seductive voice. ¡°Can you rub my ankle. for me?

    Daran averted his gaze and looked to J, who was still standing by the door in silence.

    ¡°We have a ve who can do that for you,¡± he said.

    The maid bit her lips.

    It was not exactly what she was aiming for. But fine.

    ¡°You!¡± she beckoned to J, ¡°Come and rub my feet.¡±

    J took in a deep breath and walked up to them.

    She knelt down before the maid and put her feet on herp.

    Then she started rubbing the maid¡¯s right foot.

    The maid looked down at J with a triumphant smile on her lips. She leaned back. into Daran¡¯s

    arms and said fussily:

    ¡°God, your hands are so rough. You are hurting my skin. I can even feel that callus on your palm!

    How many years of house chores have you done?¡±

    J let out a light little snort.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get these calluses from house chores,¡± she said.

    The maid giggled, ¡°Then what? Heavy lifting? Wood chopping?¡±

    ¡°Sword, gun, and martial arts training.¡±

    J raised her head and looked at the maid¡¯s horrified face.

    ¡°I have killed many rogues with this pair of hands.¡±

    She chuckled and added some pressure to the maid¡¯s angle, ¡°¡­you can feel it, don¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159

    J¡¯s sharp gaze sent a shiver down the maid¡¯s spine.

    After a brief moment of astonishment, the maid jerked to Daran and cried, ¡°M¨CMaster, she is

    threatening me!¡±

    Daran raised an eyebrow.

    J saw a fleeting smile in his eyes as though he was amused by their conversation.

    Yet the next second, that faint smile was gone.

    And he was back to being cold and indifferent again.

    ¡°Master, you have to punish her! She is so disrespectful,¡± the maid pouted

    ¡°How did she threaten you?¡± Daran said coolly, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice,¡±

    The maid parted her lips like a fool, ¡°B¡­But you heard her saying that kind of stuff¡­the sword

    training and how many rogues she killed¡±

    ¡°She was simplyying out the truth,¡± he said.

    The maid twisted her lips in fume.

    She wanted to say something else, but Daran cut her off, ¡°Go take a shower,¡±

    That meant that he was taking her to bed now!

    The maid beamed and jumped off the couch, heading towards the bathroom.

    She gave a disdainful look at J when she walked by and murmured, ¡°Bitch,¡±

    J let out a snort internally.

    The bathroom door closed with a thud followed by the sound of running water.

    J took in a deep breath and turned back to Daran, ¡°So, master, if there is nothing

    else-¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡±

    Daran leaned in and grabbed her chin, staring deep into her eyes,

    ¡°I am going to fuck that woman tonight,¡± he said in a sullen voice, ¡°Do you have anything else to say

    to that?¡±

    J clenched her skirt, ¡°¡­You made a decision. Then that is it.¡±

    ¡°And you are fine with that?¡±

    J lowered her eyelids and said nothing.

    ¡°Look at me!¡± he hissed, tightening his grip. ¡°You said that you didn¡¯t love me. Then whom do you

    love? Westin? You just met him for less than a week! We have known each other for years-¡±

    ¡°Then you can imagine the feeling of being betrayed by someone whom you have known for

    years.¡±

    J rescued her chin from Daran¡¯s grip and stood up.

    ¡°Master, please allow me to excuse myself.¡± she said to him calmly, ¡°And¡­have a good night.¡±

    She didn¡¯t give Daran a chance to say anything else and walked out of the room.

    Before the door closed up, she heard a loud noise behind her, as though the tea set was swept to

    the floor.

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    It was about dinner time.

    J went down to the basement, thinking that maybe she should grab a bite before confronting

    Wendy about the room arrangement again.

    She came to the dining hall and heard some loud cheering andughter inside.

    ¡°Wendy, you got a pair! Westin, time for the showdown! Show us what you got!¡±

    J pushed the door a crack and found arge crowd gathered by the long dining table.

    Wendy and Westin sat on the opposite side with some dice, cards, and coins on the table.

    They were ying Texas Hold¡¯em poker.

    ¡°Westin, if you have somethingrger than a pair, then you win. You can take all the money I have

    left and as promised-¡±

    Wendy looked at Westin with a sheepish smile.

    ¡°I am going to give you a kiss.¡±

    Westin raised an eyebrow.

    Beforeying his cards out on the table, he casually looked up and found J standing by the

    door.

    ¡°J!¡±

    His eyes lit up and he stood up at once, ¡°I have been waiting for you.¡±

    He pushed his chair away and smiled at the astonished crowd, ¡°You guys have fun. I have

    something else to do.¡±

    ¡°But¨CBut you haven¡¯t shown your cards yet!¡± Wendy stuttered, ¡°The game¨Cthe bet-¡±

    ¡°I fold.¡±

    Westin tossed his cards to the table and pushed all his coins across the table to Wendy, ¡°You win.

    Congrattion.¡±

    ¡°You are so close to winning!¡± one maid cried, ¡°Giving up right now is such a pity!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like

    to keep ady waiting.¡±

    Westin shrugged and waved his hand, ¡°Later guys.

    He walked up to J and shed her a wink, ¡°Shall we? I have a surprise for you.¡±

    They exited into the hallway.

    J asked him where they were going but Westin looked all mysterious and just told her to follow

    him.

    They walked down the long corridor.

    J couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°What cards do you have back in there?¡±

    ¡°Full house,¡± Westin said in an offhand tone.

    That was huge!

    He would definitely win if he stuck around.

    J gasped ¡°You are kidding! Then why did you walk away? You would have taken

    every penny out of Wendy¡¯s pocket.¡±

    ¡°Like I said,¡± Westin gave her a gentle smile. ¡°I don¡¯t like you keep you waiting. Not even for a

    second.¡±

    More sweet talk.

    This man really knew his way around women.

    ¡°Plus¡­¡± Westin added, ¡°If I win, she will want to offer me a kiss. I don¡¯t want that. So it is better to

    lose some money and just walk away.¡±

    J teased, ¡°Walking away from a pretty girl¡¯s kiss? I didn¡¯t know that you are such a gentleman.¡±

    Westin chuckled deeply. His sexy, husky voice echoed in the hallway.

    ¡°Wrong. I am not a gentleman. There is only one woman in this world that I want her to kiss me, and

    that woman is not Wendy.¡±

    J felt her cheeks ming.

    She was d that the hallway was dark, and Westin could not see the tinge on her face.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Westin leaned in and whispered into her ear, ¡°¡­When can we y poker?¡±

    J steadied her heartrate and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y poker.¡±

    ¡°It is easy. I can teach you.¡±

    ¡°Why? So that you can win all my money away?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± he grinned, ¡°So that I can spend more time with you.¡±

    This man.

    He was impossible to resist.

    J didn¡¯t know how to answer. While she was struggling with an answer, she heard Westin say,

    ¡°This is us.¡±

    They were standing in front of a door.

    ¡°What is this ce?¡± J asked.

    Westin gestured for her to open the door with an encouraging look.

    J turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

    She was stunned.

    This was a nice, neat little room with a skylight right above the twin¨Csized bed. On the nightstand,

    there was a freshly picked bunch of red roses in water.

    J was too shocked to utter a single word.

    ¡°So. Do you like it?¡±

    Westin pushed her into the room and closed the door.

    ¡°The room is a bit small, but you get to see the stars and the night sky through the skylight. Oh, and

    I hope you are not allergic to flowers.¡±

    ¡­I am not.¡± J looked around the room. ¡°Did you get this room for me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Before you got here, I yed a few rounds of poker with Wendy and secured this room for

    you.¡±

    Thest man who went through all these troubles to take care of her was her brother, Casper.

    J turned around to face him and said, ¡°Thank you¡­for all the trouble.¡±

    A charming smile appeared on Westin¡¯s lips, ¡°It is not a lot of trouble since I am pretty good at

    poker. But you look grateful, and I am going to take advantage of that¡­ So yeah, you are

    wee.¡±

    Jughed, ¡°Do you always say what you think out loud?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am a very straightforward man.¡±

    Westin took a step forward, closing the gap between them, and cupped her face.

    ¡°And right now I am thinking¡­this is probably the right timing to kiss you.¡±

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160

    They locked eyes with one another.

    Then J put one hand on Westin¡¯s shoulder and leaned in.

    She stole a quick peck on Westin¡¯s lips and then backed away again.

    ¡°There,¡± she grinned.

    Astonishment flickered across Westin¡¯s eyes.

    He grabbed her wrist and chuckled, ¡°You are cheating.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± she blinked at him yfully. ¡°And I cheat at pokers as well. Do you still want to y with

    me?¡±

    ¡°Always. Do you want to start now?¡±

    J wanted to spend more time with this guy as well.

    She was still very curious about his identity and wondered if she could get him to say

    the truth somehow.

    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± she said. ¡°I am going to take a quick shower. When Ie out, you are

    teaching me how to y.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    He sat behind the table and took a deck of poker out of his pocket, ¡°Take your time. We got all

    night.¡±

    J stepped into the shower and pulled her shirt off. She stayed in Daran¡¯s roomst night and

    didn¡¯t get to shower. Her body was sweaty.

    A refreshing cold shower was all she needed right now.

    She turned on the water tap.

    It made a weird, squeaky noise and then suddenly started spraying in all directions.

    ¡°Ah!¡± she gasped.

    The water tan was broken!

    Westin heard the noise from the outside and he immediately raised his voice and asked, ¡°Is

    something wrong?¡±

    J tried to turn off the water, but it wouldn¡¯t work. She pressed her hand on the nozzle yet still

    couldn¡¯t stop the water from shooting out.

    She has drenched all head to toe.

    ¡°J!¡± Westin called out to her again, his voiceing close to the bathroom door again.

    ¡°What is the matter? Everything OK?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± J wiped some water off her face and said, ¡°The water tap is broken! I can¡¯t get it to shut

    down!¡±

    ¡°Let mee in and take a look!!

    ¡°O¨COK. Hold on!¡±

    She ran to the towel rack and pulled off a bath towel and used it to wrap around her naked body.

    ¡°Come on in!¡± she cried to the outside after that was done.

    Westin dashed in.

    He took one quick look at the spraying water tap and rushed to the sink. He turned the shut¨Coff

    valve under the sink and sessfully shut off the water supply.

    The tap stopped spraying at once.

    ¡°OK, so there is a shut¨Coff valve.¡± J nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, always shut the water supply first before fixing a water tap.¡± Westin said in a joking sort of

    way, ¡°I bet that you have not fixed anything in your house, not even changing a light bulb.¡±

    J was slightly embarrassed.

    She did a l

    of mailing work in Riverside Pack, but she never fixed anything. They have staff for that kind of

    work.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Westin rolled up his sleeve and bent down to check the tap, ¡°I think I need to remove

    the handle and take a look at the internal parts. Some of those parts might be damaged or worn.¡±

    He looked professional.

    J came to sit on the bathtub and looked at him as he worked, ¡°You know this kind of stuff. Do

    you have a part¨Ctime job as a maintenance guy?¡±

    Westin screwed off the handle, ¡°No. But all men know this kind of stuff.¡±

    Not all men.

    J said internally.

    She bet that Daran didn¡¯t.

    Daran was born as a golden prince, surrounded by countless maids and servants. He didn¡¯t even

    need to change his own clothes.

    And that made Westin seem even more mysterious.

    He possessed the samend of noble quality as Daran did, but he was also very wordy and down to

    the earth at the same time.

    that

    Janel was now even more curious about this guy¡¯s background.

    ¡°Plus, I am the eldest son.¡± Westin continued, ¡°I guess the eldest son always takes up more

    responsibility¡±

    This was the first time that he ever told her about his background.

    Janel was intrigued, ¡°You have siblings?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. One brother and one sister.¡±

    She wanted him to say more about himself. But he stopped right there.

    ¡°Looks like one part was worn out.¡± he said. ¡°I might need to change the part to fix

    the tap. I will run down to the hardware storeter. So right now, do you want to take the shower in

    my room instead ¡±

    He turned around to J while saying that and caught J staring at him, unblinkingly.

    After a small pause, his lips lifted into a yful smile, ¡°What are you looking at, J?¡±

    ¡°You, apparently,¡± J replied in a light voice.

    ¡°Do you suddenly find me attractive now?¡± Westin chuckled, ¡°If I knew that you a have thing for

    repair guys, I would get down on my knees and fix that damn tap as soon as I met you.¡±

    ¡°I always find you attractive.¡± J raised an eyebrow and pushed a lock of damp hair out of his

    forehead. ¡°And I also find you¡­very hard to read.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am like a book sitting on yourp¨Call you need to do is turn the cover,¡± he said in a husky

    voice.

    J moved her hand to his shoulder and gave him an abrupt nudge.

    Westin was caught off guard.

    He tripped backward and slid into the bathtub.

    J moved into the bathtub as well. She spread her legs and sat on hisp.

    Westin¡¯s breathing became heavy Instantly.

    His eyes darkened.

    ¡°¡­If you are not going to kiss me right now, I am going to get seriously offended,¡± he said hoarsely.

    J caught his throat with one hand and pressed his head against the wall.

    ¡°Who are you, really?¡± she asked forcefully.

    His lips curved up, ¡°Westin.¡±

    ¡°Liel¡±

    J leaned in, tightening her grip on his throat.

    ¡°You are not a rogue, aren¡¯t you?¡± she questioned, ¡°Are you an Alpha? Howe I never met you

    before? Are you part of our alliance?¡±

    They were only an inch apart from each other.

    J could smell his enticing scent. She bet Westin could smell hers as well.

    His muscles flexed under her palm as though he was working hard to contain his inner beast.

    She knew the influence she had on him.

    And she was using that to get him to talk.

    ¡°Alliance¡­¡± he smiled, his voice strained. ¡°I have no interest in your juvenile alliance.¡±

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    So he knew about the alliance!

    ¡°You are an Alpha!¡± she pursued eagerly, ¡°Which pack?¡±

    She was almost 99 percent sure that he was an Alpha.

    Yet to her surprise, heughed, ¡°Wrong, babe.¡±

    J narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

    But she could tell that he was not lying this time.

    He denied himself as an Alpha. He didn¡¯t look like amon soldier. And he was not a rogue.

    Who the fuck was he!

    J was getting more and more frustrated.

    The smile on Westin¡¯s lips grew wider as he moved his hand to the back of J¡¯s neck.

    ¡°If you kiss me¡­¡± he tempted, ¡°I will give you a small hint.¡±

    J looked down at him.

    This was a power fight.

    She didn¡¯t want to give in just yet.

    Right at this very moment, she heard the sound of the door opening up, followed by Wendy¡¯s voice:

    ¡°¡­Master, this is J¡¯s room.¡±

    J¡¯s body strained instantly.

    She wanted to climb out of the bathtub at once, but it was toote.

    Heavy and hurried footsteps came straight to the bathroom.

    A tall figure came dashing in.

    Daran froze by the bathroom door.

    His eyes focused on J, who had only a bath towel wrapped around her body and was sitting on

    Westin¡¯sp in the bathtub.

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161

    J knew that she had nothing to hide.

    She was not Daran¡¯s Luna anymore, nor his mate.

    Yet when he barged in here and saw her with Westin, her first instinct was still to cover Westin up.

    Because the look on Daran¡¯s face was just¡­.terrifying!

    His handsome face twisted in anger. His eyes burned with fury. His breathing was heavy and

    erratic.

    The air around him seemed to crackle with tension. She could feel the intensity of his

    emotions!

    Reason, rationality, and his human side seemed to be fading.

    All that was left in his eyes was his animal side¨Cthat raw, unbridled rage!

    ¡°Daran!¡± J hissed urgently, ¡°Don¡¯t-¡±

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t give her a chance to finish.

    He lunged at Westin and grabbed his cor dragging him out of the bathtub.

    He threw a powerful punch at Westin¡¯s face, so powerful that J heard a light cracking noise of

    the broken bones!

    ¡°Daran!¡± J screamed.

    Westin coughed and spat a mouthful of blood out.

    He raised his arm to defend himself. But Daran caught his shoulders easily with both

    hands and threw him against the wall.

    Westin¡¯s body crashed into the wall right a deafening noise. The enormous force caused a great

    collision. The brick wall came crashing down and fell on Westin¡¯s copsed body.

    And Daran was not done yet.

    With a long growl, he stretched his body, and wolf fur quickly appeared on his human skin.

    Daran shifted!

    Into a massive ck wolf!

    He bared his sharp fangs at Westin and let out a menacing growl.

    A creeping chill was sent down J¡¯s spine.

    Westin could probably take a few punches from Daran if Daran was in his human

    form.

    But not Daran¡¯s wolf!

    That ck wolf would absolutely kill Westin!

    ¡°STOP-!!¡±

    up

    J yelled at the top of her lungs and staggered forward, trying to break the fight.

    But she was too small and weak.

    It simply took the wolf one swing of its tail and J was knocked to the floor again. She struggled

    to raise her head and looked ahead.

    The ck wolf ced its paw on Westin¡¯s chest, pushing him down to the ruin of bricks.

    Its mouth was wide open, ready to bite off Westin¡¯s head at any second!

    ¡°Westin!¡± J cried, ¡°Shift! Or he will kill you!¡±

    Westin¡¯s jaw tightened staring at the giant wolf in front of him.

    was

    His body was covered in blood. His hair was a mess. And his right arm twisted into a strange angle.

    Yet even at this critical moment, Westin still remained in his human form.

    J¡¯s body trembled.

    She didn¡¯t get it.

    Why didn¡¯t Westin shift?

    He didn¡¯t stand a chance against Daran in his human form.

    In a split second, something hit J.

    There was one exnation to that¨CWestin COULD NOT shift.

    He was not a rogue. He came from the same world as they did.

    He was a friend, not an enemy!

    ¡°Daran, SPOT!¡± J yelled at the top of her lungs, ¡°He is our friend! He is here to help us¡­You

    can¡¯t kill him!¡±

    Daran¡¯s body froze for a brief moment.

    Then he said in a freezing voice, ¡°He is a fucking rogue.¡±

    ¡°No, he is not! Look at him. He can¡¯t shift. Just like me.¡± J cried.

    Westin¡¯s lips trembled slightly.

    But he didn¡¯t deny J¡¯s word.

    J stared at the giant ck wolf and said in a shaky voice, ¡°Daran, you said that you betrayed us

    and turned to Lance because you wanted to unite the two world and bring permanent peace,

    right?¡±

    ¡°Yes! But you didn¡¯t believe me!¡± Daran growled, ring at Westin beneath his paws. ¡°And you let

    this fucking bastard to get to you-¡±

    ¡°If you are really doing this for a good deed and not personal interest, you shouldn¡¯t kill a friend who

    might be able to help us!¡±

    J clenched her fists, ¡°If you kill him¡­I will never, NEVER forgive you!¡± Daran, still in his wolf

    form, looked down at Westin, and then back at J. His yellow eyes filled with rage and hurt.

    ¡°You won¡¯t forgive me?¡± he repeated, his voice deep and menacing.

    ¡°Yes. And I will fucking kill you to avenge him!¡± J cried with angry tears.

    giedinger eyes.

    Daran flinched as if he had been physically struck.

    The ck wolf shrunk and transformed into a tall man.

    Daran dropped Westin to the floor and strode to J, his breathinging in short andbored

    gasps.

    ¡°You want to kill me?!¡±

    He grabbed J¡¯s cor and yanked her up from the ground,

    His hands were stained with Westin¡¯s blood.

    ¡°For him? For a guy who you barely know¨CAnd you are willing to do that to me?!¡± he roared.

    J blinked to stop her tears from falling.

    ¡°Yes!¡± she said shakily, ¡°Because you are growing more and more like a monster! Killing innocent

    man simply because you are jealous¡­ You are a cold fucking monster!¡±

    Daran¡¯s face twisted.

    He looked as though he wanted to snap J¡¯s throat right now and then destroy the whole world.

    Then he burst intoughter, ¡°J, you dare to say these cruel things to me because you knew that

    I still love you. No matter what you say or what you do¡­I will always. forgive you.¡±

    J bit her lips.

    Daran was right. That was what she thought.

    He could force her to be a maid, humiliate her with words, or even roar at her.

    But she didn¡¯t believe that he was capable of harming her physically.

    ¡­Was that going to change today?

    ¡°You really do believe that there is nothing I can do with you, right?¡± Daran let out a cold sneer. ¡°But

    you will be surprised by what a jealous man can do.¡±

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    He grabbed J¡¯s shoulder and dragged her out of her bathroom.

    J cast one quick nce at Westin. He was still struggling to pull himself up with his body

    covered in blood.

    Then she was pulled away by Daran.

    It was already curfew. There was nobody outside, just the two of them marching down the hallway.

    J could hardly keep up with his long strides.

    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± she hissed, ¡°And what are you doing in my room!¡± She thought he was

    going to spend the night with that pretty maid.

    ¡°Silence.¡±

    Daran said darkly, ¡°You still have time to wonder about me? I don¡¯t think understand the kind of

    situation that you are in.¡±

    you

    They took the elevator and went up.

    Momentster, they stopped at a closed door.

    J¡¯s eyes widened with shock because she had recognized this ce.

    Daran seized her chin and forced her head up, ¡°You are right. I can¡¯t hurt you. Every time you

    enraged me, I just kept telling myself¨CDo it. Show her your rage. But I just

    can¡¯t. It is weak and pathetic, but it is also the truth.¡±

    He tightened his grip, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­but somebody else can. I am handing you to the one person who

    won¡¯t hesitate to destroy you.¡±

    J breathed, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    Yet Daran had already knocked on that closed door.

    A few secondster, a voice came from behind the door, ¡°¡­Who is it?¡±

    It was Harper.

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162

    ¡°It is me. Daran.¡±

    Footsteps came to the door and then the door was opened a crack.

    Wendy peeked cautiously from the crack.

    ¡°M¨CMaster!¡± she gasped, looking afraid. ¡°I was justing up to tell the Queen about¡­about what

    happened downstairs.¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Looked like that she saw Daran fighting Westin and got scared and ran up to Harper to tell on

    them.

    ¡°Tell Harper I need to see her,¡± Daran demanded,

    J struggled trying to rescue her hands out of Daran¡¯s grip, ¡°Stop¡­.are you fucking losing your

    mind Daran?!¡±

    He was going to hand her to Harper?

    Was he crazy???

    ¡°Yes, I am!¡± Daran growled darkly. ¡°And it is all because you made me this way!¡± Wendy gulped and

    pulled the door open, gesturing for them toe in.

    Daran gave a hard nudge on J¡¯s shoulder, pushing her in.

    Harper was sitting in front of the dresser while a maid brushed her silky long hair.

    She looked at Daran and J through the mirror.

    Her eyes widened with shock and alertness.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked suspiciously, ¡°It iste. And let me warn your that my room is

    guarded by soldiers!¡±

    Daran let out a cold snort, ¡°Rx. I am not here to do you any harm.¡±

    He shoved J, causing her to stagger forward a few steps.

    ¡°You said that you were good with training ves,¡± he said icily. ¡°I might need your

    area of expertise.¡±

    Harper¡¯s jaw dropped.

    She stood up and turned around to face them, her eyes gleaming with excitement and a faint hint of

    doubt.

    ¡°Wait¡­Her?¡± she gasped.

    Daran nodded.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t some sort of trick, is it?¡± Harper asked again, ¡°I thought she had you wrapped around her

    finger! Did you change your mind? What happened?¡±

    A few days earlier, when she tried to cut off J¡¯s hands with an axe, Daran came barging into the

    Counseling Hall and threatened to do the same to her.

    It had only been a few days since then.

    Why did his mind change so abruptly?

    Daran snorted and cast a dangerous look at J, ¡°I found that no matter how nice I was to her,

    she just wouldn¡¯t appreciate it. She took my true heart and tramped it on the ground. This ends

    now.¡±

    J snapped, ¡°It was clearly the other way around! You fucking betrayed me first! God, you are

    such an arrogant piece of shit!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t betray you. But you did! You gave your heart and body to another man! And now you are

    fucking paying for that decision you made!¡± Daran growled.

    Hearing what Daran just said, Harper suddenly startedughing, ¡°Wow J! Did you sleep with

    somebody else? Talking about a real cunt here¡­Seriously, you really need to drop that slutiness.

    Let me help you with that.¡±

    ¡°Back away from me!¡±

    J took a step back from the two of them and balled her fists.

    ¡°I am not going to let you touch me!¡± she gritted, ¡°Remember that time in the dungeon when you

    tried to hurt me, and I knocked off your front tooth? Well, Harper, if you want to try that again, I am

    all game!¡±

    Harper froze.

    A fearful look flickered across her eyes.

    She still had a fake front tooth made of gold.

    She didn¡¯t even dare to grin since that happened.

    ¡°Daran¡­¡± Harper said under her breath, ¡°You have a feisty ve here.¡±

    Daran said nothing and simply loosened his tie.

    He reached out a hand to grab J.

    J tried to fight back but she didn¡¯t stand a chance against Daran. After a few vain

    struggles, Daran seized her wrist and tied her hands with his tie.

    ¡°You may want to switch that into an iron chainter,¡± he said to Harper freezingly.

    ¡°Daran!¡± J snarled in disbelief.

    This was real¡­He meant business.

    He was really handing her to Harper and had her tortured!

    Even after Daran switched sides, he never stopped protecting J from the others. He always

    made sure that J was safe, and that nobody could hurt her.

    But that had changed now.

    He tied her up personally and sent her to the butcher like she was meat on the tter!

    Strong emotions washed over her.

    Her wolf started to howl furiously.

    Her heart hurt more than the time when she got rejected by him.

    ¡°DARAN!¡±

    She cried with furious tears welling up in her eyes.

    ¡°I hate you! I fucking hate you! GO TO HELL!!!¡±

    The light died in his eyes.

    His eyes looked like two lifeless ss balls now.

    ¡°Save some of that energy,¡± he said quietly. ¡°You can use thatter.¡±

    He headed to the door.

    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t you want to stay behind and watch?¡± Harper asked excitedly.

    ¡°No.¡± He didn¡¯t slow his pace.

    ¡°And how far can I go exactly?¡± Harper pursued, ¡°Can I chop her hands? Her legs? Things may get

    extreme, and I might kill-¡±

    Daran stopped by the door and looked beyond his shoulder.

    ¡°No missing hands or legs. No permanent injuries,¡± he said sternly.

    ¡°Then what is the point of all these¡­¡±

    ¡°I said NO.¡± his voice was colder than ice. ¡°When Ie to fetch herter, I want her back good as

    new. Keep that in mind.¡±

    He stormed away.

    Harper pouted and looked at J, who was lying on the floor and panting roughly. ¡°You!¡± she

    pushed Wendy, ¡°Go clog her mouth and tie her feet as well.¡±

    Wendy hurried to do as she asked.

    J was so worn out by those strong emotions that she didn¡¯t even fight back.

    After seeing J¡¯s fours were tied and her mouth was clogged, Harper finally rxed and walked

    up to her.

    ¡°Look at you. You sad little thing.¡±

    Harper giggled and patted J¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°The man who loves you the most has now abandoned you, AGAIN. How does that make you feel?

    You must feel like aplete failure, a piece of trash.¡±

    J shut her eyes.

    She didn¡¯t want to look at Harper.

    Harper¡¯s face made her stomach swirl in disgust.

    ¡°Look at me.¡± Harper tempted, ¡°Open your eyes and look at me. Then I will tell you a little secret

    about Daran.¡±

    J paused.

    Slowly, she opened her eyes again.

    Harper¡¯s mouth stretched into a wide, evil grin seeing J do that.

    ¡°Wrong.¡± she giggled, ¡°Maid¡¯s code of conduct¡­ Rule number 2¡­ Never look at the masters

    straight in their eyes. Wow, you are really gullible andck discipline.¡±

    Harper raised her hand up in the air.

    SLAP!

    A hard pnded on J¡¯s face.

    J¡¯s ear went deaf for a brief moment. After a long while, she finally retained her listening and

    heard Harper¡¯s brisk voice again:

    ¡­We are going to have a lot of fun now, aren¡¯t we, J?¡±

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163

    Harper tormented J brutally that night.

    She called in two soldiers and had them hold J tight as sheshed J with a whip.

    Soon there was no good skin left on J¡¯s body for Harper tond her whip on. The blood

    streamed down and painted the white carpet red.

    The pain was unbearable.

    Yet J bit on the cloth that clogged her mouth and stayed perfectly quiet the whole time.

    She would not give Harper the pleasure of hearing her groan out in pain.

    Eventually, it was Wendy who got scared and whispered into Harper¡¯s ears, ¡°My Queen, we might

    need to call it a night¡­Master Daran said that he didn¡¯t want any permanent wounds¡­¡±

    Harper snorted, ¡°It is just a couple ofshes, nothing permanent. Why? Do you find this bitch pitiful

    and want me to stop?¡±

    Her vicious tone sent a shiver down Wendy¡¯s spine, and she stuttered, ¡°No¡­of course not. She

    deserves every bit of this, my queen.

    ¡°Of course, she deserves this. Let me tell you this: what I am putting her through right now doesn¡¯t

    come close to what she did to me.¡±

    Harper moved her wrist and tossed the whip on the ground, ¡°But my hands are getting sore. The

    King ising to have dinner with me tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to look worn out. We will call it a night

    here.¡±

    Wendy let out a small sigh of relief.

    ¡°Do you want us to take her somewhere else?¡± the guards asked, ¡°The smell of blood is quite

    unpleasant ¡±

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, I want her in my room. The blood smell reminds me of my victory. It will help me to get a good

    night¡¯s sleep,¡± Harper smiled.

    The guards bowed and exited the room.

    Jy on the cold floor with her eyes closed and her whole body drained in blood and cold

    sweat. Every inch of skin was in prickling pain.

    If Harper thought she could defeat her through some physical pains, then she was wrong.

    Anything that didn¡¯t kill her made her stronger instead.

    Her mind was sharper than ever.

    She would never forget that it was Harper who held the whip andshed her today.

    And even more importantly, it was Daran who caused her into this situation.

    J fell asleep on the carpet by Harper¡¯s bedside¨Cor maybe she passed out due to heavy blood

    loss.

    She woke up the next morning feeling somebody fumble with something on her neck

    She opened her eyes and found Wendy crouched down in front of her.

    Noticing that J had woken up, Wendy jumped back in panic as though she was afraid that J

    might bite her.

    ¡°Good morning, sleepy bird.¡±

    Harper was sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in her hands, smiling briskly at J, ¡°Did you

    have a good sleepst night?¡±

    J eyed her coldly in silence.

    Harper giggled, ¡°I for one slept soundlyst night, knowing that you were curled up beside my

    bedside like an injured fucking dog¡­Oh, did you find my present for you?¡±

    J touched her neck and felt something cold like steel against her skin.

    ¡°¡­A cor?¡± she asked in a hoarse voice.

    The smile on Harper¡¯s lips grew wider as she replied, ¡°Not just any cor, my dear. A very high¨C

    techy cor with a microbomb imnted in it. Wendy, why don¡¯t you loosen her up and let her take

    a look at that in the mirror?¡±

    Wendy carefully approached J and untied those ropes that bound her hands and feet.

    J held onto the bedpost and slowly pulled herself up. That small movement caused a sharp

    pain to shoot through her body and she immediately wanted to crush

    back to the floor.

    Yet J strengthened her back anyway, knowing that Harper was watching her.

    She would not look weak.

    She moved to the mirror on the dresser and looked at her own reflection.

    On her blood¨Cstained neck, there was a silver¨Cmade choker with a locket attached to

    1. it.

    She tried to open the locket, but it stayed shut.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try opening it up,¡± Harper grimaced behind her back. ¡°Unless you want to Trigger the

    microbomb.¡±

    J turned to look at her, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, I figure that it will be less fun if I just lock you to my bedside andsh

    you like

    a dog. That is not very creative. With this sweet thing on your neck, you can move around, and I

    can trust you to behave. Everybody wins.¡±

    Harper leaned back on the couch and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t try

    removing it forcefully. It won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°¡­How do I know that you are not bluffing?¡± J hissed.

    The choker looked perfectly normal to her.

    ¡°Oh, do you want to have a try?¡±

    Harper pulled out a remote from her pocket and shed it at J, ¡°I know that you have a strong

    wolf¡­But no wolf can heal you when you are a pond of blood and scraps of meat.¡±

    J stood stiffly on her spot.

    After a long pause, she said, ¡°¡­Fine. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Great!¡±

    Harper pped her hands together and beamed, ¡°Come over here. There is something that I want

    to do with you.¡±

    J slowly walked up to her.

    Harper had Wendy bring something from the closet and set it on the table.

    A nail polish kit.

    ¡°I thought we could have our nails done,¡± Harper smiled sweetly. ¡°We never got to do this kind of

    sister stuff back at Riverside Pack, didn¡¯t we? Now it is time to make up for it.¡±

    A manicure?

    That was it?

    Something told J that this was not as easy as it seemed.

    ¡°Hurry. I will let you do mine first.¡± Harper urged, ¡°I want egg¨Cshell white with some silver glitters.¡±

    She gave her hands to J.

    After a little hesitation, J took her hands and started working with her nails.

    She first clipped Harper¡¯s nails and filed them to an oval shape. Then she started applying the base

    coat before the nail polish.

    She wanted to shove that nail clipper into Harper¡¯s eyeballs or maybe clip Harper¡¯s fingers off.

    But the guards were standing right behind the couch, and she was too severely injured to fight

    them.

    Plus, the choker on her neck was literally a ticking bomb.

    30 minutester, J was done with Harper¡¯s nails.

    Harper lifted her hands up and admired J¡¯s work under the sunlight.

    ¡°A little rough, but fine considering that this is your first time

    Harper sighed, ¡°You know, back at Riverside Park when we were both children, mom and I used to

    talk about what you should do with your life in the future Apparently, no man would love and ask to

    marry you. And we didn¡¯t want you to be an old virgin living under our roof when you were to sol

    suggested that you should

    be trained for certain skills manicure was on our list

    J ignored her mumblings and went to collect those nail polish tools,

    Harper¡¯s tone suddenly became sullen and grim:

    ¡°And then Daran found you as his mate. Well, aren¡¯t you a lucky little bitch? If it weren¡¯t for your

    mate bond with an Alpha, you would be rotting in some filthy gutter right now struggling to have your

    stomach fed ¡±

    J raised her head up and interrupted Harper, ¡°Do you need me for anything elser

    Harper froze.

    Then gradually, a creepy smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t done your nails yet,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°Now give me your hand, J.¡±

    There was no escape from this.

    J pressed her lips into a thin line and slowly reached her hand to Harper.

    Harper took J¡¯s hand and held it tightly.

    She didn¡¯t reach for any clippers, files, or brushes, but instead pulled out a bamboo splinter.

    J held her breath.

    Her hand flinched involuntarily in Harper¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Anything wrong?¡± Harper asked, shing those innocent eyes.

    J¡¯s heart was racing in her chest.

    She swallowed and answered in a dry voice, ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Well good.¡± Harper smiled, ¡°Because I figured, there is no better nail polish¡­than your own

    blood.¡±

    She clenched J¡¯s hand and shoved the bamboo splinter right under J¡¯s thumbnail!

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164

    A sharp, prickling pain¡¯shot through J¡¯s body.

    This hurt even more than theshings!

    Fingers were highly sensitive areas with all the nerve endings, and even more so for the nail part

    Even a tiny paper cut could hurt for days, let alone shoving a bamboo splinter right under the nail!

    Cold sweat drained J¡¯s shirt. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from shivering and arching her back with

    this extreme, harsh pain that dominated her mind.

    There was noise in her head. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was the sound of her blood

    racing through her head.

    Amidst that noise, she heard Harper¡¯s scoffing:

    ¡°¡­Oh I am sorry. Was this too hard? I can be gentler¡­all you need to do is to beg

    me.¡±

    J¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly, her voice trembling, ¡°¡­Stop¡­¡±

    ¡°That sounds forceful, rather than pleading. So maybe we ought to try again?¡±

    Harper drew that splinter out, slowly and painfully, deliberately lengthening the time frame of this

    torment.

    The raw texture of the bamboo made it extra torturing on the way out. It probably left some tiny

    fibers underneath the nail.

    J widened her eyes.

    A gasp of pain escaped her lips, ¡°¡­Ah!¡±

    A gleeful expression appeared on Harper¡¯s lips, ¡°So it does hurt, doesn¡¯t it? I wouldn¡¯t know since

    you haven¡¯t said a word yourself.¡±

    She loosened her grip.

    J immediately took her hand back.

    Blood dripped down from her fingertip and dropped to the cushion.

    ¡°Oh look at that!¡± Harper pointed at the blood stain with an exaggerated tone, ¡°The color red looks

    good on your nails but horrible on my cushion. You should wash that, J.¡±

    J hid her injured thumb behind her back

    Her hatred towards Harper had reached a new top.

    She grabbed the cushion and turned to head towards the bathroom, but Harper said behind her

    back:

    ¡°No, I want you to wash it here. Under my watch.¡±

    ¡°¡­There is no water.¡±

    ¡°That can be fixed.¡± Harper snapped her fingers and called to Wendy, ¡°Get her a bucket of water.¡±

    She and Wendy exchanged a meaningful look, and thetter one went into the bathroom and soon

    returned with a bucket of water and soap.

    J soaked the cushion in the water with one hand, keeping her injured hand outside.

    ¡°Use both hands!¡± Wendy snapped, ¡°You won¡¯t get the blood stain off unless your rub the surface

    hard with both of your hands. Do you need me to teach you this mailing stuff?¡±

    J took a deep breath.

    Slowly, she sank her injured under underneath the water.

    A sharp pain came from her fingertip as though the seemingly harmless water had just bit on her

    finger.

    And she immediately realized what was going on¡­There was salt in the water.

    A dirty little trick to increase her pain.

    She could feel Harper¡¯s gaze on her back. Harper was waiting in high hope to see her cry out in

    pain or¨Ceven better¨Cget on her knees and beg for mercy.

    Yet she ignored the throbbing pain and the gaze on her back and kept on scrubbing the cushion.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    As though she didn¡¯t just get her thumbnail almost peeled off.

    Harper didn¡¯t get the reaction that she was hoping for, and she soon became impatient.

    ¡°¡­Stubborn bitch!¡±

    She growled under her breath and shot up from the couch.

    ¡°You!¡± she beckoned to Wendy, ¡°You stay here and watch her clean up this ce. I am heading to

    the salon. Can¡¯t waste my whole day on this tramp!¡±

    Harper stormed away.

    Wendy stayed in the room and watched J as she cleaned.

    After J washed the cushion, she made J scrub the floor because she imed that she saw

    J¡¯s hand dripping blood onto the hardwood floor.

    ¡°Then can I get a band¨Caid for my thumb?¡± J asked.

    ¡°No. You may not.¡± Wendy snorted condescendingly. ¡°Band¨Caids aren¡¯t for maids and ves.¡±

    ¡°Then I might keep dripping blood,¡± J said icily.

    ¡°Then you will just keep wiping them off,¡± Wendy replied with a nasty grin. ¡°Oh, and you don¡¯t want

    to use a vacuum. These hardwood floors are very delicate. Wipe them with your hands.¡±

    J kept her knees on the hardwood floor and her upper body down to the ground all day,

    cleaning, wiping, and waxing the floor.

    She couldn¡¯t feel her legs anymore.

    Her shoulders were sore. Her back ached like hell.

    And her hands were soon rough and chapped in the soap water.

    Wendy would pace over from time to time and point out some invisible stains and dust.

    She would deliberately step on the part that J had just cleaned a moment before,

    leaving some dusty footprints behind, so that J had to re¨Cdo the area all over again.

    It took J a whole day to get the floor absolutely spotless.

    She didn¡¯t even get a lunch break because Wendy said that she should eat anything until her work

    was done.

    When the night fell and the light came up in the room, Harper finally came back.

    She just got her hair blown and her face radiant with joy.

    ¡°The King ising to have dinner with me!¡±

    Harper strode into the room crying and left a trail of footprints on the glossy floor that J spent

    her whole day on.

    ¡°Everybody hustle!¡± she yelled, ¡°Light those candles! Get rid of those withering roses! Bring out the

    best china and puff those pillows and cushions! Hurry!¡±

    Everybody hurried to work immediately.

    Harper rushed to the mirror to check on her looks for the final time to make sure that her

    appearance was absolutely perfect.

    When the table was set and the wine was breathing in the decanter, Lance finally arrived,

    Heined as soon as he stepped into the room:

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just have a simple dinner in the dining hall? Why make such a fuzz? What is the

    asion?¡±

    Harper was waiting for him by the door in a tight¨Cfit evening dress and 6¨Cinch stilettos.

    Yet Lance didn¡¯t take a single look at her carefully prepared looks for tonight and simply tossed her

    his heavy coat rudely.

    Harper fumbled to catch his coat. She almost tripped in her skinny heels.

    ¡°I¨CI want to make this night special, My King.¡±

    She said with a fawning smile and hurried behind Lance¡¯s back, ¡°There are just a few nights away

    from our wedding day and I want to enjoy some alone time with you.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    Lance slumped down onto his chair and loosened his tie impatiently.

    ¡°But don¡¯t make this a regr thing, OK? I am very busy. I don¡¯t have time for this every single

    night.¡±

    The smile on Harper¡¯s lips became stiff.

    ¡°¡­Of course¡­I wouldn¡¯t dare to bother you¡­The thing is-¡± she sat down by Lance¡¯s side and

    ced her hand on his forearm, ¡°-there is something I want to check with you¡­about our

    wedding¡­¡±

    Yet Lance didn¡¯t pay attention to what she said at all.

    His eyes found J standing in the corner.

    ¡°J?¡± he frowned, perplexed, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°¡­Cleaning the room, apparently,¡± J said in a cool voice.

    Harper gritted her teeth, looking infuriated to lose Lance¡¯s attention.

    She leaned her upper body towards Lance and tried to bring the subject back, ¡°So, as I was saying,

    about our dinner-¡±

    Yet Lance was still not listening, ¡°What is that on your neck? Is that a choker? A present? From

    whom?¡±

    ¡°Something your wife gave me to keep my behaviors in check. She didn¡¯t tell you? I guess married

    couples don¡¯t share everything with each other,¡± J said with a raised eyebrow.

    Harper clenched her fists under the tablecloth.

    She could hear J¡¯s acid tone.

    ¡°My King, what she is wearing doesn¡¯t matter!¡± she tried desperately to get Lance¡¯s attention back,

    ¡°What matters here is the thing that I am about to tell you about our wedding=¡±

    Yet she got interrupted for the third time by J, ¡°If there is nothing else, I am going to have dinner

    downstairs. I haven¡¯t eaten anything all day.¡±

    That was thest straw.

    Harper grabbed bread from the basket and threw it at J, ¡°You want to eat? There! Eat like a

    fucking dog on the floor. Now can you shut up? BITCH!¡±

    There was an awkward silence in the room. Every maid and servant held their heads down in the

    corner holding their breaths.

    Eventually, it was Lance who broke this silence:

    ¡­You are starving her?¡±

    ¡°Yes my king but that is not the point-

    ¡°You need the rogue¡¯s food in her system to keep her in this city!¡±

    Lance roared, standing up and sweeping everything on the table to the floor.

    ¡°Are you a fucking idiot, Harper?!¡±

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165

    Harper looked as though she had just been pped on her face.

    Her body trembled violently in humiliation. Her face changed from red to grey and then to pale.

    ¡°¡­She just missed one day¡¯s meal. It is not a big deal,¡± Harper gritted, holding on to herst thread

    of dignity.

    ¡°And that increases the danger of her escaping. We don¡¯t want to take that risk!¡± ¡°She is a maid,

    and she is closely watched by dozens of guards in this pce. It is perfectly safe-¡±

    ¡°She is a fucking Gamma!¡± Lance snarled, his furious voice echoing across the room, ¡°I have seen

    her kill more than dozens of guards! You are a fucking moron to underestimate her!¡±

    Harper¡¯s cheeks med.

    There were shameful tears circling in her eyes.

    ¡°Can we not do this in front of everyone?¡± she pleaded with a hushed tone, ¡°I am still your queen.

    Please don¡¯t underestimate me in front of my maids¡­¡±

    Yet Lance kept an indifferent attitude, ¡°A decent queen would never cause me so many troubles.

    Maybe you should take a moment to reflect upon yourself.¡±

    Harper looked as though she wanted to vanish in the thin air.

    After a short pause, she jerked around and growled to the maids and guards in the

    room:

    ¡°Leave us! Get the fuck out of here!¡±

    Everyone hurried to exit the room holding their heads down.

    Lance said to J in a softened voice, ¡°You go ahead and find yourself some band¨Caid for your

    thumb.¡±

    J said nothing and nced at Harper before she left the room.

    She saw Harper ring at her with mes of jealousy burning in her eyes.

    J walked out of the room and closed the door behind her back.

    Yet she didn¡¯t walk away but instead pressed her ear against the door panel, listening attentively for

    the noises inside.

    She soon heard quarrels.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to her, Harper! You can¡¯t torment her like a fucking salve!¡± Lance snarled,

    ¡°Whatever you are nning just stop it right now!¡±

    Harper yelled back like a manic, ¡°But why? My King, I don¡¯t understand! You were perfectly with me

    chopping off her hands a week ago! What made you change your mind?! Is it because you like her?

    You think she is pretty and suddenly feel sorry! her, don¡¯t you!¡±

    ¡°Stop acting like a fucking jealous woman! CHRIST!¡±

    Another crashing noise came from the other side of the door.

    Sounded like Lance broke a vase or something.

    After a short silence, Harper started to sob.

    Lance spoke up again in a strained and impatient voice:

    for

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that tear work. I am not buying that¡­Anyway, J means too much. to Daran.

    Since I still need Daran¡¯s help, we want to keep the woman he loves safe.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t understand, my king! It was Daran who came into my roomst night and asked me

    to teach that bitch a lesson. And he did ept the maid that you sent him the other day, didn¡¯t he? I

    am telling you! He doesn¡¯t care about J-¡± ¡°You are so fucking dumb!¡±

    Lance sounded frustrated, ¡°Daran didn¡¯t sleep with that maid! He hasn¡¯t slept with any other women

    since he got here! He said that he wanted to have J tortured because he was jealous, but he

    still loves her! He was saying one thing but thinking exactly the opposite!¡±

    ¡°Daran¡­He still loves her?¡±

    Harper was utterly stunned, ¡°No I can¡¯t believe this¡­ She was so cold to him¡­¡±

    ¡°J has her own charms.¡± Lance said coldly, ¡°She is independent, strong, fierce, and attractive,

    the whole package. It is perfectly natural for a man like Daran to fall in love with her. She is way

    better than a certain type of woman with nothing but pretty face,¡±

    The final sentence hurt Harper¡¯s self¨Cesteem.

    She couldn¡¯t help but hissed, ¡°You spoke very fondly of her. Why? Do you find J attractive

    yourself¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t start this with me.¡± Lance warned dangerously, ¡°Anyway, just keep things civil with J. If

    you don¡¯t want her, fine, send her down to the kitchen and keep her out of your sight.¡±

    ¡°But I hate her!¡± Harper cried,

    ¡°Then suck it up! You are not hurting her. Period!¡±

    Harper breathed heavily as though she was doing everything that she could to control her temper.

    ¡°Why is Daran so important to you anyway?¡± Harper hissed, ¡°I heard a rumor saying that you are

    making him The King! You can¡¯t seriously be considering that can you? If he is the king, what does

    that make you? About what about me?! Am I still the Queen?¡±

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    J¡¯s heart jumped to her throat.

    That was the same question that she had been wondering.

    Lance couldn¡¯t be that nice to give this kind of supreme power away to Daran.

    So what was Lance nning on exactly?

    She wished that Lance could answer Harper.

    But Lance simply replied with an impatient tone, ¡°Stay out of my fucking business.¡±

    J let out a small sigh.

    Looked like she was not going to get any useful information out of their conversation.

    She raised her hand to knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in!¡± Lance said.

    J pushed the door open and walked back inside. She was immediately face¨Cto¨Cface with

    Harper¡¯s tear¨Cstained face.

    Harper jumped and immediately turned away from J, hiding her crying face.

    ¡°What do you need, J?¡± Lance asked rather softly.

    ¡°If there is nothing else, I am going downstairs to have dinner and turn in for bed,¡± J said.

    Lance nodded hastily, ¡°Yes, gol And starting tomorrow, you will be working in the kitchen. Wendy

    will fill you inter.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Harper cried abruptly, ¡°My King, while J is still here, there is something I want to ask you. About

    our wedding.¡±

    ¡°Again?¡± Lance rolled his eyes, ¡°Go ask the wedding nners. I paid those people a shit load to

    save myself from all these troubles-¡±

    Yet Harper persisted anyway, ¡°I want to invite my parents to our wedding! They will want to be here

    for me when I get crowned as the queen!¡±

    J raised her eyebrow.

    Hellen and Paul?

    Well, wasn¡¯t this a nice surprise?

    She hadn¡¯t heard from the Diaz again since she left the Riverside Pack.

    ¡°YOUR PARENTS?¡±

    Lance roared.

    ¡°We are at war with the Riverside Pack, you idiot! Do you know how much trouble it will be to sneak

    our parents across the border? No! Absolutely NOT! I don¡¯t want to waste my manpower on this!¡±

    ¡°But J can go!¡± Harper cried defiantly, ¡°She can go to the Riverside Pack and bring my parents

    here. It is my parent that we are talking about! I want them to be here for my wedding!¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking insane?! She will nevere back once she leaves!¡±

    ¡°No, I have a micro bomb imnted in her choker! She will absolutelye back! I am not doing

    the wedding unless my parents are here!¡±

    ¡°FINE! I will not be threatened. This marriage is over now!¡±

    J let out a cold sneer.

    She wouldn¡¯t mind going back to Riverside Pack.

    But Lance was right. She wouldn¡¯te back, even with that death threat on her neck.

    Yet she also knew that Lance would never let her.

    So she turned around, exited the room, and let the two yell at each other.

    She could still hear Lance¡¯s furious roar and Harper¡¯s desperate cry from the end of the hallway.

    The next day, she reported to the kitchen as Lance said.

    The head of the kitchen maid was a chubby woman with a friendly face.

    She didn¡¯t give J a hard time like the others did, but instead gave her a basket of potatoes to

    peel.

    J found a stool moved it to the corner of the kitchen and got to work.

    She didn¡¯t mind working in the kitchen.

    The kitchen was a very hectic ce. Everyone was busy with something and didn¡¯t have time for

    her.

    She would get her long¨Clost solitary back.

    Plus, it would give her time to work on her escape n.

    Nobody came to talk to her for the whole morning, which was exactly what she was hoping for no

    more troubles.

    When J was halfway through peeling that basket of potatoes, she heard a gentle tap on the

    window.

    She looked up to the window. But there was no one here.

    She looked around. Everyone was still caught up in their own work.

    ¡­Did she hear it wrong?

    J lowered her head.

    But she immediately heard another tap, crisp and clear this time.

    This time when she looked up, she saw a person grinning at her through the window. ming red

    hair.

    Big, wide smile.

    J gasped under her breath¡­Morgana!

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166

    J blurted out, ¡°What are you-

    Morgana put one finger on her lips, shushing her, and pointed to J¡¯s left. J saw a back door

    leading to the yard on her left.

    She immediately stood up, bent down, and snuck out of the kitchen quietly.

    The head maid was yelling at the others to give her a hand with the pastries.

    No one in the kitchen noticed that J had left.

    As soon as J was out of the kitchen, she sprinted forward to hug Morgana, ¡°Morgana! How

    have you been?¡±

    How long had it been since shest saw Morgana?

    Theyst saw each other during J¡¯stest attempt to escape. They were kept apart since Daran

    caught J back and locked her up.

    It must have been half a month already.

    Morgana hugged her back tightly, ¡°I am fine! That fucking son of a bitch Lance sent me out on

    patrols to keep me away from you¡­So how are you? What the fuck¨Clook at those bruises and

    scars on your face and body!¡±

    J still got a huge p mark across her face.

    Her rolled¨Cup sleeves showed plenty of stripes on her forearm.

    ¡°Who did this to you? Was it Harper? Or Daran?¡± Morgana hissed.

    ¡°It was Harper¡­Look, probably can¡¯t talk for long.¡± J looked back to the kitchen, ¡°I still have

    work to do.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I got that covered.¡±

    Morgana blew a light whistle, and a soldier¨Clooking woman rounded the corner, walkine un to them

    She was about the same size as Janer, with the same fall color. People wont De able to tell their

    differences by just looking at their backs.

    ¡°Meet my soldier, ire,¡± Morgana introduced.

    ire beamed at J, ¡°Nice to meet you, Gamma J. I have heard so many things about you.

    Go ahead and talk with Lady Morgana. I got you covered.¡±

    She let down her hair and put on a mask.

    She burrowed J¡¯s apron and headed into the kitchen.

    ¡°Will this work?¡± J was a bit worried.

    ¡°Rx. The people in the kitchen just met you today. They won¡¯t be able to tell the difference. Come

    on, we really need to talk.¡±

    Morgana led J to a small shed next to the kitchen where the maids kept the firewood.

    Two men were in the shed, waiting for them.

    Kass, and Westin.

    Westin strode forward and pulled J into his arms as soon as they came in.

    He hugged her tightly, his finger trailing the p mark on her cheek.

    ¡°It is my fault,¡± he said hoarsely.

    ¡°No. It is nobody¡¯s fault.¡± J patted his back reassuringly. ¡°There is nothing you can do under that

    circumstance.¡±

    Daran had obviously lost his mind the other day. Westin didn¡¯t have his wolf so there was no way he

    could win that fight with Daran.

    He tried his best already. J didn¡¯t me him.

    Westin breathed heavily, ¡°¡­I will make them pay. I promise.¡±

    ¡°OK, you two lovebirds can find another time to coddle.¡± Morgana said, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    J blushed and pulled herself away from Westin¡¯s hug. Yet he still kept one arm. around her

    waist.

    ¡°Hey Kass,¡± she smiled at Kass, relieved to see him still doing alright after all these times.

    Kass replied with a soft smile.

    ¡°So, the most important issue at hand.¡± Morgana said, ¡°We should figure out a way. to help J

    escape. She can¡¯t stay in this pce any longer. Look what those monsters had done to her.¡®

    ¡°I think I will be safe for the time being.¡± J said, ¡°Lance just warned Harper to stop abusing me

    last night. Somehow he still finds me useful and wants to use me to get to Daran.¡±

    ¡°But we can all agree that his coboration with Daran is just temporary. Once he is done with

    Daran, he will put your head in a noose without a second of hesitation. J nodded, ¡°Yeah, that is

    right. And I really need to alert Casper about what is going on with the rogues. So if there is a way

    to escape, that would be nice.¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Kass rubbed his chin, a deep furrow between his brows.

    ¡°It is going to be harder than you expect,¡± he said grimly. ¡°The size of the soldiers guarding this

    pce had doubled. And you need a pass granted by the king himself to leave the Grace Ruin. This

    city is literally an iron bucket.¡±

    ¡°There must be some breaches that we can find,¡± Morgana frowned.

    ¡°Unless you know any secret tunnel leading outside, not guarded by the soldiers, then I don¡¯t know

    which route is safe for us-¡±

    ¡°¡­The wedding,¡± Westin said abruptly.

    J¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Right.

    The wedding!

    It was the perfect timing, with all the guestsing into the city and the pce. packed with

    outsiders and strangers.

    It would be hard for the soldiers to watch over them.

    Plus, Lance and Harper would be preupied by the wedding.

    ¡°The wedding will work,¡± J nodded firmly.

    ¡°Great! Then we will set the mission date for their wedding.¡± Morgana grinned, ¡°My guy will find

    an opening and snuck you out of the pce. Then-

    ¡°It won¡¯t be necessary.¡±

    Westin interrupted her.

    ¡°J will being with my men.¡±

    There was a short moment of silence in the shed.

    All three of them were stunned by what Westin just said.

    ¡°Y¨CYour men?¡± Kass blinked his eyes, utterly confused. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t get it. You work for Morgana,

    don¡¯t you? Doesn¡¯t ¡®your men¡® equal to ¡®her men¡®?¡±

    Morgana let out a cold snort, fixing her eyes on Westin¡¯s face, ¡°Wake up, Kass. This guy is no

    regr soldier. He has a secret identity that none of us know.¡±

    Westin ignored the two of them.

    He turned to J and said in a deep voice, ¡°I will have my guye and find you at the wedding.

    He will escort you out of the city, keeping you safe.¡±

    ¡°Hold on a second!¡±

    Morgana cried, raising her voice, ¡°You can¡¯t decide that kind of thing yourself! At least tell us who

    you are first.¡±

    J stared at Westin closely as well.

    She did want to know about his identity first before letting him help her.

    Yet Westin simply said nonchntly, ¡°My identity is not relevant here.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? I am not cing Gamma J¡¯s safety in the hand of a stranger!¡± Kass protested.

    ¡°Yeah, what if you are an enemy? What if you abduct J? We can¡¯t take that risk!¡± Morgana

    echoed, ¡°We are on the same board here. Just tell us your secret!¡±

    Westin slowly turned to look at the two of them.

    His face became cold and grim.

    ¡°¡­ You two are rogues. Hence, I don¡¯t trust you.¡± He said in a condescending voice. Morgana

    rounded her eyes in rage.

    Though she was a bit intimidated by Westin¡¯s aura, anger still made her blurt out:

    ¡°We were the ones helping J before you showed up! You are the untrustworthy ! You are the

    untrustworthy guy here, not us!¡±

    ¡°I am her mate. I won¡¯t harm her.¡±

    Kass huffed, ¡°Oh yeah? Look what her first mate did to her!¡±

    Westin¡¯s face darkened.

    ¡°Do notpare me to Daran,¡± he said icily. ¡°And frankly speaking, what you two think means very

    little to me. J is all I care about.¡±

    He turned back to J. The grim look on his face softened instantly.

    ¡°What do you say? Do you trust me?¡± he asked.

    J looked back at him, pondering.

    After a few moments of hesitation, she nodded, ¡°I might regret thister¡­but yeah. I

    do trust you.¡±

    ¡°Gamma J!¡± Kass cried.

    ¡°You are making a huge mistake!¡± Morgana snapped.

    ¡°Calm down, you guys,¡± J said reassuringly. ¡°I can feel it¡­ Westin is not a bad guy. He is after

    the same things we do.¡±

    Herst bits of doubt about Westin were dispelled when she saw that he couldn¡¯t shift into his wolf.

    Which meant that he didn¡¯t recognize himself as a rogue.

    That spoke louder than anything else.

    ¡°I vouched for him,¡± J stressed. ¡°Please trust me.¡±

    Morgana and Kass still looked reluctant.

    Westin smiled and picked up J¡¯s hand, nting a kiss on the back of her hand. ¡°You won¡¯t

    regret this,¡± he said in a husky voice, his eyes gleaming gorgeously.

    ¡°But when we get out of this safe, I want to know about your identity,¡± she demanded.

    Westin replied with a mysterious smile and whispered, ¡°¡­You will find out about it yourself sooner

    than you expect.¡±

    J raised an eyebrow.

    She was curious. But she didn¡¯t pursue it.

    Morgana rubbed her hair looking frustrated anat

    Morgana rubbed her hair, looking frustrated. ¡°J¡­if you really think this is the right decision, then

    fine. Kass and I will still look out for you,¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I appreciate it.¡±

    J smiled.

    ¡°Oh, and before I leave this ce for good, there is something else I want to do.¡±

    The three of them looked at her simultaneously.

    ¡°I want to fuck Harper¡¯s wedding,¡± J said freezingly.

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167

    There was a short

    silence in the shed.

    Then the three of them burst outughing in unison.

    ¡°That is the spirit, J!¡± Morgana cried, ¡°You have got to make that bitch pay!¡±

    ¡°I believe you already have a n?¡± Westin looked at J with a grin.

    ¡°I do,¡± J nodded.

    Kass pursued eagerly, ¡°Then what is it? There are only 3 days left before the wedding, so we better

    hustle. What can we do to help? Please let me be a part of it. I can¡¯t miss out on the fun!

    ¡°We can abduct Harper. Make her miss the wedding,¡± Morgana suggested.

    ¡°Our we can hire somebody to throw paintballs at her wedding dress! It would be a st to see her

    walking down the aisle covered in paint!¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­¡±

    J said, interrupting their heated discussion, ¡°I am thinking something more subtle, something

    that can keep ourselves off the radar. Westin still needs to get me out of the city that night. We don¡¯t

    want to draw too much attention.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Westin smiled at her in an indulgent sort of way. ¡°You can overturn the

    entire pce and that is fine. You have my back. But tell us what you were thinking originally?¡±

    ¡°The thing that Harper cares about the most is her reputation.¡±

    J said in an icy tone.

    ¡°Her reputation stinks in Riverside Pack. Now she probably thinks that she can start over and

    be the most powerful woman in a ce where nobody knows her¡­Well, I am not going to let

    that happen. I will expose her past. I will rub her reputation on the floor.¡±

    Westin rubbed his chin, ¡°Makes sense. But how?¡±

    ¡°There are pictures.¡±

    J said.

    ¡°Pictures that she will not want her future husband and all the guests at the wedding to see.¡±

    Kass let out an astonished gasp.

    Morgana cried out enthusiastically, ¡°Well great! Do you have those pictures with you?¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°No. All I know is that Harper keeps those photos in an album on her phone.

    If there is a way for us to get hold of this phone-¡±

    ¡°I can do it,¡± Westin said.

    Kass and Morgana looked at him, skeptically.

    ¡°You?¡±

    Kass asked in a highly doubtful manner.

    you. Amon s

    Stealing the Queen¡¯s phone? Seriously, Westin, don¡¯t try to

    swallow more than you can chew.¡±

    Westin shrugged, ¡°You said it yourself¨CI am not just amon soldier.¡±

    He turned to J and pecked her cheek.

    ¡°I better get to work,¡± he said in his usual husky, sexy voice. ¡°Can I see you in your room tonight?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± J smiled.

    Westin left the shed in long strides..

    Morgana snuck up to J and whispered into her ear, ¡°Seriously, J, do you really trust this

    guy? He seems off to me¡­¡±

    ¡°I trust my instinct, which has never betrayed me for once.¡± J patted her shoulder, ¡°Now, shall

    we go and get your soldier ire out of that kitchen?¡±

    They went back.

    J switched ces with ire.

    Nobody in the kitchen noticed that she was gone for quite some time. The headmaid was still

    lashing at the others for being sluggish.

    After a long day of peeling potatoes and chopping vegetables, J went back to her room,

    exhausted.

    The bathroom wall that Daran destroyed during the fight with Westin had been fixed.

    J tried the water tap. It was working soundly, now.

    She popped in for a quick shower and sat on her bed, waiting for Westin to show up. When the

    clock struck eleven¨Cfifty, a knock came on the door.

    J rushed to get it.

    To her surprise, Westin did note alone.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    He brought that maid named Gill with him.

    J stood frozen by the door, holding the door panel with one hand, and looked at Gill with high

    alert.

    This woman was not very nice to her before..

    ¡°I ask her to help.¡± Westin exined, ¡°She is responsible for changing the bed

    sheets in Harper¡¯s room.¡±

    J lowered her voice, ¡°Can she be trusted?¡±

    Westin nodded, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare to say a word.¡±

    Gill seemed very nervous,

    She constantly looked beyond her shoulder to see if there was anyone else in the hallway.

    ¡°Can we p

    please hurry?¡± she asked in a strained voice, ¡°I really can¡¯t stay for long¡­! ¡°Where is it?¡± J

    asked.

    Gill reached into her pocket and took out a cell phone.

    Harper¡¯s phone.

    ¡°I lifted this from her nightstand. She is in the shower right now¡­But when she finishes the shower

    andes out looking for her phone and can¡¯t find it-¡±

    ¡°I will be done with it in 5 minutes,¡± J said.

    She reached out to take the phone from Gill.

    Yet Gill clenched onto it and would not let go.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken that this means I like you!¡± Gill hissed, darting a hostile re at J. ¡°I am

    doing this as a favor for Westin. If I get caughtter, I will absolutely throw you under the bus!¡±

    J let out a light sneer, ¡°Noted. Now hand it over. We don¡¯t have much time, do We?¡±

    She took that phone from Gill. Westin shoved her aptop.

    ¡°I think you might need this.¡± he t

    in the hallway guarding the door.¡±

    J nodded, ¡°5 minutes.¡±

    her a blink, ¡°Go do your thing. We will be

    She went back to her room with Harper¡¯s phone and theptop and set both things on the table.

    She tried to turn on Harper¡¯s phone. It was protected by a 6¨Cdigit password.

    Harper¡¯s password¡­

    She didn¡¯t think Harper was capable ofing up with some superplicated password.

    J pondered for a few seconds and then tried the date Harper got saved from the kidnappers

    first. On that day Daran rejected her and Harper always saw that day as a big triumph.

    It was wrong.

    She then tried Hellen¡¯s birthday.

    Still not correct.

    Well, the only possible number left was-

    J entered Harper¡¯s birthday.

    The phone unlocked on her third try.

    J let out a cold snort internally.

    It was unbelievably easy but made sense. Because the person that Harper loved the most in the

    whole wide world was herself.

    J clicked on the photo album and scrolled down.

    She soon found what she was looking for-

    A secret album that contained over 80 photos.

    Each photo captured Harper in bed having sex with a different man.

    This was Harper¡¯s deepest,rgest secret.

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168

    Harper took this photo herself.

    She was quite proud of her charms. So she took those photos tomemorate how many men she

    had seduced to bed.

    Many of those men were older than Harper and were already married with kids.

    These photos came with another important purpose.

    When Harper ran out of the monthly allowance that Hellen and Paul gave her, she would extort

    those married men with these sex photos.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want your wife and kids to see this, would you? I will keep my mouth shut with a very

    reasonable price.¡±

    That was something that Harper used to say to those men.

    The reason that J knew so many details was because Harper used to show this off to her all the

    time.

    She would open this album and sh the photo at J¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Can you imagine how hard those men beg to sleep with me? Even after I asked them for money?¡±

    Harper giggled, ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t imagine it. Because you don¡¯t even have a single admirer. You

    will probably die as a virgin, J!¡±

    The showing¨Coff was not even the worst part.

    One time, J refused to do Harper¡¯s homework for her, Harper threatened to photoshop J¡¯s

    head to those sex photos and passed it out to everyone on the street like flyers.

    ¡°Then they will think of you like a total tramp!¡± Harperughed so hard at that time.

    Back then, J had nothing but herself to rely on and of course, she was frightened, ¡°No¡­they

    won¡¯t believe you¡­I will tell them that it is you in these photos¡­¡±

    ¡°And whose words are they going to buy? Mine, or yours?¡± Harper threatened.

    The answer was quite obvious.

    Harper was still Riverside Pack¡¯s little princess, and J was the Diaz¡¯s most unwanted daughter.

    So J caved in.

    She did Harper¡¯s homework, along with other thousands of unreasonable things that Harper forced

    her to do.

    Now, it was finally time for Harper to be the victim of her own mistake.

    J made copies of all of those photos and kept the copy on theptop that Westin

    lent her.

    She used a tissue to wipe off all her fingerprints.

    Then she went to give the phone back to Gill.

    Gill and Westin were still waiting for her in the hallway.

    When J came out, Gill had both of her arms tightly wrapped around Westin¡¯s elbow and said to

    him in a pleading voice:

    ¡­At least say yes to a date with me.¡±

    Westin pulled his arm out.

    ¡°Sorry. But I don¡¯t feel that way towards you.¡± Westin replied in a cold and distant

    manner.

    Gill looked humiliated, ¡°Then what is this? Are you using me? And toss me away as soon as you

    are done?!¡±

    ¡°I made this clear when I came to you and asked for help. You could have said no. It was entirely up

    to you.¡±

    That sounded cruel.

    Gill looked at him with her eyes welled up with tears. A few secondster, she threw herself at him

    again.

    ¡°Oh Westin¡­I can never say no to you! I am your yes¨Cmachine! I am actually d that you chose

    me rather than any other woman. I am still special to you, aren¡¯t I?¡± she sobbed.

    J let out a small chuckle.

    Westin could really make a woman go crazy for him.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Westin saw J by the door and quickly shook off Gill and walked up to her.

    ???

    ¡°You found those photos?¡± he asked.

    J nodded and gave the phone back to Gill, ¡°Thank you for this. Now you should head back

    before Harper notices anything.¡±

    Gill shoved the phone into her pocket and hastily ran away.

    Westin stayed behind and whispered to J, ¡°¡­There is nothing going on between me and her.¡±

    ¡°No need to exin.¡± J smiled.

    ¡°But I want to. In case you get the wrong idea.¡±

    ¡°What wrong idea? That you are a woman ma? A yboy?¡± J joked.

    Touch 11 Westin hold his chest pretending to he stabbed in the heart ¡°This hurte

    ¡°Ouch.¡± Westin held his chest, pretending to be stabbed in the heart. ¡°This hurts more than the time

    your crazy ex threw me into a concrete wall.¡±

    Jughed, ¡°Stop messing around! You really should get going. It has passed curfew now. You

    don¡¯t want to be seen here.¡±

    Westin leaned in and stole a quick kiss on her cheek before rushing away.

    The next day, J printed out those photos.

    She needed a perfect way to present these photos to the guests during the wedding. She couldn¡¯t

    just hand it out to them like

    flyers, which drew too much attention;

    She also didn¡¯t want to just leave the photos on the table for the guests to discover. It

    didn¡¯t have the dramatic effect that she was hoping for.

    Luckily, she already had an idea of where she wanted to hide those photos.

    J hid the photos in her apron and went to the kitchen.

    It was still super hectic down there, with everyone busy working on the feast for the dinner party

    after the ceremony.

    J took a couple of hours to finish the work that she had at hand and then reported back to the

    headmaid.

    The headmaid was busy working on the wedding cake.

    ¡°Can I help with this?¡± J asked.

    ¡°You?¡±

    The head maid used the back of her hand to mop at her brow, ¡°Do you know how to bake?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am actually quite good at it,¡± J said.

    This was not a lie.

    Back in the Riverside Pack when she was still Daran¡¯s Luna, J self¨Ctaught herself

    how to bake and cook.

    At that time, she believed that if she could be better at these housewife skills, maybe Daran would

    grow fond of her in time.

    The head maid shot her a skeptical look, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­This wedding cake is a big deal, the

    spotlight of the dinner party. I can¡¯t afford to mess it up.¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°I won¡¯t be clumsy. I promise.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you with this.¡± The head maid said gruffly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start whipping some of those

    creams? Let me see what you got.¡±

    This was an easy task.

    J went to get the chilled cream from the freezer and poured it into a bowl.

    She grabbed a hand mixer and started whipping.

    Of course, using the electronic whisk was a more time¨Csaving option. But J knew from years of

    experience that the cream whipped by a human hand got a better

    texture than machine¨Cwhipped cream.

    She started at a low speed to avoid sttering and then gradually increased the

    speed.

    Many maids would feel their hands getting sore after a few minutes.

    But not J.

    The hand mixer was so much lighter than those iron swords or pistols that she trained with.

    She stopped when the cream formed stiff peaks and went to present it to the head maid.

    The head maid scooped some cream with one finger and had a taste.

    ¡°Not too bad!¡± she looked impressed. ¡°You do know how to bake. Now you can help. me with the

    batter.¡±

    J offered, ¡°I can take care of the wedding cake by myself.¡±

    ¡°No! Absolutely not! If you mess up the cake, it is going to be me who gets scorned and punished. I

    am not letting you take the wheel.¡®

    Seeing that the head had her mind made up, J stopped pushing and got back to work.

    They spent an entire day on this cake.

    It was gettingte. The other maids had left the kitchen. They were just halfway through the cake.

    ¡°Ah, my shoulder! And I can¡¯t feel my back anymore!¡± The head maid groaned, ¡°You sure that you

    don¡¯t want to take a rest?¡±

    J kept her eves on the cake and said, ¡°No I am good. You should go ahead and have some

    rest. I got this.¡±

    J had won her trust with today¡¯s hard work.

    Yet she still looked a bit reluctant.

    ¡°I kept a nice bottle of wine in the closet. You should go ahead and open that. Pour yourself a ss

    and enjoy it in the lounge. You deserve that,¡± J smiled.

    She had her research done about the headmaid.

    This woman was an alcoholic. There was nothing she liked more than a nice bottle of wine.

    The head maid¡¯s eyes gleamed with greed.

    She licked her lips and finally caved into that temptation, ¡°Well¡­alright! I am going to refresh myself

    with that drink. You keep up with the work. I will check backter.¡± She went to grab that bottle and

    hurried to the lounge next door.

    A triumphant smile appeared on J¡¯s lips.

    She finally got a moment alone with this cake.

    The wedding cake was 3 feet high and had 10yers.

    She would hollow the cake and hide the pictures inside.

    Just imagine the look on Harper¡¯s face when she cut the cake and all those pictures. about her ugly

    past came flying out.

    She couldn¡¯t wait to see that.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169

    The head maid got herself hammered with that bottle of wine and fell asleep in the lounge.

    When she woke up, it was already 6 o¡¯clock the next morning.

    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡±

    She jumped up and sprunt into the kitchen crying, ¡°Fuck we don¡¯t have much time left! How is the

    cakeing along-¡±

    The wedding cake was already finished.

    When she came dashing in, J was just adding one finishing touch¨Ccing the couple¡¯s figurine

    on the topyer.

    The wedding cake stood 10yers high, covered in buttercream pink frosting, and decorated with

    ribbons, red roses, and white lilies.

    It was made to perfection.

    The head maid could already imagine the guests staring at this piece of work in awe. ¡°Holy¡­Did

    you make this all by yourself?¡± she gasped.

    J nodded, dusting some flour off her apron, ¡°Yeah, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°It is¡­absolutely perfect.¡±

    The head maid walked around the cake, admiring it from all directions. She couldn¡¯t find anywhere

    that needed refinement.

    ¡°Great work, J. Really, fabulous work!¡± she said, ¡°I will be sure to mention your name to the

    masters when they ask about this cake-¡±

    J waved her hands hastily, ¡°No, no please don¡¯t. This is all you. I just offered a little help.¡±

    The head maid smiled to J with gratitude in her eyes.

    She thought J didn¡¯t want to steal her thunder.

    But what she didn¡¯t know was that there were a dozen photos hidden in the hollow

    core.

    Like a time bomb, waiting to be ignited.

    On the day of the wedding, the head maid made everyone get up and go to work before the sun

    came up.

    The stove was on since 4:30 and the heat made everyone sweat like hell.

    None of them had time to stop and take a break. They had to take turns grabbing a quick bite for

    their lunch or they wouldn¡¯t be able to get their work done before the dinner party.

    J overheard a couple of maidsining about the workloads.

    ¡°I am so done with our job!¡±

    One maid growled, chopping the vegetables.

    One maid growled, chopping the vegetables.

    ¡°Us kitchen maids are forced to stay down here, by the oven and stove, and get all the heavy works

    done! While those sluts upstairs get to attend the ceremony a parties with the masters. It is so not

    fair!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± the other maid snapped while squeezing a lemonade, ¡°That tramp Gill kept texting me

    photos of the morning reception and all those gorgeous male guests. Oh, have you seen the

    queen¡¯s wedding gown?¡±

    ¡°No. Have you?¡±

    ¡°Me neither! Because we are stuck here! But that tramp Gill has. She said the wedding gown was

    absolutely stunning. The Queen looks like a real goddess in it¡­¡±

    J smiled icily listening to their conversation.

    This must be the day that Harper dreamed about since she was born.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    The wedding of the century, powerful mate, expensive wedding gown, fancy parties, and herself

    surrounded by guests under the spotlight¡­

    Too bad that this beautiful dream would notst.

    It would be ruined the moment Harper cut that wedding cake.

    The wedding ceremony was held at the church.

    After the ceremony, the King and Queen and all the guests would return to the pce for the dinner

    party.

    At around 6 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, a servant came down to the kitchen saying that

    they needed a couple more maids to help out at the dinner party.

    This was the chance to attend a fancy party.

    All maids shot their hands up in the air, volunteering for this dream job.

    Yet the head maid pointed at J specifically, ¡°J, you go.¡±

    The others were rankled.

    ¡°Why does she get to go?¡± one maid cried, ¡°She is the new one!¡±

    ¡°Because she hustles and got all her work done!¡± the head maid roared back, ¡°Anyone who has a

    problem with this can go scrub the toilet tomorrow!¡±

    J loosened her apron and left the kitchen with the servant.

    The servant brought her to the Grand Ballroom, where the dinner party was held.

    The ballroom had been transformed into a fairnd.

    The arched high ceiling was adorned with intricate moldings, ribbons, and sparkling chandeliers.

    The walls were lined with golden wallpaper andrge windows draped in luxurious curtains.

    The tables were set with fine china and crystal, and the smell of gourmet cuisine wafted through the

    air.

    Most guests were already in the ballroom, gathered in small groups, chatting. The room was filled

    with the soft hum of conversation and the asional bust ofughter.

    the wealthiest one percent in his kingdom to this narty.

    Everyone was dressed in fine evening wear, with women in flowing gowns and men in sharp

    tuxedos.

    They all looked so noble and elegant.

    ¡°Keep your head down! Don¡¯t look at the masters.¡±

    The servant hissed at J as they crossed the room staying close to the wall.

    ¡°You can¡¯t afford to offend any one of these people,¡± he warned.

    J rolled her eyes internally.

    The servant ced her behind the bar and asked her to help serve drinks.

    A few guests immediately came forward and ced their orders.

    J took their orders and looked around the ballroom.

    She didn¡¯t see anyone she knew.

    No sight of Daran, Morgana, Kass, or Westin.

    Lance and Harper hadn¡¯t arrived either.

    ¡°Two sses of champagne,¡± said a haughty voice behind her back.

    J turned around.

    Her eyes widened with shock when she saw the person who just spoke.

    It was Paul!

    Standing next to him was his wife, Harper¡¯s mother, Hellen.

    Looked like Harper still managed to get her parents across the border and bring them to the

    wedding.

    An astonished look appeared on the couple¡¯s faces when they saw J.

    After a short pause, Paul burst outughing, ¡°Oh my god, look who it is! Working behind the counter

    as a maid! What happened, J? Did your Alpha throw you out of the army forcing you to get a

    job elsewhere?¡±

    Hellen giggled, ¡°Thest time we saw you, you seemed very hoity toity with Alpha Daran and Alpha

    Casper behind your back. Did they abandon you? Lost interested in your sluttiness?¡±

    J let out a cold snort.

    She pretended that she hadn¡¯t heard their sarcasm and poured them two sses of champagne as

    they asked..

    ¡°Here is your order,¡± she said coolly.

    Paul mmed his hand against the counter and snapped, ¡°Watch your goodman attitude! You are a

    fucking maid now. And my dear daughter is the queen! We can tramp you like a fucking ant now-¡±

    ¡°Your dear daughter?¡± J chuckled icily, ¡°You mean the same daughter that you turned your

    backs on when she was brought to trial in Riverside Pack?¡±

    She despised these two.

    When Harper was charged with crimes, they threw Harper under the bus without hesitation to save

    their own asses.

    Yet now they came crawling back to their discarded daughter as soon as she became the queen.

    What a hypocrite.

    Hellen¡¯s cheeks seemed to be on fire.

    ¡°Harper has already forgiven us! Or she wouldn¡¯t invite us to her wedding!¡± she cried, ¡°I think that

    you are just jealous! Isn¡¯t it right Paul?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Jealous!¡± Paul nodded hastily, ¡°Harper has the world¡¯s most powerful man as her husband

    and mate now. And you? You fucking have nothing! You should get on your knees and beg for our

    mercy now!¡±

    These two were impossible to talk to.

    J rolled her eyes and decided not to waste her time on them, ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, there are

    other guests waiting in line to get their drinks.¡±

    Her attitude enraged the Diaz couple.

    ¡°There is a hair in my champagne!¡± Paul said sharply.

    ¡°Where? I don¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that I am fucking blind?¡±

    J took in a deep breath, fighting down her anger.

    She emptied the champagne and poured them another two sses.

    ¡°Now. Happy?¡± she asked icily.

    Hellen felt the ss and cried, ¡°The wine is warm! Do you know how to do your job or not? I am

    reporting you to your supervisor!¡±

    They just wouldn¡¯t leave her alone.

    J clenched her teeth.

    She suddenly grabbed a bottle of bourbon and poured the whole entire bottle onto Hellen¡¯s

    handbag!

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!¡± Paul snarled.

    ¡°My handbag!¡± Hellen let out an ear¨Csplitting sharp cry, ¡°This is a limited edition, worth more than a

    million! You can¡¯t afford it in a lifetime you cunt-

    J reached out a hand, grabbed Hellen¡¯s cor, and dragged half of her body over the counter.

    ¡°Fake,¡± she hissed into Hellen¡¯s ear.

    Hellen froze at once.

    ¡°The hardware looks cheap, the material feels flimsy, the stitching is off. Even the logo isn¡¯t in the

    right font.¡±

    J let out a coldugh.

    ¡°I have an entire closet full of handbags in the same brand. I can tell the difference.¡±

    Hellen blushed furiously, breathing heavily.

    ¡°Do you want me to scream it out loud? Let the other guests know?¡± J chuckled

    darkly, ¡°They will definitely be interested to near that the Queen¡¯s mother is wearing fake.¡±

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170

    The Queen¡¯s mother.

    Wearing fake.

    It was such a scandal!

    Some of the guests tonight were already unhappy with the choice of the Queen. They didn¡¯t think an

    outsider like Harper deserved to marry their King, especially since that she was an outsider without

    any title or power.

    If they heard that the queen¡¯s mother was carrying a fake handbag, they would definitelyugh their

    asses off.

    And it would piss Harper off greatly.

    Harper was the queen now. Hellen didn¡¯t want to upset her powerful daughter!

    J stared at Hellen and chuckled, ¡°So, are we going to have a problem?¡±

    Hellen swallowed, ¡°¡­N¨CNo.¡±

    ¡°And your drinks?¡±

    Paul grabbed a ss and quickly took a sip, ¡°It is fine.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± J smiled.

    They couple didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. But they kept darting angry res at J.

    Just then, a servant by the door announced loudly:

    ¡°-Ladies and gentlemen, The King and the Queen!¡±

    The heavy double door swung open with the organ pealing solemnly in the background. All guests

    turned around and looked towards the entrance.

    Lance and Harper walked in holding hands.

    Harper had changed out of her wedding gown and was now wearing an elegant, floor¨Clength gown

    made from sumptuous, rose¨Ccolored silk.

    The gown fitted at the waist and featured a deep V¨Cneckline and was adorned with hand¨C

    embroiderednce detailing that shimmered in the light.

    The long, flowing skirt added a touch of drama and sophistication.

    She essorized with a statement ne made from diamonds and pearls, which sparkled

    against the skin.

    Each of those diamonds was the size of a quail egg

    Apuse broke out in the ballroom. Harper smiled and nodded to all directions, her face radiant

    with delight andcency.

    ¡°That is my daughter!¡± Paul said loudly amidst the apuse, ¡°See? My daughter is the queen. I am

    your King¡¯s father¨Cinw!¡±

    Compared to Harper¡¯s thrilled expression, Lance seemed less excited.

    He held Harper¡¯s hand walking to the center of the ballroom and announced in a dull.

    voice:

    ¡°-I present you, my Queen, Harper Diaz.¡±

    He let go of Harper¡¯s hand as soon as he said that.

    The crowd apuded again. Many guests came forward to talk to the King and his newly crowned

    Queen.

    Paul and Hellen immediately abandoned their drinks on the counter and blended into the crowd.

    ¡°Coming through!¡± Paul cried, pushing himself through.

    Hellen giggled stupidly behind his back, ¡°Make way for the King¡¯s mother and father¨Cinw!¡±

    The crowd parted and they got up to the front.

    ¡°My King!¡± Paul bowed to Lance in a dramatic manner, ¡°It is such an honor to finally meet you.

    Harper said so many nice things about you¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Diaz,¡± Lance nodded nonchntly.

    ¡°And the wedding!¡± Hellen picked up the topic and gasped, ¡°The wedding is just absolutely

    gorgeous! Oh my, I have never attended a fancier wedding before-

    ¡°It is fancy because it cost a fortune,¡± said a voice behind their back.

    People looked to their back and saw Morgana walking up to them in a ming¨Cred long gown,

    looking absolutely stunning.

    She had a mask over her face to cover the hideous birthmark on her face.

    ¡°My King.¡±

    Morgana curtseyed to Lance casually andpletely ignored Harper¡¯s presence. Hellen darted this

    beautiful woman a hostile re, ¡°What do you mean ¡®cost a fortune¡®? My son¨Cinw here is the

    King! He owns the entire rogue kingdom. Of course, he can afford it. It is so ungraceful of you to talk

    about money here, on my dear daughter¡¯s wedding!¡±

    Morgana slowly turned to look at this woman.

    This woman, and the man stood by her, were her birth parents.

    The people who had abandoned her, cold¨Cbloodedly.

    She had been preparing for this day since she heard that Harper was bringing her parents to this

    wedding.

    Hatred burned in her eyes behind the mask.

    These two deserved to rot in hell.

    ¡°On the contrary, money is exactly what we need to talk about.¡±

    Morgana crossed her arms and let out a sneer:

    ¡°Every penny spent on this weddinges from our national treasury. Your daughter insisted on

    having the best stuff on everything: brand¨Cnew silk bedsheet for everyone, tailored made guest

    nightrobes, redecorating the entire pce,

    exquisite jewelries for herself¡­We even paid for your clothes and essories for tonight, Mr. and

    Mrs. Diaz.

    ¡°I have never seen the bill,¡± Lance said with a frown. ¡°How much in total?¡±

    ¡°50 million,¡± Morgana said coolly.

    ¡°¡­50 fucking million?!¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Lance raised his voice furiously, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard about this before? Are we going to fucking

    drain our national treasury for this fucking wedding?!¡±

    Morgana shrugged, ¡°I showed this bill to the Queen. Apparently, she believed that this is a money

    worth spending.¡±

    Harper¡¯s cheeks seemed to be on fire.

    She gasped urgently to defend herself, ¡°I¨CI know it is a lot. But this is our wedding! Once in a

    lifetime! 50 million is nothingpared to its significance¡­¡±

    ¡°You are the one to say!¡± Lance red at her, ¡°I already took me enough manpower to get your

    parents across the border. And 50 million spent on one night?! You have never contributed a single

    penny to this kingdom!¡±

    Harper looked as though she just got pped at the face.

    This was her big night. And every guest was staring at her. She could see the mockery in their

    eyes.

    She couldn¡¯t be humiliated. At least not tonight!

    ¡°Can you stop now?¡± she gritted, ¡°Many of my friends in Riverside Pack spent millions on their

    weddings. Howe I didn¡¯t see their husbandsin?¡±

    Lance sneered, ¡°Oh now you think Riverside Pack is better? Then why don¡¯t you go back there and

    see if Daran still wants you as his Luna?¡±

    Light snickers could be heard from the crowd.

    Most guests were gloating over Harper.

    None of them liked her very much.

    Morgana added, ¡°Oh. And I do remember you saying that the bride¡¯s side will be paying for half of

    this wedding, correct? So when can I receive that check from you?¡±

    Harper gulped nervously.

    But she couldn¡¯t back down from this fight.

    She puffed her chest and snorted arrogantly, ¡°25 million is nothing for my family! Mom, dad, write

    her a check¡±

    Paul and Hellen widened their

    eyes!

    shock.

    ¡°B¡­But darling¡­¡± Hellen lowered her voice, her face ming red. ¡°We don¡¯t have that kind of

    money¡­¡±

    Paul nodded, ¡°Yeah. Remember the tax issue we had in Riverside Pack? We haven¡¯t sorted that

    problem yet¡­ King Lance even paid out transportation to the border¡­¡±

    ¡°All our houses and cars were confiscated by Daran¡¯s Financial Minister¡­¡± Hellen scratched her

    head, ¡°We were actually wondering if you could arrange a ce for us to stay at here¡­since we

    lost our house back home¡­¡±

    Harper widened her eyes, mortified.

    How was this even possible?!

    ¡°Hold on a second, are your family broke?¡± Morgana raised an eyebrow, ¡°Then howe when I

    brought the money issue to you, you told me not to worry about the money since your family wealth

    exceeded my imagination? Are those just big words?¡±

    The crowd jeered.

    Hellen¡¯s body trembled. She could hardly hold her fake handbag, ¡°How are you! And why are you

    trying to sabotage my daughter¡¯s wedding? Are you the King¡¯s whore? How give you a right to-¡±

    ¡°I am the King¡¯s Cab Minister.¡± Morgana eyed her icily, ¡°So you better watch your tongue. Do not

    disrespect me.¡±

    Hellen quivered under her sharp gaze.

    Paul stuttered, ¡°I¨CI am sure we can sort this out. My son¨Cinw here is the King for Christ¡¯s

    sake¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop calling me that.¡±

    Lance redirected his freezing stare to Paul, ¡°Everyone¨Cincluding your

    daughter¨Crefers to me as the King.¡±

    A gorgeous waltz music started to y in the background. Guests in the far distance came to

    gathered by the dance floor, waiting for the King and Queen to open tonight¡¯s first dance.

    ¡°Let us get this fucking thing over with first.¡± Lance hissed to Harper, ¡°We will have a thorough

    conversation about thister.¡±

    Harper bit her lips holding the tears in her eyes.

    She gave her hand to Lance and let him drag her into the dancefloor.

    That bitch Morgana ruined everything!

    But it was OK. There was still time to fix this. She would enjoy the rest of her night and find a way to

    cool Lance¡¯s furyter¡­She could do it¡­

    Harper took a deep breath and put on a forced smile.

    Yet before they could start dancing, a loud voice rose above the music and the chatters,

    announcing:

    ¡°-Sir Edwin is here!¡±

    Hearing that, Lance immediately abandoned Harper in the dancefloor and rushed to the ballroom¡¯s

    entrance.

    ¡°Where are you going!¡± Harper cried to his back.

    There was amotion in the ballroom. Everyone was standing on their tiptoe gazing at the door

    as if somebody important was going to show up.

    J noticed this behind the bar.

    She turned to ask another servant behind the counter, ¡°Who is Sir Edwin?¡±

    ¡°You never heard of him?¡± the servant gave her a strange look.

    ¡°No. Is he like a noble or something?¡±

    ¡°Oh I forgot. You are from the other side of the border.¡± The servant giggled.

    He lowered his voice. And whispered to her in a mysterious voice:

    ¡°¡­Then have you heard about the Lycans?¡±

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171

    The Lycan?

    J was stunned for a few seconds and then burst outughing, ¡°No. You are kidding.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me,¡± the servant snorted.

    ¡°Well then, because¡­Lycan is nothing about a myth.¡±

    J had heard many stories and fairytales about the Lycan since she was a child.

    In those stories, the Lycans were just like them, except for the fact that they were stronger, more

    powerful, and more ruthless.

    But it was more like a mythical creature, created by the bard and fairytale writer to keep children

    away from the woods at night.

    Yet now, this servant was telling her that the Lycan was real. And the Lycan was here

    at Lance¡¯s wedding.

    How was she supposed to believe something this ridiculous?

    The servant saw the skeptical look on her face, and he shrugged, ¡°It is a myth to you, but not to us.

    The Lycan has kept a friendly rtionship with us for years¡­Well,

    ¡®friendly¡® is probably not the right word. They WATCH OVER us.¡±

    Jughed, ¡°You meant like a god or something?¡±

    She meant this as a sarcasm.

    Yet the servant looked very serious, ¡°Yes. Exactly like the god, or guardian if you prefer.¡±

    ¡°You are kidding. The rogues are a bunch of anarchists. You would let another being rule over

    you?¡±

    The werewolves and the rogues had fought for

    years for

    power.

    The rogues never bent their back to anyone, not even an Alpha.

    Yet they submitted themselves to the Lycan?

    ¡°Because¡­¡±

    The servant gulped with a hint of fear flickering across his eyes, ¡­You have any idea how powerful

    the Lycan is. They are the earliest group of werewolves created by the Moon Goddess. They exhibit

    ancient powers that we werewolves don¡¯t. Words

    said that even their wolf form is different than ours.¡±

    J was intrigued, ¡°Different how?¡±

    Yet the servant didn¡¯t answer.

    He was staring at the gate in awe as everyone else did.

    J followed his gaze and saw the man who just walked in with Lance.

    This must

    Sir Edwin.

    He was a very handsome guy, about 6 feet high.

    He had silky, raven¨Cck hair that contracted elegantly against his pale skin. His features were

    chiseled and aristocratic, with a strong jawline and high cheekbones.

    His eyes were a captivating shade, like deep, mysterious pools of midnight that drew

    others in.

    J stared at him.

    This guy looked as though he juste out of a medieval oil painting.

    But she didn¡¯t see how he was different from any of them.

    Maybe he was just a phony. J thought internally.

    Lance stood by Sir Edwin¡¯s side. The two were having a heated conversation about something.

    People¡¯s attention was drowned in this honored, mysterious guest.

    Everyone including Lance¨Chadpletely forgotten that Harper was still waiting

    in the dancefloor.

    Harper clenched her fists in rage, her body shaking with humiliation.

    This was supposed to be her big moment!

    Yet her thunder waspletely stolen, first by Morgana, then by this guy who showed up from

    nowhere.

    She wanted to scream, yell at someone, or maybe smash things.

    But she also knew that making a scene would only make Lance despite her more.

    Just then, she saw two maids carrying her 10yer wedding cake into the ballroom. She found her

    punchbag.

    Harper strode up to them and snarled, ¡°Is this my wedding cake?¡±

    The maids quickly ced the cake on the counter and curtseyed to her, ¡°Yes, My Queen.¡±

    ¡°It is hideous!¡± Harper snapped, ¡°Who made this? I want the pastry chef flogged for this! Which one

    of you is the pastry chef?!¡±

    ¡°N¨CNo¡­it is not us my queen¡­¡±

    The maids shivered in their spots, not knowing what to do.

    J saw this from the distance and hastily walked over, ¡°What is the matter?¡±

    One maid saw J and blurt out at once, ¡°It was her! She made this cake with our headmaid. My

    Queen, please punish her instead of us!¡±

    Harper turned to re at J.

    ¡°You made this?¡± Harper hissed.

    J frowned, ¡°I helped a little. What is the matter with it?¡±

    ¡°It is fucking tacky and hideous! The decorations¡­roses and lilies? Are you fucking kidding me?¡±

    Harper gritted, nitpicking. ¡°Get this ugly thing out of wedding. NOW!¡±

    J narrowed her eyes.

    This cake was the most important part of her n.

    This cake stayed

    my gorgeous

    This cake stayed.

    ¡°It is just an ordinary cake,¡± J said. ¡°There is nothing wrong with¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking saying that I have bad taste?¡± Harper roared.

    J rolled her eyes internally. It was exactly what she meant.

    She tried to talk some sense into Harper, ¡°We spent days on this cake. If you say no to this one,

    you won¡¯t have a wedding cake at all.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t have a backup n? I don¡¯t care. This is your problem. Get me another one in 10

    minutes!¡± said Harper crossly.

    J took in a deep breath with rage surging up in her chest.

    ¡­ Maybe she should just smash Harper¡¯s stupid face directly into this cake.

    Just then, a deep voice came behind their backs:

    ¡°What are you two fighting about?¡±

    It was Daran.

    J hadn¡¯t seen him earlier. Maybe he rante.

    Harper quivered at the sight of Daran. She was always afraid of him. But then she remembered how

    Daran handed J to her to have J tortured.

    Maybe Daran would take her side this time.

    ¡°I was just telling J that the cake she made is hideous. And I deserve something better.¡± Harper

    said.

    Daran nced at the cake casually and looked back at Harper, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything wrong with it.¡±

    Harper widened her eyes, ¡°Are you fucking taking her side again? Have you already forgotten how

    she betrayed you?!¡±

    Daran¡¯s face darkened.

    He let out a cold snort, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me. Go. Lance is asking for you.¡±

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°But the cake-¡±

    ¡°Stop making a fuzz.¡± Daran stared at her icily. ¡°You are already used of being extravagant.

    Don¡¯t bitch about the cake anymore.¡±

    Harper bit her lips unwillingly.

    She darted one resentful re at J and then stormed away.

    J took a quick look at Daran.

    This was the first time they saw each other after that night he brought her to Harper.

    The initial rage had disappeared.

    But her hatred towards him remained the same.

    ¡°¡­There is something wrong with the cake, isn¡¯t it?¡± Daran said abruptly.

    J rounded her eyes.

    She quickly hid her panic and pretended to be calm, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Stop ying dumb with me, J. I am not Harper,¡± Daran chuckled. ¡°A regr 10yer cake is

    really heavy, and it takes at least 3-4 men to lift off the ground. Two

    maids carried this cake into the ballroom all by themselves¡­. Let me guess. The cake is hollow,

    isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He took a step closer to J, his hot breath spreading on her earlobe:

    ¡°-What is hiding in the cake?¡±

    J froze.

    Daran was by far the smartest and most observant guy she knew.

    ¡­What do you want?¡± she asked stiffly after a long pause. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything to Harper.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind you sabotaging her wedding,¡± he said coolly, crossing his arms.

    ¡°Oh, so you hate her now?¡± J said sarcastically, ¡°I thought you two were sadist buddies. It is

    very easy of you to switch sides, Daran.¡±

    Daranpsed into silence.

    There was an unreadable expression on her face.

    He said in a hoarse voice after a long pause, ¡°¡­I am sorry about that night.¡±

    His apology set fire to her rage.

    ¡°You are fucking sorry?!¡± she jerked around to re at him, ¡°You think one apology will make up for

    what you did?! She fucking flogged me! Plucked my nails off! Humiliated me! If it weren¡¯t for you, I

    would never have to go through all those fucking torments!¡±

    His gorgeous face contorted. He looked frustrated.

    ¡°I let jealousy get to me. Anger clouded my mind.¡± he said darkly, ¡°But if you didn¡¯t mess around

    with that Westin first-

    ¡°That is your big excuse?! You punished me for moving on with a better, more decent guy. You don¡¯t

    have that right!¡±

    ¡°I DO!¡± he growled, grabbing her wrist forcefully. ¡°Because you are mine!¡±

    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake

    ¡°Listen to me!¡± he hissed, lowering his voice so that no one else could hear. ¡°Lance is giving me full

    details about how to be The King tonight. I can really put a stop to everything this time, Once

    this is behind us, we can still go back and pretend. nothing has happened¡­Just¨Cgive me a bit more

    time, J.¡±

    J looked back at him coldly.

    ¡°You had your chance. You gave it up yourself,¡± she said freezingly.

    ¡°J-

    Daran looked traumatized.

    He wanted to say something else.

    But a voice interrupted him saying:

    ¡±

    ¡­Your wedding cake is gorgeous, Queen Harper.¡±

    Daran and J looked around and found Sir Edwin standing a few feet away, with Lance, Harper,

    and arge group of guests behind him.

    Harper looked ttered to hear hispliment, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    There was a cool smile on Sir Edwin¡¯s lips, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have a slice.¡±

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Lance elbowed Harper, ¡°You heard Sir Edwin.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­right. I will cut the cake right away!¡±

    She rushed to grab the knife.

    When nobody was paying attention, Sir Edwin¡¯s eyes flickered to J.

    And he blinked at her..

    J frowned.

    ¡­ What was this guy doing?

    On the other side, Harper had dug the knife into the cake.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172

    The cake started to wobble when Harper cut a slice off

    ¡°Watch out!¡± a maid cried.

    The next second, the tenyer cake came crashing down and fell right onto Harper¡¯s head.

    ¡°AHHH-¡±

    Harper let out a deafening scream, her face, and body covered in jam and cream. The gorgeous

    gown that she was so proud of waspletely ruined.

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd. Guests backed away hastily to stay away from

    the sticky cream on the floor.

    There was a disgusted expression on Lance¡¯s face.

    He cast one disdainful look at Harper and turned to Edwin, ¡°Sir Edwin, let¡¯s get away

    from this mess. Don¡¯t let the cream get on your shoes¡­

    ¡°Hold on a second.¡±

    Sir Edwin bent down and picked up a piece of paper from the crumbles, ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°A paper?¡± Lance frowned, ¡°What is it doing in the cake?¡±

    Sir Edwin wiped the cream on the tablecloth and presented it to the guests with a crooked smile,

    ¡°Looks like a photo¡­Oh, and a very interesting one.¡±

    Guests huddled over.

    Even Lance leaned over to take a closer look.

    Then everyone¡¯s face changed abruptly.

    It was a nude pic, with Harper in bed with a middle¨Caged man. He grabbed her hair

    and was riding her like a horse.

    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± One female guest screamed, covering her eyes with both of her hands, ¡°How

    disgraceful¡­it hurt my eyes!¡±

    There was an uproar in the crowd.

    ¡°It looks like Queen Harper!¡± somebody cried, ¡°It is her nude pic!¡±

    ¡°And there is more on the ground!¡±

    Guests swarmed in and scrabbled for the scattered photos hidden in the falling cake.

    Harper wiped the cream on her face and saw a photo lying by her feet. She picked it up, saw what

    was in the photo, and her face contorted with horror.

    ¡°Stop! STOP!!¡±

    She roared, threading the photo into pieces, and rushed to fight over the remaining photos, ¡°Stop

    looking at it! This fucking private! I am ordering you as the Queen

    FUCKING STOP!!!¡±

    Yet nobody listened.

    She tried to snatch a photo from a guy¡¯s hand. She slipped on the cake, tripped, and fell to the floor

    with her face facing down.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± she groaned painfully, yet nobody came to give her a hand.

    There were photos everywhere, at least dozens of them. All guests had joined this peculiar

    ¡°treasure hunt.¡±

    The ballroom hadpsed intoplete chaos.

    ¡°Look at this one!¡± one guest held a photo up in the air, ¡°They are having an orgy!¡± A maid stared at

    the photo in her hand and gasped abruptly, ¡°Wait a second¡­I know this man. This man is one of

    the Riverside Pack¡¯s elders. He is married with 3 kids!¡±

    Sir Edwin heard her and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Y¨CYes¡­¡±

    The maid said in a shaky voice:

    ¡°Before I became a rogue, I was a maid working in this elder¡¯s house. My mistress suspected her

    husband of having an affair. And she thought he was banging one of the maids in the house. She

    fired and expelled all of us for it!

    The maid pointed a finger at Harper and snarled furiously:

    ¡°But it was you! I lost my job, left my hometown, and became a rogue because of you! You tramp¡­

    Why did you have to fuck another woman¡¯s husband?!¡±

    Harper clenched her teeth looking humiliated, and growled, ¡°Shut your fucking hole! I can do

    whatever I want!¡±

    ¡°But my mistress had a miscarriage because of her husband¡¯s affair!¡± the maid cried, ¡°You have

    blood on your hand!¡±

    Harper swayed on her spot.

    Then she threw herself at Lance, dropped to her knees, and grabbed his pants, looking at him with

    teary eyes:

    koma a moot but

    ¡°My King, please¡­ Please don¡¯t believe what they say! Yes, I have a past, but so ist everybody! My

    past doesn¡¯t affect my love towards you¡­.

    Lance was livid with rage.

    He kicked her aside ruthlessly.

    ¡°Get your dirty hands away,¡± he hissed with disgust.

    Sir Edwin crossed his arms and said with a cool smile, ¡°But your past does say something about

    your character. Does the Rogue King really want an adulterer as his Queen?¡±

    Lance nced at Harper, who sat on the floor with her hair messy like a bird nest and her gown

    ripped apart. Her face was smudged by cream and tears.

    ¡°D¨CDon¡¯t¡­¡± she widened her eyes in horror, ¡°I am not an adulterer¡­My King, you have crowned

    me already¡­ You can¡¯t take it back!¡±

    ¡°I sure can!¡± Lance hissed under his breath, ¡°You fucking brought shame to me, you tramp! In front

    of all my subjects and guests! I should fucking hang you for this!!¡±

    Harper quivered on her spot.

    This was the most important day of her life.

    She finally got what she deserved, a powerful husband, a crown, and a dream. wedding.

    She had a minor setback in Riverside Pack. But she recovered from that. She worked her way up

    from a lowly ve to a Queen¨Ca Queen was much better than an Alpha¡¯s

    Luna!

    This was her revenge on J!

    She could make that bitch J envy her. She got everything. And that cunt got nothing!

    But why did her past have to be exposed tonight?

    She was already so close to her goal¨CSO FUCKING CLOSE!!!

    She clenched her ruined skirt and suddenly raised her voice crying:

    ¡°Then how are you any better, Lance? If I am a tramp, you are a dickhead yourself!¡±

    Lance rounded his eyes, ¡°What the fuck did you say? Have you lost your fucking mind?¡±

    ¡°You fucked around yourself. Don¡¯t think that I didn¡¯t know!¡± Harperughed coldly, ¡°How many

    women have you fucked? Possibly all the maids in this pce? You have no right to be all mighty

    and condescending. You dog!¡±

    The guests gasped in unison, horrified.

    Lance roared back at the top of his lungs, ¡°I am the King! I can do whatever I please! A night with

    the King was the best thing that happened in those women¡¯s lives-¡± ¡°Then I am the Queen!¡± Harper

    screamed, ¡°If you get to fuck around, so can I!¡±

    Lance¡¯s eyes were slits of wrath.

    He raised one hand and pped Harper¡¯s face:

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°You are Queen because I made you! But you are not that any more¨CGuards!¡±

    A group of armed guards rushed forward.

    ¡°Escort this woman out of here!¡± Lance snapped.

    ¡°Yes, my King!¡±

    ¡°NOOO-¡± Harper screamed, pulling her own hair.

    Hellen and Paul had been hiding in the corner, afraid that this could back al

    them.

    Now they heard that Lance was going to dethrone Harper, they hastily rushed forward.

    ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive my daughter!¡± Hellen wept, ¡°She is your mate! Your destined one.

    Please don¡¯t throw her out!¡±

    Paul cried by her side, ¡°Yes! Somebody did this on purpose to sabotage your wedding!¡±

    Paul¡¯s words brought some sense back to Harper.

    She suddenly straightened her back, jerked around, and red at J in rage. ¡°YOU! It was you!¡±

    she snarled.

    Everyone looked at J following Harper¡¯s gaze, astonished.

    J raised an eyebrow.

    She had been enjoying this dogfight in a very good mood. This thing yed out even. better than

    she had expected.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± J asked calmly.

    ¡°You made this cake! You hid the photos! You want me gone!¡± Harper shrieked like a manic, ¡°I want

    you flogged! Skinned alive! Your ashes poured down the drain you

    evil cunt-

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Daran hissed dangerously by J¡¯s side.

    Lance frowned. His skeptical eyes flickered towards J.

    Just then, Sir Edwin spoke up in a chilling voice:

    ¡°King Lance, is this how you run your Kingdom?¡±

    Lance shivered, ¡°W¨CWhat do you mean, sir?¡±

    ¡°The person at fault here is clearly your mate Harper. But she is trying to get away with it by

    randomly using an innocent maid. As the King, are you fine with that?¡± Sir Edwin snorted.

    Harper cried, ¡°J is not innocent! She-¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    Lance barked, his eyes gleaming with fume, ¡°I have let you disgrace me enough. Guards, clock her

    mouth and drag her out. I will deal with herter!¡±

    Guards jumped at Harper and did what Lance asked of them.

    They carried Harper out forcefully, with Hellen and Paul crying and chasing behind

    They carried Harper out forcefully, with Hellen and Paul crying and chasing behind their daughter

    despairingly.

    The dinner party ended in a most dramatic way.

    Lance fled the room as soon as Harper was kicked out. He probably didn¡¯t want to face the mockery

    on other¡¯s faces.

    J saw Daran follow Lance out of the ballroom. Maybe he was up for something, but she didn¡¯t

    care anymore.

    She and Daran had gone on separate ways already.

    J wanted to find Morgana and Kass and let them know that their n had worked.

    She blended into the crowd of guests leaving the ballroom and headed out.

    Yet her wrist was grabbed by somebody from the back.

    It was Sir Edwin.

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173

    ¡­Westin?!

    J¡¯s jaw dropped. She was rendered speechless.

    Westin did tell her that one of his men woulde and pick her up at the wedding.

    But he didn¡¯t say whom exactly.

    J thought that it would be a servant, or probably a guard¡­Bur Sir Edwin? The Lycan?!

    Her eyes widened as she realized another matter.

    Wait, if Edwin was the Lycan and he was Westin¡¯s guy, didn¡¯t it mean that-

    ¡°Westin is Lycan?!¡± she blurted out, utterly shocked.

    Edwin smiled.

    He put a finger over his lips and whispered, ¡°Shush. Few people knew about Westin¡¯s

    real identity. We want to keep it that way.¡±

    J¡¯s head was a mess.

    A million thoughts whizzed through her head.

    No wonder Westin had kept his mouth shut about his identity in front of them the whole time.

    The Lycan was nothing but a myth to them. Even if he admitted it, they would not believe in his

    words.

    And something else just hit J.

    During the one¨Con¨Cone battle between Daran and Westin, Westin chose not to shift into his wolf.

    J thought it was because he couldn¡¯t.

    But the truth might be the other way around: he could. But if he shifted, his wolf would give away his

    identity instantly.

    Because the Lycans looked differently than the werewolves.

    ¡°¡­But why did he go undercover?¡± J asked after a long pause, ¡°The rogues recognized your

    reign. You could have just given Lance the order for whatever you are trying to do here. What was

    Westin after?¡±

    Edwin shrugged with a faint smile:

    ¡°The rouges don¡¯t recognize our reign. They are afraid of us. That is all. But even with fear, they still

    dare to do all kinds of things behind our backs. The sort of things that they would never admit to in

    front of our faces. Westin went undercover to put a stop to those things.¡±

    ¡°But what kind of those things? Does it have anything to do with the supreme power and ¡®The King¡®

    that Lance told Daran about-¡±

    ¡°Look.¡±

    Edwin spread his hands and smiled, ¡°I am happy to spend a whole night answering your questions,

    which I am sure you have a lot. But I think you better ask Westin about those questions yourself.

    And if we are to meet him in time, we better hurry.

    The time is limited.¡±

    J looked at him, quietly weighing the current situation.

    ¡°I have one more question,¡± she said.

    Edwin gave her a polite smile.

    ¡°What will happen after you take me out of the city?¡±

    ¡°Well, we can send you back to the other side of the border, if that is what your prefer. But even we

    can¡¯t predict how the situation will exacerbate. If the worst thing

    happens, a war breaks out, then we would want to keep you somewhere safe-¡±

    ¡®And where is that?¡± J asked skeptically.

    ¡°By our King¡¯s side.¡± Edwin grinned, ¡°He and his royal guards will keep you safe.¡±

    ¡­A Lycan King?

    J frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t even know your King. Hell, I didn¡¯t even know you people existed till this very

    day! Are you sure that he is willing to protect me?¡±

    A bizarre smile flickered across Edwin¡¯s eyes, ¡°Oh, I think he will be more than willing. Thrilled, if

    you ask me.¡±

    He checked the time, ¡°Now it is a quarter to 8. I scheduled to leave the city before 10. Do you need

    to go somewhere? To pack some stuff perhaps?¡±

    ¡°I want to go back to my room and get changed,¡± J said. She was still dressed in her maid

    uniform with an apron.

    ¡°Of course. Then please meet me in the woods near the South Gate. I will be waiting.¡±

    Edwin shed her a blink and then walked away.

    J turned on her heels and dashed out of the ballroom.

    The corridor was packed with hovering guests. The guards tried to ask them to leave and go back

    to their separate rooms. But the guests remained outside of the ballroom and kept discussing

    enthusiastically about what happened tonight..

    ¡°Do you think the King will hang his mate for that?¡± a girl asked her friends when J passed by.

    ¡°I am not sure. Sleeping around is demeaning, yes, but not a crime,¡± her friend said.

    ¡°But humiliating the King is a crime.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. All I know is that Harper is doomed. There is no way she will remain as the Queen.¡±

    J pushed herself through the crowd and left those chatters behind her.

    She came down to the basement and ran to her room.

    It was total chaos at the maid¡¯s dormitory as well, with people running around sharing gossip and

    the supervisors screaming at their subordinates, asking them to clean up the mess upstairs.

    Nobody noticed J in this chaos. The guards sent to watch over her were nowhere. to be found.

    Everything was working perfectly ording to the n

    Everything was working perfectly ording to the n.

    J came into her room and locked the door behind her.

    She peeled off her maid¡¯s uniform, tossed it on the ground, and pulled her sportswear out of the

    closet.

    Right as she was slipping on her leggings, she heard a knock on the door.

    J held her breath.

    Who could it be?

    Was it the guards? Coming to make sure that she remained in this pce?

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Just when she was hesitating whether or not to answer, a voice came from the other side of the

    door:

    ¡°¡­It is me,

    Daran.¡±

    J bit her lips, staring at the closed door.

    ¡°It is OK. You don¡¯t have to answer me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± He said deeply behind the door, ¡°But I

    know that you are in there. So just listen.¡®

    J took in a deep breath and stayed in silence.

    ¡°Lance had given me the details. He said that for someone to be The King, a certain ritual is

    required. This ritual takes both me and him to work. And he is asking me to meet with him right

    now.¡±

    What ritual?

    J screamed internally.

    Did you trust Lance on this? What if he hurt you?!

    She wanted to scream at Daran for acting recklessly and stupidly.

    But she fought with herself and remained quiet.

    Daran continued in a hoarse voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know how this ritual will work. I guess the only way to

    find out is to go by myself. I know we had our differences, J. But

    I still believe that this is the solution to all problems. If I seed tonight and be The King, I will

    order all rogues to never tramp our borders-¡±

    ¡°But what if you fail?¡± J interrupted him abruptly, her voice shaking.

    There was a short pause.

    Then he spoke up in a hoarse voice, ¡°It is nice to hear your voice again before I leave.¡±

    Answer my question!¡± J snapped, raising her voice. ¡°What will happen if you fail?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯te to that. I will pave my way back to you with the skeleton of our enemies if I have to,¡±

    he said solemnly.

    Yet that didn¡¯t ease her off.

    It deepened her worries instead.

    So it was indeed dangerous.

    He wouldn¡¯t use those phrases if it wasn¡¯t dangerous!

    ¡°You might die. Isn¡¯t it right? No matter how you sugarcoat it, there is that possibility! Right, Daran?¡±

    she cried.

    He sighed on the other side of the door.

    She took that as a yes.

    ¡°¡­ What if you die, Daran?¡± she asked, her voice choking.

    She desperately wanted him to deny that once again, saying that he would survive this no matter

    what.

    Yet all she heard him say was:

    ¡°If that happens, remember that you are the only woman I ever loved till the day I die.¡±

    That was thest of his words.

    She heard the sound of his retreating footsteps.

    He was gone.

    The jacket slipped through J¡¯s grasp and fell on the floor. She slumped down, holding her head

    with both hands. Her mind went nk.

    What the hell was Daran trying to do here?

    Was he trying to guilt her into remembering him after his death?!

    But she wouldn¡¯t!

    He was the victim of his own fucking decisions! He chose this path. He chose to betray her. She

    didn¡¯t owe him a damn thing.

    And that part of him loving her¡­That was BULLSHIT!

    A man who truly loved her would never ask Harper to torment her like he did.

    He was a ruthless, cold, selfish monster who knew nothing about love.

    The right thing for her to do was to escape this city with Westin as nned and let Daran rot in this

    fucking pce!

    J covered her face with both of her hands and felt tears welling up in her eyes.

    She knew what was the right thing to do.

    But she was also struggling painfully internally.

    Walking away with Westin.

    Going after Daran.

    Between these two men, these two options, which one should she choose?

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174

    J buried her face into her palms and stayed like that for nearly one minute.

    Then she looked up and wiped her tears away.

    She had made up her mind.

    She would not go after Daran.

    Daran had his own thing to do. She wouldn¡¯t be of any help to him.

    Plus, she never agreed with Daran¡¯s approach in the first ce. If he decided to be the martyr and

    risk his own life for it, so be it.

    Though she made the rational decision, she still could not ignore the splitting pain in her heart.

    Despite all the harm that Daran had caused her, she truly wished that he could survive it this time.

    J stood up and put on her jacket, slipped on her sneakers.

    She wanted to leave her room immediately after, but then she heard the sound of Wendy knocking

    on every maid¡¯s door, driving them to go upstairs and clean the

    mess.

    She didn¡¯t want to be seen by anyone. So she stayed in her room quietly with the light out and

    waited for Wendy and the others to go away.

    About 40 minutester, the hallway finally became quiet again.

    J opened the door a crack and swiftly dashed down the corridor.

    Edwin told her to meet him in the woods near the South Gate.

    She knew a shortcut, which went through the West Wing of this pce and led to the

    pce¡¯s back door. She could avoid being seen by the others.

    J took the staircase and quickly came up to the ground floor.

    Most guests and maids were still gathered in the ballroom on the other side of the pce.

    The West Wing waspletely empty when J entered it.

    She picked up her pace, heading straight towards the back door.

    Yet just then, the floor shook violently beneath her feet!

    J was almost knocked to the ground.

    She regained her bnce and looked around in panic.

    ¡­What was that?

    An earthquake?

    Another wave hit right after the first one. The pce rattled, its floor trembling, the once¨Csteady

    walls quivering as if shaken by an unseen force.

    A loud, rumbling noise filled J¡¯s ear as though the foundation of this pce was being torn

    apart!

    An astonished gasp escaped J¡¯s lips as the fragile artifacts chattered to the ground. The next

    second, the chandeliers swayed dangerously overhead, and then came crashing down to the floor!

    She dodged just in time. The chandelier didn¡¯t hit her. But the flying sses chipped her skin.

    ¡­WHAT THE FUCK!

    J struggled to pull herself up. But the waves just kept getting stronger and stronger.

    The wooden floor sunk and cracked up. J stumbled and fell through the huge crack in the

    ground!

    ¡°AHH¨C!!!¡±

    She let out a terrifying scream as the darkness underneath swallowed her.

    After a 10¨Csecond fall, her back crashed hard to the ground, almost causing her to throw up.

    She slumped on the ground, groaning painfully, as the thick dust and crumbles kept. falling onto her

    face.

    Two loud wolf howls came behind her back.

    J jerked around.

    The silver moon shone from above, illuminating the scattered pirs and fragments of the pce,

    creating an otherworldly battlefield.

    In the middle of this battlefield stood two giant wolves.

    One wolf had silky ck fur like the color of the night sky; the other wolf was smaller, looking rather

    sickly and bony.

    It was Daran and Lance!

    J rounded her eyes in shock

    Daran said that he was going to meet with Lance about the ritual.

    Looked like things fell apart and they started fighting. The fight got so intense that it

    destroyed the entire pce!

    But what happened?

    What did they talk about exactly that led to this fight?

    ¡°You lied to me, Daran!¡±

    J heard Lance¡¯s voice growling

    ¡°You said that you are my friend, my ally and we are going to aplish great tangs together. But

    you FUCKING LIED!¡±

    Lator¡¯s woll lunged at its ck adversary, teeth bared

    Daran dodged swiftly

    ¡°You just want the power for yourself,¡± Daran¡¯s voice was cold, echoing through the

    te the true liat!¡±

    2005

    ¡±

    Lattice faded furiously and attacked again.

    The grand quivered beh J as the wolves shes with bone crushing force, Cach outlisasi

    seyding of mondhovers arough the debts strewit all

    Jarur stumbled arowand, hdtonly avundung talinng pir as the dark wott¡¯s Jesus grond iterated

    The bony wall, not to be outdone, retaliated with a barrage of swift strikes, creating a chaotic dance

    of fangs and ws.

    This was getting out of control.

    J quickly retreated behind a partially copsed wall and evaluated the situation. Daran was

    clearly stronger.

    But no matter how many wounds he created on Lance¡¯s body, they just would not kill Lance.

    The Rogue King was immortal in this ce.

    And since Lance had nothing to fear, he attacked fiercely. There were already a few deep cuts on

    Daran¡¯s body left by Lance¡¯s paws and fangs.

    Daran couldn¡¯t win this!

    J¡¯s eyes scanned across this ce urgently, looking for a solution.

    She spotted a giant pir, leaning against a crumbling wall. One gentle push and the pir and the

    wall would topple down together.

    They could use it to trap Lance and win time to get out!

    Made up her mind, J dashed out of her shelter and ran towards the pir.

    ¡°DARAN!¡±

    She cried as she ran.

    ¡°OVER HERE!¡±

    Daran jerked around. They locked eyes.

    Anger and disbelief flickered across his eyes as though he was wondering what J was doing

    here.

    J pointed at the pir. And she could see that he understood her n immediately.

    It was amazing. They didn¡¯t need words tomunicate.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    They knew one another so well that they could read each other¡¯s minds with just one

    look.

    Daran dived at Lance again and sunk his fangs into Lance¡¯s neck. He picked Lance up with his

    mouth, shook his head, and threw Lance at that crumbling wall!

    Lance snarled furiously.

    His back hit against the wall.

    The great force caused the wall to crush down along with that giant pir and fell right on Lance¡¯s

    body¡­

    A huge cloud of dust rose. Lance was buried in the ruins.

    ¡°LET¡¯S GO!!¡±

    J yelled and rushed to Daran.

    The ck wolf lowered its back and let J climb up.

    Its rear legs pushed against the ground and leaped upwards. It jumped between pirs and rocks

    and climbed up to the top.

    sificent pce was now a ruin of stones and dust.

    The once magnificent pce was now a ruin of stones and dust.

    J could hear horrified screams and cries from the distance.

    ¡°Go to the South Gate!¡± she clenched onto the ck wolf¡¯s fur and cried to its ears.

    The ck wolf paused for a brief moment and turned on its heels, heading to the South.

    The wolf ran at its highest speed. The destroyed pce quickly receded into the background.

    The night wind gushed on J¡¯s face. She could hardly keep her eyes open. Roughly 15 minutes

    later, they arrived at the woods near the South Gate. J saw torches and lights in the distance.

    ¡°Stop¡­We are here.¡±

    She slipped off Daran¡¯s back and rushed forward.

    Edwin just came out of the woods to wee her. He looked astounded.

    ¡°Hey J, are you OK?¡± He cried to her, ¡°I heard a huge noise from the pce like there was an

    earthquake or something¡­Wait, you brought Daran with you?¡±

    J grabbed his wrist and hissed, ¡°He is hurt! He needs help!¡±

    Edwin raised an eyebrow, ¡°Helping him is not part of the deal.¡±

    J¡¯s heart was seized by anxiety.

    ¡°This is fucking urgent-¡± she cried.

    ¡°What is going on?¡±

    A tall figure stepped out of the darkness and walked up to them. His golden hair was brighter than

    the afternoon sunshine.

    It was Westin.

    ¡°Westin! I know it is a lot to ask but¡­¡± J¡¯s voice started to tremble. ¡°¡­but please help Daran-¡±

    A low groan came behind their back.

    Daran had shifted back to his human form. He held his stomach and swayed on his spot, his face

    pale as a piece of paper.

    Blood was gushing out from the wound.

    He stumbled forward and crushed onto his knees.

    ¡°Daran-!!¡± J screamed.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175

    J rushed to hold Daran¡¯s shoulder.

    She could feel his body trembling under her touch. The blood dripped down from his fingertips and

    fell to the ground, forming a small pool of blood.

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    Normally, Daran¡¯s wolf could heal his wound¡­But this one was too severe!

    Daran would bleed to death before the wolf¡¯s healing power kicked in.

    He needed medical care!

    ¡°Westin!¡± J snapped her head back and cried, ¡°Please, I am begging

    you¡­Daran¨Che might not be your favorite person on this, but we are on the same side!

    Please save him!¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    Daran hissed under his breath, ¡°Don¡¯t fucking beg him¡­he won¡¯t do it¡­¡±

    ¡°Swallow your goddamn pride!¡± J snapped.

    Westin crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face unreadable.

    Edwin let out a coldugh, ¡°ording to Westin, Daran tried to kill him on numerous asions.

    Why would we save the life of an enemy?¡±

    J clenched her fists, ¡°He is not your enemy!¡±

    Edwin crinkled his nose. He apparently didn¡¯t agree.

    Yet Westin raised a hand and stopped Edwin from arguing with J.

    ¡°See if our men have some bandages,¡± he said quietly, looking at Daran. ¡°We should stop his

    bleeding first.¡±

    Edwin rounded his eyes and blurted out, ¡°But my King-

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    She couldn¡¯t hide the shock on her face.

    Wait a second¡­King?

    Westin was not only a Lycan¡­.

    He was the Lycan King?!

    ¡°Go,¡± Westin repeated himself.

    Edwin still looked reluctant, but he followed Westin¡¯s order and disappeared into the woods.

    Westin walked up to J and crouched down till he met with her eye level.

    ¡°Sorry that I have kept my identity from you.¡± he said with a faint smile, ¡°It must be a shock to you.¡±

    J was rendered speechless with shock.

    After a long pause, she finally found her tongue again, ¡°Yeah¡­Lycan is a myth to us¡­let alone the

    Lycan King¡­¡±

    Westin shrugged, ¡°We don¡¯t normally show ourselves in front of you. It is natural that you don¡¯t know

    that we exist.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you doing in the Grace Ruin this time?¡± Daran asked abruptly.

    His voice was weak because of the blood loss.

    Yet his tone was harsh.

    Westin narrowed his eyes at Daran, ¡°You should learn to be more respectful now that you have

    known about my identity.¡±

    Daran let out a coldugh, ¡°You are Lycan¡¯s King, not my King. The roques chose to

    Daran let out a coldugh, ¡°You are Lycan¡¯s King, not my King. The rogues chose to bend their

    backs to you, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I will do the same. Now tell me, why did the mighty Lycan

    King go undercover himself? What is your goal?¡±

    The two men stared at each other hostilely.

    Tension was quickly building in the air.

    J was looking at Westin as well.

    She had the same question.

    It was

    still unclear as to what the Lycan was trying to aplish here. Westin said. something about

    restoring the peace once before. But that was very vague.

    After a few moments of silence, Westin said, ¡°We want to kill Lance.¡±

    ¡°Because?¡± Daran immediately pursued.

    ¡°He is a threat to this world. He has caused too many wars and¡ª¡±

    ¡°BULLSHIT!¡±

    Daran snarled, interrupting Westin forcefully:

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time that werewolves and the rogues went to war. The Lycans never gave a shit

    about it. Why do you suddenly care now?¡±

    Westin¡¯s face grew cold.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin ourselves to you, Daran.¡± he said icily, ¡°The main point is that we are trying

    to end Lance¡¯s life. Just say if you are with us or not.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say that I do¡­¡± Daran kept his gaze fixed on Westin¡¯s face, ¡°Do you have a n? Lance is

    immortal in his territory. We have to lure him out of this ce.¡±

    ¡°It is going to be hard.¡±

    J joined the discussion, worried, ¡°We did it once already. He will be alert this time.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be soplicated this time.¡± Westin said, ¡°You already destroyed his pce. His

    subjects are all panicked. I will have Edwin go into the city and shout the message to his subjects,

    saying that anyone who remains in this city after midnight tonight will be executed by the Lycans.

    The rogues fear us. They will leave. Once thisnd is vacated, it will no longer be part of Rogue¡¯s

    territory. Lance won¡¯t be protected by the Rogue King¡¯s immortality.¡±

    Hence, they would be free to kill Lance right in the city.

    It sounded like a workable n.

    Edwin came back with the bandage and tossed it to Daran.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need maids to help with that, do you?¡± he asked mockingly.

    Daran rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I will help him,¡± J¡¯said.

    Westin stared appraisingly at J, ¡°You are not changing your heart again, right. J?

    Remember how he hurt you before?¡±

    Daran¡¯s eyes were slits of rage, ¡°Stay the fuck out of our business-¡±

    ¡°I know what I am doing. Thank you, Westin.¡± J said in a polite yet firm voice, ¡°Now if you don¡¯t

    mind, I want to have a word alone with Daran.¡±

    Westin shrugged and stood up, ¡°Fine. I can be the bigger man here.¡±

    He headed towards the woods but stopped again after a few steps.

    ¡°But don¡¯t get too intimate with him, alright?¡± he looked back at J with a faint smile, ¡°¡­I might

    get jealous.¡±

    Then he left.

    Daran red at him till his back disappeared into the woods and hissed, ¡°What a condescending

    asshole-¡±

    ¡°You are no better,¡± J snapped.

    She ripped off Daran¡¯s jacket and started wrapping his wound.

    With her hands busy with the wrapping, she asked Daran in a low voice, ¡°Now I want

    you to bepletely honest with me. What did you and Lance talk about before your fight?¡±

    Daran hissed at the pain, ¡°¡­Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking y dumb with me!¡±

    J snapped as she continued with her work:

    ¡°We had a chance of killing Lance before. But you got cold feet at thest second and chose to

    be Lance¡¯s buddy. So why choose to work with Westin now? What happened? How do I know

    if you aren¡¯t going to change your mind again?¡±

    Daran breathed out a heavy sigh, ¡°I needed him alive because he is the only one who knew how to

    make one because The King, The Werewolf King. If he died, this secret buried with him.¡®

    ¡°Yeah, that part I am aware of. So now-¡±

    ¡°He just told me the method,¡± Daran¡¯nodded.

    ¡°And? Spill it out! Why are you paranoid that I might fight for the kingship with you or something?¡±

    J snapped.

    Daran chuckled lowly, ¡°Easy. I am just getting there. Be the Werewolf King, requires both a

    strong Alpha and the Rogue King. One party should offer his blood as

    a tribute to another, as a symbol of submission. Both parties must act VOLUNTARILY during the

    whole process.¡±

    J rounded her eyes in shock.

    ¡­A voluntary blood tribute?/

    At this very moment, so m¨¢ny things started to make so much sense to her.

    Like why Lance insisted on bringing them back to the Grace Ruin, despite the objections from his

    subjects.

    And why Lance was so obsessed with being friends with Daran, even though they appeared to be

    enemies.

    Because winning one war was never Lance¡¯s goal.

    Lance wanted to be the Werewolf King from day one.

    To do that, he needed Daran to offer him the blood. And he couldn¡¯t force Daran. He needed to win

    Daran over first!

    ¡°Oh my god¡­.this¨Cthis is¡­¡±

    She murmured, still overwhelmed by all the information.

    ¡°Shocking? Appalling? Hard to believe? I know,¡± Daran agreed.

    ¡°So earlier, you two started fighting because-¡±

    ¡°I offered him my blood, but the ritual didn¡¯t work. Naturally, he knew that I was never really on his

    side, and that I had been lying about my loyalty. He was furious.¡±

    J nodded slowly.

    She could imagine Lance¡¯s frustration.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Daran cupped J¡¯s face and stared into her eyes, ¡°This will soon be over. Lance is at the end of

    his wits. We will kill him. But before that, I need your help with one more thing

    J blinked, ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Lance is dead. But there will be a new Rogue King. This person must be somebody we can trust,

    somebody who is not a war manic, somebody we can control, somebody-

    J widened her eyes as Daran uttered thest few words:

    ¡°-who will voluntarily offer me the blood after we kill Lance.¡±

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176

    ¡°¡­You want the new Rogue King to give you their blood. You still want to be the Werewolf King,¡±

    J said after a long pause.

    Daran didn¡¯t say anything.

    But she could see ambition dancing in his dark eyes.

    ¡°So what you said was all craps, right?¡±

    J couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice:

    ¡°You said that you only want the kingship so that you could put a stop to this war. But now the war is

    ending, permanently, as long as we back the right Rogue King!¡± ¡°But people will change. Even if a

    person is a pacificist now, it doesn¡¯t mean that they won¡¯t change into aplete war manic in the

    future!¡±

    J knew perfectly well about how much a person could change.

    Take Daran as an example.

    Look how much he had changed.

    J¡¯s voice was strained, ¡°But we will find a way to keep the rogues in check. The Lycans are

    here to help-¡±

    ¡°You want to rely on the Lycan¡¯s help?! Do you want to submit yourself to another species? Wake

    the fuck up, J! They are even worse than Lance!¡±

    Daran grabbed J¡¯s wrist and hissed into her ears:

    ¡°Do you know where Lance knew about this ritual? From an ancient text that the Lycan had kept

    from us. Apparently, the Werewolf King is the only one who has the power to stand up to the

    Lycans. For the purpose of better controlling us, Westin and his men don¡¯t want the Werewolf King

    to emerge. They want to fucking rule us like a bunch of ves!¡±

    J froze on her spot.

    She wanted to tell Daran that this was not true.

    Westin was simply here to lend a hand, to help with their crisis.

    But then she recalled what Westin said to her before in her bedroom:

    ¡­There is always a war, between the werewolves and the rogues¡­But this one is different.

    ¡­If someone doesn¡¯t put a stop to this turmoil, the¨Corder of this world will be lost, permanently¡­

    Westin didn¡¯t care about the previous wars.

    He simply cared about this one.

    Because this time, Lance got hold of the way to overthrow Lycan¡¯s reign.

    And the ¡°order¡± that he talked about had nothing to do with the bnce between them and the

    rogues.

    Westin was referring to the dynamic between the werewolf and the lycan. He didn¡¯t want that

    dynamic to shift.

    Daran picked up on the astonishment in J¡¯s eyes.

    He let out a coldugh, ¡°Shocked? Looks like your goody two shoes isn¡¯t exactly a saint himself,

    right?¡±

    ¡°Stop! I am trying to think-

    ¡°Once he has total control over us, do you think he will still treat you this nicely?! The Lycans think

    of themselves as the superiors. He will never treat you equally! Wake up to this J-¡±

    ¡°But I still won¡¯t help you to achieve your personal goal, Daran!¡± J cried.

    Her chest rose and fell rapidly in anger as she hissed:

    ¡°Stop sugarcoating it! You just want the fucking power for yourself. You are a ruthless pragmatist,

    taking advantage of this war! And I WILL NOT diminish myself to be your goddamn tool!!!!

    Daran¡¯s face grew cold.

    He looked at J¡¯s anger¨Cfilled face, chuckling icily, ¡°You know that I get what I want no matter

    what, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. A ruthless pragmatist. Just like I said.¡±

    J shook his hand off her wrist and stood up.

    ¡°But leave me out of your plots and schemes,¡± she said sternly.

    She turned to walk away from him.

    Then she heard his deep voice from her back:

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to help me. Just don¡¯t share these with the Lycans. They are not to be trusted.¡±

    J said nothing and went into the forest.

    Westin was talking to Edwin in a low voice, surrounded by his men.

    He raised his head when he saw J walking close and a soft smile spread across his lips.

    ¡°You are done with him?¡± he asked.

    J nodded, ¡°It is not easy to convince him to work with you, Lycans.¡±

    Edwin raised his eyebrow, ¡°But what choice do you have? You can¡¯t put an end to this yourself. You

    need our help.¡±

    J frowned.

    Maybe she was being paranoid¡­ Yet Edwin¡¯s words came across as condescending and it did not

    make herfortable.

    Was this how Westin thought of them as well?

    A bunch of useless losers who depended on the Lycan¡¯s rule and support?

    ¡°J.¡±

    Westin stared at J with an alluring smile on his lips:

    ¡°What made Daran and Lance suddenly start fighting? Did Lance tell Daran anything?¡±

    J avoided Westin¡¯s gaze.

    Daran¡¯s words rang in her ears-

    They are not to be trusted.

    ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± J said lowly after a while.

    ¡°Really? Lance didn¡¯t say anything to Daran?¡±

    ¡°They probably have a quarrel or something. But I don¡¯t know about the details,¡± J said

    elusively.

    Edwin frowned and opened his mouth to say something.

    But Westin stopped him and smiled:

    ¡°Forgive me for being nosey, but I just want to make sure that Lance isn¡¯t feeding Daran any false

    information that will cause him to get cold feet again.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t. His mind is made up. We all want to kill Lance,¡± J said.

    ¡°Then I trust you for it/¡±

    Edwin stretched his shoulders, ¡°Well, then I better go into the city and chase the rouges away. I will

    report back to youter, My King.¡±

    He bowed to Westin and disappeared into the woods.

    ¡°You might want to get some shut eyes before the big fight.¡± Westin said gently to J, ¡°Are you

    chilly? Do

    chilly? Do you need my coat?¡±

    ¡°No. I am fine.¡±

    J walked away a few steps andy down under a tree.

    Yet she couldn¡¯t sleep.

    Her mind was upied by all the mess with werewolf and Lycan.

    A thought flickered across her mind in the meantime:

    Who did Daran want as the new Rogue King originally?

    She didn¡¯t get a chance to ask him.

    A few hours had passed, and the moon moved to the center of the night sky.

    Edwin came back after 12 o¡¯clock and let them know that it was go time.

    Daran had taken some time to heal. He looked much better now.

    ¡°So we will go into the city and hunt Lance down.¡±

    Westin said to the group gathered by the woods, ¡°He knows that he has lost his protection. He will

    be hiding from us. So we better divide and conquer. J, do you. want toe with me?¡±

    J hesitated.

    Daran spoke up icily, ¡°She stays with me.¡±

    Westin snorted, ¡°You sure you can protect her?¡±

    ¡°My wounds are healed.¡±

    ¡°But she is still safer with a Lycan.¡±

    The subtext of the werewolf¡¯s inferiority made J frown.

    I

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s protection,¡± she said coldly. ¡°But I better go with Daran, in case he needs my

    protection.¡±

    Westin¡¯s face went dark.

    Daran grinned.

    ¡°J is right. I do need a capable Gamma¡¯s help,¡± he said briskly.

    Westin cast a dark nce at Daran before leaving with his men, while Daran, on the other hand,

    seemed to be in an awfully good mood.

    ¡°Drop that smug grin.¡± J hissed to him, ¡°We should go.¡±

    Edwin¡¯s warning worked. The once¨Chectic city was nowpletely empty. Not a single rogue could

    be seen on the street.

    Daran and J went back to the pce and checked the ce where theyst saw Lance.

    But he was no longer under that giant pir.

    A trail of blood started from underneath that pir and disappeared into the darkness.

    That must have been the direction that Lance headed.

    Daran and J followed this blood trail.

    Lance¡¯s blood led them deep into the ruined pce.

    Some of the walls had topped over, blocking their way. They had to bend their back or squeeze

    through the narrow cracks.

    The blood stains underneath their feet grew heavier as they went on.

    ¡°His wound seems to be getting worse,¡± J whispered.

    ¡°Yeah. Because he has lost the Rogue King¡¯s power. Come. I think we are close.¡±

    10 minutester, they found themselves climbing up a tower.

    ¡°I think I know where he was headed,¡± J said in a hushed voice. ¡°There is a drawbridge on the

    top of the tower, leading directly to the back mountain. If Lance made it to the drawbridge, he could

    easily escape into the mountain without having to go through the city.¡±

    Daran nodded.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    His face changed abruptly the next second. He put a finger over his lips and gestured

    for J to keep quiet.

    They heard voicesing down from a few flights above.

    ¡°¡­Please help me transfer the King to a safer ce. There is still a chance!¡± said an urgent female

    voice.

    ¡°Forget it! I am not putting myself in danger! Lance is fucking doomed!¡±

    J and Daran looked at each other.

    They both recognized the second voice.

    It was Harper.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177

    ¡°Doomed? No, no! King Lance is still alive. I just need you to help me transfer him to a safer ce!¡±

    hissed the first voice.

    J recognized this voice as well.

    It was the woman who went undercover with Lance in Crimson Fortress, the same person who

    pretended to be Lance¡¯s wife, La.

    Harper clicked her tongue impatiently.

    La blurted out again, ¡°King Lance lost his healing power because this city is not longer the

    rogue¡¯s territory. But I have chosen another city nearby as our new headquarters. Just help me

    transfer the King there and he will restore his power-¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Harperughed icily.

    ¡°You are his Queen! His mate! You said that you loved him-¡±

    ¡°I fucking lied, alright? The only thing that I liked about him was his power. Now he has lost all his

    subjects, even his pce, he means nothing to me now!¡± Harper said ruthlessly.

    La cried in disbelief, ¡°How can you do this¡­..¡±

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Fuck off you bitch! Stop harassing our daughter!¡±

    That was Hellen.

    Sounded like Hellen and Paul were together with Harper.

    ¡°Yeah, stay out of our way!¡± Paul yelled, ¡°Your King wasn¡¯t even willing to throw my daughter a

    decent wedding. Why would we save his life now?¡±

    La gritted, ¡°You can¡¯t possiblypare these two things-¡±

    ¡°Why not? Your King humiliated me in front of all the guests! We are done!¡± Harper said in a vicious

    voice, ¡°Actually, I hope that he dies now so that the Moon Goddess. can start arranging for my

    second chance mate.¡±

    ¡°YOU COLD BITCH!¡±

    La roared in sorrow:

    ¡°It if weren¡¯t for him, you would still be a fucking ve bossed around by J! I am fucking killing

    you right now!¡±

    There was the sound of fighting, followed by curses and painful groans.

    ¡­La knows where Lance is,¡± J whispered to Daran.

    Daran nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go get her.¡±

    They leaped up the stairs, going after their target.

    At the top of the staircase, they saw La grabbing a handful of Harper¡¯s hair and smashing

    Harper¡¯s head against the wall.

    Harper cried miserably.

    Hellen and Paul were pulling La¡¯s arms, trying to break up the fight. They jerked around in unison

    when they heard the approaching footsteps.

    They all froze in horror when they saw J and Daraning at them.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Harper shrieked.

    She elbowed La and knocked her over, rushing straight at the door, with her parents on her

    heels.

    La tried to run as well.

    But she didn¡¯t make a few steps far before being tackled to the ground by Daran.

    Daran grabbed her cor and hissed, ¡°Where is Lance!¡±

    La spat, ¡°You wish!¡±

    Daran tightened his grip, ¡°Spill it now! Don¡¯t make me fucking force you.¡±

    ¡°You can kill me now! I will never turn my back on my King!¡± La cried.

    It was going to take some time to get this woman to talk.

    But Harper and her parents were getting away now.

    A cold sense of hatred surged up in J¡¯s chest.

    She once swore to herself to finish Harper when she got the chance.

    Now was her chance.

    ¡°I am going after Harper. You catch upter,¡± J said urgently to Daran.

    Daran nodded.

    J dashed across the room and wrenched the door open.

    She was immediately weed by a strong gush of wind.

    She was now standing on the top floor of the tower, facing a 30¨Cfoot¨Clong drawbridge, which was

    the only way that linked the tower with the back mountain on the other side.

    J looked under the drawbridge.

    Underneath the drawbridge was the broad, raging river that went around the city of Grace Ruin.

    The tower stood 10 stories high.

    If one tripped and fell off the drawbridge, they would immediately be swallowed by the fast¨Cmoving

    river and die without a full body.

    The drawbridge swayed dangerously in the gushing wind.

    Snow started to fall, making the surface of the bridge extra slippery.

    Hellen and Paul were moving forward slowly, holding on to the cord of the bridge for support.

    Harper had made it to the other end already. And she was crying to her parents:

    ¡°Hurry the fuck up! We are running out of time!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t! It is too slippery! The fucking wind and snow!¡± Paul snapped.

    ¡°Wait for us, darling!¡± Hellen yelled.

    Harper stomped her feet impatiently,

    And then she saw J, who stood at the end of the bridge, gazing at her coldly like the Death

    itself.

    A terrible chill was sent down Harper¡¯s spine as she screamed:

    ¡°J is here! SHE IS COMING AT US!!!!¡±

    Hellen and Paul looked beyond their shoulders, and both let out a horrified cry.

    They tried to move faster.

    But the frost on the floor and the strong wind made it impossible.

    Harper clenched her fists, her heart thumping heavily against her ribs.

    Her back was drenched by cold sweat.

    There was no way that her parents would make it past the bridge in time.

    Even if they did, J would still cross the bridge and hunt them down.

    None of them could escape J.

    ¡­As long as this bridge still existed.

    Harper swallowed.

    A malevolent idea shed across her mind.

    With a shaky hand, she drew a dagger out and started cutting the cord that bound the bridge.

    Paul spotted her doing that. His face distorted in horror.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!¡± he barked at his daughter, ¡°Fucking stop that! You

    will kill us!¡±

    ¡°Sorry mom and dad! But if the bridge stays, none of us will escape!¡± Harper cried back, hurrying

    with her work.

    ¡°HARPER NO-¡± Hellen screamed at the top of her lungs.

    Harper gritted her teeth in silence. Tears streamed down her face. But she didn¡¯t stop cutting.

    ¡°We are your fucking parents!¡± Paul¡¯s furious voice traveled from the distance, ¡°Among all of our

    children we love you the most¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?! Then sacrifice your life for your favorite child!¡± Harper bellowed.

    She clenched the dagger.

    And cut through the cord decisively.

    The cord snapped with a sharp crack. The bridge fell from one side.

    Hellen and Paul screamed in terror, a scream that was soon swallowed up in the roar

    of the blizzard.

    Harper turned and disappeared into the darkness without casting a single look back at her parents.

    J had just stepped on the bridge when it copsed. So she made it back to the safe area just in

    time.

    She looked down, trying to see if Hellen and Paul had fallen into the river.

    Yet to her surprise, these two were still dangling in the air, holding onto the remaining part of the

    bridge tightly.

    The cord at J¡¯s side of the bridge was still intact. But if J cut it as well, the entire bridge

    would fall and there was no way these two would survive.

    ¡°J-¡±

    Paul struggled to look up, his face full of sweat.

    ¡°My sweat darling¡­My dear daughter! Pull us up!¡± he cried.

    J lifted her lips into an icy smile, ¡°You are wrong. I am never your daughter.¡±

    Even during the time that she stayed in the Diaz family, they never treated her like their daughter.

    More like a ve.

    ¡°But you are!¡± Hellen yelled, her voice shaking in fear. ¡°We¨Cwe love you, J! Harper is an

    ungrateful bitch! But we know that you are not! You are different! You are a sweet and soft soul-¡±

    They would literally say anything to get J to save them.

    Just then, a series of footsteps came from her back. J turned around and found Morgana

    coming out through the door.

    ¡°Kass and I heard your voice. What is going on here?¡± Morgana asked urgently.

    J looked at her.

    She took out a de and ced it in Morgana¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I think you are the one who should make this decision,¡± J said.

    Morgana held the de in a daze.

    Yet when she saw who was hanging in the air down below, her face changed abruptly.

    ¡°Let them live? Or kill them?¡± J whispered into her ears, ¡°It is your call.¡±

    Morgana clutched the de.

    Then she removed her mask with one hand.

    You recognize this face?¡± she cried down to Paul and Hellen.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you!¡± Paul snarled, ¡°Move! Let us talk to J!¡±

    Hellen rounded her eyes abruptly and stuttered, ¡°W¨CWait¡­the

    birthmark¡­You¨CYou are¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I used to be Morgana Diaz, till you abandoned me heartlessly in the hospital on the day I

    was born.

    Morganaughed coldly.

    ¡°I bet you never imagined that I would survive, that we would meet again¡­That your life would one

    day depend on my mercy!¡±

    Paul and Hellen were shocked to their very core.

    ¡°W¡­Wait!¡± Hellen cried, ¡°Morgana¡­is it? We are sorry! We should never do it to you! So please ¡±

    ¡°Pull us up! Let us make it up to you, Morgana! We are a family!¡± Paul shouted.

    Hatred and resolution gleamed in Morgana¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°No. You are not sorry.

    She said deeply, gazing down at the couple¡¯s horror¨Cstricken face.

    ¡°You are just afraid¡­.As you should be.¡±

    With that said, she raised the de up in the air.

    And swung it at the cord without hesitation.

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178

    The cord snapped with a sharp cracking sound.

    The entire bridge fell off and crashed down into the river. Paul and Hellen screamed in terror, but

    their voice was immediately swallowed by the raging turbulence.

    J and Morgana stood on top of the tower and looked down.

    The remains of the bridge floated down the river. Blood painted part of the water red.

    J ced a hand on Morgana¡¯s shoulder, feeling the tremble of that body under her touch.

    ¡°You did the right thing,¡± she said to Morgana quietly.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Morgana took in a deep breath, ¡°They left me in that hospital to die. I guess 20 years.

    isn¡¯t a very long time for me to have my revenge.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions,¡± J smiled.

    ¡°Thank you. But what about Harper? Did she escape?¡±

    J let out a cold snort, ¡°She can¡¯t. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    She gazed in the direction where Harper had taken.

    Yet now there was a question-

    With the drawbridge fallen, the only way that linked the tower to the back mountain. was gone.

    If she took a detour, that would take a long time, and Harper would be long gone.

    She needed to find a way to cross this 30¨Cfoot wide gap. Quickly.

    ¡°Come onto my back.¡±

    J turned around and found Daran striding out of the door.

    ¡°But La-¡±

    ¡°Kass is with her. La won¡¯t get away. I aming with you to get Harper.¡±

    Daran stretched his body and shifted into his wolf.

    The giant ck wolf lowered its back and let J climb up.

    With a long howl to the moon, the wolf pushed the ground with its rear legs and leaped forward!

    J clung tightly to the wolf¡¯s fur as they soared gracefully across the gaping chasm, the cold wind

    biting at J¡¯s cheeks.

    The depth underneath her was daunting. If they slipped, they would absolutely crash

    and die.

    Yet J was not afraid.

    Because she knew that she was safe with Daran. He would never let them fall.

    The wolfnded on the other end safely. J gazed into the forest ahead. The twisted branches

    and tangled vines created an imprable darkness.

    ¡°Hold tight,¡± Daran warned her.

    Together they dashed into the woods.

    The moon cast a silver glow, revealing the glistening snowkes that danced through the air. The

    rhythmic crunch of snow beneath the wolf¡¯s powerful paws echoed in the silent night.

    The snowfall had intensified. The kes settled on the wolf¡¯s ck fur and J¡¯s hair.

    This blizzard helped in their case.

    Because they had found footprints left by Harper on the snowy ground.

    ¡°Follow the footprints!¡± J whispered to the wolf¡¯s perked¨Cup ears.

    They ventured deep into the woods. In the distance, the soft echoes of footsteps reached their

    ears.

    J¡¯s gaze sharpened as the wolf suddenly picked up its speed and spurted forward.

    They had spotted their target, Harper, who was trudging clumsily through the blinding snow.

    Harper looked back and let out a horrified cry.

    She tried to pick up her pace, move around swiftly.

    but the snowfall had made it extremely difficult to

    The wolf jumped and tackled Harper to the ground. The wind knocked out of her as shended hard

    on the snow¨Ccovered forest floor. She struggled against the wolf¡¯s grip, but he was too strong. was

    trapped.

    She

    J sat straight on the wolf¡¯s back and loomed over Harper, a cold smirk on her face.

    ¡°Just give up already. You are not getting anywhere,¡± J said.

    She slid off the wolf¡¯s back and walked up to Harper with the sharp de in her hand.

    Harper backed on the ground, quivering violently, her eyes full of fear and horror. ¡°No¡­No don¡¯t!¡±

    she cried with tears streaming down her face. ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me! I don¡¯t pose any threat to you

    anymore! Lance is doomed. The entire Grace Ruin. is ruined. You have your win already. Just let

    me live-¡±

    J kicked Harper¡¯s shoulder and knocked her down.

    Harper struggled to pull herself up again.

    But J stepped on her shoulder and pinned her on the cold ground.

    ¡°I have given you a chance already, back in Riverside Pack. I thought even a rotted soul like you

    deserved a chance to start over.¡±

    J looked down at her frightened face and snorted, ¡°But what did you do? You ganged up with

    Lance, killed Veronica, and fled the city. You are beyond help, Harper. Today is the day you DIE!¡±

    She held the de with both of her hands stabbed down!

    Harper screamed, rolling to the side, and narrowly dodged this one strike.

    The de made a deep cut on her cheek. Blood poured out and spilled on the ground,

    making a striking contrast to the white snow.

    Harper breathed heavily.

    The desire for survival gleamed in her eyes.

    ¡°DARAN!¡± she cried abruptly. ¡°Daran are you going to just stand there and let her kill me?!¡± ¡ú Their

    Warrior Luna Update to [Chapter One¨CThirty¨CTwo]. Tap to read now>>

    The giant wolf stood silently a few steps away, its fur blending seamlessly with the shadows.

    J let out a cold sneer. She raised her de to stab one more time. Yet Harper roared again:

    -I saved your life once, Daran! When we were both children, remember?! Now it is time for you to

    pay back that debt!¡±

    J¡¯s hands froze in the air.

    Harper sensed a slim chance of survival. She quickly got up, shoved J aside and crawled to

    Daran on her knees.

    ¡°R¨CRemember? When you were a small kid¡­ You got lost in the forest one time and nobody could

    find you, not even the soldiers. You almost froze to death¡­I¨CIt was me who brought you home. You

    wouldn¡¯t be a great Alpha as you are not if it weren¡¯t for me!¡±

    Daran shifted back to human.

    His body became stiff when Harper grabbed the hem of his pants.

    ¡°Remember that day? It was a snow day¡­Just like tonight.¡±

    Harper looked up at him. Tears mixed with blood and streamed down her face, ¡°You must remember

    what it felt like to freeze¡­and the joy when you realized that you were saved! Daran, you owe me!

    You owe me a FUCKING LIFE!¡±

    Daran let out a shaky breath.

    He did remember that day.

    He was 4 years old.

    He went into the forest alone to explore this so¨Ccalled forbidden ce and got lost. The snow kept

    falling mercilessly and soon buried him. He remembered passing out near a stream, his heart filled

    with loneliness and fear.

    He thought that he would definitely die.

    Yet when he opened his eyes again, he found himself on the back of another person. That person

    carried him tightly and trudged across the snowden woods, going back home.

    He didn¡¯t take a clear look at that person¡¯s face.

    He only remembered that person¡¯s tiny shoulder and the sense of security that surged up in him at

    the time.

    He cked out again on that person¡¯s back.

    When he woke up a couple of hourster, he was back in his bedroom, with Harper by his bedside.

    Harper told him that it was her who found him and brought him home.

    From that day onward, Daran started to treat Harper in the most special manner, which was why

    Harper dared to call herself the ¡°Princess of Riverside Pack.¡±

    Yet oddly he never experienced the same kind of security with Harner ever again.

    Yet oddly, he never experienced the same kind of security with Harper ever again.

    Now¡­Harper

    Now¡­ Harper was using this as leverage to beg for his mercy.

    Should he let her live?

    Daran narrowed his eyes, his face unreadable.

    J suddenly let out a loudugh.

    ¡°You saved him? Are you sure?¡± she asked Harper icily.

    ¡°Of course I am sure! I was there myself-¡±

    ¡°OK. Then let me ask you this.¡±

    J walked up to her and grabbed a hand of her hair, pulling her head up.

    ¡°Where did you find him in the forest?¡± J asked.

    Harper hissed at the paining from her scalp. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t fucking remember! It was so long ago-¡±

    ¡°Sure you do. It was the best thing that happened to you¨Csaving the future Alpha¡¯s life and making

    him feel that he owed you. SO THINK!¡±

    ¡°It¨CIt is ¡± Harper panicked, ¡°It is a tree! Yes, I found him underneath a tree!¡±

    Daran snapped his head up.

    Disbelief flickered across his eyes.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    The icy smile on J¡¯s lips grew wider, ¡°Do you want to take another guess?¡±

    ¡°I¡­A tree, or maybe a cave! I¡­I don¡¯t remember¡­¡±

    ¡°Wrong.¡±

    J pointed the de at Harper¡¯s throat and said in a freezing voice, ¡°The right answer is near a

    stream.¡±

    Daran¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he stared at J, unblinkingly.

    ¡°How do you know what the right answer is!¡± Harper cried.

    ¡°Because the person who saved him decades ago-¡±

    J smiled.

    -was me.¡±

    Harper rounded her eyes in shock.

    She couldn¡¯t believe this.

    It was her parents who asked her to tell Daran that she saved his life. They said that it was a great

    opportunity to gain the future Alpha¡¯s trust.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Harper always knew that she was an imposter. But she didn¡¯t know who the real deal was. She

    always presumed that it was a soldier.

    But¡­But J?!

    J saved Daran?

    J saved Daran?

    How was this possible-

    Harper didn¡¯t finish that thought because the cold de had sunk into her throat the

    next second.

    Blood gushed out.

    Harper held her bleeding throat, her eyes widened with horror and slowly crushed to the ground.

    Died.

 Chapter 179

    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¨CI 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¨Chungry 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.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°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.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180

    Lance was skeptical. As he should be.

    The entire city was now upied by his enemy. He had to be extra careful.

    Morgana and Kass were hiding behind a copsed wall a few feet away.

    Hearing about their conversation, Morgana mouthed J quietly, asking if now was a good striking

    time.

    J shook her head.

    Lance was still too far away. If they let him slip away this time, it would be even harder to lure him

    out of his hideout.

    They needed to wait for him toe into their circle, patiently.

    Yes, My King, I am all alone.¡± La replied, ¡°There is nobody here.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t youe to me?¡± Lance asked. ¡°The front gate is this way.¡±

    ¡°The front gate is too risky. We should pass this courtyard and circle to the back of the pce.¡±

    Lance hesitated again.

    He took one more look at the quiet courtyard¨CEverything seemed perfectly normal

    to him.

    He finally let his guard down and stepped into the courtyard.

    ¡°You were gone for a long time, La!¡± he walked up to La in long strides. His face was still pale

    due to the blood loss. ¡°How is everything? Did you find Harper?¡± La gulped, ¡°¡­Queen Harper¡­

    is dead.¡±

    Lance frowned. He didn¡¯t look sad at all.

    ¡°That useless bitch.¡± he snorted, ¡°Whatever. It is better that she is dead. We don¡¯t need her as our

    burden.

    He touched La¡¯s face with one hand, cupping her cheek gently.

    ¡°You are the only one who remains loyal to me. I will remember this, La. You will be rewarded

    after we recover from this. Anything that you want,¡± he said softly.

    La stared at him in a daze.

    Tears welled up and streamed down her cheek.

    ¡°I¡­I am sorry¡­¡± she sobbed, ¡°So sorry¡­my King¡­¡±

    Lance widened his eyes in shock.

    At the very same time, J jumped out from behind the ruins and shouted:

    ¡°NOW!!!¡±

    All soldiers emerged from the shadow simultaneously, jumping directly at Lance! Lance let out a

    furious long howl and shifted into his wolf.

    ¡°I am YOU FUCKING KING!¡± He snarled, waving his w to defend himself. ¡°You bunch of

    traitors!!!¡±

    Yet no one listened to his usation.

    They all knew that this King¡¯s number was up. Their loyalty to him was gone.

    The rogue soldier¡¯s eyes gleamed with a predatory glint. Their snarls and growls echoed through

    the night, creating a cacophony of menace.

    Together, they attacked their former King.

    Lance being the lone wolf on this battlefield fought valiantly, his powerful jaws snapping and ws

    shing through the air.

    But the numbers were against him.

    The pack of wolves and soldiers attacked relentlessly, a coordinated assault that left the lone wolf

    overwhelmed.

    J never joined this fight.

    No matter how strong Lance was, he didn¡¯t stand a chance against this many soldiers and wolves. It

    was simply a matter of time that he was killed.

    She pulled La to the side. This poor girl was crying loudly seeing her King besieged. She had to

    tie La¡¯s hands and feet to stop this girl from rushing into the fight.

    While J was, she caught a glimpse of Daran, standing outside of the circle, watching this

    fighting scene in front of him coldly.

    There was a calcting look on his face, as though he was quietly evaluating when to join the fight.

    Lance let out a painful cry. His shoulder was stabbed by a soldier. One more stab and

    he would be dead.

    And this was the time Daran moved.

    Daran dashed into the circle seized Lance by his throat and slowly raised his body up

    in the air.

    Everyone thought he would snap Lance¡¯s neck right away.

    But he didn¡¯t.

    Instead of killing Lance, Daran flung his arm and threw Lance in another direction¨Cwhere Kass and

    Morgana were standing!

    Kass was caught off guard.

    He saw Lance¡¯s body flying at them and his first reaction was to take a step up, keeping Morgana

    behind her back, and draw his sword out.

    His sword went directly into Lance¡¯s heart.

    Lance¡¯s body twitched. A deathly grey covered his face. He didn¡¯t even have time to make a single

    noise before his breathing stopped.

    The Rogue King was dead.

    Yet nobody had the time to celebrate their victory. They were all shocked by this sudden turn of

    events.

    A ringing silence fell upon the courtyard. Everyone was staring strangely at the dead Lance and the

    astonished Kass.

    After a long pause, somebody among the crowd spoke up hesitantly, ¡°¡­.He¡­ He killed

    our King¡­

    T

    A round of mutterings could be heard from the crowd.

    ¡°Now what? Does that make him our new King?¡±

    ¡°Fuck him. I don¡¯t even know him. He is just Lady Morgana¡¯s mate. I don¡¯t recognize him as my

    King.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second. If he can be King, so can I right? It is an equal chance for everyone!¡± ¡°Now what do

    we do? Do we kill this kid as well and fight for the crown?¡±

    Kass held the sword tightly, his hand slightly trembling.

    Those cold and evil gazes sent a chill down his spine.

    He could sense that another fight wasing, right after the one that they just fought.

    The King of all rogues was such a tempting title.

    No man could resist the power that this title represented!

    Kass parted his lips and wanted to say something to calm the turbulent crowd. Just then, a hand

    was ced on his shoulder.

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    Morgana stepped up to his side. She flipped her ming red hair, turned to face Kass, and

    gracefully got on one knee.

    ¡°I, Morgana, pledge my loyalty to your

    Her calm voice echoed across the quiet courtyard.

    and recognize you as my one and only true King!¡±

    All soldiers were rendered speechless, even Kass.

    After a long moment of silence, one soldier followed Morgana¡¯s lead and got on his knee, holding

    his head down to Kass.

    Another soldier joined them.

    Gradually, soldiers got

    courtyard remained standi to the ground one by one, till no rogues in this

    Together, in a deep and solemn voice, they said to Kass in unison:

    ¦°

    We pledge our loyalty to you, My King.¡±

    Kass sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes rounded with astonishment.

    He suddenly reeled back around as though hit by an invisible force.

    ¡°My¡­My body¡­¡± he uttered in a strained voice, ¡°Something strange is happening to my body¡­¡±

    ¡°Your wound!¡± Morgana gasped.

    There was a deep cut on Kass¡¯s left shoulder. Such a wound would normally take at least 3 days to

    heal.

    Yet now this cut was healing at a speed visible to the human eyes.

    Within seconds, the wound stopped bleeding and that part of the skin was as good as

    new.

    They witnessed something simr happening to Lance before.

    It only meant one thing-

    That Kass was officially recognized by the throne.

    He was now the new Rogue King.

    J gazed at Kass in a trance, still processing everything that just happened.

    Slowly, she turned her stiff neck and looked at Daran..

    Daran¡¯s eyes were fixed on Kass as well.

    The corners of lips were lifted into a faint, pleasant smile.

    At that very moment, J understood everything.

    Kass bing King was no ident.

    He was chosen by Daran.

    This made a lot of sense because Kass was a peaceful, loyal, and upright man who had Morgana¡¯s

    support.

    And most importantly, Kass would most likely give his blood to Daran voluntarily

    He was Daran¡¯s chosen stepping stone.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181

    J clenched her fists abruptly, her eyes zing with anger.

    ¡°You fucking used him!!!¡± she snarled.

    The courtyard¡¯s solemn atmosphere was interrupted by J¡¯s sudden roar. All rogue soldiers

    jerked around to look at her, not knowing what was going on.

    Daran kept his hands in his pocket, meeting J¡¯s re with cold eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± he said calmly.

    ¡°Stop fucking pretending!¡±

    J strode up to him and grabbed him by the cor.

    He stood a few inches taller. She dragged his head down furiously with one hand.

    ¡°You know what I was talking about¡­ You fucking used Kass!¡±

    She hissed at him, her raging voice echoing in the night sky.

    ¡°You had the chance of killing Lance yourself, but you didn¡¯t. You tossed Lance toward Kass

    instead. You plotted this whole thing! You want him to be the new Rogue King so that he will offer

    you his blood!¡±

    Daran¡¯s jaw tightened.

    His face was turning dark.

    ¡°I did him a favor,¡± he gritted. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, he would never have the chance. to possess such

    a power!¡±

    ¡°Not everyone is as power¨Chungry as you! You didn¡¯t even ask if he wants this!¡±

    ¡°Why the fuck do you care?!¡± Daran snapped, ¡°You aren¡¯t him. You are not even his mate. Where

    does this temper tantrume from?¡±

    Of course, she had a right to be angry!

    She was the only one who knew about Daran¡¯s n.

    She had a chance to stop him.

    Yet she didn¡¯t.

    Fuck, she should have realized that the person that Daran wanted to be King was Kass all along!

    Because it was so obvious. He was the perfect one!

    Morgana was off the list because she despised Daran.

    But Kass was different.

    Kass spent years in the werewolf society, ruled by Alphas. If Daran ordered him to offer his blood as

    an Alpha, Kass would most likely say Yes out of his fear of the Alpha aura.

    Daran¡­What a maniptive, cunning bastard!

    ¡°Wait. What was going on?¡± Kass asked behind their back, sounding perplexed.

    ¡°Yeah. I was totally lost.¡± Morgana joined the conversation and asked, ¡°What were you talking

    about? What blood? What n?¡±

    J jerked around and snapped, ¡°Kass. No matter how many times Daran begs you, do not give

    him your blood!¡±

    ¡°M¨CMy blood?¡±

    Kass stuttered, lookingpletely lost, ¡°Why does he need my blood? Does he need a blood

    transfusion? Was he hurt?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are the same blood type, J,¡± Morgana said.

    ¡°NO! It is not that!¡± J cried, frustrated. ¡°I¨CI will exin to youter¡­¡±

    There was a vein popping on Daran¡¯s forehead. He looked infuriated.

    ¡°You said that you wouldn¡¯t help me. Fine! But why do you have to deliberately sabotage my n!¡±

    he snarled.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t like how you used my friends! They are human beings! Not your goddamn tool!!!¡±

    They red at each other in fume with tension building in the air.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    They were so caught up in their fight that they didn¡¯t notice the group of neers by the

    courtyard¡¯s entrance.

    Morgana gasped abruptly.

    ¡­The Lycans¡­¡± she hissed.

    The Lycans had blocked the courtyard¡¯s entrance. Standing up front was their King Westin.

    Westin moved forward, stepping into the silver moonlight, the expression on his face unreadable.

    Everyone tightened their clench on their weapons, feeling intimidated by these intruders.

    After a long pause, Daran broke the silence, ¡°As you can see, Lance is dead already. We took care

    of him. The chaos and turmoil that you were worried about is now gone. Now it is time for you to

    leave the werewolf soil.¡±

    Edwin was standing by Westin¡¯s side.

    He let out a light chuckle, ¡°We offered our help. Yet now you are getting rid of us without a thank

    you. That is not nice. Plus, nobody said that this is the werewolf soil.¡±

    Morgana was pissed, ¡°We didn¡¯t ask for your help. You just showed up!¡±

    ¡°Your King most certainly did invite us to his wedding.¡±

    ¡°The old King is dead.¡± Morgana snorted, ¡°We have a new King now.¡±

    Kass held his sword tightly, keeping a watchful eye on Edwin and Westin.

    ¡°I heard you argue about offering blood or something.¡± Westin narrowed his eyes, gazing at Daran

    and J. ¡°What was that about?¡±

    J bit her lips, unsure of what she should say.

    Daran told her that the Lycans didn¡¯t want a Werewolf King. Because the Werewolf King was the

    only one who had the power to fight the Lycans.

    And that put her in a dilemma

    And that put her in a dilemma.

    She hated Daran for how he used her friends for power.

    But she would hate it more if the Lycans came onto their soil and messed with their business.

    Westin waited but nobody answered.

    He took another step forward, his gaze growing sharper.

    ¡°Lance told you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Westin asked in a strained voice, ¡°He told you¡­about. how to be

    the Werewolf King.¡±

    Daran let out a coldugh, ¡°Why? Are you afraid?¡±

    ¡°Lycans are not afraid of the werewolf!¡± Edwin growled behind Westin¡¯s back.

    ¡°But you should.¡±

    Daran raised his chin, a disdainful look on his face, ¡°You should learn to fear us¡­especially when

    there is a Werewolf King.¡±

    A loud, rumbling howl met their ears the next second.

    It was Westin.

    He dashed forward and went directly at Daran without any warning!

    Daran was caught off guard. But his reflex saved him. He stepped to the side and narrowly escaped

    the punch Westin threw at him.

    The punch was aimed at Daran¡¯s heart.

    But itnded on Daran¡¯s shoulder instead.

    The great force that this punch carried sent Daran flying backward andnded on the ground with a

    loud thud!

    J mped her hands over her mouth, her eyes widened with shock.

    She had never seen anyone defeat Daran in a one¨Con¨Conebat!

    Daran was the strongest werewolf she knew.

    But Westin knocked him over with just one punch.

    That was the striking physical difference between a werewolf and a Lycan!

    J didn¡¯t dare to imagine what if that punchnded on Daran¡¯s heart instead of his shoulder.

    ¡­Daran¡¯s heart would probably explode right on the spot.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!¡± Morgana snarled.

    Kass pointed his sword at Westin and snapped, ¡°Back down, Lycan!¡±

    Yet Westin ignored the two of them.

    He walked up to Daran, step by step, and said in a low voice, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try to challenge us.

    Give up on this now. I will spare your life.¡±

    Daran let out a coldugh. He slowly pulled himself up and stood straight to face Westin.

    ¡°You wish,¡± he hissed.

    Westin narrowed his eyes and raised one hand, ¡°Then today is your end.¡±

    A figure dashed in front of him, standing between him and Daran.

    It was J.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill him,¡± she said, clenching her fists.

    Westin¡¯s face turned cold, ¡°You hate him, J, for how he treated you, remember? I heard you two

    fighting about this just a moment before. You should be on my side, J.

    ¡°I hate him for personal reasons. This is fucking business! I am a werewolf. I will not

    stand aside and watch you ughter my people!¡±

    ¡°But you are my mate!¡± Westin raised his voice with frustration gleaming in his eyes ¡°You are a

    Lycan¡¯s mate! That makes you a Lycan as well. Have you ever thought about that?¡±

    Daran snorted, ¡°She hasn¡¯t recognized your mate bond yet. You are no mate to her.¡±

    ¡°I am still better off than you,¡± Westin¡¯s face wrinkled up into a grimace of disgust. ¡°You rejected her.

    You are ancient history.¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    J cried, interrupting their juvenile quarrel.

    ¡°Stop. The both of you!¡± she snapped, ¡°Daran, cool off on your n. Westin, there will be no more

    blood tonight. If you still want to kill anyone, you will have to do it over my dead body!¡±

    The three of them stood stiffly on their spot, with Daran and Westin on the opposite sides and J

    in the middle, facing Westin.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Westin shrugged. The grim look on his face was reced by aid¨Cback smile. J instantly let

    out a sigh of relief.

    Yet Daran found this a little too good to be true, ¡°Ites with a cost, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Westin stared at J, his eyes softened.

    ¡°I will agree to a truce. I will call back all my men. I will even leave Daran to y his own game of

    power. As long as you agree to a single condition, J.¡±

    ¡°¡­Which is?¡±

    ¡°Come to the Lycan¡¯snd with me. And never, ever, in your whole life, see Daran again.¡±

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182

    ¡­.What the hell?

    A deep furrow appeared between J¡¯s brows.

    Westin¡¯s proposal was shocking. She thought that he would ask her for something

    like recognizing their mate bond, but this

    Going to the Lycan¡¯snd?

    She didn¡¯t even know where that was.

    It would be different from the time she left for Grace Ruin. Although she had never been to the

    Grace Ruin, at least she knew its geographical location.

    Nobody knew where the hell the Lycans inhabited. It could be thousands of miles from her home.

    ¡°Are you fucking out of your mind?!¡± Daran¡¯s furious cry rang in the air, ¡°You can¡¯t ask her to go with

    you. Certainly not ask her to stop seeing me. You have no right!¡± Westin¡¯s cold eyes traveled to him,

    ¡°I am not asking for your opinion, am I?¡±

    ¡°Asking or not, I am saying it. She is not going,¡± Daran hissed.

    Even Morgana cried out at this moment, ¡°J you can¡¯t leave with the Lycans! Who knows what

    they are up to?¡±

    ¡°Stay!¡± Kass said, tightening his grip on the hilt. ¡°We will all protect you.¡±

    Westin¡¯s eyes scanned across the crowd. He looked amused.

    ¡°Look. What you all think doesn¡¯t really matter to me.¡± he said with a shrug, ¡°If I want to bring J

    home, there is no one here who can stop me-

    ¡°Then does my opinion matter?¡± J asked abruptly.

    Westin slowly turned to look at her, his voice deepening, ¡°¡­Of course.¡±

    ¡°Then I am not leaving. With you,¡± J said.

    Everyone¡¯s face lit up hearing her say this, including Daran.

    Westin narrowed his eyes into slits, ¡°I am not asking for much, J. I already decided to spare all

    your friend¡¯s life. The only attached string is for my mate toe home with me. I think I am being

    very reasonable.¡±

    ¡°Yet I don¡¯t like being strong¨Carmed.¡±

    J let out an icyugh:

    ¡°Maybe I should reject our mate¨Cbond, right here, right now. Then you will have nothing to make a

    deal with. That definitely makes things so much easier, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd.

    Rejecting a second chance mate?

    That sounded¡­preposterous!

    Most people didn¡¯t get a second chance mate. When they did, they always held it dearly since it

    was thest chance that the Moon Goddess gave them.

    If J did this¡­She would most likely die without a

    Westin¡¯s face darkened.

    Shock and anger flickered across his eyes.

    mate.

    After a long pause, he let out a sigh and put on a sad smile, ¡°J, I didn¡¯t know you

    hated this idea this much¡­To know that you are willing to reject our mata b.

    hated this idea this much¡­To know that you are willing to reject our mate bond¡­it hurts my heart.¡±

    ¡°You pushed too hard,¡± J said.

    ¡°Well, I guess I did. I just couldn¡¯t live with the fear that I might lose you to another person¡­

    ¦°

    His eyes briefly traveled across Daran¡¯s face.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s forget what I just asked. What will you do after this? Any idea?¡± he asked.

    The war had ended.

    Lance was dead.

    The rogues were in Kass¡¯s control.

    They were looking at a long period of peace.

    It was time for her to go home.

    ¡°I am going to Blood Moon Pack,¡± J said. ¡°Back to my brother and family¡¯s side.¡±

    Westin said at once, ¡°Great. I have always wanted to meet Alpha Casper. I am going with you.¡±

    The crowd agitated again.

    ¡°We don¡¯t wa

    the Lycans in ournd-¡± Daran hissed.

    ¡°The Blood Moon Pack doesn¡¯t wee you-¡± Kass cried.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t even asked J-¡°Morgana snapped.

    ¡°J!¡±

    Westin raised his voice, talking over everybody, ¡°I would be honored to be invited. Could you please

    consider that?¡±

    He paused, and added with a smile, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to be away from you, not for

    a single day¡­although you haven¡¯t recognized our mate bond yet.¡±

    J sighed.

    She pondered for a brief moment and nodded, ¡°If you want toe, fine.¡±

    The Lycans had been hiding from them for too long.

    This might be a chance for them to learn more about this mysterious species.

    ¡°Then I aming to Blood Moon Pack as well,¡± Daran said urgently.

    ¡°You are an Alpha, remember? You have a pack to govern, and that pack is not Blood Moon Pack,¡±

    J rolled her eyes.

    ¡°The elders can handle. I aming,¡± Daran said, staring at Westin like a hawk.

    So it was settled¨Cboth of them would return to Blood Moon Pack with J.

    J sensed that these two wouldn¡¯t be civil with each other.

    But there was nothing they could do about it.

    Kass instructed the soldiers to clean up the courtyard and get rid of Lance¡¯s body. He

    also sent people to call back the civilians who were evicted out of the city.

    The evil was killed.

    The war had ended.

    Now it was finally time for them to rx and celebrate a bit.

    The ballroom survived the destruction, so they decided to have a small party there. It was a bit

    ironic to think this ce used to be Lance and Harper¡¯s wedding just hours ago and now they were

    celebrating their death in the same room.

    The soldiers cleared the dancefloor and built a campfire. The light danced its warmth aforting

    contrast to the freezing winter night air.

    J asked all servants and maids who didn¡¯t have the chance to escape the pce to join them.

    There weren¡¯t enough chairs. Some people had to sit on fallen masonry and worn tapestries, but

    nobody seemed to mind.

    Morgana opened the cer and brought out the good wine that was only avable to the masters

    before. The delicious smell of roasted ribs soon filled the room.

    After a couple of sses of wine, the atmosphere lightened up.

    A servant started ying guitar. Many soldiers plucked up the courage and went to ask for the

    maid¡¯s hands for a dance.

    matai

    J sat in the corner alone. A few momentster, Morgana came to join her with a bottle of wine.

    ¡°You should have some. This is good shit,¡± Morgana poured her a ss, ¡°Lance never allowed

    anyone to touch these bottles.¡±

    Jughed and raised the ss, ¡°To victory.¡±

    ¡°To bury the son of a bitch that everybody hates!¡±

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Their sses clinked.

    ¡°So?¡± Morgana asked after a sip, ¡°Which one are you going to choose?¡±

    ¡­What do you mean?¡±

    Morgana giggled, ¡°The Lycan King and the Werewolf King. Two greatest men on earth are fighting

    for you. You have to choose one.¡±

    J gazed at the crowd.

    Westin and Daran sat on the opposite sides of the dancefloor.

    Their difference formed a sharp contrast.

    Westin was surrounded by a group of maids, who all giggled and chattered around him. And he was

    nice to these women as well, answering their silly questions, andughing with them despite their

    difference in status.

    His handsome appearance, easy¨Cgoing personality, and charms made him a real womanizer.

    Daran, on the other side, had fewer people gathered by his side. His cold face intimidated women,

    no matter how gorgeous that face was.

    The soldiers loved to sit with him, discussing war tactics, weapons, and man stuff together.

    ¡°Like the two prs,¡± Morganamented. ¡°One is a charismatic, charming, and sophisticated

    yboy; and the other is a cold, pompous, arrogant¡­bastard.¡±

    Jughed.

    ¡°You know that they won¡¯t stop fighting for you till there is a winner, right?¡± Morgana asked.

    J let out a long sigh. Of course, she knew that.

    ¡°Who do you think I should choose?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Me? Oh, I¡¯d be torn, just like you. Maybe I will have both.¡± Morgana chuckled yfully, ¡°Luckily, I

    am not making this hard decision. I prefer to watch it. Which is why Kass and I have decided to

    come to the Blood Moon Pack with you, to find out who is the ultimate winner.¡±

    ¡°You are definitely wee,¡± J smiled.

    ¡°You better make the decision soon,¡± Morgana said idlily. ¡°Those two men both have too much ego

    to be hung in the air. Soon enough, things will get brutal between

    them.¡®

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183

    J knew that Morgana¡¯s warning was real.

    But this wasn¡¯t like drawing straws.

    She really didn¡¯t know which one of them she should choose.

    The only thing she could do was to wait and let the decisione to her naturally. They took

    roughly a week to tidy things up, to rebuild some parts of the castle, to wee the citizens back to

    the city, and to get the city back on track.

    Most citizens didn¡¯t care if there was a new King.

    As long as there was a ce for them to live in, they didn¡¯t care who sat on the throne.

    A weekter, it was finally time for them to return to Blood Moon Pack.

    Since they were not in a rush or anything, they decided to take the car instead of running as their

    wolves.

    Yet right before departure, Daran and Westin got into another fight.

    They both wanted to ride in the same car with J.

    ¡°I know the way back home. So naturally I should ride with J,¡± Daran said with a raised chin.

    ¡°Anyone with a map or/a working GPS on their phone knows the way. That is not al very good

    reason,¡± Westin raised a brow, ¡°Yet on the other hand¡­our car is better.¡±

    It was true.

    The Lycans brought with them a luxurious SUV, which made the other two Jeeps that Kass

    arranged for them look shabby and worn.

    that Kass arranged for them look shabby and worn.

    ¡°Lady J, let me give you a brief tour of our car.

    Edwin pulled the back door open and revealed the back seat:

    ¡°The hand¨Ccrafted leather seat with the seat warmer to make your entire journeyfortable and

    warm; a built¨Cin refrigerator with all kinds of cool beverages that you can possibly imagine; an in¨C

    car entertainment center, games, movies, TV shows, you name it. The 10¨Chour trip will fly by. Of

    course, if you prefer thepany of our King, he will be sitting right next to you.¡±

    Westin nodded to J with a charming smile.

    Your car is outdated.¡± Daran said with a disdainful face, ¡°We have thested model in Riverside

    Pack. Even the windows are bulletproof.¡±

    Westin let out a chuckle, ¡°We don¡¯t need a bulletproof car because we can handle all kinds of

    dangers.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that I am weak?!¡±

    ¡°Do you need to hide behind a bulletproof window?¡±

    The two men red at each other, their eyes filled with hostility and spite.

    ¡°Maybe you two should fight for the privilege of riding with J ¡±

    Morgana rubbed her chin and said with a sly smile, eager to see their quarrel escte, ¡°You know,

    let the best man escort the princess.¡±

    ¡°Fine by me!¡± Daran hissed.

    Westin shrugged, ¡°If you are not afraid of being knocked over to the ground again, I am happy to do

    a rematch.¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    J snapped impatiently, ¡°If I hear another word of your childish argument, I am running back

    home myself!¡±

    ¡°But which car are you going to take?¡± Westin asked.

    ¡°I am riding with Kass and Morgana.¡±

    J hopped in one of the Jeeps and mmed the door shut.

    Kass and Morgana got into the car as well, with Kass behind the wheel and Morgana in the back

    seat J.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t challenge them to a fight,¡± J groaned to Morgana as they drove out of the Grace

    Ruin. ¡°You know they can¡¯t stand each other.

    Morgana propped her elbow on the window frame and giggled, ¡°Yeah, I know. But the fight between

    them is going to break out sooner orter. There is no way you can stop it.

    J mumbled, ¡°I just want them to remain civil as long as possible.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t know which one of them is the best option for you by keeping things civil. You have to let

    them fight for it and let the winner rise. It is natural selection.¡±

    Morgana looked out the window and blew a whistle, ¡°But right now, I am leaning towards Westin.

    Look at that car. It is easy. The Lycans got money.¡±

    ¡°But the Riverside Pack has money as well.¡±

    Kass said with his eyes on the road.

    ¡°Do you guys know that the Riverside Pack is rising to be the wealthiest pack in the whole

    world? It is a rtively new pack, but its pack members are bing the richest 1 percent. Just

    imagine how much money its Alpha has.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Morgana rolled her eyes, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t spend that money on J. He didn¡¯t even pay

    for that 100 million ransom when she was kidnapped.¡±

    J let out a sigh, ¡°Kass, so you think I should pick Daran?¡±

    ¡°Well, personal feelings aside¡­I

    reliable. And he is a werewolf, lie Alpha Daran. He is a real man, tough, strong,

    all of us.¡±

    J had never heard Kass speaking this fondly of Daran before.

    And that reminded her of something.

    ¡°Kass, Daran hasn¡¯t asked you for your blood, right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. And I won¡¯t give anyone my blood until you tell me to. I will follow on this, Gamma J.

    J smiled, ¡°I am not your Gamma anymore. You are a King now.¡± ¡°You will always be my

    Gamma in my heart.¡±

    your order

    Morgana patted J¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Making Daran the Werewolf King or not¡­it is your call to make. I

    think those two men know about this as well. And that is why they are fighting so fiercely for you.

    Not just for you as their mate, but also for the power that you stand for.¡±

    J shook her head andpsed into silence.

    Once again, she found herself in the center of a storm.

    Caught in between two powerful men.

    Her heart was torn. Even her wolf.

    She couldn¡¯t wait to get back to Riverside Pack and see her brother.

    She missed Casper so much.

    Maybe he would have a better insight.

    Maybe he could tell her which man was best for her.

    <hr>After days on the road, they finally entered the Blood Moon Pack¡¯s territory on the fourth day at

    dawn.

    Their car wound its way through the familiar bends of the road.

    As J peered through the window, a sense of nostalgia enveloped her.

    The green mountains loomed majestically on the horizon, their peaks disappearing into the wisps of

    clouds.

    A dense forest, a tapestry of vibrant hues, nked the road, the familiar scent of pine needles and

    earth wafting through the open window.

    ¡°Your home is so beautiful!¡± Morgana gasped by her side.

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Right?¡± Jughed, ¡°And this is Kass¡¯s home as well.¡±

    Kass nodded with a smile, ¡°They say that the Blood Moon Pack is the ever¨Cgreennd.¡±

    Their cars drove into the city.

    J told Casper that they wereing back days ago. So she expected there to be some sort of

    a weing ceremony.

    She just didn¡¯t know that the ceremony could be this¡­ Huge.

    The city¡¯s main streets were adorned with flowers and festooned with ribbons.

    A burst of loud cheers and apuses echoed through the air when their cars appeared at the

    street¡¯s end.

    J was stunned.

    She saw growing throngs of citizens lined up by the streets.

    The entire city must have left home ande out to the street to wee her!

    Some people waved colorful banners and ribbons, while others tossed flower petals in the path of

    her car.

    Everyone was shouting loudly.

    ¡°Princess J! Wee home!¡®

    ¡°Our Gamma is back!¡±

    ¡°The Rogue King yer! Our heroine!¡±

    Their cries and cheers were almost deafening. Yet J still couldn¡¯t help but roll down her window

    and wave at the excited crowd.

    ¡°I am back!¡± she cried.

    A burst of joy radiated through her.

    She was gone for a very long time. But nobody back home had forgotten about her.

    Her heart quickened as their car came into the packhouse¡¯s front yard. Her gaze fixed on the

    entrance driveway up ahead where a group of figures came into view.

    They must be here to wee her back.

    Was Casper here as well?

    Excitement bubbled within her. The car slowed, but J couldn¡¯t wait for aplete stop before

    jumping off the moving car.

    She rushed forward, her heart pounding with every step.

    Her eyes searched for her brother¡¯s face among the crowd. She saw Casper¡¯s beta Eden and a few

    familiar faces.

    But there was no sight of Casper.

    ¡°Gamma J! Wee back!¡±

    Eden strode forward and opened his arms for a big hug.

    ¡°Thanks! It is great to see you again!¡± J hugged him back, ¡°Where is Casper? Is

    he caught up in a meeting or patrol?¡±

    Eden hesitated.

    A worried look appeared on his face, ¡°Something¡­has happened to Alpha.¡±

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°What?! Is he sick?¡±

    ¡°No, he is not ill¡­Please. Come with me. You better see for yourself,¡± Eden sighed.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184

    Something had happened to Casper.

    And judging by Eden¡¯s reaction, it must be something serious.

    ¡°Where is he!¡± J snapped.

    ¡°In his own room¡­Wait for me, Gamma J!¡±

    Yet J had already pushed him aside and rushed into the packhouse. She vaguely heard

    Daran¡¯s voice calling her room from behind, but she didn¡¯t have time to stop

    for him.

    J dashed across the hallway, up the staircase, and headed directly toward the Alpha¡¯s suite,

    ignoring the puzzled nces of soldiers and maids.

    A group of people were gathered by the door of Alpha¡¯s suite when J arrived. There were

    doctors, and maids carrying trays of food and beverages.

    ¡°Gamma J!¡± some gasped upon seeing her, ¡°You are back!¡±

    J walked up to them, slightly out of breath, ¡°What is going on?¡±

    ¡°We tried knocking, but the Alpha¡­he won¡¯t let us in.¡±

    ¡°He refuses any treatments,¡± the doctor sighed.

    ¡°And he hasn¡¯t eaten in 3 days.¡±

    J clenched her teeth.

    She had never seen Casper behave like this before.

    Her brother was very mature. Locking himself in his own bedroom and refusing to talk to anyone

    didn¡¯t seem like him.

    The maid bit her lips and said, ¡°We were just talking about if we should unlock the door with the key

    but Alpha probably won¡¯t be happy¡­What are you doing, Gamma J?¡±

    She gasped seeing J reeled back a few steps.

    ¡°Back down.¡±

    J said coldly, her eyes fixing on the door.

    Then she dashed forward, jumped up in the air, and kicked on the door with one leg!

    The lock snapped.

    The entire door panel crushed to the floor with a loud bang, followed by shocked gasps from the

    maids and doctors.

    ¡°But But the Alpha clearly said no interruption¡­¡± the maid stuttered.

    ¡°Well, he can me his misbehaved sisterter.¡±

    J dusted her clothes and took over the food, ¡°Thank you. Let me have a moment with my

    brother.¡±

    She stepped into Casper¡¯s room alone.

    The first thing that she noticed was the heavy scent of alcohol hanging thick in the

    air.

    J held her breath in disbelief.

    ¡­He was fucking drunk?!

    The curtains were drawn, shutting out the daylight and casting the space into a suffocating

    darkness.

    A faint glow from themp was the only light source.

    With the dim light, J saw empty bottles scattered across the floor, booze spilled. The room

    reeked with despair.

    J¡¯s heart sank as she spotted her brother, Casper, lying on the cold floor, cuddling a half¨Cgone

    bottle of vodka.

    He looked fuck up.

    His cheeks were unnaturally red as though he was in a fever. He must have not showered or

    shaved in days, looking more like a homeless than a mighty Alpha.

    ¡°Casper!¡±

    J snapped as she crossed the room and grabbed Casper by the cor, yanking him up from the

    floor.

    ¡°Wake up!¡±

    Casper mumbled something vaguely.

    He opened his eyes a bit and looked up. But he couldn¡¯t get his eyes into focus,

    ¡°¡­J?¡± he murmured. ¡°Y¨CYou are back?¡±

    J¡¯s heart was filled with a mix of concern and anguish.

    ¡°Yeah, I am back. I called you a week ago. Remember? What the hell happened? Why are you

    doing this to yourself?¡± she snapped.

    Casper blinked, looking confused, ¡°A¨CA week ago? No, it isn¡¯t right¡­What¡­What date is today?¡±

    J gritted.

    She grabbed a ss of juice and poured the whole ss down Casper¡¯s head!

    Casper shivered at the ice¨Ccold juice and snapped his eyes open, ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°Better?¡± J dumped the empty ss on the floor, ¡°Now tell me what happened.¡±

    Casper rubbed his face and let out a heavy sigh.

    He was perked up a bit but still looked very exhausted with his messy hair and bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°I am sorry. I should be at the front gate to wee you back.¡± he said hoarsely,

    ¡°But there is a wee home partyter. I promise I will be there-¡±

    J couldn¡¯t hear his nonsense anymore.

    She raised her hand and-

    SLAP!

    A red p mark appeared on Casper¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK!!!¡± Casper snarled after a brief moment of daze.

    ¡°We are not leaving this room until you tell me what happened.¡±

    J looked down at him coldly, ¡°¡­Does it have something to do with Balvina?¡± Balvina wasn¡¯t at

    the front door to wee her back

    She sensed something was wrong.

    Casper¡¯s reaction told her that she made the correct guess. He buried his face into his palms and

    let out a light sob, ¡°¡­She is gone¡­¡±

    ¡°Gone?¡± J rounded her eyes, ¡°What do you mean gone? Did she leave? Or abducted by

    anyone?¡±

    ¡°I fucking don¡¯t know!¡±

    Casper growled, pulling his own hair in frustration, ¡°I don¡¯t know! Fuck¡­We were having dinner one

    night as usual and we even kissed each other goodnight before heading back to our own room¡­but

    the next morning, she just vanished from her

    own room!

    ¡°Any luggage?¡±

    Casper shook his head, ¡°She didn¡¯t take anything. It looked as though she went out for a walk and

    just never came back¡­¡±

    J wanted to give her dickhead brother another hard p across his face:

    ¡°So your big solution is to get yourself drunk?! You should be out there searching for her! What if

    she is in danger right now? And you won¡¯t be able to save her because you are fucking wasted!¡±

    ¡°I have searched for her!!¡± Casper roared, ¡°I turned the entire city upside down but NO! No sign of

    her at all! I went into the mountain but still¡­ Maybe she grew tired of me, J. Maybe she wanted

    to leave¡­¡±

    J shoved him to the floor and turned striding towards the door.

    More people were gathered by the end of the hallway. Maids, doctors, soldiers, Eden¡­Even Daran

    and Westin were here.

    ¡°Gamma J!¡± the doctor rushed forward seeing Je out, ¡°Does Alpha need any medical

    treatment-

    ¡°He fucking looks fine to me,¡± J said icily.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Daran asked with a frown.

    J let out a frustrated sigh, ¡°Casper got himself hammered because Balvina was gone. I am just

    worried about her safety right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on. Who is Balvina?¡± Westin chimed in. ¡°She is your brother¡¯s mate?¡±

    Daran darted him an impatient re, ¡°Hold your questions. This isn¡¯t a press conference.¡±

    ¡°I just want to help,¡± Westin shrugged.

    ¡°My closest friend. My brother¡¯s girlfriend.¡± J ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°Sorry. But I am

    afraid that I can¡¯t stay with you. I have to look for Balvina. The stewards will get you settled.¡±

    ¡°Go.¡± Daran nodded, ¡°We will be fine.¡±

    The two of them watched J go down the hallway and disappear around the

    corner.

    ¡°Alpha Daran,¡± Westin spoke up abruptly. ¡°We should help J find this friend of hers. And let¡¯s

    make it into a race. See who finds her first.¡±

    Daran leered at him, ¡°If you think you can have J choose you from this single race, you are

    wrong. No matter who the winner is, J is destined to be with me.¡±

    Westin shrugged, ¡°It saddens me to see J get worried. Oh, of course, if you have something

    else to do, I won¡¯t force you to do this. I will find her in no time anyway.¡± ¡°This is the werewolf¡¯snd.

    You know nothing about the city. You won¡¯t be able to find her,¡± Daran said icily.

    ¡°Well about that¡­We will see.¡®

    Westin smiled defiantly at Daran and left the hallway.

    Daran let out a sneer internally.

    He stopped a maid in the hallway and asked her where Balvina¡¯s room was and headed to her

    room.

    Balvina¡¯s room looked perfectly normal.

    Everything remained right where it belonged.

    Clothes still in the closet, a half¨Cread book on the tea table, and some opened snacks. on the

    nightstand.

    Whatever the reason she was gone¡­it didn¡¯t look nned.

    Daran walked around the room. In the end, he got on his knees and looked

    underneath the bed.

    That was where he found something unnatural.

    A prescription bottle.

    He grabbed the bottle and studied the description written on it.

    His eyes darkened.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185

    Daran shoved the prescription bottle into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

    He searched on the Inte for the medicine.

    This medicine was a rare kind.

    There were only three pharmacies in the city that had the permit to carry it.

    Daran remembered the address of those three pharmacies and left Balvina¡¯s room.

    The car that brought them to Blood Moon Pack was still parked in the driveway.

    Daran hopped in the car and drove away from the packhouse.

    The main streets were still packed with enthusiastic citizens, causing real traffic.

    Daran had to navigate through the jammed street and take back alleys and shortcuts

    to avoid the crowd.

    15 minutester, he arrived at the first pharmacy.

    The pharmacist behind the counter didn¡¯t even look up from his video game when Daran walked in

    and simply asked: ¡°Prescription?¡±

    Daran ced the bottle on the counter.

    ¡°I will need a list of names of the patients who prescribe this medicine from you,¡± he said deeply.

    The pharmacist let out a snort, his eyes still on the video game, ¡°Pharmacist and patient

    confidentiality. Have you ever heard of that?¡±

    Daran opened his wallet and slid a hundred¨Cdor bill across the counter.

    ¡°How about that?¡± he asked.

    The pharmacist paused the game, took a quick nce at the bill, and then looked up at Daran for

    the first time.

    His eyes widened immediately.

    ¡°You!¡± he gasped in shock, ¡°You are Alpha Daran!¡±

    Daran raised a brow.

    He didn¡¯t know that he would get recognized in Blood Moon Pack this easily.

    ¡°You helped our princess kill the Rogue King, didn¡¯t you? It is all over the news!¡±

    The pharmacist cried excitedly:

    ¡°My wife and children are on the street rally today! Oh my god, I can¡¯t wait to tell them that the

    mighty Alpha Daran is in our store-¡±

    Daran tapped his finger on the bill, ¡°Then can you do this little favor for me?¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course! Anything for the Alpha!¡±

    The pharmacist hurried to theputer and printed out a list of names, ¡°Here. The list that you

    asked.¡±

    Daran went over the list quickly.

    But he didn¡¯t see Balvina¡¯s name on it.

    ¡°Alpha Daran are you going to get back with our princess?¡± the pharmacist asked as he studied the

    list, ¡°Everyone in the city was talking about it. Now that the war has ended, we all hope that there

    can be a wedding sometime soon-¡±

    A faint smile touched upon Daran¡¯s as he said, ¡°Thank you. That is what I am hoping

    for as well.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that is awesome! My wife said that it is over between you two. But I know it is.

    not! I know you still love her!¡±

    Daran ced the paper back on the counter and smiled, ¡°You tell your wife that I will do whatever I

    can to win back the heart of your princess.¡±

    ¡°I will! Fingers crossed for you Alpha Daran!¡±

    The pharmacist cried joyfully behind Daran¡¯s back as he left the pharmacy store.

    Daran went on to hit the second store.

    Yet still, there was no luck.

    Finally, at thest store, the furthest one from the packhouse, Daran found Balvina¡¯s name on the

    list.

    He let out a sigh of relief and said to the store staff, ¡°I got what I need. Thank you.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    The staff, like the pharmacist in the first store, had recognized Daran and asked cautiously, ¡°Alpha

    Daran, are you chasing a criminal or anything? Shall I call the police?¡±

    ¡°No. No police. Just check when is her next refill time?¡±

    The staff looked it up on theputer and said, ¡°She should get her medicine refill. today.¡®

    Daran nodded, ¡°Thank you. And don¡¯t tell anyone that I came.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Alpha Daran, anything that you need.¡±

    Daran left the store and hid behind a billboard, keeping his eyes on the store. entrance, waiting for

    Balvina to show up.

    After 3 long hours, he finally saw the person he was waiting for appear from around the corner and

    headed towards the pharmacy store.

    ¡°Balvina!¡±

    Daran cried to her across the street.

    Balvina jerked around at once. Her eyes widened with shock.

    When she saw Daran, she turned on her heels at once and started dashing down the street!

    ¡°Balvina¡­ Wait up!¡±

    Daran knew that she didn¡¯t want anyone to find her.

    But running away at the first sight of him?

    What was she afraid of?

    Daran immediately followed her and ran down the street.

    Normally, it shouldn¡¯t be easy for him to catch up with Balvina. But today, the street was filled with

    people streaming back from the rally, their voices merging into an animated chatter..

    And many of them had recognized Daran.

    ¡°Look! It is Alpha Daran!¡±

    ¡°Damn, it is really him! Princess J¡¯s mate!¡±

    ¡°Former mate. What is he doing in Blood Moon Pack? Is here to ask Princess J to get back with

    him?¡±

    The joyful crowd flocked to Daran, blocking his sight of Balvina.

    He plunged into the sea of people, weaving through the diverse crowd, and waved off some who

    tried to talk to him.

    ¡°Excuse me. Pardon¡­Balvina!¡±

    He shouted again.

    He caught a glimpse of Balvina¡¯s red scarf disappearing into an alley.

    He pushed his way through the crowd and turned into that alley as well.

    Balvina was climbing up the fire escapedder.

    ¡°Balvina, let us talk!¡± he cried.

    ¡°Casper sent you, didn¡¯t he!¡± Balvina picked up her pace and snapped, ¡°Tell that bastard to leave

    me alone! We are done!¡®

    She reached the third floor.

    Yet the door to the fire escape exit was wrenched open from the inside.

    The next second, Balvina was face¨Cto¨Cface with J, who had been waiting here for quite some

    time already.

    ¡°I know you would be here,¡± J said with a raised eyebrow.

    Balvina growled, ¡°Fuck. I should have never given you the address of my hideout ce.¡±

    ¡°But you did. Because we are friends.¡±

    J¡¯s eyes traveled to Balvina¡¯s back and widened in surprise upon seeing Daran, ¡°Daran? What

    are you doing here?¡±

    Daran raised his chin at Balvina, ¡°Here to find her. Same as you do.¡±

    ¡°Enough! Both of you can go back. I have nothing to say to you!¡± Balvina snapped.

    ¡°We are at your doorstep. At least you can invite us in for some coffee?¡± J said softly, ¡°Rx.

    We won¡¯t force you back. I just want to talk.¡±

    Balvina let out a frustrated sigh and mumbled, ¡°¡­Fine. Come with me.¡±

    They got into the building through the fire escape exit and were brought into an apartment.

    This ce was small and dingy and looked half¨Cfurnished.

    Balvina tossed her scarf on the mattress that she used as a sofa and turned around, crossing her

    arms.

    ¡°So? What do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Why did you leave Casper?¡± J asked.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186

    Balvina let out a loud snort.

    ¡°Me? Leaving Casper? It was the other way around! That fucking dickhead dumped me!¡±

    She paused and let out a small sigh, ¡°No he is your brother¡­.sorry if it offends you.¡± ¡°No, not at all.

    You have every right.¡±

    Yet J was confused.

    She remembered Casper telling her that everything between them was perfectly fine. They even

    had dinner that night and kissed each other good night.

    So who was lying?

    ¡°Let¡¯s dial back a bit. How did he dump you exactly?¡± J asked.

    Balvina slumped onto the mattress, looking frustrated, ¡°A couple of days ago we were having

    dinner¡­And out of nowhere, he told me that he wasn¡¯t happy with our current rtionship and

    wanted to end it¡­I know that we are not in a serious and exclusive rtionship, and he has always

    been a yboy¡­But the way he said it to me¨Cit was like he was my boss! And was simply

    informing me of his decision! He didn¡¯t even care what I think! Ugh, that jerk!¡±

    She heaved a heavy breath and hit the mattress with one fist, ¡°I should have punched him before I

    left!¡±

    J walked up to her and sat down on the mattress as well.

    ¡°I think you should definitely do that,¡± she said.

    ¡°Do what?¡±

    ¡°Punch him in the face. A hard one. Better knock off his teeth or break his nose.

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± Balvina looked at her, confused, ¡°It is your brother that we are talking about,

    right?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. But so what? I hate those Judas men as much as you do. One moment they said that you

    were his one and only lover, and the next moment they changed their heart and turned their backs

    on youpletely. It is disgusting.¡±

    Daran instantly sensed that J was talking about him.

    He touched the tip of his nose in embarrassment and wanted to say something but got interrupted

    by Balvina¡¯s voice:

    ¡°I know! Right? If you didn¡¯t mean those words, just don¡¯t say it the first time! Men are full of

    bullshits.¡±

    ¡°Which is why I think you should go back and confront him about it,¡± J said. ¡°Why should you be

    the one avoiding him? It isn¡¯t fair. Go back, march in, and give him a hot, fat p. It is therapeutic, I

    promise you.¡±

    Balvina hesitated.

    She looked at J and asked in a skeptical voice, ¡°Hold on a second. This isn¡¯t a trick to get me

    back, is it?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I will personally escort you out after you vent your fume,¡± J promised solemnly.

    Balvina sat in silence for another few seconds and then cried abruptly, ¡°Fuck it! You are right. He is

    the jerk. I should make him avoid me!¡±

    She leaned over to hug J, groaning, ¡°Ugh it is so nice to have you back. I have got nobody to

    talk to. And I am sorry. I should be at the front gate today weing you back.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    J patted her shoulder, ¡°After you sort this out, we can have our own party.¡±

    They stood up and headed towards the door.

    Daran grabbed J¡¯s arm and stopped her when she passed by him.

    ¡°Those Judas men¡­

    He said in a hushed voice, leaning close to her ears.

    ¡°Were you talking about me specifically?¡±

    J let out a light snort, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think you were.

    ¡°Then what are you going to do about it?¡± J raised her eyelids and looked him in the eyes

    defiantly. ¡°Apologize again? Exin your reasons. Try sweet¨Ctalking me? We have past that point,

    Daran.¡±

    ¡°Then how about a little violence?¡±

    He suggested in a hoarse voice, ¡°You asked Balvina to hit Casper in the face to vent her anger. You

    can do the same to me. You can keep going till you are happy, no matter how many punches it

    takes. I promise I won¡¯t dodge.¡±

    His hot breath spread on the back of her neck, sending an electric current down her spine.

    She hated her body for having this reaction every time he got close.

    And she hated her heart for beating so quickly every time he stopped being a jerk. Don¡¯t forget what

    he did to you!

    She warned herself internally.

    He was a cold, maniptive, heartless monster. Remember that!

    ¡°What you did to me almost killed me.¡± She said icily, ¡°So a few punches won¡¯t do the trick.¡±

    She shoved him aside and marched out of the apartment in long strides.

    When they got back to the packhouse, it was almost dusk.

    Casper was in the dining hall overseeing the maids and servants decorating the room for tonight¡¯s

    dinner party.

    He still looked beaten up, in a very serious hangover.

    When he saw Balvina walking into the dining hall with J and Daran, he jumped up at once, his

    mouth dropped in shock.

    ¡°BALVINA!¡±

    He roared, dashing across the room like a gush of wind, and went straight at Balvina, ¡°Where the

    fuck have you-¡±

    SLAP!

    Balvina weed him with a hot, fat p across the face!

    The sound of that p echoed across the hall, freezing everyone in their spots.

    Maids and servants rounded their eyes in horror seeing the burning p mark on their Alpha¡¯s

    face.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Balvina clenched her fists and snarled, ¡°You seriously think you can do better after

    dumping me?! You are wrong! Nobody can stand a dickhead as you are!¡±

    ¡°Wait a second, I-¡±

    ¡°Screw around all you like! Be a fuckboy! y the field! I don¡¯t care! Just wear a fucking condom

    next time!!!¡±

    ¡°Balvina!¡±

    Casper raised his voice, ignoring the awkward nces from his members, ¡°Can you just stop being

    a hothead for one time and let me exin!¡±

    ¡°NO. I have had it. Men are all full of lies and bullshit. Tell those pretty words to your next fuck

    partner. I AM DONE!¡±

    Balvina threw a hard punch at Casper¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t dodge. That knocked him over

    to the floor.

    She turned abruptly and dashed towards the door.

    Yet Daran reached out an arm and stopped her.

    ¡°J said I am free to go anytime I want!¡± Balvina snapped, ring at Daran.

    ¡°And I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Daran said in a t tone, ¡°Though I think Casper deserves to know about

    that.¡±

    Panic flickered across Balvina¡¯s face.

    Casper had pulled himself up from the floor and staggered to catch up with Balvina. He heard the

    final part of Daran¡¯s words.

    ¡°I deserve to know about what?¡± he asked, perplexed.

    Daran nced at Balvina. Seeing that she didn¡¯t say anything to stop him, he pulled. out a

    prescription bottle from his pocket and handed it to Casper.

    ¡°I found this under her bed,¡± he said.

    Casper took the bottle.

    His face changed abruptly when he saw the name of that medicine.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    He swallowed nervously and raised his head to look at Balvina. His voice was hoarse:

    ¡°¡­You are pregnant?¡°/

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187

    An awkward silence fell upon them.

    Balvina bit her lips, looking reluctant to answer, but eventually gave in under everyone¡¯s sharp

    gaze.

    ¡°Well¡­yeah. I am¡­actually,¡± she sighed.

    ¡°You are pregnant, and you still decided to leave me?!¡± Casper raised his voice abruptly and roared,

    ¡°Are fucking crazy?!¡±

    Balvina¡¯s eyes zed in rage, ¡°Did you fucking hit your head or something?! You dumped me you

    asshole! What am I supposed to do otherwise, huh? Stay and have our baby while you move on to

    your next girlfriend?!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Casper cried, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to dump you-¡±

    ¡°Did you say those words then? Did you say that you want our rtionship to end?¡±

    ¡°I did but-¡±

    ¡°You really said those stuffs?¡± J spoke up sternly with a frown, ¡°You really are a piece of shit,

    Casper.¡±

    ¡°Irresponsible,¡± Daranmented by the side.

    ¡°HEY!¡±

    Casper snapped his head around and pointed a finger at Daran, ¡°You of all people don¡¯t have the

    right to say that!¡°.

    Daran shrugged and shut his mouth.

    Casper ran his fingers through his hair and groaned frustratedly, ¡°OK, listen. I said I wasn¡¯t happy

    with our current rtionship¡­because I am tired of just being your boyfriend. I¨CI want things to be

    more serious between us.¡±

    Balvina¡¯s jaw dropped.

    Not just her, everybody present looked shocked.

    ¡°Wait,¡± J chimed in. ¡°So you weren¡¯t breaking up with Balvina?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    ¡°But when I asked you if you were dumping me, you clearly said yes!¡± Balvina snapped, ¡°Stop lying

    to me, Casper!¡±

    ¡°Fuck¨CI said Yes because I was downying your expectation! I hit you first with a small bad news

    before bringing out the real surprise! It is called building up for the climax!¡±

    ¡°What surprise? What the hell are you talking about?!¡±

    Casper¡¯s face was tomato red.

    He reached into his pocket with a shaky hand and pulled out a small velvet box. ¡°Now I look like an

    idiot giving you this¡­¡± he mumbled.

    He opened the box.

    There was a giant diamond ring in it, gleaming gorgeously under the room light. Balvina let out a

    short cry, mping her mouth with both hands.

    There was a round of gasps in the hall. Maids at the far end of the room were standing on their

    tiptoes to get a clearer view of this

    standing on their tiptoes to get a clearer view of this.

    ¡°I had the whole thing nned out,¡± Casper scratched his head embarrassedly. ¡°After Jes

    back¨Cat tonight¡¯s dinner party¨CI am going to ask you to marry me¡­ I didn¡¯t know you would be that

    pissed and simply vanished-¡±

    J couldn¡¯t hold her tongue anymore, ¡°Of course, she would be pissed! You asked for a

    breakup!¡±

    ¡°I said it is called downying expectation-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. It is goddamn stupid.¡± J said harshly, ¡°I won¡¯t me Balvina if she says no to your

    idiotic proposal.¡±

    Casper was rendered speechless.

    He nced at Balvina, who was still in a daze.

    ¡°But we will give you some privacy now. Let you figure it out,¡± J smiled and called to the staff in

    the hall, ¡°Everybody out!¡±

    All the maids and servants filed out of the dining hall and closed the door behind them, giving the

    room back to Casper and Balvina.

    Many maids were giggling and chattering about what just happened. They all seemed pretty excited

    about their future Luna.

    ¡°So¡­what an emotional roller coaster,¡± Daran said deeply as they walked down the hallway

    shoulder to shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t know I would be cleaning up Casper¡¯s mess on my first day home,¡± J let out a

    sigh.

    ¡°They look happy though.¡±

    ¡°They have always had strong feelings toward each other. Casper just didn¡¯t realize it before. They

    aren¡¯t mates but still stayed together for nearly a decade. Only love has that kind of power,¡± J

    said lowly.

    They crossed the lobby and reached the staircase.

    Daran grabbed J¡¯s wrist and stopped her when she set foot on the first stair.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said abruptly.

    J was stunned, ¡­What for?¡±

    ¡°I never proposed to you. I didn¡¯t even give you a proper wedding. And I regret it every time I think

    about it.¡±

    His gorgeous eyes gleamed softly under the chandelier light, reminiscent of the vast ocean on a full

    moon night.

    ¡°I know you want something that Casper had for Balvina,¡± he said deeply.

    J couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You meant his utterly stupid proposal?¡±

    ¡°Not the n itself. But the thought he put into it.¡±

    Daran gently pushed a lock of her hair to the back of her ear, ¡°¡­I should have done. the same for

    you.¡±

    J struggled to look away from those enchanting eyes of his, ¡°Yes you should have. But now it is

    toote.¡±

    ¡°It is never toote!

    Daran¡¯s tone suddenly became rushed, ¡°J, I want to ask you, if I-¡± ¡°-J!¡±

    A cry from their back interrupted Daran¡¯s speech.

    They both looked around and found Westin and his men across the lobby and walking up toward

    them.

    ¡°I searched the entire back mountain where people usually hide themselves but no sign of your

    friend,¡± Westin said. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I already had my men searching the suburb. We will find her

    soon.¡±

    Daran let out a loud, sarcastic snort.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, King Westin,¡± he said in an acrid tone. ¡°I already found her.¡±

    Westin froze.

    Then slowly, he turned to look at Daran, ¡°¡­You found her?

    ¡°Yes.¡± Daran sneered, ¡°What did I tell you? This is the werewolf¡¯snd. You know nothing about it. It

    is still not toote for you to get the hell out of here and run back to where you belong.¡±

    ¡°J invited me,¡± Westin said coldly.

    ¡°Only because you forced her. Fuck off. And stop trying to take her away from her own home!¡°!

    ¡°Or what? Are you going to throw me out forcefully?¡± Westin lowered his voice, sounding

    provocative. ¡°Do you have what it takes?¡±

    Daran let out an icyugh, ¡°Watch me!¡±

    He threw a punch directly at Westin¡¯s face!

    The two men got into a brutal fight, attacking each other with punches and kicks that aimed to kill.

    Westin was a Lycan. He was stronger. But Daran had morebat skills.

    They seemed to reach a tie.

    People in the lobby were all startled by this fight. Maids cried in fear and ran to the corners to hide.

    Guards picked up weapons and rushed in to break up the fight.

    The entire lobbypsed intoplete chaos.

    J¡¯s head ached with frustration.

    Why couldn¡¯t these two men let her have a single moment of peace?

    Just then, the door to the dining hall swung open and Casper marched out.

    He grabbed a pistol from one of the guards and fired it to the sky without hesitation-

    BANG!

    The ringing noise echoed across the room, freezing all turmoil.

    ¡°Fighting under my roof?¡± Casper dropped the pistol, his eyes ice¨Ccold. ¡°I don¡¯t

    wee a guest like that.¡±

    Daran and Westin both stopped.

    ¡°¡­I am sorry,¡± Daran said deeply.

    ¡°My apology, Alpha Casper,¡± Westin cleared his throat. ¡°And¡­nice to meet you.¡±

    Casper critically stared at him up and down, ¡°So, the Lycans do exist. And you are here to win my

    sister¡¯s heart? Just like Alpha Daran?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Casper snorted, ¡°One thing I do know is that I won¡¯t marry my dear sisters to an abusive man. I

    don¡¯t care what is your title, how many men you rule, or how much money you have. If you

    And that goes to the two of 10 stay in my house, you better behave. No violence.

    The two men red at each other, their eyes shing with hatred.

    But they both murmured a yes.

    ¡°J, a word?¡± Casper tilted his head and gestured to the dining hall.

    J nodded.

    She walked past those two men and followed Casper back into the dining hall, shutting the door.

    ¡°J! Look at my ring!¡±

    Balvina rushed to her at once, waving her hands excitedly in the air, ¡°It is huge!!¡±

    Jughed. She had never seen her close friend this girly before.

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± she opened her arms and hugged Balvina tightly, ¡°So you said.

    yes!¡±

    Balvina giggled, ¡°I had to say yes, if not to him, at least to this fucking diamond. And

    the wedding is two weeks from now.

    J rounded her eyes. More good news!

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°It is awesome! But do you have enough time to get ready? There are so many things to be done-¡±

    ¡°You are here to help, aren¡¯t you?¡± Casper wrapped his arm around Balvina¡¯s shoulder and grinned.

    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± J rolled her eyes.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. We both agree that a war heroine will be awesome at party nning as well.¡±

    ¡°And Casper and I were just talking,¡± Balvina added. ¡°We both think that you should officially

    announce whom you will marry at our wedding.¡±

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188

    Announce whom she would marry.

    But she hadn¡¯t decided yet!

    ¡°Hold on a second.¡± J frowned. ¡°What if I can¡¯t decide within these two weeks?¡±

    ¡°Then you make up your mind quickly.¡±

    Casper crossed his arms and said:

    ¡°You saw how they were like out there. They can¡¯t stay in the same room peacefully for 2 minutes. I

    think 2 weeks is the longest time that they can keep things civil without turning this into aplete

    war.¡±

    Balvina added, ¡°And a deadline helps you as well. You can¡¯t swing back and forth between these

    two men forever. The longer you wait, the more pain it will cause you.¡±

    J groaned.

    She knew that Casper and Balvina were right.

    She couldn¡¯t hide from this forever.

    But it was so frustrating having to decide something so big so hastily.

    ¡°Are those two men my only options now? Do I have to choose between the two of them?¡± she

    grunted.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s just say there is somebody else you like, and you want to choose him. Then that poor guy

    has to face the rage of both Daran and Westin. No man can handle the pressure like that,¡± Casper

    said with a shrug.

    ¡°So now what? I am trapped with them? What if I enjoy being single? You ever think about that?

    ¡°Hey calm down.¡±

    Balvina patted her shoulder, ¡°We just want you to make the announcement. Pick one

    guy for the time being and kick the other one out of the picture, so that their fight won¡¯t develop into

    a war. Ifter you discover that you don¡¯t want to be with the guy

    you chose anymore, it is perfectly fine. This is not a one¨Ctime deal.

    That sounded reasonable.

    But then J started to panic.

    She was really facing this decision right now-

    Between Daran and Westin.

    Who was the one?

    ¡°Whom do you think I should go for?¡± J raised her head, looking at Casper and Balvina

    helplessly.

    Casper burst outughing, ¡°You want my dating advice? You wouldn¡¯t even listen to my fashion

    advice! And now you are letting me pick your husband?¡±

    ¡°That is because you have terrible taste in fashion,¡± J rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Well. If you ask me, I think you should go for Daran.¡± Balvina said, ¡°I know he is a jerk but at least

    he is a werewolf. Marrying him means that you can stay at home. If you choose Westin, who knows

    where he will take you and where the hell his homnd is.¡±

    J sighed.

    That was true.

    Back in Grace Ruin, Westin already asked her to go to the Lycan¡¯snd once.

    She didn¡¯t want to leave her family and friends.

    ¡°But Daran is so mercurial.¡± Casper snorted, ¡°One minute he likes you, the next he throws you

    under the bus. At least Westin is strong enough to protect you.¡±

    ¡°See?¡±

    J spread her hands, ¡°You two can¡¯t even reach an agreement. How am I supposed to do it?¡±

    ¡°You are so tensed, girl. You need to rx.¡±

    Balvina rubbed her shoulders and said:

    ¡°Let your heart tell you what to do. Those two weeks are for these two men to woo you. Enjoy being

    chased by the most powerful men on earth. Not all girls have that kind of privilege.¡±

    J let out a sigh internally.

    Privilege?

    Or should she say disaster?

    ¡°So when do you need me to make the announcement?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The sooner the better,¡± Casper said. ¡°We were hoping at the dinner party, tonight, in front of all

    members and guests. I will first wee you back to our pack and then you can say the words.¡±

    J took a deep breath and stood up, ¡°Well then¡­ I better get ready for my big night.¡±

    She left the dining hall and headed back to her old bedroom.

    The bedroom looked exactly as she left it. There was even a bunch of fresh flowers on her

    nightstand, sending a pleasant aroma into the air.

    Maids were expecting her in the room.

    They curtseyed to her when she came in and said briskly, ¡°Wee back, Princess. J.

    Everyone misses you back home.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± J smiled, ¡°I want to get ready for the party tonight.¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    The maid opened the door to the closet, ¡°Alpha Casper just had the designers bring over a couple

    of new dresses. If there is nothing you like here, we will have the stewards run down to the mall

    immediately.¡±

    A racket of shiny new dressesy in her closet.

    One dress caught J¡¯s eyes.

    It was a floor¨Clength, emerald¨Cgreen evening gown. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    It had a fitted bodice with intricate silver beadwork that extended down the waist, creating an

    elegant and eye¨Ccatching pattern. The skirt flowed gracefully, creating a slight train.

    ¡°I like this one,¡± J pointed at the dress.

    ¡°Great choice, princess.¡± the maid took down the gown for her, ¡°And what about your hair and

    makeup? Any thoughts?¡±

    ¡°I can handle it myself. Thank you.¡±

    The maids helped her slip into the gown and then exited, giving the room back to her.

    J sat down behind the dresser and took out her makeup kit.

    She went for a soft, smokey¨Ceye look with a champagne tone. A touch of winged eyeliner added a

    hint of drama.

    She put on a bold red lip gloss, perfectlyplementing the green of her gown.

    As for the hairstyle, she kept it simple with loose, morous waves that fell gently around her

    shoulders.

    The final touch was a silver drop earring.

    When everything was done, she heard chatters and musicing from downstairs. Looked like the

    party was about to begin.

    J picked up her skirts and headed to the dining hall on the ground floor.

    The lobby was filled with dressed¨Cup guests.

    Many knew that this party was thrown for J, and they all wanted to be here for the Blood Moon

    Pack¡¯s heroine.

    As J gracefully made her way down the marble staircase, all eyes were drawn to her

    simultaneously.

    A round of apuse broke out in the lobby. Everyone was cheering with her name:

    ¡°Princess J!¡±

    ¡°Gamma J!¡±

    ¡°Wee back home!¡±

    J smiled and waved at the enthusiastic crowd.

    Two tall figures emerged from the crowd and walked up to her in long strides. They arrived by her

    side almost at the same time.

    They each held a hand of hers, Daran with her right hand, and Westin with the left. ¡°You look

    stunning tonight, J,¡± Daran stared deeply at her.

    ¡°You have ALWAYS looked stunning, J, not just tonight,¡± Westin said with a charming smile.

    ¡°May I have the pleasure of sitting with you tonight? I want to tell you more about my homnd.¡±

    ¡°I got a message from Riverside Pack. Do you want to know what has happened back home? I can

    tell you over dinner,¡± Daran said hoarsely.

    Westin raised a brow, ¡°Riverside Pack isn¡¯t her home.¡±

    ¡°At least she cares about the Riverside Pack more than the Lycan¡¯s homnd.¡±

    ¡°That is it. Stop,¡± J hissed.

    She shook off both of their hands and picked up her skirt again, ¡°I will be sitting with my brother, the

    host of tonight¡¯s party.¡±

    She walked away from them and marched right into the dining hall.

    There were at least 50 guests here tonight, sitting along the long table. Casper and J sat in the

    center, with Daran and Westin on the opposite side.

    When everyone took their seats, Casper stood up and clinked his ss with a silver

    spoon.

    All chatters quiet down immediately.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Casper looked around the room, ¡°As you all know, we are gathered here tonight to celebrate the

    return of our princess, my Gamma, the heroine of this pack, J. She brought peace back to this

    world. I am so proud to call her my sister.¡±

    All guests raised their sses and cried, ¡°To Princess J!

    J smiled and drank up the first ss of wine with everyone.

    Casper took a second ss of champagne from the servant and said, ¡°On this happy asion, I

    want to let you know that I have found the love of my life, Balvina. Blood Moon Pack is going to

    have a Luna! And our wedding is in two weeks.¡±

    People gasped.

    Their face lit up with excitement.

    ¡°To Luna Balvina!¡± they shouted.

    After the second ss, Casper ced his hand on J¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Now J. would like to say

    a few words.¡±

    J took a deep breath and stood up.

    Now was the time.

    She could feel two sharp gazesing from across the table.

    Both Daran and Westin were staring at her intensively.

    ¡°Thank you, Casper.¡±

    She said.

    ¡°Now what I am about to say has something to do with Casper¡¯s wedding. At his wedding, I will

    announce the person that I am going to spend my life with.¡±

    An astonished gasp could be heard around the table.

    Then there was a sharp noise of chairs scratching against the wooden floor.

    Daran and Westin jumped up simultaneously.

    ¡°WHO IS THAT?!¡± They cried out at the same time.

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189

    J took a deep breath, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡±

    ¡°You need two whole weeks to decide?¡± Daran frowned.

    ¡°I think your best option is right here in front of your eyes,¡± Westin spread his hands.

    Whispers broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

    Everyone was intrigued by this love triangle between the Alpha, the Lycan King, and their princess

    J.

    Casper cleared his throat and quieted down the chatters.

    ¡°Both of you will argue that you are the right one for J. But that doesn¡¯t solve.

    her problem, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he said idly, ¡°So how about stop foul¨Cmouthing each other

    and bring out some real actions?¡±

    ¡°You want us to fight for her?¡± Daran asked coldly.

    ¡°Yes, fight for her. But not with your fists. I am sick of you two tearing down my packhouse. Be nice

    to her, buy her flowers, some handbags and jewelry, woo

    her. Seriously, none of you need a lesson 101 on how to pursue girls, right?¡± Casper shrugged.

    Daran and Westin stood stiffly on their spots.

    None of them said a word.

    Balvina clicked her tongue, looking impatient, ¡°Or do you feel that chasing a girl is beneath you?

    Hurt your ego as the Alpha or Lycan King?¡±

    A round of boos could be heard around the table.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want a condescending guy as our princess¡¯s husband!¡± one member snarled.

    ¡°We have plenty of goodds here. They might not be as powerful as you two, but at least they will

    treat our princess nicely!¡± an elder snapped.

    His words were agreed by many:

    ¡°Yeah right!¡±

    ¡°Go home if you don¡¯t want to win our princess¡¯s heart!¡±

    ¡°Who cares if or King? We don¡¯t wee you!¡±

    you are an.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Daran raised his head. Determination gleamed in his eyes.

    ¡°I will prove to J that I am the right one.¡± He said firmly, staring at J from across the table.

    ¡°It is why I am here.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Westin said with aidback smile, ¡°So, has this begun already?¡±

    ¡°Some ground rules first.¡±

    Casper tapped his index finger on the table, looking serious:

    ¡°Rule number one, no trash talks against each other. I bet J has heard enough about that.¡±

    J nodded hastily.

    She was so tired of these two men arguing like two kids.

    Casper continued, ¡°And rule number two, no violence. We all know that you two can fight. But in this

    case, your actions speak louder than your fists.¡±

    ¡°And-¡±

    Balvina raised her voice, ¡°You can¡¯t strong¨Carm J at any time. Let her make her own decision!¡±

    own decision!¡±

    Daran said solemnly, ¡°I can live with those rules.¡±

    ¡°So am I,¡± said Westin.

    Casper pped his hands, getting the attention of all guests, ¡°And let everyone here tonight serve

    as a witness. If any one of you breaks any rules during these two weeks, you are immediately ruled

    out. Agreed?¡±

    Both men nodded.

    ¡°So thepetition officially begins?¡± Westin winked at J, ¡°May I ask Princess. J out for a

    night cup after the party?¡±

    Daran¡¯s face changed slightly.

    Westin was quick. He was already making his moves.

    Before J could answer, they saw a servant hurried into the dininghall.

    He got up to Casper¡¯s side and whispered a few words into Casper¡¯s ears.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Casper frowned, his face darkened.

    ¡°What happened?¡± J turned to him and asked.

    Casper waved at the guests, gesturing them to resume the party. He sat down, leaned close to

    J, and whispered:

    ¡°A shipment to our pack got stolen on its way.¡±

    ¡°Something valuable?¡±

    ¡°Very. It is a safe, containing a 39.8¨Ccarat fine¨Ccut diamond, some smaller

    sapphires, and tworge, pear¨Cshaped pearls weighing 55 carats. I originally wanted those

    gemstones to make a tiara for Balvina to wear on our wedding.¡±

    J let out a small gasp.

    It sounded like this single shipment was worth millions of dors.

    And not to mention its significance¡­Casper needs it for his wedding.

    ¡°I am going down there,¡± she said firmly.

    ¡°What? No!¡± Casper shook his head at once, ¡°I have our own soldiers on it already. They believe

    that a group of bandits did it-¡±

    ¡°But can they bring the jewelry back in time for you to make the tiara? I don¡¯t think so. I will take

    care of it, Casper.¡±

    ¡°Take care of what?¡±

    A voice came behind their back

    Daran and Westin had rounded the table and walked up to them.

    ¡°I need to go.¡± J threw the napkin back on the table and stood up, ¡°Now if you will excuse me.¡±

    She wanted to make her way past these two men.

    But Daran grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°What is the rush? You haven¡¯t had dinner yet. Something happened?¡± he asked with

    a frown.

    IVU TIMELI

    LIN HAIKU TRALLI

    ¡°No. Everything is fine

    ¡°Ohe on J. If you insist on going, at least let them help you,¡± Casper leaned back in his

    chair, his eyes searching their faces. ¡°That is what they are here for, isn¡¯t it? Being your errand

    boy?¡±

    ¡°I want to help you, J,¡± Daran said deeply.

    Westin ced his hand on his chest and bowed to her with a grin, ¡°At your service, mydy.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine!¡± J groaned, ¡°Come with me. Let us talk in the car.¡±

    The three of them left the packhouse in a rush. They didn¡¯t even have time to change

    out of their tuxes and gowns.

    J was afraid that the two of them would fight for the wheel again. So she hopped onto the

    driver¡¯s seat and asked them to sit in the back.

    On their way, J briefed them about the incident.

    ¡°Casper just texted me the details,¡± she said with her hands on the wheel, her eyes straight ahead.

    ¡°Looks like that the shipment was supposed to arrive tonight. But it was robbed 50 miles away from

    the city.¡±

    ¡°Any suspects?¡± Westin asked.

    ¡°Soldiers are still doing their investigation.¡±

    ¡°But this close to the capital city? No normal bandits dare to rob the Alpha¡¯s¡± package,¡± Daran said,

    pondering.

    ¡°Well, I guess we can just wait and see.¡±

    A couple of hourster, their car arrived at the scene.

    ¡°Gamma J!¡±

    A captain ran forward to greet them, ¡°I am sorry that you have toe out thiste during the

    night.¡±

    ¡°No worry. It is important to the Alpha. It is important to me,¡± J said. ¡°Show me where it

    happened.¡±

    A truck was crushed into the woods, just a little off the main road. There were tire tracks on the

    ground.

    It looked as though the driver suddenly lost control of the truck, and the car ran off and then hit into

    a tree.

    J walked to the truck/

    She pulled the passenger door open.

    The drivery on the wheel, dead, with a hole in his temple.

    ¡°Shot died from the distance. Probably by a snapper,¡± the captain said. ¡°The rest of the escort

    teams were dead as well. We found their bodies deeper into the wood.

    J frowned.

    The criminals were ruthless.

    The criminals were ruthless.

    And Daran was right. This seemed like a professional job.

    Normal bandits didn¡¯t have snipers.

    A warm jacketnded on her shoulders, interrupting her line of thought. J looked up and met

    with Westin¡¯s enchanting eyes.

    ¡°It is chilly out here,¡± he smiled.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°J said briefly and turned back to the captain, ¡°Have you found any evidence so far?¡±

    ¡°No. We are still searching this area but there are no footprints, no blood stains, no additional tire

    tracks¡­Absolutely clean. Almost seems like they got robbed by a group of ghosts.¡±

    J frowned.

    But there was no such thing as a perfect crime.

    They just hadn¡¯t found the evidence yet.

    She picked up her skirt and wanted to walk a little surroundings.

    further to take a look at the

    It was not easy to walk around in the wilderness in her high heels.

    Westin saw her having trouble with the heels and offered her an arm, ¡°Do you want to hold my

    hand?¡±

    ¡°No thanks. I am fine,¡± she declined politely.

    ¡°Please.¡± Westin sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t rob me the chance of being a gentleman.¡±

    J smiled.

    Before she ced her hand on his arm, they heard Daran¡¯s voice from the deeper area of the

    woods:

    ¡°¡­Hey. You might want to take a look at this.¡±

    J instantly turned on her heels and rushed to Daran.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± she cried.

    Daran was crouched down on the ground, holding something in his hand.

    ¡°This might lead us to them,¡± he said to the group of people gathered.

    Everyone stared at the stuff that he held in his hand.

    Westin suddenly let out a snort, ¡°This is the big lead you found? Please tell me you are joking.¡±

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190

    J was confused as well.

    What Daran had in his palm made no sense to her.

    It was a cup of dirt.

    ¡°How is some dirt going to find us locate the bandits?¡± Westin crossed his arms with a smirk on his

    face. ¡°I have got to say¨Cthis is not a very smart way to get J¡¯s

    attention.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    J elbowed him, ¡°No trash talk. Remember?¡±

    Westin put his hands up in the air, ¡°Sorry. Didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°That is strike one.¡± J warned him and then turned back to Daran, ¡°What is wrong with this

    dirt?¡±

    Daran didn¡¯t seem to be affected by Westin¡¯s sarcasm.

    He raised his hand a bit higher for the others to take a clearer look and exined, ¡°This dirt is not

    from this area. Take a look at your surroundings. The forest only has moist ck soil and a finely

    textured loam. Yet the stuff that I have in my hand is different. It is sandier and rougher and if you

    look closely, it has a scarlet color to

    it.¡®

    J felt the dirt in his hand with two fingers.

    Daran was right.

    This dirt was not from this area.

    ¡°So you are suggesting that-¡±

    ¡°This sandy dirt was carried here by the criminals underneath their shoes. All we

    need to is to see if any

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    nearby ces have this lonte se asier son

    will know where these criminals have been to.¡±

    A round of astonished gasps could be heard.

    All the soldiers were looking at Daran in awe.

    soil. Then

    ¡°Captain, do we know if any ces have this scarlet soil?¡± J asked.

    The captain scratched his head, contemting.

    One of the soldiers spoke up at this moment, ¡°I know! There are a few acres of rednd in Lord

    Rolf¡¯snd. And it is not very far from here. Just a couple of miles down south!¡±

    J¡¯s eyes darkened slightly.

    ¡­Lord Rolf?

    She knew that man.

    He was invited to the party tonight as one of the most respected elders.

    Even Casper looked up to this man. He assisted Casper in stabilizing the Blood Moon Pack when

    Casper first became Alpha.

    J even heard rumors that Rolf wanted to marry his daughter to Casper.

    But that didn¡¯t work out because Casper made it clear that he was not ready to settle down.

    Could Lord Rolf be behind all these?

    ¡°Could you lead the way?¡± J asked the soldiers..

    ¡°Certainly. Follow me!¡±

    They got back to their cars and rushed to Lord Rolf¡¯snd.

    Lord Rolf¡¯s residence was located in the middle of arge open field.

    The lone mansion stood on its own, a stark contrast to the vast openness that surrounded it.

    As their cars drove deep into the open field, heading straight towards the mansion, J saw the

    color of the soil gradually turning red, exactly like the kind that Daran found in the woods.

    Minutester, they reached the front door of the mansion.

    A wrought¨Ciron gate guarded the entrance, creaking softly in the night wind.

    J got out of the car and came forward to buzz the doorbell.

    Westin was right behind her.

    While they waited for somebody to get the door, he bent down and whispered into J¡¯s ear:

    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we just bust inside?¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°No. Lord Rolf is a friend of Casper. I don¡¯t want to heat things.

    up until we have more proofs.¡±

    A series of light footsteps came from the inside.

    A middle¨Caged man emerged from the darkness, looking like a butler or house staff.

    He opened the iron gate a crack and peeked outside, warily.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I am J Manning, Alpha Casper¡¯s sister, and Gamma,¡± J introduced herself. ¡°We are here

    because of a crime that happened nearby. Can you open the door please?¡±

    The butler gulped, looking nervous, ¡°W¨CWhat for?¡±

    ¡°We want to search your house. Don¡¯t worry. It will be quick.¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to search our house? We know nothing about this crime that you talk about!¡± the

    butler said in a strained voice, ¡°Just go!¡±

    ¡°I said it would be quick. Please don¡¯t make this difficult,¡± J warned.

    Yet the butler stood firmly behind the gate, ¡°No. You can¡¯t barge in like this and search our house.

    Our lord isn¡¯t home at the moment. You will startle ourdy. Ourdy is a delicate girl. She doesn¡¯t

    like strangers.¡±

    J took a deep breath.

    They could easily bust down this iron gate if they wanted.

    But she didn¡¯t know if Lord Rolf was behind this. Forcing their way in would be rude and

    disrespectful.

    ¡°Then have you seen anyone suspicious tonight? Sneaking around your house?¡± she asked again.

    ¡°No. Everything is normal around here.¡±

    ¡°No. Everything is normal around here.¡±

    This investigation seemed to reach a dead end.

    J hesitated, thinking whether she should call Casper first and ask for his permission to barge

    into this house.

    Westin spoke up abruptly, ¡°He is lying.¡±

    A hint of pan¨ªc flickered across the butler¡¯s eyes, ¡°What?¡±

    Westin sniffed the air and raised one brow, ¡°They are here. I smelled the same scent. here as in the

    woods. It is pretty strong. They must have just gone in a couple of minutes ago.¡±

    J rounded her eyes,

    shocked.

    She didn¡¯t smell anything!

    The Lycans must have an even stranger sense of smell than they did.

    ¡°NONSENSE!¡±

    The butler snapped.

    ¡°I told you! I didn¡¯t see anyone!¡±

    ¡°Well, there is one way to find out then,¡± Westin shrugged.

    He grabbed the iron gate and gave it one hard push!

    The lock snapped with a loud bang. The gate crushed down as though it was made of paper.

    What an enormous power!

    The butler staggered back in horror and shrieked, ¡°NO YOU CAN¡¯T-¡±

    But Westin had already dashed inside!

    J had no other way but to follow him, with Daran right behind her.

    They rushed into the pitch¨Cck front yard. Not a single light was on. The only light source was the

    silver moonlight, making this ce particrly eerie.

    ¡°This way!¡± Westin cried.

    J kicked off her high heels and rushed forward with bare feet.

    Then she heard the loud sound of the engine. The headlights shed in the darkness-

    A minivan came roaring at J at full speed!

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    Daran cried, lunged forward, and tackled J to the ground.

    They narrowly dodged the minivan.

    It swooshed right by them, crossed the front yard, and headed straight to the

    entrance!

    ¡°Stop it!¡± J snarled.

    She wanted to shift into

    her wolf and chase down that car.

    Yet before she could do that, a giant, dark shadow fell upon her¨CSomething huge had blocked the

    moonlight.

    J jerked around and looked up.

    She froze.

    ¡­It was Westin.

    He shifted.

    It was the first time she saw a Lycan in his wolf form.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191

    The formidable creature stood in the dark shadows, towering at an imposing height.

    Its eyes, burning with a golden fire, traveled across the aghast soldiers, andnded on J¡¯s

    face.

    A creeping chill was sent down J¡¯s spine as their eyes met.

    She swallowed, nervously.

    ¡­Now she finally saw how the Lycans were different from them.

    Unlike the wolves that ran on their fours, the Lycan stood on its hind legs. And it was

    2-3 timesrger than a regr werewolf.

    Its posture was a graceful fusion of human and wolf.

    A divine work of the Moon Goddess.

    Its sole being made the werewolves look like a bunch of primitive beasts.

    The Lycan that stood in front of them had its whole body cloaked in dense white fur, which caught

    the moonlight and shimmered like freshly fallen snow.

    It bent its back and stared down at J.

    J flinched, involuntarily.

    Although she was reluctant to admit¡­she was intimidated.

    ¡°Hey, you want to ride on my back?¡± said the Lycan in Westin¡¯s voice, ¡°It is going to be fun.¡±

    She gulped.

    ¡°No thanks¡­I am good.¡±

    ¡°OK then. Wait here and let me get them back.¡±

    With a howl that pierced the night, it spurted forward, at a speed that surpassed any natural

    creatures!

    It leaped over the brick wall in one move and went straight at the minivan!

    Itsrge, muscr frame was shockingly fluid as it traversed thendscape on its powerful hind

    legs.

    The dense white fur rippled as it propelled itself forward, catching the moonlight like a streak of

    silver in motion.

    It didn¡¯t take the Lycan 10 seconds to catch up with the minivan.

    With one powerful strike, it held the minivan to aplete stop.

    Its sharp w pierced into the top of the van as though the car was made of cotton and not metal.

    Then it flung its arm¨Cthe car was turned upside down and crushed down to the ground with a loud

    bang!

    The minivan weighed at least 5000 pounds.

    Yet it looked like a toy in the Lycan¡¯s hand!

    Horrified screams came from inside the car.

    A few survivors climbed out of the crushed car and tried to escape.

    The Lycan caught one man in its w and squeezed. With a crashing sound, the man¡¯s skull

    exploded.

    BANG!

    The second man shot a pistol at the Lycan with a shaky hand.

    But he lost his aim in panic.

    Before he could fire again, the Lycan swung its arm¨Cits sharp pointy nail slit the man¡¯s throat

    Blood gushed out from his throat, tainting the white fur.

    Thest man standing saw everything and let out a loud scream.

    He turned, trying to run, but got caught by the Lycan immediately.

    It opened its giant mouth at the man, its fangs gleaming ivory in the moonlight.

    ¡°-STOP!!!¡±

    It was J.

    She came running towards them in bare feet across the field, her emerald green dress fluttering in

    the wind.

    ¡°STOP! Don¡¯t kill him!¡± she cried.

    The Lycan froze.

    Secondster, it switched back to human.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want them to die?¡± Westin asked with an idle smile.

    He didn¡¯t even break a sweat after the fight

    J walked up to him, out of breath, and shook her head, ¡°No. We need to ask them who is

    behind this.¡±

    ¡°Well then, whatever you want. The safe is right here in the car.

    He bent down and dragged out a safe from the car.

    The safe was still intact

    Then he took a step forward towards J.

    She couldn¡¯t help but wince back again.

    But Westin didn¡¯t notice that. He simply picked her up from the cold ground by her waist and ced

    her on top of the minivan.

    ¡°Those rocks will hurt your feet,¡± he said. ¡°Let me go get the others.¡±

    Momentster, the soldiers gathered by.

    Nobody said a word.

    But they were all staring at Westin in fear.

    None of them dared toe close to Westin within 5 feet.

    Yet Westin didn¡¯t mind that at all¨Cthe other¡¯s opinion meant nothing to him.

    He leaned against the car and kept his eyes on J as the other soldiers cleaned up the bodies

    and blood.

    ¡°Do you like my wolf?¡± he asked with a grin.

    ¡°It is¡­formidable.¡±

    She paused and then said, ¡°But actually, there is no need for you to shift. The soldiers can take

    care of this.¡±

    And there was no need for you to kill all of them.

    She added internally.

    ¡°I know. But you haven¡¯t seen my wolf yet. I want you to see it.

    He smirked in a cocky yet very youthful kind of way, ¡°I figured¡­If you like my wolf, maybe you will

    like me better?¡±

    J bit her lips.

    She didn¡¯t know how to tell Westin that his wolf appeared more intimidating than likable to her.

    ¡°Your wolf looked very different than ours,¡± she said eventually.

    Westin shrugged, ¡°Ancient tales say that the first group of werewolves that the Moon Goddess

    created was the Lycans. Some of the Lycans degenerated and then came the werewolves.¡±

    ¡°So we are a degenerated version of yours?¡± asked a voice behind their back.

    It was Daran.

    He strode over the dead bodies on the ground and walked to them, his face darkened. ¡°You

    certainly think very highly of yourselves,¡± he narrowed his eyes at Westin.

    Westin chuckled, ¡°We are not allowed to trash talk to each other. So I am not going to respond to

    that.¡±

    J let out a sigh.

    She could tell that Daran was offended by Westin¡¯sment.

    To be honest, so was she.

    But she had been through too many ups and downs in one night to go through another fight.

    ¡°We have the safe. Let us take thest man alive and head back to the packhouse,¡± she said.

    Then she beckoned the captain over and told him, ¡°You run back to Lord Rolf¡¯s mansion and take

    that butler to the packhouse as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Gamma J!¡±

    The soldiers had brought over their cars.

    They hopped in and started heading back to the packhouse.

    A couple hourster, when they arrived at the packhouse, it had already passed midnight.

    The party just ended.

    Fancily dressed guests were on their way to leave. Casper and Balvina stood by the front door,

    sending them off.

    It was Balvina who spotted their car first, ¡°It is J! She is back!¡±

    She rushed down the stairs to greet J, ¡°Casper told me. You really shouldn¡¯t put yourself

    through so many troubles, I can live without that tiara.¡±

    ¡°No. It is fine. I want to do this for you,¡± J smiled.

    Casper walked down the stairs as well.

    ¡°Was it the bandits?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Actually¡­¡­.no

    J snapped her fingers, and a man was brought out of the car by the soldiers.

    ¡°This man is part of the team that robbed the jewelry.¡± J said, ¡°We found him in Lord Rolf¡¯s

    mansion.¡±

    Gasps could be heard from the crowd.

    Guests who hadn¡¯t left yet all stood frozen in their spots.

    Everyone knows that Lord Rolf was a highly respected elder in the Blood Moon Pack So how was

    this possible?

    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡±

    Arge, sturdy man strode out of the crowd. He was in histe 50s, looking tough like a veteran.

    This was Lord Rolf.

    ¡°Why would I steal some jewelry?¡± he snapped, ¡°Do I seem like a man whocks money?!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Actually, Lord Rolf, I was hoping that you could tell us your reasons,¡± J said. ¡°There is no

    reason. Because I didn¡¯t do it!¡±

    Lord Rolf let out a coldugh, ¡°Gamma J, I respected you greatly because your are the Alpha¡¯s

    sister, and now a war heroine. But I will not let you nder me like this!¡±

    The crowd was agitated.

    People were whispering to each other, a skeptical look on their faces.

    Nobody believed that Lord Rolf would do such a thing.

    Even Casper leaned in and asked J in a low voice, ¡°¡­You sure you have the right guy?¡±

    ¡°I am almost certain.¡±

    ¡°Well, ¡®almost certain¡® is not good enough. You know Lord Rolf. He is not a man who can be

    messed with¡­¡±

    Just then, another car rushed into the drive and halted to a sharp stop.

    The door opened up.

    The butler was shoved outside, followed by a young, sick¨Clooking girl.

    Lord Rolf first widened his eyes.

    Then he burst out shouting, ¡°You brought my butler here? And my sick daughter?! What the fuck is

    wrong with you?!¡±

    The young girl wept and threw herself into Lord Rolf¡¯s arms, ¡°Dad! They barged into

    our house! They killed our man! They threatened our butler! I almost had a heart. attack¡­¡±

    Lord Rolf held his daughter tightly.

    He turned to re at J.

    ¡°Gamma J, you better exin yourself.¡± he hissed darkly, ¡°Or I don¡¯t care if you are a princess

    or Gamma¡­this will not end well tonight.¡±

    All eyes were on J at this moment.

    J clenched her fists.

    Cold sweat trickled down her spine.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192

    Judging by the testimony and the butler¡¯s shifty reaction, J could be sure that Lord Rolf had

    something to do with this.

    But he just denied it, firmly.

    J had known this man for years.

    To bepletely honest, he didn¡¯t strike her as somebody who would lie bluntly in front of

    everyone¡¯s face for some jewelry.

    So what was really going on here?

    J took in a deep breath to calm herself and then said, ¡°But this man that we caught this

    criminal¨Csaid that you are behind everything, Lord Rolf. He said that he is a mercenary and is hired

    by you.

    She looked down at the mercenary knelt on the ground, ¡°Tell them everything that you said to me in

    the car.¡±

    Half of the mercenary¡¯s body was covered in blood.

    He shivered in fear and stuttered in a shaky voice, ¡°I¨CI was hired! Themission fee was 10

    grand for hijacking the shipment and another 10 grand for bringing it back to Lord Rolf¡¯s mansion. A

    letter was sent to us, giving us detailed instructions, like when the delivery truck would arrive, and

    which route the truck would take¡­The letter even has Lord Rolf¡¯s family crest on it!¡±

    ¡°Do you still have the letter? Can I see it?¡± J asked.

    The mercenary nodded hastily and pulled out a piece of paper from his inner jacket.

    It was true.

    Lord Rolf¡¯s family crest was indeed on the letter!

    J presented the letter to everyone, ¡°I think we have found some hard proofs. here.¡±

    Lord Rolf took a quick nce at the letter and let out a snort.

    ¡°You expect to convict me with a single letter?¡± he snapped, ¡°And this mercenary. had never met

    with their employer. Am I right?¡±

    The mercenary gulped nervously, ¡°No I haven¡¯t¡­just this letter¡­¡±

    ¡°There you have it! It means that anyone could pretend to be me. This family crest is

    most likely forged!¡±

    There was a deep furrow between J¡¯s brows, ¡°Yes that is a possibility. But we found those

    mercenaries in your mansion! That is a fact that you cannot deny! Who let them into your house?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me!¡± the butler cried, ¡°I don¡¯t know whom¡­but clearly our lord is being framed!¡±

    ¡°Then why wouldn¡¯t you let me search your house earlier!¡±

    The butler red at J, ¡°I was trying to protect mydy! Lady Priya has been sick for years and

    doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed by strangers. Are you going to me me for simply doing my job?¡±

    J bit her lips.

    She felt cornered.

    She had a gut feeling that there was something wrong with the butler and the Rolf family.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Yet she couldn¡¯t prove it.

    ¡°Alright. Alright.¡±

    Casper pped his hands and silenced the agitated crowd, trying to be the peacemaker here,

    ¡°Looks like there are some misunderstandings. We have the safe back, which is all that matters.

    Why don¡¯t we drop this for now and pick it up some other day? It is getting prettyte-¡±

    ¡°No! I won¡¯t have it!¡± Lord Rolf said in a harsh tone, ¡°With all due respect, Alpha Casper, you did a

    great job running this pack, but you have indulged your sister¡¯s behavior for too long! Yes, she is our

    heroine. But look whom she has brought back here? The Lycans? The rogues?! She invited the

    enemy into our house! And now she is using decent members of things that we didn¡¯t do! Do

    you call this just and fair?!¡±

    His angry usation echoed in the air.

    Many guests stood in silence.

    But the look on their faces showed that they agreed with Lord Rolf¡¯s words.

    J clenched her fists in fume, ¡°The Lycans mean no harm to us. And as for the rogues, we have

    made peace with them already-¡±

    ¡°Who is this ¡®we¡®? you can¡¯t make our decisions for us!¡± Lord Rolf snarled, ¡°The rogues ughtered

    our members and killed our soldiers. I will never put that behind me!¡±

    Casper interrupted him with a sullen face, ¡°You are getting off the point, Lord Rolf. I respect your

    personal opinion. But you can¡¯t me J for inviting her friends.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡±

    Lord Rolf puffed his chest, ¡°I want Princess J to apologize to me and my daughter! Or Blood

    Moon Pack will lose my family¡¯s support!¡®

    Casper¡¯s face darkened.

    He looked infuriated by Rolf¡¯s threat

    J, on the other hand, felt a bit light¨Cheaded.

    She hadn¡¯t slept or eaten in a whole day.

    And now there was this.

    Maybe she was being reckless¨Cshe should haven¡¯t found some hard proof before using Lord

    Rolf in front of everyone.

    Now things were getting out of control

    Although she was certain that Casper would back her up, she didn¡¯t want to put Casper in that

    position.

    So maybe she should apologize

    ¡°Can I have that letter for a moment?¡± Westin said abruptly.

    Janer blinked in a daze. Then handed him the letter.

    Westin sniffed the letter and grinned.

    He walked up to Lord Rolf¡¯s daughter, Lady Priya.

    ¡°Back away from my daughter, Lycan!¡± Lord Rolf hissed.

    Westin put his hands up in the air, showing that he was harmless, ¡°Rx. I simply want to introduce

    myself to you and your daughter. Priya, isn¡¯t it? What a lovely Dame.¡±

    He picked up Priya¡¯s delicate hand and elegantly nted a kiss on the back of her hand, ¡°My name

    is Westin Nice to meet you.¡±

    Priya stared at his handsome face.

    A pink tinge appeared on her pale cheeks.

    Nice to meet you,¡± she murmured sheepishly.

    ¡°Forgive me, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice your perfume.¡± Westin stared at her with a charming

    smile, ¡°It is quite unique. I haven¡¯t found anybody else to wear it besides you.¡±

    Priya¡¯s eyes gleamed joyfully, ¡°You haven¡¯t because I designed my own perfume. It is the one and

    only kind in the whole world.¡±

    ¡°Impressive.¡±

    The smile on Westin¡¯s lips widened as he asked, ¡°So you are the only person in this world who

    smells like this?¡±

    Priya nodded, ¡°Yes. That is right.¡±

    Westin chuckled.

    He stepped back, holding the letter up high in the air, and announced to the entire crowd, ¡°Then I

    guess we have found the proof¡­This letter smells exactly like Lady Priya¡¯s perfume!¡±

    ¡°¡­WHAT?¡±

    People gasped in unison, including Lord Rolf.

    The shy smile faded away from Priya¡¯s face instantly, reced by a panicked look.

    Westin handed the letter to Casper and let the letter be passed around the crowd, ¡°The smell is

    faint. But it is there.¡±

    Casper sniffed the letter.

    His eyes lit up at once.

    Westin was right¨CThe letter did carry a faint hint of perfume!

    ¡°What do you say now, Lady Priya?¡± Casper raised his voice and asked, ¡°Why is your perfume on

    the letter that was sent to the mercenary?¡±

    Priya shivered, looking as though she was going to pass out the next second.

    ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know¡­¡± she gasped, ¡°There must be someone else who wears the same perfume as I

    do-¡±

    Westin raised a brow, ¡°But you said it yourself and I quote ¡®the one and only kind in the whole

    world.¡±

    Priya¡¯s breath became shallow, ¡°M¨CMy maids! Sometimes I share my perfume with my maids

    ¡°But that makes no sense.¡±

    Balvina joined the conversation and said, ¡°Even if you are a really, really nice master who shares

    perfume with your maids, a maid doesn¡¯t have that much money to hire a group of mercenaries. 20

    grands ofmission fee? That is more than a maid can earn in a year!¡±

    Priya¡¯s lips trembled.-

    Tears slowly welled up in her eyes.

    ¡°Priya?¡±

    Lord Rolf shook his daughter¡¯s hand, looking perplexed, ¡°What is going on? Don¡¯t worry. Daddy got

    your back. Just tell them you have nothing to do with this.¡±

    Priya inhaled sharply, her body shaking like a leaf in the wind.

    ¡°¡­is your fault,¡± she murmured.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Lord Rolf didn¡¯t hear her clearly.

    ¡°I said¡­¡±

    Priya snapped her head up, her teary ears zing with rage and hatred.

    ¡°¡­it is YOUR FAULT!!!¡±

    She pulled a hairpin off from her hair, raised it up, dashed forward, and stabbed the pointy end of

    the hairpin at a certain person among the crowd.

    -Balvina!

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193

    It all happened too quickly.

    Nobody had time to react

    ¡°WATCH OUT!¡±

    Casper cried at the top of his lungs, rushing forward to stop Paya. And so did Save

    But both of them were toote.

    Priya was already at Balvina¡¯s side, aiming that pointy bair pain at Babtine¡¯s gorgeous face-

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    CLUNK

    Balvina seized Priya¡¯s wrist swiftly and¨Cwith one hard pull¨Cthe dangerous carpin in Priya¡¯s hand

    dropped to the ground with a loud chunk

    Priya shrieked

    Her sick¨Clooking face contorted in cage.

    She used the other hand to pull Bahtina¡¯s bair

    But Balvina caught both of her bands in an iron grip and with one sight wist of e body, Balvina gave

    her a fast and clean over¨Cthe¨Cstrouider toront

    BANG!

    Priya¡¯s bunnded on the ground barstily. Her slippers we finite in fear andnded on a guest¡¯s

    head in the crowd

    ¡°AHH-

    Priya let out a painful cry, tears rushing down her pale Creek

    ¡°She¨CShe attacked me!¡± Paya sobbed ¡°My body, my head everthing hums Of god. I am dying.¡±

    of

    ¡°Priya darling!¡±

    Lord Rolf rushed forward and held her daugher in his arms.

    He snapped his head up and red at Sabrina

    ¡°You hurt my dear daughter¡± beced

    Balvina let out a cold som ¡°Yeah I anaded back but so vat? Am suprised jus

    I to stand there and let her shove that hairpin into my eyetals?¡±

    J went to stand with Babina and looked down at Lint Rolff¡¯s caging face. ¡°With all due respect.

    Lord Rolf, your daugier deserved a p in the face. The person she just attacked a moment before

    is the future Lute of the Boot Moon Pack You don need to be reminded of how serious that time is

    do you?¡±

    Lord Rolf frome, looking morted.

    ¡°But they haven¡¯t married vera hissed her warley eyes gleaming with amer

    She is not a Luna, just a lovelymer

    ¡°You are wrong!¡±

    Balvina raised her voice and stared at Priya freezingly, ¡°Even if I am not marrying Alpha Casper, I

    am also a proud soldier, a veteran! I have fought countless battles for this pack. I detended our

    borders. There are thousands of soldiers at mymand! Your hired mercenary was not!

    this pack, Lady Priya?¡±

    Priya¡¯s lips trembled, ¡°1-1-¡±

    in my eyes! What have you done for

    ¡°Let me remind you that attacking a veteran is also a serious deal.¡± Balvina said with a disdainful

    face, ¡°So you better spill out why you were doing this before I lost all my patience and threw you

    into the cell.¡±

    Priya shivered.

    She stared at Balvina in horror and then looked back at her father, ¡°Dad! Dad, did you hear her?

    She threatened to throw me behind the bars-

    Lord Roll¡¯s jaw tightened.

    But did you really do it darling?¡± he asked in a strained volce, ¡°¡­Christ. You can have any jewelry

    you want, darling. All you need to do is to ask me for it. But stealing from the future Luna? It is

    disgraceful-¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal!¡± Priya yelled, ¡°I am not a fucking, thief!!!¡±

    ¡°Watch yournguage darling¡­You are speaking in front of the Alpha and all those guests-¡±

    ¡°I am not a thief because that jewelry is MINE!¡°.

    Priya breathed heavily, madness glittering in her eyes.

    I AM the future Luna of Blood Moon Pack. NOT HER!!!!

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd.

    And people¡¯s first reaction was to look at their Casper,

    They all knew what a fuckboy their Alpha was once upon a time.

    It was possible that he had a secret rtionship with Priya before and didn¡¯t end it very well.

    And now Priya was doing this for retaliation.

    Casper rounded his eyes, and his jaw dropped.

    ¡°Are you fucking crazy?!¡± he snapped, ¡°This is the second time we met! We didn¡¯t even have a

    proper conversation for Christ¡¯s sake! What makes you think you can be my Luna?¡±

    ¡°Because you love me!¡±

    Priya panted, looking at Casper in a longing sort of way, ¡°I still remember the first time we met¡­

    when my father introduced you to me in our living room¡­God, you are so handsome. Daddy said

    that you were there to discuss pack business with him, but I knew instantly that you were there for

    me¡­¡±

    ¡°NO! I was really there for the pack business!¡± Casper sald loudly.

    Yet Priya didn¡¯t listen.

    She seemed to have fallen into some sort of an illusion and murmured dreamily:

    ¡°¡­You picked up my hand and kissed my fingertips. You looked up at me, your gorgeous brown

    eyes like ambers¡­ ¡®Lady Priya, it is a pleasure to meet you,¡® you

    said¡­¡±

    ¡°Priya, stop!¡± her father begged her, ¡°You are embarrassing yourself¡­¡±

    ¡°And my father asked you-¡±

    Priya raised her voice and continued:

    ¡°¨C ¡®My daughter is lovely, isn¡¯t she? Would you marry her if you had the chance?¡® You smiled the

    most handsome smile and answered my father saying, ¡®Anyone would be lucky to marry your

    daughter, Lord Rolf¡®¡­You see? You proposed to me! I have been waiting for you to marry me. It

    has been years but why haven¡¯t youe?!¡±

    ¡°You call that a propose?!¡±

    Casper spluttered, going rather red, ¡°If that is the case, I must have proposed to thousands if not

    millions of women already!¡±

    Priya stared at him in a daze.

    Then she burst out crying abruptly, ¡°I know you yed the field once¡­ But I don¡¯t mind! I really

    don¡¯t mind! What we have is special¡­I¨CI love you!¡±

    ¡°Take her away!¡± Casper snapped.

    A couple of soldiers rushed forward and yanked Priya up, escorting her into the packhouse.

    Lord Rolf wanted to follow them.

    But he first bowed to Casper and Balvina and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡­I am truly sorry, Alpha Casper,

    Luna Balvina¡­My daughter has been sick for a very long

    time¡­Sometimes she hears and sees things that aren¡¯t real¡­I don¡¯t think her mind is working

    soundly¡­¡±

    ¡°You should really get a doctor for her, Lord Rolf.¡± Casper said sullenly, ¡°I will let it go tonight. But if

    she does this kind of thing again in the future-¡±

    ¡°No, she won¡¯t! I promise! I will keep a close eye on her.¡±

    ¡°And you owe J an apology,¡± Balvina reminded him.

    Lord Rolf gulped nervously.

    He slowly turned on his heels, walked up to J, and lowered his back.

    ¡­My deepest apology, Princess J.¡±

    He said lowly, ashamed.

    ¡°What I said was uncalled for¡­ You were simplyying out the facts, but I let my anger cloud my

    mind and chose to overlook the facts because Priya is my daughter¡­I really hope you can forgive

    me¡­¡±

    J shook her head.

    She knew that Lord Rolf was a stubborn old pale, but he was not a bad guy.

    ¡°Everyone got worked up by their fume tonight.¡± she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it

    anymore.¡±

    Lord Rolf gave her a grateful look, ¡°And I also shouldn¡¯t have criticized your friends, Princess J.

    King Westin seems like a decent man¡­Smart and capable¡­if he is to be your husband, I am

    all for it-¡±

    J cleared her throat loudly, interrupting his little speech.

    ¡°Well thank you.¡±

    Westin grinned, having heard everything that Lord Rolf just said, ¡°We will be sure to

    invite you to our wedding.¡±

    The thief had been found and the jewelry was back.

    And people had seen enough drama in one night.

    The guests all got into their cars, leaving the packhouse.

    Casper held Balvina¡¯s hand and headed back inside.

    He patted Westin¡¯s shoulder before going in and said in an encouraging voice, ¡°Good job tonight.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean that I have your permission to marry J?¡± Westin asked yfully with a grin.

    Casperughed, ¡°All I said was ¡®Good job!! Don¡¯t push it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am d that I can be of any help tonight-¡±

    J listened to their conversation, absentminded.

    She hadn¡¯t seen Daran since they got back to the packhouse.

    There was a time when she saw his face at the back of the crowd, but when she looked closely

    again, he was gone again.

    Where was he? And why was he avoiding her?

    It was the proof he found in the woods that led them to Lord Rolf¡¯s mansion.

    Why wasn¡¯t he standing up front and collecting his credit like Westin did?

    ¡°¡­J?¡±

    J was snapped back to reality.

    Casper and Balvina were gone.

    It was just she and Westin on the staircase now.

    ¡°Care for a night cup?¡± he grinned.

    ¡°¡­it is almost two o¡¯clock. A bit toote for alcohol, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    The smile on his lips widened.

    He took a step forward, closing the gap between the two of them, and yfully ruffled her hair with

    one hand.

    ¡°Then let us do something that is perfect for the night.¡±

    He bent down and whispered into her ears, his voice sexy and hoarse,

    ,¡°¡­You can call the shot

    here, my dear princess.¡±

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194

    ¡°¡­I call the shots?¡±

    J lowered her voice.

    She stared right into his eyes, ¡°¡­You will do whatever I have in mind?¡±

    His breathing became rough. His gaze was intense.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he murmured hoarsely, his lips only an inch away from hers. ¡°¡­ Anything.¡±

    ¡°Well then¡­¡®

    She ced a hand on his firm chest, feeling his quickened heartbeat.

    ¡°I want us to go into the packhouse now, head upstairs, back to our rooms, get into the bed, and go

    to sleep.¡±

    He froze.

    J couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing¨Cthe look on his face!

    ¡°It isn¡¯t fair!¡± he protested, ¡°I want the rein back in my hand!

    ¡°Toote. You already handed that to me. I call the shots here.¡± she giggled, ¡°And now I am asking

    you to go to bed like a big boy.¡±

    He stared at herughing face.

    ¡°When was thest time he made youugh like this?¡± he asked abruptly.

    A smile froze on her lips.

    ¡°¡­There are happy times,¡± she said after a pause.

    ¡°You are lying to yourself.¡± he said deeply, ¡°You know that the only thing he has ever done to you is

    to hurt you.¡±

    Jpsed into silence.

    ¡°They say that all women enjoy thepany of men who can make themugh. But they always

    end up with the men who can make them cry. Is it true in your case, J?¡±

    J took a deep breath and forced out a smile, ¡°What are you talking about? That is nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Westin cupped her cheeks with both of his hands, ¡°Then don¡¯t give him a chance to hurt

    you anymore. You will have me to protect you in the future.¡±

    J couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes, ¡°¡­It is really gettingte, Westin. Let¡¯s call it a day.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Westin let go of her, ¡°You go ahead. I will enjoy the wind breeze a little longer.¡±

    J nodded and went into the packhouse.

    Her body was worn out, but her mind was sharp and clear as ever with thoughts whizzing across

    her mind nonstop.

    She couldn¡¯t help but think about everything that happened that day.

    Casper and Balvina¡¯s wedding, the thieves, Lord Rolf and Lady Priya, the Lycan¡¯s wolf, and

    Daran¡­.

    She wondered to the floor where her room was at.

    The bedroom was right down the hallway, but she didn¡¯t want to turn in just yet.

    Instead, she pushed open the ss door and stepped into the terrace.

    It was a beautiful night tonight, with thousands of twinkling stars surrounding a full

    moon.

    Westin was right.

    What she should be doing right now was enjoying this beautiful night with thepany of a man

    who could make herugh.

    But for some unknown reason, she didn¡¯t want to be with a Lycan tonight.

    Probably because she was intimidated by his wolf earlier.

    Just then, she heard a light creaking noise from downstairs.

    She leaned against the handrail and looked down.

    Right underneath the terrace was a small garden. In that garden stood a swing.

    Right now, there was a dark figure sitting on that swing, which was where the creaking noise came

    from.

    ¡°¡­Daran!¡± J couldn¡¯t help but call out to him..

    The man on the swing looked up abruptly.

    The silver moonlight illuminated his astonished face.

    ¡°J!¡± he gasped, ¡°What are you¡­¡±

    She was suddenly in the mood to mess with him.

    ¡°Catch me!¡± she cried.

    Daran shot up from the swing. And the next second, she had climbed over handrail and fell off from

    the terrace.

    A pair of steady arms caught her before she crushed to the ground.

    That was thrilling!

    J started giggling.

    ¡°That was 6th¨Cfloor high!¡± Daran snapped. His tone was harsh.

    ¡°Yes, but you will catch me. I know you will.¡±

    He tightened his arms around her waist, ¡°Nevertheless, it is still way too dangerous-¡±

    the

    She pouted and jumped out of his arms, ¡°Why do you have to be such an old man with no fun? I am

    leaving.¡®

    She threatened to storm away but secretly hoped that he would stop her.

    And he did.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    He caught her wrist just in time.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t go.¡±

    His voice was deep and hoarse, ¡°Stay¡­for a little longer, will you? Do you want to y the swing? I

    can push you.¡±

    She smiled and turned to sit on the swing

    He went to stand behind her and gave a gentle push on her back. The swing made a creaking

    sound in the silent night.

    He spoke up after a while, ¡°¡­We have a simr swing in Riverside Pack. Under the palm tree in the

    front yard.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I asked the servants to build me one after I became Luna.¡±

    ¡°And what about this one? You had this one built after you came back to Blood Moon Pack?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    She paused, and then said slowly, ¡°When I was your Luna, I would sit on the swing and wait for you

    toe back from the council chamber. I hoped you could at least spend some time with your wife

    after a long day of work and we could chat a bit¡­But you were always in a rush. No time to chat,

    and definitely no time to hang out and y the swing with me.¡±

    She looked up at the full moon overhead, ¡°So after I came back to Blood Moon Pack, I asked

    Casper to build this swing for me, exactly like the one I had in Riverside. And this time, I finally had

    people to hang out with, maids, soldiers, friends¡­I was finally

    not alone.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment.

    Only his breathing became heavy.

    ¡°¡­I am losing this, aren¡¯t I?¡± he asked abruptly.

    She tapped the ground with one foot and halted the swing to aplete stop. She turned on the

    swing and raised her head to look at him, shocked:

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°This fight between me and Westin¡­I am losing.¡±

    There was a lost and sad look on his handsome face, ¡°I saw the way you looked at Westin earlier.

    You are attracted to him. He can make youugh¡­.And all your friends and families seem to like

    him a lot¡­¡±

    J bit her lips, stunned.

    Daran was a proud man and, at the same time, never revealed too much of his personal emotions.

    This was the first time she saw him this defeated and vulnerable.

    She should feel happy because it was finally her turn to hurt him and to make him afraid of losing

    her.

    But revenge didn¡¯t taste as good as she had imagined.

    ¡°That is the conclusion that you drew after tonight? That you are losing?¡± she asked. ¡°What else am

    I supposed to think?¡±

    He growled deeply, sounding frustrated, ¡°I was confident that we are destined to be together

    because we have been through so much! But now that I think about it, all your memories about me

    have something to do with sorrow, longlines, and trauma. I want to believe that I am the winner, but

    the reality is making it really hard-

    ¡°So you are giving up already?¡±

    J stood up from the swing.

    She red at him.

    ¡°It has only been one day since we came back to Blood Moon Pack and a couple of hours since the

    fight between you and Westin began¡­ And you are waiving the white g?! If that is the furthest

    your determination can get you, you should get your ass back to Riverside Pack tonight! Stop

    insulting the both of us!¡±

    She was pissed.

    He had always been a tough and determined person. But why suddenly became such a quitter

    when it came to her?

    Was she really not worth his trouble?

    Daran pulled her into his arms abruptly. His hand was on the back of her head, pressing her face

    against his muscr chest. She could hear how rapidly his heart was beating.

    His shaky voice whispered into her ears, ¡°I am not giving up¡­I will never give up¡­not in a million

    years¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what were you whining about just now?¡±

    ¡°I guess I was just too afraid to lose,¡± he let out an awkwardugh. ¡°I have never been this afraid in

    my entire life. The fear of losing you to Westin kept me up at night and haunted me in my

    dreams¡­¡±

    She rested her head on his chest, ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡±

    He held her face with both hands and raised her head up.

    ¡°Tell me you haven¡¯t ruled me out yet.¡± he said huskily, ¡°And don¡¯t give Westin some extra credit for

    what happened tonight.¡±

    ¡°This is cheating-¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    He lowered his head and pecked her forehead, ¡°But I know the referee personally. So will the

    referee help me cheat?¡±

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195

    J held her breath, feeling his hot lips against her forehead.

    As reluctant as she liked to admit, her heart skipped a beat.

    Just then, a voice came from around the corner:

    ¡°¡­J?¡±

    Both of them froze.

    It was Westin¡¯s voice.

    J, are you there? I think I have heard your voice.¡±

    Westin¡¯s voice came a bit closer.

    J could already see his shadow cast on the ground and he was about toe around the

    corner-

    She wanted to answer.

    But Daran clutched a hand to her mouth and dragged her behind a tree.

    Westin stepped out, looking around.

    He didn¡¯t see anyone in this small yard, only the empty swing swaying in the night breeze.

    Daran and J stood in the shadow of the leaves quietly, face¨Cto¨Cface with each other.

    J red at him, her eyes round with anger.

    She tried to break free from him, but he held her tightly.

    Don¡¯t move,¡± he murmured in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

    Westin stood there for a few more seconds and then turned around and left.

    J finally gathered the strength to shove Daran aside.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!¡± she growled furiously at him.

    ¡°Help you avoid him.¡±

    ¡°Who said I want to avoid him? Maybe I want to talk to-

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± he said firmly, ¡°One thing I can tell from your reaction tonight is that you hated his

    wolf.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate it-¡±

    ¡°But you are reminded of how drastically different he is from us.

    J took in a deep breath.

    Sometimes she hated how perceptive Daran was.

    Yet she hated it even more when Daran made her decision for her.

    ¡°You know nothing about how I feel, Daran,¡± she said coldly, ¡°And let me tell you this: you are losing

    at thispetition. Because I find Westin very charming and attractive, whereas you are just an

    egoistic jerk!

    She turned around abruptly and stormed away without another look at his face.

    <hr>The next few days went by quite uneventful.

    Not because those two men stoppedpeting with each other, But because J had been

    hiding in Balvina¡¯s room, doing everything she could to avoid them.

    You know you can¡¯t hide from them forever, right?¡± Balvina asked.

    Morgana shrugged, ¡°Or maybe she can. She is the Blood Moon Pack¡¯s Alpha¡¯s sister sh Gamma.

    The Rogue King is her former subordinate. She has hundreds of thousands of soldiers at her

    command. She can very well tell those two guys to fuck off if she likes.¡±

    J rolled her eyes, ¡°Yeah¡­Tell them to fuck off and start a world war? I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    The three of them were lying on lounge chairs on the balcony, enjoying the warm afternoon sun with

    sses of iced tea by their hands, while the maids painted their toenails.

    Morgana just came back from a 3¨Cday trip with Kass. Kass had shown her the ce where he grew

    up.

    Balvina was a little skeptical of Morgana when J first introduced them.

    But they were quick to be friends after finding a mutual interest in rock music and hunting.

    ¡°So, whisper to us, J.¡±

    Morgana took a sip of her iced tea and said, ¡°Among those two men, who are taking the lead right

    now?¡±

    J sighed, ¡°¡­it is still a tie.¡±

    ¡°Still?¡± Morgana gasped, ¡°I heard those two men busted their asses off trying to please you. Daran

    got on the ground and cupped dirt. Westin switched into his wolf for a couple of little thieves. And

    you still haven¡¯t decided yet?¡±

    ¡°She is a hard person to please,¡± Balvina echoed.

    ¡°Hey! You aren¡¯t being fair!¡± J protested, ¡°You are the one who gave me a limited time of 2

    weeks and asked me to make the decision of a lifetime. I am under a lot of pressure.¡±

    ¡°OK!¡±

    Morgana sat up from her lounge chair and looked at J, dead serious.

    ¡°Let us do a little game. Lightening rounds!¡± she said.

    ¡°¡­OK,¡± J sat up straight as well.

    ¡°t or high heels?¡±

    ¡°t.¡±

    ¡°Chardonnay or Pinot Noir?¡±

    ¡°Pinot Noir!¡±

    ¡°Gun or sword?¡±

    ¡°Sword!¡±

    ¡°Daran or Westin?¡±

    ¡°We¡­¡±

    She uttered the first syble, and the rest of that word froze on the tip of her tongue.

    Morgana pped her hands, excited, ¡°Balvina, you heard it, didn¡¯t you? She was about to say

    Westin. You like Westin better!¡±

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Balvina nodded hastily, ¡°Yeah! But why did you stop yourself, J? Were you shocked by your

    own answer?¡±

    J threw herself back to the lounge chair. letting out a long sigh.

    ¡°No¡­I know I am attracted to Westin. But the thing is-¡±

    She rubbed her temples, frustrated.

    ¡°Every time I want to make up my mind and go for Westin, a siren goes off in my head, like I am

    making a terrible mistake. Like just now, I wanted to say Westin¡¯s name, but my brain stopped me¡­

    What is wrong with me?¡±

    Balvina and Morgana exchanged a look.

    ¡°I think you are just scared by your answer,¡± Balvina said. ¡°You know¡­because he is

    a Lycan.¡±

    J nodded in silence.

    She guessed that was true.

    Westin¡¯s wolf spooked her.

    And his homnd¡­

    Who knew where the hell was that?

    ¡°I guess I am leaning towards Westin¡­But if I were to choose him, I have to be absolutely certain.¡±

    J said, ¡°He will want me to go to the Lycan¡¯snd with him. I need to be sure that he is worth

    me doing that for him.¡±

    ¡°Well, can¡¯t you discuss this with him? See if he will stay here. You can¡¯t leave Blood Moon Pack,

    J,¡± Balvina said urgently.

    ¡°I will. But I doubt that he will say yes¡­.he is the Lycan King, nevertheless. He can¡¯t stay in the

    werewolfnd forever.¡±

    Balvina let out a frustrated groan.

    Morgana ced both of her hands underneath her head and gazed at the

    ¨C

    crystal¨Cclear blue sky:

    ¡­And you have to break this sad news to poor Daran. Imagine the heartbroken look. on his face.

    He will be devastated¡­Can I stay and observe while you reject him? I promise I won¡¯t make a

    sound.¡±

    J imagined the look on Daran¡¯s face when she rejected him and felt a sharp pain. coursing

    through her body.

    She didn¡¯t want to see that defeated and vulnerable look on his face again.

    And she didn¡¯t want to hurt him.

    But she didn¡¯t have a choice right now.

    Whoever she chose, the other one would get hurt. That was something that she could not avoid.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say anything to him just yet.¡±

    J said to Morgana in a deep voice, ¡°I haven¡¯t fully made my decision yet. And when I do, I want

    to do the talking myself. Maybe I can soften the blow.¡±

    Morgana shrugged, ¡°Sure. It is your call.¡±

    A servant came out to the balcony and bowed to the three of them, ¡°Luna Balvina, Princess J,

    and Lady Morgana, afternoon. Alpha Daran and King Westin requested to see you.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of the devil,¡± Morgana giggled.

    ¡°You have avoided them for too long. They are here to see you, J,¡± Balvina said and then

    turned to the servant. ¡°Send them in.¡±

    The servant nodded and left.

    Momentster, he returned with Daran and Westin behind his back.

    ¡°Afternoondies. What a beautiful day,¡± Westin grinned.

    ¡°I hope that I am not intruding,¡± Daran said.

    ¡°You are not.

    Balvina sat up straight and looked at the two of them, ¡°Actually, I might need your help for

    something.¡±

    They waited for her to continue.

    ¡°There is a bottle of wine that I want for my wedding¨CMona Estate Vineyard, Cabe Sauvignon,

    2016.¡± Balvina said, ¡°I tried calling that vineyard, but the owner is not responding. Can you go down

    there and see what happened? And if of you can bring back a bottle for me, that would be nice.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Daran nodded.

    ¡°Anything for you, Luna Balvina,¡± Westin smiled.

    The two men nced at each other. Both are determined to win.

    They turned around together and strode to the door.

    any

    You are putting them to another fight,¡± J whispered into Balvina¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Yes. And the Mona Estate Vineyard is hundreds of miles away. A round trip will at least take them

    2-3 days. That will buy you some peaceful time,¡± Balvina said, looking rather proud of her idea.

    J chuckled.

    ¡°You are amazing,¡± she said. ¡°But let me talk to Westin for just a second¡­¡±

    She jumped off the lounge chair and rushed out.

    ¡°Westin!¡±

    She caught up with him at the end of the hallway.

    He turned around with that charming smile on his lips.

    ¡°What is the matter?¡± he asked, ¡°Do you want toe with me to the vineyard?¡±

    ¡°No, I just want to ask you.. After we mate, can we stay at the Blood Moon Pack-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said without hesitation.

    J was stunned.

    ¡­That was it?

    No?

    There seemed to be no room for discussion.

    ¡°Can we talk? Maybe we can have a middle ground¡­¡±

    ¡°There is no middle ground because you areing back to the Lycan¡¯snd with me.¡±

    Westin smiled, as charismatic as ever.

    But there was a cold gleam deep into his eyes.

    ¡°Plus, when we are mated, I don¡¯t want to give you the chance to sneak around with Daran

    anymore,¡± he said lightly.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about-

    ¡°That was you and Daran by the swing the other night, right? Hanging out with him after you said

    goodnight to me-

    He chuckled, icily.

    ¡°-I am hurt, J.¡±

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196

    J¡¯s body became stiff.

    Although he was still smiling, that smile was so cold that it sent a chill down her spine.

    ¡°¡­I ran into him after we said goodnight, Westin. I didn¡¯t find him on purpose¡ª¡±

    She tried to exin.

    But he interrupted her with a shortugh:

    ¡°Not on purpose. But temptation is still a bitch, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He cupped her face with one hand, his thumb caressing her skin, ¡°I am doing you a favor, J.

    Come to the Lycan¡¯snd with me and kill that temptation forever. He won¡¯t have any chance to hurt

    you. Ever again.¡±

    J froze.

    Secondster, she tilted her head and avoided his touch.

    ¡°You should go.¡±

    She said quietly, avoiding his sharp gaze, ¡°You want to beat Daran to it. Don¡¯t start

    offte.

    ¡°You are right. I should go,¡± Westin agreed.

    He bent down and stole a kiss on her lips.

    ¡°When Ie back here with that bottle of wine that Luna Balvina wants, I hope you have already

    made your decision, J. I am tired of waiting.¡±

    He blinked at her and turned on his heels, walking away.

    J stood on her spot and watched his back disappear around the corner.

    The siren at the back of her mind went off again.

    Was she making a terrible mistake by choosing him?

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Morgana¡¯s voice came from behind her.

    ¡°What is the matter? You look pale,¡± Morgana asked, walking up to her.

    J took in a deep breath, ¡°Westin and I just had the weirdest conversation¡­¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°I asked him if he could stay here for me. He said no, firmly. He even warned me not to hang out

    with Daran behind his back again.¡±

    Morgana frowned, ¡°He threatened you? That is creepy. He doesn¡¯t strike me as a Morgana frowned,

    ¡°He threatened you? The jealous guy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­And that is the point, Morgana. I know nothing about Westin. Sure, he is charming

    and nice and sweet. But is that who he really is? Or is that the part of him that he chooses to let me

    see?¡±

    J was not sure if she was being paranoid.

    But she felt that she knew so little about Westin, only the tip of an iceberg.

    And there was so much more hiding underneath the surface.

    Morgana crossed her arms, ¡°So you are afraid that he is hiding his dark side from you?

    ¡°Everyone has their dark side. I just¡­.wish I could learn about Westin¡¯s dark side before mating

    with him. And see if I can live with it,¡± J said.

    For example, she knew about Daran¡¯s dark side.

    He was cold and power¨Chungry.

    She couldn¡¯t stomach that. And she had left him for that.

    ¡­But what was Westin¡¯s dark side?

    ¡°I have an idea.¡±

    Morgana said abruptly and took J¡¯s hand, ¡°Come with me.

    They took the elevator and went down to the ground floor.

    Morgana asked the doorman to arrange a car for them.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± J asked as they hopped into the car.

    ¡°Mona Estate Vineyard.¡±

    Morgana started the car and said, ¡°You want to know about Westin¡¯s dark side? Then you need to

    watch him quietly from a distance. Let us travel down there and see how he behaves himself when

    he is alone. This is the perfect chance for learn about the real him.¡®

    you to

    The car drove out of the packhouse and left the city, heading down South, to the Mona Estate

    Vineyard.

    It was a 6¨Chour drive.

    When they approached their destination, it was nearly dusk.

    The amber hues of the setting sun painted the sky in warm tones as they traveled down the

    meandering road leading to the vineyard.

    J rolled down her window, inviting the cool evening breeze into the car. The air became infused

    with the rich scent of earth and the promise of grapes waiting to be harvested.

    Thendscape before them was bathed in the soft, golden glow of dusk.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    In the distance, the vineyard emerged, its sprawling expanse of grapevines a silhouette against the

    fading light.

    ¡°It is quite a view,¡± Morgana said, rxed, with her eyes on the road.

    J nodded, her fingers tracing patterns on the window, ¡°I can never grow tired of the scenery of

    thisnd.¡±

    ¡°Kass showed me around. This is a great ce to settle down, especially since this is your

    homnd. You should really consider staying.¡±

    J let out a little sigh.

    ¡°Have you and Kass talked about where you want to settle in the future?¡± she asked.

    Morgana shrugged, ¡°As the Rogue King, he has a responsibility back at the Grace Ruin. But we

    both agree that this is home as well. So we will travel back here at least once a year.

    J was jealous, ¡°I wish things could be that easy for me and Westin.¡±

    ¡°Then you should definitely talk. Don¡¯t let a man rob you of your home.¡±

    As they neared the entrance of the vineyard, thest rays of sunlight bathed the vines in a soft,

    golden glow.

    J and Morgana parked the car.

    They stepped out. A staff came out from the reception office and rushed over to greet them.

    ¡°Ms. Diaz, is it?¡± the staff shook hands with Morgana, smiling warmly. ¡°Wee to Mona Estate

    Vineyard.¡±

    to stay al

    at your!

    ¡°Thank you. We spoke on the phone earlier. We hoped tonight and do a little tour tomorrow morning

    if that is possible.¡±

    ¡°Certainly. Parts of this vineyard are open to tourists. And you should definitely get a taste of our

    wine. We are very proud of our own products. This way, please.¡±

    The staff led them through the main gate and to the hotel.

    The surroundings seemed to hum with the harmonies of nature winding down for the night.

    ¡°Are there any other guests staying in this hotel tonight?¡± J asked the staff as they stepped into

    the hotel lobby.

    ¡°A couple¡­yes. Two gentlemen just arrived earlier today.¡±

    J and Morgana exchanged a look-

    So Daran and Westin were already here.

    ¡°But this is a veryrge ce, and you probably won¡¯t even run into them. So there is no need to

    worry about privacy,¡± the staff assured them.

    the check in the staff asked if they needed a tour around this ce

    J had been to this vineyard before, so she politely declined the staff¡¯s offer.

    They wanted to look for Daran and Westin first.

    ¡°Casper used to take me and Balvina here to spend the summer¡­They make the best Cabe

    Sauvignon.¡±

    J said as they wandered across the courtyard, savoring the crisp air tinged with the fragrance of

    ripening grapes.

    ¡®No wonder Balvina wants a bottle for her wedding,¡± Morgana said.

    ¡°Yes. I remember that the wine cer is this way¡­Come with me.

    They came around the corner.

    A misty voice made its way into their ears from the near distance.

    ¡°¡­You should really give up on this, Alpha Daran.¡±

    It was Westin¡¯s voice!

    J and Morgana immediately stopped and dashed into the garden to take cover. They peeked

    through the cracks of the leaves and saw the shadows of two men cast on the window of a red¨C

    brick house.

    ¡°That is Mr. Larkin¡¯s house. The owner of this vineyard,¡± J whispered into Morgana¡¯s ears.

    Then they heard Daran¡¯s voice, cool and calm as usual:

    ¡­This is a fair game, King Westin. I don¡¯t see why I have to be the one to give up.¡±

    Westin chuckled lowly, ¡°Because you have already lost, Alpha Daran. As reluctant as you like to

    admit it, J is attracted to me now. You know perfectly well that it is going to be my name that

    comes out of her mouth a couple of dayster. Do you really want to stick around only to get

    yourself humiliated in the end?¡±

    Daran let out a light snort, ¡°If you are so confident about yourself, why want me gone so

    desperately?¡±

    Westin¡¯s voice dropped cold, ¡°Because I hate to see you hanging out with my mate together. I can¡¯t

    wait till the wedding¡­If I can get rid of you tonight, that would be the best.¡±

    ¡°Well then, King Westin, I am not going anywhere.¡± Daran¡¯s voice carried a clear hint of sarcasm,

    ¡°What are you going to do? Throw a temper tantrum? Tear down this vineyard?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    J rounded her eyes as Westin¡¯s shadow closed in on Daran¡¯s abruptly.

    ¡°¡­But I can kill you tonight and nobody will know,¡± said Westin with a faint smile.

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197

    J tensed up instantly.

    ¨C Westin was threatening to kill Daran?

    No.

    Or maybe that was not a threat at all.

    Westin really meant it!

    He wanted to kill Daran for quite some time already! If J hadn¡¯t stopped Westin in the Grace

    Ruin, Daran would have died in his hand already!

    And without the power of the Werewolf King, Daran didn¡¯t really have a shot of winning.

    J instantly wanted to jump out of the garden where she was hiding and dashed forward to stop

    Westin.

    But Morgana grabbed her sleeve in time.

    ¡°Calm down,¡± Morgana whispered into J¡¯s ears. ¡°Let it y out. I don¡¯t think he

    will do it.¡±

    J froze, her heart thumping wildly against her ribs.

    Then she heard Daran let out a coolugh:

    ¡°Kill me? No, King Westin, that is thest thing you will do.¡±

    ¡°Why? Do you not believe that I am capable?¡±

    ¡°Because I know that if I die in your hands, J will never forgive you. You have put too much

    effort into winning her over. You can¡¯t take that risk.¡±

    It was Westin¡¯s turn topse into silence.

    ¡°And I am curious, King Westin¡­¡± Daran leaned his upper body, staring at Westin, and asked, ¡°¡­

    What are you trying to aplish here? Why do you want J SD badly?¡±

    Westin¡¯s voice was chilly, ¡°Because I love her, obviously.¡±

    ¡°Lie.¡± Daran sneered. ¡°You two have only known each other for less than a month. Where does this

    lovee from? You didn¡¯t want a Werewolf King in this world. Yet you were willing to let that

    matter slide just to get to J. She is THAT important to you. Why?¡±

    ¡°What sort of conspiracy are you trying to work out here? I told you. It was love at first sight-¡±

    Daranughed icily, ¡°Stop lying. It is just the two of us here. You don¡¯t know love

    better than I do. We are the same kind of people.¡±

    any

    A deathly silence fell upon them.

    After a long pause, Westin let out a gloomy chuckle, ¡°¡­ Now I really want to kill you. Can¡¯t afford to

    have you bber all that to J.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say a word.¡± Daran said freezingly, ¡°But I will win this damnpetition. I won¡¯t let a man

    like you have any chances of hurting J.¡±

    J heard all of their conversation.

    Yet her head was a mess.

    ¡­Was Daran implying that Westin approached her for some ill purposes?

    But what could it be?

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    that price,¡± Westwo sand impatiently ¡°200 thousand

    ¡°I really can¡¯t-¡± cried Mr. Larkin desperately.

    ¡°500 thousand plus 80 acres ofnd,¡± Daran said. ¡°I know you have always wanted to expand this

    vineyard.¡±

    ¡°¡­800 thousand! And I throw on top a gold mine!¡± Westin said boomingly. ¡°You will have the

    exclusive mining right-¡±

    ¡°STOP!¡±

    Mr. Larkin roared, breathing heavily, ¡°This is fucking crazy! Are you even listening to yourself?!

    Hundreds of thousands of dors for a bottle of wine?! I didn¡¯t even know that my wine was worth

    that much money myself!¡±

    ¡°You can name any figure and I will write the check. Because that is how important your wine is to

    me.¡±

    Daran took a step further towards Mr. Larkin and said in a solemn voice:

    ¡°Luna Balvina wants this wine. And she is Princess J¡¯s best friend¡­I would do anything for

    Princess J.¡±

    Mr. Larkin sounded shocked, ¡°¡­So the rumor is true¡­ Both of you are here for the princess¡­¡±

    ¡°That is right.¡± Daran nodded, ¡°I willpensate for your loss. And personallye down to your

    daughter¡¯s birthday and exin things to her if that is

    necessary.¡®

    ¡°Bottom line is we are not leaving here until you hand over that wine,¡± Westin said idly.

    There was a short moment of silence.

    Then Mr. Larkin gulped nervously:

    ¡°But even if I am willing to give you the wine, there is only one bottle¡­.Are you two willing to take it

    back together?¡±

    ¡°The highest bidder gets the wine,¡± Westin chuckled lightly. ¡°I believe that I was the highest bidder.¡±

    ¡°Whatever figure you name, I will double,¡± Daran sneered.

    ¡°Consider wisely before you make that decision, Mr. Larkin. You don¡¯t want to be enemy with the

    Lycans,¡± Westin warned.

    Mr. Larkin let out a frustrating sigh.

    He picked up a wooden box from the table, which presumably contained the wine, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t

    see why you can¡¯t take this back together¡­ But if you really want me to choose-

    He handed the wooden box to Daran.

    ¡°You have a lot of fans here in Blood Moon Pack, Alpha Daran, myself included.¡± Mr. Larkin said

    with a smile, ¡°We knew that you were by the side of our princess when you fought the Rogue King.

    So keep protecting her, please. Don¡¯t let us down.¡±

    Daran took the box.

    ¡°¡­I will,¡± said he in a slightly shaking voice.

    ¡°So that is the decision you make?¡± Westin asked icily, ¡°Be enemy with the Lycan?¡±

    Mr. Larkin puffed up his chest and replied haughtily, ¡°If you asked nicely, King, Westin, I might

    consider giving the wine to you. But you y the hierarchy card. I am not a big fan of that.¡±

    Westin let out a chillyugh.

    The door to the red¨Cbrick house opened up.

    J and Morgana saw Daran strode out carrying that wooden box in his arms.

    They immediately crouched down even lower, afraid that he might see him.

    Hurried footsteps came.

    Westin rushed out of the house as well.

    ¡°¡­Daran,¡± he called.

    Daran halted and turned around to look at him, ¡°What?¡±

    The corners of Westin¡¯s lips lifted into a meaningful smile.

    ¡°You think that I am going to let you walk away with that wine?¡± he chuckled, ¡°If I can¡¯t please J

    with that wine¡­Nobody else can.¡±

    He reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

    A gasp almost escaped J¡¯s lips.

    A gun!!!!

    Westin raised that gun aiming at Daran and pulled the trigger without hesitation-

    BANG!

    Gunfire echoed in the peaceful vineyard.

    Red drops sshed over the ground.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198

    J almost cried out.

    But then she saw it clearly-

    The red drops on the ground were not blood, but wine.

    The wooden box was shattered by the bullet, and so was the ss bottle containing the wine.

    The precious wine was spilled, not a single drop left.

    Daran stood on his stop, holding the mouth of that ss bottle, and looked back at Westin icily.

    ¡­You are fucking insane,¡± he said after a while.

    Westin chuckled and put his gun away.

    ¡°I was actually aiming at your head,¡± he replied breezily with a shrug. ¡°My shooting became a bit

    rusty. You should feel lucky.¡±

    A vein popped furiously on Daran¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°When J finds out about this-¡°he hissed.

    ¡°J won¡¯t find out a damn thing because I am telling her that the bottle that she asked for is sold

    out. At the end of the day, it is going to be my word against yours.¡±

    Daran¡¯s face darkened, which pleased Westin greatly.

    Westin blew a whistle, looking to be in a wonderful mood.

    ¡°Oh and whom do you think J will believe?¡±

    Westin paced over to Daran, enjoying his anger¨Cfilled face, ¡°Me? The person whom she finds very

    charming or attractive. Or you? The jealous old ex who has betrayed her once already? The answer

    seems pretty obvious to me, doesn¡¯t it?

    Daran¡¯s eyes were slits of burning rage.

    Blood trickled down his handsome face he got injured by a flying piece of ss earlier.

    ¡­Sooner orter, J will find out about who you really are,¡± he said in a harsh

    tone.

    Westin¡¯s lips curved, ¡°Possibly. But by that time, you will be long gone.¡±

    Mr. Larkin heard the explosive noise and rushed out of the house.

    ¡°My¨CMy wine!!!¡±

    He cried at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°Oh my god, it is all ruined! What did you do you manic

    Westin looked back at him with a leisurely look on his face, ¡°Bring me another bottle. I want the

    most expensive kind in this vineyard.¡±

    Mr. Larkin red at him, ¡°Forget it! This vineyard won¡¯t sell a single drop to you-¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Westin raised an eyebrow and pulled out his gun again, ying it between his long fingers.

    ¡°Now you see, I can shoot a bottle of wine from 10 feet away. It is going to be a lot easier if I were to

    aim at your head, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Mr. Larkin¡¯s face became pale instantly.

    ¡°What is the answer now, Mr. Larkin? Your princess is expecting me back home. It is rude to keep a

    lady waiting,¡± Westin smiled.

    Mr. Larking gulped, looking reluctant.

    ¡°Do as he said,¡± Daran said coolly.

    ¡°But Alpha Daran-

    ¡°It is fine.¡±

    Mr. Larkin cast a resentful look at Westin and mumbled, ¡°¡­There are staff at the reception desk.

    You can ask them for any wine you want.

    ¡°Fabulous!¡±

    Westin stepped on the broken ss of spilled wine and strode forward. He halted briefly by Daran¡¯s

    side and gave Daran a condescending smile:

    ¡°I guess I will see you back at the packhouse¡­Or don¡¯t.¡±

    He left.

    Mr. Larkin waited till he was gone and rushed over to Daran¡¯s side, ¡°That devil is fighting for our

    princess?! Alpha Daran! You can¡¯t let him have his way! You have to warn Princess J about

    him!¡±

    Daran rubbed his face, looking exhausted, ¡°¡­J won¡¯t believe me.¡®

    ¡°I will voucher for you! That Lycan is way too dangerous-¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Daran took in a deep breath, ¡°I will protect her the best I can. Now, I still need a bottle of

    wine before going back.¡±

    ¡°Of course! Of course! I can give you one of our oldest collections, something worth more than

    thousands of dors on the market-

    ¡°It is not about how much it values, but about its taste.¡±

    Daran interrupted Mr. Larkin and said, ¡°Balvina wanted that particr bottle because she likes the

    taste of it. Now do you have any wine that tastes simr?¡±

    Mr. Larkin rubbed his chin, pondering, ¡°Well¡­the wine that Luna Balvina requested is light¨Cbodied

    and bright, with a rich vor of raspberry and cinnamon. I think I have a simr barrel in storage, but

    we haven¡¯t bottled it yet¡­¡±

    ¡°Can you bottle it tonight?¡± Daran asked.

    ¡°We can but that will put you behind the Lycan-

    ¡°Do not worry about thepetition for now,¡± Daran said calmly. ¡°Balvina deserves a wine that she

    likes at her wedding.¡±

    ¡°Certainly. You can rest in your room, Alpha Daran. I will put my staff to work immediately and bring

    the bottle to you tomorrow morning¡­¡±

    They walked down the trail together and soon disappeared into the darkness.

    When all of them were gone, J and Morgana finally stepped out of the garden where they were

    hiding.

    ¡°Holy fuck!

    Morgana gasped by J¡¯s side, sounding angry and shocked, ¡°Do you know that Westin is like

    that? He looks like apletely different personpared to when he was in front of you!¡±

    J shook her head stiffly, ¡°L¡­I have no idea.¡±

    The Westin that she knew would never shoot something randomly just because he couldn¡¯t have it

    himself.

    And he would never threaten an innocent vineyard owner.

    Or maybe that was who he was¡­.all along.

    She was just fooled by him before.

    ¡°What are you going to do J?¡± Morgana asked hastily, ¡°You can¡¯t be with him, J! He is just

    being nice to you because you haven¡¯t recognized your mate bond yet! But when you do that and

    go to the Lycan¡¯snd with him, he will totally change! And by then you will have no one by your

    side to help you! That is terrible!¡±

    J held her head down in silence.

    ¡°J? Wake up! I know that Daran is a jerk, but this Lycan is totally fucked¨Cup¡­.¡±

    ¡°I have to go,¡± J raised her head and said abruptly.

    ¡°What¡­Go where?!¡±

    J didn¡¯t have the time to answer and rushed down the trail that Daran had taken earlier.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait up for me Morgana!¡± she cried.

    Morgana called her name again, but she was gone within seconds.

    The moon hung low in the velvety sky, casting a gentle glow over the sprawling vineyard that

    stretched as far as the eye could see.

    J¡¯s breath misted in the cool night air as she raced down the narrow trail between rows of

    grapevines.

    Their leaves shimmered in the soft moonlight.

    J rounded a curve.

    She caught a glimpse of Daran up ahead.

    His silhouette was framed by the silver glow.

    She quickened her pace, her footsteps crunching on the gravel path. The distant murmur of a gentle

    breeze through the vines created a soothing symphony, almost drowning out the racing of her

    heart.

    ¡°-Daran!¡±

    She called, her voice echoing through the quiet night.

    He stopped abruptly and turned to face her.

    The moonlight revealed the shock in his eyes.

    ¡°J?!¡± he gasped with rounded eyes, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    J got up to him, slightly out of breath.

    ¡­I am here to see Westin,¡± she said.

    The gleam in his eyes when he first saw her dimmed out gradually.

    ¡°He has already left,¡± he said deeply. ¡°You are one stepte.¡±

    J took another step further, looking straight into his eyes, ¡°And I saw. everything¡­how he shot

    the wine. How he threatened the Mr. Larkin.¡±

    Daran held his breath. There was clear tension in his eyes.

    ¦°

    ¡°¡­So.¡±

    He spoke up in a strained voice, ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±

    J took a deep breath, the scent of grapes filling her lungs, grounding her,

    ¡°Morgana and I did a lightning round the other day. She asked me, Daran or Westin? I said Westin,¡±

    she said.

    Daran pressed his lips into a thin line in silence.

    ¡°Do you know why I said Westin?¡± she pursued, almost brutally.

    He lowered his eyelids. His gorgeous eyes met with hers.

    ¡°¡­Because I lost you.¡±

    He said hoarsely.

    ¡°I had my chance with you and I blew it. You are now moving onto a future without me in it. It is¡­ It

    ispletely my fault.¡±

    She gritted.

    A wave of strong emotions washed over her as she cried, ¡°Yes, it is your fault! And you know what I

    hated the most? I hate that my brain stopped me before I could speak out Westin¡¯s full name! I hate

    that my first reaction after finding out that Westin is a fucked¨Cup guy was a relief!¡±

    His eyes widened.

    He suddenly cupped her face with both of his hands and asked, breathing very fast, ¡°What are you

    saying, J¡­¡±

    Her lips led.

    She looked back at him, her eyes watery, ¡°I hate myself the most¡­.for still loving your

    after everything that happened¡­¡±

    He froze,pletely.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°¡­Tell me that this isn¡¯t a dream¡­¡± he murmured in a daze.

    She grabbed his cor and whispered into his ears, ¡°Promise to me that you will never let me down,

    ever again.

    ¡±

    His eyes were brighter than the starry night sky.

    ¡°I promise¡­with my entire soul,¡± he said hoarsely.

    J stood on tiptoes and kissed him urgently.

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199

    They kissed each other hungrily, savoring the love and longing that represented this

    very moment.

    ¡­Do you want to get back to your room?¡± J whispered into Daran¡¯s ears, breathing very fast.

    Daran nibbled her neck, nodding without hesitation.

    Daran¡¯s guest room was right next to the field on the 5th floor, overlooking the entire vineyard.

    They stumbled into the dark room together with their tongues still intertwined with each other.

    As soon as they were in, J was shoved against the bed stool roughly.

    She tripped on the small rug lying next to the bed and almost fell. But Daran caught her just in time.

    He pulled her up, so their chests were pressed together.

    His hand traveled down her back until he grabbed her ass harshly.

    An electric current coursed through her body, causing the hairs on her skin to stand

    1. up.

    She groaned eagerly, mping her legs together, as she could feel his longing towards her as well.

    ¡°¡­I miss you,¡± he breathed heavily beside her ears.

    She closed her eyes and ced a hand on his crotch, gently circling around it.

    ¡°Ah¡­fuck!¡± he moaned, throwing his head to the back, enjoying this long¨Cawaited touch of hers.

    She unbuckled his pants and zipped them down. His hard dick stuck out immediately. She held it

    and moved her hand along, feeling his throbbing hardness. His hand slipped from her ass to her

    crotch at the same time, cupping her crudely, his fingers inserting into her already wet pussy.

    ¡°God Daran¡­¡±

    She shivered as he fingered her, forcefully. Her juice gushed out from her pussy and wet his

    fingers, his hand, and dripped down her legs.

    Her legs started to tremble even more violently. She could hardly stand straight. Daran scooped her

    up and threw her on the bed roughly.

    As her body bounced, he stripped his clothes off. Then he stepped up to the edge of the bed as she

    tried to sit up and pushed her down again.

    Jid on her back.

    Lust gleamed in her eyes as she looked at his handsome face, his broad shoulders, and his well¨C

    defined chest and abs.

    ¡°I want you,¡± she groaned.

    He epted her invitation eagerly.

    He groped her breasts over her shirt before tearing the hemm up to expose them.

    Her plummy breasts bounced, inviting him to have a taste of it.

    He couldn¡¯t help but bend down and catch her right¨Cside nipple with his mouth, his tongue circling

    around it and then gently took a bite of it.

    When that side of the nipple was wet and hard, he moved onto the other side.

    J moaned loudly, threading her fingers into his thick, dark hair.

    She wanted him.

    Daran sensed her longingness.

    He pulled her pants down her legs.

    He then put her legs up and spread them to expose her to his darkened gaze.

    She panted, her chest rising and falling rapidly, as his fingers pushed her panties aside, exposing

    her pussy to the air and his eyes.

    It was such a beautiful scene.

    He averted his head and nted a kiss on her inner thigh.

    ¡°You are already so fucking wet¡­ for me,¡± he murmured hoarsely.

    He teased her pussy and yed with her folds before roughly flipping her over onto her fours.

    ¡°¡­Fuck me, Daran!¡± she cried shakily as he climbed onto her body.

    Without any real preparation, he pressed the head of his dick against her wet entrance and then

    started pushing into her.

    In one smooth move, his entire cock was inside of her.

    ¡°Ahh!!¡±

    She trembled, overwhelmed by this sudden pleasure.

    Her wolf cheered joyfully internally as well.

    It felt so good to have her pussy filled and stretched by his big cock. She loved the feeling of this.

    She didn¡¯t even know that she missed the taste of him so much until he was back inside of her.

    Daran bit down on her naked shoulder from her back. His teeth sunk into her flesh, his cock still in

    her pussy, a total dominant posture..

    Yet she didn¡¯t mind the little pain.

    Actually, she loved that he was going rough.

    It served to remind her that she belonged to him, and he belonged to her as well.

    Daran rocked his butt and throbbed into her full length.

    He had waited for this for too long.

    He couldn¡¯t hold back.

    ¡°Fuck¡­you are still so fucking tight!¡± he growled by her ears, panting roughly.

    J groaned.

    Sheid her face on the bedsheet, her body rocking back and forth with his thrusts. She could feel

    her inner wall sucking onto his cock hungrily.

    So eager and horny.

    He pounded into her harder, their skin pping together, creating a harmonious. rhythm.

    Extreme pleasure built up in her body.

    She suddenly grabbed the bedsheet and threw her head to the back, ¡°Ah¨CDaran I think I am about

    toe

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    He yanked his cock out of her, crudely interrupting her orgasm.

    She groaned aint, unsatisfied.

    He chuckled, ¡°No so fast baby. Wait for me.¡±

    Yet he turned her around onto her back and mmed his dick back into her so hard

    that she cried out.

    He folded her legs up and hammered her.

    He fucked her so deep that she could feel the head of his cock hitting her cervix, which made her

    mind turn nk, her head clouded by pleasure.

    ¡°I aming Daran! F¨CFuck me! Don¡¯t stop!!!¡± she screamed, her nails digging into his flexed

    muscles.

    His jaw tightened, sweat dangling on his long eyshes, ¡°Me too babe¡­.Ah fuck!¡±

    He cum in her.

    She could feel her pussy filled by the cum shot.

    She dropped down andy there, catching her breath, while quietly enjoying the aftershock.

    He bent down with his cock still inside of her and kissed her forehead.

    ¡­Can I say those 3 words now?¡± he murmured hoarsely.

    ¡°What 3 words?¡±

    ¡°You asked me not to say that back in the Grace Ruin. You said that if you ever hear me say it, you

    will slit my throat.¡±

    Heid down behind her back, rounding her arms around her waist.

    ¡°Is the ban lifted now?¡± he asked.

    She blinked.

    It took her a second to realize that the 3 words that he talked about were ¡°I love you.¡±

    She was so mad at him earlier that she forbade him to ever mention love to her.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    She smiled in the darkness, ¡°Yeah, I think so¡­the ban is lifted.¡±

    He chuckled, his voice full of joy. He tightened his arms and whispered solemnly into

    her ears, ¡°¡­I love you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied in a yful tone.

    He groaned and nibbled her neck gently as punishment, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say I love you back?¡±

    She giggled but still kept her mouth shut.

    She enjoyed hanging him in the air like that. It was cruel and naughty. She knew. But she deserved

    being a little naught to him.

    He raised an eyebrow and sat back.

    With one quick move, he picked her up and threw her onto his shoulder.

    She gasped, ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    ¡°Taking you to shower,¡± he gran widely, ¡°There is a jacuzzi in the bathroom. Maybe I can get you to

    talk in there.¡±

    She giggled and struggled but he pped her butt to silence her.

    They went into the bathroom together.

    Daran kicked the door shut behind their back.

    <hr>The next morning, J woke up first.

    Daran was still sleeping soundly by her side. She pushed herself up on her elbows and studied his

    face.

    He was so handsome and youthful asleep.

    She could honestly watch him sleep all day.

    Maybe the part of her that loved him dearly was always there, waiting to be discovered.

    After a few minutes, J quietly got out of bed and got dressed.

    She left him a quick note telling him that she would head back to the packhouse first,

    and he should returnter with that bottled wine.

    Leaving the note on the pillow, she tiptoed out of the bedroom.

    She wanted to rush back to the packhouse before Daran so that she could have a conversation with

    Westin alone.

    Now that she had made up her mind, there was no point keeping Westin waiting.

    The drive was 6 hours long, but J didn¡¯t get bored at all.

    She was in a particrly good mood today. She even sang to country music the whole way back.

    She arrived at the packhouse around dusk.

    ¡°Princess J, you are back!¡±

    The steward in the lobby spotted her as soon as she stepped in and rushed to greet her, ¡°Alpha

    Casper was just asking for you. Should I let him know about your return right away?¡±

    J smiled, ¡°Actually I want to have a word with King Westin first. Have you seen him?¡±

    ¡°King Westin went hiking in the back mountain earlier today. He took the ssic hiking trail, which

    will take him at least a couple more hours,¡± the steward said. ¡°Should I send a message and let him

    know that you are expecting him?¡±

    ¡°No that is fine. I will go find him myself. Thank you.¡±

    It was probably for the best.

    If she was about to break up with Westin, she didn¡¯t want anybody by her side.

    J followed the trial and went deep into the mountain.

    The sun was setting on the horizon. Luckily for her, she found a trace of Westin before the night fell

    completely.

    He was at an overlook point.

    J walked up to him. She could already see his back behind the bush through the leaves.

    Just when she was about to call out his name, she heard a strange voice.

    A female¡¯s voice.

    ¡°My King, are you going toe back soon? Lady Agnes really misses you.¡±

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200

    ..Lady Agnes?

    J froze on her spot.

    She had never heard Westin mention that name to her.

    And that female voice said that Lady Agnes missed him¡­So was Lady Agnes his sister?

    Or even¡­his mistress?

    J chose to stay quiet for the moment and hid in the shadow of the bush, listening attentively.

    ¡°Soon. How is Agnes doing?¡± Westin asked.

    His voice was soft and gentle. It sounded like he really cared about this girl named Agnes.

    The woman he was talking to sighed, ¡°Not so well. Lady Agnes didn¡¯t have the appetite. She ate so

    little and rarely left her room. Although she still took her medicine, the doctor said that her illness

    was getting severe¡­¡±

    Westin¡¯s voice turned cold instantly, ¡°I asked you to take good care of her. And let me know if she

    got sick again. Did my order mean nothing to you?¡±

    The woman panicked.

    So did J.

    Westin was always nice to servants. This was the first time she saw him talking this harshly to a

    maid.

    J peeked through the leaves and saw the woman drop down on her knees.

    ¡°W¨CWe wanted to let you know. But Lady Agnes said that she didn¡¯t want you to worry about her.

    All she ever wanted was for you to be back, my king! When you return, I am sure that she will get

    better in no time.¡±

    Westin let out a frustrated sigh.

    ¡°Rise,¡± he said. ¡°Next time something happens to her, you let me know immediately. Other things

    can wait. She is my number one priority.¡±

    The woman pulled herself up slowly, ¡°I understand¡­But when will you be back, my king?¡±

    ¡°A weekter, I think. I just need to wrap things up with J. As soon as she agrees toe

    home with me, I will head back at once.¡±

    J¡¯s body tensed up at the mention of her own name.

    ¡°Has she said yes to your proposal, my king?¡± the woman asked.

    Westin let out a light snort, ¡°Not yet. But she doesn¡¯t have much of a choice. It is either me or

    Daran. She hates Daran. I am the best she can do. She is not stupid. She wille around soon ¡±

    ¡°Of course. Your proposal must be the best thing that happens to her in her lifetime,¡± the woman

    smiled. ¡°And about this Princess J¡­¡±

    She hesitated for a short moment.

    ¡°What about her?¡± Westin asked.

    ¡°Lady Agnes wants to know what she should expect. If everything works out as you nned, our

    lady will be living under the same court with Princess J¡­..Rumor says that this princess is a

    tough person to deal with. She is hot¨Ctempered and ill¨Cmannered. Ourdy is a delicate person. I

    fear that-¡±

    ¡°Agnes has nothing to worry about,¡± said Westin forcefully. ¡°I will keep J under control.¡±

    ¡°But that Princess is a warrior! If she pulls a sword against ourdy-

    Westin let out a shortugh, ¡°Pulling out a sword in the Lycan¡¯snd? No. J won¡¯t dare.¡±

    J rounded her eyes.

    What the fuck were they talking about?

    It sounded like they considered her a prisoner!

    And the thing that made her angry the most was that Westin didn¡¯t deny it at all when that woman

    called her ¡°hot¨Ctempered and ill¨Cmannered.¡±

    Was that how he really thought of her?

    And yet he talked about how much he loved her all the time, which appeared to be an

    utter lie!

    J felt lucky that she discovered who Westin really was before being tempted to

    choose him.

    She took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadow:

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother keeping me under control, Westin. Because I am not going to the Lycan¡¯snd with

    you.¡±

    Westin and the woman jerked around at the same time.

    Shock flickered across his eyes. Then his eyes darkened.

    ¡°You are back, J.¡±

    He smiled a charming smile, as though nothing had happened, ¡°I was looking all over for you. I

    brought back the wine that Balvina wanted.¡±

    J stared at him.

    He was just as charismatic as ever.

    Yet right now she found his smile very fake.

    She ignored him and turned to the woman he was talking to, ¡°What is your name?¡± The woman

    flinched, holding her head down, and murmured, ¡°¡­Fatima.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then Fatima. You can go back and tell yourdy to rx. Because I am not epting your

    king¡¯s proposal, and certainly not living under the same roof with her.¡®

    J paused, and then let out a sarcastic chuckle, ¡°And she was right about me. I am

    a hot¨Ctempered person who has absolutely no manners and curtsey. But lucky for her, I am not her

    problem to worry about.¡±

    Fatima bit her lips and cast a pleading look at Westin.

    ¡°Leave us,

    ¡°Westin said coolly.

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°There is no need, King Westin. I already rejected your proposal. You can

    head back immediately.¡±

    Westin¡¯s jaw tightened.

    He stressed, ¡°Leave.¡±

    Fatima hastily turned and disappeared behind the bushes.

    Westin walked up to J. He raised a hand to touch J¡¯s cheek, but she tilted her

    head and avoided his touch.

    ¡°I can exin, J,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t bother,¡± J said in a firm and calm voice. ¡°I wasing to let your know that I have

    made up my mind. Daran is my final choice. I didn¡¯t really know how to break it to you. But you just

    made everything a lot easier.¡±

    Westin stared at her, deadpan, ¡°You are choosing Daran? Think about how he has hurt you-

    ¡°At least I am confident to say that I am the only woman he ever loved.¡± J sneered, ¡°There

    might be other important things in his life, like his power and his pack, but his love for me is

    undeniable. And most importantly, he will never speak ill

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    of me behind my back.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything-

    J interrupted him with a frown, ¡°Why do you want me so much, Westin? There is a mate bond,

    yes. Bur

    if you have deep feelings for another woman, just quit wasting your time on me. Take Casper and

    Balvina as an example. They are happy enough without a mate bond.¡±

    ¡°I want you because I love you.¡± Westin said without hesitation, ¡°I have fallen in love with you ever

    since I met you for the first time in the Grace Ruin.¡±

    J found that so absurd that she almostughed.

    If he really loved her, he would never speak of her like that behind her back.

    ¡°Love¡± was simply a tool that Westin used to manipte her.

    ¡°You are a woman ma, Westin. I will give you that.¡± J said with an icy smile on her lips, ¡°But

    you might have too much confidence in your charms. And when ites to love, you are a terrible

    liar.¡±

    There was a cold and tight expression on Westin¡¯s face, as though he was going to flip the next

    second.

    Yet a short momentter, he contained his temper and rxed.

    That familiar, idle smile appeared on his lips again.

    ¡°You think I was lying to you? I am hurt, J.¡± he crossed his arms and said, ¡°Every word I said,

    every confession I made was real. And as for Agnes-¡±

    ¡°I told you. I am not interested to know-¡±

    ¡°Hear me out,¡± he said forcefully. ¡°Agnes is a family friend. We grew up together. But she is already

    mated to another man, a close friend of mine actually. So nothing will ever happen between me and

    her.¡±

    ¡°But I can tell that you care about her,¡± J shrugged. ¡°And I am not getting into this love affair of

    yours. It is over between us, Westin.¡±

    Westin narrowed his eyes, ¡°There is still time before the wedding. Don¡¯t rush into any conclusion,

    J Give me another chance and let me prove my feelings to you-

    ¡°Seriously. Don¡¯t bother. A sick girl is waiting for you. You should go home as soon as possible.¡±

    A deathly silence fell upon them.

    Westin didn¡¯t say anything else. Maybe he hade to realize that her rejection was for real.

    A storm was forming in his eyes. A dark, scary look appeared on his face.

    J couldn¡¯t help but take a small step back.

    A chill that had nothing to do with the night breeze in the mountain stole over her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up, Westin.¡± she said hastily under pressure, ¡°If you won¡¯t reject me, I will.¡±

    She took a deep breath before announcing, ¡°I, J Manning, hereby reject Wes-

    Yet she didn¡¯t get to finish her rejection.

    A sharp pain came from her neck and shot through her body!

    It was Westin.

    He took a hard hit on the back of her neck, knocking her down!

    J crushed to the ground, her eyes widened in shock, her lips trembling.

    Even at this very moment, she still couldn¡¯t believe that Westin would do such a thing to her¡­

    ¡°You are making a terrible mistake, J.¡±

    Westin¡¯s handsome face appeared in her blurred vision. He smiled, coldly, looking down at her

    pain¨Cstricken face.

    ¡°But luckily, I can fix your mistake,¡± he said.

    He took another hit on her neck, knocking her out.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201

    It was almost 12 o¡¯clock at night.

    When Daran stepped into the packhouse¡¯s lobby, he was immediately weed by a

    hectic crowd.

    There was a worried and tensed expression on every maid and servant¡¯s face.

    Casper stood in the center of the crowd, with Balvina by his side, and was roaring at

    the soldiers:

    ¡°-I don¡¯t fucking care how you find her! You can search the mountain and turn this pack upside down

    and it is fine with me! JUST FUCKING FIND HER!!!¡±

    Daran¡¯s face tensed immediately.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Morgana cried behind Daran¡¯s back.

    Casper clenched his fists and gritted, ¡°¡­J is missing.¡±

    Morgana rounded her eyes, ¡°What do you mean missing? She was at the vineyard yesterday with

    me! And Daran told me that she drove back by herself earlier today. Where has she been since?

    ¡°We wished that we knew!¡± Balvina said with a frustrated face, ¡°The surveince camera captured

    her going into the back mountain a couple of hours ago. But there has been no sign of her since.¡±

    Daran pulled out his phone and wanted to try J¡¯s number. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    But Casper stopped him, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. We tried that already. At first, it just kept ringing. Then her

    phone was turned off.¡±

    That was definitely odd.

    Why would J turn off her phone?

    ¡°Let¡¯s not get too wired up.¡± Morgana said, trying to ease up people¡¯s nerves, ¡°She went into the

    mountain, right? Maybe she went hiking. Let¡¯s see if shees back. tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°But hiking during the night? Without letting anyone know? It doesn¡¯t sound like her!¡± Casper said

    urgently.

    Anxiety boiled up in Daran¡¯s chest.

    He found this strange as well.

    Then he thought back to the note that she left him on the pillow, which read:

    Don¡¯t want to wake you up. I am heading back to the packhouse first. Something I need to deal

    with. Come and find me when you are back. Love, J.

    ¡­Something she needed to deal with¡­

    Daran snapped his head up and hissed, ¡°Where the hell is Westin!¡±

    nk shock showed in people¡¯s faces.

    ¡°¡­W¨CWe didn¡¯t see him,¡± Balvina stuttered.

    A soldier stepped up and said, ¡°We searched the Lycan¡¯s room earlier. Didn¡¯t find Princess J

    there.¡±

    ¡°What about Westin and his own men?¡± Daran pursued.

    The soldier shook his head, ¡°Their rooms are all empty. No sign of King Westin, nor his men.¡®

    ¡°What the fuck-¡°Casper cried.

    ¡°J came back to talk to Westin,¡± Daran said in a hurried voice. ¡°She is ending things with him. If

    their conversation didn¡¯t go well-¡±

    Balvina covered her mouth with her hands, ¡°You think he will hurt her?!¡±

    ¡°How dare he!¡± Casper roared furiously, ¡°This is the Blood Moon Pack! I don¡¯t fucking care if he is a

    Lycan! I will skin him alive if he touches my sister!!¡±

    Just then, Kass strode into the lobby with a group of soldiers behind him.

    ¡°I searched the mountain. I didn¡¯t find J,¡± he said hastily. ¡°But this guy said that he knew

    something.¡±

    He called to the soldiers, and they brought up a steward.

    The steward seemed panic¨Cstricken. He dropped to his knees and cried in a shaky voice, ¡°I¨CI talked

    to Princess J around dusk¡­¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something sooner!¡± Casper rushed forward and grabbed the steward¡¯s cor,

    ¡°What did she say?!¡±

    ¡°She asked me where King Westin was¡­I told her that King Westin went into the back mountain,

    and she said that she would go find him¡­¡±

    This confirmed Daran¡¯s word!

    J was really with Westin before she went missing!

    ¡°Search for Westin!!¡± Casper yelled, ¡°Find the Lycans! NOW!¡±

    ¡°I have my men on it already.¡±

    Kass looked up from his phone with an anxious face, ¡°They just reported back¡­The surveince

    camera captured a car leaving the packhouse and heading down south 2 hours ago¡­

    ¡°They took J away!¡± Balvina shrieked angrily.

    Daran turned on his heels abruptly and dashed to the front door.

    Rage and hatred clouded his mind.

    ¡­Westin!

    When he found that son of a bitch, he would fucking KILL HIM!

    <hr>J woke up from the slumber with a splitting headache and found herself in the back of a

    truck.

    Memory from before she passed out came back to her gradually.

    And she remembered, the conversation she had with Westin, how he hit her on the neck and

    knocked her out.

    She tried to sit up.

    But then she found that both of her hands and feet were tied up with ropes. There was also duct

    tape on her mouth, keeping her from crying out for help.

    She also got a bitter taste in her mouth. Probably wolfsbane. To keep her from shifting.

    Fury surged up in her chest.

    ¡­Westin!

    Where was that fucking jerk taking her?!

    She used her knees and elbows to crawl forward and approached the back door of the

    truck. The door rattled as the car drove forward and there was a crack between the doors.

    She narrowed her eyes and peeked through that narrow crack.

    They were driving down a freeway.

    It didn¡¯t seem anywhere she had been to before.

    The roadsides were lined with brown and withered vegetation. Everything seemed bleak and

    deserted. There weren¡¯t any buildings within her sight.

    The moon was hanging in the middle of the night sky.

    J remembered that she was knocked over before the night fellpletely.

    So if she hadn¡¯t stayed unconscious for more than one day, it probably would have been just a

    couple of hours.

    And it was highly likely that they were still in Blood Moon Pack.

    Which meant that there was still a chance for her to escape.

    J took in a deep breath.

    She gathered all her might and kicked on the rattling door with both of her legs!

    BANG!

    A loud noise echoed in the truck.

    She kicked again.

    BANG!

    The truck halted to a sharp stop.

    She perked up her ears and heard sounds of the door opening and closing, heavy footsteps

    approaching, and then-

    The truck¡¯s door was wrenched up from the outside.

    Westin stood outside of the truck. Silver moonlight depicted his handsome profile.

    He looked at her furious face and lifted his lips into a faint smile:

    ¡°What is the matter? Are you hungry? Or do you need to pee?¡±

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202

    J made a muffled cr

    Her mouth was still taped.

    She couldn¡¯t speak.

    The smile on Westin¡¯s lips deepened as he said, ¡°Oh my apologies. You can¡¯t talk without that duct

    tape on your mouth. But if I take that off, can you promise me to be a good girl and stay quiet?¡±

    It sounded like he was talking to hisp dog!

    J red at him in silence. If one¡¯s gaze could kill, Westin would have died a million times.

    Westin smiled. ¡°I know that you are angry. But screaming is just a waste of energy Let me remind

    you that we are in the middle of nowhere. Nobody wille to your rescue even if you cry out loud.

    So how about we keep things civil and have a nice conversation like the grownups? Deal?¡±

    J wanted to rip off that smug face of his and tear it into a thousand pieces.

    But she was in his hands now.

    Struggling did her no good.

    She had to deal with this delicately.

    After a short pause, she gave him a small nod.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Westin beamed.

    He ripped that duct tape off her mouth.

    Once her mouth was free, J immediately sucked in a deep breath, hungry for the fresh air.

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± she demanded at once.

    Westin chuckled lightly, ¡°Because I love you, J, and you are going to leave me for another man.

    Jealousy makes people do crazy things.¡±

    ¡°LIE!¡± J hissed, ¡°You have no feelings for me! So stop insulting me with what you call ¡®love¡® and

    give me the truth!¡±

    The smile on his lips faded a little.

    ¡°I do have some feelings for you, J. You can¡¯t deny that,¡± he said tly.

    J gave him a look of deep disgust, ¡°You are such a shameless liar. Just cut the crap, will you?¡±

    Those words seemed to bite physically into Westin.

    He took in a deep breath.

    That charismatic smile on his face waspletely gone now.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    He said darkly, crossing his arms, ¡°I need a werewolf as Queen.¡±

    J rounded her eyes.

    That was his big reason?

    He needed a werewolf wife, so he abducted her?!

    WHAT THE FUCK!

    ¡°There are many she¨Cwolves who are crazy about you. Like those maids in the Grace Ruin, even

    some girls in Blood Moon Pack! You can very well find a woman who is willing. Why the hell does it

    have to be me!¡± she cried angrily.

    Westin clicked his tongue impatiently:

    ¡°Those lowborn women are good to have some casual fun with. They don¡¯t deserve to be my

    queen.¡±

    J¡¯s body trembled in rage, ¡°So I deserve to have you? Oh my! How lucky am I!¡±

    Westin pretended that he didn¡¯t sense J¡¯s sarcastic tone and replies in an

    ¡°Inst a she wolt with a noble identity. You happen to have that. Plus you are my mate Everything

    works out perfectly

    Except that he didn¡¯t take her will into consideration!

    What an egoistic prick!

    ¡°Why do you need a werewolf as Queen? I thought you found the werewolves beneath you,¡± she

    asked gruntly.

    ¡°That is none of your business,¡± he said, orthand.

    Did he even listen to himself while he talke

    ¡°Then don¡¯t expect me to y along!¡± she huttest, ¡°I will right you tooth and nail! i will smash the

    fucking crown you ce on my head and stomp on it so hard that

    He caught her throat forcefully with one hand.

    ¡°Why did you choose Daran over me? Things would have been so much easier it you had

    made the right choice,¡± he said in a bleak voice.

    She struggled, fiercely.

    But couldn¡¯t break free from his mon grip

    ¡°I am a much better partner than Daran. You know that,¡± he said while tightening his grip around her

    throat. ¡°I know how to please a woman, how to make herugh, how to satisty her need. You could

    have it all, J. Why do you have to push me away?¡±

    J couldn¡¯t breathe.

    Her body began to twitch in suffocation.

    Westin leaned in and whispered into her ears, ¡°There are 3 to 4 days ahead before we arrive at the

    Lycan¡¯snd¡­I think it is better it you stay asleep.¡±

    He squeezed his hand.

    J¡¯s eyes rolled to the back.

    She passed out again..

    <hr>The Blood Moon Pack hadpsed intoplete chaos since Princess J went missing.

    All the soldiers were sent out to look for her.

    Thes south,

    camera captured Westin¡¯s car leaving the packhouse and heading

    Daran and Casper brought an army with them and went down south following that lead.

    But they lost track of Westin again near the pack¡¯s border.

    The car that Westin took out of the packhouse was abandoned by the roadside.

    They searched the car, but it was clean. There wasn¡¯t a shred of evidence that could lead the

    investigation for them.

    Casper had the soldiers searched the border, inch by inch, exhausting all their resources, and

    turning the soil upside down.

    He refused to leave until he found his sister.

    But still, there were no signs of Westin and J whatsoever.

    It almost seemed that they vanished in thin air.

    On the third day, everyone was forced to face the harsh reality-

    J was gone.

    ¡°FUCK!¡±

    Casper cursed loudly and stubbed the cigarette butt on the front of his car with all his might.

    The search team had just reported back to him: Today¡¯s search was in vain, again. He and Daran

    were standing on the borderline, gazing into the distance. The sun was selling into the horizon,

    casting a bleak light onto the wilderness.

    Another day was gone.

    Chances of finding J became slimmer and slimmer with the past of time.

    ¡°It is all my fault.¡±

    Casper said, raking his fingers through his hair, frustrated:

    ¡°I should never let the Lycans step into our pack! I should ask J to stay away from that bastard

    on day one-

    ¡°No. It is not your fault. I am the one to me,¡± Daran said darkly. ¡°I should have killed Westin long

    before and eliminated all risks. But I didn¡¯t¡­I couldn¡¯t.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have what it took to kill a Lycan.

    ¡­And that was what he med himself the most.

    Casper took a quick nce at Daran.

    The two of them didn¡¯t have any shut eyes in days, but Daran was in worse shape.

    His eyes were bloodshot. There were dark circles under his eyes.

    Even under great stress, he was still very handsome with no doubt. But it seemed as though part of

    his soul was missing.

    There was a haunted look in his eyes, a mixture of fear, frustration, and desperate determination.

    ¡°You should get some sleep,¡± Casper couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°You can¡¯t keep up like this. It will crush

    you.¡±

    Daran said without hesitation, ¡°I will sleep when I find J.¡±

    Casper understood his worry.

    But how long was that going to be?

    If they were being realistic, it could be days, months, or even years before they found J..

    Daran would definitely crush at some point.

    Casper wanted to talk some sense into Daran. But before he said anything, a series of

    footsteps came from the near distance.

    He turned around and found Balvina running towards them, with Morgana and Kass

    behind her back.

    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ¡°Casper! Daran!¡± she cried in a hurried voice.

    ¡°What are you doing here!¡± Casper rushed to her, ¡°I told you to stay and rest in the packhouse. You

    are pregnant-

    Balvina grabbed his hand, breathing very fast, ¡°Forget that! Morgana just told me that there was a

    way to find J!¡±

    Daran jerked around abruptly, and his bloodshot eyes widened.

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± he snapped.

    Morgana nodded hastily, ¡°It just urred to me¡­Daran, you are the only one who can take us to

    J!¡±

    Casper blinked in a daze, ¡°What are you talking about? Daran doesn¡¯t know where they are either-¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t, for now, because it is impossible for us werewolves to track the Lycans.¡±

    Morgana stared at Daran.

    ¡°Which is why I think it is time for you to be the Werewolf King, Daran.¡±

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203

    There was a short moment of silence.

    Then Daran spoke up with a tight frown, ¡°We don¡¯t know if that will help us. find J.¡±

    ¡°But we gotta try!¡± Morgana balled her fists, saying hastily. ¡°The Lycans apparently don¡¯t want a

    Werewolf King. Why? Because the Werewolf King is the only person who has the power to stand up

    to the Lycans! Possibly the only one who can track. down the Lycans! That is our only chance!¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it!¡± Casper said hoarsely, ¡°I am willing to make a deal with a devil just to get my sister

    back!¡±

    All eyes were on Daran at the moment, waiting for him to make a decision.

    Yet the furrow between his brows grew deeper.

    And he still hadn¡¯t said anything.

    ¡°What the fuck are you waiting for Daran! Don¡¯t you want to get J back?¡± Casper snapped.

    Morgana was equally perplexed, ¡°Yeah, what is the hold¨Cup? I thought this was what you want the

    most! You even made friends with Lance for this! We are handing you the crown right now. What

    the hell are you waiting for?¡±

    Daran took in a deep breath, an anxious expression on his face.

    He wanted this. Yes. But¡­

    He could still remember how J used him of being maniptive and power¨Chungry.

    After that night in the vineyard, he decided to give up on his n.

    J didn¡¯t like a power¨Chungry man. Fine. Then he wouldn¡¯t be that g

    guy.

    He wanted to prove to J that between her and the power, she was the more important one.

    If she found out that he crowned himself as King behind her back, would she be mad at him again?

    But he couldn¡¯t stand her being mad at him.

    What he couldn¡¯t stand was losing her forever.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do this. Now,¡± he said hoarsely.

    Casper cried out at once, ¡°Great! So how does this work? How can he be the Werewolf

    King?¡±

    ¡°Lance told us that this ritual involves the Rogue King offering his blood voluntarily to an Alpha,¡±

    Morgana said quickly. ¡°Kass, will you?¡±

    Kass stepped up at once.

    He pulled out a dagger and made a cut on his hand. Blood dripped down from his fingertips.

    ¡°What should I do? Feed my blood to you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Hand me that dagger,¡± Daran said.

    Holding the dagger in his hand, Daran turned the point to himself and struck it directly into his

    chest!

    Blood gushed out immediately.

    The crowd gasped together.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Casper cried.

    ¡°It will kill you!¡± Balvina yelled.

    ¡°No¡­No it won¡¯t¡­That was how Lance did it¡­¡±

    Daran held his wounded chest, his face quickly turning pale due to the blood loss.

    ¡°Now¡­drip your blood onto my wound.¡±

    He said to Kass, gritting his teeth in pain.

    ¡°¡­And say that you recognize me as King to rule both worlds, the werewolves and the rogues¡­¡±

    Kass held his hand on Daran¡¯s wound.

    He squeezed his fists.

    Blood dripped down, seeped into the wound, and mixed with Daran¡¯s blood.

    He began in a strained voice:

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I, Kastor Lane, the King of the Rogues, hereby recognize Daran Albright as the Werewolf King,

    sovereign of the werewolves and the rogues!¡±

    Everyone held their breaths, staring at Daran¡¯s bleeding wound.

    ¡°Look!¡± Balvina gasped.

    A ray of light shone from his bleeding wound, as though his heart was just set on fire!

    That light quickly spread to the rest of his body.

    His veins were illuminated under his skin. It almost seemed that hotva was flooding in his veins,

    not blood.

    Daran made a painful cry and dropped down on one knee.

    Veins popped on his forehead. His body trembled violently, as though going through some

    unbearable pain.

    He snapped his head up-

    Intricate patterns had crawled up onto his face, threading around his eyes.

    And the color of his pupils has changed as well.

    It became a golden red, like a burning fire!

    ¡°What is going on!!¡± Casper yelled, taking a step back. ¡°Is that¨CIs that normal?!¡± Morgana cried

    back, ¡°We don¡¯t know! Nobody here has ever be King before!¡±

    Daran arched his back in pain.

    He opened his mouth.

    A deafening howl escaped his throat.

    He shifted into a giant ck wolf¨Cevenrger than his original size¨Cand the light within his body

    grew brighter.

    With a booming noise, mes soared up, consuming the ck wolf.

    The scorching heat caused everyone to stumble back in panic.

    ¡°There is definitely something wrong!¡± Casper roared, ¡°FUCK! If he burns himself, how will we find

    J?!¡±

    Kass cried, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Maybe this works like the phoenix¡¯s rebirth! Dying in the mes and reborn

    from the ashes-

    ¡°But he is not a phoenix, isn¡¯t he?! He is just a fucking wolf!¡±

    The soaring mes burned for minutes before gradually dying out.

    The crowd rushed in at once.

    They found a giant wolf lying on the ashes.

    Its whole body was now imprinted with intricate patterns. A patch of golden fur appeared on its

    forehead.

    ¡°Daran!¡± Morgana crouched down and called into its ears.

    The wolf¡¯s eyelids fluttered and then slowly opened up.

    Those eyes were like fierce mes.

    ¡°I can smell the Lycans.¡±

    Daran spoke up in a weak yet firm voice.

    ¡°They are gathered in the i Mountains down south. We should leave, now.¡±

    <hr>J slowly opened her eyes.

    It felt as though she had been asleep for a very, very long time.

    Her body was numb and stiff. Her mind was nk. It took her a long while to realize where she

    was.

    She was still lying in the back of that truck, which was packed still right now.

    She tried to pull herself up but couldn¡¯t gather a shred of energy.

    Probably because of the wolfsbane that they fed her.

    Or simply because she hadn¡¯t eaten anything in a long time.

    ¡­How long had it been since Westin abducted her?

    It felt like days, which meant that they had left the Blood Moon Pack already and it would be even

    more difficult for her to escape.

    J struggled to sit up and came close to the truck¡¯s door.

    Her hands were no longer tied.

    So she raised a hand and carefully pushed the iron door.

    It swung open a crack.

    The door was not locked!

    J reined her excitement as she pushed the door a little further, taking a peek outside.

    She saw an endless green, apanied by muggy heat.

    The truck seemed to have driven into a rainforest.

    And the best part was¨Cnobody was around now.

    J didn¡¯t think twice before jumping off the truck and dashed forward as fast as she could!

    Her heart pounded in her chest as she stumbled through the dense woods.

    She didn¡¯t know where she was going.

    A heavy fog veiled the path ahead, making every step a gamble.

    But that didn¡¯t matter.

    As long as she was getting away from the truck, it was fine.

    Her clothes clung to her skin as she ran. The mud¨Cslicked ground made each step difficult. But she

    pushed forward anyway.

    The forest was extremely quiet with the heavy fog, broken only by herbored. breaths and hurried

    steps, creating an eerie atmosphere.

    After what felt like 20 minutes, J finally saw a vague shadow behind the mist ahead.

    Could it be a passerby?

    Maybe she could ask for help.

    J picked up her pace, closing the gap between her and that shadow.

    And eventually, she saw clearly what that shadow was.

    ¡­ It was the exact truck that she escaped from!

    J stood on her spot, and froze, her chest heaving, with a chill running down her spine.

    She had circled back to the beginning point.

    What the fuck was wrong with this goddamn ce!

    A hand was ced on her shoulder from behind.

    J jumped.

    Somebody leaned close to her ears and whispered with a smile in his voice: ¡°Wee to the

    Lycan¡¯snd, my love.¡±

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204

    J¡¯s back became stiff.

    Slowly, she turned around to face him.

    You have been watching me the whole time?¡± she asked in a cold voice.

    Westin gave her a crooked smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to stop you from your daily exercise.

    You have slept for days. It is good to stretch out a bit.¡±

    J suppressed the temptation to p him, ¡°Why did I circle back here? I ran straight ahead!¡±

    ¡°You thought you ran straight ahead. But the fog in these mountains had its own power. Outsiders

    are bound to get lost. Only Lycans know the way around it.¡±

    J bit her lips in frustration.

    Fuck.

    No wonder Westin untied her.

    Now she couldn¡¯t escape even if she managed to find a moment alone.

    ¡°Speaking of which-¡±

    Westin caught her chin, raised her head up, and stared into her eyes, ¡°Do you know that Daran just

    became the Werewolf King?¡±

    J was stunned, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That is right. I just got a message back from my man, saying that he officially crowned himself

    earlier today. You see. He doesn¡¯t really care about you that much. Once you are gone, he simply

    can¡¯t wait to embrace his dear power.¡±

    J¡¯s heart rate quickened for a short moment.

    But she quickly calmed herself down.

    ¡°You are wrong,¡± she said.

    The cocky smile froze on Westin¡¯s lips. ¡± How so?¡±

    ¡°Werewolf can¡¯t track the Lycans. If Daran wants to find me, the only way is to be the Werewolf

    King first. He didn¡¯t do it for the power. He did it for me.¡® Westin¡¯s face gradually darkened.

    ¡°You have a lot of confidence in him,¡± he snorted.

    ¡°Of course because he is the man I love-¡±

    Westin tightened his grip on J¡¯s chin abruptly.

    ¡°Do not say that you love him in front of me!¡± he hissed.

    J stared back at him defiantly, ¡°Why? The mighty Lycan King can¡¯t handle at little truth?¡±

    Just then, footsteps came from their backs.

    A group of Lycans emerged from the mist. Standing up front was Edwin.

    ¡°My King,¡± Edwin said. ¡°The elders and Lady Agnes are expecting you at the castle¡¯s front gate-¡±

    ¡°Not now!¡± Westin growled.

    Edwin held his head down low.

    He and the other Lycans immediately drew back into the fog again.

    ¡°You should go,¡± J looked at him coldly. ¡°Lady Agnes is waiting for you.¡±

    Westin let go of her chin.

    After a short pause, he spoke up in a business¨Clike tone, ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, J.¡±

    ¡°I am not interested in making any-¡±

    ¡®You will hear me out,¡± he said forcefully. ¡°When I bring you in front of the elderster, I expect you

    to behave obediently. You will pretend that we are in love, and you

    can¡¯t wait for us to mate.¡±

    J let out a loud, sarcasticugh, ¡°And why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°Because there is no escape for you, whatsoever,¡± Westin said grimly. ¡°Work with me, you will have

    my protection in the castle. Disobey me, I will leave you to be skinned alive by the Lycans. Let me

    warn you¨Csome of my people are not very fond of you werewolves.¡±

    J narrowed her eyes.

    She could tell that Westin¡¯s threat was real.

    And there was one thing that caught her attention particrly-

    ¡°Why do I need your protection in your own castle?¡± she asked.

    Westin clicked his tongue but didn¡¯t say anything.

    J continued, ¡°Let me guess, your home isn¡¯t exactly a wondend, is it?

    Someone is a threat to you, right? Possibly¡­the elders?¡±

    Westin crossed his arms, a defensive posture, ¡°Do you have to be such a know¨Cit¨Call

    the whole time?¡±

    ¡°When my life is in danger, I prefer to stay on top of things.¡±

    He let out a shortugh, ¡°I will fill you in about everything once we have a deal. So, J, do we

    have a deal?¡±

    J quietly evaluated the situation for a while.

    ¡°Only temporary.¡±

    She said eventually, ¡°I will put on an act with you in front of the elders. But you can¡¯t force me to

    recognize the mate bond.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Westin shrugged, ¡°In the end, you wille around yourself.¡±

    His attitude was condescending and arrogant.

    He probably believed that J didn¡¯t have any choice but to work with him now that she was in his

    hands.

    But J knew that the Lycan¡¯snd wouldn¡¯t hold her forever.

    Sooner orter, she would find a way out of this.

    She always did.

    They briefly shook hands on their temporary partnership.

    Westin blew a whistle. Edwin and the other Lycans stepped out of the fog again.

    ¡°Let us go,¡± Westin said to them, hopping into the car.

    The car drove forward, deeper into the mist that hung over the rainforest.

    This time, J was granted the chance to sit in the passenger¡¯s seat.

    She peered out of the car window.

    The winding mountain road clung to the slopes like a serpentine ribbon, carrying them further into

    the heart of the majestic peaks.

    The air grew crisper, and the scent of pine trees mingled with the distant aroma of wildflowers.

    Then, as if emerging from the very stone of the mountains, a grand castle appeared in the valley

    below.

    J couldn¡¯t help but let out a little gasp of shock

    ¡°Pretty amazing, huh?¡± Westin asked by her side.

    J kept her eyes on that approaching castle.

    She didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    But it was the most amazing architecture she had seen so far.

    The castle stood like a sentinel, its spires reaching towards the heavens, and its walls

    adorned with intricate carvings.

    It seemed to defy gravity, nestled against the imposing backdrop of the peaks, and its towers

    touched the edges of the passing clouds.

    The setting sun bathed the castle in a warm, golden glow, casting a magical aural over the entire

    valley.

    J had seen many great architectures before.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    The exotic pce built on the wastnd of the Grace Ruin.

    Seenes could get a closer look at these people, a slim figure rushed in and threw herseli mie

    Weson¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Wesam¡± she gasped a sweet voice.

    3 sout smile appeared on Westin¡¯s is as he held that woman tightly. ¡°Agnes, Dow are your 1 heard

    that you were sick¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t Isten to them. I am ime I just really miss you. That is all ste subbed

    So this was the woman that Westim cared about the most

    James surveyed her

    She was dressed in a my long dress made of silk andce. The skin fluttered in the hosen as she

    moved.

    Be skin was pale, almost ansturen. The jaimes flush of rose touched the desi

    Bet Jeanines were reimed, each time and contour sculed with the precision of a mastet artisan

    High chestbones gave her an aristocratic elegance, and her one¨Clike eyes pools of vulnerability,

    stacked with an intare swarmeSS

    She possessed a fragile and pine worldly beauty firm made any man who save V in mer her

    ¡°Agnes¡±

    Westin sounder around to facene and intodved them. ¡°I want you to me with To make my Tuture

    queen, J Nanning¡±

    A warm smile tugged at Agnes¡¯s lims as she stepped up and pulled are in for a nus

    ¡°Of course, I have been looking forward to seeing you. Jates,¡± sie said softly

    She looked nice.

    Yetter was on high aler

    She still remembered how this woman called her ¡°h¨Ctempered and ill¨Cnamered behind her back

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Janer said, ather coldly

    Agnes beckoned to a maid, who fought over a jug of water

    ¡°J. I want to personally wee you to our castle,¡± Agnes smiled

    She held the jug

    Out of a sudden, she raised her hands and poured the entire jug of water onto J

    SLASH

    ice¨Ccold water can down J¡¯s body, drenching her hair and clothes

    Janer froze on her spot, as water drops drippled down and formed a small pool underneath her feet

    The dreer fiated

    Agnes was handing the jug back to the maid, but J snatched the jug from her first

    Using the jug as a weapon, J smashed it down on Agnes¡¯s delicate shoulder! BANG!

    The ss jug scattered into pieces.

    Agnes let out a sharp cry, falling to the ground.

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the watching crowd.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Westin snapped furiously.

    J ignored him.

    ¡°Rumors about me are correct.¡±

    She said quietly, looking down at Agnes¡¯s horror¨Cstricken face.

    ¡°I am hot¨Ctempered and ill¨Cmannered¡­so DO NOT MESS WITH ME.¡±

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205

    Agnes¡¯s body trembled on the ground,

    She stared at J as though she was some sort of a monster.

    ¡°Agnes!¡±

    Westin rushed to help Agnes up. He touched her shoulder to make sure that she didn¡¯t have a

    broken bone and then cried out to the others, ¡°Get Lady Agnes to the medical room!¡±

    Servants rushed over, along with the maid that J met in Blood Moon Pack, Fatima.

    Together they supported Agnes¡¯s delicate body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, mydy,¡± said Fatima as she cast a resentful look at J. ¡°Let¡¯s go, my

    ¡°Don¡¯t me J, Westin.¡±

    Agnes tucked at Westin¡¯s sleeves before being taken away. There were tears in her

    eyes.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t know about our tradition¡­I should have warned her before I poured the water¡­it was

    entirely my fault,¡± she sobbed.

    Westinforted her and promised her that he woulde over and check on herter.

    When Agnes was gone, he finally turned to J with a cold face.

    ¡°We wee our guests by sprinkling water onto them. It is part of tradition,¡± he said.

    J snorted, ¡°She didn¡¯t sprinkle. She poured. An entire jug of water. Or is insulting

    your guest part of your tradition?¡±

    Westin frowned.

    Just then, a grey¨Ccloaked man stepped out of the crowd and said in a booming voice,

    ¡°The Lycan¡¯s castle is a sacred ce. We ssh water onto the outsiders to cleanse their bodies

    and souls and to prepare them before entering the sacrednd. Your behavior was disgraceful, Miss

    Manning, and it was all because of your ignorance.¡±

    Cleansing her soul?

    And her ignorance?

    J let out a sarcasticugh.

    These Lycans were even more arrogant than she imagined!

    ¡°Your King chose me, a werewolf, to be your Queen. So I am not an outsider. You all are my

    subject,¡± she said in a freezing tone. ¡°And to be perfectly clear¨Cmy soul DOES NOT need

    cleansing.¡±

    ¡°It is just a tradition-¡±

    ¡°If you want me to respect your tradition, you will first learn to respect me, your future Queen.¡±

    The muttering crowdpsed into silence.

    The grey¨Ccloaked man paused for a while before turning to Westin and said, ¡°Your mate needs a

    good lesson on curtsey, my King. We can¡¯t present her to the people. like this at the moment.¡±

    ¡°I am aware,¡± agreed Westin a little crossly.

    He took J¡¯s wrist and yanked her forward.

    The crowd of cloaked people parted and made a way for them toe through, bowing as they

    walked past.

    ¡°You are dismissed!¡± Westin snapped.

    J was dragged into the castle forcefully. She could hardly keep up with Westin¡¯s long strides.

    They crossed the front yard, into the vast foyer, through the corridors, and took several turns¡­

    The castle was like a fancily decorated maze. J could hardly remember the way that they came

    from.

    The inside of the castle was even more grandiose than its outside.

    J caught a glimpse of the delicate tracery on the balconies, the stained¨Css windows that

    sparkled like gems, and the glided mirrors and artworks that adorned the walls.

    Yet before she could get a closer look, she was shoved into a room.

    Westin closed the door behind him.

    ¡°I thought we had a deal,¡± he gritted.

    ¡°Yes, a deal.¡±

    J crossed her arms, raising her chin proudly, ¡°You asked me to y your mate, which is exactly

    what I did.¡±

    ¡°What you did to Agnes-¡±

    ¡°Being nice to your mistress is not part of our deal.¡±

    Embarrassment flickered across Westin¡¯s eyes, ¡°Agnes is not my mistress.

    J shrugged

    She was not going to argue that with him.

    He could deny all he wanted. But she already sensed something wrong between these

    LWO.

    And you really should learn to respect the elders.¡± Westin said, ¡°The elders hold a really high

    position in our society. If you offend them, even I can¡¯t protect you.¡°¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want them to think that I am a pushover. Being tough is my way of survival. If you want a

    puppet that allows you to pull the strings however you want, you should release me and find

    another more submissive werewolf.¡±

    She really hoped that he could change his mind and realize that she was not a good

    choice for him.

    Yet Westin simply raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile on his lips.

    ¡°Too bad. I want you. Only you,¡± he sneered.

    J let out a sign internally.

    You don¡¯t want my instruction. Fine. Go out there and see how many days you canst in this

    castle. You wille back and beg for my advice in the end,¡± he said in a rather condescending

    tone.

    J rolled her eyes, ¡°Are we finished here? Where is the dining hall? I am hungry.¡±

    ¡°Ask the maids,¡± he said impatiently and walked towards the door.

    ¡°You are noting with me?¡±

    With one hand on the doorknob, he turned around, smiling coolly, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want a

    chaperone. I respect that. Go to the dining hall and make yourself acquainted¡­Oh, there will be lots

    of elders at dinner. Good luck

    He walked out and closed the door.

    J snorted.

    He thought a couple of elders could intimidate her.

    He couldn¡¯t be more wrong.

    She took a little walk around the room.

    There were clothes in the closet, all of which were flimsy long dresses like the one that Agnes

    wore. And they were all in her size.

    Whoever prepared these clothes wanted her to dress like a Lycan.

    Yet J simply took a casual look at those clothes and closed the closet.

    Still wearing her leggings and sneakers, J opened the bedroom door and left the

    room.

    She stopped a maid in the hallway and asked for the way to the dining hall.

    The maid took a critical look at her and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get changed first, mydy?¡±

    J kept her hands in her pocket casually, ¡°No. Something wrong with how I

    ¡°It is going to be a formal dinner so maybe you should dress up

    ¡°Lam perfectly happy with the clothes t have on right now. Show me the way¡±

    The maid pressed her tips into a thin line

    But she chose not toment and led the way foruet.

    The dining hall was full of people whe att ved

    There were three tong tables set in the room, lined up parallel to each other. All the seats by the

    table had been titled

    Isople turned the tests in unison the secondtet stepped in Many frowned at ence, looking critically

    a¡¯s sportswest.

    ¡°Evening.¡± Tanel said calmly.

    Nobody responded to her greeting

    J looked around the room. There was no open seat for her by the long table.

    And no one not even servants and maids standing in the corner wanted to point to her seat for her.

    ¡°Can someone show me my seat?¡±¡± J asked.

    Her voice echoed in therge hall.

    Therge crowd responded to her with deathly silence.

    Yet there was a raised tform located at the front of the hall, overseeing the entire

    ???

    The seats on the raised tform were still empty.

    J stopped asking the others and started walking directly towards that raised ttor.

    She was hallway through when a servant rushed over and blocked her way.

    ¡°Miss, I am going to have to ask you to leave,¡± he said in a polite yet arrogant tone. ¡°Why?¡± J

    crossed her arms.

    ¡°There is a dress code. You are not dressed ordingly.¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°There is a dress code for dinner in your own house?¡±

    ¡°Yes That is the upper¨Css etiquette, and how the Lycans behave. You are not qualified to eat in

    this ce, miss,¡± the servant replied.

    There were some light snickers from behind.

    J chuckled telly, ¡°Good to know. But starting today, I am abolishing this stupid rule.¡±

    The servant¡¯s face changed abruptly, ¡°You don¡¯t have the right-¡±

    ¡°I have every right. And you will start to address me as Lady or Queen, instead of Miss¡± J

    looked at him with disdainful eyes. ¡°Now move. It is against the upper¨Css etiquette for a servant

    like you to block my way.¡±

    She walked around the servant and marched up that raised tform.

    There were two chairs arranged on that tform.

    J pulled out one chair and calmly took her seat.

    Now she could see everyone beneath her clearly. They were all gazing at her with a mixed

    expression of contempt and shock

    ¡°That is where the King sits!¡± cried someone in the crowd.

    J smiled, ¡°The King is not present today. As his future Queen, I am taking his seat instead. Is

    there a problem?¡±

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206

    People exchanged looks in silence.

    ¡°There is a problem,¡± said a deep voice from the crowd.

    A middle¨Caged man stood up from the long table in the middle. He had dark curly hair and a thick

    beard, dressed in a grey cloak.

    ¡°And that problem is?¡± J asked.

    ¡°You are not mated to the King yet. You haven¡¯t had a proper ceremony. Hence, you are not

    qualified to sit on the Queen¡¯s seat,¡± said the man.

    A faint smile appeared on J¡¯s lips, ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°¡­Elder Lamonte from the House of Shadow, mydy.¡±

    ¡°OK then, Elder Lamonte. The decent thing for you to do is to arrange a seat for me before I arrive,

    instead of using me of sitting in the wrong seat when I can¡¯t find a single ce to dine in this

    large dining hall. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Elder Lamonte cleared his throat, awkwardly.

    ¡°My apology, Lady J.¡± he said, ¡°I will have the servants arrange a seat for you right away. So

    please leave the King¡¯s seat.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡±

    J let out a coldugh.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like moving right now. Tonight, I am sitting right where I am.¡±

    People gasped.

    The dining hall erupted. There was an outbreak of mutterings and boos.

    ¡°It is not your call to make!¡± Elder Lamonte said loudly over the noise, ¡°If you keep acting like this, I

    am going to ask the guards to forcefully remove you from this dining hall-¡±

    Just then, the massive double door of the hall swung open with a cracking noise.

    A slim figure gracefully made her way into the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, father. Don¡¯t ask Lady J to leave,¡± said this neer in a sweet

    voice.

    J looked over¨Cit was Agnes.

    Elder Lamonte looked stunned, ¡°But Agnes, sweetheart-¡±

    ¡°Lady J is new to our world. We should wee her warmly instead of forcing our rules upon

    her. And I am sure Westin won¡¯t mind his future wife taking his seat for just one night.¡±

    Agnes¡¯s voice was soft and gentle, but it easily quieted down the entire hall.

    People seemed to respect her greatly.

    ¡°But she just smashed you with a jug earlier today. She doesn¡¯t deserve your kindness¡­¡± muttered

    a girl.

    Agnes smiled, ¡°That was an ident. I have forgiven Lady J already. Now, why don¡¯t we raise

    our sses together and toast to our future Queen?¡±

    She beckoned to a maid, who hurried over bringing her a ss of champagne. People all looked

    reluctant.

    Yet Agnes had already raised her ss.

    So out of their respect for Agnes, one by one, people picked up their sses and said

    in unison:

    ¡°¡­To future Queen.¡±

    There was a clear hint of reluctance in their voice.

    J took a sip of her wine, looking at Agnes coldly.

    This Agnes was quite something.

    Either she was really a sweet and kind girl as she appeared, or she was in fact a master of

    deception.

    She was even better than Harper.

    Harper knew nothing but screaming, crying, and making a scene.

    Yet Agnes knew how to manipte people¡¯s minds.

    By ying the innocent victim here, she had sessfully painted J as the bully.

    J knew that she should be extra careful while dealing with Agnes.

    The servants and maids filed in and brought food onto the table.

    J put her worries aside and started enjoying the dinner.

    It was quite a feast.

    The Lycans had great taste in food for one thing.

    Between the third course and dessert, Agnes walked up to the tform with a couple

    more girls.

    ¡°Lady J,¡± Agnes curtseyed to J.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°Lady Agnes,¡± J nodded nonchntly.

    The girls didn¡¯t seem willing but curtseyed to J anyway.

    ¡°Allow me to introduce.¡± Agnes smiled, ¡°This is Lady Issa from the House of Abyss, and Lady

    Kalinda from the House of Shadow-¡±

    J interrupted her, ¡°House of Shadow?¡±

    Hours of Chadow and

    J interrupted her, ¡°House of Shadow?¡±

    ¡°The Elder Council had 3 houses, House of Light, House of Shadow and House of Abyss,¡± Agnes

    exined. ¡°The elders and the royal family share this castle together.¡±

    J nodded.

    No wonder there were 3 long tables in this dining hall.

    Each house had its designated section.

    Agnes went around introducing all the girls and then turned back to J, ¡°I just received a

    message from the King. There will be a Spring Ball in 5 days, a perfect opportunity for you to make

    your first appearance. The King wants us to prepare you for the ball-¡±

    ¡°What is there to prepare for?¡± J leaned back in her chair and asked, ¡°I know how to dance.¡±

    The girls exchanged a look of indignation

    ¡°You need to work on your etiquette!¡± Issa snapped, ¡°Or you will getughed at during the ball and

    bring shame to our King

    ¡°Then it is the peopleughing at me who need a lesson on manner,¡± J sneered. The girls¡®

    faces went red in anger.

    ¡°You should be grateful that Lady Agnes is willing to spare her time and trim you! Kalinda said

    crossly, ¡°She is sick, and her shoulders are injured thanks to you. If you

    ask me,

    she really shouldn¡¯t be wasting her time on a barbarian like you

    ¡°Kalinda, that is enough!¡± Agnes chided gently.

    J crossed her arms, looking at them one to the other, pondering

    ¡°Lady J, please? Can you at least do this for me?

    Agnes begged, tears gleaming in her doe¨Clike eyes.

    ¡°King Westin gave this task to me. If you say no, I might get med by him¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± J said abruptly.

    Agnes rounded her eyes, smiling through her tears, ¡°Really? You will let us train you

    for the ball?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am actually quite curious of the Lycan¡¯s etiquette.¡± J said idly, ¡°Shall we start tomorrow?

    Where do we meet?¡±

    ¡°We can do it in the Drawing Room. That is where the girls and I normally hang out. Or if you prefer,

    we can do it in your room instead-¡±

    ¡°The Drawing Room it is.¡±

    J said firmly, rising from her seat, ¡°I am full. Good night. And I will see you all

    tomorrow.

    She walked down the tform and headed to the door.

    She heard a light mumble from her back:

    ¡­What a graceless lowborn¡­¡±

    J let out a short internally.

    To be honest, she really didn¡¯t give a fuck about the Spring Ball or the stupid etiquette that Agnes

    nned to teach her.

    There would be peopleughing at her at the ball. So be it.

    She survived brutal battles. Some silly girl¡¯s teasing and mockery were basically nothing

    Vet she was desperate in need of information.

    She needed to get a better understanding of the Lycan¡¯s court, the castle, and the misted forest that

    separated her from her loved ones..

    She would wait till tomorrow and see what she could get out of those girl¡¯s mouths. <hr>The next

    morning, J had breakfast in her room and headed to the Drawing, Room.

    The Drawing Room was wheredies in court normally hung out.

    They had a simr room back in the packhouse of Blood Moon Pack

    But J and her friends weren¡¯t really interested in music, needlework, and paintings and rather

    spent their time outdoors. So that room was desertedter.

    A maid led J to the door and then quietly left.

    J pushed the door open for a crack.

    She first heard gentle no music walted through the air.

    Then there were whispers behind the music.

    Why did you agree to train that lowborn? You should let her make a total fool of herself at the ball.¡±

    That sounded like Kalinda¡¯s voice.

    Agnes said in a gentle voice, ¡°Westin asked me¡­¡±

    ¡°Then you should have said no. The King, adores you. Everybody knows that! He really won¡¯t mind

    it you say no.¡±

    Agnes sighed, ¡°But if helping J makes Westin happy-

    ¡°You know what will really make the King happy? You epting his proposal, Agnes!¡±

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207

    J balled her fists.

    Westin proposed to Agnes before?

    Yet he kept telling her that Agnes was not his loved one.

    What a liar.

    Agnes chided gently, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Kalinda. Westin never proposed to me.¡±

    ¡°But he wanted to, apparently. If the elders hadn¡¯t forced him to marry a werewolf, he would

    definitely propose to you.¡°.

    ¡°No, he won¡¯t.¡± Agnes said in a t voice, ¡°Keavy was his best friend. Even thought Keavy was dead

    for a long time, Westin still respected him too much to do that.¡±

    J rubbed her chin.

    The rtionship between Westin and Agnes seemed even moreplicated than she thought.

    She remembered Westin telling her once that Agnes was mated already..

    Now it sounded that Agnes¡¯s mate was this man named Keavy, who was the best friend of Westin.

    But he was dead already.

    ¡°Honestly, Agnes, haven¡¯t you considered remarrying?¡± that Issa girl asked, ¡°How many years have

    it been since Keavy-¡±

    Agnes sighed, ¡°5 years.¡±

    ¡°Yet you are at the prime of your years! You can¡¯t waste it. Just whisper to us. If you want that

    lowborn werewolf gone, there are many ways to make that happen¡­¡± J let out a coldugh.

    She wrenched the door open and marched into the room.

    Soft, ambient light bathed the room, filtering through heavy velvet curtains that framed tall windows.

    A grand piano upied a corner, its dark wood gleaming under the glow of an ornate chandelier.

    In the center of the room stood a coffee table. Set on top were carefully curated art books, delicate

    porcin figurines, and a vase of fresh flowers.

    Plush armchairs and sofas, upholstered in a soft fabric that invited touch, surrounded that coffee

    table.

    Agnes and her chaperons were sitting in the armchairs and sofas right now.

    Kalinda straightened her back the second J stepped in. She looked tensed.

    ¡°You should knock! Where is your-¡± she hissed.

    ¡°My curtsey? You already knew that I have none,¡± J chuckled icily. ¡°And are you atraid of me

    hearing anything?¡±

    Kalinda huffed, ¡°I am not afraid of anything! I can say that to your face: You are the third woman in

    Agnes and the King¡¯s rtionship!¡±

    ¡°Kalinda!¡± Agnes cried in fume.

    J raised an eyebrow, looking at Agnes.

    ¡°Keavy is your husband?¡± she asked Agnes.

    Agnes bit her lips, a sad look on her face.

    She took off a locket from her neck and handed it to J, ¡°My mate, my husband, at proud soldier

    of Shadow House, and also¡­.the King¡¯s best friend.¡±

    J opened the locket.

    There was a picture inside, of Westin, Keavy, and Agnes. They were all grinning

    brightly at the camera.

    ¡°How did he die?¡± J asked quietly.

    Kalinda growled. ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°That is alright. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Agnes shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.

    ¡°He died of food poisoning. A borrible tragedy. He is the only man I ever

    loved¡­ Yes, the King and I grew up together. I won¡¯t deny that we are close. But there

    is nothing romantic between us. I swear, Lady J.¡±

    J stared at her, pondering

    Agnes¡¯s expression looked sincere.

    ¡­But food poisoning?

    J couldn¡¯t help but found that odd. And a bit too convenient.

    Maybe there was something more that she had yet to discover.

    ¡°Are you ready to begin your training?¡± Agnes asked

    Sure,¡± J said, handing the locket back to her.

    Now was not a good time to dig too deep into Agnes¡¯s dirt. She had plenty of time afterward.

    ¡°Great,¡± Agnes beamed.

    She invited J to sit with them by the coffee table and began the lecture.

    She started off with dining etiquette.

    Ady should always sit upright with proper posture at the dining table. Avoid slouching or leaning

    too far back

    Agnes even asked the maid to ce a needle on the cushion behind J¡¯s back. If J got

    sloppy and leaned back at any time, that needle would prick her.

    She asked J to stay in that posture for at least 20 minutes.

    All the girls were staring at J, waiting to taunt her when she got pricked by a needle.

    Yet 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and then 30 minutes had passed.

    J still held her posture elegantly, without any sign of getting tired.

    The girls were disappointed.

    Even Agnes found that amazing.

    ¡°Have you had anydy¡¯s training before?¡± she asked.

    J shrugged, ¡°No. But I have had military training. I can stay in the bush perfectly

    still for more than a day waiting to snipe an enemy.¡±

    The girls¡® faces changed, looking afraid.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    They all knew that J was a Gamma.

    Although they were all Lycans, they had never held a sword in their entire lives, let alone getting

    blood on their hands. Unlike J.

    Agnes gulped, nervously, ¡°That¡­That is great. Well, shall we practice walking? Since

    you already mastered dining etiquette.¡±

    They all stood up and lined up by the wall.

    Agnes demonstrated how an upper¨Css Lycandy walked.

    Each step should be taken with a measured and graceful gait. Head held high, with shoulders back.

    No slouching or dragging feet.

    The most important part was walking in a perfectly straight line.

    Agnes had the servants bring in a bnce beam, like the one used in gymnastics.

    She asked J to change into her high heels and walked from one end to another on the beam.

    J frowned this time.

    She was not very good with high heels.

    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± she asked, ¡°I know how to walk.¡±

    Kalinda had been waiting to insult J. She immediately raised her voice and cried, ¡°But you walk

    like a peasant! No man will want to dance with you at the ball if you don¡¯t work on this.¡±

    J rolled her eyes.

    She picked up her skirt and stepped onto the bnce beam.

    She made a step. Her body swayed at once. Yet she regained her bnce at once. She took

    another small step, looking carefully at her feet-

    BANG!

    A sharp pain came from her back

    ¡°Keep your back straight and shoulders back,¡± Agnes said, holding a wooden stick. J red at

    her, ¡°Do not hit me again.¡±

    Agnes blinked, innocently, ¡°My apology. I just want to fast¨Cforward your learning process-¡±

    Is this how you did yourdy¡¯s training?¡± J asked icily, ¡°With people hitting you constantly?¡±

    Agnes smiled, ¡°No. But we are Lycans. We are born with grace. And I thought you have a thicker

    skin as a soldier than the rest of us and you can handle a few minor ps¡­Or was I wrong?¡±

    The girls snickered.

    J took a deep breath, ignored her, and continued walking

    She didn¡¯t make it to 3 steps far before sensing anothershinging her way. J turned

    abruptly and seized the stick just in time.

    ¡°I said-¡±

    J stared at Agnes¡¯s horror¨Cstricken face and hissed:

    DO NOT HIT ME AGAIN

    milead cerraraton of fear and anger flickered across her

    Agnes¡¯s chest heaved. A mixed expression of fear and anger flickered across her

    eyes.

    She tried to pull her stick back from J¡¯s grip but failed.

    It felt as though the stick was jammed into a rock!

    The crowd around them was agitated.

    Issa snapped, ¡°Let go of Lady Agnes!¡±

    ¡°You cheap lowborn! What are you doing!¡± Kalinda cried, ¡°Is that how you treat a nicedy who was

    trying to help you? I wonder what the King sees in you! You rude, ill¨Cmannered, inferior-¡±

    ¡°Shut it!¡± J snapped.

    She snatched the stick from Agnes and dumped it on the floor.

    Then she kicked off her high heels, stepping down from the bnce beam.

    ¡°Let me tell you what your King sees in me,¡± she let out an icyugh, staring at Kalinda.

    There was a golden crossbow hanging on the wall on top of the firece. A gorgeous decoration.

    J marched over and took the crossbow down.

    All the girls froze in their spots. After seconds of stifling silence, people started screaming.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Kalinda shrieked, crouching down and covering her head with both hands.

    ¡°Guards! Guards! She is trying to kill us!¡± Issa yelled.

    J rolled her eyes and walked to the window.

    She pushed the window wide open. Fresh breeze gushed in, expelling the thick sweet smell of

    scented candles.

    ¡°See that g?¡± J pointed at the distance.

    Roughly 200 meters away, a red g was hanging on one of the turrets, fluttering in

    the wind.

    The girls clustered together, looking at her fearfully.

    J raised the crossbow and aimed at that g.

    SWOOSH!

    The arrow flew out, across the air and shot on the rope that bound the red g.

    The g fell at once.

    J turned around calmly and scanned those astonished faces.

    ¡°That is what you King¡¯see in me,¡± she said with a mocking smile. ¡°Now, is any one of you like to

    have a try?¡±

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208

    A deathly silence fell upon them.

    Thedies stood perfectly still, holding their breaths.

    Nobody dared to move an inch.

    ¡°No?¡± J chuckled icily, ¡°That is what I think.¡±

    The guards outside of the door heard Kalinda¡¯s cry for help and came rushing in.

    ¡°Is there anything wrong, mydy? We heard screaming,¡± asked the guard.

    Agnes swallowed, ¡°We¡­¡±

    J spoke up before she did, ¡°I was simply doing a little show to entertain thedies. Nothing to

    worry about. Right, Lady Agnes?¡±

    She gave Agnes a warning look.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, that is right.¡± Agnes confirmed with a pale face. ¡°We were just having fun.¡®

    The guards nodded and exited the room.

    ¡°Look¡±

    J turned to face the horrified crowd, ¡°I might be an ill¨Cmannered person, but not an

    unreasonable one. I can keep things civil as long as you promise not to mess with me on purpose.

    Can you at least give me that?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t mess with you on purpose¡­¡± Kalinda murmured in an indignant voice.

    ¡°Oh? Then it is my wooden stick on the floor?¡± J said icily.

    The girls bit their lips in silence.

    They exchanged looks of uneasiness with one another.

    A faint voice came from the crowd at this very moment:

    ¡°¡­I¡­I think what you did is pretty cool.¡±

    J looked over and found a petite girl standing at the back of the crowd.

    She flinched when she met with J¡¯s eyes but plucked her courage and continued

    anyway:

    ¡°Y¨CYou must be pretty good at darts and game of quoit.¡±

    J smiled, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I am a pro, but not too bad either.¡±

    A pink tinge appeared on that girl¡¯s pale cheek as she stuttered, ¡°My name is Annie, from the House

    of Light. And I¡­I want to be good at those games too. There is a Carnival each year in the vige.

    But I can never get the first prize in darting and quoiting games¡­¡±

    ¡°Well.¡±

    J shrugged, ¡°If you like, I can teach you sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Annie gasped.

    ¡°Yeah, why not? I have ample time on my hands now.¡±

    Annic beamed.

    A couple of other girls¡® rigid faces unstiffened.

    The tension caused by the crossbow cased.

    ¡°Can all the she¨Cwolves in your herd shoot?¡± asked a ginger¨Chaired girl curiously. ¡°Some, not all.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could learn how to shoot,¡± the girl groaned. ¡°I want my brother to teach me, but he said that

    it was a very undy thing to do-¡±

    ¡°Then your brother is right about that,¡± Agnes said in a sullen voice.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    The whispering crowd quieted down at once.

    All the girls looked at Agnes¡¯s grim face, nervous.

    ¡°Lycan is the strongest species in the world.¡±

    Agnes said in a loud, freezing voice, ¡°Thanks to our noble bloodline, and the bravery

    of our King and soldiers,dies like us would never have to roughen our delicate hands.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Shame on you, Annie!¡± Kalinda snapped, ring at Annie, ¡°Leaning how to shoot? You are

    degrading yourself to a lowborn!¡±

    Annie bit her lips with tears circling in her eyes.

    Yet she didn¡¯t dare to talk back.

    ¡°That is not fair.¡± J said sternly, ¡°Shooting and fighting are not men¡¯s privileges. A girl can learn

    about those stuff too.¡±

    Agnes turned to her with a fake smile, ¡°With all due respect, J, you know very little about the

    Lycans. Maybe keep your opinion to yourself?¡±

    J looked at her.

    She could tell that Agnes was pissed.

    Probably because Agnes considered herself the leader of this small group, yet part of her thunder

    just got stolen by J.

    ¡°I am tired.¡± J said, raising an eyebrow, ¡°How about we pick this up tomorrow?¡±

    Agnes seemed relieved, ¡°Alright. Tomorrow then, at the same time.¡±

    J gave a simple nod to the crowd and walked outside.

    Before the door closed behind her back, she heard Kalinda and Issa scolding the ¡°traitors¡± within

    the group¡­

    <hr>J showed up at the Drawing Room every day for the following 5 days. Agnes never

    crossed the line again.

    So they managed to keep things civil.

    A surprising benefit of thedy¡¯s training was that J became friends with Annie.

    When Agnes and her little gang were not looking, Annie would secretly share her snacks with

    J.

    J also promised to teach her shooting when they had the chance.

    5 days passed and it was soon the date of the Spring Bell

    At around 7 o¡¯clock around duck, J stepped into the garden with all thedies

    Luminous fairy lights dangled from the branches of trees, making this whole ce look like a

    fairnd

    The blooming flowers were a sweet fragrance to the air, their vibrant colors painted

    Drapes hallowed softly, catching, the best hues of the setting sun, creating an

    ¡°This is truly something¡± J murmured.

    Annie gigged by her side, ¡°I know, right? The Spring Ball is the most important social event of the

    you. All girls look forward to it!

    Formally dressed guests were lined up by a winding pathway leading into the garden Servants were

    busy checking each of their coats before they entered. J waited with the group

    When it was almost their turn, she heard Annie gasp.

    J followed her gaze and looked over and saw a maid in the corner, trying to carry a barred of

    bee by herself.

    The barred was too heavy for her. The maid tried a couple of times and couldn¡¯t get it off the

    ground. A desperate look appeared on her face,

    ¡°What poor girl¡±

    Annie whispered into J¡¯s ear, ¡°She will definitely get punished by the head maidter.¡±

    J stared at that maid.

    She took off her coat and banded it to Annie, ¡°Can you check in my coat for me?¡± ¡°WallWhere are

    you going? You are going to bete for the entrance¡­J!¡±

    J picked up her skirt and walked up behind that maid.

    ¡°Do you need a hand?¡± she asked.

    The maid jerked around, a fook of utter terror on her face,

    ¡°I saw you couldn¡¯t lift the barrel. Where do you want this?¡± J asked again patiently

    The maid bent her back abruptly, her voice shaking in fear, ¡°Miss..Lady¡­I¨CI can¡¯t bother you with

    this nonsense¡­¡±

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t mind.¡±

    J put her arms around the barrel and carried it up easily, ¡°Now. Where is this

    The maid was astonished by her strength and gasped, ¡°T¨CThis way¡­Thank you so much, my

    lady!¡±

    They took a narrow path and hurried into the garden.

    In the heart of the garden, a grand gazebo decorated with cascading roses and ivy stood as the

    focal point.

    Twinkling lights and delicate ribbons adorned the structure, dancing in the warm breeze and the soft

    melody of a distant orchestra.

    Elegant tables rounded the gazebo, with candles and blooming centerpieces arranged on top.

    The maid steered J across the garden.

    On the way, she received many strange looks from all directions.

    It was definitely odd for ady in a fancy gown and high heels to carry a barrel of beer on her

    shoulder.

    But J ignored all those gazes.

    The maid asked her to set the barrel on one of the beverage bars and bowed to her again, ¡°My

    Lady, I can¡¯t tell you how much I appreciate your help¡­¡±

    J wanted to tell her not to worry about it.

    A deep, sexy voice came from her back at this moment:

    ¡°Is this what you do now? A porter?¡±

    ¡°M¨CMy king!¡± the maid gasped.

    J jerked around.

    Westin stood a few steps away, with a casual smile on his gorgeous lips.

    He was exceptionally handsome tonight.

    His tailored ck suit, adorned with subtle silver embroidery, entuated his broad. shoulders and

    lean physique with an air of refined elegance.

    His enchanting eyes caught the glimmer of fairy lights, reminding her of the starry night sky.

    J felt a flutter in her chest despite her will.

    Westin walked over. His eyes fixed on J¡¯s face. The smile on his lips

    deepened.

    ¡°Who put you up to this heavybor?¡± he asked.

    J took in a small breath, ¡°¡­Nobody. I was simply helping out a maid.¡±

    Westin chuckled, ¡°Carrying a barrel on your shoulder¡­That was quite an entrance. You got

    everyone¡¯s attention.¡±

    J let out a shortugh, ¡°Do you feel ashamed? That your mate is a graceless lowborn?¡±

    ¡°No¡­On the contrary.¡±

    Westin leaned in and gently brushed a rose petal off her shoulder.

    His smiling eyes were even brighter than the night sky.

    I like that my Queen is different than the others,¡± he whispered into her ears in a hoarse voice.

    J held her breath involuntarily.

    Theirst meeting from a couple of days before wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant. She was being acrid and

    him mad.

    But right now, this very moment, it made her feel that-

    ¡°Westin!¡±

    J looked up abruptly.

    Over Westin¡¯s shoulders, she saw Agnes standing a few feet away.

    There was an expression of malice

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209

    That malicious look simply flickered across Agnes¡¯s face.

    It had vanished when Westin turned around.

    The softest smile appeared on his lips, ¡°Agnes, you came.¡±

    They kissed each other¡¯s cheeks.

    Agnes¡¯s little gang curtseyed to Westin and said in unison, ¡°My King.¡±

    ¡°I should thank you for taking your time and preparing J for this event,¡± Westin said with a

    smile. ¡°So how was she? Was she a good student?¡±

    J looked at Agnes.

    She was quite curious how Agnes would answer this question. Would she tell on her? Or would she

    smear her on purpose?

    Agnes bit her lips, tears gleaming in her doc¨Clike eyes, ¡°My King¡­it is all my fault. I was not a good

    trainer. I failed to teach J how to behave properly. And all the guests saw her carrying a barrel

    walking in, which is just¡­obscene. I should be punished for my ipetence¡­¡±

    She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes.

    ¡°Obscene?¡± J let out an icyugh, ¡°That is a very strong word. I didn¡¯t know that helping out a

    maid is such a huge crime.¡±

    Kalinda raised her voice, eager to defend her leader, ¡°Those servants and maids exist for a reason.

    We paid them good money, fed them, clothed them so that they could do these heavybors for us!

    If you sympathize with the servants all the time, maybe you are not cut out to be a noble.¡±

    J rolled her eyes.

    Agnes whispered to Kalinda with a frown, ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­I am sure Lady J meant well. She

    just didn¡¯t know how to behave properly in front of a distinguished. group of people¡­ Again. Entirely

    my fault.¡±

    She bent her knees abruptly and said to Westin sobbing, ¡°My King, please punish me. You trusted

    me with such an important task and yet I failed itpletely. I me myself so much¡­¡±

    Her gang panicked seeing her bend her knees

    They all bowed to Westin and begged, ¡°Please forgive Lady Agnes, my king. We are partially at

    fault too. We were all there when Lady Agnes trained her yet none of us knew that she would

    behave this poorly¡­¡±

    J found this whole scene so ridiculous that she almostughed.

    She had got to say though: Agnes was smarter than all the bad women she had metbined.

    By ming herself first, Agnes sessfully painted herselt as a perfect victim. And the harder she

    med herselt, the more serious J¡¯s mistake would seem.

    Westin was never going to punish her¡­Agnes knew that.

    She just needed him to assign me to J in the end.

    Westin let out a sigh, ¡°Get up, Agnes. I didn¡¯t say it is your fault.¡±

    He held her elbow and tried to help her up.

    Yet Agnes remained in that posture, ¡°No, my king, I won¡¯t stand up until you punish me for my

    mistake!¡±

    Her voice was louder than usual.

    Many people¡¯s attention had been drawn to her.

    The surrounding crowd was watching them quietly, waiting for Westin¡¯s response. Westin

    straightened her back and gave J a meaningful look.

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    ¡­Was he finally going to scold her?

    ¡°I should have known that a couple of days of training won¡¯t make a difference to you,¡± he said

    deeply.

    J sneered internally.

    Was he saying that her poor manner was beyond help?

    ¡°Because you have such a distinctive personality,¡± Westin chuckled. ¡°Strong independent, fierce,

    and kind, which is exactly why I like you so much. I don¡¯t want to carve you into some upperdy

    model. You are fine¡­just the way you are.¡±

    A ringing silence fell upon them.

    Agnes snapped her head up, ring at Westin in disbelief, as though she couldn¡¯t believe that

    Westin justplimented J.

    J was stunned as well.

    She felt her cheeks warm because of his words.

    Westin seemed to enjoy the shocking look on her

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    He whispered to her, taking her hand.

    r face.

    They held hands, walking past Agnes and her gang, through the astonished crowd,

    and got up to the gazebo in the center of the garden.

    Westin pped her hands, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, nobles and elders,

    wee.¡±

    He announced to therge crowd in a booming voice:

    ¡°I am thrilled to let you know that I have found my mate. The Lycan¡¯s kingdom will soon have a

    Queen. So please join me in weing my mate, your future

    Queen¨CJ Manning!¡±

    A round of apuse broke out in the garden, sending birds flying off from the branches into the

    night sky.

    J¡¯s face went red slightly.

    She looked around and saw many excited faces. Most people were genuinely happy for their King.

    Of course, there was one exception.

    Agnes stood in the far back of the crowd with an expressionless face.

    Her doe¨Clike eyes were cold as ice.

    When their gazes met in midair, J lifted the corners of her lips and gave Agnes a provocative

    smile.

    She could tell that Agnes was furious inside.

    And she looked forward to the day when she exposed Agnes for the hypocrite that she really was.

    ¡°Dance! Dance! Dance!¡± the crowd cheered in unison.

    Westin grinned.

    He held J¡¯s hand, spinning her into his arms, and gracefully waltzed her into the

    dancefloor.

    His dance moves were a seamless blend of confidence and fluidity as if he were born to waltz

    beneath the stars.

    The guests couldn¡¯t help but steal nces at him, enchanted by the aura of sophistication that

    surrounded him.

    Laughter and lively conversation filled the air.

    The enchanting melody grew louder.

    More guests poured into the dance floor and danced by the side of their King and future Queen.

    ¡°I thought you were going to me me for helping that maid carry the beer barrel,¡± J whispered

    into his ears.

    He chuckled, ¡°I would if you weren¡¯t my mate. But you are so I will support anything that you do.

    She paused.

    He really knew his way around women and what to say to make them happy.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    It was hard not to fall into his sweet trap.

    ¡°Those nice things that you said about me, independent, kind and fierce-¡± ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡±

    ¡°You were really saying those to the elders, right?¡± she asked. ¡°You want them to believe that you

    are genuinely into me.¡±

    The smile on his lips faded slightly, ¡°Maybe I really meant it. And I said those things because that

    was exactly how I felt-¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You would never knock down a woman that you love and kidnap her to your home.

    So you can keep lying. Just don¡¯t get yourself fooled by your own lies.¡±

    His face turned cold.

    ¡°You really know how to sabotage a romantic moment,¡± he said darkly.

    J shrugged, ¡°I am simply being realistic.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    He said crossly, looking away from her, over the dancing crowd.

    ¡°You were right. I did say those things to make our rtionship seem real. And next time before

    acting recklessly, you should really think about the deal we made first. Never put our cooperation at

    risk again.¡±

    ¡°Duly noted,¡± she replied indifferently.

    ¡°And apologize to Agnes when you have the time. It is not her fault that you almost embarrassed

    yourself in front of everyone.¡±

    J raised an eyebrow.

    She found it amazing how a man could be so easily fooled by a woman¡¯s innocent face and tears.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t have any feelings for her?¡± she asked, ¡°It is OK. You can tell me.¡± ¡°NO!¡± he

    snapped.

    ¡°Really? But she apparently has feelings for you. It has been years since her mate Keavy died and

    if she wants to remarry, you two would make a perfect couple-¡±

    He tightened his grip on her shoulder, ¡°Stop trying to pimp me out! I am not getting together with

    Agnes. And you are certainly not going anywhere!¡±

    She pouted, grudgingly.

    His chest heaved as he said, ¡°You will marry me as nned and help me handle the Elder Council.

    As for what happens after that and whom I will marry eventually, that is none of your business.¡±

    She didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°You hear me?¡± he snapped.

    ¡°¡­Yeah,¡± she answered unwillingly.

    The rest of their dance passed by in an awkward silence.

    As soon as thest note of the music ended, he let go of her hand immediately.

    ¡°Come. I want to introduce you to some elders,¡± he said icily.

    He took her to one of the tables that surrounded the dance floor. A couple of white¨Ccloaked men

    were sitting by the table.

    ¡°J, meet Elder Randy and Elder Pierre, from the House of Light,¡± he introduced.

    J shook hands with the both of them, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    The man with a found face and red gin nose was Elder Randy. He let out a boomingugh, ¡°The

    werewolf princess! We have heard a lot about you.¡±

    ¡°You are everything that King Westin described,¡± Elder Pierre chuckled.

    J smiled, ¡°I hope those are some nice things that he said about me?¡±

    ¡°Of course! He described you as the best woman in this world, the embodiment of the Moon

    Goddess. I think we should get a drink and toast to the alliance between werewolf and Lycan!¡±

    ¡°How about that barrel of beer that I personally carried into the garden?¡± J suggested, smiling.

    Everyone around the tableughed.

    ¡°Great idea!¡± Elder Randy said loudly, ¡°Servant! You heard the Queen.¡±

    The servants rushed over, bringing them four sses of beer.

    Westin raised his ss, ¡°To alliance. To our mate bond. And¡­to my love for J.¡±

    ¡°Well said!¡±

    Elder Randy cried and took a great swig.

    J raised the ss to her lips.

    Yet before taking a sip, from a peripheral look, she saw Elder Randy freeze.

    ¡°¡­Elder Randy?¡± she lowered the ss, perplexed.

    Elder Randy clenched his throat abruptly, his face quickly turning grey.

    He looked at J in horror.

    Blood ran down from his nostrils and the corner of his mouth.

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210

    ¡°Elder Randy!¡± J cried./

    ss slipped from his fingers.

    The next second, the man¡¯srge body was crushed down to the ground with a loud bang.

    There was a moment of aghast silence.

    Then somebody from the crowd let out a sudden scream of terror, ¡°-Ahhh!!!¡± J jumped over the

    table and dropped down by Elder Randy¡¯s side.

    She quickly examined him.

    His face was pale like a piece of paper. His breathing wasbored as though his throat was

    clogged. And his body trembled as though having a seizure-

    ¡°He is poisoned!¡± J yelled.

    Elder Pierre gasped and tossed his ss on the ground. Beer spilled over the grass. The grass

    began to smoke and withered within seconds!

    ¡°Somebody helps him!¡± Elder Pierre screams.

    J tore the man¡¯s cor open to help him better breathe. Her hands were slightly shaking in

    panic.

    She couldn¡¯t feel his pulse anymore!

    A steady hand caught her wrist.

    ¡°I got this,¡± Westin whispered to her urgently.

    He knelt and tilted Elder Randy¡¯s head backward and lifted his chin to open airway.

    Then he startedpressing the man¡¯s chest and gave him rescue breaths.

    He carried on for a couple of rounds.

    Elder Randy took an abrupt inhale of breath.

    ¡°It worked!¡± Elder Pierre gasped in thrill.

    the

    J put a finger underneath the man¡¯s nose. She could now feel a faint airflow. ¡°We should get

    him to the hospital!¡± J said loudly.

    ¡°Guards!¡± Westin snapped.

    A group of guards rushed over and lifted Elder Randy off the ground.

    The crowd quickly parted for them toe through. There was a horrified look on every guest¡¯s

    face.

    Westin wiped the sweat on his forehead with a grim look, ¡°I should be at the hospital

    as well.¡±

    ¡°I aming with you,¡± J said.

    The two of them hurried across the garden. The once lively dance floor hadpsed into aplete

    mess.

    This year¡¯s Spring Ball ended on a very hasty and chaotic note.

    When J and Westin arrived at the clinic room in the castle, Elder Randy had already been taken

    into the emergency room.

    Doctors and nurses surrounded the bed, examining Elder Randy¡¯s condition.

    Momentster, a doctor walked up to Westin, ¡°We just did an initial exam of Elder Randy¡­ He was

    indeed poisoned.¡±

    J clenched her fists.

    One of the senior elders got poisoned right under the nose of their King and with everyone

    watching.

    This was huge!

    Whoever did this has a lot of guts.

    ¡°Is he going to make it?¡± Westin asked.

    The doctor hesitated, ¡°We are taking his blood sample to theboratory to identify which poison it

    is¡­But I am afraid that we can¡¯t develop a cure for him in time-

    ¡°Then you will try!¡± Westin snapped, ¡°I have got the best doctors in the Lycan¡¯s world in this very

    room, and you are telling me that you don¡¯t have the cure? Uneptable!¡±

    The doctor winced, intimidated by Westin¡¯s aura.

    ¡°T¨CThere are very few poisons that can do this level of damage to a Lycan. I am afraid we have to

    study this poison from scratch before developing a cure. Yet Elder Randy¡¯s liver is failing. I am

    afraid that there is simply not enough time¡­.

    Westin looked enraged, ¡°How long does he have?¡±

    ¡°In the best scenario, days. But liver failure can happen in minutes. So Elder Randy might¡­any

    seconds¡­¡±

    Westin threw a punch at the wall, looking furious.

    His most trusted elder got poisoned right in front of him.

    Yet he couldn¡¯t save him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± He huffed at the doctor with bloodshot eyes, ¡°You will save him. That is an order from

    the King!¡±

    The doctor trembled on his

    spot

    Just then, the monitor attached to Elder Randy¡¯s body gave off a sharp noise and the nurse

    screamed, His blood pressure is dropping!¡±

    ¡°Heart failure!¡±

    ¡°Hurry do something¨Cwe are losing him!¡±

    There was a lot ofmotion in the clinic room.

    Just then, a group of people bust in through the door. Most of them were elders. Rushing upfront

    was Agnes, holding a small bottle of liquid in her hand.

    ¡°I¨CI have the cure!¡± she shrieked.

    She shoved the bottle into one of the nurses¡® hands, ¡°Hurry! Give this to Elder Randy!¡±

    The nurse grabbed the bottle urgently and shut the curtain, beginning the emergency treatment.

    ¡°Why do you have the cure?¡± Westin asked in astonishment.

    Agnes wiped her teary eyes and wept, ¡°Keavy died of food poisoning, remember? Ever since he

    died, I have been carrying a bottle of cure with me whenever I go. Oh god, poor Elder Randy¡­¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t promise that your cure is effective for Elder Randy¡¯s poison, right?¡± asked an elder

    dressed in a grey cloak.

    J remembered this elder. Elder Lamonte.

    She met him once in the dining hall on her first night here.

    Agnes shook her head, ¡°No, father¡­

    ¡°Then we should find the criminal who poisoned Randy! And ask the criminal for the cure!¡± said

    Elder Lamonte boomingly.

    Westin nodded, ¡°I will have the soldiers search the garden right away and see if the security camera

    captured anyone suspicious-¡±

    ¡°You can do that. But I think the criminal is right by our side.¡±

    Elder Lamonte let out a coldugh, his eyes gleaming maliciously, ¡°For example¡­Her.¡±

    An astonished gasp could be heard from the crowd.

    < rounded her eyes.

    ¡­Elder Lamonte was pointing at her?

    Was he fucking crazy?!

    ¡°This is nonsense-¡± she huffed.

    ¡°Careful, Elder Lamonte!¡± Westin hissed darkly, ¡°That is my Queen you are pointing at!¡±

    Lamonte putted his chest arrogantly, ¡°I am perfectly aware. But she is the one who carried this

    barrel of beer into the venue. Everyone saw her bringing it in. She is the best suspect!¡±

    ¡°That is your big reason?¡± J snapped, ¡°I was simply helping out a maid who couldn¡¯t lift that

    barrel-¡±

    ¡°Where is this maid then? Nobody saw her,¡± Lamonte pressed.

    J snapped her head to Westin, ¡°You saw that maid, right? When you walked up behind me?

    Westin hesitated..

    ¡°¡­You told me that you were helping a maid. But I didn¡¯t see her with my own eyes,¡±

    he said.

    J couldn¡¯t believe this.

    The maid was standing right by her side!

    How could he not see her?

    ¡°Then where is Annie? Lady Annie saw the maid!¡± J snapped.

    ¡°Annie came with me. Let me go get her,¡± Agnes said.

    She left the clinic room and was back with Annie secondster.

    ¡°Annie, you saw the maid with the barrel, right?¡± J asked in an urgent voice.

    Annie held her head down, trembling like a leave in the wind.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Lady J¡­¡± she said in a whisper.

    J froze on her spot.

    ¡°What?¡± she stuttered in a trance, ¡°You noticed that maid first. You even said to me that this maid

    would be punished by her supervisorter¡­How can you not remember?¡±

    Annie said nothing and simply shook her head hastily.

    Agnes rounded one arm around Annie¡¯s shoulder and gently patted her back, ¡°It is OK Annie. You

    said the truth. You are a brave girl.¡±

    J snarled, ¡°What truth! This is a fucking lie-

    ¡°Lady J!¡±

    Agnes raised her head and looked at J with watery eyes:

    ¡°Cursing and scaring this poor girl won¡¯t make your crime disappear.

    Maybe¡­maybe you should own up to it when there is still a chance and save Elder Randy¡¯s life. I

    am sure the King will be merciful with your punishment.¡±

    J stood perfectly still.

    A chill was sent down her spine.

    She suddenly understood what was going on.

    ¡­This was a trap.

    Carefully designed for her.

    She couldn¡¯t be sure earlier¡­but Annie¡¯s lie confirmed everything.

    Annie lied to frame her.

    And how had the power to manipte Annie?

    J red at Agnes with cold eyes.

    Secondster, she turned to Westin, ¡°Do you believe in me

    Westin¡¯s jaw tensed.

    ¡­You have a motive,¡± he said sullenly.

    She wanted to punch him in the face, ¡°What fucking motive?! I just met the man. You introduced him

    to me, remember?!¡±

    Westin leaned in and whispered in a voice that was only audible to the two of them, ¡°Let me guess.

    Do you think that killing one of my elders will free you from our deal? My people will never ept a

    criminal as Queen. Is that what you think?¡±

    J found his theory so absurd that she almostughed, ¡°Is that what YOU think?!¡±

    Westin looked straight into her eyes, ¡°Yes. Because you are that smart to me. Hand over the cure

    and I can still protect you from the other elders. Or¡­you are on your own this time.¡®

    J balled her fists, body shaking in rage.

    How could she hand over the cure that didn¡¯t exist?

    But she didn¡¯t have any proof of her innocence.

    So what should she do now?

    Fought back?

    Or own up to the crime she didn¡¯tmit?

    Right at this extremely tense moment, a voice came from outside of the room

    -HOLD ON! I have a witness!!!

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211

    People jerked around together to look at the source of that voice.

    A young man pushed through the crowd and rushed in.

    He was a teenager, roughly 15 years old, standing at a lean and agile figure.

    His golden curly hair cascaded in unruly waves, framing a very youthful face.

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    He had a pair of piercing blue eyes, which reminded J of a certain person right. here in this

    room.

    She looked to Westin, and then back to this young man again.

    The simrity was striking

    These two were definitely rted.

    ¡°Prince Wells.¡±

    The group of people bowed to him in unison.

    There was a tight frown between Westin¡¯s brows, ¡°Not now Wells. We are dealing with important

    matters here.¡±

    That young man named Wells pouted, looking indignant, ¡°You haven¡¯t even heard me out yet,

    brother! I know there was a poisoned barrel at the ball tonight and you are looking for the person

    responsible. I happen to have a witness!¡±

    He beckoned to somebody outside of the crowd.

    A maid with a freckled face, dressed in an apron, slowly made her way into people¡¯s sight, holding

    her head down.

    ¡°K¨CKing Westin¡­Elders¡­.Good day,¡± said she in a small, shaky voice.

    ¡°This is Sammy, the kitchen maid,¡± Wells introduced.

    Elder Lamonte surveyed Sammy with piercing eyes, ¡°What is she doing here? Prince Wells, we

    don¡¯t have time to waste on someone irrelevant.¡±

    Wells gritted his teeth.

    A rumbling growl came from his throat.

    ¡°Watch your tone!¡± he snarled, ¡°The only person who gets to scold me is my brother, the King! The

    rest of you should learn to respect your prince!¡±

    The other elders lowered their heads in silence.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Elder Lamonte said, looking disdainful still. ¡°Do continue, my prince.¡±

    Wells turned back to Sammy the maid and patted her back, ¡°Go ahead, Sammy. Tell them.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I was in the kitchen, preparing for tonight¡¯s feast¡­¡±

    Sammy clenched her apron, saying in a terrified voice.

    ¡°¡­I was counting the bottles of wine required at the ball and the maid bumped into me from the

    back. I fell and twisted my ankle. The maid saw that I couldn¡¯t walk, so she volunteered to get that

    wine to the garden for me¡­I agreed and let her do it¡­ Then I bumped into Prince Wells in the

    kitchen. He said that I should have my ankle examined by a doctor, so we came to the hospital

    together¡­and that was when

    we heard that someone was poisoned¡­¡±

    ¡°Why was Wells in the kitchen?¡± Westin asked grimly.

    ¡°Prince Wells often came down to the kitchen for midnight snacks and night cups,¡± said Sammy.

    Westin turned to his brother with a tight frown, ¡°Is it why you skipped the ball tonight? To steal food

    from the kitchen? You should be at my side entertaining the guests-¡±

    Weils pouted, ¡°Great, another lecture¡­But you are missing the point here, brother! The point is that

    Sammy saw the person who brought the barrels of beer from the kitchen to the garden! That person

    was the real criminal responsible for the poisoning!¡±

    J perked up.

    Finally!

    Westin didn¡¯t see that maid.

    Annie lied about ever seeing that maid.

    She was at the end of her wits.

    But now she finally had somebody to support her version of the story.

    It was perfect!

    She immediately took a step up and asked Sammy, ¡°You are certain that you handed all the barrels

    to that person?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am sure,¡± Sammy nodded. ¡°18 barrels. I just finished counting when that maid hit me.

    ¡°Then it was all clear now.¡±

    J looked around the crowd, saying in a loud voice, ¡°This is a deliberately nned crime.

    Somebody knocked Sammy down on purpose to hijack the barrels from her and poison the beer.

    Then the person responsible brought the barrels to the garden, waited for me to show up, and then

    used my kindness to frame me- ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡± Agnes said softly, ¡°Annie said that she didn¡¯t

    say any maid. near the barrels.¡±

    ¡°And I am telling you that there was one. Annie even pointed at her for me,¡± said J in a freezing

    voice.

    Agnes let out a small chuckle, ¡°Annie, can you tell Lady J that she remembered. everything all

    wrong?¡±

    Annie held her head down in silence.

    Agnes tightened her grip on Annie¡¯s shoulder.

    Annie shivered, and spoke up in a choking voice, ¡°¡­L¨CLady J, you remembered. it wrong¡­

    There was no maid. Nobody asked for your help. Y¡­ You carried the barrels into the garden all by

    yourself¡­¡±

    J felt a sudden burst of anger.

    That poor girl was clearly taken hostage by Agnes!

    Just then. Wells strode forward abruptly and dragged Annie away from Agnes by

    Just then, Wells strode forward abruptly and dragged Annie away from Agnes by

    force.

    ¡°Stop pinching her you evil woman!¡± he snarled.

    Agnes rounded her eyes, tears welling up, ¡°What are you talking about, Prince Wells? I didn¡¯t pinch

    anybody¡­¡±

    ¡°I saw you pinching her!¡±

    Wells pointed a finger at her, crying furiously, ¡°You were manipting Annie¡¯s testimony, didn¡¯t you?

    Ha, I knew! You are behind everything!¡±

    Agnes¡¯s face turned pale.

    She looked to Westin with tears streaming down her face and sobbed pitifully, ¡°My King, I brought

    Annie here to help¡­I won¡¯t have us insulted like this¡­not even by your brother¡­¡±

    ¡°CRYING? REALLY?!¡± Wells said loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t get all teared up again. That only works for my

    brother. Not me!¡±

    Agnes wailed.

    She buried her face into her palms, her shoulders shaking, ¡°I¡­I am just sad¡­ If Keavy were still

    alive, he would definitelye forward and defend me¡­Yet right now I have nobody by my side¡­

    Just a helpless widow, bullied by everybody¡­¡±

    ¡°You maniptive bitc-¡± Wells cried.

    Elder Lamonte cut him off sullenly, ¡°Careful, Prince Wells. You don¡¯t want to call my daughter that.¡±

    He walked up to Agnes and ced a hand on her delicate shoulder.

    ¡°Keavy was my son,¡± he said, staring at Westin darkly. ¡°Ever since he died, I have sworn to protect

    his wife like she was one of my own. Agnes is now a proud member of the House of Shadow. If

    anyone bullies her, they are also making enemy with my entire House.¡±

    There was a clear hint of threat behind his voice.

    Westin narrowed his eyes.

    Lamonte turned to face the crowd, an arrogant look on his face, ¡°Sammy said that there was a

    maid. Lady Agnes and my daughter said that there wasn¡¯t. So it was a maid¡¯s word against two

    ladies¡® words. It is clear whom we should believe in-¡±

    ¡°I voucher for Sammy! I am the Prince!¡± Wells cried, puffing his chest.

    Lamonte snorted, ¡°Then I voucher for Annie and my daughter. And I am an elder. Do you really

    want to keep ying this game, Prince Wells?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me, Elder Lamonte.¡±

    J spoke up in an icy voice, staring at him and Agnes, ¡°I am also on Sammy¡¯s side. And I am

    supposed to be your future Queen.¡±

    Lamonte¡¯s lips twisted.

    He cackled, ¡°Future. Queen. With all due respect, you are nothing at the moment, Lady J. Just

    a lowborn werewolf, a potential suspect, who doesn¡¯t have a say in anything¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Westin said darkly.

    He looked to Agnes.

    His gaze softened.

    ¡°Rx, Agnes. No one can bully you,¡± he said gently. ¡°You still have me and the entire Lycan¡¯s

    Kingdom behind you.¡±

    J¡¯s heart sank abruptly.

    Agnes looked up with tears still gleaming in her eyes and sobbed, ¡°Then¡­When are you going to

    stand up for me? And punish the person who is really responsible?¡±

    J clenched her fists.

    Agnes was still pushing Westin to punish her!

    No.

    She couldn¡¯t let her-

    Just then, the curtain that separated the room was wrenched apart.

    The doctor stepped out.

    ¡°We just finished the emergency treatment for Elder Randy,¡± he said.

    ¡°How is he?¡± Westin asked urgently.

    J¡¯s heart jumped to her throat.

    If Elder Randy¡¯s situation worsened, or even¨Cif he died, it would be even harder for her toe out

    of this alright.

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212

    ¡°The patient is stabilized now,¡± the doctor said.

    ¡°But he hasn¡¯t woken up yet?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the doctor shook his head. ¡°Lady Agnes¡¯s cure only kept him from going into aplete heart

    and liver failure. But topletely recover, he needs the actual cure for the poison.¡±

    Westin balled his hands into fists, ¡°Thank you, doctor. How much time does Elder Randy have?¡±

    ¡°Hard to say. Our best guess is weeks. But I would say the sooner the better.¡±

    ¡°So we still need the cure.¡± Elder Lamonte said darkly. ¡°Lady J, stop fighting with us and hand

    over the cure. The man¡¯s life is at stake here!¡±

    ¡°I said! I have nothing to do with this!¡± J snarled.

    Westin raised a hand in the air, gesturing them to keep quiet.

    ¡°That is enough.¡± he said in amanding voice, ¡°You have both made your point. No point keep

    arguing about it.¡±

    Elder Lamonte licked his teeth with his tongue, revealing an ugly grin, ¡°My King, if¡± you can grant

    me the permission to interrogate this werewolf woman, I am sure I can force her to hand over the

    cure before tomorrow¡¯s sun rises¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Wells cried angrily, ¡°You can¡¯t let him, brother! You know that he will torture J-¡±

    ¡°Silent!¡±

    Westin snapped, pointing a finger at Wells, ¡°We will talk about how you skipped the ball tonight and

    how you discarded the prince¡¯s dutyter. Now just keep your mouth shut. And as for you, Elder

    Lamonte-

    He turned to look at Lamonte, his eyes darkened, ¡°¡­No one will interrogate my Queen.¡±

    ¡°But my King-¡±

    ¡°Have I not made myself clear?¡± Westin narrowed his eyes.

    Elder Lamonte swallowed.

    He still looked indignant.

    But he decided to keep his mouth shut, ¡°¡­You have, my king, perfectly clear.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Westin¡¯s eyes fell on Sammy, ¡°Now Sammy. I want you to think very hard about the maid that

    bumped into you. Was it her?¡±

    He pointed at J.

    Sammy took a quick look at J and then looked down, ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Then was it anyone in this room?¡±

    Sammy shook her head quietly.

    ¡°OK. Then what does she look like?¡±

    Sammy bit her lips, pondering, ¡°I¡­it was very dark in the hallway, so I didn¡¯t get a clear look¡­I

    think she is about average height, slim, and has porcin skin¡­¡±

    People exchanged baffled looks with each other.

    Many maids working in this castle fit that profile.

    Sammy¡¯s words

    ut them nowhere.

    J was also thinking hard at this moment.

    ¡­What did the maid look like when she met her?

    The maid kept her head down on purpose. So like Sammy, she didn¡¯t remember the maid¡¯s face.

    The only thing she could remember was the maid¡¯s hair¡­sliding down from behind. her ears and

    covering her face like a curtain¡­

    Right.

    Her hair!

    ¡°The maid that I met has chestnut hair,¡± J raised her head and said. ¡°Yes, chestnut hair!¡±

    Sammy pped her hands together immediately, ¡°I remember now! The woman I saw has chestnut

    hair as well! They must be the same person!¡±

    One of the elders gave Sammy a skeptical look, ¡°Are you making this up simply to echo with Lady

    J?¡±

    Sammy winced.

    Yet Wells stood up immediately to defend her, ¡°Sammy said that she saw it. Then she must have

    seen it!¡±

    The elder roiled his eyes but didn¡¯t argue back.

    ¡°Average height, slim figure, porcin skin, and chestnut hair¡­¡± Wells rubbed his chin, ¡°Wait. Isn¡¯t

    that Kalinda?¡±

    ¡°Prince Wells, are you listening to yourself?!¡± one of the elders cried. ¡°Kalinda is ady! And we are

    talking about a maid!¡±

    ¡°Prince Wells, we know that you are not a big fan of House of Shadows. But you can¡¯t smear our

    house member like this,¡± said Elder Lamonte grimly.

    Wells shrugged, ¡°Fine. I saw just saying¡­¡±

    J raised an eyebrow.

    Funny because Kalinda did meet with those descriptions.

    Yet, unfortunately, that woman was not Kalinda, or she would have recognized her.

    She looked to Agnes, and Elder Lamonte behind her back.

    Whoever the maid was, she was certain that the House of Shadow¨Cespecially Elder Lamonte had

    something to do with everything.

    They wanted her gone.

    As much as she hated to be trapped in here as well, she would not let these Lycans trample her.

    She WOULD get to the bottom of this.

    Game on.

    ¡°I will ask the soldiers to search the castle for people meeting the profile and conduct a thorough

    investigation. You are dismissed now,¡± Westin said deeply.

    People bowed and filed out of the room one by one.

    J turned to leave as well.

    ¡°J¡­¡±

    She heard Westin calling her behind her back.

    Yet she didn¡¯t stop her pace for him.

    She ran into the hallway and caught up with Sammy and Wells.

    ¡°Hey, Sammy!¡±

    She got to Sammy¡¯s side and gave her a smile, ¡°I want to thank you for standing up for me like that.

    It means a lot to me.¡±

    ¡°D¡­Don¡¯t be.¡± Sammy shook her head, ¡°It was Prince Wells. He encouraged me toe

    forward¡­¡±

    J looked to Wells, ¡°Of course. Thank you so much.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be!¡± Wells waved his hand, grinning brightly. ¡°We are all sick of Agnes. As long as there

    is a fight against her, just count me in!¡±

    J smiled.

    Wells reminded her of Kass, only that this young prince had a more bubbly personality.

    ¡°What do you hate her?¡± she asked.

    ¡°God! Just look at her fake tears, unnatural manners, and superficial personality¡­Everybody hates

    her. Don¡¯t you hate her, Sammy?¡±

    Sammy murmured in a small voice, ¡°Yea¡­ No, I am not supposed toment on the masters¡­¡±

    ¡°She hates her,¡± Wells confirmed. ¡°Anyway, my brother is fooled by her. He has a soft spot for pretty

    women. But you are here now. You are his mate and a thousand times prettier than Agnes. I am

    sure you can turn his silly mind around!

    J was swept away by his enthusiasm and couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Wells. Westin

    seems to think very highly of Agnes-¡±

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Then you should rescue him from the evils, like a real heroine.¡± Wells said and then suddenly

    pped his hands together, ¡°Oh you know what we should do?!¡±

    J blinked in a daze, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I have a perfect idea!¡± Wells cried, looking very excited, ¡°I will find you in your room tomorrow

    morning! It is a date. Don¡¯t go anywhere!¡±

    He blew her a kiss before running away with Sammy.

    J smiled.

    Maybe she could make friends in the Lycan¡¯s Kingdom.

    <hr>J slept in the next morning.

    Atst, she didn¡¯t have to go to that tiresomedy¡¯s training and she could finally rx.

    Yet a sudden, hurried knock on the door woke her up.

    It was Wells outside of the door..

    ¡°Why are you still in your pajamas?¡± he cried as soon as he saw her, ¡°I told you we have a date.¡±

    J rubbed her eyes, still half¨Casleep, ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t tell me where we are going.¡±

    ¡°Belle, you are in charge of her makeover,¡± Wells said in amanding voice, which strikingly

    resembled his elder brother.

    A petite girl stuck her head out from Wells¡¯s back, ¡°Morning J!¡±

    She had blonde, curly hair and crystal blue eyes, something that was carried in the family DNA.

    ¡°You are Westin¡¯s sister?¡± J asked.

    ¡°My twin sister, Belle.¡± Wells dragged the two of them into J¡¯s room and urged, ¡°Hurry. We don¡¯t

    have much time!¡±

    Don¡¯t have much time for what?¡± Tanot aclzed

    ¡°Don¡¯t have much time for what?¡± J asked.

    Yet neither one of the twins answered.

    Belle wrenched her closet door open and startedying out clothes and essories. on the bed for

    a match, while her twin brother walked around the room, looking at everything with a critical eye.

    ¡°This is the room Westin gave you?¡± he tsked, ¡°As his Queen, you should be living in a grand suite,

    with your bed made of gold and walls adorned with diamond!¡± ¡°Westin is so stupid,¡± Belle rolled her

    eyes, measuring an Ivory dress on J.

    ¡°A total dickhead.¡± Wells agreed, ¡°How much longer, Belle?¡±

    ¡°Almost ready!¡±

    Belle shoved a dress, a pair of high heels, and some essories into J¡¯s arms and pushed her

    into the bathroom, ¡°Go change, J. Hurry!¡±

    J still had no clue of what these two were up to.

    As soon as she finished dressing, the twins yanked her out of her room and took her rushing down

    the hallway.

    ¡°Th¨CThank god you are pretty and don¡¯t need any makeup,¡± Belle said between breaths, running by

    her side. ¡°I envy your rosy lips¡­¡±

    ¡®Save your breath!¡± Wells hissed.

    ¡°Can somebody tell me where we are going?¡± J groaned.

    They didn¡¯t stop until they reached the courtyard garden on the ground floor.

    The courtyard garden flourished in a riot of colors and fragrances.

    Delicate blossoms adorned thendscape like a vibrant tapestry, weaving hues of pink, purple, and

    white.

    A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of blooming flowers, while the soothing melodies of harp

    and violin filled the air.

    Under the shade of an ancient willow tree, a group ofdies were gathered for an elegant tea party.

    There was Agnes of course, and the rest of her little gang.

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213

    Belle took a moment to tidy her dress, which got wrinkled during running.

    Then she puffed her chest, raised her chin, and walked over like a proud princess.

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    She said in a polite yet distant voice.

    Thedies jerked around in shock. Especially Agnes. Her movement was sorge that

    she almost knocked over a teacup.

    ¡°Princess Belle, wha¨Cwhat are you doing here?¡± one of thedies stuttered.

    ¡°I am here for your tea party,¡± Belle replied with a cool smile.

    ¡°Forgive me Your Highness, but you are not invited-

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    Belle raised an eyebrow, ring at her, ¡°This is my house, my garden. The willow above your head

    was nted by myte mama and papa decades ago. And now you are telling me that I need to be

    invited to my own home?¡±

    Thedy flinched, biting her lips in silence.

    Wells walked over and stood behind his twin sister¡¯s back, ¡°Belle, looks like we have got a bunch of

    intruders in our house. What do we do to those intruders again?¡±

    Belle said in her soft, silky voice, ¡°We chase them out. Or we shoot them dead.¡± ¡°Great idea.¡± Wells

    grinned, stretching his body, ¡°Do you want to take the lead? Or should 1

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Agnes stood up abruptly with a pale face.

    Her chest heaved. Then she forced out a smile, ¡°You are more than wee to join us, Princess

    Belle, Prince Wells¡­and Lady J.¡±

    ¡°Awesome.¡±

    Belle held J¡¯s hand and led her to the long table set underneath the tree.

    There were several intricately designed cushions on the ground. All thedies were sitting on those

    cushions.

    Yet there was only one empty cushion left.

    ¡°I am a dude. I can sit on the ground,¡± Wells shrugged.

    ¡°Then we still need one more seat at the table.¡±

    Belle looked around the table and eventually fixed her gaze on Agnes¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Agnes, you should

    stand up and make room for me and J,¡± she chuckled.

    The twin¡¯s target was quite clear now.

    Thedies exchanged uneasy looks with each other while Agnes¡¯s face twisted with

    embarrassment.

    Then she said in a strained voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think that is necessary, Princess Belle. I can easily ask

    the maids to bring us one more cushion¡­¡±

    ¡°So now it is OK to add one more seat to the table? Then what aboutst Christmas?¡± Belle said in

    a loud voice, ¡°You sat in MY seatst Christmas by my brother¡¯s side! When I walked up to confront

    you, you said that the table was full and asked me to sit somewhere else! I got angry yet you said to

    everyone, ¡®Look at Belle. Getting all teared up for such a small matter. But who can me her? She

    is just a spoiled child.¡°¡±

    She did a vivid mimicry of Agnes¡¯s gentle, pitiful voice.

    Somedies wanted tough.

    Yet Agnes red at them. They quickly lowered their heads.

    Wells crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Agnes, ¡°Lady Agnes, you are not a child. Surely

    you won¡¯t get upset if we ask you to give your seat to Belle now right?¡±

    Agnes clenched her fists, looking mortified.

    She suddenly pulled a handkerchief and dubbed it at the corner of her eyes:

    ¡°You obviously hold a grudge against me, Princess Belle¡­But¡­But it is not that your brother

    enjoyed mypanion more than yours¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Belle cried.

    my fault

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Wells huffed, ¡°Our brother would never choose to sit with you instead of with us-

    ¡°But it is true.¡±

    Agnes peeked up from her handkerchief and sobbed, ¡°He often said to me that¡­ that he hoped he

    could have a break from his annoying brother and sister sometimes¡­

    ¡°LIAR!¡± Belle roared her cheek on fire.

    J now saw what was going on here.

    Belle and Wells took her to Agnes¡¯s exclusive tea party, hoping to wrap up the party and embarrass

    Agnes in front of her gang members.

    Yet Agnes could easily get under their skins.

    J hated to see the twins lose.

    So she stepped up and said to Agnes with a faint smile, ¡°Lady Agnes, are you saying that you are

    more important to King Westin than his own brother and sister?¡±

    Agnes parted her lips, stuttering, ¡°No, that is not what I said-¡±

    ¡°But it is what you are implying. Oh, and do remind me. What are you to King Westin again? You

    are not his mate nor fianc¨¦, are you? You are just his dead friend¡¯s wife. Why are you so important

    to him?¡±

    Agnes was rendered speechless.

    A pink tinge appeared on her pale cheeks, ¡°I am the King¡¯s friend-

    ¡°What kind of friend is more important than his own brother and sister?¡± J let out a sarcastic

    laugh. ¡°Or are you saying that you and the King have an improper kind of rtionship? I wonder

    what the King says about this

    ¡°NO!¡± Agnes snapped.

    She let out a frustrated breath and stood up from her cushion.

    ¡°You can have my seat if you like, Lady J,¡± she gritted.

    Belle snapped her head to J, joy gleaming in her eyes. Wells grinned and high¨Cfived J

    behind their backs.

    J felt exhrating as well.

    It did feel good winning.

    They all took their seats by the table, leaving Agnes the only person standing.

    Belle snickered, ¡°Agnes, since you have nothing else to do while standing, why don¡¯t you y the

    harp for us?¡±

    Agnes froze on her spot again.

    at once, ¡°Good

    One of thedies, with the intention to ease the tension, spoke up at once, idea. Lady Agnes is an

    expert in music.¡±

    Issa echoed, ¡°It would be our pleasure to hear Agnes y!¡±

    Manydies started pping, including Belle and Wells, even though thetter two¡­ got an evil grin

    on their faces.

    Agnes stuttered, ¡°I¨C1 hurt my fingers. I can¡¯t y string instrument-

    ¡°How about the flute?¡± Wells suggested.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel like.

    ¡°You talk about how you are an expert in music all day. But howe you don¡¯t know how to y

    any instrument?¡± Belle asked sharply, ¡°All thedies are trained. to y at least one instrument! Do

    you have a strong suit? Or are you just a fraud?¡±

    All thedies looked at Agnes with skeptical eyes.

    Agnes balled her fists, scarlet in the face.

    She shivered and then suddenly let out a sob.

    ¡°I see what is going on here¡­¡± she choked, dubbing her eyes with her handkerchief. ¡°A widow like

    me is an easy target¡­What would poor Keavy think¡­¡±

    ¡°Indeed. What would he think? If he knew that you used him as an excuse to get out all of your lies

    and wrongs, leaving the dead with no peace?¡± J asked icily.

    Agnes¡¯s back became stiff.

    Then she suddenly let out a loud wail of sorrow and turned on her heels running away.

    ¡°YES! GO! Go tell Westin on us!¡± Belle yelled to her back. ¡°See if we care!¡±

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    There was an unsettling look on the rest of thedies by the table.

    Issa straightened up, wanting to go after Agnes, yet Wells spoke up first:

    ¡°I brought pokers with me. Those of you who stay here are wee to y. I am ready to toss

    away some gold. Who is it?¡±

    The court never allowed youngdies to gamble.

    It was such a huge temptation!

    Thedies giggled excitedly nodding along, even Issa sat back at the table.

    Wells blew a whistle and took out the pokers, starting to shuffle.

    Belle leaned over and whispered in J¡¯s ears, ¡°That Agnes was just amoner before marrying

    Keavy. Yet she bragged about what a highborn she was all the time. She is so fake!

    ¡°Honestly we don¡¯t discriminate,¡± Wells shrugged. ¡°Take me and Sammy for example. We are best

    friends. It is OK for you toe from a poor family. But you can¡¯t lie about it.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what Westin sees in that woman,¡± Belle rolled her eyes.

    After the tea party, the twins took J on a little tour around the castle.

    J tried asking them if they knew the way out of the mist forest.

    Maybe with the twins¡® help, she could find a way out of this ce.

    Yet to her disappointment, the twins had never left the mountains in their entire lives.

    They had a great day hanging out together.

    When it was nightfall, Belle was still not ready to say goodbye and begged J to go to her room

    and have a rematch of poker.

    ¡°Just one round!¡± Belle shook J¡¯s hand, ¡°Pleeecaaaase!¡±

    Jughed, ¡°We can have as many rounds as you like!¡±

    Wells cheered and his twin sister jumped, ¡°I know you are the best J!¡±

    They went back to J¡¯s room for a rematch.

    The room was dark when they walked in.

    J went to turn on the light in her room.

    Yet before she could reach the switch in the darkness, she felt a chilling gush of wind

    ¡­Weird.

    Did she leave the window open this morning?

    She turned around, perplexed, and looked in the direction of the window-

    A sharp de, glinting coldly, popped out from the darkness.

    Coming directly at her!

    Somebody was here to kill her!!!

    ¡°JANET! WATCH OUT!!!¡± Belle let out an earsplitting scream.

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214

    J urgently dodged to the right and narrowly escaped the de by one inch.

    The killer¡¯s move was swifter than she thought.

    He swung his arm and threw a punch at J¡¯s shoulder.

    J was a trained soldier.

    She was confident that she could stop that punch.

    So she raised an arm and tried to seize his arm

    BANG!

    She was sent flying backward and knocked into the closet. The loud, shattering noise

    echoed in the room.

    Fuck!

    She forgot that she was dealing with a Lycan!

    J felt as though her organs were turned upside down by that punch.

    Her body was in a huge pain. Her head was spinning.

    ¡°JANET! WATCH OUT!!!¡± Belle let out an earsplitting scream.

    J urgently dodged to the right and narrowly escaped the de by one inch.

    The killer¡¯s move was swifter than she thought.

    He swung his arm and threw a punch at J¡¯s shoulder.

    J was a trained soldier.

    She was confident that she could stop that punch.

    So she raised an arm and tried to seize his arm-

    BANG!

    She was sent flying backward and knocked into the closet. The loud, shattering noise

    echoed in the room.

    Fuck!

    She forgot that she was dealing with a Lycan!

    J felt as though her organs were turned upside down by that punch.

    Her body was in a huge pain. Her head was spinning.

    There was a bloody taste in her mouth.

    The killer leapt forward raising the de up high in the air and stabbed at her heart! There was no

    way that she could dodge this.

    She sat there, her heart racing wildly, with her entire life shing through her eyes-

    Just then, a loud roar exploded in the room!

    Wells rushed at the killer and tackled him to the ground.

    The killer rolled over on the floor, raising his de up.

    ¡°JANET! WATCH OUT!!!¡± Belle let out an earsplitting scream.

    J urgently dodged to the right and narrowly escaped the de by one inch.

    The killer¡¯s move was swifter than she thought.

    He swung his arm and threw a punch at J¡¯s shoulder.

    J was a trained soldier.

    She was confident that she could stop that punch.

    So she raised an arm and tried to seize his arm

    BANG!

    She was sent flying backward and knocked into the closet. The loud, shattering noise. echoed in the

    room.

    Fuck!

    She forgot that she was dealing with a Lycan!

    J felt as though her organs were turned upside down by that punch.

    Her body was in a huge pain. Her head was spinning.

    There was a bloody taste in her mouth.

    The killer leapt forward raising the de up high in the air and stabbed at her heart!

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    There was no way that she could dodge this.

    She sat there, her heart racing wildly, with her entire life shing through her eyes-

    Just then, a loud roar exploded in the room!

    Wells rushed at the killer and tackled him to the ground.

    The killer rolled over on the floor, raising his de up.

    Yet Wells shifted before he made an attack again.

    Within the blink of an eye, the handsome young man had transformed into a Lycan with silver fur

    and sharp fangs.

    His wolf was much simr to Westin¡¯s, only smaller in size.

    The Lycan guarded in front of J and let out a deafening howl at the killer.

    The killer knelt on the floor and hesitated.

    His gaze flickered to J.

    J finally saw that he was wearing a mask that covered most part of his face, with

    only a pair of eyes exposed.

    A pair of cold, smokey grey eyes.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you¡± Wells roared.

    The Lycan flung his paw and went at the killer.

    The killer jumped up from the floor urgently, dashed across the room, and jumped out of the

    window.

    ¡°STOP!!!¡±

    Wells went after him at once.

    Belle rushed to J¡¯s side. She knelt down, cupping her face with both hands and sobbed in a

    horrified voice:

    ¡°¡­JJ, are you alright? Please¡­Please don¡¯t die¡­.¡±

    J breathed heavily, fighting with the pain.

    She wanted to tell Belle not to worry.

    Yet before she could say anything, darkness kicked in.

    She passed out in Belle¡¯s arms.

    Hours or probably even dayster, J opened her eyes again.

    She was lying on her bed.

    Bright sunlight flooded into the room through the curtains.

    It was already the morning.

    ¡°JANET!¡± two voices gasped in unison.

    Two faces appeared in her sight¨Csimr golden hair, identical blue eyes¡­

    It was Wells and Belle.

    J held her shoulder and struggled to sit up straight, ¡°¡­How long did I-

    ¡°A whole night.¡± Belle answered with tears circling in her eyes, ¡°I was so worried, J¡­are you

    going to be alright?¡±

    J rubbed her curly hair, ¡°I am feeling better already. You didn¡¯t tell anyone about this, did you?¡±

    Wells shook his head with a tight frown, ¡°Belle wanted to call the doctor, but I don¡¯t think it is a good

    idea to let people know about this before we identify the killer.¡± J gave him a faint smile, ¡°You

    did the right thing.¡±

    She trusted no one in this castle, not even the doctors.

    ¡°And thank you, Wells. You saved my lifest night.¡±

    Wells scratched his head, a youthful and sheepish grin on his face.

    Belle held J¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°But at least you should let Westin know about this! Ask him to

    find the killer and execute him!¡±

    ¡°Belle is right. We will hunt that bastard down!¡± Wells snapped. ¡°I want to see who dares to assassin

    you under the Lycan King¡¯s watch!¡±

    J¡¯s eyes became cold.

    She had made a lot of enemies since she arrived at the Lycan¡¯snd.

    She wondered which one of her enemies did this as well.

    ¡°Did you catch up with himst night?¡± she asked Wells.

    There was a frustrated look on Wells¡¯s face, ¡°No. That bastard was incredibly fast. And he seemed

    to know the way around the castle.

    So, an in¨Chouse rat.

    ¡°But he left this.¡±

    Westin ced a piece of grey cloth on the bed.

    ¡°I tore it off from his clothes at night,¡± he said

    J picked up the cloth and studied it closely.

    She saw people dressed in cloaks made of simr cloth

    The House of Shadows.

    Which happened to be Elder Lamonte and Agnes¡¯s house.

    J clenched the cloth with fury burning in her chest.

    She knew that these two people wanted her gone.

    But she didn¡¯t know that they were willing to make the killing move.

    She underestimated her enemies.

    A horrible mistake.

    ¡°Where is the Elder¡¯s Council?¡± she asked abruptly.

    The twins exchanged a look of astonishment. Then Wells asked, ¡°What are you doing? Shouldn¡¯t

    you alert Westin first?¡±

    ¡°No. I need to confront someone first.¡±

    If the House of Shadow was behind this, even Westin¡¯s hands were tied.

    J didn¡¯t think he would offend the elders for her.

    So she was in this fight alone.

    ¡°If you want to go to the Elder Council, I can show you the way,¡± Belle said. ¡°But your injury¡­¡±

    ¡°I am fine,¡± said J getting off the bed.

    The Elder Council sat on an isted peak, overlooking the entire castle.

    The architecture rose like a mountain of intricately carved ivory stone, reaching towards the

    heavens.

    Pirs, hewn from the mighty trees that once guarded the mist forest, soared to dizzying heights,

    their branches intertwined overhead.

    Lycan soldiers stood outside of the iron gate.

    When they saw Wells and Belle approach, they immediately stepped aside and let them through.

    The twins followed J up through the marble staircase till they reached the enormous, ornate

    doors that guarded the hall.

    ¡°Do you want us toe in with you? To keep you safe?¡± Wells asked in worry. J smiled, ¡°No

    that is fine. I can go in by myself.¡±

    She pushed the enormous doors open and stepped into the hall alone.

    It was a spacious, circr space.

    Sunlight filtered through the stained¨Css windows that adorned the walls, creating an ethereal

    ambiance.

    A chandelier suspended from the apex, its gems glittering like descended stars in the

    daylight.

    Threerge round tables took up most of the space. A golden throne was ced on at raised

    tform facing the tables and the doors.

    A group of people were gathered underneath the tform when J walked in. ¡°¡­We had made

    several attempted assassinations targeted at the Werewolf King, but each attempt has failed. And

    the werewolf soldiers are closing in. We have a reason to suspect that they have found out about

    our location¡­¡±

    The elders stopped abruptly when they heard the sound of the door opening up. He jerked around

    with the others, a shocking expression on his face.

    ¡°Who allowed you in? This is the Elder Council!¡± he snarled.

    J ignored him and made her way down the aisle, toward the throne.

    Westin stood up from the throne with a frown, ¡°J, what are you doing-

    ¡°You assassinated Daran?¡± she snapped, clenching her fists.

    Westin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered in an indifferent voice.

    ¡°How dare you-¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, Lady J,¡± said a ck¨Ccloaked elder. ¡°But the werewolf troops are heading directly

    to ournd. If they invade us and start a war, they be our enemy.¡±

    J gritted her teeth.

    Daran didn¡¯t want to start a goddamn war.

    He wasing because Westin abducted her!

    ¡°The werewolves are my people!¡± she growled, ¡°Do not touch them!¡±

    Elder Pierre from the House of Light cleared his throat, ¡°I can promise you that the Lycans won¡¯t be

    the first ones to fire the gun. You are our future Queen, Lady J. We have much respect for you,

    and to your people as well.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    J let out a coldugh, ¡°Then howe your future Queen almost got killed in her own roomst

    night?¡±

    The Elders gasped in unison.

    Westin widened his eyes abruptly, ¡°¡­WHAT?¡±

    J reached into her pocket and took out the grey cloth.

    ¡°This piece of cloth was torn off from the killer¡¯s shirt,¡± she said icily. ¡°Now. Does anyone of you

    want toe forward and im it?¡±

    There was an outbreak of muttering at this.

    J¡¯s gaze traveled through the crowd and fixed on Elder Lamonte¡¯s face.

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215

    Elder Lamonte¡¯s face was expressionless.

    His calm eyes met with J¡¯s gaze for a brief moment and then looked away.

    ¡°Lady J, did you get a clear look at the killer?¡± Elder Pierre asked urgently.

    ¡°No,¡± J shook her head.

    ¡°This is uneptable.¡±

    Westin said in a deep, anger¨Cfilled voice, his sharp gaze traveling around the crowd,

    ¡°First my elder got poisoned, and then my Queen got assassinated under my roof? How did this

    happen!¡±

    The elders held their heads down in silence, including Elder Lamonte.

    Elder Pierre rubbed his chin, staring at the cloth in J¡¯s hand, ¡°The color of this piece of cloth is

    intriguing¡­it is grey¡­¡±

    Elders from the House of Shadow made a grumbling noise.

    Elder Lamonte said in an icy tone, ¡°What are you implying, Pierre? Simply because the killer chose

    to dress in grey, the House of Shadow became responsible?¡±

    ¡°The House of Shadow has been fighting with King Westin¡¯s choice of Queen from day one! You

    have a motive!¡± Pierre cried loudly.

    ¡°We want a Lycan as Queen. Yes. But that doesn¡¯t mean we would assassinate the King¡¯s fianc¨¦.

    The usation is outrageous-¡±

    ¡°Oh cut the crap, Lamonte, we all know that you are a rotten, sneaky person!¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    Westin¡¯s enraged voice echoed in therge hall.

    The crowd quieted down immediately.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear another word of your argument,¡± Westin said freezingly. ¡°One thing to be

    certain is that I will hang the traitor¡¯s head on top of a gpole very soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, My King,¡± the elders murmured in unison.

    ¡°Anything else we need to discuss today?¡± Westin rubbed his forehead impatiently.. A white¨C

    cloaked elder stepped up from the House of Light and bowed to Westin:

    ¡°My King, you and Lady J still haven¡¯t recognized your mate bond, right? I strongly urge you to

    do so as soon as possible. Once you are mated and give birth to an heir, the werewolf and the

    Lycan will be forever united-¡±

    ¡°What heir?¡± J gasped, rounding her eyes.

    Giving birth to an heir?

    What the hell was he talking about?

    ¡°An heir with the blood of a werewolf and Lycan. Only the birth of such an heir can secure a long¨C

    lasting alliance between werewolf and Lycan,¡± said the elder.

    But Westin didn¡¯t mention a word about this to her!

    What the hell-

    ¡°I need a moment with my Queen,¡± Westin said hastily.

    The elders bowed and exited the great hall one by one.

    The doors closed with a creaking noise, leaving the room to the two of them. Westin walked down

    from the raised tform and stood in front of J.

    ¡°No,¡± J said quickly before he opened his mouth.

    ¡°¡­You haven¡¯t even heard me out yet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking need to!¡±

    J clenched her fists ring at Westin, ¡°Our deal is that I will pretend to be your Queen till you

    get your elders in line! I won¡¯t recognize the mate bond. And certainly won¡¯t give birth to your heir!¡±

    Westin crossed his arms, a taunting look on his handsome face, ¡°You think you have

    a choice?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do!¡±

    ¡°In case you haven¡¯t figured out the situation you are in, let me remind you: you are in a dangerous,

    foreignnd with no one else to protect you but me. If you decline. my proposal now, my love-¡±

    He ced one hand on the back of her neck, drawing her close. His voice became hoarse.

    ¡°-you will definitely regret itter. And I will be very, very, very disappointed.¡±

    J looked straight into his enchanting eyes.

    Then she let out a snort, ¡°Let me remind you of your situation, Westin. Your elders want a werewolf

    Queen and an heir. But what if I tell them that our rtionship is fake and you are simply a

    shameless abductor who kidnapped me from my loved ones, will the elders get so disappointed in

    their King that they turn their backs on you? It will be interesting to find out. Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Westin raised an eyebrow.

    He didn¡¯t look mad but was smiling instead.

    ¡°You are very attractive when you make a threat, my love,¡± he chuckled.

    J red at him.

    ¡°Too bad that your threat means nothing to me.¡± Westin shrugged, ¡°There are some resistances

    from the elders, yes. But no matter what happens, they will never, ever turn their backs on me. They

    won¡¯t dare.¡±

    J gritted in fume

    Shit.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you find someone else to be your Queen?¡± she growled frustratedly, ¡°I

    alrandu told woul

    already told you! My heart is with Daran

    Westin clenched her chin abruptly.

    ¡°Then change your heart,¡± he said in a deep, husky voice. ¡°You are my mate, my Queen, the only

    person I want by my side. The sooner you realize this, the better.

    She breathed heavily.

    His gaze traveled down from her eyes to her lips. His eyes darkened.

    He started leaning in, his lips falling on hers-

    J ced a hand on his chest and stopped him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me hit you,¡± she hissed by his ears.

    He froze.

    The smile faded from his face.

    He let go of her chin and looked down at her with cold eyes, ¡°I will give you one week

    to think this through.¡±

    ¡°I already told you! I don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°One week.¡± he interrupted her, forcefully. ¡°That is the longest I can wait. Then we will recognize the

    mate bond and have a grand mating ceremony.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t force me to recognize the mate bond!¡± she cried furiously.

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    He smiled an icy smile, ¡°Oh yeah? Watch me.¡±

    J stood on her spot with her body slightly trembling in rage.

    She was forced into a dead corner.

    Could she find a way to escape this ce within one week?

    Could Daran arrive here and rescue her in time?

    Either way, none of them could get themselves through that mist forest without getting lost.

    One thing she did know for sure was that she would never, ever cave into Westin!

    ¡°Oh and there is another matter,¡± Westin said. ¡°You need a guard to protect you 24/7, especially

    when I am not around.¡±

    ¡°Let me get killed and you can have a new Queen,¡± she said acridly.

    Westin smiled, ¡°That is not going to happen. You will live a long and peaceful life right by my side.¡±

    He blew a whistle.

    The doors opened up and a tall figure came striding in.

    ¡°Let me introduce you to Clemente, the best warrior within this Kingdom,¡± Westin said.

    J turned around to look at this warrior named Clemente.

    She saw his eyes first.

    A pair of cold, grey eyes.

    The same pair of eyes that she met in the darknessst night. A freezing chill was sent down her

    spine.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216

    Fear seized J¡¯s heart as she stared at Clemente, horrified.

    Was this the person who assassinated herst night?

    She couldn¡¯t be sure.

    Because she didn¡¯t get a clear look at the man¡¯s face, just his eyes.

    But those eyes¡­They looked exactly the same!

    ¡°J?¡±

    Westin¡¯s voice snapped her back to reality.

    J raised her head and found that Westin and Clemente were both looking at her.

    ¡°What is the matter? You look horrible,¡± Westin asked.

    ¡°N¨CNothing¡­¡±

    J gulped and took a quick peek at Clemente again.

    The young man was staring at her, expressionless.

    She couldn¡¯t read his facial expression.

    Westin gave her a skeptical look and backed to his introduction, ¡°Anyway, as I was saying,

    Clemente is our best warrior. And now I am pointing him to you as a guard. He will keep you safe

    24/7.¡±

    ¡°Which house are you from?¡± J asked the young man.

    ¡°The House of Shadow,¡± answered the young man in a cool voice.

    That was Elder Lamonte and Agnes¡¯s house!

    The exact House that wanted her gone!

    Why would Westin appoint a soldier from the House of Shadow to her as a guard? Did he want her

    to get killed?!

    ¡°Westin!¡± she snapped her head back to Westin and gritted, ¡°I need to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Fine but please make it quick. I have a meeting to attend to,¡± Westin checked his watch.

    J nced at Clemente, seeing that the young man still remained firmly on his spot, and hissed,

    ¡°ALONE.¡±

    Westin sighed and gave a quick nod at Clemente.

    The young warrior turned on his heels and exited the great hall.

    He can¡¯t be my guard,¡± J said quickly as soon as the door closed.

    Westin raised an eyebrow, ¡°He is the best warrior I got. If he can¡¯t keep you safe in this castle, I

    don¡¯t know who can-

    ¡°I am not doubting his capability! I¨CIt is that-¡±

    She swallowed nervously.

    I think he is the guy who tried to kill mest night,¡± she said in a tense voice.

    Westin¡¯s face went nk for a brief moment.

    Then he suddenly burst outughing.

    ¡°What is so fucking funny!¡± J snarled.

    ¡°Sorry my love, but you are dream¨Ctalking.¡± Westin ced both of his hands on her shoulders, still

    chuckling. ¡°Clemente? No. He is thest person who would do such at thing. I am even willing to

    suspect Wells and Belle than him.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?!¡±

    ¡°Because I know the man,¡± Westin shrugged. ¡°He is Keavy¡¯s younger brother. Keavy and I were

    best friends before he died. Clemente grew up around us, which makes him basically like a brother

    to me. Let us just put it this way¡­I trust Clemente with my life.¡±

    Wait.

    J quickly did the math.

    Keavy was Elder Lamonte¡¯s son.

    Keavy and Clemente were brothers.

    Which meant that¡­Keavy was Elder Lamonte¡¯s son?!

    Westin was asking the enemy¡¯s son to protect her?!

    ¡°He is Lamonte¡¯s son!¡± J snapped, ¡°And Lamonte wants me to die-

    ¡°Now you are using Elder Lamonte? Where do all your paranoiase from J?¡±

    J red at him.

    He didn¡¯t get it.

    How could he not get it?

    ¡°Hear me out.¡± Westin said in a reassuring tone, ¡°I know that Elder Lamonte left you a bad first

    impression in the hospital since he targeted you, but that was nothing personal. He just didn¡¯t like

    the werewolves.¡±

    J rolled her eyes internally.

    Nothing personal my ass!

    ¡°And about Clemente¡­¡± Westin continued, ¡°Even if Lamonte ever asked him to harm you and let us

    just say if¨CClemente would never listen to his father. They have the worst father¨Cand¨Cson

    rtionship. You have to see the two of them in the same room sometimes. It is tense.¡±

    J let out a heavy sigh, ¡°So you are dead set on shoving Clemente my way.¡±

    ¡°All I am asking is that you give Clemente a chance. Get to know him better. When you be my

    Queen, he will be like a brother to you as well.¡±

    ¡°Westin ¡±

    ¡°I really need to go to my meeting now Tall.

    ¡°I really need to go to my meeting now. Talkter. Alright?¡±

    He stole a quick kiss on her cheek and then marched down the aisle, leaving the great hali

    J sighed, frustratedly, and rumpled her long hair.

    Westin didn¡¯t believe her.

    Which was understandable.

    Between his dead best friend¡¯s brother whom he had known for more than 20 years and then the

    woman he just met, of course, he believed in the former one.

    But that meant that she was in this alone.

    With a killer by her side 24/7.

    She could kiss her goodnight and sleep goodbye.

    J stumped out of the great hall.

    Clemente was waiting by the doors.

    He walked up to her as soon as she was not and followed her to the iron gate in silence.

    J couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you going to follow me wherever I go?¡±

    ¡°That is the King¡¯s order,¡± he said in a t tone.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have a problem with that? I am sure as a great warrior you have something more

    important to do than protecting a woman 24/7.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said briefly.

    1. OK.

    The quiet type.

    They returned to the castle in silence.

    J didn¡¯t have anything else to do, so she returned to her room.

    Clemente followed her in.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stay outside?¡± she asked, astonished.

    ¡°I can¡¯t protect you without being in the same room with you,¡± he said. ¡°What if I need to take a nap?

    What if I need to get changed?¡±

    He let out a light snort, ¡°Trust me. I won¡¯t peek.¡±

    J¡¯s nostrils red.

    There was one thing she could be sure of.

    That Clemente hated to be in the same room with her just as she did.

    She ripped off her coat and jumped onto the bed, pulling the bedsheet over.

    ¡°Shut the drapes,¡± she snapped. ¡°I am taking a nap. You can stay here as much as you like. Don¡¯t

    make any sound.¡±

    Clemente went to close the curtain for her and quietly sat in an armchair by the

    corner.

    Jy down and closed her eyes.

    She was not tired at all.

    This was simply a test.

    To see if Clemente would do anything to her when she was in a vulnerable state.

    The room was dark and quiet.

    J kept her breathing light and listened attentively.

    But there was nothing to listen to really.

    There was no sound of Clemente moving around in his armchair. She couldn¡¯t even hear him

    breathe.

    He just sat there, perfectly still, as though he didn¡¯t exist.

    But J knew that he was staring at her from the darkness.

    A cold, emotionless gaze.

    J kept waiting.

    She wanted for so long that she was starting to get sleepy at some point-

    Clemente suddenly stood up.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    His footsteps were light. But they wereing directly towards the bed.

    J¡¯s heart jumped to her throat at once.

    ¡­He was walking up to her!

    What was he going to do?

    J kept her eyes shut, pretending that she was still asleep. Yet her right hand had clenched onto

    the dagger that she kept underneath the pillow.

    He stopped by her bedside and started to lean down.

    Any seconds.

    J held her breath.

    As soon as he made a move, and she would draw that dagger right away-

    His hand fell on her bedsheet.

    He gently pulled the bedsheet up to cover her shoulder and tucked her in.

    When that was done, he turned around and walked back to the armchair quietly.

    J released the dagger.

    She let out a silent breath.

    ¡­.Looked like he was not going to kill her today.

    Feeling rxed atst, she soon fell asleep.

    After a short nap, J woke up feeling regenerated.

    Clemente was still in his armchair like a sculpture made of stone. There was food on the table to his

    right.

    ¡°The maid sent lunch. You should eat,¡± he said nonchntly. She yawned and stretched her body, ¡°I

    am not hungry.¡±

    ¡°You should eat,¡± he repeated automatically.

    She rolled her eyes, ¡°Why do you care? The King simply asked you to be my guard, not my

    dietitian.¡±

    ¡°The King asked me to protect you from dangers,¡± he corrected. ¡°Starving is a kind. of danger.¡±

    God, he was so stubborn.

    J sighed and got out of bed, walking to the table.

    ¡°What do we have for lunch today?¡±

    There were cold cuts, sd, bread, roasted chicken, and an assorted meat tter of her choice.

    The food was great.

    But for some unknown reason, a wave of nausea hit her at this very moment.

    She mped a hand over her mouth and made a puking noise.

    ¡°What is the matter?¡± Clemente asked, sounding tensed. J turned abruptly and dashed into the

    bathroom.

    She jumped at the toilet and started vomiting, severely.

    Clemente rushed in behind her.

    He patted her back and shoved a napkin into her hand, ¡°Here¡­What happened? Stomachache?

    Do you need a doctor?¡±

    J wiped her mouth with the napkin and copsed on the bathroom floor.

    A horrified feeling seized her throat.

    ¡­When was herst period again?

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217

    She should have her period a week before.

    Yet it waste now.

    She couldn¡¯t breathe as fear and horror clouded her mind.

    Calm down.

    Girls got their periodste all the time and a week of dy didn¡¯t mean anything¡­

    But she couldn¡¯t help but think back to thest time she had sex with Daran in the vineyard.

    They didn¡¯t use any protection.

    ¡°I should call the doctor,¡± Clemente said in a serious voice.

    He turned to the door.

    ¡°I should call the doctor,¡± Clemente said in a serious voice.

    He turned to the door.

    Yet J grabbed his hand abruptly and stopped him, ¡°NO!¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± he looked perplexed, ¡°You are obviously sick. It is my duty to contact the hospital and

    report to the King about this.¡±

    ¡°No. No hospital. No report.¡±

    J stood up and pressed the flush button.

    She couldn¡¯t see a doctor.

    If she was really¡­pregnant, nobody in this castle could know.

    She had already got enemies looming in the darkness and wanting to kill her.

    If those enemies or even Westin¨Cfound out that she was pregnant with the Werewolf King¡¯s child,

    they would definitely want to get rid of her and her child. She couldn¡¯t live with that consequence.

    Of course, she didn¡¯t know if she was really pregnant or not.

    She had to figure out a way to find out.

    Clemente was still staring at her, perplexed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get Westin worried,¡± she said. ¡°I get nauseous all the time. It is an old habit of mine.

    No big deal.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he still looked skeptical.

    ¡°Yes. Positive. Now let us go have lunch.

    The smell of meat made her sick

    Yet she had to pretend that she had a good appetite.

    Because Clemente was keeping a closed eye on her.

    She didn¡¯t want him to suspect anything.

    The most urgent matter at hand was that she needed a pregnancy test from a pharmacy.

    She couldn¡¯t ask any of the maids to go get it for her, and certainly not Clemente.

    She had to go by herself.

    J waited till the next day to mention the pharmacy to Clemente since she didn¡¯t want him to

    connect this to her former sickness.

    ¡°Was there any pharmacy store around the neighborhood?¡±

    She brought this up casually over breakfast.

    ¡°There is one right outside of the castle.¡± Clemente looked up from his coffee, looking alert. ¡°Why do

    you need to go to the pharmacy? Are you not feeling well?¡±

    Now he was a chatterbox.

    J rolled her eyes, ¡°I need a refill for my vitamins.¡±

    ¡°The maid can do that for you.

    J set her silvers down on the te, making a ttering noise.

    ¡°Am I grounded, Clemente? I can¡¯t leave my room and can¡¯t take a walk outside of the castle. Is that

    what it is?¡± she snapped.

    Clemente narrowed his eyes.

    He directed a searching look upon J.

    After a short pause, he uttered a single word, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then I am going to the pharmacy after breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There was a small town outside of the castle, providing all kinds of utilities people needed.

    Clemente walked J to the pharmacy.

    Before he stepped into the store with her, she ordered, ¡°You can stay outside.¡±

    She received another searching look from him.

    Yet this time he didn¡¯t fight back and simply stood by the door like a loyal guard. J stepped into

    the pharmacy store alone.

    She picked up a shopping basket and walked down the aisle.

    She first tossed a couple of bottles of vitamins into her basket and then kept browsing.

    When she passed the birth control aisle, she quickly took a pregnancy test stick and hid it in her

    pocket.

    Then she went to the checkout counter.

    ¡°That will be 24.99, miss,¡± said the cashier.

    J handed him a 30¨Cdor bill, ¡°Keep the change.¡±

    She grabbed the bag of vitamins and exited the store.

    Clemente was still standing in the same spot when she left.

    ¡°We can go now,¡± she said to him.

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°One second. I just remember that I need something too.¡±

    Clemente went into the store and headed directly to the counter.

    The cashier looked up and recognized him at once, ¡°General Clemente, what a great honor-¡±

    Clemente tapped his knuckle on the counter, ¡°What did thatdy buy just a moment earlier?¡±

    ¡°Thatdy? Just some bottles of vitamins.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She didn¡¯t take the receipt. Here.¡±

    The cashier handed him J¡¯s receipt.

    Clement looked it over. After making sure that there was nothing skeptical about

    That receipt, he handed it back to the cashier, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He walked out of the store

    ¡°You done?¡± J asked with a tight frown.

    Yes. Do you want to head back to the castle now, or take a walle?¡±

    J wanted to return to her room and take the pregnancy test as soon as possible.

    But she couldn¡¯t let Clemente feel that she was in a hurry.

    And definitely didn¡¯t want him to get the idea that she was in town specifically for the pharmacy

    store

    So she spent a couple of hours in this small town, wandering around.

    She went into a bookstore, checked out a couple of boutique stores, and bought at pair of boots.

    She even got a huge bowl of chocte chip ice cream from an ice joint. The funny thing was that

    Clemente insisted on paying for everything she set eyes on She found that very funny, ¡°Why do you

    do that? You know I can pay for my own ice cream, right?¡±

    ¡°That is how I was raised,¡± Clemente said in an absolute matter of course kind of tone.

    ¡°Your brother taught you that?¡±

    Clemente¡¯s gaze softened at the mention of histe brother, ¡°Keavy taught me everything in life.

    More than my father ever did.¡±

    J studied the look on his face.

    So Westin was right. Clemente was very close to his brother and had a terrible rtionship with his

    father.

    Would such a man listen to Elder Lamonte if he ordered him to kill her?

    She couldn¡¯t be sure.

    ¡°But did your brother tell you that you only need to pay for your girlfriend¡¯s bill, and not any other

    women?¡± she asked.

    Clemente blinked.

    That was the first time J saw a nk look on this young man¡¯s face.

    Amused by it, she startedughing.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± he groaned, a blush on his cheeks.

    She giggled and sent a spoon of ice cream into her mouth, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will pay you back.¡±

    They didn¡¯t return to the castle till the nightpletely fell.

    As the maids and Clemente set the table for dinner, J snuck into the bathroom and shut the

    door behind her.

    She took out that pregnancy test from her pocket. Her palm was sweet.

    She followed the directions on the box and took the test.

    Setting the stick on the water basin, she stared at it, waiting for the result to show.

    w

    She was praying internally.

    Please don¡¯t be positive.

    Please don¡¯t be positive.

    Please¡­

    As much as she loved to have a kid with Daran, this was the worst time she could get pregnant.

    The result showed in half of a minute.

    POSITIVE

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218

    J¡¯s mind went nk for a second.

    Although she had seen thising, she had not prepared for this.

    There was actually a baby inside of her body, a baby she could not protect.

    How would Westin react to this?

    He would certainly be enraged.

    He hated Daran to his gut, and he would hate Daran¡¯s kid equally as much.

    She ced a trembling hand on her belly.

    NOBODY could know about this secret.

    And she had to start moving forward with her escape n.

    When she started to show, everybody would know, which would be toote by then.

    A knock on the door snapped her back to reality.

    ¡°Are you doing alright in there?¡± Clemente¡¯s voice came from the outside.

    ¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°The dinner is ready.¡±

    ¡°OK. Just one second.¡±

    J looked at the pregnancy test stick in her hand and found that there was another question:

    What should she do with this?

    She couldn¡¯t simply leave it in the trash bin.

    Clemente was hyper¨Calert to her every move. She already made him suspicious when she went to

    the pharmacy. Who knew if he would go over her trash?

    The most secure way was to

    out when Clemente was not wat the stick with her till she found a way to throw it

    So she put the stick back in her pocket and left the bathroom.

    Yet unfortunately for her, she didn¡¯t find any chance during the following couple of days to get rid of

    that stick.

    Clemento

    to was watching her lika a haude

    He followed her everywhere she went. He even slept in the armchair in her room at night

    He was like a robot that never grew tired.

    His cold, emotionless gaze sometimes made J want to hang herself.

    And it made J wonder too-

    Who was Clemente doing this for?

    Westin simply asked him to protect her, not spying on her.

    Elder Lamonte and he had a bad rtionship. He probably wouldn¡¯t listen to his father.

    Who could this mysterious master of Clemente be?

    In the meantime, Westin was starting to prepare stuff for the ceremony.

    One night when he came over for dinner, she overheard him on the phone with a party nner,

    nailing down details about the Mating Ceremony.

    Once it hit the one¨Cweek time limit, he would start pushing her to recognize the mate bond.

    Her time was up.

    On the third day after she found out that she was pregnant, Belle and Wells came to

    visit.

    ¡°J-¡±

    Belle came rushing down the hallway with her arms wide open and dashed right at

    her.

    J stood upughing.

    She wanted to open her arms and waited for Belle to throw herself into her arms. Yet she suddenly

    remembered something very important-

    Her child.

    She was pregnant now.

    So she slightly tilted her body, with one hand protecting her belly, she used the other hand to hug

    Belle, ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I am good!¡± Belle grinned, ¡°Just a bit exhausted.¡±

    ¡°Our tutors are drowning us with homework,¡± Wells said.

    J smiled.

    Yet from a peripheral look, she suddenly noticed that Clemente was staring at her¨Cmore precisely,

    at her hand on the belly.

    A chill was sent down her spine as she quickly retracted her hand and put it into her pocket

    instead.

    ¡°Do you want to go take a walk around thewn?¡± J asked.

    The twins beamed and said.

    yes.

    It was a beautiful day out with a crystal clear sky and a gentle warm breeze The

    pocket instead.

    ¡°Do you want to go take a walk around thewn?¡± J asked.

    The twins beamed and said yes.

    It was a beautiful day out, with a crystal clear sky and a gentle warm breeze. The weather was so

    good that they got a perfect view of the majestic mountains and peaks in the distance.

    J gazed at one of the high peaks with a heavy heart.

    ¡­She wondered where Daran was at the moment.

    Was he safe?

    How far away was he right now?

    Did he know that they were going to have a baby together¡­

    ¡°J, what are you looking at?¡± Wells asked by her side.

    ¡°At those mountains.¡± J gave him a smile. ¡°I was just wondering, during a sunny day like this,

    will the path to the outside world still be blocked by fog in the forest?¡±

    She needed to know more about the mist forest in order to escape.

    ¡°Of course, it will!¡±

    Belle answered right away:

    ¡°The fog in the mist forest had nothing to do with the weather. It is a magical power that protects our

    Kingdom 24/7¡­¡±

    She paused.

    And then started to giggle, ¡°¡­kind of like Clemente!¡±

    Wells rolled his eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t know why Westin sent this guy to protect you. He is so dull and

    creepy, kind of like a sociopath.¡±

    Belle grimaced at her brother, ¡°You are just jealous because Westin likes him more. Clemente is like

    the perfect younger brother that Westin never had.¡±

    ¡°Then what am I!¡± Wells jumped.

    Belle startedughing, ¡°A rtive, perhaps?¡±

    Wells¡¯s face went tomato red as he snapped, ¡°I am not jealous of him! That dude is seriously off!

    Hey J, don¡¯t you think that Clemente is weird too?¡±

    J smiled, ¡°Clemente seems like a nice person. Although¡­I have to admit that it would be nice if

    I could take a break from him.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can.¡±

    Wells turned around to Clemente, who was following behind them a few meters. away, and cried,

    ¡°Hey Clemente! Can you go somewhere else and leave us alone

    OUCH!!!

    His sister pinched him on the back.

    ¡°Clemente, I hate to ask, but can you bring us some fresh lemonade from the kitchen?¡± Belle asked

    softly with a sweet smile.

    Clemente said nothing.

    He simply turned on his back and started heading back to the castle.

    J stared at his back till itpletely disappeared into the distance before quietly letting out a

    sigh of relief.

    Great.

    The hawk that had been watching her was finally gone.

    This was her chance to get rid of that pregnancy test stick, which had been sitting in her pocket for

    3 days already.

    She looked around.

    There were no trash bins nearby.

    She couldn¡¯t simply dump this thing on thewn.

    She spotted a few gardeners, who were clipping the roses with a sack of fallen leaves and twigs by

    their feet.

    J immediately walked over to the gardeners.

    ¡°The roses look really pretty,¡± she said to the gardeners with a smile, ¡°You did a wonderful job.¡±

    The gardeners looked ttered, ¡°Thank you, mydy. And if you like, I can pick out a

    bouquet for you.¡±

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    ¡°Oh, we would love that!¡± Belle cried in joy.

    The gardeners immediately got to work.

    Belle and Wells¡¯s attention was on the roses.

    J casually dropped her arm.

    And let the pregnancy stick fall right into that sack of leaves and twigs.

    Nobody noticed anything.

    ¡°J, you should bring a bouquet back to your room. It smells wonderful!¡± Belle cried.

    ¡°Yeah, great idea,¡± J beamed.

    She felt relieved.

    A huge pressure was off her shoulders now.

    />Clemente returned from the kitchen with 3 sses of lemonade half an hour

    He crossed thewn and walked towards the twins and J.

    On his way, he encountered a group of gardeners who juste back from the rosebeds.

    Those gardeners were all chatting ensuthiastially:

    ¡­That is the King¡¯s fianc¨¦ that we just met right?¡±

    ¡°What a nicedy. Coming over here andplementing our works personally¡­¡±

    ¡°She will be a great match to our King¡­¡±

    Clemente halted abruptly.

    ¡°You talked to Lady J?¡± he asked one of the gardeners.

    ¡°General Clemente!¡± the gardener gasped, ¡°Y¨CYes. Lady J and the prince and princess came

    over just a moment before-

    ¡°What did she say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing really¡­Just that they liked the roses, and we picked out a bouquet for them.¡±

    Clemente¡¯s eyes fell on the sack in the gardener¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Leave the sack. And you can go,¡± he ordered.

    ¡°But general, it is just a sack of dirt and leaves. It will dirty your hand

    ¡°Leave it.¡±

    Still looking bemused, the gardeners dropped the sack on the ground and walked

    away.

    Clemente set the lemonades down.

    Then he turned the sack upside down, emptying the sack.

    A test stick fell out of the sack and dropped on the pile of leaves and twigs. Clemente held his

    breath and picked the stick up.

    He stared at the word Positive shown on the stick.

    His eyes gradually darkened.

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219

    After a long while, Clemente put the pregnancy stick into his pocket and picked up the lemonade

    again.

    He crossed thewn and found J and the twins by the water fountain.

    ¡°You are back!¡± Belle jumped up as soon as she saw him, ¡°Come and smell the roses, Clemente.

    The gardener just picked it out for us.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Princess Belle, but I am good,¡± Clemente replied in a polite yet distant voice.

    Then he turned to J, ¡°Lady J, I was wondering if I could ask for a day off today.¡±

    ¡°A day off?¡± J was stunned, ¡°W¨CWhat for?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t get him out of her sight for even one second when she tried to dispose of that

    pregnancy stick.

    And now he was asking for a day off?

    It sounded too good to be true.

    Clemente¡¯s face remained expressionless, ¡°My brother died on this very day, 6 years

    ago.¡±

    A deathly silence fell upon them.

    ¡°¡­I am sorry. I didn¡¯t know about that,¡± J said lowly after a long pause.

    ¡°It is alright. But I want to visit him at the cemetery. Bring him some flowers. Let him know that I am

    doing OK.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± J nodded hastily. ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°And can you stay with Prince Wells and Princess Belle before Ie back? That way I will know

    that you are safe.¡±

    ¡°Just go, man. We are with J,¡± Wells said.

    Belle picked up a bunch of roses and handed it to Clemente, her eyes misty,

    give this to Keavy? Let him know that we all miss him very much.¡±

    ¡°I will. Thank you, Princess Belle.¡±

    can you

    With the bunch of roses in his hand, Clemente turned and left the water fountain. 45 minutester,

    he arrived at the Lycan¡¯s cemetery, which was perched on the summit of the mountain, overlooking

    the sprawling valleys below.

    The air was thin, and the distant echoes of nature¡¯s melodies seemed muted by the weight of grief

    that clung to the ce.

    As Clemente climbed up the winding path, he could feel the crisp mountain breeze carrying the

    scent of pine and damp earth, intermingled with the aroma of roses in his hand.

    Keavy was buried at the center of this graveyard, underneath an ancient tree.

    When Clemente arrived, there were already two people standing by Keavy¡¯s grave. One was ady

    dressed in a ck dress, and the other was a boy at around 7 years old.

    ¡°You arete.¡±

    Agnes turned around, with tears still glittering in her eyes.

    ¡°I was with J and the twins,¡± Clemente said.

    He bent down to rub the boy¡¯s hair, ¡°How are you, Bryn?¡±

    Bryn was Keavy¡¯s kid.

    The resemnce between them was so sticking that sometimes Clemente felt that he could see his

    late brother through Bryn.

    Yet their personalities were nothing alike.

    Keavy was cheerful, outgoing, and a people person. He was like a ma, drawing everyone

    around to him.

    Yet Bryn didn¡¯t pick that up. This boy was quiet and sullen, eyes always looking down at his own

    shoes.

    Just as now, he not only didn¡¯t answer Clemente¡¯s question but even tilted his head.

    slightly to avoid his uncle¡¯s touch.

    Clemente let out a sigh internally.

    He turned to his brother¡¯s tombstone and set the bunch of roses down on the ground

    Princess Belle asked me to bring this.

    ¡°Take it away!¡±

    Agnes¡¯s voice became sharp abruptly, ¡°Keavy hated the roses. You know that. Clemente frowned,

    ¡°No he doesn¡¯t.¡±

    Agnes rounded her teary eyes, looking hurt, ¡°Are you¡­Are you saying that I have forgotten what

    my husband likes or doesn¡¯t like? Clemente, how could you!¡±

    The frown between his eyebrows grew deeper.

    He didn¡¯t want to argue with Agnes.

    So he moved the roses a little to the right, away from the tombstone.

    ¡°Happy?¡± he asked quietly.

    Agnes blinked her tears away, ¡°¡­What do you have for me?¡±

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    Clemente hesitated for a few seconds.

    Then he took out that pregnancy test stick and handed it to Agnes.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    Agnes took it from him, ¡°A pregnancy test? Why am I looking at it? Don¡¯t tell me you

    are dating someone right now. Wait¡­

    Her voice suddenly grew shrill again.

    ¡°¡­Are you dating that obnoxious little princess?!¡± she snapped.

    Clemente looked offended.

    ¡°Belle is not obnoxious,¡± he said deeply.

    ¡°And you are defending her!¡±

    Tears streaming down Agnes¡¯s cheeks as she shrieked:

    ¡°Do you know what a hard time she gave me a couple of days ago? She expelled me from my own

    tea party, Clemente! How can you ever hang out with her? You swore to your brother on his

    deathbed that you would always help and support me. Have youpletely forgotten what you

    said-¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Clemente growled.

    He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath to organize his feelings, and then opened them back up

    again.

    ¡°I won¡¯t talk to Belle again if it upsets you,¡± he said coldly. ¡°But that pregnancy test

    Belle¡¯s¡­I took it from J.¡±

    is n

    Agnes froze on her spot.

    Her eyes grew wider and wider, with a mixed emotion of disbelief, rage, and panic flickering across

    her eyes-

    ¡°That BITCH!¡± she screamed abruptly at the top of her lunge.

    Bryn winced by her side.

    ¡°Agnes!¡± Clemente snapped.

    He gently nudged on his niece¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You can go y, Bryn. Your mother and I

    need to talk.¡±

    Bryn gave his mother an anxious look and ran off.

    Clemente turned back to Agnes, a very serious look on his face, ¡°Can you watch yourself around

    the kid? You scared Bryn. And it wasn¡¯t the first time.¡±

    Yet Agnes was not listening to him at all.

    She was pacing back and forth in front of Keavy¡¯s tombstone, biting her nails anxiously.

    ¡°That bitch is pregnant¡­pregnant with Westin¡¯s child¡­¡±

    She jerked around to Clemente, ¡°It is Westin¡¯s child, right?¡±

    Clemente¡¯s face tightened, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I bet it is!¡±

    Agnes snapped.

    ¡°She can¡¯t get her hands off Westin! You should have seen the way she stared at Westin¡­it was

    like a dog drooling over fresh meat¡­disgusting¡­¡±

    ¡°Agnes¡­¡±

    Agnes suddenly stopped pacing.

    She covered her face with both of her hands and made a sobbing noise.

    Clemente looked at her helplessly.

    He took out a handkerchief and walked close to Agnes, handing it to her, ¡°Here. Stop crying¡­¡±

    Yet she didn¡¯t take the handkerchief.

    Instead, she buried her face onto his shoulder, crying even louder, ¡°Why can¡¯t I have anything good

    in life? Why does the Moon Goddess hate me so much that she hates to take away everything I

    care about? First Keavy, and then¡­and then this¡­.

    She hit him on the arm.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill J when you had the chance!¡± she cried.

    Clemente stood on his spot stiffly.

    ¡°¡­I tried once. On the night that you asked me to,¡± he said lowly. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that Belle and

    Wells were with him¡­ Then the next day, Westin asked me to be J¡¯s guard-¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Agnes demanded, ¡°You were staying with her 24/7! You could have killed her in her sleep

    with a pillow, you could have pressed her head down to the water when she took a shower, you

    could have pushed her down from a goddamn window¡­and yet you did NOTHING! Give me one

    good reason why you did nothing, Clemente!¡±

    Clemente¡¯s chest heaved, ¡°I have the King¡¯s order to protect her-

    ¡°Westin doesn¡¯t know what is good for him!¡±

    Agnes yelled at him, a hysteric look on her face.

    ¡°That bitch J is toxic! She is bad to Westin and to the entire Lycan¡¯s Kingdom! We have to get

    rid of her¡­for Westin¡¯s sake!

    Clemente lowered his head, saying nothing.

    Agnes grabbed his arm and shook it with more tears pouring out from her eyes: ¡°Clemente¡­

    Clemente, I am begging you. Go kill her and that bastard in her body. You will do that for Westin,

    right? Remember what Keavy asked of you? To protect me and to look out for Westin. How can you

    watch that woman destroy Westin like this? You have to do something¡­¡±

    Clemente shook off her hand abruptly.

    He raised his head.

    His gaze became cold.

    ¡°Is it really for Westin? Or for yourself?¡± he asked icily.

    Agnes parted her lips in panic.

    ¡­W¨CWhat do you mean?¡± she stuttered.

    ¡°Do you want J to die because she is bad for Westin? Or because you want Westin yourself?!¡±

    His angry voice echoed in the silent graveyard.

    Agnes¡¯s face turned pale.

    ¡°Answer it, Agnes!¡± Clemente hissed, ¡°To my brother¡¯s grave!¡±

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220

    Agnes stared at him.

    The horrified look faded from her face.

    Eventually, her face became expressionless.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she uttered.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said yes.¡± Agnes let out a light chuckle, ¡°You were asking me for an answer. I am answering you

    right now¨CYes. I do want Westin for myself.¡±

    Clemente gritted his teeth, ring at her.

    ¡°Are you going to judge me, Clemente? That a widow wants the most handsome and powerful man

    in the Lycan¡¯snd.¡±

    ¡°No. But-¡±

    Agnes cut him off, ¡°Keavy said that he wanted me to be happy. He said that he was sorry for

    leaving me in this world alone at such a young age. He said I could pursue my own happiness! If he

    didn¡¯t have a problem with this, why should you!¡±

    ¡°Westin was his best friend!¡±

    Clemente raised his voice staring at her, startled and questioning:

    ¡°Honestly, Agnes, when did you develop such a feeling towards Westin? Was it¡­Was

    it hot.

    it betere or after my brother died

    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

    Agnes cried, ¡°What the hell, Clemente! Are you seriously questioning my love for Keavy?¡±

    Clemente bit his lip, looking uncertain, ¡°Sorry. But I have to ask-¡±

    ¡°I LOVED YOUR BROTHER¡±

    Agnes balled her fists, het angry doe¨Clike eyes round with tears

    ¡°No one ¡ªnot even the Moon Goddess can question that I was still carrying, Bryn when he died.

    Everyone said to me¡­even your father. They said that they wouldn¡¯t me me it I decided to get

    an abortion. But I kept that child! I gave your family an heit! I raised him! By myself! For 5 fucking

    years! Why would I do that if I didn¡¯t love

    your brother?!!!!

    Clemente¡¯s face was pale.

    He stared at Keavy¡¯s tombstone for a very long time before whispering:

    Sorry. I was being a jerk.¡±

    They stood there face¨Cto¨Cface.

    The only sound that could be heard in this quiet graveyard was Agnes¡¯s heavy breathing and

    sobbing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you for loving Westin. Any woman would easily fall in love with him.¡± Clemente said in

    a low voice, ¡°And speaking from the bottom of my heart, you

    two would have made a great couple. But he ready has J now¡­¡±

    Agnes stopped crying.

    She looked at him, her eyes very cold.

    ¡°And that is why you are going to kill her for me,¡± she said.

    ¡°NO!¡± Clemente snapped, ¡°I tried once already. I failed. Maybe fate rolled the dice and decided that

    J deserves to live-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what fate wants! I only care what I want! And you are going to do this for me because

    you OWE ME!¡±

    Agnes advanced on him, pointing a finger at his chest.

    ¡°Remember what happened on the night Keavy died? You were supposed to go home and have

    dinner with him till I came back from my mother¡¯s. Yet you got dyed at your mighty patrol job.

    Keavy had to order a takeout, which was the exact reason he got poisoned! Think about it,

    Clemente! If you didn¡¯t skip your dinner n that night, Keavy would be still alive-¡±

    ¡°STOP!!!¡± Clemente roared.

    He mped a hand over his eyes and inhaled sharply, his body shaking.

    ¡°You remember now?¡± Agnes asked cruelly.

    ¡°¡­How many times are you going to remind me of that?¡± Clemente asked in a weak

    voice.

    your entire life.¡±

    ¡°Just enough times for you to remember that you owe me and Bryn your

    She crossed her arms and sneered, ¡°So? When can I hear the good news about J¡¯s death?¡±

    ¡°¡­You won¡¯t.¡±

    Clemente dropped his hand.

    His face was still pale.

    But there was a firm look on it.

    ¡°You can guilt me as many times as you want. And I will try to make it up to you the best I can. But

    killing J? The answer is no.¡±

    Agnes widened her eyes, looking furious, ¡°Are you kidding me? How did she get into your dumb

    head?! Don¡¯t tell me that you are in love with her-¡±

    ¡°I am not!¡± Clemente snapped, ¡°But she is a nice person! A pregnant woman! I won¡¯t get that kind of

    blood on my hand!¡±

    He turned to leave abruptly, striding down the winding path.

    Agnes chased him for a few steps and cried, ¡°If you don¡¯t do it! I will find somebody else to do it!¡±

    Clemente halted abruptly and turned to gaze at her with cold eyes:

    ¡±

    ¡°¡­Then you will leave me with no choice but to report this to the King.¡±

    ¡°Fine! Go tell him! Then I will tell him you tried assassinating her once yourself! We are in this

    together, Clemente! Clemente¨CWAIT!!!!!

    Yet Clemente didn¡¯t slow his pace.

    He kept going till her angry screamspletely faded in the distance.

    <hr>When Clemente returned to the castle, it was already approaching nightfall.

    He immediately wanted to report back to J.

    Yet a soldier by the front gate said that the King needed him in the training field.

    So he turned and headed to meet with Westin first.

    The field¡¯s light was out when he got there.

    Just when he was about to call Westin¡¯s name and see if he had arrived, the overhead

    light was turned on by somebody, illuminating the entire field.

    Clemente looked around, astonished.

    The training field was made into a temporary baseball field.

    ¡°Hey, you like this?¡±

    Clemente jerked around and saw Westin walking up to him from the other side of the field. J

    was by his side, with a baseball bat in her hand.

    ¡°I asked the servants to help me draw the line. Not so bad, huh?¡± Westin grinned, tossing a ball at

    Clemente. ¡°Come. You will be the pitcher this round.¡±

    Clemente still looked in a daze, ¡°But my King, why¡­I thought you had a whole day. of meetings

    today¡­¡±

    ¡°Remember how you, I, and Keavy yed baseball in this very training field all day

    when we were kids?

    Clemente blinked. Then he started to smile, ¡°Yes. Keavy taught me the rules. You taught me how to

    swing my bat.¡±

    Westin nodded, looking nostalgic, ¡°I asked my parents if we could turn this ce into a baseball

    field instead and ask all the soldiers to y with us. Hell did I get a good spanking from my father

    that time.¡±

    Clementeughed. ¡°Now that you are King, you can ask everyone in this castle to y with you all

    day¡±

    ¡°Well, I have outgrown that. But I want to at least spend today with you doing our thing. If Keavy

    were still around, he would definitely make us do this more often.¡± Clemente¡¯s lips trembled slightly,

    ¡°You know that today is¡­¡±

    ¡°J reminded me.¡± Westin said, ¡°Sorry. I should have remembered that myself.¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t

    mind that overstepped,¡± J said with a soft smile.

    Clemente shook his head. His eyes looked misty.

    He loosened his top 3 buttons and rolled up his sleeves, ¡°OK! I am about to kick some King¡¯s ass!¡±

    Westinughed, ¡°Or maybe I kick yours! Hey J, you want to y?¡±

    I will be on the bench over there.¡±

    Westin beckoned over a couple more soldiers and they started y.

    The sun continued to set on the horizon. The nightpletely fell. The training field was filled with

    the sound of peopleughing and cheering and the crisp noise of the bat hitting the balls.

    During halftime, Clemente ran over to the bench, drenched in hot sweat..

    J handed him a towel, ¡°Here.¡±

    He took the towel, looking nervous. After a little pause, he carefully took a seat by her side, ¡°I¡­I¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t get himself to say in a full sentence. He looked super embarrassed.

    ¡°You want to apologize for being a jerk. And you want to thank me for reminding Westin,¡± J

    giggled.

    Clemente bit his lips, his cheeks going red, ¡°¡­Yeah¡­ Yes. That.¡±

    ¡°It is fine. I wasn¡¯t too nice to you either. It¡¯s even now,¡± J waved her hand, ¡°And I am not doing

    this to get you like me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then what for?¡±

    ¡°I have a big brother myself. I miss him¡­so much. The thing I want the most right. now is for him to

    take me hiking one more time, like we used to.¡±

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Clemente stared at her. His cold, grey eyes looked soft now.

    ¡°Your brother is Alpha Casper,¡± he said abruptly. ¡°A great werewolf soldier, an outstanding Alpha.¡±

    J smiled, ¡°You have heard about him?¡±

    Clemente nodded, ¡°I am sure that Westin will say yes if you want to invite your families to the

    mating ceremony. It is your big day. They should be there.¡±

    ¡°No. He won¡¯t agree.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried asking? I can ask him for you if you like.¡±

    J chuckled¨Cthis young man could be so stubborn sometimes.

    There was no way Westin would say yes.

    A war would officially break out the moment Westin let werewolves set foot into theirnd.

    ¡°Thanks for the offer but there is no need,¡± she patted his shoulder. ¡°So are we good?¡±

    He nodded solemnly, his eyes brighter than the glittering stars.

    J smiled back at him.

    She lied earlier..

    She WAS doing this on purpose to get him like her.

    He had to like her.

    Because he was an important part of her escape n.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221

    ¡°Hey, what are you talking about over there? We need our pitcher,¡± Westin cried to them in the

    distance.

    Jughed and patted on Clemente¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You should get back in there.¡±

    The gamested for hours till the moon moved to the center of the night sky.

    Eventually, stewards had to step in and remind them that they hadpletely missed dinner.

    ¡°Wow we really lost track of time, didn¡¯t we?¡± Westin walked off the field with Clemente while wiping

    his sweat damp hair with a towel.

    ¡°The soldiers had fun,¡± Clemente grinned.

    ¡°Of course, they did. They just got a chance to beat their King in the field. How often does that

    happen?¡±

    ¡°It happens pretty much every time you y baseball?¡± Clemente joked.

    Westin punched him on the shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky. I will rub your smug face on the home base

    next time.¡±

    They burst outughing together.

    J was still waiting for them on the bench.

    Westin walked up to her and pulled her into his arms, ¡°Hey sorry my love, the game went on for too

    long. You should have returned to the castle yourself.¡±

    J didn¡¯t push him away this time.

    ¡°No. I want to wait,¡± she smiled. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°I am starving. I will ask the maids to bring something to your room right away.¡±

    Westin turned to Clemente, ¡°Come and have dinner with us.¡±

    Clemente looked at J and then back to him, looking reluctant, ¡°Umm I think I will eat in the

    kitchen¡­I don¡¯t want to bother you two¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± J smiled, ¡°It is just one dinner. The king and I will have plenty of alone time

    together in the future.¡±

    Westin¡¯s eyes lit up with joy hearing her say that.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    He nted a soft kiss on her forehead and chuckled, ¡°The queen is right.¡±

    The three of them returned to J¡¯s room.

    The food had been brought up from the kitchen and was waiting for them on the table, from soup to

    sd to roasted meat.

    The smell of meat made her feel sick again.

    She wanted to puke.

    But she couldn¡¯t do it in front of these two men.

    So she swallowed back her sickness and took the seat far away from that tter of meat,

    pretending that everything was normal.

    Westin and Clemente discussed a few business matters over dinner as J had her soup in

    silence.

    Then Clemente asked, ¡°For your mating ceremony, my king, there will be many guestsing into

    the castle. How should we handle security?¡±

    Westin rubbed his chin, ¡°Security is a major issue¡­ Have we found out who poisoned

    Elder Randy?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, my king.¡±

    ¡°Which meant that there was still a criminal out there. Let us have a meeting with the head of

    security tomorrow, to make sure that the castle is one hundred percent secured on the ceremony

    day. Can¡¯t afford to have another incident like the Spring Ball.¡±

    ¡°I will arrange that meeting right away.¡±

    Westin cast a casual nce at J before saying, ¡°Especially with the werewolves this close to

    our borderline, we can use some extra precaution.¡±

    ¡°Yes. My king.¡±

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat!

    THIS close to the borderline?

    How close exactly?

    Did it mean that Daran was already right here in these mountains?

    If that was the case, that damn mist forest was the only thing that stood between them right now.

    She was thrilled internally. She was also desperate to know more.

    But she didn¡¯t want to act recklessly and peet Westin suspicious.

    But she didn¡¯t want to act recklessly and get Westin suspicious.

    She would stick to her n.

    ¡°Oh, and there is something I want to tell you.¡±

    J set her silvers down and looked at Westin, ¡°Earlier today, when Belle and Wells

    came over, they said that they wanted to introduce the elders from House of Light

    to me.¡±

    ¡°It is a great idea. ¡°Westin nodded, ¡°The elders in the House of Light are very friendly people. You

    should get to know them.¡±

    ¡°That is the idea. Wells said that there would be a hunting organized by the House of Light. He said

    I am wee to join them.¡±

    ¡°¡­A hunting?¡±

    Westin narrowed his eyes, ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Wells didn¡¯t say. In the mountains, perhaps?¡± J shrugged.

    She was acting cool about it.

    But only god knew that her heart was about to jump out of her throat. Her palms were drenched with

    sweat.

    This was the most important part of her n.

    If Westin didn¡¯t approve¡­Everything fell apart.

    ¡°Is it really a good idea to leave the castle?¡± Westin leaned back in his chair, directing a searching

    look upon J, ¡°Especially since we haven¡¯t located the person who poisoned Elder Randy yet?¡±

    ¡°How dangerous can it be? We will be traveling in onerge group.¡±

    J paused and then looked over to Clemente.

    ¡°Plus, Clemente will stay closely by my side, keeping me safe. Won¡¯t you, Clemente?¡±

    Clemente nodded firmly, ¡°I will.¡±

    Westin raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

    J secretly gave Clemente a pleading look.

    Receiving her hint, Clemente turned to Westin and said, ¡°You can trust me, My King.

    I won¡¯t let anything happen to your Queen¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, it is not you that I don¡¯t trust, brother.¡± Westin chuckled and patted his shoulder, ¡°But I will think

    about it.¡±

    After dinner, J went into the bathroom to freshen up..

    When she came out of the bathroom, Clemente was gone.

    Westin was on the bed, leaning against and bedhead, flipping through a book she left

    on the nightstand.

    It was just the two of them in this room.

    Her body became tense involuntarily as she asked, ¡°Where did Clemente go?¡±

    Westin emd

    ¡°I gave him the night off. I will be your guard tonight,¡± Westin smiled.

    ???

    J stood stiffly on her spot.

    He chuckled, ¡°Do you need me to carry you to bed?¡±

    She darted him a re, walked around the bed, and climbed up to the bed from another side.

    Yet he grabbed her waist and drew her close, rounding his arms around her.

    He buried his nose in her neck, taking in a deep breath.

    ¡°¡­You smell amazing,¡± he whispered in a hoarse voice.

    ¡°It is the shampoo.¡±

    ¡°No¡­it is not the shampoo¡­.it is you.¡±

    He nibbled the sensitive area on her neck, causing her body to hum with electricity.

    Her breathing became heavy, ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±

    He raised his head and looked at her through his thick, long eyshes.

    There was passion and lust burning in

    e gorgeous pus

    ¡°Trying to please my mate?¡± he said huskily, ¡°Get her to agree to marry me?¡±

    She caught his chin, a faint smile on her lips, ¡°Acting horny won¡¯t help you with that.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes, looking disgruntled.

    ¡°You gave me a week to think about it.¡± She reminded him, ¡°I will have 3 days left.¡±

    ¡°I remember that. But¡­Come on, J.¡±

    He leaned down to kiss her again, his voice sexy and seductive, ¡°Stop lying to yourself. You

    obviously want me¡­

    She pushed his face away, putting a little distance between them, ¡°I will let you know if I want you¡­

    but not now.

    His chest heaved, his eyes growing dark.

    ¡°The hunting,¡± he said abruptly.

    Her heart skipped a beat, ¡°¡­What about it?¡±

    ¡°I have a gut feeling that there is something wrong with it.¡±

    He caught her earlobe with his teeth, breathing into her ears.

    ¡­So tell me this my love¡­you are not nning on something behind my back, are you?¡±

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222

    Her heart was thumping so crazily that she was afraid that he might hear the sound of her

    heartbeat.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    But she didn¡¯t let her panic show.

    ¡°Do you have a trusting issue, Westin?¡± she asked, pretending to be vexed.

    Her heart was thumping so crazily that she was afraid that he might hear the sound of her

    heartbeat.

    But she didn¡¯t let her panic show.

    ¡°Do you have a trusting issue, Westin?¡± she asked, pretending to be vexed.

    ¡®Don¡¯t make this about me, my love.¡± He raised an eyebrow while saying, ¡°First you managed to win

    over Wells and Belle, and then this effort you made with the baseball game tonight¡­Clemente is

    now on your side as well. It is hard to believe that you are not orchestrating something behind my

    back¨C¡±

    ¡°You asked me to be nice to Clemente! And your brother and sister¡­Don¡¯t you want us to be

    friends?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. And I can see that you have really tried, which almost gave me the impression that

    you were ready to ept my proposal¡­Hell was I thrilled. But when I saw the rejection on your

    face just a moment ago, I knew that this wasn¡¯t the case. So tell me, J, what are you trying to

    do here?¡±

    J¡¯s body became tense.

    Westin was smart.

    And as reluctant as she liked to admit to it¡­He could see right through her.

    She had to find a way to ease his mind..

    Her entire escape n hinged on this.

    ¡°Fine. You want the truth?¡±

    She looked straight into his eyes, ¡°The truth is that I am not ready to ept your proposal. And my

    heart is still with Daran.¡±

    His face darkened abruptly.

    A storm was building in his eyes.

    ¡°But-¡±

    She hurried to continue before he snapped.

    But we are where we are right now. And I am trying to get used to this ce, to befriend people, to

    build a connection here. Because I was hoping that if I could ever begin to see this ce as home¡­

    only then would you and I have a true future. together.¡±

    He stared at her, unblinkingly.

    She took in a deep breath, her voice shaking, ¡°I am doing the best I can, Westin! To adjust to this

    new environment¡­But if you are going to deny all my efforts and be paranoid about everything that

    I have done, honestly, I don¡¯t know why I am still trying! Maybe I should just give up already! Lock

    myself up in this room and never see anybody¡­because that would have been easier¡­¡±

    Some heavy emotions surged up in her chest.

    Those were lies that she told. But the feelings were real.

    She felt cornered, frustrated, and alone with no help.

    She was pregnant with the child of the man she really loved but trapped here with another man.

    How could fate do this to her?

    Overwhelmed by those emotions, she began to choke.

    ¡°Oh J¡­Come here, my love.¡±

    Westin let out a long sigh and pulled her into his arms again.

    ¡°¡­I am sorry,¡± he whispered hoarsely into her ears.

    She ignored him and kept sobbing

    ¡°I am a bit over¨Canxious,¡± he admitted. ¡°I really want you to fall in love with me¡­.I want it so much

    that sometimes I push too hard¡­¡±

    ¡°But there is a process! You have to wait for me to be ready.. Or this is not going to work-¡±

    ¡°It is going to work,¡± he said firmly, without a shred of doubt. ¡°Because I know that I am the right one

    for you¡­. But you are right. There is a process. So I will wait¡­no matter how long it takes.¡±

    She buried her face to his shoulder.

    ¡­And secretly let out a sigh of relief.

    Good.

    Her approach worked.

    His doubt was removed, for now.

    ¡°So the hunting¡­¡± she asked about the thing that she cared about the most.

    ¡°Of course you can go,¡± he reassured her. ¡°When is this hunting again?¡±

    ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡±

    Precisely one day before the deadline that he gave her.

    ¡°I have an entire day packed with meetings that day. So are you going to be alright by yourself?¡± he

    asked with a frown.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Clemente will stay with me.¡±

    It was actually a relief that he wouldn¡¯t be there.

    Westin tightened his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.

    ¡°If there is going to be no sex tonight¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t!¡±

    He chuckled lowly, ¡°Fine. Then what should we do before bedtime?¡±

    ¡°You can read to me. There is a novel on the nightstand.¡±

    With one arm still wrapped around her shoulder, he reached over and grabbed the book.

    Turning the book to the page that she folded, he started reading.

    He had a beautiful voice, deep and sexy, like a velvety river.

    She closed her eyes and let her mind drift away in that soothing sound.

    The hunting team gathered by the front gate of the castle and then headed out to the

    designated hunting site together on horseback.

    The sun bathed thendscape in a warm, golden glow, casting a majestic hue over the sprawling

    mountains.

    The elders from the House of Light, all dressed in rich hunting attire, moved gracefully on

    horseback, nked by a vignt escort of soldiers and guards.

    The crisp mountain air kissed J¡¯s cheeks as she rode alongside the royal entourage through the

    towering peaks, with Clemente by her side.

    ¡°You are a very good rider,¡± Clemente said.

    ¡°My brother taught me how to ride,¡± Jane shrugged. ¡°But why aren¡¯t we taking the cars?¡±

    ¡°The paths in the mountains are not essible to any kind of vehicles.¡±

    ¡°OK? But in case you have forgotten, we are werewolves. Why can¡¯t we all shift into our wolves and

    run to the hunting site? It would be definitely faster.¡±

    She had not had any chances to shift since she arrived at the Lycan¡¯snd.

    Her wolf craved a good run.

    ¡°Because that would be a very ungraceful thing to do,¡± said an abrupt voice from her back

    J turned on her horse and found that an elder with a goatee wasing close to her.

    ¡°Elder Robert from the House of Light. Elder Robert, this is Lady J,¡± Clemente introduced the

    two of them.

    Elder Robert eyed her up and down with a critical look, ¡°The werewolf Queen¡­so I have heard.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, elder.¡± J bowed to him on the houseback, ¡°But did I just hear it wrong? Did

    you say that shifting is an ungraceful thing to do?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    Elder Robert raised his chin, his goatee fluttering in the mountain breeze:

    ¡°The Lycan is a noble species. We never let the primal animal instinct control us. We are first

    human, then wolves.¡±

    That was the most ridiculous thing that she had heard.

    She rolled her eyes internally.

    Her wolf let out a disgruntled growl inside of her at the same time.

    ¡°If

    you want to be epted into thismunity, Lady J, you need to change some of your

    thinking,¡± Elder Randy said in a condescending kind of tone.

    ¡°Thank you for your advice. But unlike the Lycans, I fully intend to embrace my animal instincts. I

    think it is what empowers me.¡±

    Her wolf made an approving purr.

    ¡°Ha! Stubborn.¡± Elder Randy snorted, ¡°Very well. Let us see how far your animal instinct can get

    you. I will see you at the hunting site.¡±

    He hit the horse with his riding whip and ran off.

    J narrowed her eyes at his back, ¡°Does he have a problem with me?¡±

    Clemente let out a sigh, ¡°Elder Randy, the elder who got poisoned, is his best friend. There are

    rumors saying that you are responsible for the poisoning, so¡­¡±

    J frowned.

    Right.

    The guy who poisoned Elder Randy still hadn¡¯t been found yet.

    She had a theory that Lamonte and Agnes were responsible.

    But she didn¡¯t have any proof to back it up.

    And she wouldn¡¯t have a chance to find those proofs.

    Because if everything worked out ording to her n, she would be out of this. damn ce by the

    end of today.

    ¡°Clemente, can you do me a favor?¡± she turned to ask Clemente.

    ¡°Anything,¡± he said solemnly.

    ¡°I want to show these elders what I can do,¡± she smiled a confident smile. ¡°So when the hunting

    begins and we venture into the mountain to chase the prey, I don¡¯t want you to follow me. I want to

    go out there and do this by myself.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223

    ¡±

    Clemente looked stunned, ¡°You don¡¯t want me to follow you? But the King clearly said that!!

    ¡°The King is not here,¡± J¡¯s voice turned cold slightly. ¡°And you saw how those people treated

    me, Clemente. There is no respect. I need to turn this around and convince them that I can be

    Queen. This hunting is my opportunity.¡±

    There was a tight furrow between Clemente¡¯s brows, ¡°You can do the hunting all by yourself, Lady

    J. I won¡¯t partake. But I have to follow you into the woods and keep you safe. It is my duty¡­¡±

    ¡°The thing is, Clemente, if you follow me into the woods, nobody will believe that I killed those prey

    by myself. They will all think that you helped me. And what is the point of that?¡±

    Clemente bit his lips, looking reluctant.

    If she asked him to stay back a week before, he would never, ever agree to that.

    But they had developed some sort of trust after the baseball game.

    J was counting on that trust right now.

    ¡°Give me a chance to prove myself, Clemente. That is all I am asking,¡± she said.

    Clemente took in a deep breath.

    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± he gave in eventually.

    Joy exploded in J¡¯s chest, ¡°Thank you, Clemente!¡±

    ¡°The King will kill me if he finds out about this ¡± he groaned.

    ¡°The King will kill me if he finds out about this,¡± he groaned.

    She smiled, ¡°I will make sure that he never finds out.¡±

    That was a lie.

    Because she is fully prepared to disappear into the woods and mountains once the hunting begins.

    She could aiready imagine Westin¡¯s rage when he learnt that Clemente let her into the woods

    alone.

    She felt sorry for using Clemente¡­But she would not apologize for doing what was necessary to

    escape this ce.

    Oh, and there was onest step of preparation to do¡­.

    J faked a sneeze.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡± Clemente asked immediately, ¡°Where is your jacket?¡±

    Everyone else was wearing a thick jacket that could protect them from the chilly mountain breeze.

    Yet J only had a thin shirt on her.

    ¡°I left my jacket in my room,¡± she said.

    Which she did on purpose.

    ¡°You can take mine,¡± Clemente offered.

    Which was exactly what she was hoping for.

    Clemente¡¯s jacket was warm and¨Cmost importantly¨Cit carried his scent.

    A jacket with Lycan¡¯s scent would help cover her own scent and make it harder for them to detect

    her.

    J wrapped his jacket around her body and gave Clemente a big smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t want to

    keep the elders waiting.¡±

    They urged the horses to keep going, the rhythmic clip¨Cclop of hooves echoing through the

    mountain pass.

    In the distance, the jagged peaks reached towards the azure sky like ancient sentinels guarding the

    secrets of thisnd.

    As they approached the designated hunting site, the barking of hounds and the heated chatters of

    people became clear.

    The team came to a halt at the edge of a vast clearing, surrounded by towering pines.

    People got off their horses and checked their bows, arrows, pistols, and food supplies before

    departure.

    Elder Robert climbed up to a big rock and called out to the entire group:

    ¡°Morning! My fellow hunters! So the hunting will take ce in this part of the mountain. There will be

    enough prey waiting for you, deer, boars, bison, or even bears¡­Just don¡¯t go too far into the North,

    which is close to our borderline and where the mist forest is at. I know the Lycans can find a way

    back home but why waste your time in the fog while you can shoot at the pheasant?¡±

    The team burst outughing

    J marked that piece of information at heart.

    Ok, so the North.

    It would be where she was heading.

    ¡°And as you all know, we have a special guest here today. A werewolf.¡±

    Elder Robert pointed a finger at J.

    People all turned their heads to look at her.

    ¡°Lady J here is very confident with her hunting skills,¡± Elder Robert said with an insolent smile

    on his lips. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Lady J, no one will me you if youe back empty¨Chanded

    tonight. Nevertheless, you arepeting with the

    Lycans.¡±

    The crowd jeered.

    J raised her head, ¡°Oh careful with the big words, Elder Robert. I will rub it in your face when

    you lose to a werewolf.¡±

    Elder Robert¡¯s face darkened.

    Wells and Belle were in the crowd as well.

    The twins apuded and cheered for J together, ¡°Go, J!¡±

    ¡°OK!¡±

    Elder Robert snapped, casting a sullen re at J, ¡°Fine¡­Without further ado, let the hunting

    begin!¡±

    A round of cheers broke out in the vast clearing.

    The hunters exchanged eager nces, and the lead guard signaled to unleash the hounds.

    The dogs bounded ahead, their eager barks mingling with the natural symphony of the mountains.

    The hunters rushed into the woods hastily following their hounds.

    ¡°You wannae with us, J?¡± Wells yelled to J.

    J waved her hand, ¡°No you guys go ahead! I will catch up with youter!¡±

    ¡°OK. See youter!¡±

    The twins ran off into the forest.

    J felt the loaded pistol in her pocket for thest time and turned to Clement with a grin, ¡°Wish

    me good luck.¡±

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡­Good luck,¡± Clemente murmured with a worried look. ¡°Cry for help if you need me.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    J leaned in to hug him, ¡°Thank you, Clemente.¡±

    If everything went well, this would be thest time they saw each other. She would miss him. And

    the twins. And everyone who had helped her.

    But she had to return to Daran¡¯s side.

    But she had to return to Daran¡¯s side.

    J let go of Clemente and turned, rushing into the woods.

    The sun filtered through the branches, creating dappled patterns on the forest floor. The scent of

    pine needles and earth wafted through the air, blending with the excitement of the hunt.

    J quickened her pace and dashed forward, heading straight to the North.

    She shot a couple of pheasants along the way, in case anyone was watching her from the back.

    The northern she went, the quieter it got.

    Eventually, the sound of shooting, hound barking and people yelling faded into the distance.

    The only audible noise was the crunchy sound of her foot stepping on the fallen leaves and her

    heavy panting.

    Yet she didn¡¯t dare to slow down.

    She had to outdistance and elude them as far as possible before they found out that she was gone.

    She kept running like this for an hour, only making a few brief stops to check thepass and

    make sure that she was in the right direction.

    Her mouth was turning dry. And she was sweating like hell.

    So she stopped to keep herself hydrated.

    It was when she realized that the bright sunlight overhead was now blocked by heavy clouds. The

    sky turned an even murkier grey

    The clustering pines and the outlines of the forest margin were now dusky and indistinct.

    A heavy fog had fallen at some point.

    J straightened her back and stared at the path ahead.

    She gulped, nervously.

    She had entered the mist forest.

    Which meant that she was close to the borderline!

    ¡°¡­Daran¡­¡±

    She closed her eyes and murmured the name of her love.

    Daran, if you can hear me, please lend me the strength and help me find the way back to you¡­.

    <hr>Daran halted to aplete stop abruptly, staring deep into the heavy fog ahead of him.

    The soldier behind him almost bumped into his back, ¡°What is the matter, My King?¡±

    Daran frowned, listening with all his ears.

    After a long pause, he asked, ¡°Did you hear anything?¡±

    The soldier scratched his head, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think so my king.¡±

    They had been circling around in this mist forest for more than a week now.

    Although Daran insisted that the Lycan¡¯snd was right beyond this strange nobody could find a

    way across it.

    fog.

    The soldiers were losing their patience¨Cit seemed like a dead end.

    Yet nobody had the guts to bring it up to the King, who was dead set to find a way out of the fog.

    ¡°Maybe it was a deer that you heard, My King?¡± the soldier suggested.

    ¡°¡­No, it was not a deer,¡± Daran said in a low voice.

    It was J.

    She was asking for his help.

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224

    Daran was certain that he heard J¡¯s voice at some point.

    But he didn¡¯t know if that was just another of his hallucinations.

    He heard her voice all the time during the past few weeks, sometimes during the daytime,

    sometimes in his dreams.

    She was calling for his help and telling him that she was trapped and alone, which made his heart

    ache.

    The love of his life was waiting for him to rescue her.

    Yet he couldn¡¯t find a way across this damn forest!

    Daran took in a deep breath, letting the crisp mountain breeze clear his mind a bit.

    ¡°Let¡¯s return to the campsite,¡± he said deeply to the soldier.

    The werewolf¡¯s campsite was built on the edge of the mist forest.

    At first, the campsite had more than 100 people.

    Casper, Kass and soldiers from Blood Moon Pack and Riverside Pack were all gathered here,

    attempting the rescue of J.

    But Casper was called back to Blood Moon Pack a weekter because Balvina was pregnant.

    Then Kass left as well. As the rogue king, he had a duty back at the Grace Ruin.

    Now they were approaching the one¨Cmonth mark, and Daran was the only one who still kept his

    post.

    Daran strode into the tent.

    The room quieted down immediately at his appearance.

    ¡°Any progress today?¡± he asked in a deep voice.

    People exchanged frustrated looks with each other in silence.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Daran asked the same question every day.

    Yet he knew everyone knew¨Cthat there would not be any progress as long as the log was still there.

    ¡°No?¡±

    Daran didn¡¯t look too surprised, ¡°We will continue the rescue tomorrow. Thank you, everyone.¡±

    He tumed to leave the tent.

    Yet a general from Riverside Pack stood up abruptly and yelled, ¡°King Daran, if I may-¡±

    Daran turned his head to look at the general, ¡°No. You may not.

    His freezing gaze sent a chill down the general¡¯s spine.

    The general gulped in fear.

    Yet he plucked up the courage and continued, ¡°King Daran, I am speaking for the entire room

    here¡­I really think that we should call off the rescue¡­We haven¡¯t made any progress in a month!

    This is just aplete waste of time. The rogue king and Alpha Casper have all left¡­And Alpha

    Casper is Princess J¡¯s brother-¡±

    Daran interrupted him icily, ¡°Alpha Casper has an expecting wife. Kass has to rule. What is your

    point here?¡±

    ¡°You have to rule as well, My King! You are the master of the entire werewolf world now!¡± the

    general cried, ¡°Think about the power that you just inherited. This is a golden opportunity to

    strengthen our own pack, yet you are wasting time in this middle of nowhere¡­¡±

    People in the room stirred, some muttered and nodded their heads.

    ¡°Alpha Casper has given up already. Why should we keep doing this?¡± someone in the crowd said,

    ¡°Princess J isn¡¯t our Luna¡­¡±

    ¡°Princess J probably won¡¯t appreciate our effort,¡± a soldier grumbled. ¡°There are rumors saying

    that she left with the Lycan King willingly. They are probably living a happy life together-¡±

    ¡°One more word and you won¡¯t have a tongue for the rest of your life,¡± Daran said coldly.

    The crowdpsed into a deathly silence.

    Daran looked around the room, ¡°The search is still on.¡±

    ¡°But my king-¡±

    ¡®Anyone who has a problem with it will be expelled from Riverside Pack,¡± Daran let out a coldugh.

    ¡°If you think that I am failing at being your Alpha and King, you can figure out a way to dethrone me.

    But until then, you will stay here and keep your

    fucking mouth shut. Are we clear?¡±

    People shivered in fear.

    Nobody dared to say another word again.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Daran turned on his heels and left the tent.

    The sun was setting on the horizon, which meant that another day without J by his side was

    gone.

    But no matter how many days it took, he would keep searching and keep waiting. Until J

    returned safely to his side.

    <hr>Today was the third day since J entered the misted forest.

    Yet she still hadn¡¯t found a way out of this ce.

    Although she had packed enough food and water in her backpack, her supplies were still running

    out.

    If she still couldn¡¯t find the correct path by the end of today, she could begin to starve and thirst

    herself and her baby to death.

    Fuck!

    She threw a punch at the tree, frustrated.

    This was harder than she thought!

    Herpass stopped working when she entered this area. She tried to tell the direction based on

    the sunrise and marked the tress that she had passed, but none of

    that worked.

    She couldn¡¯t keep going in circles like this.

    She had to think of something new.

    Just then, her ears caught some distant noises.

    She perked up her ears with her guard up, listening attentively.

    ¡­Footsteps!

    She hadn¡¯t heard any noises like that in days. There weren¡¯t any wild animals in this part of the

    forest.

    So it must be man¡¯s footsteps¨Cpossibly her pursuers.

    Without a second thought, J climbed up a pine tree next to her and hid herself. among the

    branches and leaves.

    She held her breath and gazed at the direction of the footsteps.

    Eventually, two figures appeared from the heavy fog.

    Lycan soldiers.

    ¡°¡­Still no sign of her?¡± one soldier asked.

    ¡°No. The king is furious. Hell, I haven¡¯t seen our king this mad in my entire life! General Clemente is

    in deep trouble because of this. The King had him strapped to a tree and forbade anyone to get him

    down or give him any food or water¡­¡±

    The first soldier gasped, ¡°For a missing werewolf? He has never punished anyone like this even

    when they lost a battle! Has the King lost his mind?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? And the King has made it clear already. If we can¡¯t find that she¨Cwolf, he will let

    General Clemente starve to death.¡±

    J bit her lips.

    A horrible feeling surged up in her chest.

    God Clemente¡­

    It was all because of her.

    He was innocent. Yet she got him into all these troubles.

    ¡°But how did a werewolf hide herself from us for so long anyway?¡± the soldier sounded perplexed,

    ¡°We saw the marks she left on the trees. She is still in the woods. But why can¡¯t we smell her?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? But one thing I do know is that all of us will be in trouble if we can¡¯t find her.¡±

    ¡°Fuck¡­Let¡¯s take a break. I am exhausted.¡±

    The two soldiers sat down underneath the pine tree to rest their feet.

    J looked down at them from the top of the tree.

    These two Lycan soldiers came at perfect timing.

    Because she just had an idea.

    An idea that could point her to the correct way out of the forest.

    Chapter 225.

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225

    Chapter 225.

    J quietly took the crossbow from her back.

    She pointed the arrow at one of the Lycan soldier¡¯s heads, narrowing her eyes, holding her breath.

    The two soldiers had no idea that death was looming.

    They were still talking.

    ¡°Looks like our King is really in love with that she¨Cwolf. Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah. And that she¨Cwolf has no gratitude at heart. The Lycan King wants her

    for Christ¡¯s sake! If you ask me, she should get on her knees and wiggle her fucking butt like a good

    dog, begging our king to take her-¡±

    WHOOSH!

    The arrow flew across the air and went right into the back of that soldier¡¯s skull, freezing the rest of

    those words on his lips.

    The head of the arrow stuck out from between the soldier¡¯s brows.

    Blood streamed down his face.

    A horror expression froze on his face as he was crushed down to the forest bed, dead.

    Hispanion was terrified.

    He jumped up, clenching his pistol, and looked around, ¡°WHO IS THERE! You are killing the Lycan

    King¡¯s guards! I fucking warn you-¡±

    He looked from left to right.

    Yet he didn¡¯t check his overhead.

    J leaned off from the tree and fell right on top of his shoulders.

    one hand.

    And held a de against his throat with another hand.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t move,¡± she leaned down and whispered into his ears.

    The Lycan soldier froze, his body shivering.

    ..L¨CLady J?¡± he stuttered.

    He tried to turn his neck and got a good look at her.

    The de cut into his skin right away.

    ¡°Do you want me to slit your throat?¡± she warned, ¡°Keep your eyes ahead!¡±

    The soldier¡¯s neck became stiff, staying perfectly still.

    ¡°Tell me everything back at the castle. How is the searching along?¡± she demanded.

    ¡°I¡­If you were up there the whole time, you have heard everything already¡­¡± the soldier stuttered,

    ¡°General Clemente is being punished. Prince Wells and Princess Belle are grounded. The King is

    pulling every soldier in the castle into this search¡­There is no way he will stop until he finds you!¡±

    J tightened her grip on the hilt.

    Fuck.

    She was hoping that Westin would give up at some point, hence buying her more time to escape.

    Yet he was more determined than she thought.

    Did he really want her that much?

    ¡°Lady J¡­you¨Cyou should really go back and turn yourself in when there is still chance¡­¡± the

    soldier begged, ¡°You don¡¯t know the way¡­How long can youst in this forest anyway? The elders

    are trying to stop the king froming to look for you personally¡­But sooner orter he will set

    foot in this forest, and you will be found! Just think about his rage when he catches you with his own

    hands¡­¡± ¡°SILENT!¡± J snapped.

    Her heart was thumping wildly.

    She didn¡¯t need this soldier to remind her of Westin¡¯s rage.

    She could imagine it.

    Westin probably wouldn¡¯t kill her.

    But he would make sure that she lived in misery, which was a thousand times worse. than a clean

    death.

    Which was why she had to find a way out of there before he found her.

    ¡°You are right. I don¡¯t know the way,¡± J let out a coldugh. ¡°But you are here. now. Lycans

    know how to get out of this damn forest, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Yes.

    That was her n.

    To take a Lycan soldier hostage and to force him to show her the way.

    Has herpass stopped working?

    She would find herself a humanpass

    The Lycan soldier started to shiver, ¡°Y¨CYou want me to¡­ No, I can¡¯t! The King will kill me-¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t cooperate, I will kill you before he does,¡± J threatened, pointing the dagger at his

    throat. ¡°So which way is it going to be?¡±

    The Lycan soldier gulped nervously, ¡°Please¡­Please don¡¯t¡­I have a family¡­¡±

    ¡°So cooperation it is.¡±

    J jumped off from his shoulder and reced the dagger with her pistol.

    She gave him a nudge with her pistol, ¡°Now move! Don¡¯t y tricks with me. And don¡¯t try circling

    me back to Westin¡¯s! I will blow your head the moment I sense something wrong.¡±

    The Lycan soldier took in a deep breath.

    He started moving forward.

    J immediately followed him, keeping pointing the pistol at his heart.

    They traveled in the forest in silence, with the heavy fog still apanying them.

    J couldn¡¯t tell if the path they were on right now had any difference from the path that she had

    taken.

    The forest looked exactly the same no matter where she went.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    But she didn¡¯t see any marks on the passing trees.

    Which meant that she hadn¡¯t been to this area of the forest before.

    The sun continued to set, the forest growing darker.

    It was getting harder to see the path ahead of them.

    Just when J¡¯s patience was wearing out, a long howl from the distance swept the

    forest, sending startled birds flying off branches and into the night sky.

    The Lycan soldier snapped his head up and gasped, ¡°It¡­It is the King¡­¡±

    ¡°How can you tell!¡±

    ¡°All soldiers can recognize the voice of their King¡­¡± the soldier trembled on his spot, ¡°He ising

    to get you himself¡­Lady J, you can¡¯t escape! Even if you escape this forest, he will find a way

    to take you back¨CJust return when you have the chance¨CAHHH!¡±

    J withdrew her dagger and stabbed it into his left shoulder!

    The soldier staggered holding his injured shoulder, groaning in pain.

    ¡°Next time it will aim at your fucking heart!¡± J hissed under her breath, ¡°How much longer to the

    borderline?!¡±

    ¡°Not¡­Not far¡­Just another half of an hour¡­¡±

    ¡°HURRY! GO!¡±

    ¡°HURRY! GO!¡±

    They picked up their paces, dashing across the dark forest.

    J¡¯s heart was beating so crazily that she could even hear the sound of her own heartbeat.

    She could sense the danger approaching.

    Westin wasing.

    She was racing against him.

    They kept going like this for another 15 minutes and suddenly heard a loud hound bark from behind

    their backs.

    J jerked around in panic-

    A giant hound leaped out of the darkness and snapped at her jacket!

    ¡°Fuck!¡± J cursed.

    It was Clemente¡¯s jacket.

    She tried to pull it back from the dog, but the damn beast would not let go and made a dangerous

    growl at her, showing pointed fangs!

    ¡°It is General Clemente¡¯s hound! It must have recognized its master¡¯s scent! They are not far from

    us-¡± the soldier yelled.

    J stripped herself out of that jacket and shifted into her wolf.

    She abandoned the hound and the soldier and dashed forward.

    Faster¡­

    FASTER!

    The wind gushed at her face, rustling her furs. Her wolf was as anxious as she was. Just then, she

    smelt something in the wind.

    An enticing scent.

    The scent of her mate, the love of her life!

    In the distance, behind the trees, she saw a familiar figure standing by the edge of the forest.

    It was him!!!

    ¡°-DARAN!¡± she screamed at the top of her lungs.

    That man jerked around and looked in her direction.

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226

    She could already see his face, even with that distance between them.

    -Daran!!

    She opened her mouth to call to him again.

    But a great force came from her back, knocking her to the ground.

    She snapped her head around to bite the attacker.

    Yet her neck got hit the next second

    The piercing pain coursed through her body and caused her to shift back to human.

    Shey on the ground, kicking her legs in vain, panting roughly. The attacker bent his back and

    caught her throat with one hand.

    With the help of the dim moonlight, she saw the attacker¡¯s face.

    ¡­Clemente!

    ¡°Cle¡±

    She didn¡¯t have the chance to utter a single word, because he had mped a hand over her mouth

    and dragged her into the bushes.

    She was furious. She tried to fight back with all her might.

    Yet he easily pressed her body to the cold hard ground and tied her fours, taped her mouth shut.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t force me to knock you out,¡± he whispered into her ears.

    Heavy footsteps came from the near distance.

    Daran rushed over from the edge of the forest.

    He looked around. His handsome face was consorted by anxiety and panic.

    ¡°¡­J!¡±

    He started to yell, his voice trembling, ¡°Is that you, J?¡±

    Tears streamed down from J¡¯s eyes.

    She could see him from behind the bushes.

    They were just a few feet apart!

    She twisted her body and made a muffled cry, trying to get Daran¡¯s attention.

    Yet Clemente held a cold dagger against her belly.

    J froze.

    A chill of horror swept across her.

    ¡­How did Clemente know about her pregnancy?!

    Clemente looked down at her, his grey eyes gleaming coldly.

    DON¡¯T

    He warned her eyes his eyes

    Daran was still calling her name, ¡°JANET! Fuck¡­J¡­Please just answer me-¡± ¡°Looking for

    someone, King Daran?¡±

    A cold voice came behind the woods.

    A tall and muscr figure stepped out of the darkness, directing an icy gaze upon

    Daran.

    Daran clenched his fists, hatred burning in his eyes as he gritted, ¡°¡­Westin.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t personally congratted you on your coronation yet,¡± Westin said with a

    cool smile on his lips. ¡°Congrattions, you finally got what you wanted. But that doesn¡¯t give you

    the right toe here and make a fuzz in mynd.¡±

    ¡°Where is J!¡± Daran snapped.

    Westin spread his hands, ¡°What makes you think that I have her? Maybe she grew tired of you and

    ran off herself¡­since you are such an obnoxious

    person.¡±

    ¡°Cut the craps!¡± Daran roared, his eyes bloodshot, ¡°You fucking took her!!!¡±

    Westin suddenly burst outughing.

    ¡°No. She left with me, voluntarily,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°And she is very happy in the Lycan¡¯snd.

    She has also agreed to recognize our mate bond in the following few days¡­Oh, and here is a

    message from her and ites down to two simple words: FUCK OFF¡±

    J shook her head in the bushes.

    Tears running down her cheeks.

    No.

    That was not what she thought!

    Don¡¯t believe in any of that Daran!

    ¡°Fucking lies!¡± Daran growled. ¡°Hand her over now or-

    ¡°Or what?¡± Westin asked defiantly.

    -Or I will bloodshed your entire Kingdom. Staring with YOU!¡±

    He leaped forward, shifting into a giant wolf in midair, and stuck at Westin!

    Westin dodged urgently.

    A hint of shock flickered across his eyes when he saw Daran¡¯s wolf.

    The giant ck wolf had its whole body imprinted with intricate patterns, and a patch of golden fur

    on its forehead.

    It looked like a mythical creature depicted in the ancient tale!

    Westin gritted his teeth and shifted as well.

    The silver¨Cwhite Lycan and the ck werewolf lunged at each other simultaneously, aiming to kill!

    Their fangs shed like daggers in the moonlight as their bodies collided.

    Westin was sent flying backward and crashed into a pine tree, making a huge crashing noise!

    Daran lunged forward, his jaws snapping at the Lycan¡¯s back.

    He tossed his head and ripped a huge chunk of flesh off the Lycan¡¯s body!

    The silence of the woods shattered as the white wolf howled in rage and pain! J rounded her

    eyes in shock.

    Daran didn¡¯t stand a chance when he first met Westin.

    But the crown empowered him.

    He had be stronger¡­Even stronger than she thought.

    Maybe he really had a chance of defeating Westin!

    She wanted to see the end of that fight.

    But Clemente didn¡¯t give her a chance.

    In the noise of the brutal fight, he threw her onto his back and carried her dashing into the misted

    forest.

    NO!!!

    She roared internally.

    Don¡¯t take her away! She worked so hard to get this far! She was already so close to the man she

    loved.

    Yet she was still moving away from Daran.

    The sounds of their howls and fights grew fainter and fainter.

    Clemente didn¡¯t stop until they reached the heart of the mist forest.

    He set her down on a rock and ripped off the tape on her mouth.

    She took a sharp inhale of breath, panting heavily, and red at him.

    Clemente bent down to untie her fours.

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Yet she snarled, ¡°-DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!¡±

    He froze.

    And withdrew his hands.

    ¡­It was a stupid idea to run,¡± he looked down at her with cold.

    eyes.

    ¡°Stupid?! Your King kidnapped me! He is a shameless abductor! When Daran kills

    him-

    ¡°He can¡¯t,¡± Clemente said in a t tone.

    ¡°Of course, he can! You saw how he ripped off Westin¡¯s flesh-

    ¡°They are equally strong, yes. But he won¡¯t be able to kill my king. I know that for a fact.¡±

    J let out a loud sarcasticugh.

    Her chest was about to explode with anger and frustration.

    ¡°The king wille back within an hour. And when he does

    Clemente nced at J.

    There was a hint of pity in his eyes.

    You better pray that his mind is clouded by rage.¡±

    So they sat there and waited.

    J rested her head on her knees, keeping her eyes on the dark forest.

    She really hoped that it could be Daran who stepped out of the woods the next second, walking up

    to her and telling her that they were going home.

    After what felt like an eternity, a blundering figure came into her sight.

    J¡¯s heart started racing wildly.

    Then it sunk the next second as though she missed a step going downstairs.

    ¡­.It wasn¡¯t Daran.

    Westin walked up to her at a slow pace. His right leg was injured. And there were numerous

    bleeding wounds on his body.

    He looked horrible, defeated..

    Those blue eyes of his, once gentle and soft, were now dark with a storm building in

    them.

    J red at him..

    ¡°¡­Fuck you,¡± she hissed.

    She had nothing to lose now.

    She couldn¡¯t be bothered to hide her hatred.

    Westin let out a cold sneer.

    He caught her chin and caressed her skin with his thumb.

    ¡°I love you so much, J¡­and I can be a really good lover. You know that¡­¡± he said in a light yet

    dangerous voice. ¡°¡­ But why do you have to turn me into aplete jerk?¡±

    ¡°You are a jerk. You always are!¡± she trembled under his touch.

    Westin lifted his lips into a faint smile, staring straight into her fearful eyes, ¡°You just got yourself into

    a lot of trouble, my love.¡±

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227

    When J woke up again, she found herself in a pitch¨Cck room.

    Actually, she couldn¡¯t even be sure if this was a room, since it was so dark here, without a single

    light source for her to study the surroundings.

    She tried moving her arms and heard the ttering noise of shackles.

    She was chained to the wall.

    She cleared her throat and said tentatively, ¡°¡­Hello?¡±

    Her voice echoed in the quiet space. Nobody answered.

    The darkness was dreadful. And the imagination of what could be within that darkness was even

    worse.

    J bit her lips, trying to calm herself down.

    When Westin knocked her over, she thought she would wake up to some horrible scenes, a

    dungeon filled with torture devices perhaps, or the Elder Council packed with people ready to

    sentence her.

    Yet instead, she was locked here, alone, without a single person by her side. ¡°¡­Westin! Are you

    there?¡± she cried again.

    Yet again, nobody answered.

    She curled her body up on the cold hard ground, spacing out.

    What was Westin trying to do here?

    Was this the horrible torment that he was talking about?

    Then she started to think about Daran.

    What was Daran doing right now? He must be anxious like hell. Would he try to rescue her? But he

    still couldn¡¯t cross that damn forest¡­Fuck¡­

    She sat there, wondering about all kinds of things.

    There was no way to tell the time. Hours passed, no, or maybe just some ten minutes, she couldn¡¯t

    tell¡­.

    J fell asleep again with her heart filled with anxiety.

    When she woke up again, nothing had changed.

    It was still pitch¨Cck.

    And the darkness was starting to drive her nuts..

    ¡°Hello?! Can anyone hear me?¡± she cried, rattling her shackles and chains, ¡°Westin! Clemente!

    Where the fuck are you!¡±

    Yet again, nobody answered.

    She shivered, involuntarily.

    Her throat was so dry as though she just swallowed a burning coal.

    Was this what Westin was trying to do? Drying her out and starving her to death?

    No,pared to thirst and starvation, darkness was what really scared her.

    She once read about an experiment. A patient was locked in a pitch¨Cck room. And it didn¡¯t take a

    week before hepletely went crazy.

    She was starting to lose her mind as well.

    She fell asleep and woke up another couple of times. Darkness was the only thing that

    apanied her.

    How long had it been now?

    Days?

    A week?!

    When was thest time she talked to someone? Or heard the voice besides her own?

    She was desperate to see a living thing.

    She was even willing to talk to Westin!

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She couldn¡¯t stand the silence and darkness anymore¡­She started to see things or hear things¡­

    Couldn¡¯t tell reality from illusions anymore¡­Just please¡­ Let her talk to someone!

    ¡°Westin! Westin! P¨CPlease¡­are you there?!¡± she cried in a hoarse voice, choking, ¡°Juste out

    and let¡¯s talk¡­Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t do this to me¡­¡±

    She was begging. And crying.

    And she started to bang her head against the wall to create some noises in this silent room, acting

    like a crazy woman.

    Westin seeded.

    He broke her.

    But still, all was gloom and silence.

    Ruthless silence.

    Thest time J woke from her slumber, she felt something in the darkness.

    There was another being here with her.

    ¡°Who is there!¡± she asked immediately.

    Before that person answered, she begged hastily, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t go! Talk to me please¡­¡±

    Lights went on.

    Being in the darkness for so long, her eyes couldn¡¯t adjust to the light anymore. She snapped her

    eyes shut.

    Footsteps approached her.

    And then, arge hand fell on her fluttering eyelids.

    A hand! An actual human hand!

    J grabbed that hand with both of her hands, hungry for the touch and warmth of

    a human being.

    A light kiss fell on her lips.

    ¡°¡­Look how good you are now,¡± said a husky voice beside her ears. ¡°If you can be this obedient

    from day one, we wouldn¡¯t have a problem, my love.¡±

    The hand moved away from her eyes.

    She slowly opened her eyes and saw Westin¡¯s face.

    He looked into her eyes and smiled, ¡°Did you enjoy the darkness and silence?¡±

    She took in a deep breath, trembling, ¡°¡­How many days have it been?¡±

    ¡°3 days,¡± he chuckled lowly.

    Three?!

    She couldn¡¯t believe this.

    It definitely felt more than 3 days, more like an eternity of hell.

    If he kept her in here for just one more day, she would definitely be insane, for

    sure.

    ¡°I was told that this is the best way to tame a wild beast,¡± he smiled, depicting her profile with his

    fingertips. ¡°It worked even better than I thought. Hearing you cry for

    my name again and again and beg for me toe out like that¡­Do you know how happy I was? I

    wish we could stay like this forever, J. My name should be the only thing thates out of your

    mouth.¡±

    A cold chill was sent down her spine, causing her to shiver.

    ¡­You are fucked,¡± she cried shakily, with tears streaming down her face. ¡°You are crazy! You have

    a fucking mental issue-

    Westin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t learned your lesson.¡±

    He straightened his back, looking down at her frightened face, ¡°I was too soft on you. Maybe 3 days

    wasn¡¯t enough. I should lock you in here longer.¡±

    He stood up and gestured to leave.

    A horrible dread seized J¡¯s heart.

    No, no, she didn¡¯t want to go back to that pitch¨Cck, silent environment again! It would drive her

    crazy¡­.

    Fear dominated her mind.

    She leaped forward and grabbed Westin¡¯s pants, ¡°Don¡¯t-¡±

    He turned abruptly and lowered his back, catching her lips hungrily.

    That was a wild and brutal kiss.

    He pressed his lips on hers roughly and forced her to open her mouth with his tongue. She gritted

    her teeth and refused toply.

    He bit her lips, hard, and slid his tongue in as a bloody taste filled their mouths.

    He explored every corner of her mouth, dominating her with his might.

    She started to feel ack of air and struggled to tilt her head, trying to breathe.

    But he wouldn¡¯t let her.

    Holding her waist with one hand and grabbing her neck with another, he fixed her firmly in his arms

    and continued to ravage her with this kiss.

    It almost felt like he wanted to eat her up.

    Like he was the predator. And she was his prey.

    Her legs were turning soft. Light¨Cheaded.

    On the verge of her passing out, he finally released her.

    ¡­I wanted to do this to you the first day we met.¡±

    He breathed heavily and rubbed her reddened lips with his thumb, ¡°But I controlled. it¡­ Win her

    heart first, I said to myself¡­I adored you. I treated you with respect and offered you my heart. And

    what did you give me in return?¡­Lies and betrayal. God was I stupid¡­ You didn¡¯t deserve my love.

    Rough procession is the only thing you will

    get from me now!¡±

    He backed her body against the wall and caught her lips again.

    His hand traveled down her body.

    He started ripping her clothes apart.

    ¡°¡­NO!!!¡± she screamed.

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228

    When J woke up again, she found herself in a pitch¨Cck room.

    Actually, she couldn¡¯t even be sure if this was a room, since it was so dark here, without a single

    light source for her to study the surroundings.

    She tried moving her arms and heard the ttering noise of shackles.

    She was chained to the wall.

    She cleared her throat and said tentatively, ¡°¡­Hello?¡±

    Her voice echoed in the quiet space. Nobody answered.

    The darkness was dreadful. And the imagination of what could be within that darkness was even

    worse.

    J bit her lips, trying to calm herself down.

    When Westin knocked her over, she thought she would wake up to some horrible scenes, a

    dungeon filled with torture devices perhaps, or the Elder Council packed with people ready to

    sentence her.

    Yet instead, she was locked here, alone, without a single person by her side. ¡°¡­Westin! Are you

    there?¡± she cried again.

    Yet again, nobody answered.

    She curled her body up on the cold hard ground, spacing out.

    What was Westin trying to do here?

    Was this the horrible torment that he was talking about?

    Then she started to think about Daran.

    What was Daran doing right now? He must be anxious like hell. Would he try to rescue her? But he

    still couldn¡¯t cross that damn forest¡­Fuck¡­

    She sat there, wondering about all kinds of things.

    There was no way to tell the time. Hours passed, no, or maybe just some ten minutes, she couldn¡¯t

    tell¡­.

    J fell asleep again with her heart filled with anxiety.

    When she woke up again, nothing had changed.

    It was still pitch¨Cck.

    And the darkness was starting to drive her nuts..

    ¡°Hello?! Can anyone hear me?¡± she cried, rattling her shackles and chains, ¡°Westin! Clemente!

    Where the fuck are you!¡±

    Yet again, nobody answered.

    She shivered, involuntarily.

    Her throat was so dry as though she just swallowed a burning coal.

    Was this what Westin was trying to do? Drying her out and starving her to death?

    No,pared to thirst and starvation, darkness was what really scared her.

    She once read about an experiment. A patient was locked in a pitch¨Cck room. And it didn¡¯t take a

    week before hepletely went crazy.

    She was starting to lose her mind as well.

    She fell asleep and woke up another couple of times. Darkness was the only thing that

    apanied her.

    How long had it been now?

    Days?

    A week?!

    When was thest time she talked to someone? Or heard the voice besides her own?

    She was desperate to see a living thing.

    She was even willing to talk to Westin!

    She couldn¡¯t stand the silence and darkness anymore¡­She started to see things or hear things¡­

    Couldn¡¯t tell reality from illusions anymore¡­Just please¡­ Let her talk to someone!

    ¡°Westin! Westin! P¨CPlease¡­are you there?!¡± she cried in a hoarse voice, choking, ¡°Juste out

    and let¡¯s talk¡­Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t do this to me¡­¡±

    She was begging. And crying.

    And she started to bang her head against the wall to create some noises in this silent room, acting

    like a crazy woman.

    Westin seeded.

    He broke her.

    But still, all was gloom and silence.

    Ruthless silence.

    Thest time J woke from her slumber, she felt something in the darkness.

    There was another being here with her.

    ¡°Who is there!¡± she asked immediately.

    Before that person answered, she begged hastily, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t go! Talk to me please¡­¡±

    Lights went on.

    Being in the darkness for so long, her eyes couldn¡¯t adjust to the light anymore. She snapped her

    eyes shut.

    Footsteps approached her.

    And then, arge hand fell on her fluttering eyelids.

    A hand! An actual human hand!

    J grabbed that hand with both of her hands, hungry for the touch and warmth of

    a human being.

    A light kiss fell on her lips.

    ¡°¡­Look how good you are now,¡± said a husky voice beside her ears. ¡°If you can be this obedient

    from day one, we wouldn¡¯t have a problem, my love.¡±

    The hand moved away from her eyes.

    She slowly opened her eyes and saw Westin¡¯s face.

    He looked into her eyes and smiled, ¡°Did you enjoy the darkness and silence?¡±

    She took in a deep breath, trembling, ¡°¡­How many days have it been?¡±

    ¡°3 days,¡± he chuckled lowly.

    Three?!

    She couldn¡¯t believe this.

    It definitely felt more than 3 days, more like an eternity of hell.

    If he kept her in here for just one more day, she would definitely be insane, for

    sure.

    ¡°I was told that this is the best way to tame a wild beast,¡± he smiled, depicting her profile with his

    fingertips. ¡°It worked even better than I thought. Hearing you cry for

    my name again and again and beg for me toe out like that¡­Do you know how happy I was? I

    wish we could stay like this forever, J. My name should be the only thing thates out of your

    mouth.¡±

    A cold chill was sent down her spine, causing her to shiver.

    ¡­You are fucked,¡± she cried shakily, with tears streaming down her face. ¡°You are crazy! You have

    a fucking mental issue-

    Westin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t learned your lesson.¡±

    He straightened his back, looking down at her frightened face, ¡°I was too soft on you. Maybe 3 days

    wasn¡¯t enough. I should lock you in here longer.¡±

    He stood up and gestured to leave.

    A horrible dread seized J¡¯s heart.

    No, no, she didn¡¯t want to go back to that pitch¨Cck, silent environment again! It would drive her

    crazy¡­.

    Fear dominated her mind.

    She leaped forward and grabbed Westin¡¯s pants, ¡°Don¡¯t-¡±

    He turned abruptly and lowered his back, catching her lips hungrily.

    That was a wild and brutal kiss.

    He pressed his lips on hers roughly and forced her to open her mouth with his tongue. She gritted

    her teeth and refused toply.

    He bit her lips, hard, and slid his tongue in as a bloody taste filled their mouths.

    He explored every corner of her mouth, dominating her with his might.

    She started to feel ack of air and struggled to tilt her head, trying to breathe.

    But he wouldn¡¯t let her.

    Holding her waist with one hand and grabbing her neck with another, he fixed her firmly in his arms

    and continued to ravage her with this kiss.

    It almost felt like he wanted to eat her up.

    Like he was the predator. And she was his prey.

    Her legs were turning soft. Light¨Cheaded.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    On the verge of her passing out, he finally released her.

    ¡­I wanted to do this to you the first day we met.¡±

    He breathed heavily and rubbed her reddened lips with his thumb, ¡°But I controlled. it¡­ Win her

    heart first, I said to myself¡­I adored you. I treated you with respect and offered you my heart. And

    what did you give me in return?¡­Lies and betrayal. God was I stupid¡­ You didn¡¯t deserve my love.

    Rough procession is the only thing you will

    get from me now!¡±

    He backed her body against the wall and caught her lips again.

    His hand traveled down her body.

    He started ripping her clothes apart.

    ¡°¡­NO!!!¡± she screamed.

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229

    Westin said that they would talk again when she was ready to recognize the mate bond.

    Which meant that he was ready to lock her in here forever if she didn¡¯tply.

    No food. No water.

    Darkness would be the only thing by her side when she starved to death. With a shaky hand, she

    wiped his cum off her belly, pulled her ripped clothes.

    Daran¡¯s face came into her mind.

    Did he miss her?

    Did he know that they were about to have a baby together soon?

    And her child¡­.

    Was it going to be a boy? Or a girl?

    She kept her mind on those joyful things and tried to ignore the dreadful darkness, which helped, a

    little.

    She felt a little less afraid while imagining the look of her baby in her head.

    Fortunately, silencested shorted than she expected this time.

    After what felt like a couple of hours, she heard blurred voices from behind the door. Someone was

    talking in the next room!

    She sat up at once and moved to the door.

    But the iron chain was not long enough for her to reach the door.

    So she held her voice and listened with all her ears.

    ¡°¡­The werewolves set fire to our forestst night,¡± said an old voice vaguely. ¡°I think they got

    frustrated by the fog and was trying to chase the fog away by burning down trees¡­¡±

    ¡°Fools.¡± Westin said with a sneer, ¡°Let them do it. Soon they will realize that the fog will still be

    there even though they burned the entire forest to the ground.¡±

    ¡°But are we going to let them do this, my king?¡± asked another voice, ¡°Jitters are spreading¡­Our

    people felt threatened. Maybe it is time for us to take some actions-¡±

    ¡°Like what? Dere a war on them?¡± Westin asked icily.

    ¡°No, of course not. The whole point of you marrying a werewolf princess is to unite the two species.

    The werewolf should be our subject one day, not our enemy. So we are all thinking¡­maybe we

    should send Princess J out to have a word with her own people.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Westin gritted.

    ¡°The werewolves clearly didn¡¯t want to engage in a friendly dialogue. But they might listen to their

    own princess. Let Princess J tell them that challenging the Lycans. is foolish, and their savage

    behaviors must stop now.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Westin said without hesitation.

    ¡°But my king¡­¡± cried another voice, ¡°We don¡¯t know why the werewolves are attacking us. You are

    marrying their princess. It should be a good thing, for both sides. Let¡¯s send Princess J to them

    and clear whatever misunderstandings that they have.¡±

    J let out a sneer internally.

    It sounded like Westin was having a meeting with the elders.

    And none of those elders knew that she was abducted by force

    They all believed that she chose toe here, willingly.

    And now the werewolves were causing troubles at the border¡­Westin must be frustrated, being the

    victim of his own wrongdoing.

    He totally deserved it.

    ¡°I said no already,¡± Westin spoke up in a freezing voice. ¡°The werewolves hit us, we hit back harder.

    The Lycans are superior beings. Let¡¯s teach them that with a good fight.¡±

    ¡°But Alpha Daran is King now. We can¡¯t ignore the power that he now possesses. If we lose-¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Lose? Lycans never lose.¡± Westin sneered, ¡°That¡¯s it. I have made my decision.¡±

    There was a long silence.

    Then they murmured a yes in unison.

    ¡°May I ask where Princess J is at the moment?¡± asked one of the elders. carefully.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen her around for the past few days. She didn¡¯t evene down to the dining hall

    for dinner. Is she¡­not feeling well?¡±

    J¡¯s heart jumped to her throat.

    ¡­The elders didn¡¯t know that Westin imprisoned her!

    She should cry for help!

    Blowing the whole lid off this thing by showing everyone what Westin really was¨CA monster!

    HELP!¡± She cried at once, pounding at the stonewall. ¡°Somebody help!¡±

    Her voice was hoarse and weak.

    Yet people in the next room still heard her.

    ¡°¡­What is that noise?¡± someone asked, alert.

    Westin chuckled, ¡°Oh, it is my kitten. It has been acting very jumpy after a change of

    environment.¡®

    J was furious. Kitten her ass!

    She wanted to cry for help again.

    But Westin raised his voice, ¡°This kitten definitely needs to be taught some disciplines.¡±

    ¡°And about Princess J¡­

    ¡°Oh, she is in my room,¡± replied Westin in a light tone. ¡°She is a bit¡­exhausted recently. My bad.

    But don¡¯t worry. She couldn¡¯t be healthier.¡±

    There were some light chuckles.

    ¡°We are all happy to hear that,¡± said an elder. ¡°We look forward to your mating ceremony¡­and of

    course, the birth of your heir.¡±

    ¡°I do too. Now let¡¯s get back to business. What else do we need to discuss today?¡±

    They went on to talk about the patrol n and military expenses.

    The meetingsted for about an hour. And then all the elders were dismissed.

    J heard Westin¡¯s footsteps approaching, followed by the scrapping noise of something being

    moved around, probably bookshelves.

    Finally, the door to this hidden room opened up.

    Westin appeared behind the door.

    J looked at him and then nced behind him.

    She saw his study.

    So he was keeping her in his own study like a sex ve¡­Perv.

    ¡°Enjoying what you heard?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow.

    She dropped her eyes, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to provoke him.

    He was a totally different person when he got mad. She had learned that lesson. Westin sneered,

    ¡°Lie. You heard everything. Now you know about our patrol n. Don¡¯t you want to leak that top

    secret to Daran?¡±

    J avoided his gaze and stayed in silence.

    She didn¡¯t know where he was going with this. Better be cautious.

    Westin paced over and put his hand on her head, stroking her long hair, ¡°You want to, but you can¡¯t.

    Since you are locked here with me¡­forever with me.¡±

    He pecked her forehead.

    J flinched involuntarily¨Cit was like being kissed by a cold snake.

    ¡°When you recognize our mate bond, my love, I will free you out of here immediately. Aren¡¯t you

    tired of the darkness already?¡±

    His voice was soft and sweet like it was dipped in honey.

    ¡°You will be my righteous queen. Daran will know that there is no hope for him. He will be out

    of your life, permanently. Those werewolf soldiers will be gone as well. No war. No meaningless

    sacrifice. Everyone will be happy.¡±

    Yes, everyone, except for her and Daran.

    The thought of losing Daran forever made her heartache. She felt hard to breathe. ¡°¡­I need more

    time to think,¡± she said in a low voice.

    His face darkened immediately, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have enough time already?¡±

    ¡°I need more time,¡± she repeated numbly.

    He straightened his back abruptly and left the room.

    Momentster, he returned with a box in his hand.

    He dumped the box at J¡¯s feet and sneered, ¡°Open it.¡±

    With a shaky hand, she lifted the lid-

    It was a werewolf¡¯s head!!!

    She mped her hand over her mouth, gasping for breaths.

    At first, she thought it was Daran¡¯s¡­but on a second look, this werewolf had brown fur¡­So it

    wasn¡¯t Daran thank god.

    ¡°We attacked the werewolf¡¯s campsitest night. Killed a number of Daran¡¯s soldiers. My men took

    this guy¡¯s head back as a trophy,¡± Westin said icily. ¡°You really think Daran as King will make any

    difference? He is strong, yes, but there is

    one of him. All of the other soldiers are lowborn werewolves. Thousands of lives will be lost when a

    war starts. You are their Gamma. Show some sympathy to these poor men.¡±

    just

    J snapped her head up, ring at him, and cried, ¡°You killed them! YOU are fucking

    responsible-¡±

    ¡°But you have a chance to end this war before it starts. Yet you declined it,¡± Westin said crudely. ¡°So

    the blood is on your hand.¡±

    J trembled.

    The splitting headache made her want to throw up.

    No¡­ Don¡¯t let him get into your head¡­It is his fault, not yours¡­.

    ¡°Think if you must,¡± Westin sneered. ¡°But remember¨Cthe longer you wait, the more people will die.¡±

    He left, closing the door behind him.

    That dead werewolf¡¯s head was still sitting in that box.

    Its rounded eyes were staring at J in the darkness. She could feel its gaze. J pulled her

    hair, sobbing lowly in pain.

    She was their Gamma.

    She should be protecting them.

    But instead, they were sacrificing their lives for her.

    Fuck¡­ How did things turn out like this¡­

    A few hourster, the door opened up again.

    Clemente walked in this time, with a candle and a te of sandwiches in his hand.

    She winced at the sudden appearance of the light.

    ¡°The King asked me to bring you some food,¡± he said lowly.

    He set the te on the ground in front of her.

    Seeing that she was practically half¨Cnaked, he cleared his throat awkwardly and took off his jacket,

    cing it on her shoulders.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± J murmured hoarsely, ¡°And¡­sorry.¡±

    Clemente got punished because of her.

    He was innocent.

    Just like all those dead werewolf soldiers.

    There was a long silence. And then he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell the King that you are pregnant?¡±

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230

    She raised her eyes abruptly.

    ¡°How do you know I am pregnant?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I found your pregnancy test,¡± he said.

    ¡­Shit.

    She thought she got rid of that stick without anybody noticing.

    But it seemed that it didn¡¯t escape Clemente¡¯s eyes.

    And judging by his tone¡­He believed that her child was Westin¡¯s.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t understand why you were running away with the King¡¯s child in your belly,¡±

    Clemente said in a frustrated voice. ¡°He loves you. I haven¡¯t seen him this care about a woman in

    my entire life¡­But anyway, mistakes have been made. You should tell him that you are pregnant

    and ask him to free you. Is it fun being locked up in here?¡±

    No.

    Telling Westin the truth would only worsen the problem.

    Because both she and Westin knew who the father of her child was.

    She and Westin never slept together once. There was no way they could have a child.

    J stared at Clemente.

    ¡°So you knew about my pregnancy and yet haven¡¯t told your king about it. Why?¡±

    she asked.

    Clemente frowned, ¡°Forget about me. We are talking about you. You should really-¡±

    ¡°Because you told someone else and that person asked you to keep this secret,¡± J said firmly,

    watching his every reaction closely.

    He froze, a guilty look on his face.

    ¡°That person is Agnes, isn¡¯t it?¡± she concluded.

    Clemente¡¯s face contorted. Yet he didn¡¯t deny it.

    An honest person like him couldn¡¯t deny the truth.

    J let out a cold sneer.

    It was not hard for her to connect the dots.

    Elder Lamonte and Agnes were her biggest enemies in the Lycan¡¯s kingdom.

    Clemente had a bad rtionship with his father and would never listen to him.

    So there was only one possibility left.

    Not to mention that Agnes was histe brother¡¯s wife, which exins why he was loyal to her.

    It was so simple.

    Why didn¡¯t she think of this sooner?

    ¡°The person who assassinated me that night was you, wasn¡¯t it!¡± she snapped, ¡°How ironic. Westin

    trusted you so much that he assigned you to protect me! But you were working for another woman,

    trying to kill me behind his back. I wonder how Westin will feel about this-¡±

    ¡°I am not working for Agnes!¡± Clemente was shaking with rage and grief. ¡°It¨CIt is veryplicated¡­

    I am sort of responsible for Keavy¡¯s death¡­I¨CI owe Agnes so much¡­I just can¡¯t refuse her

    request¡­¡±

    J was not listening to him anymore.

    She ced a trembling hand on her belly. Fear seized her throat.

    Agnes knew about her baby and was convinced that the child was Westin¡¯s.

    What would Agnes do?

    A vicious person like her would definitely try to kill her and her child.

    They were both in danger!

    ¡°¡­Agnes wants to be Westin¡¯s Queen.¡± Clemente said in a shaky voice, ¡°She sees you and your

    child as a threat. I am not getting into this mess again. But she will send another assassin¡­She is

    capable of that.¡±

    J red at him, huffing in short breaths.

    ¡°Tell the King about your baby.¡± Clemente said, ¡°He is the only one who can protect you now.¡±

    No.

    Westin was not her protector.

    He was the perpetrator.

    She has no one here to help her. She was desperate, and alone.

    Clemente sighed and turned to leave the room.

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    ¡°¡­Leave the candle,¡± she whispered. ¡°¡­Please.¡±

    He paused. And then did what she asked.

    ¡°The King said he didn¡¯t want to talk to you. So I will check in with you before this candle burns out.

    Let me know about your decision then.¡±

    He said that before walking out.

    J crawled to the candle.

    This faint candlelight became her only source of warmth in this cold, dark world.

    She was cornered.

    Her enemies were looming in the darkness, waiting to kill her.

    She could take Westin¡¯s deal and ask him to protect her.

    But her baby¡­

    She would start to show in a couple of months. Westin would know about her

    pregnancy sooner orter.

    What should she do?

    Was there really no way to keep both her and her baby safe?

    With all that mess in her head, J picked up the sandwich and took a small bite.

    She didn¡¯t have any appetite.

    But her baby needed to eat.

    J was numbly chewing her food when she heard footsteps in the next room.

    She perked her ears up immediately.

    It was night.

    No one should be in the King¡¯s study.

    Westin didn¡¯t want to talk to her. Clemente just left.

    So who could it be?

    The scrapping noise of the bookshelf moving came. The doorknob turned.

    The door swung open, bringing in a gush of cold wind.

    The candlelight flickered in the wind. J jumped to protect the me with her hand.

    When she looked up, she saw Agnes¡¯s ghastly face in the dim light.

    A wave of genuine fear hit her, raising the hair on her arms.

    ¡­Agnes was here to kill her!

    A grim smile twisted Agnes¡¯s mouth as she sneered, ¡°¡­Surprise to see me?¡±

    J¡¯s heart was racing in her chest.

    Yet she pretended to be calm as much as she could, ¡°Does Westin know that here?¡±

    you are

    ¡°No,¡± Agnes shrugged, shutting the door. ¡°But he can thank meter for this little favor. When I get

    rid of you¡­and that bastard child in your womb, he will be back on the right track¡­no more

    misleading by you!¡±

    She reached into her pocket and drew out a dagger.

    J balled her fists.

    Her palms sweating.

    ¡°Have you ever killed a person before?¡±

    She hissed as Agnes approached her with that dagger, ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to work with a

    dagger! Drop that down and I won¡¯t tell Westin about this-¡±

    Agnes burst outughing.

    Her hystericalughter echoed in the small room.

    ¡°You, my mighty Gamma, have a bad habit of underestimating people,¡± she giggled. ¡°Oh, I know the

    sweet feeling of killing¡­And I bet it is so much more thrilling when I kill you!!!¡±

    She raised the dagger in the air and jumped at J!

    J rolled on the ground urgently and narrowly dodged that attack.

    Agnes struck again immediately but J caught her wrist.

    ¡°I am not your enemy!¡± J snarled, wrestling with her. ¡°I don¡¯t even love Westin

    ¡±

    ¡°LYING BITCH!¡± Agnes shrieked. ¡°How did you get him to breed you? How did you get him to FALL

    IN LOVE WITH YOU?!¡±

    J gritted her teeth.

    She used her whole might to stop that dagger from falling

    But she was weak after 3 days of starvation and Agnes was a Lycan¡­

    That dagger wasing closer and closer to her face!

    ¡°I thought a Gamma was supposed to be stronger,¡± Agnes¡¯s face twisted with excitement. ¡°If 1 knew

    you are such a puss, I would have done this sooner!¡±

    ¡°AH!¡±

    With a grunt, J shoved Agnes off her.

    The dagger fell anyway¨Cit stabbed into her left shoulder.

    A sharp pain shot through her body as she let out a painful cry.

    ¡°YES! Scream you bitch!¡± Agnes pulled the dagger and struck at her belly, ¡°How do you like this

    one!¡±

    The point of that dagger cut into J¡¯s belly for one inch and froze-

    J was holding the de with both of her hands.

    Blood oozed out from her palms, streamed down the dagger, and pooled underneath

    her body.

    ¡°Do¡­Do not¡­¡± she breathed heavily in the pain, ¡°¡­touch my baby!¡±

    She kicked her left leg abruptly and knocked the candlestick over.

    The thinyer of dry hayid on the ground caught on fire immediately. The fire. quickly spread

    across the entire room.

    ¡°FUCK!¡± Agnes cursed.

    The tail of her hair got burned.

    She jumped up immediately and patted her burning hair.

    J seized that chance and snatched the dagger, pointing it at Agnes.

    ¡°Come at me again-¡± she panted heavily, firelight and rage burning in her eyes.

    -I will fucking drag you down to HELL!¡±

    Agnes gritted her teeth/

    She was intimidated by J¡¯s aura.

    Taking a small step back, she sneered, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter¡­ The blood loss and fire will kill you

    anyway.¡±

    She turned and quickly fled the room.

    J crushed onto the ground, lying in her own blood, shaking faintly.

    She was surrounded by the soaring fire. The air was getting thinner as the fire stronger.

    She coughed and choked. Her vision was getting blurry.

    grew

    Would anyone notice that the room was on fire before she got suffocated to death?

    It was getting harder to breathe.

    And the blood loss made her feel so cold¡­

    On the verge of passing out, she heard the noise of the door bursting open.

    ¡°-JANET!¡± Westin¡¯s voice roared.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231

    Westin dashed into the room.

    He held J in his arms, his hands shaking.

    ¡°No¡­NO!!!¡±

    He pressed his hand to her wound and tried to stop the bleeding. But it didn¡¯t work.

    Her breathing was shallow. Her face was pale.

    It almost felt as though she was dying.

    ¡°J¡­ J please¡­¡± he pressed his forehead against hers, choking in panic, ¡°Come back to

    me¡­God please¡­¡±

    Tears welled up in his eyes.

    He hadn¡¯t shed a single tear since he buried his parents at 7 years old.

    A mixture of strong emotions overwhelmed him at this very moment, fear, sorrow, and rage¡­

    WHO DID THIS TO HER!

    ¡°My King!¡± Clemente rushed into the room with a bucket of water.

    He poured the water on the roaring fire. But it didn¡¯t kill the fire.

    ¡°King! We should get out of here!¡± Clemente grabbed Westin¡¯s shoulder, crying hastily. ¡°The fire is

    getting stronger. And Princess J needs treatment!¡±

    Westin was snapped back to reality from his sorrow.

    He reached his hands out to pick J up from the ground.

    J struggled her eyes open a slit.

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°¡­Cle¡­Clemente¡­¡± she murmured weakly, stretching out her hand to Clemente.

    Westin¡¯s face changed abruptly.

    Why did she want Clemente instead?

    Did she trust Clemente now more than she trust him?!

    ¡°My King,¡± Clemente bent his back. ¡°Do you want me to-¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Westin snapped.

    He spooned J off the ground and held her closely to his chest as though she was his

    possession.

    Then he went dashing out of the room and headed straight to the hospital.

    It had passed midnight already.

    There were no patients in the hospital at this hour, just a sleepy receptionist at the front desk.

    She jumped up when the hospital door flew open and hit the wall with a loud bang and saw Westin

    dashed in carrying a woman covered in blood.

    ¡°DOCTOR!¡± He snarled, ¡°She needs a doctor!¡±

    The receptionist blundered inside to call for the doctors. A couple of nurses rushed out with a bed

    on wheels.

    Westin set J down on the bed. His hands were shaking so badly.

    ¡°¡­Save her.¡±

    He stared at the nurses with bloodshot eyes, ¡°You must save her.¡±

    ¡°We will try our best, my king-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to fucking try!¡± his gorgeous face consorted with rage, ¡°I want you to do whatever it

    takes to save her!¡±

    The nurse winced at his furious growl, ¡°U¨CUnderstood, my king

    ¡°That is YOUR QUEEN! If she leaves the emergency room with a single scar on her body, you will

    all be going down to hell!!!¡±

    The nurse staggered backward in fear.

    Their King was very charming. He was even friendly to themoners.

    Never in their entire lives had they seen their King this furious, this worried, this out

    of control.

    Clemente gently tugged at Westin¡¯s sleeve, ¡°My king, they get it¡­Let the doctors do their jobs.¡±

    Westin breathed heavily and took a step back.

    The nurses and doctors finally rolled the bed into the emergency room and shut the door.

    Westin slumped onto the bench chair.

    He arched his back and buried his face into his hands.

    His whole body was shaking¡­Even his soul was trembling.

    He didn¡¯t even know that J meant this much to him until he saw her lying on the

    ground covered in blood, her eyes losing focus.

    The fear was losing her¡­

    That fear was so strong that it almost consumed him.

    Even though he was furious to find that she tried to run away from him, he couldn¡¯t do any physical

    harm to her.

    The worst thing he was capable of was locking her in a dark room and that was it.

    She should be happy¨Cif not happy then at least safe under his protection.

    ¡­Yet somebody stabbed the love of his life and almost burned her right under his

    nose.

    Westin put his hands together, his knuckles turning white.

    His eyes zed with fury.

    Whoever did this¡­He would make that person regret ever being born!

    ¡°My King.¡±

    Clemente came back to his side and handed him a clean towel, ¡°¡­For the blood.¡±

    Westin finally noticed that he had put some of J¡¯s blood onto his clothes.

    Yet he didn¡¯t take the towel from Clemente.

    He stared at Clemente, his eyes dark and grim, ¡°¡­Why did she ask for you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Clemente was stunned.

    ¡°She stretched out her hand to you.¡± Westin looked at him coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you two are this

    close.¡±

    Clemente licked his dry lips. He looked nervous.

    ¡°Princess J¡­was very lonely in this castle. And as his guard, I was the only person she could

    talk to¡­I guessed,¡± he said lowly.

    ¡°You are saying that she is lonely by my side,¡± Westin sneered.

    ¡°No! No, it is not what I meant my King-¡±

    ¡°Since she trusted you this much, did she tell you anything when you brought the food to her?¡±

    Westin asked him, unblinkingly.

    Clemente gulped. Hepsed into silence.

    Westin rose and took a step forward, eyeing him intimidatingly, ¡°What did about? Did she mention

    anyone who could do any harm to her?¡±

    Clemente couldn¡¯t handle his piercing gaze and lowered his head.

    ¡°¡­No,¡± he muttered. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    you talk

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Westin gritted, ¡°You are Keavy¡¯s brother, and you are my best warrior. I have never

    questioned your loyalty but¡­first you let J escape and then

    this happened right after you went into that hidden room¨CYou are hiding. something! I fucking knew

    it, Clemente!¡±

    Clemente¡¯s lips trembled.

    ¡°My¡­ My king¡­¡± he stuttered in a shaky voice, ¡°I¡ª¡±

    Yet before he could make his confession, the emergency room flew open, and a doctor rushed out.

    Westin jerked around and grabbed the doctor¡¯s arm, ¡°HOW IS SHE!¡±

    ¡°Princess J is safe!¡± the doctor said, ¡°There are a few wounds but nothing fatal. And

    congrattions my king-¡®

    Westin frowned, ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°Princess J is pregnant now. You will have an heir!¡±

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232

    Westin stood on his spot, frozen.

    He didn¡¯t look excited or happy at all. He was purely stunned.

    A short momentter, astonishment was reced by anger.

    He snapped his head up and red at the doctor, gritting, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    All the doctors and nurses were still basked in this wonderful news, and nobody noticed the

    strangeness of his tone, ¡°That is right, My King! Princess J has been. pregnant for one month

    right now. In nine more months, this kingdom will have a prince or princess and you will have an

    heir! Congrattion!¡±

    There was a round of apuse.

    Everyone cheered.

    The doctor said with a big grin, ¡°Do you want me to let the others know about this wonderful news? I

    bet Princess Belle and Prince Wells will be excited to know that they will be having a niece-¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP!!!¡± Westin roared abruptly.

    People widened their eyes in shock and flinched at his sudden outburst.

    ¡­What was going on here?

    Why didn¡¯t the King look happy?

    The woman he worked so hard to win over was now pregnant with his child. Wasn¡¯t this the best

    thing in the world?

    People were bewildered.

    Nobody could fathom what was going on in Westin¡¯s mind.

    Westin looked around the room, a ferocious look on his face, ¡°The news does not leave this room.

    Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­Y¨CYes,¡± the doctor stuttered.

    ¡°If anyone who is not here today finds out about Princess J¡¯s pregnancy, I will hang the snitch¡¯s

    head on a fucking gpole. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!¡±

    People nodded, horrified..

    Westin huffed a heavy breath, ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Princess J is currently in the emergency room. We gave her some tranquilizers to help her with

    the pain. She might be asleep right now¡­ This way.¡±

    Westin followed the doctor and got up to a room.

    J was lying on the bed, asleep. All her wounds had been treated. Yet her face was still very

    pale.

    ¡°When will she wake up?¡± Westin asked the doctor while still fixing his eyes upon

    J

    ¡°Approximately 2-3 hours.¡±

    ¡°Leave us.¡±

    The doctor bowed and exited the room.

    Yet Westin turned and found that Clemente was still in the room.

    ¡°Why the hell are you still here?¡± he asked gruffly.

    Clemente got down on one knee abruptly.

    He raised his head and looked at Westin with excitement gleaming in his eyes, ¡°I want to personally

    congratte you again, My King!¡±

    Westin took in a deep breath as though he was trying hard to suppress some very strong emotions,

    ¡°I told you! There is no need¡±

    ¡°Please let me offer you my congrattions, my king, this is very important to me.¡± Clemente

    insisted, ¡°You are like a brother to me, and I can¡¯t tell how happy I am right now. I know that Keavy

    would be just as thrilled if he were here-¡±

    Westin gritted, ¡°Clemente look-¡±

    ¡°Do you think the child will look like you?¡± Clemente grinned, ¡°Have you thought about the name?

    Shall we start preparing nursery and baby¡¯s clothes right away-¡± ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    Westin¡¯s furious roar echoed in the hospital room.

    Clemente was startled. He looked back at Westin uneasily, ¡°What is wrong my king?¡±

    ¡°Can you just-¡±

    Westin said through gritted teeth, clenching his fists.

    -give me a few minutes along with J?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry, Of course!¡±

    Clemente hastily turned to leave.

    Before he exited the room, he murmured a few more ¡°congrattions¡± to Westin.

    When the door finally closed behind Clemente¡¯s back, Westin directed his gaze upon J.

    His face darkened.

    Bending his back, he leaned close to J¡¯s face and whispered into her ears, ¡°Everyone is

    congratting me, my love¡­But none of them know¡ª¡±

    The child was not his..

    The love of his life was pregnant with another man¡¯s child.

    Daran¡¯s child.

    Rage and jealousy¡­.He felt overwhelmed by those strong emotions.

    He ced a trembling hand on J¡¯s belly.

    It had been only one month. Her belly was still t.

    He could hardly tell the child existed.

    Slowly, he moved his hand to her skinny neck.

    She was still unconscious at the moment. All it took was a hard snap and it would take both the

    lives of her and that bastard child!

    Yet¡­

    Westin took in a shaky breath and dropped his hand down.

    He couldn¡¯t lose J.

    Pregnant with another man¡¯s child or not, she would have to remain by his side.

    That was how much he craved for her¡­.

    <hr>When J slowly woke up from her slumber, she found herself lying on an operation desk.

    The light was so bright overhead, temporarily blinding her.

    She blocked the light with one hand and murmured in a hoarse voice, ¡°What the hell¡­Where am

    I¡­¡±

    ¡°Princess J, you are awake!¡± A nurse¡¯s face appeared in her vision, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just lie

    perfectly still. The operation will be over in less than an hour-

    A chill was sent down J¡¯s spine as she snapped, ¡°What operation! I am not sick!¡±

    ¡°We are terminating your pregnancy, Princess J,¡± replied the nurse.

    ¡­WHAT?

    J rounded her eyes, horrified. It felt as though a bucket of ice was dumped on her head.

    How the hell did they find out about her pregnancy?!

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    And then she remembered, before she passed out, Westin came dashing into that hidden room,

    calling her name.

    He must have brought her to the hospital and found out about her child.

    Genuine fear clouded her mind.

    ¡°No¡­NO!!!¡±

    J screamed, struggling to get off the operation desk.

    ¡°You are not touching my child¡­No¡­Get away from me¨CFUCK OFF!¡±

    Before her feet could touch the ground, 3 to 4 people jumped at her and dragged her back to the

    operation desk.

    With a series of crackling noises, they started chaining her hands and legs to four corners of the

    desk.

    J felt her heart was about to race out of her mouth, ¡°Stop! STOP! Why are you doing this? I am

    warning you-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Princess J, this is the King¡¯s order,¡± said one nurse in a reassuring voice. ¡°The

    King said that he sensed that this child¡¯s aura was not strong enough, so

    it was better to perform the termination operation now. Rest assured that you and the King will have

    another baby very soon, a healthy one next time¡­¡±

    BULLSHIT!

    Aura is not strong her ass!

    Westin knew that this was Daran¡¯s child and that was why he wanted the child gone!

    That weak aura nonsense was only something he made up to fool the others!

    That lying piece of shit!!!

    ¡°Where is Westin?¡± she cried, ¡°Bring him here! I want to see him. NOW!¡±

    A nurse came over with an injector in her hand, ¡°You will see the King right after the

    operation. Now I am giving you some anesthetic-¡±

    ¡°NO! FUCK OFF! I am doing this until I see Westin! Get his ass in here!¡± she screamed.

    Although her hands and legs her tied up, she was still struggling with all her might, making it

    incredibly hard for the nurse to do her job.

    ¡°Someone help me hold her still!¡± the nurse gasped.

    Right at this very moment, the operation room¡¯s door flew open.

    A tall figure came striding inside.

    ¡°Give us a moment,¡± Westin said deeply.

    The nurse wiped the sweat off her forehead and exited the room with the others.

    J propped herself up on one elbow.

    Angry tears were circling in her eyes as she red at Westin, ¡°You heartless jerk-¡±

    Westin let out a snort.

    He ced his hand on her belly, staring down at her with icy cold eyes, ¡°It is not my child. Why

    should I show it any mercy?¡±

    ¡°It is a human life for Christ¡¯s sake.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck!¡± he snapped, ¡°Come on, J, you really think that I will let you keep that

    bastard child?!¡±

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233

    J¡¯s eyes were slits of rage.

    ¡°My child is not a bastard child!¡± she hissed.

    ¡°It is a bastard in my kingdom!¡± Westin snarled, ¡°I will not let you¨Cmy mate, MY QUEEN¨Cgive birth

    to that lowborn werewolf¡¯s child-¡°!

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even want to be your queen! If I had a choice, I didn¡¯t even want you as my mate!!!¡± J

    cried,

    Tears streamed down her cheeks.

    Now that he had discovered her secret, she had nothing to be afraid of.

    What did she have to lose?

    Her only option was to defend her child with her own life.

    Westin¡¯s chest heaved. He looked furious.

    He waved his arm abruptly and swept everything on the operation desk off the table and onto the

    floor with a huge ttering sound..

    ¡°That was another lie, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    He red at her with bloodshot eyes, ¡°When you said that you were willing to try. and fall in love

    with me again¡­That was a FUCKING LIE! I can¡¯t believe that¡­I let you fool me again!¡±

    More tears gushed from her eyes.

    J looked at him in silence.

    She didn¡¯t deny it.

    He raked his hair with his fingers and paced back and forth by her bedside anxiously.

    ¡°I should have never trusted you¡­I should im you as mine when we first met in the Grace Ruin!¡±

    he gritted. ¡°I have given you too many options¡­That was a mistake. Your only option should be me

    and me alone-¡±

    He looked enraged¡­frantic with fury.

    J sat up slightly on her bed and protected her belly with both hands, looking at him with

    alertness.

    ¡°I am not going to let you touch my child,¡± she said warningly.

    He let out a cold sneer, ¡°Like you have a choice. Look at you. You are tied to an operation bed with

    a whole bunch of doctors and nurses waiting outside, ready to put you down and operate on you-¡±

    ¡°If you do that, I will kill myself right away!¡± she growled, shaking her shackles, ¡°You can have my

    dead body if you like¡­ But that is the only thing you will ever get from me!¡±

    His lips trembled.

    An expression of terrible anguish came into his face.

    It almost looked like that sorrow and anger were about to crush him.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡®¡­Looks like we have reached an impasse, my love.¡±

    He grinned bleakly.

    ¡°I will never let you go nor allow that child to survive. But I also can¡¯t watch you harm yourself¡­So

    what should we do?¡±

    He walked to her bedside, reaching out a hand to stroke her face.

    His ice¨Ccold fingertips sent a chill down her spine.

    ¡°Maybe I should chain you to my bed¡­all day long and all night long¡­¡± he

    murmured in a crazy sort of way, ¡°That way you won¡¯t be able to kill yourself¡­and I get to see you

    and hold you whenever I want¡­Isn¡¯t that perfect?¡±

    She winced at his words.

    Like she was his sex ve or pet?

    No¡­No! She couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    She¡¯d rather die if she had to spend the rest of her life like that.

    ¡°Or¡­Alternatively.¡±

    She gulped, her heart racing in her chest, ¡°I have a better solution.¡±

    He sneered, ¡°I am not interested in an alternative solution. I am perfectly happy with the one I have

    in mind.¡±

    ¡°Westin please-¡±

    ¡°You have fooled me enough times!¡± he snarled, his voice strained. ¡°That never happened to me

    before¡­I am not a gullible person! I only let you do that to me because I love you too much! But

    that stops NOW!¡±

    He turned to leave.

    He was going to summon the doctors and nurses and carry on the operation. She was about to lose

    her child-

    ¡°¡­It can be your child!¡± she blurted out urgently.

    His hand froze on the doorknob.

    Then slowly, he wheeled around to stare at her.

    ¡°What?¡± he gritted.

    She took in a deep breath to ease the sick feeling that her racing heart brought her and repeated

    herself once again:

    ¡°The child in my belly¡­It can be your child, Westin.¡±

    He looked at her with a vacant expression.

    After a long pause, he let out a shortugh, probably finding what she said way too ridiculous:

    ¡°Have you¡­Have you lost your mind, J? Or do you think that I am stupid or anything? That is

    Daran¡¯s kid for fuck¡¯s sake-¡±

    ¡°I know. But the rest of the people in your kingdom don¡¯t, right? And you are desperately in need of

    an heir¡­My child can be your heir, Westin.¡±

    She had thought about this before¡­ What would she do if Westin discovered that she was pregnant

    with Daran¡¯s child?

    And this was the only way to keep both her and her child safe.

    She would have to offer her kid to Westin.

    She knew that he was facing a lot of pressure from the elders, who were pressing him for an heir.

    The child in her belly was right here, ready to solve his crisis.

    It was a crazy idea¡­a d¨¦sperate move.

    But it might work.

    ¡°FUCK NO!¡± Westin growled, ¡°Why would I want Daran¡¯s kid? And why would I hand over my crown

    to the son of the man whom I hate the most?! You and I will have our own child

    ¡°We won¡¯t!¡± J cried, ¡°If you want to kill my child, you will have to do it over my dead body!¡±

    ¡°Do not fucking threaten me with your life J-¡±

    ¡°Just think about this, Westin! With this child, you can finally have a break from the elders. Haven¡¯t

    you had it enough? The elder¡¯s babbles and yammers?¡±

    His face contorted and he was shaking with rage, ¡°I do not give a fuck about what the elders think-¡±

    ¡°And I will recognize our mate bond,¡± she said, raising the chips.

    He froze on his spot, looking at her in disbelief.

    You will?¡± he asked hoarsely.

    J let out a bitterugh, ¡°Yes I will. And I will stay here and be your queen¡­if you agree to

    recognize my child as your heir and treat the child as your own.¡±

    He closed in upon her, ¡°I have heard of something simr from you before and how do I know if this

    is not another lie of yours-

    ¡°Once I recognize the mate bond, it is settled. No turning back. And you will have my kid as

    hostage. Where else can I go?¡±

    She was basically pushing herself into a dead corner.

    But if she didn¡¯t do this, Westin would not believe her.

    He grabbed her wrist and tightened his grip. The iron shackle pressed into her flesh. ¡­You are

    asking me to raise Daran¡¯s child,¡± he said in a shaky voice, with pain in his eyes. ¡°Me, a Lycan King,

    to raise somebody else¡¯s child-¡±

    She looked right into his eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do it. Just let me go or let me die with my child.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± he snarled.

    Breathing heavily, he red at her, ¡°Swear to me-

    ¡°I swear that I really meant it this time-¡±

    ¡°No. Not that!¡± he leaned in closer to her face, gritting his teeth. ¡°I want you to swear to me that this

    child will be forever mine. You cannot tell another living soul. who the father of this child really is, not

    to Daran, and definitely not to the child itself. You will take this secret into your grave!¡±

    There was a quaver in her throat.

    She parted her lips but couldn¡¯t utter a single word.

    He let out a cold sneer, ¡°I am not stupid, J. I am not taking the risk of you. returning to Daran¡¯s

    side with this child in the future. If you want me to be the father, I will forever be this child¡¯s father!¡±

    His grip hurt her.

    She tried pulling her hand back.

    But he wouldn¡¯t let go.

    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± she gritted, breathing very fast.

    What other options did she have?

    She had to guarantee the safety of her child. If a simple swear could do the trick, so

    be it.

    He indicated her to make the swear with his cold eyes.

    So she began in a trembling voice, ¡°I swear that I will never-¡±

    ¡°Make the solemn swear!¡± Westin snapped, ¡°Swear to me in the name of yourte parents, your

    unborn child, and the Moon Goddess!¡±

    She was forced to raise her voice, ¡°I swear in the name of the Moon Goddess that I will never

    disclose this secret to another living soul! You will be my child¡¯s only father and nothing can change

    that. Let the Moon Goddess watch over me. If I ever break this oath, punish me at the Moon

    Goddess¡¯s will!

    That was it.

    She said it. Couldn¡¯t take it back anymore.

    There must be consequences if she broke that swearter. She didn¡¯t know what that

    consequence was, but she bet it must be severe.

    So sorry Daran¡­

    But she really didn¡¯t know what else to do¡­

    ¡°Good.¡±

    at face.

    Westin looked down at her with a dark, nonchnt

    ¡°Now recognize the mate bond,¡± he said forcefully.

    ¡°Now?¡± she breathed.

    ¡°Yes, now. I am cashing in on your promise right here and right now in case you regret it again

    later¡­I will begin.

    He took her hand to his lips, with his eyes glued to her.

    ¡°I, Westin Lockhart, ruler of the Lycan¡¯s Kingdom, hereby recognize J Manning as my mate, to

    cherish and to hold, till death do us part.¡±

    He nted a hot kiss on her fingertips.

    ¡°Now. It is your turn, my love,¡± said him in a threatening voice.

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234

    J was in so much pain right now, physically and emotionally.

    By recognizing their mate bond, she would forever tie herself to a man that she didn¡¯t love and kill

    the possibility between her and Daran.

    Yet what options did she have left?

    Nothing.

    She closed her eyes and spoke up in a shaky voice:

    ¡°I, J Manning, princess of the Blood Moon Pack, hereby recognize Westin Lockhart as my

    mate, to cherish and to hold, till death do us part¡­¡±

    Till death do them part.

    That was how long she would be trapped with Westin in this foreign kingdom¨Cher whole life.

    The moment she finished saying those words, she felt a strong spiritual connection being built

    between her and Westin.

    She used to have one with Daran.

    Now that old connection was reced by a new one. Snapped. Gone.

    She choked, with tears pouring down her face. She didn¡¯t want to open her eyes to face the cruel

    reality.

    Cold lips pressed onto hers and roughly kissed her tears away.

    ¡°I want this to be thest time you cry for Daran,¡± Westin¡¯s hoarse voice rang in her ears. ¡°You will

    be my queen, my mate from now on. Do not shed tears for another man ever again. I will not allow

    that.¡±

    J stayed perfectly still and said nothing.

    She didn¡¯t want to talk to him, the man who caused her a lifetime of happiness.

    Westin saw that she was going passive¨Caggressive here. He let out a cold snort:

    ¡°¡­Fine. It is not like that we are in any rush right now. We have a lot of time ahead of us.¡®

    He straightened his back and looked down at J icily, ¡°I will announce our mate bond to the

    entire kingdom right away. The mating ceremony will be held half a monthter. Learn to be a

    queen in the meantime. You have a lot of duties on your shoulders right now.¡±

    With that said, he went straight out of the operating room and mmed the door shut behind him.

    J didn¡¯t open her eyes until he was out of the room.

    Her heart was filled with so much pain, anger, and grief.

    Daran¡­

    He must have felt the snap of their mate bond already.

    He must be in so much pain right now.

    Would he feel betrayed? Angry? Or sad¡­Would he give up on herpletely?

    God she hoped she could have a chance to exin everything to him¡­

    Those strong emotions were about to crush her.

    She was desperate to find a way to vent it out or she would simply explode.

    Breathing heavily, she clenched onto the sheet.

    ¡­Agnes.

    That vicious bitch Agnes.

    If it weren¡¯t for Agnes, Westin would not have found out about her child this soon and she could

    probably try escaping once again.

    She wouldn¡¯t need to recognize the mate bond.

    And she could still go back to Daran¡¯s side again.

    Yet now, all those possibilities were gone.

    J gritted their teeth as fury burned in her chest. She was practically in hell right now.

    She would have to drag Agnes down with her.

    ¡­She would fucking destroy Agnes!

    <hr>At the same time, outside of the mist forest, the werewolf¡¯s campground was being attacked.

    The moon hung low in the ink¨Cck sky, casting an eerie glow.

    The

    campground was now echoed with the savage snarls and howls of the Lycans, their eyes aze

    with a feral hunger.

    They jumped out of the darkness and leaped at the werewolf soldiers.

    Teeth snapped. Primal roars reverberated through the night sky.

    The campsite flickered with the light of raging fires, illuminating the horrible scene of werewolf

    soldiers falling, one by one, to the relentless onught.

    The werewolves were losing.

    Because they werecking their King.

    In the tent located at the center of the campground, a soldier knelt by the bedside and called in an

    urgent voice:

    ¡°King Daran¡­Wake up¡­God please wake up¡­.Please¡­¡±

    Darany on the bed, unconscious.

    Sweat formed on his forehead. There was a tight furrow between his brows.

    A few groans escaped his lips as though he was being haunted by his nightmares right now.

    The soldier threw his fist into the ground, frustrated.

    Daran passed out all of a sudden about half an hour ago. Nobody knew why.

    Before they could wake their King, the Lycans attacked.

    They were being ughtered right now.

    If King Daran didn¡¯t wake up in time, everyone would die!

    ¡°My King¡­My King! The Lycans are here!!¡± the soldier cried into Daran¡¯s ears.

    This time, Daran¡¯s eyelids fluttered.

    Slowly, he opened his eyes.

    ¡°My King!¡± the soldiers yelled in thrill. ¡°Thank god¡­The Lycans-¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± said Daran hoarsely.

    He got out of bed.

    He even lurched a little when his teet touched the ground.

    Panicked, the soldier offered his hand to Daran to help him restore his bnce, but Daran had

    already shifted into a giant ck wolf.

    The wolf let out a long howl and leaped out of the tent.

    Its fur, a silky ck, rippled as he bounded across the clearing, agile and lethal.

    All the werewolf soldiers cried out in joy when they saw him:

    It is the King! The King is here!!!¡±

    ¡°Thank the Moon Goddess we are going to be alright!¡±

    Daran lunged forward, attacking any Lycans that stood in his way.

    His golden eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity as he rallied the remaining werewolf soldiers.

    The sh of fangs and ws erupted like thunder, and the earth shook beneath the weight of the

    battling beasts.

    The Lycans didn¡¯t fight for long after Daran appeared.

    They quickly retreated back into the mist forest.

    Before they were gone, one of the Lycan soldier turned around and shouted at them: ¡°The Lycan

    King sent his regard! Consider this little attack a gift from the Lycans. Share our joy on this happy

    asion!¡±

    The Lycans dashed into the woods and disappeared into the darkness.

    The werewolf soldiers stood among the dead bodies of their fellow soldiers, an angry, perplexed

    look on their faces.

    ¡°Happy asion?!¡± one of the soldiers snapped, ¡°What the fuck are they talking about!¡±

    Another soldier suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the distant skyline:

    ¡°-Look!¡±

    A golden glow of light shot up into the night sky. It exploded into millions of little colorful sparkles,

    painting the ck canvas into a pink and orange halo.

    Fireworks!

    ¡°Why are they doing fireworks? Is today a Lycan¡¯s festival?¡±

    Just then, more fireworks went up into the sky and they formed two giant letters that dominated the

    skyline: W&J.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± a soldier gasped, ¡°¡­W&J¡­ Isn¡¯t it¡­Westin and J?!¡±

    All soldiers wheeled their heads around and looked at their King.

    Daran stood alone, gazing at the distant fireworks with a bleak look on his face.

    He felt it.

    The snap of their mate bond..

    Their mate bond vanished when he first rejected J. Yet parts of it had been built since be and

    J reconnected again.

    And now the bond was gone once again..

    Because J was the one ending their rtionship this time, it was he who needed to handle the

    pain.

    It hurt so much that he passed out.

    But no physical pain couldpare to the pain in his heart.

    J was with Westin now.

    She recognized their mate bond.

    Was she doing it willingly? No¡­No, she couldn¡¯t be¡­She must get forced into this¡­She was still

    waiting for him to rescue her¡­

    But at the same time, a small inner voice was ringing in his ears:

    What if she did it voluntarily, Daran? What if she was really in love with Westin and hadpletely

    forgotten about you?

    You weren¡¯t exactly nice to her when you had the chance. You made her suffer the extreme pain of

    rejection and betrayed her once and once again.

    You deserved all of these.

    Daran suddenly clenched his chest and arched his back, breathing heavily.

    ¡°My King!¡±

    Soldiers gathered at Daran¡¯s side.

    ¡°My King, you may not like to hear this, but I really think we should retreat back to Riverside Pack!¡±

    a general said urgently, ¡°Look how many lives have been lost tonight? And if it was really Princess

    J and Lycan King¡¯s initials up there, it probably meant that they are happy together right now.

    So what is the point of us doing this anyway?¡±

    Daran coughed a few times and slowly stood up straight.

    His face was pale like a sheet.

    ¡°You guys can leave.¡± he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I am not going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°My King-!!¡±

    ¡°J is still waiting for me.¡±

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    He murmured, gazing at the distant night sky nkly.

    ¡°What if she needs me again after I left? I can¡¯t go¡­Can¡¯t abandon her¡­.Can¡¯t take that risk¡­¡±

    He would try going into that mist forest again.

    He would find the love of his life.

    He wanted to look her in the eyes and hear her reasons with his own ears.

    Exin it to me, J,

    Why did you turn your back on me?

    Did you really not love me anymore?

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235

    J stayed in the hospital and listened to the fireworks going on all night long. Cheers could be

    heard in the distance.

    Everyone in the Lycan¡¯s Kingdom was happy, except for her.

    She couldn¡¯t stop wondering if Daran had seen those fireworks as well and if he would me her

    for the decision that she made.

    She would never have the chance to find out what he really thought.

    The next morning, doctors went into her room and inspected her condition.

    ¡°It will take a couple of days for the wounds to recover. But other than that, you are in a very good

    condition,¡± the doctor said to her with a big smile. ¡°And the King¡¯s heir is very healthy.

    Congrattions, Queen J.¡±

    They already started to address her as queen.

    And her child¡­.

    J ced a hand on her belly.

    Officially starting today, her child was Westin¡¯s kid, the heir of the Lycan¡¯s Kingdom.

    She better get used to that sooner.

    ¡°Thank you. So can I check out of the hospital today?¡± she asked the doctor.

    ¡°We strongly encourage you to stay here a bit longer. The nurses will apply a special ointment to

    your wound daily so that they will not leave a scar¡­¡±

    ¡°Scars do not bother me,¡± said J calmly.

    Actually, she preferred to leave the scars.

    It would serve as a constant reminder of what her enemy had done to her.

    She wanted revenge.

    An eye for an eye.

    ¡°I will check out of the hospital today,¡± she said to the doctor in a firm voice.

    The doctor still looked reluctant.

    But there was nothing he could say to change J¡¯s mind, so he signed her release. eventually.

    J left her room.

    Yet she didn¡¯t leave the hospital right away. Instead, she went into Elder Randy¡¯s ward.

    If she wanted to destroy Agnes, she would have to first weaken Agnes¡¯s influence in this kingdom.

    She needed to find something on Agnes, something she could use.

    As for now, she hadn¡¯t gotten anything yet.

    Agnes did go into Westin¡¯s study to assassinate her. But J asked the servants already and

    nobody had seen her. There wasn¡¯t any surveince camera in King¡¯s

    study.

    So J couldn¡¯t prove the assassination.

    The only loose end was Elder Randy¡¯s poisoning, in which J felt strongly that Agnes must have

    been involved.

    If she could prove that Agnes was responsible for poisoning Elder Randy and framing her, she

    could definitely ruin that vicious woman.

    A few nurses were taking Elder Randy¡¯s blood pressure when J came into the ward.

    They immediately curtseyed to J, ¡°Good day, Queen J.

    ¡°How is Elder Randy?¡± J walked up to the elder¡¯s bedside and asked.

    ¡°He still hasn¡¯t woken up¡­And the doctors said that he might stay like that forever without a cure,

    and die in the endlessa,¡± said a nurse.

    J inspected the elder.

    Elder Randy¡¯s face looked sickly grey. Hey on the bed, perfectly still with his eyes shut. He

    looked as though he was already dead.

    J wanted to find some clues on him that could lead this incident to Agnes.

    But she didn¡¯t know what she was looking for.

    And she knew that it was almost impossible for her to find anything on Elder Randy.

    Almost half a month had passed since the spring ball, and even though there was evidence left,

    they must have been destroyed already.

    Yet refusing to give up so soon, J started a thorough search on Elder Randy.

    ¡°What are you looking for, Queen J?¡± the nurse asked, ¡°Maybe we can help?¡±

    ¡°I got this. Thank you.¡±

    She checked Elder Randy¡¯s clothes. Nothing weird.

    And his pocket. Empty.

    His skin and nails. Perfectly normal.

    Atst, she lifted his eyelid to inspect his pupil.

    And that was when she froze on her spot.

    ¡°¡­ Why are his eyeballs red?¡± she turned to the nurses and asked in a strained voice.

    ¡°What?¡±

    The nurses gathered over, and all cried out.

    It was true!

    Didn¡¯t know when but there was no white in Elder Randy¡¯s eyes. Just ck and red!

    ¡°Oh my it is so weird¡­¡± one of the nurses mped a hand over her mouth and gasped.

    ¡°The doctors didn¡¯t see this?¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t like this when he was first brought into the hospital¡­.And he hasn¡¯t

    opened his eves since so nobody noticed

    ¡°Report this to the doctor immediately,¡± J said firmly. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Yes, Queen J!¡±

    One nurse rushed out of the ward.

    The head nurse rubbed her chin, with a pondering look on her face, ¡°Red eyeballs¡­ Why does this

    sound so familiar to me?¡±

    J immediately looked at her, ¡°You saw a simr symptom before?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­I think so¡­ But it probably isn¡¯t poisoning rted, or I would definitely remember¡­¡±

    J didn¡¯t want to let go of any possible leads.

    So she asked, ¡°Are there any medical records? Can you look it up for me? Please, it is really

    important.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I am happy to serve the queen,¡± said the head nurse immediately. ¡°When I finish today¡¯s

    shift, I will go into the archives and look this up..

    Yet J couldn¡¯t even wait a single day longer, ¡°Where is the archive? I can go by myself if you

    don¡¯t mind.¡±

    problem at all! If you don¡¯t mind the dust and musty smell¡­Here is the key.¡±

    J took the key and thanked the head nurse.

    The archive was located underground, in a vault.

    J found the medical section and opened the iron gate with the key the head nurse gave her.

    The door opened and she immediately started coughing.

    The air was heavy with the scent of age and decay. Her nostrils must be filled with dust right now.

    Covering her nose with one hand, J stepped into the archive, looking around. Ancient medical

    records, cloaked inyers of dust, loomed on shelves that seemed to

    stretch into the ceiling.

    The soft glow of a flickering light bulb swung overhead, casting eerie shadows as J walked

    down the aisles.

    She first went to theputers.

    She crossed the references ¡°poison¡± and ¡°red eyeballs¡± and clicked search.

    Yet nothing showed up.

    She deleted ¡°poison¡± and searched again.

    Still nothing.

    The head nurse warned her about this already: medical records from 3 years ago or more hadn¡¯t

    been logged into theputers yet. They still existed in papers.

    J turned around and looked at the shelves of files, letting out a small sigh.

    ¡­Lots of work ahead.

    She plunged herself right into papers and files.

    The atmosphere within the underground vault was hushed.

    The only sounds were the whisper of her breath and the gentle shuffle of her footsteps on the worn

    floor.

    She sifted through crumbling files, cautiously.

    The musty scent clung to her clothes as she looked, her fingers tracing the spines.

    Time blurred as she scanned the archives.

    Nothing. Nothing. Still nothing.

    She had flipped through files that dated back to 5 years ago yet nothing about ¡°red eyeballs¡±

    popped up.

    She started to get frustrated.

    Maybe this was a dead end.

    Aplete waste of time.

    She was ready to give up when her eyes settled on something.

    ¡­.A solitary file tucked away in a shadowy corner.

    A surge of anticipation quickened her pulse.

    She carefully took the ancient document off the shelf.

    Its cover is brittle beneath her touch.

    Jid it on the ground and studied its content with the help of the dim light.

    ¡°Died of food poison¡± ¡°suspected allergy¡± ¡°Red eyeballs after death¡±

    Her finger stopped on the patient¡¯s name-

    Keavy Hernandez.

    A creeping chill stole through her chest.

    She shivered.

    ¡­Keavy Hernandez?! ¨C

    That was Clemente¡¯s brother, Agnes¡¯s former mate!

    Keavy had a simr symptom when he died.

    J suspected that Agnes had something to do with Elder Randy¡¯s poison.

    If her suspicion was correct, plus the evidence that she just found, didn¡¯t it mean that-

    ¡­Agnes killed Keavy?

    She killed her own mate!!!

    Horror surged up in J¡¯s chest.

    No¡­this was crazy¡­Killing her own mate? How could anyone be capable of such a cruel thing?

    Ridiculous as it seemed, J¡¯s head had begun to connect the dots.

    Agnes was the only one who had a cure when Elder Randy was done.

    Clemente told her that Agnes wanted to be with Westin¡­She could never achieve that

    with her own mate still in the picture¡­.

    And there was something that Agnes said to her in the hidden room.

    She said, You, my mighty Gamma, have a bad habit of underestimating people¡­Oh, I

    know the sweet feeling of killing..

    Agnes admitted that she killed someone before!

    Could that person be her own mate¡­Keavy?

    J was so immersed in her own thoughts that she didn¡¯t even notice the sound of door opening,

    and gentle footsteps crossing the aisles, approaching J from her back

    The footsteps stopped.

    ¡­What are you looking at?¡± asked a soft, silky voice from her back.

    J¡¯s heart lost a beat.

    She jerked around abruptly and stared at the person who snuck up on her. Agnes stood a few feet

    away, looking down at J.

    A grim smile on her beautiful face.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236

    J looked at Agnes, frozen, her eyes wide with rm.

    ¡­What was Agnes doing here?!

    Had Agnes found out what she was up to already?

    ¡°What was with that horrified face?¡± Agnes raised an eyebrow, ¡°And what were you looking at?¡±

    Keavy¡¯s medical record was still lying on the floor, at J¡¯s feet.

    J took a small step back and kicked the file with her heel.

    The file slid right underneath the shelves.

    She didn¡¯t want Agnes to know that she was tracing this lead until she could find some concrete

    proof.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be horrified? Last time we saw each other, you fucking tried to kill me!¡± J hissed,

    ¡°What are you doing here now? Finish up your undone job?¡±

    ¡°Look, J,¡± said Agnes, unsmiling, ¡°We probably have a misunderstanding-¡±

    Before she finished, another series of heavy footsteps came into the archive room.

    Clemente came dashing in.

    He nced at J and then directed his gaze to Agnes.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me?¡± he said in aint kind of tone.

    Now J was truly starting to get nervous.

    She could probably take down Agnes by herself. Agnes was just a delicatedy, nothing to be

    worried about.

    But Agnes plus Clemente?

    She would have zero chance of escaping.

    ¡°Clemente.¡±

    She stared at Clemente, clenching her fists behind her.

    ¡°I thought you said that you were done with this mess. So what are you and Agnes doing here?

    Trying to betray the King¡¯s order again?¡°.

    Clemente looked stunned.

    ¡°What? No! You¨CYou got this all wrong!¡±

    He took a hasty step forward.

    Seeing the tensed look on J¡¯s face, he withdrew his feet and dragged Agnes to J¡¯s face.

    ¡°We are not here to hurt you! It is theplete opposite¡­Agnes is here to apologize,¡± said him

    urgently.

    ¡­Apologize?

    For a brief moment, J thought that she had probably heard it wrong.

    It was so ridiculous that she couldn¡¯t even believe her own ears.

    J let out a loud, sarcasticugh. ¡°You? Want to apologize?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I do.¡±

    Agnes pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed it at the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°I am so sorry J¡­I lost my mind that day¡­I didn¡¯t know what I was doing!¡± she said in a broken

    voice, ¡°I let jealousy take over my brain and sanity¡­I¨CI really hope that you can forgive me¡­¡±

    ¡°Forgive you?!¡±

    J couldn¡¯t help but raised her voice, growling, ¡°You came into the room and tried to stab me with

    a fucking dagger! You almost caused me, my child! That is something I cannot forgive my entire

    life!¡±

    Agnes burst out wailing.

    She dropped to her knees, buried her face into her palms, and cried, her shoulders. shaking

    violently.

    ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± she sobbed, pitifully. ¡°You want me to die? Will you forgive me

    then?¡±

    She suddenly pulled out a dagger from her pocket and pointed it at her own chest.

    ¡°Just say

    the word, Queen J!¡± she stared at J with teary eyes. ¡°Say the word and I will kill myself,

    right here and right now, to show you how sorry I am!¡±

    J gritted her teeth in fume.

    ..That maniptive, cunning bitch.

    ¡°Agnes!¡±

    Clemente lunged forward and grabbed Agnes¡¯s waist, an anxious look on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid!¡± he snarled.

    More tears poured out of Agnes¡¯s eyes, ¡°Then what I am supposed to do, Clemente? Queen J

    wouldn¡¯t forgive me. If¡­If she tells Westin and the elders about this, how will people think of me?

    More importantly¡­how will people think of Bryn? I better kill myself right now to save me from all

    those humiliations¡­¡±

    J let out a coldugh.

    Now she saw what was really going on.

    Agnes was afraid that she might tell Westin about her crime.

    So she came in here, pretended to be sorry, and hoped that she could bury what happened once

    thing for all.

    Clemente rounded one arm around Agnes¡¯s trembling shoulder and raised his head. to look at

    J.

    There was a pleading look on his face.

    He said in a low voice, ¡°I know that you are furious, and we are in no position to ask for your

    forgiveness¡­But Agnes is mentally unstable. She really has been through a lot since my brother

    passed away¡­¡±

    J snorted.

    Bullshit.

    Agnes looked perfectly normal when she raised that dagger at her screaming ¡°DIE

    BITCH.¡±

    Agnes¡¯s mental condition couldn¡¯t be harder.

    ¡°¡­ You once said that you owed me one, Queen J,¡± said Clemente, breathing hard.

    ¡°Remember? You said that it was your fault that I got punished by the King¡­.So. I am begging you

    now. Please¡­forgive Agnes.¡±

    J didn¡¯t even know whether to call Clemente kind or stupid.

    ¡°You want to cash in my favor now? For Agnes?¡± she asked coldly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You sure you won¡¯t regret itter?¡± she sneered,

    Clemente shook his head with a firm look, ¡°No I won¡¯t. Agnes is my family. She is my

    responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Funny. I see.¡±

    J crossed her arms and directed a searching look upon Agnes.

    Agnes was still sobbing into her palms. But she was also peeking at J¡¯s reaction. through her

    fingers.

    J could tell that Agnes was on edge.

    She pondered for a few moments and raised her chin, ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    Clemente widened his eyes with joy.

    Agnes snapped her head up, exhrated, ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said J, unsmiling, ¡°As long as you promise to leave me and Westin alone.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes. I swear! You are the Queen now. You and Westin have a mate bond. I will not dare to

    bother you two again!¡± Agnes grinned through tears. ¡°Thank you so much, Queen J, for your

    forgiveness. You are a very nice person.¡±

    ¡°You are wee,¡± J chuckled.

    Forgiveness?

    Forgiveness her ass!

    What this wicked bitch did was beyond forgiveness.

    J wanted her to rot in hell.

    Yet J didn¡¯t have any hard proof to crucify Agnes. She could only pretend to forgive Agnes,

    lower her guard, and then carry on with her investigation.

    And when she had enough evidence to prove Agnes guilty¡­

    J stared at Agnes¡¯s gleeful face and let out a coldugh internally.

    That would be the day Agnes went straight to hell.

    ¡°Now will you leave me alone?¡± J waved her hand idly, ¡°The head nurse told me that I could

    find some good maternal books in here. I haven¡¯t finished with my research vet.¡±

    ¡°May I help? My queen?¡± Agnes asked eagerly.

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t bother ady.¡±

    J chuckled and looked over to Clemente, ¡°Clemente, if you are not too busy at the moment, can

    you help me? Some of the books are on the top shelf. I can¡¯t reach

    them.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Westin agreed without hesitation.

    Agnes curtseyed to J and then left the archive room.

    ¡°Where is the book that you were looking for?¡± Clemente asked, ¡°It is too dusty down here. Why

    don¡¯t you head upstairs first, and I will gather all the books you want and brighten them in your room

    later?¡±

    ¡°Forget about the books,¡± said J icily.

    That was simply an excuse to get rid of Agnes so that the two of them could talk

    alone.

    J got on her knees and retrieved Keavy¡¯s medical record from underneath the shelves.

    ¡°Look at this,¡± she handed it to Clemente.

    He took the file, perplexed, and opened it up.

    ¡°This is¡­my brother¡¯s file?¡± he asked, looking stunned. ¡°Wait. You were here to look. for my

    brother¡¯s file? Why?¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    J pointed at the symptoms, ¡°Look here.¡±

    ¡®Red eyeballs after death.¡®

    Clemente read out the part that J pointed at and frowned, ¡°Yeah, I remember that. The doctors

    said that it is a result of Keavy¡¯s allergy-¡±

    ¡°What kind of allergy caused people¡¯s eyeballs to turn red?!¡± J snapped.

    She lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°¡­And earlier today, I found a simr symptom in Elder

    Randy as well.¡±

    Clemente looked as though he had just been struck by thunder.

    ¡°But¨CBut Elder Randy was poisoned!¡± he stuttered.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± J stared at him, ¡°Now you see where I am going with this?¡±

    Clemente shivered.

    He clenched onto the brittle cover of the file and shook his head hastily, ¡°No. No. Impossible! My

    brother died of an allergy. The doctors confirmed that¡­¡±

    ¡°The doctor could be wrong¡­Now, tell me what happened on the day that Keavy died?¡±

    Clemente took in a deep breath to calm himself down.

    Slowly, he spoke up in a low voice:

    ¡°¡­It was a night¡­almost 5 years ago. Agnes was pregnant with Bryn at the time and she went to

    her parents to collect some of her sister¡¯s hand¨Cme¨Cdown. She called. me and asked me to keep

    Keavypany and have dinner with him. I was about to head home when an emergent patrol duty

    came up¡­A girl was attacked by bears.

    near my patrol point. So I headed over immediately but that turned out to be a false alert. And when

    I got home, Keavy was already on the floor with a takeout box. dropped at his feet¡­died¡­¡±

    His voice broke.

    J patted his shoulder, ¡°Agnes wasn¡¯t at home when you came back?¡±

    ¡°No! She was still with her parents. Keavy was at home alone, all night long. We even checked the

    security camera at the front door. Nobody stopped by except for the delivery guy¡­¡±

    He jerked his head up and looked at J, anxiously, ¡°You see? Nobody except for Keavy was in

    that house that night. No one had the chance to poison him!¡±

    ¡°One doesn¡¯t need to be in the scene to poison somebody,¡± J shook her head. ¡°I have a wild

    guess. But can I trust you with this, Clemente?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Clemente growled, ¡°God¡­This is about my brother¡¯s death for Christ¡¯s sake¡­Just tell

    me¡­

    ¡°I think it is Agnes,¡± said J coolly.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237

    ¡°I think it is Agnes,¡± said J coolly.

    Telling Clemente seemed like a reckless move since he was on Agnes¡¯s side right now and was

    very loyal to her..

    But J had thought this through already.

    First of all, she needed an errand boy.

    This was the Lycan¡¯s kingdom. She needed someone from the inside to conduct her investigation.

    Clemente was a general, a very capable soldier. He was the perfect choice.

    Second, Clemente was only loyal to Agnes because of his brother Keavy.

    When he found out that Agnes had something to do with Keavy¡¯s death, that loyalty would be gone

    by then.

    Telling Clemente was a gamble.

    But a worthy one.

    ¡°¡­Agnes?¡±

    Clemente repeated in a strange tone as though there was a stone stuck in his throat.

    ¡°Agnes?!¡­No. No, J, you are crazy! She is my brother¡¯s mate! They were a perfect couple.

    Everybody knew that! Do you know how devastated Agnes was when she lost my brother?!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. All I know is that sadness can be faked. And Agnes is a very good actress,¡± said J

    icily.

    Clemente red at her, ¡°You are only saying this because you hold a grudge against Agnes!

    Because she tried to kill you! But this and my brother¡¯s death arepletely two different things-¡±

    ¡°They are not!¡± J snarled, ¡°Agnes did both of these things for the same reason¨CWestin! She

    wanted me dead because she couldn¡¯t be with Westin with me.

    his mate, still alive. And the same goes for Keavy¡­¡±

    ¡°FUCK!¡±

    Clemente threw a punch at the shelves, which wobbled and a couple of files fell off.

    He stared at J with bloodshot eyes.

    Anger and pain gleamed in his eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are the King¡¯s mate and the Queen,¡± he hissed. ¡°But if you say another word of

    groundless bullshit, I will fucking hit you!¡±

    He was furious. His world just turned upside down.

    But J knew that he wouldn¡¯t hit her.

    He was too nice for that.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t groundless. And it isn¡¯t bullshit!¡± J snapped, ¡°Agnes framed me for Elder Randy¡¯s

    incident! She was behind Elder Randy¡¯s poison. And if Elder Randy and

    Keavy share the same symptoms, she must be responsible for Keavy¡¯s death as well! Just connect

    the dots here-¡±

    ¡°Can you prove that Agnes poisoned Elder Randy?!¡±

    J bit her lips, frustrated.

    No. She couldn¡¯t.

    She still hadn¡¯t found that maid who asked her to help carry the barrel. And Annie wouldn¡¯t testify for

    her.

    ¡°So it was all in your head,¡± Clemente sneered. ¡°Groundless conjecture!¡±

    J took in a deep breath.

    Shit.

    Maybe she went in too strong and pushed too hard.

    Clemente needed time to process all these.

    ¡°Fine. Forget what I just said,¡± J said irritably. ¡°But Elder Randy is poisoned, and he and Keavy

    share the same symptom. That part you can¡¯t deny, right? You

    have to see that there is something more to your brother¡¯s death. It isn¡¯t simple food

    allergy!¡±

    Clementepsed into silence.

    Yes. That part was ck and white on paper.

    He couldn¡¯t overlook that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look into it, OK?¡± J ced a hand on his upper arm, saying in a pleading tone. ¡°It

    probably is Agnes, it probably isn¡¯t. But you need to find out the truth. It has been 5 years already¡­

    You owe your brother the truth.¡±

    Clemente rubbed his face with one hand.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± he murmured, ¡°Fuck¡­OK. You are right. A little investigation will not hurt. Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    J smiled.

    She knew that she could get Clemente on board.

    ¡°But where should we start?¡± Clemente asked.

    ¡°Well¡­I am thinking, maybe we should start with the restaurant that Keavy ordered that takeout

    from?¡± J said, ¡°That is the source of everything, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Clemente nodded and they left the archive room together.

    The restaurant was located in a small town outside of the royal pce.

    An upscale little ce that served fusion cuisine.

    A waitress greeted them when they came into the door, ¡°Good afternoon. Table for two?¡±

    ¡°We are here to see the manager of this ce,¡± J said.

    ¡°The manager is out at the moment. You can let me know if there is anything you need-¡±

    ¡°It is above your pay range,¡± said Clemente icily. ¡°Just tell him that General Clemente is here to see

    him. I believe that he can spare a few minutes for me.¡®

    The waitress picked up the phone at the front desk and whispered something into the speaker.

    Then her face changed abruptly, ¡°OK¡­I see.¡±

    She dropped the phone and looked at Clemente and J with an awe¨Cstricken look, ¡°My

    apology¡­This way please, General Clemente.¡±

    They were shown to the manager¡¯s office.

    A chubby, middle¨Caged man was expecting them. A tall brte was with him in the

    office.

    ¡°General Clemente, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± he shook Clemente¡¯s hand with both of his

    hands, ¡°I¡­I thought the case was closed already¡­It has been 5 years¡­¡±

    ¡°It was closed. But I am reopening it now. Any problem with that?¡± Clemente replied in a freezing

    tone.

    ¡°Yes! Yes, there is!¡± cried the tall brte grumpily. ¡°Mr. Keavy didn¡¯t tell us about his allergy when

    he ced his order. Maybe he had some strange allergies that nobody knew of and the food came

    from us¡­So fine! But we have paid the fine already. We fired our chef. The restaurant was shut

    down for a year. My husband even spent his time in jail for a couple of months. What else do you

    want?¡± ¡°That your wife?¡± Clemente gestured to the brte.

    ¡­Yes.¡±

    The owner mopped at his brow with the back of his hand nervously, ¡°Look General Clemente, we

    really don¡¯t want any troubles¡­It was a tragedy, yes. But people have to carry on living their lives.

    Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t get into any trouble if you cooperate. Now, walk me through that night again.¡±

    ¡°I have told the police about this millions of times already-

    ¡°And I want to hear it one more time,¡± said J.

    The owner and his wife directed a skeptical look upon J.

    The owner and his wife directed a skeptical look upon J.

    ¡°This is the King¡¯s mate, Queen J.¡± Westin introduced them.

    The couple gasped and bowed to J immediately.

    ¡°So?¡± J demanded, ¡°What happened that night? I want all the details.¡±

    ¡°O¨COK¡­let me think¡­¡±

    The owner licked his dry lips, recollecting the past.

    ¡°I received Mr. Keavy¡¯s order at around 6¡­ Took me half an hour to prepare the food and I left the

    restaurant at around 6:30. It was a clear night, a smooth drive¡­I didn¡¯t. run into any traffic and

    arrived at Mr. Keavy¡¯s doorstep at around 7-¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Clemente interrupted him abruptly, ¡°Clear night? That can¡¯t be right. It was pouring rain that night!¡±

    The owner¡¯s jaw tightened, ¡°No, no, the weather was very good I think¡­

    ¡°It was raining,¡± Clemente said firmly. ¡°I remembered that clearly because I got caught up in a traffic

    jam on my way back. I even drove past a few horrible car idents along the way.¡±

    ¡°R¨CReally?¡± the owner stuttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­Maybe it was raining¡­I didn¡¯t remember. It was so

    long ago¡­¡±

    J frowned.

    The owner even remembered the time he left the restaurant, but he couldn¡¯t remember the weather

    that night..

    Something was not right.

    ¡°Continue,¡± she said. ¡°What happened after you arrived at the doorstep?¡±

    ¡°Then I rang the bell. Mr. Keavy came out himself and took his food. He tipped me 20 and thanked

    my service. I left. That was all. Are we done here?¡±

    Clemente leaned in and whispered into J¡¯s ears, ¡°Everything matches with the testimony that

    he gave to the police.¡±

    J fixed her gaze upon the owner¡¯s face, ¡°Where did you go after the delivery?¡±

    The owner¡¯s body became stiff, ¡°How does that have anything to do with Mr. Keavy¡¯s death?¡±

    ¡°I will be the judge of that. Just answer the question.¡±

    The owner shook his head, ¡°I¡­Did I go back to the restaurant perhaps? I don¡¯t remember¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh I remember!¡± said the wife abruptly. ¡°You went home to me and brought me dinner from your

    restaurant!¡±

    J narrowed her eyes.

    So the owner did two deliveries that night.

    One to Keavy. And one to his wife.

    The wife gave a shudder, ¡°Just think about it¡­If you identally gave Mr. Keavy¡¯s

    food to me, the dead person would probably be me instead¡­¡±

    A strange expression twisted the owner¡¯s face as he snapped, ¡°What the fuck are your

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    saying? You don¡¯t have that allergy!¡±

    The wife was startled by his sudden snarl, ¡°I am just saying! That is a possibility. Nobody knows

    what that allergy is anyway¡­¡±

    The owner ignored his wife and turned back to J and Clemente, ¡°I have told your everything I

    know. So, please¡­I am begging you¡­Stay out of my life from now on.¡±

    J and Clemente left the office together.

    ¡°What do you think of that owner?¡± Clemente asked her in a low voice.

    ¡°Shifty,¡± said J briefly.

    ¡°Yeah, I agree. That is so weird. Why didn¡¯t I feel that way before?¡±

    J stopped a waiter in the restaurant.

    After telling him who they were, she asked, ¡°How are things between the owner of this restaurant

    and his wife? Are they close?¡±

    ¡°Close? Oh hell no!¡± the waiter gasped, ¡°Boss hates his wife! Called her a skanky cunt a couple of

    times in front of everyone. I heard him fighting with his wife in the office¡­he was yelling and

    threatening to kill her. There were even rumors saying that he bought chemicals online to drug his

    wife.

    J and Clemente exchanged a look of shock.

    J came in here hoping that she could find evidence to prove Agnes guilty. Yet somehow, she

    found another potential suspect¡­The restaurant.

    Things were gettingplicated.

    Who was really responsible for Keavy¡¯s death?

    ¡°I am bringing the owner in for questioning right now!¡± Clemente said hurriedly.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238

    The owner of the restaurant was brought back for questioning.

    They shoved him into the interrogation room.

    J went in to talk to him first.

    The owner sat stiffly behind the table. There was a mixed expression of anger and panic on his

    face.

    ¡°What is this all about!¡± he cried furiously, ¡°I told you everything already! Why did you bring me in

    here? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡±

    J sat down across the table, ¡°You haven¡¯t given me the whole picture.

    ¡°That is the whole picture. What else do you want¡­¡±

    ¡°We believe that Mr. Keavy was poisoned, and you have something to do with it, said J icily.

    The owner¡¯s jaw dropped. He started sweating.

    ¡°W¨CWhat? That is ridiculous! Mr. Keavy died of an allergy. Everybody knew that.

    You can¡¯t dump that shit on my head¡­. It has been 5 years already¡­¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be falsely charged with anything if you are innocent!¡± J snapped, ¡°So tell me what

    really happened that night!¡±

    The owner shifted uneasily in his chair as though he were sitting on a thrones.

    ¡°I told you everything already¡­¡± he shook his head hastily, ¡°Mr. Keavy died out of allergy¡­I have

    nothing to do with it¡­¡±

    They were talking in circles.

    But J could tell by the look on his face that he was hiding something.

    The only question was was he hiding his own crime?

    Or was he covering for somebody else?

    She leaned her upper body forward, staring at the owner across the table, and asked,

    ¡°Do you

    know Lady Agnes?¡±

    There was a ck look on the owner¡¯s face, ¡°Lady Agnes? Who is that?¡±

    His facial expression looked sincere.

    He really didn¡¯t know who Agnes was.

    J sat back in her chair, pondering.

    Did she get this wrong?

    But all the evidence showed that Agnes poisoned Elder Randy and Elder Randy and Keavy shared

    the same symptom.

    So which part did she miss?

    Just then, the door to the interrogation room flung open and Clemente came striding

    into the room with a file in their hand.

    He mmed the file on the table in front of the owner and snapped, ¡°Look what we just found! Are

    you still going to deny what you did?¡±

    With a trembling hand, the owner turned the cover and opened the file.

    The first page listed his online shopping records for the past 6 months: duck tapes, ropes, sleeping

    pills, and detergent¡­

    Everything a serial killer needed for the work.

    The second page was a photo captured by a surveince camera. It documented a car

    ident that happened on the same night that Keavy died.

    The owner sunk, weak¨Ckneed, into his chair.

    ¡°You and your wife aren¡¯t exactly the perfect couple, are you?¡± Clemente looked down at the owner

    coldly, ¡°Waiters from your restaurant told us that you threatened to kill her. And your online

    shopping record proved that inclination.¡± The owner gulped, nervously, ¡°What I like to buy with my

    own money is my own business¡­ And that waiter who spoke with you is a lying piece of shit-¡±

    ¡°You are still lying!¡±

    Clemente banged the table with his hand, ¡°Do you want us to bring in your wife as well? And see

    what she has to say about this evidence?!¡±

    The owner shivered, ¡°No¡­No don¡¯t get her in here¡­Please¡­

    ¡°Then just spit it already!¡±

    The owner mopped his forehead with the back of his hand, looking even more tensed

    1. up.

    ¡°¡­Fine! Alright?¡± he snarled abruptly, ¡°My wife is a skanky old cunt! I did think about it¡­once or

    twice¡­of killing her¡­¡±

    J looked at the man with disgust.

    It was like what they said¨CIt was always the husband.

    ¡°BUT!¡± the owner roared, ¡°That was just a thought! I never put it into action! My wife is still alive, and

    you just saw her earlier today. You can¡¯t punish a man for having evil thoughts!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that you never put it to action?¡± Clemente asked in an intimidating voice, ¡°Then

    exin this car ident. It was your car. And it happened 5 years ago, on the same night that

    Keavy died, at 6:45, which was the exact time that you left the restaurant and were heading to

    Keavy¡¯s house. Why did you exclude it from your

    testimony!¡±

    The owner shook like a leaf in the strong wind, ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t think it was relevant¡­

    ¡°LIE!¡±

    Clemente roared as he braced his hands on the table, leaning forward, and stared at the owner with

    ice¨Ccold eyes.

    ¡°We have a theory already,¡± Clemente said through gritting teeth. ¡°And we are going to do more

    digging. Sooner orter, the evidence we find will convict you. The only question is are you going to

    tell us the truth now and plead for mercy or are you going to keep on lying and be sentenced to

    death eventually? YOUR CHOICE!¡±

    His roar echoed in the interrogation room.

    The owner¡¯s face was paled with frigid.

    After a long pause, he suddenly burst into tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t kill me! PLEASE!¡± he wailed, ¡°I have a career! A daughter! A whole family to support!

    And I didn¡¯t mean it¡­It was an ident¡­¡±

    ¡°What ident! What happened!¡± Clemente growled.

    ¡°I¡­I poisoned the food¡­5 years ago¡­¡± the owner sobbed.

    J¡¯s heart shot upwards into her throat.

    He admitted it!

    ¡°You poisoned Keavy?!¡± Clemente cried in rage, ¡°WHY! My brother never wronged you in his entire

    life-¡±

    ¡°NO! Not Mr. Keavy! I¡­I was actually meaning to kill my wife!¡± the owner choked. ¡°That night¡­I left

    the restaurant with two bags of food¡­One was for Mr. Keavy and that one was clean¡­ And the

    other was for my wife, poisoned¡­¡±

    ¡°Then how did the poisoned one end up in Keavy¡¯s hand?¡± J couldn¡¯t help but

    ask.

    The owner gave a shudder, ¡°It was raining heavily that night¡­I¨CI hit someone on the way to Mr.

    Keavy¡¯s house. I got out of the car too hastily to check the person being hit¡­ Maybe¡­.Maybe the

    two bags of food got swapped during that process¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯tbel the poisoned one?!¡±

    ¡°I did!¡± the owner cried desperately, ¡°The poisoned one had a red little sticker on the bag! I even

    double¨Cchecked to make sure that the food I gave to Mr. Keavy was the one without the red

    sticker¡­But still¡­When I saw that my wife was still breathing after dinner, I knew instantly that I got

    it wrong¡­I¨CI fucked up¡­¡±

    He melted down and cried.

    J let out a shaky breath.

    So it was clear now.

    The owner meant to kill his wife on that night.

    But because of a car ident, the food got mixed up and he identally gave the poisoned one to

    Keavy.

    Clemente¡¯s brother died because of a stupid mistake.

    So¡­was this the whole truth?

    ¡°I¨CI am not going to be sentenced to death, am I?¡± the owner cried urgently, ¡°It was an ident! A

    mistake! You can¡¯t punish someone for making a mistake!!¡±

    Clemente straightened his back and stormed out of the interrogation room.

    J ran after him, ¡°Clemente!¡±

    He strode down the hallway and then suddenly halted to a sharp stop. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    J almost bumped into his back.

    Clemente wheeled around and held her in his arms, tightly.

    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± he murmured in a broken voice.

    ¡°Clemente¡­

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would still be in the dark right now,¡± he choked. ¡°You pushed

    me to investigate. You unveiled the truth. I owe you for a lifetime¡­J¡­

    J patted his back, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You did most of the work. Keavy would be very d.¡±

    But deep down in her heart, she was still confused.

    Nothing about Agnes came up.

    Was Agnes really clean?

    Or did she miss something down the road?

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239

    J hesitated for a while and decided to share her doubts with Clemente.

    ¡°Clemente, I still feel that there are missing parts in this thing¡­¡± she said.

    ¡°About what? The owner admitted to his crime already,¡± Clemente looked confused.

    ¡°The owner is responsible for Keavy¡¯s death. But what about Elder Randy? The owner had nothing

    to do with Elder Randy and he wasn¡¯t even at the Spring Ball¡­¡±

    Clemente let out a cold sneer, ¡°That is where things get really interesting. Hear this: the owner¡¯s

    restaurant is one of the caters of the spring ball.¡±

    ¡­WHAT?

    J gasped.

    So the owner WAS at the spring ball! He even prepared the food himself, which gave him a chance

    to poison Elder Randy.

    But what did the owner do? Was it another mistake?

    And what about Agnes?

    Based on the information that they had gathered so far, Agnes had nothing to do with this whole

    mess.

    But that couldn¡¯t be right¡­

    A thousand thoughts sped through her addled brain.

    ¡°Cheer up J. You just did something really awesome today. I am going to let the king know

    about this!¡± Clemente grinned.

    ¡°Clemente wait-¡±

    She wanted to ask him to keep it quiet before they could know more.

    Yet Clemente had turned hastily and rushed away.

    Standing stiffly for a few more moments, J returned to the interrogation room.

    The owner was still in his chair, sobbing miserably.

    ¡°Queen J! Have you talked to General Clemente yet?¡± he looked at J with hope, ¡°Did you

    tell him that I didn¡¯t mean any of these? And I definitely don¡¯t deserve to be sentenced to death?¡±

    ¡°The King and the elders will mete out your punishment.¡± J studied his tear¨Cstained face and

    asked, ¡°And now I have one more question for you: do you know Elder Randy before this?¡±

    The owner¡¯s expression was vacant, ¡°Who is Elder Randy? I don¡¯t know him.¡±

    ¡°He is one of the elders that attended the Spring Ball a couple of weeks back, and you were the

    caterer of that event. Elder Randy got poisoned at the Spring Ball and his symptom matches with

    Keavy¡¯s.¡±

    The owner rounded his eyes as his brain processed the information.

    Then his breathing became heavy.

    He burst out crying, ¡°WHAT THE HELL! Are you ming me for that case as well?! Am I

    responsible for all the poison cases in the whole world?!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Calm down-¡±

    Yet the owner hadpletely lost control of his temper under pressure.

    ¡°You rich and powerful people can¡¯t do this! Can¡¯t dump shit on my head like that!!! I won¡¯t be

    somebody else¡¯s scapegoat!¡±

    He roared, his face twisted by horror and panic, and he banged his fists on the table, ¡°I don¡¯t know

    that goddamn Elder Randy! You can¡¯t me me for that! You fucking

    can¡¯t-

    ¡°CALM DOWN!!

    J shot up and tried to contain him.

    Yet he pped her hand away, breathing very fast.

    ¡°No¡­NO! You are going to sentence me to death, aren¡¯t you!¡± he shouted, ¡°Then I take it back! I

    take all my testimony back! I won¡¯t let you powerful fucks walk over my head-¡±

    Just then, the door to the interrogation room flung open.

    Westin strode in with arge group of soldiers and elders behind his back.

    ¡°Chain him! And toss him into the cell,¡± Westin ordered the soldiers icily. ¡°This man is responsible

    for Keavy¡¯s death and Elder Randy¡¯s poison case. He will be brought to trialter!¡±

    The soldiers piled in and yanked the owner up from his chair.

    The owner was still crying miserably, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! I didn¡¯t poison that elder! You can¡¯t do this to

    me-¡±

    The soldiers clogged his mouth.

    And they dragged him out of the interrogation room.

    ¡°¡­Wait!¡±

    J wanted to chase up the owner. Yet Westin stood in her way and ced a hand. on her

    shoulder.

    ¡°Great job,¡± he said with a smile on his lips.

    ¡°Westin listen-¡±

    He bent his back and nted a kiss on her forehead.

    ¡°I owe you a thank you,¡± he said hoarsely by her ears. ¡°You unraveled the truth. Your helped my

    best friend. I am so proud of you my love¡­¡±

    She frowned in silence.

    Did she really unravel the truth?

    Yet why did she feel that she was getting further and further away from the truth? Somebody

    cleared his throat behind Westin.

    J looked over and found that it was Elder Lamonte.

    By his side was Agnes, with her head held down.

    ¡°¡­Queen J,¡± Elder Lamonte gave a nod to J.

    There was an awkward smile on his face.

    It looked as though he was trying to show his gratitude yet wasn¡¯t quite used to that expression.

    ¡°Thank you¡­for what you did for my son,¡± he said briefly in a hoarse voice. ¡°You

    Will be a good queen.

    You are wee.¡±

    The man who was once her enemy now changed his attitude and was expressing his gratitude.

    Yet it gave J less pleasure than she thought.

    Her eyes flickered to Agnes.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look happy, Lady Agnes?¡± J asked abruptly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy to learn about

    the truth of your mate¡¯s death?¡±

    Agnes gave a small shiver.

    Slowly, she raised her head and forced her face into a strained smile, ¡°O¨COf course I am happy¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± said J icily.

    Enmity flickered across Agnes¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°I was just wondering¡­why did you suddenly

    be so interested in Keavy¡¯s death? It has been so long ago¡­. ¡°I stumbled upon it while looking

    into Elder Randy¡¯s case. And I won¡¯t stop my investigation until I have the FULL TRUTH,¡± J

    said.

    She stressed the ¡°full truth¡± on purpose.

    Agnes gave another shiver and lowered her head again.

    ¡­This woman was definitely involved.

    J could be sure of that.

    Yet the only question was¡­HOW?

    ¡°My Queen aplished something great today,¡± Westin announced proudly. ¡°Let¡¯s celebrate her

    contribution over dinner at the dining hall tonight!¡±

    The room erupted into apuse.

    Westin lowered his head to J, ¡°Do you want to head back to the castle with me my love?¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°No¡­you go ahead. I want to stay here a bit longer¡­to clear my head.¡±

    They all left the room to prepare for tonight¡¯s celebration party.

    J wandered down the hallway along. Pacing to think.

    She brought herself back to the very beginning of this investigation.

    OK, from the start.

    Clemente told her that he should be having dinner with Keavy that night, but he caught up in patrol

    duty and couldn¡¯t get back in time.

    And that was why Keavy ordered that takeout, which killed him.

    Assuming that it wasn¡¯t an ident, and somebody did poison Keavy with that takeout on purpose

    (J was still convinced that it was Agnes), Clemente couldn¡¯t be home during dinner that night¡­

    And what did Clemente say about that patrol duty?

    ¡­.A girl was attacked by bears near my patrol point¡­but it turned out to be a false alert.

    False alert!

    Someone probably designed that emergent patrol duty to divert Clemente from home!

    J turned on her heels abruptly and headed downstairs.

    The Patrolling Center was a few floors beneath the interrogation room.

    J walked into the center and stopped a passing soldier, ¡°Excuse me, I need help with

    something¡­¡±

    ¡°Queen J!¡± the soldier gasped, ¡°Yes of course. What do you need?¡±

    He recognized her, which definitely made things easier.

    ¡°Do you keep records of the calls people made into this center asking for help?¡± J asked.

    ¡°Sure we do.¡±

    ¡°How long do those records date back to?¡±

    ¡°We still have records from 10 years ago.¡±

    Awesome!

    J gave the soldier the date and time and asked him to dig up the phone record of Clemente¡¯s

    patrol duty.

    It didn¡¯t take long. 30 minutester, the soldier brought J into a meeting room. and yed the

    record for her on aptop.

    That record started with some static.

    And then a few secondster, a female voice suddenly started screaming:

    ..Help! I¨CI am being attacked by a bear! Hurry and send someone over to help me¡­NOW!¡±

    ¡°Do you need to hear it again, Queen J?¡± the soldier asked.

    ¡°No need,¡± J said with a cold smile on her lips.

    Although the record was short, she could still recognize that voice-

    Agnes¡¯s voice!

    Agnes should be at her parent¡¯s that night. Why would she call into the Patrol Center

    calming that she was attacked by a bear?

    The reason was simple: To divert Clemente away from the house so that she could carry on her

    n of poisoning Keavy!

    Gotcha, bitch.

    J looked at the soldier and said, ¡°Can you ask General Clemente toe over? There is

    something important that I need to tell him.¡±

    Chapter 380.

    He came in with a big grin on his face asking, ¡°What are you still doing here J? You should

    head back to the castle with the King. I want to stop by my brother¡¯s grave and let him know about

    the truth that you found. Do you want toe with me or should I see you at the party-¡±

    ¡°Clemente wait!¡± J had to raise her voice to stop him. ¡°Listen. Have you listened. to the phone

    call that was made into the Patrol Center on the night that Keavy died?¡±

    Clemente frowned, ¡°No. The Center had operators who took the call and assigned duties directly to

    us. Why are you asking about this?¡±

    J nodded.

    That was what she thought.

    If Clemente had taken the call himself, he would have recognized Agnes¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Listen to this.¡±

    She hit ¡°y¡± and yed the record for Clemente.

    ¡°¡­Help! 1¨CI am being attacked by a bear! Hurry and send someone over to help me¡­NOW!¡±

    Agnes¡¯s voice echoed in the room.

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    The grin faded from Clemente¡¯s face, and it was reced by a horrified expression. ¡°W¨C

    Wait¡­.What is this?¡± he stuttered, trembling. ¡°Where did you get this? How on earth-¡±

    ¡°I asked a soldier to dig this phone record from 5 years ago. The person who called in for help was

    Agnes,¡± J said.

    ¡°IMPOSSIBLE!¡± Clemente roared, his face twisted by anger. ¡°Agnes was at her parent¡¯s house that

    night! There was no way she could be attacked by a bear-¡±

    ¡°Precisely!¡± J snapped, ¡°Because she lied about it! She made that call to divert you from home

    so that Keavy would have to order a takeout-¡±

    ¡°You are still dwelling on that! The owner admitted to his crime already-¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t admit to everything! The owner strongly denied having anything involved in Elder Randy¡¯s

    case!¡±

    ¡°And you believed him? A wife murderer who happened to kill my brother as well?¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes, I believe him,¡± J said icily. ¡°That man is a piece of shit. But he doesn¡¯t

    have the gut to touch a well¨Crespected elder and he has no motive to do it.¡±

    She stared at Clemente¡¯s rage¨Cfilled face and added, ¡°And if you really think about it, there are so

    many parts that don¡¯t add up in the owner¡¯s testimony. For example,. hebeled the poisoned food

    carefully. But how did the poisoned one still end up in Keavy¡¯s hand?¡±

    ¡°He was clumsy! He panicked. He grabbed the wrong one,¡± Clemente said gruffly.

    ¡®Now you are just purposely neglecting the evidence,¡± J sighed.

    There was a moment of silence.

    The only audible sound was Clemente¡¯sbored breathing.

    J could understand his frustration: just when he thought that he had the whole truth already, he

    was told that it was yet another lie¡­It must have been hard.

    But she couldn¡¯t let him back away from the truth just because it was hard.

    ¡°Clemente¡­¡±

    She softened her tone and wanted to keep on persuading him.

    Before she could say anything else, he turned to her with bloodshot eyes and asked, ¡°What else do

    you need then?¡±

    ¡°About this case?¡±

    ¡°Yes, about this case!¡± Clemente clenched his fists, ¡°I can see that you won¡¯t drop this case until

    you look into everything. Fine. I can help you. But you have to promise

    me that you will leave Agnes alone when you are done! She has been through enough already!¡±

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°If she is proven innocent¡­ Yes. I promise that I will leave her alone.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Clemente ran his fingers through his hair, irritated, ¡°Now, what are the loose parts that you were

    talking about?¡±

    The loose parts.

    J rubbed her chin, pondering.

    The biggest mystery was how the poisoned food ended up in Keavy¡¯s hand.

    The food wasbeled.

    Assuming that this whole thing wasn¡¯t just a clumsy mistake, then someone must have swapped the

    labels somehow and let the owner believe that he was giving Keavy the clean food.

    But how?

    The only time window was when the owner was still in the restaurant.

    But ording to the man, he prepared the food himself and never let the food leave his sight for a

    single second until

    ¡°The car ident!¡±

    J snapped her head up and gasped, ¡°If someone were to swap thebels, they could do it

    during the car ident! The owner said that he hit somebody with his car

    on his way to Keavy¡¯s. Remember?¡±

    Clemente looked skeptical, ¡°That is far¨Creaching¡­¡±

    ¡°But possible! Can we find out the identity of the person hit by the owner?¡±

    The fastest way was to ask the owner himself, of course.

    But Westin had already thrown that man into prison. And a whole lot of paperwork would be

    required if they wanted to question him in person.

    ¡°Yes¡­Can you ask him that? That is all we need to know¡­¡±

    Clemente was on the phone with the prison.

    Secondster, he covered the speaker with one hand and turned back to J.

    ¡°The owner said that he could remember,¡± he said with a tight furrow. ¡°He simply said that it was a

    person wearing a baseball hat and a mask¡ª¡±

    ¡°Male or female?¡± J asked urgently.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t be sure. Since it was so dark and raining so heavily at the time.¡±

    ¡°Any official police record for the car ident?!¡±

    ¡°None. The police weren¡¯t involved.¡±

    Clemente shook his head, ¡°The person being hit simply twisted the ankle. The owner let that person

    rest on his car while he ran to the nearest convenience store to get an ice pack. But that person

    was gone when he came back to his car.¡±

    Which meant that the person had a moment alone with the food!

    And had a chance to swap thebels!

    But if there wasn¡¯t any police record and the owner couldn¡¯t remember¡­how

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240

    could they determine the identity?

    J bit her thumbnail, thinking hard.

    Clemente said ¡°thank you¡± to the prison guard and hung up the phone.

    ¡°The surveince camera,¡± J said abruptly. ¡°They didn¡¯t call the police. But the surveince

    camera along the street must have captured the car ident¡­and the face of that person being

    hit!¡±

    Clemente was looking at her with a mixed expression of awe and frustration.

    ¡°Are you always this stubborn?¡± he asked. ¡°You could be in the hall right now, surrounded by

    people, hearing them call you a hero and telling you what a great job you did today¡­ Yet you

    choose to waste your time here, chasing a lead that doesn¡¯t exist. Do you hate yourself?¡±

    J let out a cold sneer.

    She didn¡¯t hate herself.

    She just happened to be very, very vindictive.

    When Agnes destroyed her life, she swore to herself that she would shove that bitch. into hell.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    She would not stop until that goal was achieved.

    ¡°To the surveince room. Now.¡±

    room

    She said icily and went striding out of the room, with Clemente on her heel.

    20 minutester, they sat down in the surveince room in front of arge screen ying all the

    surveince footage from that night.

    They didn¡¯t know the exact location of the car ident, nor the precise time when it

    took ce.

    So they had to look camera to camera from the restaurant to Keavy¡¯s house, frame by frame, inch

    by inch.

    Clemente looked for about 15 minutes and his eyes became sore.

    ¡­This is torture¡­

    He leaned back in his chair, rubbed his eyes, and sighed.

    J still had her eyes glued to the screen.

    She let out a snortingugh, ¡°Giving up already? I was expecting more willpower from the great

    general Clemente.¡±

    Clemente blushed, looking embarrassed.

    ¡°What if it turns out to be aplete passerby?¡± he asked, ¡°A passerby who had nothing to do with

    this case and just happened toe out for a walk and got hit by a car¡­What then?¡±

    ¡°Then I will buy you some eyedrops and thank you for your assistance. Can we get back to work

    now?¡±

    J was feeling agitated as well.

    Deep down in her heart, she was also afraid that all these efforts would turn out to be nothing.

    But nobody could tell until they found the footage.

    Another half an hour of silent searching.

    Then Clemente gasped, ¡°Here! I found it¡­This is the owner¡¯s car, isn¡¯t it?!¡±

    J slid over in her chair and stared at the screen.

    It was the owner¡¯s car! The scene where the car ident took ce!

    ¡°y it from the beginning!¡± she snapped in a strained voice, ¡°Can you see that person¡¯s face?¡±

    They stared at the screen, hyper¨Cfocus. Didn¡¯t dare to miss a single frame.

    They saw the owner hit that person.

    The owner jumped out of the car walked that person into his car and then hastily ran

    off to the convenience store.

    ¡°Can you see what that person is doing in the car?!¡± J snapped.

    ¡°No. The car window is tainted. I am seeing exactly what you are seeing¡­Stop pinching me!¡±

    Clemente groaned with a grimace.

    The person got out of the car a short momentter, holding their head down, and disappeared at

    the edge of the frame.

    The person was very careful. Didn¡¯t reveal his or her face for a single second.

    ¡°Well.¡±

    Clemente rubbed his face, ¡°That is it. No face. We tried everything¡­¡±

    ¡°The fuck we did!¡± J snarled, ¡°Pull out the camera on the next block! NOW!¡±

    Cremene rubbed his face, Ildt IS IL. INOce. We §êieu every§êng¡­

    ¡°The fuck we did!¡± J snarled, ¡°Pull out the camera on the next block! NOW!¡±

    ¡°OK, OK¨CI said NO PINCHING!!!¡±

    He opened the footage captured by the surveince camera on the next block.

    They saw the person walking into the frame and stopped by a trash bin.

    The person started taking down the baseball hat and mask and tossed them into the trash bin.

    J hit pause and zoomed in.

    The screen froze on that person¡¯s face.

    A beautiful face with an evil grin on those lips.

    It was Agnes.

    ¡­Fuck¡­¡± Clemente murmured, utterly shocked.

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241

    In a great rush of excitement, J let out a small That ought to nail Agnes down!

    gasp.

    ¡°You see it, right, Clemente?¡± she cried, shaking Clemente¡¯s hand. ¡°That is Agnes! She imed to

    be at her parent¡¯s house, but she first called to the patrol center to divert you from home and then

    ambushed the owner so that she could swap thebels¡­Everything makes sense now!¡±

    There was another tiny problem.

    How did Agnes know that the owner was going to poison his wife that night?

    J didn¡¯t know that for sure yet. But her guess was that the owner got his poison directly from

    Agnes. And it was Agnes who abetted the owner to kill his wife with poison.

    To prove her guess, they needed to talk to the owner again and confirmed the source

    of his poison.

    ¡°Clemente!¡±

    She shook his hand again, ¡°Let¡¯s talk to the owner in the prison. Can you get the paper works

    done? How long will it take¡­Clemente?¡±

    He was sitting in his chair stiffly, his face pale like a ghost.

    J touched his hand and felt that it was ice cold.

    ¡°Clemente¡­¡± she called his name again, watching his reaction carefully, ¡°Clemente are you

    alright-¡±

    ¡°FUCK!¡±

    Clemente jumped up and swept everything on the table to the floor.

    A huge noise echoed in the room.

    As though that still wasn¡¯t enough to vent his anger, he jerked around to lift his chair and threw the

    chair at the wall-

    BANG!

    The wall and the door trembled followed by a heavy fall of dust.

    The door flew open the next second and a couple of soldiers came rushing in, horrified, ¡°General

    Clemente! What is going on-¡±

    ¡°OUT!¡± Clemente roared with bloodshot eyes.

    The soldiers froze on their spots, startled by his sudden outburst of cry.

    J stood behind him and gave the soldiers a nod, ¡°We are good here. General Clemente and I

    need a moment alone.¡±

    ¡°Y¨CYes, Queen J¡­

    They backed out of the room and shut the door for them.

    J turned back to Clemente and ced a hand on his arm.

    She could feel his muscles flex because of rage under her touch.

    ¡°Let it all out, Clemente. You have a reason to be angry,¡± she said in a low, calming

    voice.

    Clemente turned his neck stiffly and looked at her.

    His eyes were round with anger and blurred by tears.

    ¡°She killed my brother¡­¡± he said in a trembling voice. ¡°And she fucking lied to me¡­for years!¡±

    Tears streamed down his cheek.

    He hastily wiped it with the back of his hand. Yet more tears came pouring out.

    ¡°I knew that she had a thing for Westin¡­but Keavy and she were mates! They were FUCKING

    MATES! And my brother loved her¡­so, so much. How could she do this to him? HOW COULD

    SHE!¡±

    His voice broke.

    ¡°And¡­And me¡­¡± he choked, ¡°I thought it was my fault¡­I didn¡¯t go home on time that night and he

    ordered that fucking takeout¡­D¨CDo you know how many times Agnes guilt me with that over the

    years? She never let me forget that it was my fault for a single second! And the things she guilts me

    into doing¡­ But it was her the whole

    time! She yed me like a fucking puppet! And she watched me suffer!!!¡±

    There was a heavy feeling in J¡¯s chest as well.

    Agnes was the most cunning, ruthless, and maniptive person she had ever met.

    There was not a shred of humanity left in that woman.

    She was purely evil.

    ¡°I am so stupid¡­¡± Clemente let out a devastatedugh. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you¡­God knows how long

    she will keep ying like that¡­She will probably let me live under guilt for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°But you know the truth now. You can finally take back control,¡± J said in a deep voice.

    ¡°I am killing her. NOW!¡± Clemente hissed.

    His handsome face was contorted by fury.

    ¡°We know the truth now. But the rest of the people don¡¯t. Don¡¯t you want to see her get socially

    destroyed before being sentenced to death?¡± J asked icily.

    She knew this type of woman.

    Harper, Agnes¡­they were all the same.

    They fed on other people¡¯s adoration.

    Their reputations were everything to them.

    To destroy their type, exposing them in public was the best way.

    And the stage had been set already¡­Westin was throwing a celebration party for her tonight.

    J couldn¡¯t think of a better asion to destroy Agnes.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s bring the evidence to the dining hall and show them to everyone!¡±

    Clemente said hastily.

    ¡°No. We still need direct evidence of her crime. I suspect that she gave the owner the poison. If we

    fill that nk, there is no way she can deny it!¡±

    Clemente checked the time really quickly, ¡°Fuck¡­the office is off duty now. There is no way we can

    get the paper works for the visit done today.¡±

    J raised an eyebrow, ¡°You are the general. You don¡¯t need any paper works. Just wave your

    badge in the air and tell whoever dares to stop you to fuck off.¡±

    Clemente gave J a look of disbelief.

    ¡°Which underground mob did youe from?¡± he gasped.

    ¡°Do you have a better way?¡±

    ¡°No but¡­¡± he groaned. ¡°¡­Alright fuck it. I am breaking more codes and disciplines in a single day

    than I did in a lifetime!

    They hurried and left the Patrol Center and headed to the prison.

    The Lycan¡¯s prison was a dungeon located underneath the castle. Its only entrance is

    guarded heavily by soldiers.

    The leader of the security team stopped them at the entrance.

    ¡°General Clemente, and Queen J, good day.¡± the leader bowed to them humbly, ¡°What brought

    you to the prison?¡±

    Clemente cleared his throat, ¡°We¡­We need to see a prisoner.¡±

    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Of course. May I see the paper works?¡±

    Clemente cleared his throat again, an awkward look on his face, ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have the paperwork.¡±

    The leader looked stunned, ¡°No paperwork? But General Clemente, you of all people should know

    the rules¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I know the rules¡­But it is an emergent situation¡­¡±

    The furrow between the leader¡¯s brows deepened, ¡°No matter how emergent it is, the paperwork

    must be presented at the entrance. There was a lecture on army disciplines at the beginning of this

    month, hosted by you, General Clemente! How can you forget?¡±

    Clemente took in a deep breath and cast a pleading look upon J.

    ¡­This guy was not cut out to be a thud.

    J let out a sigh internally and stepped up to face the leader.

    ¡®Move aside,¡± said she in a freezing voice.

    The leader was taken aback, ¡°Queen J-¡±

    ¡°A bomb is about to go off and the prisoner we are talking to is the only one who knows about the

    location! People¡¯s lives are at stake! Now do you really want to waste time on red tape?!¡± she

    snarled.

    The soldiers were agitated.

    And the leader gasped, ¡°What? A¨CA bomb? But where¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need toe down here if we know where now do we?! I am telling

    ¡°We don¡¯t need toe down here if we know where now, do we?! I am telling you¨CMove aside

    and let us in. NOW!¡±

    ¡°But¡­But¡­¡± the leader looked to Clemente, panic¨Cstricken.

    J raised her voice, ¡°But what? It will be your fault when that bomb goes off and people die!¡±

    ¡°Listen to your Queen!¡± Clemente snapped.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The group quickly parted and let the two of them through.

    The leader cried to their back as they hurried downstairs and into the dungeon,

    Let us know if you need help with that bomb¡­¡±

    ¡°You are a natural,¡± Clemente whispered into J¡¯s ears.

    ¡°All it takes is practice. Congrattions, General Clemente, you just made your first. step toward

    bing a master fraud.¡±

    Clemente let out a sigh, ¡°No thank you very much¡­This is thest time I lie to my own soldiers.¡±

    They stopped a soldier on the way, who told them that the owner was locked in the -3 level, thest

    cell down the hallway.

    So they went lower still, down to the third level.

    They encountered a prison guard on the staircase. The guard had juste out of the third level,

    probably finishing up his patrol.

    J walked past that guard.

    She stopped abruptly the next second, looking over her shoulder, confused.

    ..Why did she smell blood on that guard?

    The guard had climbed upstairs and disappeared around the corner.

    ¡°J, hurry!¡± Clemente urged her.

    ¡°¡­Coming!¡±

    The two of them came into the third level and dashed down the hallway.

    The motion sensor light turned on automatically when they reached thest cell, illuminating the

    darkness.

    ¡°-FUCK!¡± Clemente roared.

    J rounded her eyes with shock.

    The cell room¡¯s door was open. And the owner was copsed on the cold ground with.

    a pool of blood underneath his body.

    ¡°What the hell¡­HEY!¡± Clemente rushed inside to check the owner, ¡°Hey stay with

    me-¡±

    J followed him in and checked the owner¡¯s pulse.

    ¡°He is dead,¡± she gritted.

    ¡°But how¡­WHO DID THIS?!¡±

    J noticed that the owner¡¯s pocket was turned inside out.

    Looked like the murderer emptied the owner¡¯s pocket after the job.

    ¡­That guard that she walked past by in the staircase! He got a blood smell on his body!

    ¡°The guard!¡±

    J grabbed Clemente¡¯s hand and cried, ¡°He probably took the owner¡¯s phone! There must be

    evidence on his phone! We must stop him before he destroys all evidence!!!

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242

    Clemente and J came dashing out of the prison and bumped right into the leader.

    ¡°Are you done talking to that prisoner? Did you get the location of that bomb?¡± the leader asked

    eagerly.

    ¡°That prisoner was dead! murdered!¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± the leader cried in panic, ¡°Impossible! This prison was heavily guarded! Permit and

    paperwork are mandatory at the entrance-¡±

    J grabbed his shoulder urgently, ¡°A prison guard came out about a minute ago. Where did he

    go?¡±

    The leader pointed a shaky hand in a certain direction, ¡°He went that way. But I checked his permit.

    He is clean-¡±

    ¡°Forget your stupid permit! This system doesn¡¯t work!¡±

    Clemente rushed forward urgently and shifted into a Lycan. J was at his heels, shifting into her

    wolf as well.

    They followed the direction that the leader pointed to them and rushed outside of the castle,

    dashing down the mountain road.

    ¡°There is a bloody smell forward!¡± Clemente cried.

    ¡°That is him. Keep going!¡±

    The full moon hung low in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the rugged mountain

    landscape.

    Their fur fluttered in the gushing wind as they picked up the speed.

    In the near distance, they could already see the killer.

    He was desperate and panting, stumbled over the uneven ground, the rhythmic thud.

    of his footsteps echoing through the night.

    They pressed on, closing upon the suspect.

    Looming ahead of them was the edge of the mountain. A sheer cliff dropped into a dark abyss

    below.

    As the three of them approached the edge, the killer realized he had reached a dead

    end.

    He skidded to a halt, turning to face Clemente and J with fear in his eyes.

    ¡°Hand over the stuff that you took from his pocket,¡± Clemente took a step forward and hissed.

    There was a twisted grin on the killer¡¯s face as he out a phone, ¡°You mean this?¡±

    ¡°Who hired you to do this job!¡± J snapped, ¡°Give us a name and turn over the phone! We

    might-¡±

    ¡°You what? Spare my life? I don¡¯t think you will do that,¡± the killer snorted.

    ¡°No. We will make sure that you die without suffering,¡± Clemente bared his fangs, which gleamed

    coldly in the silver moonlight. ¡°But I can see that you are looking for a fight!¡±

    A loud growl rumbled from his throat as he lunged forward!

    The killer shifted as well.

    The two Lycans met head on. A brutal fight has begun!

    J circled them, her eyes glued to the phone in the killer¡¯s hand.

    She could tell that Clemente was way stronger than the killer and she was not worried that he might

    lose.

    The only problem was whether they could secure that phone, which may contain all the evidence.

    With a powerful strike, Clemente knocked the killer down and pinned him to the ground.

    ¡°Who sent you!¡± he roared to the killer¡¯s face, ¡°Was it Agnes? Just give us a name!¡± The killer

    cackled with blood streaming down from the corner of his mouth, ¡°And you¡­you will never know¡­¡±

    He flung his arm and hurled the phone off the cliff!

    ¡°NO-¡± Clemente snarled.

    J dashed forward and leaped off the precipice, diving into the abyss.

    reyes

    The wind rushed past J as she rolled down the mountain, her eyes fixed on the glinting

    evidence that tumbled through the air.

    With a swift and calcted maneuver, she caught the object in her jaws just before it

    disappeared into the darkness below.

    The evidence was secured! She clutched it firmly between her teeth.

    Now she was clung to the cliff with her four paws scrabbled against the rocky surface.

    She tried to climb.

    But as soon as she moved her legs, she slid with small rocks tumbling down and falling right into

    the abyss.

    The drop was too steep!

    ¡°JANET-¡±

    Clemente¡¯s voice came from above her head.

    He had lunged to the edge, extending his upper body over the precipice.

    ¡°Give me your hand!¡± he cried.

    ¡°HOW?!¡± J cried back. Her four paws were all nailed to the cliff to stop her from falling.

    ¡°Oh right¡­Wait for me!¡±

    He descended down the cliff himself. Lycan¡¯s four legs were built for climbing and moving

    effortlessly along the rocky surface.

    With a determined grip, he seized J by the scruff of her neck and pulled her back. onto the solid

    ground.

    J shifted back to human and gasped for breath. The phone was securely in her hand.

    ¡°T¨CThank you,¡± she breathed very fast.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Clemente waved his hand.

    J looked at the killer. Hey by the edge of the cliff, his body cold and stiff.

    He was dead.

    ¡°He killed himself,¡± Clemente said with a frown. ¡°Mercenaries like himmit suicide after a failed

    job so that no one can get the name of their hirer out of mouth¡­ Now we will never know who hired

    him.¡±

    ¡°It must be Agnes. And she helped him take care of the permits needed for the prison. And don¡¯t

    worry. We have the phone now.¡±

    ¡®Hurry and see what is in his phone!¡±

    J turned on the phone and browsed his call lists, his inbox, his online shopping records¡­But

    she found nothing suspicious.

    ¡°This app!¡± Clemente pointed at the screen and gasped, ¡°I have heard of it before¡­.It is used for

    shopping on the deep web. You can get anything you want in there.¡±

    J opened that app immediately.

    In there, she found chats between the restaurant owner and an anonymous seller. The seller sold

    the owner a strong poison that was designed to kill Lycans and made the death look like allergies.

    This seller even also asked the owner tobel the poisoned food so that it wouldn¡¯t get mixed up

    with the others.

    The owner showed much gratitude.

    He shared his entire n with this seller, along with many other things, like he was going to use this

    poison on his obnoxious wife, mix the poison in her favorite food, and pair it with a bottle of good

    wine¡­..

    Now J could finally piece the whole thing back together.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Agnes wanted to kill Keavy to free herself from their mate bond.

    But she couldn¡¯t do it herself.

    So she carefully chose a guy, the owner of Keavy¡¯s favorite restaurant, who was also looking for a

    way to kill his own wife.

    The perfect scapegoat.

    She sold the poison to the owner through the Deep Web and learned the date and time the owner

    nned to do this.

    She told Keavy and Clemente that she would be at her parents, creating an alibi for herself, and

    waited on the owner¡¯s delivery route to stage a car ident.

    The owner ran to the nearby convenience store to get her an ice bag. She took this chance and

    swapped thebel.

    This way, thebeled poisoned food would end up in Keavy¡¯s hand, whereas the clean takeout

    would go to the owner¡¯s wife.

    When all the works were done, she left the car ident scene quietly and waited for Clemente to

    come back from his duty and discover his brother¡¯s body.

    What a ruthless, perfect crime.

    Keavy¡¯s death would look like an allergy.

    Even if the police began a thorough investigation, they would never trace things back to her.

    Because the owner did put poison in the food.

    Even the owner himself was convinced that it was him who killed Keavy by ident.

    And she got to live her perfect life under the protection of Elder Lamonte, guilting Clemente into

    doing all kinds of dirty work for her.

    Nobody would suspect a thing.

    If J hadn¡¯te to the Lycan¡¯s Kingdom and vowed to take vengeance on her, the truth of

    Keavy¡¯s death would have been hidden in darkness. Forever.

    ¡°That¡­That cruel bitch¡­¡± Clemente gritted with hatred.

    J raised her head and looked at him, ¡°The Deep Web protects all user¡¯s identities. So can we

    prove that the seller is Agnes?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have a friend at the tech center who specializes in these things. I will send the phone

    immediately for decoding!¡±

    J stood up and dusted her clothes.

    An icy smile was on her lips.

    ¡°And then¡­¡± she chuckled coldly, ¡°we have a party to attend to.¡±

    <hr>The Dining Hall was packed with people.

    All elders were sat at their designed long tables.

    Westin was in his chair on the raised tform facing the 3 long tables. The Queen¡¯s seat by his side

    was empty.

    Cold cuts, appetizers, and aperitifs had been served already.

    Yet the spotlight of this party still hadn¡¯t shown up.

    Westin turned to the servant for the fifth time and said, ¡°Call the Queen. See where she is at.¡®

    ¡°We already called her Her phone went strainh the voicemail

    ¡°We already called her¡­.Her phone went straight to the voicemail¡­¡±

    Westin¡¯s face darkened.

    He stared at the servants and said in a freezing voice, ¡°Gather the guards and find her. Otherwise¡­

    you know the consequence.¡±

    His cold words sent a shiver down the servant¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Y¨CYes¡­My king¡­¡± the servant stuttered.

    Just then, the double door flung open.

    Everyone jerked around to look at the entrance.

    J strode inside with Clemente behind her back.

    Their clothes were ragged and covered in dust.

    ¡°¡­ What the hell happened!¡± someone in the crowd gasped.

    Westin stood up abruptly. He hurried down the tform and walked up to J.

    ¡°Did you go hunting at this hour? You should take me with you,¡± he said with a doting smile.

    Then he leaned in and whispered in a voice only audible to the two of them and it was very cold, ¡°¡­

    I know you left the castle without my permission. Again, Exin what happened or you will be in

    very huge trouble.¡±

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243

    J raised a brow and stared back at him defiantly, ¡°Huge trouble? Like what? Are you going to

    lock me in your study again?¡±

    Westin grinned, shing his white teeth, ¡°That is a very good idea. And this time. when you beg me

    to stop¡­.I won¡¯t stop.¡±

    J gave a huge heave and forced out a cold smile as well, ¡°Rx. I won¡¯t escape. your side

    again. Nevertheless¡­you ARE the father of my child.¡±

    Now it was Westin¡¯s turn to darken his face.

    They red at each other with only an inch of gap between their faces. The others would probably

    think that they were intimate. But only the two of them could see the

    cold gleam in each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Queen J, why are you still standing there?¡±

    Elder Lamonte stood up from the House of Shadow¡¯s table and raised his ss,

    ¡°Please take your seat. Let us toast to you!¡±

    ¡°Hear! Hear!¡± a lot of elders echoed with him, ¡°Let us toast to the hero who found. out the truth of

    this conspiracy!¡±

    Agnes was sitting by the table as well, holding her head down.

    Many elders had stood up. But only she remained sitting, hiding her face in the shadow.

    ¡°Not so fast, Elder Lamonte.¡± J said with a cold smile, ¡°There is still one more business to be

    tackled before we start celebrating.¡±

    She gave a nod to Clemente, who bore down upon Agnes and grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°You! OUT!¡±

    He snarled and yanked Agnes up from her seat.

    A round of gasps could be heard in the room.

    ¡°What is going on here!¡± cried an elder in shock.

    A tiny figure rushed at him and sped his leg, taking a bite at his leg.

    It was Agnes¡¯s son, Bryan.

    ¡°Let go of my mom!¡± the child shrieked.

    Clemente grabbed the child by his cor and shoved him at a servant.

    ¡°Take Master Bryan to another room!¡± he ordered.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Then he dragged Agnes to the center of the hall and tossed her on the ground.

    Agnes remained quiet during this whole time. Her face was aplete nk. Nobody could guess

    what she was thinking right now.

    ¡°Clemente!¡± Elder Lamonte snarled, ¡°Are you fucking crazy?!¡±

    Clemente jerked around to his father, his eyes wide with rage, ¡°No¡­I am not crazy, father. It is you

    who was blinded by this bitch¡¯s lie!!! We all were!¡±

    ¡°What the fuck¨CThat is Agnes! Keavy¡¯s mate! Your sister¨Cinw¡­¡±

    ¡°And SHE KILLED KEAVY!¡± Clemente cried at the top of his lungs.

    His roar echoed in the room, bringing the entire hall into a deathly silence.

    Shock, perplex, and doubt¡­flitted across people¡¯s faces as they stared at Clemente as though he

    was insane.

    Elder Lamonte¡¯s jaw dropped.

    Augh of disbelief escaped his mouth as he gasped, ¡°Clemente¡­for Moon. Goddess¡¯s sake

    Clemente! Did you bump your head somewhere? Andpletely lost your fucking mind?! The

    restaurant owner killed him by mistake! You told us yourself-¡±

    ¡°That is what Agnes wants us to believe!¡± Clemente said with tears in his eyes. we are all fooled¡­

    BY HER!

    ¡°But

    He pointed a shaky finger at Agnes.

    Agnes still hadn¡¯t said anything.

    She sank to the floor with her eyes gazing into the distance as though she had lost her entire soul.

    ¡°Where did all thesee from?¡± Westin asked, a tight furrow between his brows. ¡°We haven¡¯t

    found the guy responsible for Elder Randy¡¯s poison case yet. What makes you believe that/Agnes

    did it?¡±

    ¡°We have proof!¡±

    Clemente stepped up and pulled out his phone from his pocket.

    He had saved all the evidence on his phone so that he could present it to people.

    ¡°The red eyeballs¡­Elder Randy¡¯s symptom matches with Keavy¡¯s, which is why we started

    reinvestigating Keavy¡¯s case-

    ¡°We?¡± Westin interrupted him.

    ¡°Queen J and 1.¡± Clemente¡¯s eyes fell on J, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done these. without here.¡±

    Westin followed Clemente¡¯s gaze and looked at J. Different from Clemente¡¯s, his eyes were

    very cold.

    J let out a snort internally..

    Westin was probably pissed that she went on digging the ancient history behind his back.

    But what could he do?

    She had done it already.

    She ignored Westin¡¯s cold gaze and added, ¡°So we started looking into Keavy¡¯s case and noticed

    the restaurant owner¡¯s crime. That part you already knew¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, we did! So why are we still talking about it?¡± Elder Lamonte snapped.

    ¡°Because we found Agnes¡¯s involvement. Clemente, can you show them the phone record and the

    surveince footage?¡±

    Clemente did what she asked. And J exined her theory.

    After seeing this evidence, many people¡¯s faces changed.

    They started casting skeptical looks upon Agnes.

    Yet Elder Lamonte still stood firmly by Agnes¡¯s side, a tough look on his face. ¡°That proves nothing!¡±

    he snarled, ¡°Agnes was hit by the owner¡¯s car, but can you prove that she swapped thebels? No.

    Agnes called the patrol center, but did she do it to divert Clemente? I don¡¯t think so. She was

    probably asking for help on behalf of a friend-¡±

    ¡°FATHER!¡± Clemente cried with bloodshot eyes, ¡°How did she get into your head?! The truth is

    laying inly in front of your eyes-¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± his father roared back at him, ¡°This is Agnes for Christ¡¯s sake. She loves. your brother!

    She raised his only child! She is like my own daughter! No¡­No! Everything you showed us is

    shaky! I won¡¯t buy it¡­¡±

    J looked at him from the side with calm eyes.

    People didn¡¯t like to admit to their own blindness. She got it.

    Which was why they needed something strong to convince Elder Lamonte.

    Just then, a servant came rushing into the dining hall and handed a file to Clemente.

    Clemente opened the file.

    His eyes were lit with excitement.

    ¡°We found the hard proof!¡± he cried, ¡°Agnes sold the poison to the restaurant owner! And we have

    all the chat records between her and the owner! She even hired a mercenary to kill the owner

    tonight. The owner¡¯s body is still lying in the prison cell at this very moment¡­.Agnes! Are you still

    going to deny all these?!¡±

    All eyes were on Agnes right now.

    Elder Lamonte¡¯s lips trembled his expression aplete shock.

    ¡°A¨CAgnes¡­darling¡­.Aren¡¯t you going to say something?¡± he shook Agnes¡¯s shoulder, ¡°They got

    things wrong, didn¡¯t they? Tell them that¡­Hurry¡­¡±

    Agnes¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    She startedughing. Gradually, herughter grew louder and louder. It became hysterical.

    ¡°What are youughing at? Tell them that they were wrong!¡± Elder Lamonte snapped.

    Agnes¡¯s body shook withughter. She stared at J. His lips were twisted by an evil grin.

    ¡°I¡­I already sensed that I was losing¡­When Westin brought this skank back to our Kingdom¡­¡±

    she giggled. ¡°This skank¡­she ruined everything¡­¡±

    Westin balled his fists and gritted, ¡°Agnes-

    ¡°Oh, Westin¡­.the things I have done for you¡­like you wouldn¡¯t believe it¡­¡±

    Agnesughed so hard that she had to gasp for breath, ¡°But why do you have to love.

    this cold skank? Does she even love

    you back? But I do, Westin! I DO!!! I love you fiercely! I am willing to destroy the whole world just to

    be with you-¡±

    Elder Lamonte grabbed her cor and yanked her to his face.

    ¡°You love the King?! Then what about my son?!¡± he snarled shakily, ¡°MY SON! He gave you his

    heart and soul and an adorable child-¡±

    ¡°He is the reason why I can¡¯t be with Westin!¡± Agnes shrieked, grinning savagely. ¡°Why did the

    Moon Goddess assign me to him? He was so soft and weak! He was not half as attractive as

    Westin! I wanted him dead the day we mated!

    ¡°My brother is the noblest man I know!¡± Clemente cried.

    ¡°Noble my ass. Keavy was a puss,¡± Agnes snorted. ¡°So. If you need to me anyone, me

    Westin. He is the reason why I killed Keavy.¡±

    Westin gave a shudder.

    J looked at him and found that his gorgeous eyes were filled with pain and

    sorrow.

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244

    J touched his hand, which was cold and mmy, and it sent a shiver down her body.

    ¡°Get it together, Westin,¡± she whispered into his ears.

    He took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded, ¡°Yeah I know¡­Thanks.¡±

    J turned to look at Agnes and sneered, ¡°me Westin? You have got to be fucking kidding me.

    Is this how you guilted Clemente over the years? Nobody will be med tonight, except you. Get

    ready to be punished!¡±

    Agnes¡¯s face twisted with rage, ¡°Shut up! You have no right to talk to me like

    what she has to say!¡±

    Agnes trembled, her eyes filled with tears, ¡°Westin! I did all of these for you! Can you find a single

    person on this who loves you as much as I do? We grew up together. We are meant to be

    together! The Moon Goddess must have got it right¡­Let¡¯s fix her mistake now¡­¡±

    Westin gave her a look of deep disgust.

    ¡°Your love disgusts me.¡± he hissed, ¡°I would have rejected you on the spot if the Moon Goddess

    assigned you to me.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Agnes cried, ¡°No you are lying¡­You just need time to process this¡­You wille around

    eventually-¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, time is what you don¡¯t have,¡± J said icily. ¡°You will be sentenced and start paying

    for your own sin.¡±

    Agnes gritted, ¡°You¨CYou shameless ugly lowborn-¡±

    ¡°Oh, and you talked about how you hated Keavy so much. But why did you stay married to him for

    years? Why didn¡¯t you ask him to reject your mate bond? And why did you give birth to his son?¡±

    Agnes flinched, ¡°It¡­It is none of your business¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me guess. Because you can¡¯t give up on the extravagant life and noble status that he gave

    you,¡± J said with a taunting smile. ¡°You enjoy being called ady. You love hanging out with the

    elder¡¯s daughters and pretend that you are a highborn

    yourself. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you fake it, none of this is real.

    ¡°Shut up! SHUT UP!¡±

    Agnes roared, her beautiful face smudged by tears, ¡°I AM ady! A member of the House of

    Shadow! All the girls look up to me-¡±

    ¡°Not anymore!¡±

    Elder Lamonte snapped and turned to Westin with a stern face, ¡°House of Shadow officially waives

    our protection of her! I ask for the King¡¯s permission to expel her from our house-¡±

    ¡°Your permission is granted,¡± Westin said icily.

    Agnes copsed on the floor. Her face carried a zed expression of shock.

    ¡°No¡­No¡­my title¡­¡± she murmured.

    ¡°Your title is stripped away! You are amoner now!¡± Clemente snapped.

    ¡°No¡­You can¡¯t do this¡­I will die ady¡­¡±

    Just then, a cry came from behind their backs and a small figure came dashing into the crowd.

    Bryan rushed to her mother¡¯s side and stood firmly in front of her, keeping her behind his small

    body.

    ¡°You bad guys!¡± he shrieked, ¡°Stay away from my mom!¡±

    Agnes pulled him close and wailed to his shoulder, ¡°My son¡­ My poor son¡­Do you know what

    they are doing to your mother?¡±

    Bryan hid in her arms and kept a wary eye on everyone around them.

    ¡°Bryan!¡± Clemente called his niece¡¯s name and took a step forward, ¡°Come over to me. Don¡¯t listen

    to what she said-¡±

    ¡°You swore to protect my mom! But you are hurting her! You big old liar! You all are!!!¡± the 5¨Cyear¨C

    old¡¯s cry echoed in the room.

    Clemente froze on his spot.

    How could he exin to his niece that his own mother killed his father?

    No¡­.it was too cruel.

    J looked to Westin and lowered her voice, ¡°We can¡¯t let this go on. You need to make a

    decision quickly.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, you are right.¡±

    Westin inhaled deeply and looked down at Agnes coldly, ¡°Hand over the poison¡¯s cure now. You

    have killed Keavy already. Don¡¯t make Elder Randy your second mistake.¡±

    Agnes gritted, ¡°No¡­ You will never get that cure¡­Never¡­¡®

    ¡°Then I am striping the title of your son as well,¡± Westin said cruelly. ¡°Think about it. When you die,

    your son will be amoner living on the street, with no title, no family, and nobody to protect

    him-¡±

    ¡°NO!!¡± Agnes shrieked, tightening her arms around her child.

    ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± the child burst into tears, ¡°You can¡¯t let them do that! I don¡¯t want to live on the

    street!¡±

    Westin¡¯s eyes gleamed coldly, ¡°It is your choice to make.¡±

    Agnes cried, devastated. Her tears drenched Bryan¡¯s jacket.

    After a long pause, she whispered in a broken voice, ¡°The cure¡­is in my

    room¡­bottom drawer of my dresser¡­¡±

    Clemente let out a sigh of relief and hurried to get the cure and save Elder Randy.

    Westin waved his hand, ¡°Take Master Bryan away.¡±

    Two soldiers closed up upon the mother and son and snatched Bryan from Agnes¡¯s

    arms.

    ¡°My son-¡°Agnes screamed.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Mom!!¡± Bryan cried, kicking his tiny legs and starching the soldier¡¯s face. ¡°I hate you! I hate all of

    you! I will kill you one day! Go to hell! All of you¡ª¡±

    His voice disappeared into the distance.

    Agnes sank to the floor. She looked as though she just lost her soul.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait for the trail. I am making my decision about her right now, Westin said in a

    freezing voice, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. ¡°I think we can all agree that a simple

    death would be too easy for her.¡±

    All the elders nodded in unison.

    ¡°The water dungeon.¡±

    Westin said with cruelty gleaming in his eyes, ¡°She will spend the rest of her life in the water

    dungeon, at the bottom level of this castle. She will be soaked in ice¨Ccold water and be beaten by

    snakes and mice every single day. Let this endless torment be her punishment.¡±

    ¡°Agreed!¡± everyone cried.

    The soldier yanked Agnes up, chained her, and shoved her out of the room.

    J watched her out of sight.

    The Lycan¡¯s punishment was even harsher than she thought. Compared to living in endless

    torment, maybe a clean death could be more merciful.

    But she didn¡¯t feel sorry for Agnes.

    Agnes deserved this..

    And if she didn¡¯t take down her enemy, she would be the one who suffered.

    ¡°You are all dismissed,¡± Westin said in an exhausted voice. ¡°I need a moment with my Queen.¡±

    The elders bowed to them in silence and filed out of the room.

    The hall was vacant soon.

    J thought Westin was going to me her for acting solo. She was ready for his scold.

    Yet the next second, she was pulled into a pair of strong arms.

    ¡°Westin!¡± she was startled.

    ¡°Stay¡­¡± he murmured hoarsely, his voice shaking. ¡°I am not doing anything¡­Just¡­ let me hold

    you for a bit longer¡­Please¡­¡±

    She stopped struggling and stood there still. She could feel his quickened heart rate at this

    proximity.

    ¡°What should I do¡­¡± he sighed by her ears.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I think I just love you even better, which I didn¡¯t think was possible¡­ J, what should I do with

    this love?¡±

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245

    Love?

    J let out a cold sneer internally.

    What Westin said about love was ridiculous.

    He didn¡¯t love her. He was just possessive of her. And there was a difference between

    the two.

    Westin buried his head down to her neck and murmured hoarsely, ¡°Please tell me

    J What should I do i

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t poison anyone,¡± she said dryly.

    Westin was stunned for a short moment and then he burst outughing.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t promise that.¡±

    He picked up a lock of her hair and wrapped it around his index finger, ying with

    1. it.

    ¡°There is a certain person that I really want dead,¡± he said with a cold smile. Daran.

    Her heart ached at the thought of him.

    She wondered what he was doing right now and whether he had already left the mountains

    already.

    ¡°I am beginning to understand Agnes,¡± Westin let out a sigh. ¡°Jealousy¡­it can make people do

    crazy things.¡±

    J snapped her head up and looked straight into his eyes, ¡°Do not touch him. And don¡¯t you dare

    hurt my people!¡±

    ¡°You are the Queen of Lycans now. Lycans are your people,¡± he reminded her coolly. She ignored

    his warning and repeated, ¡°Don¡¯t touch them. Give me your word now!¡± His eyes became even

    colder, ¡°It makes me mad seeing how much you still care for him-¡±

    ¡°Westin!¡±

    He twisted his lips into a faint, taunting smile, ¡°But I won¡¯t let that bother me. You are going to be

    mine soon. My mate, my queen, my wife, and the mother of my child. This fight between me and

    Daran¡­I am the ultimate winner.¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to respond to that at all, ¡°Are you done here?¡±

    ¡°The mating ceremony is two weeks from now. I have a couple of party nners. working on it. And

    our best tailors are making your wedding gown. Do you have any special requirements?¡±

    ¡°No. Whatever you like,¡± she said exhaustedly.

    He sighed, ¡°You can¡¯t even be bothered to pretend to be interested in our wedding.¡± He was right.

    She was not interested.

    She just wanted to get this drama over with.

    ¡°J¡­¡± he murmured her name in a husky voice. ¡°Will there be a day when you respond to my

    feelings? Or will that day nevere?¡±

    ¡°You can wait and see.¡±

    With that said, she detached herself from his arms and curtseyed to him.

    Avoiding his intense gaze on purpose, she turned on her heels and marched out of the dining hall.

    That day would nevere.

    She added internally.

    Because she was a very vindictive person, and she would never forgive Westin for abducting her

    and taking her away from her loved ones.

    The only person she had ever forgiven was Daran.

    She wouldn¡¯t give anyone else a second chance, not even Westin.

    <hr>The entire Lycan¡¯s Kingdom became very hectic during the next 2 weeks.

    Maids and servants were busy cleaning the castle, arranging guest rooms for theing guests,

    and getting the venue ready for the mating ceremony.

    The venue was located at the summit of the mountain.

    Since they were having a sunset wedding, the entire venue would be bathed in morous sunset

    glows with the view of the distant snow¨Ccovered peaks, forest, and the entire basin.

    Belle went to check out the venue and reported back to J, saying that it was the most beautiful

    wedding venue she had ever seen.

    She was excited and giggling like a high school girl.

    Yet J couldn¡¯t share her excitement.

    She was down in the dumps.

    The more effort Westin put into this, the more often she was reminded how unwilling she was to

    marry him.

    So she hid in her room, refused to talk to any maids or party nners, counting the days till the

    ceremony.

    3 days before the big event, J was dragged out of her room by Belle to do a fitting of her

    wedding gown.

    ¡°Can you try to be more involved in this?¡± Belle said in aining tone. ¡°You are acting as

    though it was somebody else¡¯s wedding and not yours! Even Westin was more devoted than you. I

    once caught him in his study after midnight, picking tablecloths for the dinner party after the

    ceremony¡­Do you know what tablecloth you are going to have for your party?¡±

    ¡°Satin?¡± J guessed absentmindedly.

    ¡°No!¡± Belle cried, looking infuriated. ¡°Lien! You are having a lien tablecloth? Why would you guess

    satin? Satin does not go with the outdoor setting!¡±

    J let out a sigh, ¡°Sorry. Lien is great. I like lien.¡±

    Belle looked very disappointed, ¡°You don¡¯t even have a preference. But at today¡¯s fitting, I want you

    to give me your undivided attention! You have to give at least 5¨Cno¨C6 ideas of how we adjust your

    gown!¡±

    J sighed.

    ¡­It was going to be a long day.¡±

    They arrived at the fitting room and the maids opened the door for them.

    Everyone in the room stood up and curtseyed to them upon their arrival.

    ¡°Queen J,¡± they said in unison.

    J¡¯s eyes flickered to a girl in the back of the crowd.

    Annie.

    She hadn¡¯t seen her since Annie lied about that beer on the day of the Spring Ball.

    And not just Annie, Kalinda, Issa, and all the girls from Agnes¡¯s former gang were

    here.

    ¡°What are they doing here?¡± J turned to Belle with a frown, ¡°I thought this is just a simple

    fitting.¡±

    Belle rubbed her nose, looking embarrassed, ¡°They are your bridesmaids. I thought you should at

    least meet with them before the ceremony¡­Please don¡¯t be mad!¡±

    J turned back to the crowd.

    ¡°You can all leave,¡± she said nonchntly. ¡°I don¡¯t need any bridesmaids.¡±

    The girls exchanged awkward looks with each other.

    Kalinda shifted her body, looking nervous.

    ¡°It is not up to you,¡± Issa from the House of Dark said in an icy voice. ¡°The Queen¡¯s bridesmaids are

    the most prestigiousdies from the 3 houses. It is part of our tradition.¡±

    J narrowed her eyes, ¡°Your King is marrying a werewolf Queen. So I say that we can kiss

    tradition goodbye.¡±

    Issa looked indignant. The rest of the girls kept their mouths shut.

    There was a moment of awkward silence.

    Just then, a cry broke out in the room.

    ¨C

    Annie pushed through the crowd and threw herself at J¡¯s feet, sobbing loudly, ¡°My My Queen¡­I

    know that you don¡¯t want us as your bridesmaids because I lied¡­I betrayed you once¡­

    J gave a long sigh, ¡°It really has nothing to do with you.¡±

    Yet Annie kept on wailing, ¡°But I didn¡¯t mean it! A¨CAgnes forced me to! She nted

    that maid at the Spring Ball¡¯s entrance and told me to lie about it¡­I didn¡¯t have a choice¡­¡±

    ¡°Me neither!¡± Kalinda added hastily, ¡°We are all¡­fooled by Agnes! Who would have known that she

    was a mate killer? Queen J, please forgive us!¡±

    J frowned again.

    She really didn¡¯t care what these girls think of her.

    They liked her? Great.

    They didn¡¯t like her? She was fine with that too.

    Her biggest enemy was Agnes and Agnes was gone now. Her former gang didn¡¯t pose any threats

    anymore.

    J wanted to tell Annie to rise.

    Yet Issa let out a loud snort before she could say anything.

    ¡­What a bunch of weak puss!¡± she snapped.

    The girls gasped at her foul choice ofnguage.

    Belle clenched her fists, her face red with anger, ¡°What did you just say?!¡±

    ¡°I said¨CWEAK PUSS.¡±

    Issa crossed her arms and twisted her lips, ¡°It is sad enough that our King has to marry a lowborn

    werewolf, and now you are bending your back to her? Agnes might be a killer, but at least she has a

    spine.¡±

    ¡°You¡ªYou are an egomaniac!¡± Belle cried, ¡°If you have such a huge problem with this, why bother

    showing up today?¡±

    Issa rolled her eyes, ¡°Please. If my House hadn¡¯t made me, I would never have.e.¡±

    Belle stomped the floor angrily, running out of cursing words to say, ¡°You¨CYou-¡± ¡°Get out of this

    room,¡± J said icily.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Issa rounded her eyes, stuttering, ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±

    ?????

    ¡°Oh, was mynguage too elegant for you to understand?¡± J raised an eyebrow, ¡°Or should I

    say¡­Fuck off?¡±

    Issa¡¯s cheeks seemed to be on fire.

    ¡°You can¡¯t ask me to leave! I represent the House of Dark-¡± she cried.

    ¡°Then the House of Dark can have a word with me. But right now, I want you out of my sight,¡± J

    chuckled lightly.

    She had no interest in ying these silly girls¡® mind games.

    Her time was too valuable to be wasted on Issa.

    Right at this very moment, the door to the fitting room was wrenched up and a freezing voice came

    from her back:

    ¡°-Who wants my daughter gone?¡±

    ¡°MOM!¡± Issa gasped.

    J turned around and was face¨Cto¨Cface with a tall, middle¨Caged woman..

    She stood at an imposing height. Sharp hazel eyes, high cheekbones, and a firm jawline.

    Silver streaks thread through her once chestnut hair, pulled into a severe bun, underscoring her no¨C

    nonsense demeanor.

    The woman nced around the room and let out a cold chuckle, ¡°Onedy knelt on the floor and

    anotherdy insulted¡­Queen J, aren¡¯t you nice to your subjects or what?¡±

    J narrowed her eyes¡­.Who the hell was she?

    Belle leaned in and whispered into her ears, ¡°That is Elder Medline, from the House of Dark, Issa¡¯s

    mom¡­and-¡±

    She paused, and then added in an awe¨Cstricken voice, ¡°-Westin¡¯s godmother.¡±

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246

    J held her breath involuntarily.

    Westin didn¡¯t mention that he had a godmother.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    And she didn¡¯t remember seeing Elder Medline on any asion before. It almost felt.

    as though Elder Medline had been deliberately avoiding her.

    Elder Medline cast a warning look upon J and turned to Annie, ¡°Rise on your

    feet, Lady Annie. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why drop your knees to a werewolf?¡±

    Annie shivered, ¡°B¨CBut¡­¡±

    ¡°Please stand up, Annie. I didn¡¯t me you,¡± J said.

    Annie mobbed her cheek with the back of her hand and slowly stood up.

    ¡°Now, Queen J.¡± Elder Medline looked at J with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Can my daughter stay?

    Or do you want both of us out of this room?¡±

    ¡°Lady Issa can leave if she doesn¡¯t want to be my bridesmaid. I won¡¯t force her to stay. And the

    same goes for you, Elder Medline,¡± J said coldly.

    Elder Medline sneered, ¡°It is not about what Issa wants or what I want. It is what the

    King wants. The King shoved a werewolf queen down our throat despite the House of Dark¡¯s

    resistance¡­so what can we do now? We can only obey.¡±

    J clicked her tongue impatiently, ¡°Then let us forego the bridesmaid tradition.¡±

    ¡°Forgoing the tradition?¡± Elder Medline let out another sneer, ¡°Oh, no, no, no. I am letting a

    werewolf queen change our precious tradition on the first day she is crowned. The tradition remains

    the same.¡±

    ¡­There was no way to please this woman!

    J was losing her patience.

    Yet before she could cool down her attitude and teach this woman a lesson, Elder Medline¡¯s eyes

    flickered to her belly and snorted:

    ¡°You probably want to ask me to fuck off as well. But don¡¯t forget that I am the King¡¯s godmother. Do

    you really want to be my enemy? And you are pregnant with the heir now¡­Do you really want your

    child to lose all support from the House of Dark?¡±

    A chill was sent down J¡¯s spine.

    Right.

    She was not alone anymore.

    She had a child now.

    Brow un in

    Like it or not, her child would the Lycan¡¯s Kingdom. She had to n for her child¡¯s future.

    She met Elder Medline¡¯s gaze.

    As though knowing that J would back down, Elder Medline let out an icy chuckle:

    ¡°This is the part where you apologize.¡±

    There was a moment of silence in the room.

    All the girls looked at J, nervously. Belle bit her lips with a face of sympathy.

    J took in a deep breath and said in a calming voice, ¡°My apology, Elder Medline. Both you and

    your daughter are wee to stay. And I would love to have Lady Issa as my bridesmaid.¡±

    An arrogant smile spread across Elder Medline¡¯s face, ¡°Good. Now go change into your wedding

    gown. The girls are all very excited to see you in white.¡±

    The way she gave that order was like J was her own puppet or doll.

    Yet J didn¡¯t say anything in return.

    Elder Medline was right about one thing¨Cshe didn¡¯t need any more enemies.

    The father of her child was not Westin.

    That terrible secret was like a ticking bomb ready to go off at any second.

    Her child was already in danger before it was born.

    She couldn¡¯t create more enemies¡­Better keep a low profile from now on.

    Therefore, J simply turned on her heels and went into the changing room, with maids and

    tailors right behind her.

    Her gown was crafted from shiny ivory satin that cascaded in a gentle, flowing silhouette.

    It has pretty lily flowers embroidered all over. Each delicate bloom seemed to dance along the

    fabric.

    The top part is strapless with a sweetheart neckline, and it fits nicely around the waist. The skirt is

    wide and flowing, creating a lovely train behind the bride.

    When J finished dressing and stepped out of the room, astonished gasps were sent around the

    room.

    ¡°Oh my god¨CJ!¡± Belle covered her mouth with both hands and cried, ¡°You¨CYou look stunning!¡±

    Annie and Kalinda¡¯s eyes gleamed with joyful tears.

    Issa didn¡¯t say anything. Yet her face carried a mixed expression of astonishment and jealousy.

    Elder Medline was the only person who remained sitting.

    She crossed her arms and looked at J with a critical eye.

    ¡°What is with the waistline?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fit. And it makes your waist look like a bucket,¡± she said with a tone of asperity. ¡°The

    tailors should close up the waistline. Or you should wear a girdling.¡±

    The tailors flinched in fear.

    J waved her hand gesturing to the tailors to rx and said to Elder Medline, ¡°I asked them to

    loosen the waistline. I am pregnant now. A tight waist makes it hard to breathe.¡±

    Elder Medline curled her lip at J contemptuously, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that a pregnant woman is this

    delicate. The ceremony is only half an hour. I am sure that you can

    woman is this delicate. The ceremony is only half an hour. I am sure that you can survive that half

    an hour without passing out.¡±

    She looked to the tailors and ordered, ¡°Give her a girdling.¡±

    This woman was unbelievable!

    J felt her temper rising again, ¡°No need. I won¡¯t be wearing girdling.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you will. It is embarrassing enough that our King is marrying a lowborn werewolf, and the

    guests are going to see your man¡¯s waist? Uneptable. Get that girdling. NOW!¡±

    J wanted to punch that woman in the face.

    Just then, a knock came on the door, and somebody said behind the door, ¡°Mind if Ie in?¡±

    It was Westin¡¯s voice.

    What was he doing here?

    Belle jumped up abruptly and hurried to block the entrance, ¡°NO NO NO! You can¡¯te in! It is

    bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding-¡±

    Yet Westin had already pushed the door open and stepped in.

    ¡°Westin!¡± Belle cried in fume.

    Westinpletely ignored his little sister.

    His eyes were glued to J with astonishment and passion glittering in them. ¡°Christ.¡± He

    murmured, holding his breath, ¡°You look¡­it is beyond words.¡±

    J smiled, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Westin! Bad luck!¡± Belle shook her brother¡¯s shoulder violently, ¡°Get out!¡±

    Westin contained her with one hand and chuckled, ¡°We have enough love to conquer

    a little bad luck¡­Oh and Medline, I see that you have met J?¡±

    ¡°With pleasure,¡± said Elder Medline in a distant voice.

    ¡°Great. Now I called a meeting of all elders. The others are already in the Elder¡¯s Council. Can you

    head down there first? I will catch up with youter.¡±

    Elder Medline nodded and stood up from her seat.

    ¡°Remember the girdling,¡± she told J that before leaving the room.

    J rolled her eyes internally.

    The day she wore that girdling would be the day she died.

    ¡°And I need a moment alone with my beautiful Queen,¡± Westin said to the girls with a charming

    smile.

    There were some giggles and the girls all filed out of the room.

    As soon as they were alone, Westin let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I hurried down here when I heard that Medline came. How did it go? Did she give you a hard time?¡±

    he asked.

    J snorted coldly, ¡°Your godmother tried to strangle me with a girdling. So you

    ¡°Westin, do I have a thick waist in your eyes?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Westin was stunned.

    ¡°Just answer honestly. Your godmother said that¡­I have a man¡¯s waist,¡± Jined.

    It was stupid to care about what Medline said but¡­.

    She couldn¡¯t help it.

    Westin cleared his throat, ¡°Let¡¯s just put it this way: I would like to describe how beautiful your body

    is in my eyes, but I am afraid that it mighte off as¡­.horny and desperate.¡±

    J burst outughing.

    Westin lifted the corners of his lips as well, staring at her deeply.

    ¡°I would die to hear thatughter every day for the rest of my life. But when was thest time I made

    youugh?¡± he asked in a low, hoarse voice.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247

    J stoppedughing.

    A nostalgic and slightly sad feeling surged up in her chest. Yeah¡­When was thest time that he

    made herugh?

    ¡°¡­Back in the Grace Ruin,¡± she said lowly eventually.

    ¡°The Grace Ruin.¡± Westin nodded, ¡°We were facing a lot of dangers and you didn¡¯t even know who I

    am. But it was a fun time.¡±

    It was actually the best time for the two of them.

    J didn¡¯t want to dwell on that subject, which made her sad, so she quickly changed the topic:

    ¡°Will your godmother Medline be a problem? I can feel her hostility against me.¡± Westin shook his

    head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Medline is just like that: harsh, stern, and a little mean. But she adorns me. My

    mom and Medline were very close, and she asked Medline to look after me, which Medline has

    done a great job since my mom passed. away. So rx. Medline would never do anything to hurt

    me, or my mate, or my child.¡±

    J took a deep, shuddering breath, ¡°But if she ever finds out that this kid is not yours¡­¡±

    Westin lowered his voice, ¡°Then we need to make sure that she never finds out¡­Oh, and about

    that, how long before a werewolf goes intobor?¡±

    ¡°10 months. Why?¡±

    ¡°The Lycan is 5 months. And we give birth to pups, not human babies,¡± Westin said with a frown.

    ¡°Which I just found out myself.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± J gasped.

    This was fresh knowledge to her as well..

    She was already approaching the 2-1

    another 3 months, people would start to get suspicious.

    The elders found that she was bearing a bastard child¡­that was a consequence that she could not

    bear.

    ¡°Then what should we do?!¡± she said in a hurried, urgent voice. ¡°5 months and 10 months¡­That is

    a huge difference. There is no way we can fake it. It is not like I can push the baby out of my body.¡±

    ¡°J-

    ¡°And when I give birth, there are going to be nurses and doctors in the delivery room, right? They

    will see that my child is a human baby and not a pup. Then there is no way we can keep that

    secret!¡±

    ¡°J!¡±

    Westin grabbed her hand and squeezed it, ¡°Rx J¡­rx.¡±

    She shivered involuntarily. He held her in his arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. There are ways to solve this,¡± he said in a deep, calming voice. ¡°I will arrange a

    delivery room outside of the castle. You will give birth there with only my most trusted people around

    you. So no one will find out about the secret. And about the pregnancy time¡­ Well, this child is

    going to be the first Lycan and werewolf hybrid. Somon knowledge doesn¡¯t apply to this case.

    We can find a way to fool the others.

    That was the ideal n.

    But there were so many ces where things could go wrong.

    One mistake. She and her child would be doomed.

    ¡°You forced me to stay. You have to fix this,¡± she gritted.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    He promised solemnly, nting a kiss on her forehead, ¡°You and this child are my responsibilities

    from now on¡­I will keep my family safe.¡±

    J closed her eyes as a feeling of uneasiness stole over her.

    She was on a single path right now.

    The only way was to keep going¡­and not to think about what kind of dangers were looming in the

    future.

    <hr>3 dayster, it was the Mating Ceremony of King Westin and Queen J. The castle was

    packed with

    guest

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    traveling from distant ces to attend the

    ceremony. There was not a single guestroom left empty.

    The castle was open tomoners for the first time in history. Vigers swarmed in to get a

    glimpse of this wedding of a century.

    The ceremony was outdoor, held on the summit of this mountain.

    At 6 o¡¯clock, right before sunset, a carriage arrived at the castle to pick up J and ride her to the

    summit.

    J was dressed in that stunning satin wedding gown, with her face covered by a sweeping

    cathedral¨Clength veil, intricately edged with matching lily embroidery.

    hite roses, ca lilies and tulips.

    The streetside was lined with people, their faces lit with joy, waving and sending their blessings.

    The air buzzed with excitement, and the cheers of people echoing through the streets as she

    approached the summit.

    As the carriage pulled to a stop, J stepped out.

    Her heart skipped a beat upon seeing the wedding venue.

    This was the first time she had been here. Belle asked her toe for a couple of times but she

    never bothered¡­

    Not she had got to admit it¨Cthis was a ce where dreamse true.

    This outdoor, summit¨Ctop venue had transformed into a fairnd.

    Lilies adorned every corner, their petals glistening as if sprinkled with a touch of magic. The fragrant

    aroma of the flowers wafted through the air.

    Amidst the sea of lilies, fairy lights on the archways and trees twinkled like stars, casting a soft,

    warm glow.

    The gentle rustle of leaves, the asional flutter of butterflies, and the distant murmur of a

    mountain stream added to the dreamy serenity.

    A path paved by pedals winded through the seating area and led to where Westin was

    1. at.

    He stood next to an elder, facing J. There was a dazzling smile on his lips. Behind his back was

    the breathtaking view of the distant snow¨Ccapped mountains. The sky had transformed into a

    canvas of hues¨Csoft pinks, oranges, and purples and casted a gorgeous glow on Westin¡¯s

    handsome profile.

    The quartet started ying, a cue for the bride to make her entrance.

    All guests rose and watched J walk down the aisle alone with excitement gleaming in their

    eyes.

    At the front roll sat Belle, Wells and Clemente.

    Belle was sobbing a little too loud.

    Wells rolled his eyes and turned his face the other way. Eventually it was Clemente who lent his

    handkerchief to the princess for her to blow her nose.

    J arrived at the end of the pedal path and stood face¨Cto¨Cface with Westin.

    They stared at each other for a few seconds and suddenly started smiling at the same time.

    ¡°I have got to admit¡­.I am very nervous,¡± Westin said in a small voice.

    J smiled behind her veil, ¡°This is very nice. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You like it?¡±

    She didn¡¯t want this wedding, nor this man standing in front of her.

    Yet she couldn¡¯t deny that the wedding itself was perfect, and Westin must have put

    So she nodded faintly, ¡°Yes¡­I like it.¡±

    Love and passion glittered in Westin¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°I want to give you the best¡­and everything

    you want in life.¡±

    That was very sweet.

    But it was also him who took away the thing that she wanted the most in life.

    How ironic was that?

    J lowered her eyelids and avoided his gaze.

    The elder raised his voice and said in a blooming voice:

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here today in the presence of Moon Goddess to celebrate the

    union of King Westin and Queen J. May the Moon Goddess¡¯s presence be felt among us and

    may the bonds of love grow stronger with each passing day.¡±

    He turned to Westin and J, ¡°Do you have your vows prepared?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Westin cleared his throat and looked deep into J¡¯s eyes, ¡°It has now been easy for us¡­.this

    path that we walked down together. I know that I do crazy things sometimes and it makes you mad.

    But I only did it because I can¡¯t imagine my life without you. The thought of losing you¡­I just can¡¯t

    bear with it. You can call me selfish, possessive, whatever. But seeing you standing right here with

    me makes everything worth it. I can¡¯t wait for our child to be born. And I swear with my life that I will

    protect the two of you until myst breath.¡±

    There were some moving sobs from the crowd.

    Belle grabbed Clemente¡¯s arm and mobbed her tears on his sleeve.

    ¡°And now Queen J?¡± the elder asked.

    J didn¡¯t prepare a vow.

    Happiness and love couldn¡¯t be faked.

    Yet all eyes were on her right now. She had to say something.

    ¡°¡­Me too. Look forward to the birth of my child.¡± she said in a low voice, ¡°And I take your word for

    it, that you will protect us until ourst breath. Keep that promise.¡±

    She gave the elder a look and gestured him that she was done.

    The elder blinked nkly, probably feeling that her vow was a bit too hastypared to Westin¡¯s.

    Yet Westin didn¡¯t seem that he minded, and he nodded, ¡°I will, my love.¡±

    ¡°Now the groom could kiss the bride,¡± the elder announced excitedly.

    Westin lifted J¡¯s yeil and pressed his lips on hers, kissing her passionately. A thunderous

    apuse and cheers broke out from the crowd. All guests stood up pping. Pedals were thrown

    into the sky.

    Westin finished up that kiss. lingeringly, and turned to the guests with a big grin:

    ¡­Special guest?

    J searched in the crowd.

    She didn¡¯t see anyone in the sitting area that she didn¡¯t already know.

    ¡°Look down the aisle, baby.¡± Westin whispered into her ears.

    J brought her eyes to gaze at the near distance, the end of the petal path. A tall figure stood

    there.

    The setting sun depicted his handsome profile, his eyes burning with rage, disappointment, and

    disbelief.

    ¡­Daran?!

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248

    J couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing with her own eyes.

    ¡­Daran?

    How did Daran get in here?! She thought that there was no way the either of them could pass that

    misted forest!

    And why didn¡¯t he bring more soldiers? He was here alone, how dangerous!

    And Westin¡­It seemed that Westin knew Daran wasing. Did Westin invite him? No, how was

    that possible. Westin did everything he could to keep them apart¡­

    A thousand of thoughts whizzed across her head, freezing her on the spot.

    ¡°Werewolf!¡±

    An elder jumped up from his seat and bared his fangs, ¡°What the hell is a werewolf doing here!¡±

    ¡°The Werewolf King!¡± somebody snarled, ¡°How did he cross the forest? Why the hell weren¡¯t we

    alerted? Guards? Guards!¡±

    The once calm venue had erupted into a chaos of panic and horror.

    ¡°Calm down, my people!¡±

    Westin raised one hand, gesturing the crowd to rx, ¡°I invited King Daran.¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Elder Medline stood up abruptly and snarled, ¡°A werewolf on our sacrednd-¡±

    ¡°We have always talked about co¨Cexisting with the werewolf. So let today be a start. And King

    Daran means no harm. He is simply here to offer his best wishes to me and

    my Queen. Aren¡¯t you, King Daran?¡±

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t say anything.

    He kept his eyes on J, his fists tightly clenched by his sides.

    J suddenly picked up her skirt and was about to run down the aisle.

    ¡°Rx. I invited him. So I am going to let you talk to him,¡± Westin said, unsmiling. ¡°But remember

    that you are already my wife now. Go to him, get a closure, and return to my side, which I trust you

    will.¡±

    J shook off his hand and rushed hastily down petal path.

    Her heart was thumping like a drumroll against her ribs.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Daran was here!

    The man that she truly loved¡­The father of her child!

    Was he here to take her away?

    Please! Let him take her away!

    Yet before she could reach the end of that petal path, Daran turned on his heels and walked away in

    long strides.

    J panicked.

    No.

    Why did he leave?

    ¡°-Daran!¡± she screamed.

    She tripped on her long skirt and then stumbled up and kept running.

    She caught up with him near the mountain road.

    ¡°Daran¡­Daran!¡± she grabbed his hand from the back, crying, ¡°STOP!¡±

    He was forced into a sharp halt.

    Turning around, he red at her with anger¨Cfilled eyes, ¡°Why bother chasing after me?¡±

    J was stunned.

    Did he even need to ask?

    ¡°You are here! So take me away. That wedding wasn¡¯t real and I¨CI have been waiting for you all

    these time-¡±

    ¡°LIE!¡±

    He snapped. A vein was pulsing with rage on his forehead.

    ¡°I saw you married him, J!¡± his voice was shaking, ¡°You¡­you let him kiss you and call you his

    Queen¡­No one pointed a gun against your head! You did it willingly! You were smiling to him! And I

    heard it as well¡­The child.¡±

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    Daran¡¯s voice was full of sorrow and hatred, ¡°I am so fucking stupid. All these time when I have

    been desperately trying to look for you¡­. You are already having a child with him! Fuck! If that is

    the case, why bother chasing after me?!¡±

    NO!

    He got it all wrong!

    The child is yours.

    She opened her mouth, yet no sound came out.

    It was like those words vanished on the tip of her tongue, or a giant hand had seized. her throat,

    stopping her from telling the truth.

    J held her breath in horror.

    What was going on?

    She tried again, ¡°The father of my child is¡­¡±

    You.

    Yet again.

    Her voice stopped abruptly.

    What the hell¡­ Why couldn¡¯t she say it!!!

    ¡°I know. The father of your child is Westin,¡± Daran let out a cold, brokenugh. ¡°If you have made up

    your mind to be with him, why did you have sex with me in the vineyard? Why misled me? Was that

    a fucking pity sex?¡±

    No. NO!

    Goddamn it.

    Why couldn¡¯t she say those words?

    Was there something wrong with her tongue?!

    ng with her tongue?!

    Just then, something struck J.

    She remembered the swear that she made in the hospital room to Westin.

    ¡­I swear in the name of the Moon Goddess that I will never disclose this secret to another living

    soul¡­If I ever break this oath, punish me at the Moon Goddess¡¯s will¡­

    The swear.

    She didn¡¯t know the consequence that bore with it back then.

    Now she knew.

    Bound by that oath, she was physically forbidden to disclose that secrete.

    It was her own doing.

    Desperate tears streamed down J¡¯s cheeks as she choked, ¡°D¨CDaran¡­God¡­Please trust

    me¡­¡±

    ¡°Trust you what?¡±

    He took a trembling step back, swaying. His eyes were misty as well.

    ¡°I should have left when I found out that you recognized the mate bond. But I didn¡¯t¡­I didn¡¯t want to

    give up. And here I am now, proving what a huge idiot I really am,¡± he said with a bitterugh.

    She shook her head, crying, ¡°No¡­No!¡±

    ¡°I know you have always wanted to punish me for rejecting you. And now you have

    ¡°NO!¡± She screamed, sping his arm with both her hands. ¡°It is not what you think! I love you! You

    are the one-

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    He shook her off and backed away urgently.

    ¡°Stop misleading me and ying me around!¡± he snapped, eyes round with anger and teais. ¡°Go

    back to Westin. Be your Queen! And never¡­ever! Show up in my life. again.¡±

    She sank to the cold ground, into her wedding gown, crying, heartbroken.

    He took another step back, his chest heaving.

    ¡°Goodbye, J.¡± he said, trembling. ¡°From now on you are my enemy. May we never meet

    again.¡±

    He turned decisively and marched down the mountain road.

    She was left there, weeping her heart out.

    The fate was so cruel to her.

    If she had known that they would meet again one day, she would have never made

    that oath.

    Yet there was no turning back.

    Everything was toote.

    Approaching footsteps came from her back.

    Arge hand lifted her face up and gently wiped her tears away.

    ¡°You are crying for him again,¡± Westin said with a sigh.

    She red at him with tear¨Cblurred eyes, ¡°You¡­You did this to me¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think you need closure, and he does too. Remember my wedding vow? I do crazy things

    sometimes, but it is all to make you mine.¡±

    He pulled her into his arms, ¡°And I have seeded. You are my wife now. He will leave the

    mountains today. Happily ever after.¡±

    J was beyond anger right now.

    Her feelings were numb.

    ¡°¡­You took away everything from me,¡± she murmured.

    Her family. Her lover. Her soldiers. Her people.

    She was trapped here, in his arms, forever.

    ¡°No.¡±

    He kissed her cold lips gently, ¡°You still have me. My love. My heart.¡±

    <hr>J didn¡¯t show up at the dinner party after the ceremony.

    She went back to the castle and locked herself up in her own room, refusing anyone

    to enter.

    For the past few months, she rarely left her room a single sten, as though she had

    lost interests in everything in life.

    The Lycans were not happy with her childish behavior.

    They expected their Queen to rule, to help with the in¨Ccastle business, and to pitch¨Cin at meetings.

    Yet no one could even see the Queen these days. She disappeared from the public¡¯s eyes ever

    since the wedding.

    A few elders voiced their discontent.

    Yet Westin strongly forbade anyone to bother the Queen.

    ¡°The Queen needs rest. I won¡¯t force her to do anything. And none of you will either,¡± he said sternly

    one time

    J didn¡¯t know that rumors about her had gone crazy outside.

    If she did know, she wouldn¡¯t care.

    She didn¡¯t want to see anyone, not the elders and definitely not Westin. She would lock herself in

    this room forever if she could.

    Her belly was growing, which was the only thing she looked forward to now.

    Sometimeste at night, sheid on her bed alone, thinking about her child. Would it be a boy? Or a

    girl?

    Would it look like her? Or Daran?

    J hoped the child would look like Daran. But she was also afraid if it actually happened.

    If her child looked like Daran¡­Just imagine what the elders would say.

    Living in a mixed of anticipation and fear, 5 months had passed.

    J knew she was going to face her first challenge.

    It had already passed the Lycan¡¯s due day, Elder Medline had sent maids to check on her every day

    sincest week.

    And Medline demanded to see her today that she couldn¡¯t refuse.

    But she was not ready to go intobor yet.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249

    ¡°Queen J! Open the door! Elder Madeline wants to see you!¡±

    J sat by the window and turned to look at the closed door.

    ¡°Tell Elder Madeline that I am not feeling well and prefer to be alone,¡± she said coldly.

    ¡°You are not feeling well, which is exactly why Elder Madeline wants to see you! You are pregnant

    with the King¡¯s heir. We can¡¯t let anything happen to you and the heir! Open the door and let the

    doctor examine you!¡±

    J put a hand on her belly, her body straining.

    She was 7 months in right now, which had way passed Lycan¡¯s due date.

    People started to ask questions.

    They were wondering why she still hadn¡¯t gone intobor yet, and what was wrong with the child in

    her belly.

    J once caught two maids whispering outside of the door, saying that she might give birth to a

    big ugly weirdo one day.

    None of them knew that it was because she was pregnant with a werewolf kid. And werewolves

    didn¡¯t go intobor until they were 10 months in.

    Up until now, nobody suspected the father of her child.

    But if she dragged the pregnancy for another 3 months, people would begin to ask the real

    question¨Cwho was the father really?

    Which was why she couldn¡¯t meet with anyone and give these people a chance to ask those

    questions.

    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± J raised her voice and snapped, ¡°My health is perfectly fine. You heard the

    King. I don¡¯t want anyone to disturb me!¡±

    Her scolding usually worked.

    But not this time.

    ¡°Queen J, if you refuse to open the door, we will have to break the door down!¡± said a guard¡¯s

    voice from outside of the door.

    J straightened her back instantly.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± she snarled.

    Westin told them to leave her alone!

    Were they going topletely ignore the King¡¯s order?!

    Then she heard the guard¡¯s voice talking to the others, ¡°Break the damn door down on 33-2-1!¡±

    BANG!

    The door panel came crashing down to the floor, stirring up a little dust.

    A group of soldiers stepped on the door panel and strode into her room.

    ¡°You areing with us, Queen J,¡± one of them said icily.

    J kept one hand on her belly and red at them, ¡°Where the hell is the King?!¡± ¡°The King went

    out on patrol.¡±

    She knew it.

    They only dared to force her out of her room when Westin was not in the castle.

    Knowing that there was no way to avoid conflict today, J stood up from her chair and walked to

    the door, holding her head up

    ¡°Lead the way,¡± she said in a distant and arrogant voice.

    They took her to the Elder Council, located on an isted peak.

    The two tables of House of Light and Shadow were empty when J walked in.

    There were only a few elders gathered by the House of Dark¡¯s table, with Elder Madeline sitting in

    the center chair.

    A cold smile spread across Madeline¡¯s lips, ¡°It is not easy to see you in person, Queen J.¡±

    ¡°I am here now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, after I asked the soldiers to break down your door. You are a Queen for Christ¡¯s sake, not a

    goddamn hermit.¡±

    Elder Madeline snorted with her eyes falling upon J¡¯s swollen belly, ¡°If I haven¡¯t seen your belly

    with my own eyes now, I might start to question if you are actually pregnant or not.¡±

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone intobor yet?¡± asked another female elder with a frown. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    ¡°The werewolves are normally pregnant for 10 months-¡±

    ¡°But you are pregnant with a Lycan¡¯s child!¡± the female elder snapped.

    ¡°A hybrid child of werewolf and Lycan!¡± J stressed, ¡°My child is a first. There is no precedent.

    So there is no way to know how long a hybrid child needs before they are ready toe out to this

    world. We can only wait.¡±

    There were disgruntled murmurings from the House of Dark elders.

    ¡°I have never heard of such a long pregnancy,¡± said Elder Madeline icily. ¡°You need a doctor to take

    a look at you, making sure that your child is safe.¡±

    She nods at a doctor¨Clooking man by her side, who instantly takes a step forward towards J.

    ¡°Queen J, if I may-¡± the doctor said.

    ¡°No!¡± J snapped, taking a step back. ¡°I said I am alright! And I am perfectly aware of my health

    condition. I can take care of my own child.¡±

    Elder Madeline let out a loud snort, ¡°This kid is not just your child, but the heir of the entire Lycan

    Kingdom. The significance of this child exceeds your imagination! So no¡­you can¡¯t take care of this

    child. I don¡¯t trust you for it.¡±

    She turns to the doctor, ¡°Run a couple of tests on her. Now.

    Two soldiers jumped at her, pinning her on the spot.

    The doctor got up to her and took out a needle, tubing, and collection vials. ¡­They were going to

    take her blood!

    J¡¯s body tensed all over.

    If they used her blood to run a DNA test, they would know that the child was not Westin¡¯s!

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± she snarled, struggling fiercely against the soldiers. ¡°Is this how you treat your

    Queen-¡±

    ¡°A Queen who hasn¡¯t ruled for a single day,¡± Elder Madeline sneered. The doctor grabbed her arm

    and sank the needle underneath her skin.

    J¡¯s chest heaved in rage.

    These people didn¡¯t take her seriously. She was no better than a boar ready to get butchered in

    their eyes.

    ¡°How long before the blood resultes back?¡± Madeline asked the doctor.

    ¡°A couple of hours, Elder Madeline.¡±

    ¡°Good. We will wait right here.¡±

    The doctor hurried out of the great hall.

    J held her bleeding forearm and red at the elders, ¡°You got what you want. Can I leave

    now?!¡±

    ¡°Not so fast, Queen J,¡± one of the elders squeaked. ¡°We want to talk about your performance

    as a Queen!¡±

    Another elder echoed, ¡°You hid yourself in your room and avoided all responsibilities. That is not

    how you serve as a Queen!¡±

    ¡°We are disappointed. The people are disappointed.¡±

    ¡°Changes must be made.¡±

    ¡°I am perfectly happy with things the way they currently are,¡± said J icily. ¡°And if you have any

    problems, take them to Westin.

    Westin imprisoned her and her child in this castle, this Kingdom.

    She was kind enough not to stab him with a knife.

    To help the Lycans rule?

    No fucking way.

    ¡°You won¡¯t hide behind the King forever!¡± Madeline hissed, ¡°The King is fooled, misled! His

    judgment is clouded by his emotions. But sooner orter he will realize that he needs a virtuous

    Queen by his side, and not a trophy wife!

    Most elders nodded along in approval.

    ¡°We should give the Queen some time to clear her head and reflect on this,¡± said one

    of the elders.

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Madeline raised her chin, a condescending look on her face, ¡°Guards, take Queen J outside

    and let her stand underneath the staircase.¡±

    ¡­What?

    J couldn¡¯t believe this.

    ¡°It is snowing like hell outside!¡± she gasped.

    The time was October right now. A blizzard just hit yesterday.

    Right now, the snow was at least 10 inches deep, and it was still falling.

    One couldn¡¯tst for more than 20 minutes in weather cold like that.

    ¡°Oh, I think a little chilly weather is good for your heated head,¡± said Elder Madeline, slyly.

    ¡°My child-¡±

    ¡°Lycan¡¯s child is very tough. They can handle a little cold. Guards, take her out! If she refuses to

    cooperate, tie her to the pir!¡±

    Without giving her any chance to fight on this, the soldiers shoved J outside. She was brought

    underneath the staircase and tied to a column.

    So she was forced to stand alone in the midst of the roaring blizzard, her breath forming small

    clouds in the frigid air.

    The biting cold seeped through heryers of clothing.

    She shivered involuntarily.

    The frosty wind pierced through her, and she could feel the numbness spreading from her fingertips

    to the tips of her toes.

    Just then, she felt her child kicking her.

    She held her swollen belly with a trembling hand as a desperate feeling surged up in her chest.

    Did the child feel the cold as well?

    Was itining about the cold?

    Was she a terrible mother or what? Couldn¡¯t even protect her own child in front of these people¡­

    As she stood there, the relentless snowfall began to umte on her hair and shoulders.

    She tried telling the soldiers that she couldn¡¯t handle the cold anymore.

    But they ignored her.

    J felt her heart being split in half, one half hated herself for being unable to do anything, and the

    other half was worried about her child and those uing blood.

    tests.

    ¡­Did they check the DNA?

    Had they known that the child wasn¡¯t Westin¡¯s?

    J¡¯s body swayed.

    She couldn¡¯t do this anymore¡­

    She was about to pass out¡­

    The next second, she lost total control of her body and began to slide down against the column

    Yet a

    ir of strong armis caught her just in time.

    J!!!¡± Westin¡¯s worried voice exploded in her ears.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250

    ¡°Fuck¡­J¡­J! Oh my god¡­¡±

    Westin¡¯s voice was filled with worry and rage, and it was shaking violently.

    J struggled to open her eyes. But she couldn¡¯t. Her top and bottomshes were stuck together

    by frost..

    Arge hand covered her eyes, gently rubbing her numb skin.

    Gradually, her eyshes defrosted, and ice became water streaming down her face, which almost

    looked like tears.

    She lifted her eyelids, and a worried¨Cstricken face came into view.

    ¡°Westin¡­¡± she whispered weakly.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah I am here baby¡­¡±

    He waved his hand and cut her free from the pir. She fell, right into his arms.

    He held her tightly, kissed her ice¨Ccold lips, and pressed his forehead against hers, trying to warm

    her up with his body.

    ¡°My King¡­the coat.¡±

    It was Clemente, standing behind Westin and holding a coat in his hands.

    Westin took the coat from him and wrapped J in it.

    Snapping his head up, he looked around with bloodshot eyes and snarled:

    Who fucking did this!¡±

    Soldiers stood a few feet away, shivering like leaves in the wind. No one dared toe forward and

    talk to the furious king.

    Clemente came over, grabbed a random soldier by the cor, and yanked him to Westin.

    ¡®Answer the King!¡± he snapped, ¡°Who did this to Queen J!¡±

    The soldier met with Westin¡¯s raging gaze and trembled even more violently, ¡°It¨CIt

    is the Elder Medline¡¯s order¡­¡±

    Fury flickered across Westin¡¯s eyes as he spooned J up and walked to the great hall¡¯s entrance

    in long strides, with Clemente at his heels.

    The heavy double doors were rammed apart.

    Everyone in the room jerked around as Westin strode in with J in his arms.

    Elder Madeline stood up abruptly.

    There was a hint of fleeting panic.

    But she quickly got herself together and asked in a rather calm voice, ¡°My King, I thought you were

    out patrolling¡­¡±

    ¡°So you took advantage of my absence and chained my Queen to a fucking pir?!¡± Westin growled

    savagely, ¡°It was -4 degrees outside! How about I tie you out there and let you have a taste of

    that?!¡±

    There was a round of gasps from the elders.

    There was a round of gasps from the elders.

    ¡°This Elder Madeline, my King!¡± one of the elders cried in disapproval, ¡°The leader of House of

    Dark, your godmother-

    ¡°And this is my Queen! Bearing my child!¡±

    Westin closed in upon Madeline, his gaze very fierce.

    He said in a light yet extremely dangerous voice, ¡°Madeline, have always been a good guide to me

    since my parents passed. Sometimes you can be a little nosey and condescending, but I can

    stomach all that for myte mom¡¯s sake. But today¡­you really crossed the line.¡±

    ¡°L¡­crossed the line?¡±

    Madeline let out a cold sneer, staring at Westin defiantly, ¡°This is the first time you talked to me like

    that! Treating me like I am your subordinate-¡±

    ¡°You ARE my subordinate!¡± Westin snapped, ¡°You are an elder and I am the King-¡±

    ¡°I am your godmother!¡±

    Madeline raised her chin with a haughty expression on her face, ¡°It was me who helped you through

    every single step when you first took over the Kingdom as a child. I taught you. Guided you.

    Empowered you. And now you are casting me aside for her?!¡±

    ¡°J is my wife-¡±

    ¡°But still a lowborn werewolf,¡± Madeline snorted. ¡°Remember what I told you when you were a

    child? The werewolves were supposed to be our ves. And you agreed. with me back then. But

    you let those weak pusses from the other two houses get into your head, plus this cheap skank right

    here, and youpletely forgot your duty as the Master of the entire world!¡±

    J was shivering in Westin¡¯s arms.

    The great hall was heated by fire, but it was not enough to warm up her body.

    She was cold.

    Her whole body was in prickling pain.

    And her child was kicking her harder and harder, bringing sharp pain to her belly

    area.

    She vaguely heard the argument going on around her. And she suddenly understood. something:

    ¡­ When they first met in the Grace Ruin, Westin always talked about how superior Lycans were

    compared to the werewolves.

    She hated that racist thought, which turned out to be nted by Madeline in his head.

    She lifted a hand to tug at Westin¡¯s shirt, to alert him about her difort.

    Yet another wave of sharp pain hit.

    Her arms hung down limp.

    Westin did

    still focused on

    Westin didn¡¯t notice what was going on with her. His eyes were still focused on Madeline.

    ¡°What you taught me was wrong and inhumane!¡± he snarled, ¡°You want to rule the werewolves? But

    there are many great Alphas and warriors in the werewolf¡¯s society, who will never submit

    themselves to our rule!¡±

    ¡°Then fight them! Teach them the virtue of obedience with violence!¡±

    Madeline cried insanely, directing a vicious look upon J.

    We can start with her,¡± she gritted.

    Westin took in a deep, anger¨Cfilled breath.

    ¡°You are still not listening to me,¡± he said with an icyugh and then snapped, ¡°Clemente!¡±

    ¡°Yes, My King.¡±

    ¡°Bring the soldier who chained Queen J to the pir in!¡±

    Clemente followed his order instantly and left the great hall.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Secondster, he returned with that soldier in his hand.

    Westin carefully ced J in Clemente¡¯s arms and then drew out his own sword.

    The atmosphere became insanely tense.

    Madeline sensed something wrong and cried, ¡°What are you doing my king¡­Stop it!¡±

    Westin ignored her..

    He looked down at the soldier and asked word by word, ¡°Did I, or did I not, strictly prohibit anyone to

    disturb Queen J in her room?¡±

    The soldier copsed on the floor, shaking under his sharp gaze, ¡°You¡­ You did¡­¡±

    ¡°Did I, or did I not, tell everyone that the Queen¡¯s safety is the number one priority in this Kingdom

    and anyone who hindered her safety would be considered as treason?¡±

    The soldier started to cry, his voice broken, ¡°You¡­You did my king, but Elder Madeline-¡±

    ¡°Then you must have known that you have defied my order andmitted treason.¡±

    Westin picked up his sword and raised it up above the soldier¡¯s neck.

    ¡°¡­Rest in peace,¡± he said nonchntly.

    ¡°NO-¡±

    The soldier screamed.

    Yet the sword fell mercilessly nevertheless and chopped his head off with one clean.

    cut.

    Blood gushed out.

    The head dropped to the flood.

    The soldier¡¯s scream still echoed in the great hall.

    But he was dead already.

    With the blood¨Cdripping sword still in his hand, Westin turned to look at the horrified elders.

    ¡°So¡­did I make my position clear now?¡± he asked in a threatening tone.

    Elder Madeline¡¯s face was very pale.

    Her eyes flickered across the body with no head and quickly looked away from that.

    ¡°This¡­This is your position?¡± she huffed, clenching her fists, ¡°Turning your sword against your own

    soldiers?!¡±

    She tried to keep a tough appearance.

    But her shaky voice still gave her away.

    Westin chuckled icily, ¡°No. This man is not my own soldier. He is a traitor, who deliberately defied

    my order. I simply executed him.¡°.

    The great hallpsed into a deathly silence.

    Westin stopped looking at the horror¨Cstricken crowd and turned around.

    He dropped the sword in the puddle of blood and walked up to Clemente and J. ¡°J? We are

    going home now,¡± he mobbed her sweaty forehead and said in at gentle voice.

    She didn¡¯t say anything in response.

    She was in fact struggling for breath, her entire body curled up in pain.

    ¡°J!¡± Westin frowned and held her hand, ¡°What is wrong? Are you alright?¡±

    She reached out a trembling hand to grab his shirt.

    A painful growl escaped her lips.

    ¡°Wes¡­Westin¡­my child¡­¡±

    SPLASH!

    Water came pouring down from underneath her body.

    J threw her head backward and let out a long shriek, ¡°AH-¡±

    Westin rounded his eyes, frozen on his spot.

    ¡°¡­Westin!¡± Clemente cried urgently in J¡¯s miserable screams, ¡°Her water broke!!!¡±

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251

    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Westin! My¡­My child!¡±

    The room echoed with J¡¯sbored breaths and painful cries.

    Her eyes were filled with panic, her hand clutching her swollen belly so hard that her

    knuckles turned white.

    ¡°It is OK¡­ Baby, it is OK. I am right here with you,¡± Westin held her hand tightly, desperation etched

    on his face.

    Yet his soothing voice didn¡¯t reach her ears.

    Her mind was clouded by worry and fear.

    ¡­None of them expected her water to break at this time!

    In their original ns, Westin would send her to a mountain resort when her due day approached.

    A group of healthcare providers would be waiting there. And she would give birth safely in that

    resort, surrounded by people that Westin trusted the most, and away from the elders.

    If everything worked ording to their n, they would return to the castle when the baby was a

    few months old.

    And nobody would tell that the child was actually a werewolf and not a Lycan.

    But now¡­ Her water just broke in front of a group of elders!

    And the resort and the healthcare providers were not in ce yet.

    Where the hell would she give birth to her child then?!

    She sobbed, helplessly, as waves of contractions continued to hit her.

    ¡°My King, we need to get her to the hospital!¡± Clemente urged.

    ¡°NO!¡± Westin snapped.

    J couldn¡¯t give birth in the hospital¡­Or everyone would see her giving birth to a human baby

    and not a pup¡­and everyone would instantly know that he was not the father¡­.

    ¡°But my King-¡±

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    ¡°Send her to the hospital immediately!¡± Elder Madeline rushed over, speaking hurriedly. ¡°Let the

    professionals take care of her!¡±

    J¡¯s miserable groans grew louder.

    She struggled to grab Westin¡¯s hand and cried in a pleading tone, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­no¡­No. hospital¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, I know my love, don¡¯t worry,¡± Westinforted her, clutching her hand. He took her from

    Clemente¡¯s arms and strode to the entrance of the great hall. Yet the elders blocked their way, their

    eyes gleaming with suspicion and rivalry. ¡°Where are you going with the Queen?¡± one of the elders

    shrieked.

    ¡°FUCK OFF!¡± Westin roared his ques burt

    ¡°FUCK OFF!¡± Westin roared, his eyes burning with anger.

    ¡°Queen J doesn¡¯t know what she was talking about! She needs help from the doctors and

    nurses! Let the healthcare providers do their jobs!¡± Elder Madeline snapped.

    ¡°Elder Madeline is right!¡± cried another elder, ¡°Where will you go otherwise? The Queen can¡¯t give

    birth outside of the hospital. Her child is too important! We won¡¯t allow that kind of sloppiness!¡±

    The air crackled with tension as they stood face¨Cto¨Cface with each other.

    Westin¡¯s forehead was cold with sweat.

    To be honest, he didn¡¯t know where he would take J either.

    He knew that J needed help¡­but the identity of her child would be at stake¡­.

    What the hell should he do?!

    Elder Madeline took a step forward, reaching her hands out and saying in a pleading tone, ¡°Please,

    my king, let me take the Queen. I am a mother myself. I know what kind of suffering a woman has

    to go through to give birth. Let us help you! Do you really prefer to see her suffer?¡±

    Westin stood stiffly on his spot, hesitating.

    ¡°Westin¡­¡±

    J squeezed his hand, breathing very fast, ¡°My¨CMy room¡­I will give birth alone¡­in my room¡­¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Elder Medline cried, ¡°You will be taken to the hospital supervised by us! It is for the

    safety of the child!¡±

    ¡°My room,¡± J insisted.

    Westin didn¡¯t know what would happen if J gave birth alone in her room.

    But he knew that if that was what J wanted, it was what they were going to do.

    A growl rumbled in his chest as he faced off with the elders.

    ¡°MOVE!¡± he snarled.

    The elders, sensing the intensity of Westin¡¯s resolve, reluctantly gave way. Elder Madeline still

    looked unwilling, but she chose to keep her mouth shut for now.

    Westin carried J in his arms and rushed out of the great hall, into the raging

    snow.

    The cold made J shiver.

    And her pain had doubled.

    It almost felt like there was a blender in her belly.

    Her grip on Westin¡¯s shirt gradually weakened.

    A moment of vulnerability shed across Westin¡¯s face as he wrapped the coat around J more

    tightly, ¡°Hang in there baby¡­We will be back at your room in no time.¡±

    Clemente brought the car over and they quickly got inside.

    Momentster, they were back in J¡¯s room.

    Westin dashed inside and ced J on her bed as carefully as he could. She was already

    drenched in a cold sweat, her face contorted by pain and suffering.

    There were maids peering in by the door.

    ¡°Tell everyone to fuck off!¡± Westin snarled.

    Clemente rushed to fend off those nosy maids and rushed back to the bedside.

    ¡°We¡­We should at least get a couple of nurses in here!¡± he cried in a trembling voice, ¡°God¡­I

    don¡¯t think she should do this alone¡­¡±

    ¡°No nurses!¡± Westin snapped.

    J propped up her upper body and seized Clemente¡¯s wrist, ¡°Do this for me¡­I¨CI want you to

    guard the door¡­and stop anyone who wants in¡­no doctor and nurse¡­No matter what they say!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is going on here!¡± Clemente cried, ¡°Why turn down the help when you know you need

    it-¡±

    ¡°Just¡­.PLEASE!¡± J shrieked, breathing very fast.

    ¡°We will exin to youter. Just go!¡± Westin growled.

    Clemente dashed out of the room.

    Westin hovered by her side, cupping her cheek with a trembling hand, ¡°Tell me what

    I can do¡­¡±

    ¡°J¨CJust stay by my side¡­¡± she panted.

    She desperately needed support, even if it was Westin¡¯s support.

    Another contraction gripped J as she threw her head backwards and screamed at

    the top of her lungs-

    ¡°§¡§¯§¯§¯§¯!¡±

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252

    The air was thick with tension and the musky scent of sweat.

    The moon¡¯s glow filtered through the curtains, casting shadows that danced around the room.

    J gritted her teeth, clutching the edges of the bed.

    The pain started as a deep ache in her lower back, intensifying with each passing

    moment.

    ¡°Westin,¡± she gasped, her voice strained, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can¡­You can do this, baby.¡±

    Westin caressed her forehead and whispered into her ears, ¡°Think about this child, J. How

    much you looked forward to the birth of this child. Just a few hours and this child will be born¡­.and

    we will be the happiest parents on earth¡­¡±

    J sobbed with tears streaming down her cheeks.

    Yes, this child was the only thing that she looked forward to during thest few months.

    Her life would be an abyss of darkness if it weren¡¯t for her child,

    And she would meet her child. Very, very soon.

    The contractions grew stronger, waves of pain crashing over J like a relentless tide.

    ¡°Ahh¨C!!!¡±

    She arched her back, gasping for air between the contractions.

    Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and her body trembled violently.

    Westin rushed to the bathroom and moistened a cloth with cool water. He quickly returned to her

    side and wiped her forehead, offering a small reprieve from the heat and strain.

    ¡°Breathe with me,¡± he instructed her. ¡°Inhale¡­Exhale¡­¡±

    He learned this breathing method from a maternal book.

    He didn¡¯t know that this woulde in handy¨Cbecause in their original n, J would be

    surrounded by people much more professional than him¨Cbut he was now d that he learned

    something from that book.

    The rhythmic pattern helped J focus and ease some of her pain.

    Westin was timing her contractions.

    Soon he knew that it was time for her to start pushing.

    ¡°You have done great work so far, baby.¡± he kissed her sweat¨Cdrenched forehead, ¡°Just a few more

    pushes-¡±

    ¡°¡­NO!¡±

    She shook her head, crying and screaming, delirious from the pain, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t do this. Just

    make it stop¡­Please¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. I know,¡± he gave his hand to her and let her squeeze it. ¡°Squeeze my hand if it hurts too

    much. But you can do this. And I am right here with you.¡±

    She groaned, gripping his hand as hard as she could, and pushed through the pain. ¡°¡­H¨CHow

    much longer?¡± she asked, crying and choking.

    She was so exhausted.

    Why hadn¡¯t it stopped yet?

    How much longer could she be freed from this pain?

    She was starting to get worried.

    ¡­Would she die on this bed giving birth to her child?

    ¡°Soon. Very soon. Just keep pushing baby,¡± Westin kept telling her.

    ¡°Ahhh-¡± she couldn¡¯t help but let out another desperate cry.

    Her scream went out to the next room, where arge group of people were gathered.

    He stopped abruptly when he heard that terrible scream. His face turned pale at

    once.

    ¡°O¨COh my god¡­¡±

    Belle pped her hand over her mouth, eyes round with horrified tears, ¡°Is¨CIs that normai? She

    sounds like she is being tortured!¡±

    An elder from the House of Light tried to ease her nerves by saying, ¡°Rx Princess Belle, giving

    birth is a hard process, but it is perfectly normal.¡±

    ¡°So is J going to be alright?¡± Belle asked eagerly.

    She looked around the crowd, desperate for an answer.

    But nobody could give her one.

    None of them knew what was going on with J.

    They were all locked outside.

    This is fucking ridiculous!¡± Wells snapped abruptly.

    He rushed to the door and faced off with Clemente, ¡°You heard her screaming, didn¡¯t you? J

    needs help! Just let the doctor and nurse in!¡±

    Clemente stood firmly by the door, blocking the only entrance to the room.

    His jaw tightened as he said, ¡°The King clearly said that-¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck what he said!¡± Wells cried furiously, ¡°Who knows what that dickhead was thinking! I for one

    don¡¯t want J to end up dying on that birthing bed!¡±

    ¡°Me neither!¡± Belle shirked, half¨Ccrying.

    Clemente¡¯s chest heaved.

    He was struggling internally as well.

    Yet he still remained firmly on his spot, unmoving.

    ¡°Move aside, General Clemente!¡±

    Elder Medline stood up from her chair and red at Clemente, ¡°If the Queen dies on that birthing

    bed today, it will be your fucking responsibility! Do you really want to carry that weight on your

    shoulder?¡±

    Clemente gritted his teeth, ¡°The King gave me an order. I will carry out that order¡­no matter what

    you say!¡±

    He was worried about J, yes.

    He would also me himself if anything happened to her.

    But despite all that, Westin and J trusted him with this duty. He would not let them down.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Drawing his sword out by one inch, Clemente red at the crowd and hissed, ¡°I will fight off anyone

    who dares toe close to this door!¡±

    Elder Madeline froze. The expression on her face grew angrier.

    The entire room erupted into a sea of celebration.

    ¡°The heir of this Kingdom!¡± one of the elders roared.

    ¡°The Lycan Kingdom¡¯s heir!¡±

    ¡°Let us go in there and congratte the King and Queen!¡± somebody yelled.

    Clemente let out a huge sigh of relief, ¡°Not so fast. Let me check with the King first and get his

    permission for you to enter.¡±

    He dashed inside and firmly locked the door behind him..

    The room was dim and filled with the cries of the newborn.

    Westin was holding a crying baby in his arms and bending his back for J to see the child.

    Her face was covered in sweat. She looked worn out. Yet there was a big smile on her lips right

    now.

    The couple was so immersed in joy that none of them noticed Clemente¡¯s entry.

    Clemente quietly approached them from the back¨Che didn¡¯t want to disturb this beautiful moment.

    His eyes fell upon the child in Westin¡¯s arms.

    ¡­ It was a human baby.

    Clemente suddenly turned his eyes in disbelief and suspicious.

    No¡­This couldn¡¯t be right¡­The Lycans gave birth to pups and not human babies¡­ But this child-

    ¡°Clemente?¡± J called his name.

    The couple turned around together and looked at Clemente, who was frozen with shock.

    ¡°¡­ What the hell is going on with this child!¡± he asked through his gritted teeth.

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253

    Westin frowned and straightened his back immediately.

    ¡°Clemente listen-¡±

    ¡°What is wrong fists, asking in a hurried

    with this child?¡± Clemente clenched his voice. ¡°Lycans should give birth to pups! But this baby¡­this

    baby doesn¡¯t have a wolf? Should we call in the doctors and let them take a look?¡±

    ¡°Clemente!¡± J propped up her upper body and stared at Clemente, ¡°The baby is fine.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    J turned to Westin, ¡°I think we should tell him.¡±

    ¡°We need more people to protect this child. And frankly speaking, there aren¡¯t a lot of people we

    can trust in this castle.¡±

    Clemente was one of those people.

    After a little pause, Westin gestured Clemente toe close, ¡°Come over here. There is something

    we need to tell you.¡±

    Clemente gulped uneasily.

    He sensed that they were going to let him on a huge secret.

    Half¨Cnervous and half¨Ccurious, he took a careful step forward and got up to the bedside.

    He nced down and saw the newborn.

    The baby was lying peacefully in Westin¡¯s arms, that small face adorned with. delicate features.

    Clemente¡¯s gaze focused on that button¨Clike nose and the faint rose tint on those cheeks.

    He couldn¡¯t help but take a hand and poke at the baby¡¯s face. It was so soft, as though it was made

    of the nicest silk.

    Clemente quickly withdrew his hand, worrying that he might hear this delicate little. wonder.

    Yet the baby grabbed his finger before he could take his hand away.

    Tiny fingers, each one a work of art, wrapped around his own, creating an immediate connection.

    Clemente held his breath involuntarily.

    His eyes widened with a mixture of awe and tenderness.

    Just then, he heard Westin saying in a low voice, ¡°Clemente, what I am about to tell you is that¡­I

    am not the biological father of this child.¡±

    Clemente snapped his head up.

    His mind wentpletely nk.

    ¡°W¨CWhat?¡± he stuttered, utterly confused and shocked, ¡°But J¡­she ¡±

    He flickered his eyes towards J, whoy weakly on the pillows, and gave him a small nod.

    ¡°I was already pregnant when Westin brought me here. He needs an heir and I want to keep this

    child¡­so we established a partnership,¡± she said lowly.

    ¡°Partnership?!¡± Clemente gasped, ¡°You are telling me that your rtionship is nothing but a

    goddamn partnership?! What the hell

    ¡°Lower your voice, Clemente!¡± Westin snapped.

    There were still people outside of this room, people who couldn¡¯t find out about this

    secret.

    Clemente shut his mouth immediately. Yet he was still breathing heavily, ring at the couple

    ¡°I know it is a lot for you to process. But we are where we are. The child is born. Westin has already

    announced me as his Queen. There is no way I can return to the werewolf society again¡­¡±

    Her voice faded off. Pain flickered across her eyes.

    ¡°So this child will grow up in our Kingdom, despite his identity,¡± Westin picked it up. and said.

    ¡°Clemente, I don¡¯t care if I am the father or not. All I care about is the safe of J and my child. So

    I am asking you this now¡­Can you help me protect them and this secret?¡±

    Clemente froze on his spot as a thousand thoughts whizzed across his mind.

    This was treason. He thought.

    If he agreed to this, he would be helping them raise a non¨CLycan child as the heir of this Kingdom.

    If the secret got leaked one day, he would be skinned alive by thousands of angry Lycans, including

    his own father.

    But¡­

    He raised his head and met with J¡¯s eyes.

    She was staring at him with pleading eyes, which were gleaming with tears.

    ¡°Take a look at the child, Clemente,¡± she pled. ¡°The baby adores you¡­Please help us protect this

    child.¡±

    The baby¡¯s small fingers were still wrapped around his.

    Clemente could smash a rock with barehand, yet he couldn¡¯t take his finger back from this delicate

    little hand.

    How amazing was that?

    Clemente took in a deep breath and asked, ¡°Is it a boy or a girl?¡±

    ¡°A boy,¡± Westin smiled.

    ¡°Have you thought of a name yet?¡±

    J shook her head and then asked, ¡°Would you like to give him a name?¡±

    Clemente hesitated for a little while.

    Then, with a shaky hand, he pushed a tuft of wispy hair out of the baby¡¯s forehead. ¡°Aspen,¡± he

    said.

    A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he continued, ¡°Aspen¡­ You are the heir of this Kingdom. And I

    swear to protect you¡­with my own life.¡±

    <hr>Right at this very moment, thousands of miles away, in the Blood Moon Pack, arge party

    was going on in the packhouse.

    People were here to celebrate the birth of Princess Jasmine earlier today at dawn, daughter of

    Alpha Casper and Luna Balvina.

    This was a huge event. And a lot of guests were invited, including the King of the werewolves,

    Daran.

    Those people were chatting enthusiastically about pack business, trade matters, and

    even the pretty women here at this party.

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t pay any attention to them.

    He stood there in silence, like a soulless ghost, and gazed absently into the distance. His eyes

    lacked focus and carried a heavy burden of pain and loss.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Just then, he arched his back abruptly, as though he suddenly got struck by a sharp wave of pain.

    ¡°King Daran!¡± one guest gasped, ¡°What is wrong?¡±

    Daran breathed heavily, clutching his chest tightly.

    ¡°I¡­I feel¡­¡± he murmured, hoarsely, ¡°I just felt a strong connection¡­a bond¡­it is so weird¡­¡±

    Just a few seconds ago, he sensed a strong connection being built between him and an unknown

    person in this world.

    It wasn¡¯t the mate bond¡­. simr but different¡­as though someone very close to him just came

    into this world.

    The guests exchanged looks of suspicious.

    It sounded like a mate bond, what King Daran just described.

    But King Daran¡¯s former mate had eloped with the Lycan King. Everybody knew that. It was

    considered a huge scandal.

    One particrly brave guest said in a careful voice, ¡°My King, is it possible that¡­you felt it wrong?

    You don¡¯t have a mate anymore. Princess J is gone¡­forever. You should get over with that

    treacherous little-

    Daran snapped his head up.

    His eyes zed with anger as he gritted, ¡°¡­What the fuck did you just say?¡±

    The guest flinched, waiving his hands hastily, ¡°N¨CNO, nothing-¡±

    Yet it was toote.

    Daran smashed his wine ss to the floor and grabbed that guest by the neck, dragging him over.

    In a tumult of horrified gasps and screams, Daran pressed the guest to the wall and tightened his

    grip.

    ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are!¡± he snarled, his handsome face consorted by insanity. ¡°To

    disuse my mate, my personal business and to give me a fucking suggestion?!¡±

    The guest struggled for breath in his iron grip, his face quickly turning purple, ¡°P¨CPlease¡­let me

    down¡­Please-¡±

    The other guests backed from them in horror.

    King Daran¡­he didn¡¯t look sane. It was as though he hadpletely lost his mind¡­

    This sudden fight had caught the entire party¡¯s attention.

    startled crowd, and went at Daran.

    He grabbed Daran by the shoulder and spun him around forcefully.

    BANG!

    He threw a hard punch at Daran¡¯s face, sending Daran staggering to the side for a few steps.

    ¡°GET YOUR FUCKING SELF TOGETHER, DARAN!¡± Casper roared, his face filled with

    rage.

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254

    Blood streamed down from the corner of Daran¡¯s mouth.

    He touched his ripped lips with one hand.

    His face darkened.

    The crowd was so astonished by Casper¡¯s bold behavior that one of the guests gasped:

    ¡°Alpha Casper! That That is the King for Moon Goddess¡¯s sake.

    Daran was their King now, in procession of a superior power.

    If Daran was pissed and decided to take it back on the Blood Moon Pack, none of them could stop

    him!

    Yet Casper didn¡¯t look afraid.

    He stood there with his fists tightly clenched and snapped, ¡°So what if he is the King? I am not

    anyone disturbing my daughter¡¯s birthday party! And I certainly will not endure his fucking

    madness!¡±

    The crowd winced in silence.

    None of the others had the gut as Casper did.

    ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± Casper looked around the bystanders with an icy face, ¡°There is

    cake and wine at the other side of the hall.¡±

    The crowd got his hint and hastily scattered away.

    Casper waited for everyone to leave and walked up to Daran, offering him a hand. After a little

    hesitation, Daran took that hand and straightened his back.

    ¡°You are fucked. You know that?¡± Casper said in a harsh tone.

    Daran let out a snort, looking scornful.

    ¡°The entire room of people just saw you throw an innocent man at the wall for absolutely no reason

    at all-

    ¡°He was fucking talking about my business-¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of people on this talking about your business, Daran! God, the way you have

    been behaving yourself, do you honestly expect people to not notice it and not to talk about it?¡±

    Daran¡¯s chest heaved. ¡°What the fuck are you talking.

    Daran¡¯s chest heaved, ¡°What the fuck are you talking-¡±

    ¡°Agitated, fretful, cranky, violent¡­Shall I go on?¡± Casper said icily, ¡°You are crowned as the King.

    People expect you to rule. But how can they trust you if you keep on acting like that? A mad

    person?¡±

    Daran put a shaky hand over his eyes.

    After a long pause, he spoke up in a hoarse, broken voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know Casper¡­I seriously don¡¯t

    know¡­I only wanted this kingship before because it could help me get J back. But now, it is

    only a burden for me.¡±

    ¡°I know, man. I get it.¡±

    Casper patted his shoulder, ¡°You are not the only one who is in pain here. Fuck I lost my own sister!

    But J made her choice. We have to respect that¡­and move on.¡±

    He stopped there, hesitating, and asked Daran after a little pause:

    ¡°Have you considered naming a Queen?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Daran raised his head up, frowning.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Casper let out a sigh, ¡°I know that the elders in your pack have been discussing it. They believe that

    a Queen can help you patch up the pain and get back on the right track. Since none of them have

    the gut to bring it up to you, they sent me to do the talking-¡±

    ¡°It is not their fucking business,¡± Daran gritted.

    ¡°Come one. They are only looking out for you. New love can heal wounds faster than you think. And

    I am not saying that J is receable-¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. Because she is not.¡±

    Daran turned his back on Casper and said, ¡°I am leaving.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Casper chased him up a few steps, ¡°I am not done talking here¨CYou haven¡¯t even seen my

    daughter yet!¡±

    But Daran had already walked through the crowd and disappeared behind the doors.

    Originally, he nned to spend at least one night in Blood Moon Pack, to meet with Balvina and her

    newborn and offer his congrattions to the happy couple.

    Yet he couldn¡¯t stay there for another second now.

    It was sad to admit to it¡­but other people¡¯s happiness just reminded him of the darkness he was

    currently in.

    Daran shifted into his wolf and ran at his full speed, heading back to the Riverside Pack.

    He dashed through the woods, across the in, down the mountains, bathed under the silver

    moonlight.

    He hoped that a good run could help him shake off those pains.

    But it didn¡¯t.

    It only intensified the pain.

    He arrived at Riverside Pack¡¯s packhouse a little after dawn.

    He walked into his room, still slightly out of breath, and found that there was somebody in his room.

    A Woinan

    To be more precise, a half¨Cnaked woman.

    She was on his bed, checking out a picture that he picked on his nightstand, a picture of him and

    J when he walked in.

    She heard the footsteps and jerked around, eyes round with shock.

    ¡°M

    My King!¡± she straightened her back, panicked, ¡°They told me that you wouldn¡¯t be back till

    tomorrow¡±

    He stepped out of the shadow, his cold eyes fixed upon her..

    ¡°Who said you cane in here?¡± he asked in a croaky voice.

    The woman swallowed, apparently worried, but she plucked up the courage to face this seemingly

    dangerous man.

    ¡°The elders asked me toe¡­¡±

    She knelt on the bed, taking her hands to loosen her nightrobe.

    The nightrobe slid off from her delicate shoulders, revealing her smooth skin and plump breasts.

    ¡°They said that¡­you need someone to keep you warm at night,¡± she breathed.

    She was very beautiful, with an attractive body and curves.

    But Daran didn¡¯t take a single nce at her before hissing: ¡°Out¡±

    ¡°But my king¡­¡±

    Daran bared his fangs, which gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me tear your fucking throat apart,¡± he growled. ¡°OUT!¡±

    The woman was frightened.

    She quickly jumped off the bed and hurried towards the door.

    Before walking out, she turned around and looked at him once more, a reluctant look on her pretty

    face.

    ¡°Are you still in love with her? With Princess J?¡± she asked, stubbornly. ¡°Because everyone in

    this world knows that she ditched you for another man. You can do so much better than her. You will

    be a fool if you let yourself keep thinking-¡±

    A sharp de went at the woman¡¯s face before she could finish.

    She screamed and stumbled back in horror, but her back was against the wall- ¡°NO DON¡¯T-¡±

    The de stopped half an inch from her throat.

    Daran, still holding that de in his hand, looked down at the woman¡¯s

    scared¨Clooking face

    ¡°I am not still in love with her. She has made herself my enemy. So you can tell those nosy elders

    that ¡± he sneered. ¡°And pass on another message for me: you are a lucky one. But I will slit the

    throat of the next woman they send to me. Got it?¡±

    The woman nodded hastily.

    ¡®Now fuck off.¡±

    She didn¡¯t waste a single second before dashing out of his room

    Daran paced back to his nightstand and picked up the picture of him and J.

    He studied that picture in the darkness for a long time.

    Then he tossed it into the trash with a cold face.

    Those people¡­they were right about one thing:

    J would nevere back.

    He hated her, so much, for that.

    May they never meet again in this life.

    And if they did-

    He would avenge what she did to him, with his own hand.

    <hr>8 yearster.

    J stepped out of the woods and raised her head, gazing at the clear blue sky.

    The sky looked the same from here and from the castle.

    But J could sense something different.

    The air smelt fresher¡­it smelt like freedom.

    It was the first time she left the misted woods in 8 years.

    ¡°Queen J!¡±

    A soldier ran over and saluted to her.

    ¡°Any sign of Prince Aspen?¡± J asked.

    ¡°We found traces of Prince Aspen heading up north. It is possible that he has entered the werewolf

    world.¡±

    J¡¯s face changed slightly.

    Then she nodded, ¡°Alright. Then we should better catch up with him.¡±

    ¡°Yes. My Queen!¡±

    Her son Aspen never came back home after schoolst night.

    Later on, soldiers at the borderline told her that Aspen crossed the border by himself

    and had run off.

    No one knew what that kid was up to. And why he ran away.

    Westin wasn¡¯t in the castle at the moment, and he took Clemente with him.

    As reluctant as the elders were, they still agreed to let J out of the woods and let

    het search for her missing son.

    J¡¯s heart was filled with worries as she hit the way, following the steps of her

    son.

    What happened to Aspen?

    Was he safe?

    And most importantly-

    If Aspen went into the werewolf world, he might meet with people that he never meant to meet.

    Casper, Balvina, and¡­

    Daran.

    Aspen¡¯s true father.

    And that was what truly worried J.

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255

    J and the soldiers started heading up north following the trace of her son.

    At first, they thought that it would not be that hard to catch an 8¨Cyear¨Cold..

    But the truth proved them wrong.

    They were always one stepte behind Aspen and had to follow him all the way close to the Blood

    Moon Pack¡¯s border.

    J had aplicated feeling at heart.

    ¡­Why was Aspen heading towards the Blood Moon Pack?

    Was this purely a coincidence? Or did Aspen hear something that led him to this ce?

    She didn¡¯t know.

    She could only ask her son personally when she found him.

    And¡­.

    It had been 8 years.

    8 long years since she was taken away by Westin.

    And now she was finally back.

    Back in her own hometown.

    She wondered how her friends and families had been¡­Casper, Balvina, the child that Balvina was

    pregnant with when she left-

    And Daran.

    Would Aspen meet with all those people?

    ¡­Would she?

    The soldierspletely lost track of Aspen after he went into the Blood Moon Pack

    And they couldn¡¯t go any further.

    It was already werewolf controlled territory.

    So they made a brief stop at the borderline to reassess.

    Elder Medline joined them shortly after since, apparently, this woman didn¡¯t trust J enough to let

    her move around alone in the werewolfnd.

    ¡°What the hell have you been doing?! Why haven¡¯t you found the prince yet?¡±

    That was the first line that Medline said to J when they met.

    J let out a snort internally.

    Medline had been nothing but harsh to her over the past 8 years.

    She criticized the way J ran the castle and the way she dressed, moved, and talked to people.

    She found everything about J vulgar and unmannered.

    Westin always defended J when he was around.

    But he didn¡¯t this time, which gave Medline a perfect opportunity tosh out on J.

    ¡°This is the Lycan¡¯s heir for Christ¡¯s sake!¡±

    Medline snarled at J in front of all their soldiers, waving her hands angrily, ¡°If Prince Aspen

    went missing or¨CGod forbids¨Cran into any kind of danger, all the Lycans would shred you into

    pieces!¡±

    ¡°No need to threaten me. I am his mother. I am more worried than any of you,¡± said J coldly.

    Medline sneered loudly, ¡°Mother? Ha! I haven¡¯t even asked you why the prince ran away from home

    yet. Studies showed that 90% of children¡¯s run¨Caway is rted to domestic violence. You must have

    been hurting your son-¡±

    BANG!

    J mmed the table with her hand so hard that it sent a shudder down everyone¡¯s spine.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Medline was startled as well.

    She took a small step back and red at J, ¡°What? Are you going to hurt me as well?¡±

    ¡°Are we going to sit here and talk about bullshits? Or are we going to find my son?¡± J snapped.

    She didn¡¯t give Medline a chance to retaliate and simply turned to the soldiers, we still can¡¯t locate

    the prince?¡±

    ¡°So

    One soldier shook his head, looking torn, ¡°There is no way for us to know where the prince is since

    the entire city is guarded by werewolf soldiers. And we don¡¯t want to raise too much attention by

    poking around¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not? It is just a bunch of lowly werewolves. Don¡¯t be afraid of them,¡± Medline, rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I say we just bloodshed the entire werewolf city and snatch our prince back¡±

    ¡°NO¡±

    J snapped.

    Medline narrowed her eyes at J, ¡°No? This is the most efficient solution and you are saying no

    to that? Why? Because suddenly you are sympathizing with the werewolves, even over your own

    son?¡±

    ¡°BECAUSE!¡±

    J approached Medline dangerously, clenching her fists, Because the King forbids anyone to

    mess with the werewolves. He couldn¡¯t say the word ¡®co¨Cexist! enough in those elder¡¯s meetings!

    Have you gone deaf during those meetings?¡±

    Anger shed in Medline¡¯s eyes.

    Yet she didn¡¯t have the gut to purposely go against.

    No matter how tough she was.

    ¡­Fine. ¡±

    Medline said unwillingly after a long pause, ¡°So we let the werewolves keep their pathetic lives.

    What do you propose alternatively?¡±

    ¡°We use a fake identity and sneak into the city in secret, looking for my son.¡±

    ¡°Then I have just the perfect identity for you, my Queen,¡± said one soldier at once. ¡°Third daughter

    of Lord Kurt from the ck Water Pack. Lord Kurt is very private and rarely leaves his own pack.

    The public world knows very little about him, which makes this fake identity safe for us.¡±

    J nodded, ¡°Then I will be Lady Kurt, from the ck Water Pack. And Elder Medline can pretend

    to be my nanny.¡±

    Medline¡¯s jaw tightened, ¡°You want me to be your servant-

    ¡°If you find this so beneath you, you can stay outside of the city. It is up to you,¡± said J icily.

    Medline looked as though she just swallowed a fly.

    Yet she agreed to this reluctantly in the end.

    The two of them did aplete makeover before going into the city, getting rid of anything that

    could make the others suspect of their Lycan identity.

    Medline insisted that J wore a mask, in case people recognized her.

    If anyone asked about the mask, they would just say that J burned her face before and didn¡¯t

    want anyone to see her hideous face.

    The next morning, they were at the Blood Moon Pack¡¯s checkup point.

    To J¡¯s surprise, there was a huge crowd of people waiting in line to enter the city.

    ¡°Hey excuse me.¡±

    She stopped a passerby and asked, ¡°What is with the crowd?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± the passerby said enthusiastically, ¡°It is the Annual Alpha¡¯s meeting! All the

    important people are going to be here!¡±

    ¡­Annual Alpha¡¯s meeting.

    J had a moment of trance.

    Almost 9 years ago, they gathered at the Annual Alpha¡¯s meeting and decided on the alliance

    training, which led her back to Riverside Pack

    It was where everything all began.

    Now¡­.it felt like something happened in her pre¨Clife.

    Just then, a ck car appeared down the street.

    As it drove past the crowd heading towards the gate, there was apuse and cheers.

    ¡°That is Alpha Casper¡¯s car!¡± someone cried.

    ¡­Casper?!

    J immediately wanted to push through the crowd and went to the car.

    Yet Medline grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± she hissed into J¡¯s ears, ¡°You are a Lycan¡¯s mate now!¡± The car had already

    gone into the gate.

    Disappeared from J¡¯s sight.

    Tears welled up in J¡¯s eyes as she stared in the direction of the car.

    Casper, was that you?

    I miss you¡­my big brother¡­.so, so much.

    ¡°Where is King Daran?¡± someone next to J asked his friend, ¡°Is he going to be at the meeting?¡±

    ¡°Of course. But I heard that he was runningte. We probably won¡¯t see him today.¡±

    J took in a deep breath and fought down her tears.

    Daran.

    Your son was in the city, so close to you right now.

    Could you feel it?

    <hr>Daran¡¯s car was galloping down the road.

    He got caught up by some pack businesses and left the Riverside Packte.

    His driver took a shortcut to buy them some time. But this route would lead them. through a very

    rough area.

    Daran leaned back in his seat with his eyes shut, deep in his own thoughts.

    The car slowed down gradually and halted to aplete stop.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Daran asked.

    ¡°My apology my king¡­but some homeless just blocked our way,¡± said the driver nervously.

    Daran opened his eyes and looked outside.

    There was indeed a group of homeless surrounding this shiny car, banging on the tinted window

    and asking for food and money.

    Daran frowned, looking impatient..

    He wanted to tell the driver to get out and chase the crowd away.

    Yet before he did that, his eyes flickered to the side and saw a tiny figure behind the crowd.

    It was a child.

    Probably 8 or 9 years old.

    He didn¡¯t swamp up to the car like the other homeless did.

    Instead, he remained sitting on the curb, his tiny arms around his knees, and stared attentively at

    the board in front of him.

    The board had two simple words written on it: Need food.

    For some weird reason, this little homeless caught Daran¡¯s attention.

    His body acted quicker than his mind.

    Before he knew it, he was out of the car already and walked up to that little homeless, ignoring the

    others.

    He stopped in front of that tiny figure, looking down at the child.

    ¡°Where are your parents?¡± he asked.

    The boy raised his head.

    Their eyes met.

    ¡­Two sets of identical, smokey grey eyes.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256

    Daran didn¡¯t realize that this child¡¯s eyes looked just like his.

    He simply found this boy the cutest child that he had ever seen.

    The boy was a bundle of adorable with his round little face that boasted irresistibly puffy cheeks.

    His grey eyes, framed by long, darkshes, sparkled with a gorgeous glint.

    There was a softness to his features, from the gentle curve of his button nose to the way his

    eyebrows arched.

    Daran felt his heart melting away as he asked again, ¡°Hey kid, where are your parents?¡±

    The child shed his big eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­probably at home.¡±

    So a run¨Caway kid, Daran thought.

    ¡°Then why did you run away from home? Did you fail a test or something?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The child puffed his little chest, looking very proud. ¡°I never fell at exams. I am the top one in

    my ss!¡±

    Daran couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Then why? They would be worried sick knowing that

    you are starving yourself like that out there.¡±

    The boy¡¯s shoulder slumped. He suddenly looked very glum.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think they would be worried.¡± the kid said, pouting. ¡°My parents are

    won¡¯t even look for me. They don¡¯t care that I am gone.

    Daran frowned.

    His anger red.

    What kind of

    Parents would allow such a lovely child to leave home alone? These people¡­they were not cut out

    to be parents. Shame on them.

    Daran cleared his throat and sat down on the curb side¨Cby¨Cside with the child.

    His tailored pants got stained and his shiny shoes were in the mud.

    But he didn¡¯t seem to care about it at all.

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked the boy.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The boy hesitated and nodded.

    ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t eaten in 3 days,¡± he said in a frustrated, soft little voice. Daran gritted his teeth. Those

    goddamn parents deserved to burn in hell!

    He pulled out his wallet and took out all the cash. There was about 300 to 500 dors.

    ¡°Here. Take this.¡± he handed the cash to the child, ¡°Buy yourself a nice meal and then go home. You

    can¡¯t live on the street like this. It is too dangerous. If your parents continue to ignore you, call the

    police for help.¡±

    The child stared at the money in his hand.

    Yet to Daran¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t take it.

    ¡°Why would I want your money?¡± asked the child, looking perplexed.

    ¡°You need money to buy stuff like food. Have your teachers taught you how to buy things in

    stores?¡±

    The boy¡¯s face turned an angry red.

    ¡°I know what money is for. I am not a kindergartener!¡± he protested, ¡°But I won¡¯t take your money. It

    is charity. A true noble doesn¡¯t ept people¡¯s charity.¡±

    Daran¡¯s raised an eyebrow in amazement.

    ¡°A true noble? You?¡± he repeated.

    ¡°Yes. Me.¡± the boy raised his head very proudly, ¡°You may call me the prince.¡± Daran couldn¡¯t help

    but burst outughing.

    To him, this was just a little child¡¯s fantasy, picturing himself as the prince. Yet Daran had got to

    admit to it though¨Cthe child did have some spines.

    Earlier when all the other homeless swamped up to his car like a bunch of flies, only this kid

    remained sitting on the curb, holding on to hisst thread of dignity.

    ¡°What are youughing at? Everyone else in my family calls me the prince!¡± the boy protested.

    Daran stoppedughing.

    uspeloqu your highness If you don¡¯t

    He rubbed the boy¡¯s soft chestnut hair, ¡°My apology, your highness. If you don¡¯t want my money,

    what else do you prefer?¡±

    The boy cleared his throat, ¡°I¡­I can grant you the privilege to buy me a big burger.¡± His eyes

    flickered to the burger joint across the street.

    Daranughed again, ¡°A burger, some fries, and a huge ice cream. How does that sound?¡±

    The boy swallowed. His eyes twinkled.

    ¡°And milkshake!¡± he added eagerly.

    Daran chuckled, ¡°I believe we have a deal, your highness.¡±

    He offered his hand to the boy.

    The boy took his hand and jumped up to the curb, a huge grin on his puffy face. They crossed the

    street holding hands and went into the burger joint together.

    The woman behind the counter took their order.

    She first took a look at Daran and then back at the kid, smiling, ¡°Sir, you have a very lovely kid.¡±

    Before Daran could say anything, the boy spoke up in a very serious voice, ¡°No. He is

    not my dad. My dad is the King.¡±

    Daran and the woman startedughing together.

    Because they all thought the child was joking.

    Seeing that they didn¡¯t take him seriously, the boy pouted.

    He tiptoed holding onto the counter and said to the woman, ¡°Can I get extra mayonnaise for my

    burger?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can, my little prince.¡± the woman giggled.

    When the food was ready, Daran took the tray and led the child to sit in a booth.

    The child was indeed starving.

    He grabbed the burger and took a huge bite, his cheeks stuffed by the food.

    Yet as hungry as he was at the moment, he still remained in an excellent table

    manner.

    He didn¡¯t make any sound while chewing.

    And he made sure that he didn¡¯t get crumbs and sauce onto his clothes.

    ¡­ Maybe the kid dide from a very good family. Daran thought.

    ¡°What is your name, boy?¡± he asked.

    ¡°¡­Aspen,¡± the boy said, devouring the burger. ¡°Prince Aspen.¡±

    Daran smiled, ¡°OK then, Prince Aspen, what is your n after this? Are you going home?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Aspen shook his head hastily, ¡°I won¡¯t go home. And you can¡¯t make me! You are not my

    parents.¡±

    Daran raised his eyebrow, rubbing his chin.

    He couldn¡¯t let a child wander on the street like that.

    But if the child refused to go home-

    Maybe he could keep the child by his side?

    Daran was startled by that thought.

    Why would he want this kid by his side? He hated children.

    But Aspen¡­there was something special about Aspen.

    Just then, the door to the burger joint flew open and Daran¡¯s Beta Francis came dashing inside.

    ¡°Hey, where have you been? We are going to bete to the Alpha¡¯s Meetings¡­Wow!¡±

    He stopped and took a look at Aspen, amazed.

    ¡°When do you have a bastard child?¡± he asked Daran.

    Daran frowned, ¡°What are you talking about? This is just a kid that I met on the

    street.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? He looked exactly like you when you were his age. And check out those eyes!

    You both have grey eyes!¡±

    Daran¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    He looked at the child, who was busy working on the vani ice cream.

    Did they really look alike?

    But Daran couldn¡¯t remember what he looked like when he was 8 years old.

    One thing to be sure was that¡­They both have smokey grey eyes.

    ¡°Hey Aspen,¡± he called to the boy. ¡°Where do you get your eyes from? Your mom or dad?¡±

    Aspen shook his head, ¡°Neither of my parents have grey eyes. Mom said that said that I got my

    eyes from my grandpa. But I never met my grandpa. So I don¡¯t know if she was lying.¡±

    Daran leaned forward, fixing his gaze upon the boy.

    ¡°What are the

    as of your

    parents?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257

    Daran thought that if he could know the names of this kid¡¯s parents, he could send the boy home.

    He would probably even teach these people a lesson on how to be qualified parents. Hearing

    Daran¡¯s question, Aspen slowly put his burger down and held his head down.

    ¡°What is the matter?¡±

    Daran could see that the boy¡¯s spirit was suddenly down at the moment.

    ¡°Are¡­Are you getting rid of me?¡± Aspen asked in a broken voice.

    ¡°No, of course not, I am simply curious.¡±

    ¡°I already told you that my parents don¡¯t care about me!¡± Aspen cried, snapping his head up, his

    eyes filled with tears. ¡°Don¡¯t send me back. Please. I don¡¯t want to go home. Everyone at home is

    so mean to me. They called me a bastard, saying that I am not daddy¡¯s boy¡­¡±

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Daran began to soften.

    He stood up and switched to the boy¡¯s side and sat side¨Cby¨Cside with Aspen, rubbing his soft hair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you don¡¯t want to go home, no one can make you. The reason I asked for your

    parents¡® names was that¡­Well, you said that they were bad parents, right? Maybe I can give them

    a warning or something.¡±

    Aspen blinked his teary eyes and choked, ¡°R¨CReally? Can you do that? My daddy is pretty tough.

    He won¡¯t be afraid of you.¡±

    Daran smiled, ¡°I think I can handle your daddy no problem. Now, what is hist name?¡±

    Aspen lowered his head again and yed his own thumb

    After a long pause, he spoke up in a small voice, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    It was clearly a lie.

    How could a boy not remember his parent¡¯s name?

    But Daran got it.

    Aspen was still worried that he might send him home.

    If Aspen wasn¡¯t ready to tell him, he wouldn¡¯t make the boy.

    ¡°Hey, Aspen.¡± he patted the boy¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Have you been to the Blood Moon Pack before?¡±

    The boy shook his head in a daze.

    ¡°Interested in a tour?¡± Daran asked.

    ¡°Daran!¡± Francis gasped, looking very disapproved. ¡°Are you seriously going to take this little

    homeless with you? You are alreadyte to those meetings. And how are you going to exin to

    people who this boy is¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin anything. It is none of their business,¡± said Daran coldly.

    Francis lowered his voice, ¡°Sure, the others won¡¯t dare to poke around your business¡­But what

    about Alpha Casper? Alpha Casper will think that this boy is your

    bastard child.¡±

    Daran frowned.

    Casper was indeed a problem.

    Just then, Aspen raised his head and said in a voice loud and clear, ¡°-Daddy!¡±

    Francis let out a short cry, ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    Even Daran widened his eyes in surprise, ¡°What did you just call me?¡±

    ¡°Daddy.¡± Aspen held his hand, ¡°If people ask, you can say that you are my dad.¡±

    Daran found himself smiling at the boy, ¡°What about your real dad? Won¡¯t he be mad?¡±

    Aspen came close to his ears and whispered, ¡°Then¡­let us never tell him. He won¡¯t be mad if he

    never finds out. I will let you be my fake daddy¡­ Just for a couple of days.¡±

    Daranughed.

    He loved this idea more than he thought.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Francis huffed, trying to pull the boy off from Daran¡¯sp. ¡°Do you have any idea

    whom you are talking to right now, boy?! Standing in front of you is the King of werewolves! He will

    never be your father!¡±

    Daran shot him a cold re, silencing Francis at once.

    ¡°If I say I am the father of this child, I AM the father. Understood?¡± he said icily.

    Francis gulped nervously.

    Aspen rolled his eyes and let out a small snort, ¡°Yeah, so what if he is the King? My dad is also

    King. And I am the prince. But you don¡¯t see me brag about it everywhere.

    Humility is a virtue. My mom taught me that.¡±

    ¡°And your mom is right about that,¡± said Daran as he picked up Aspen and carried the boy in his

    arms, marching towards the doors.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Aspen asked, wrapping his little arms around Daran¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Blood Moon Pack, a city that you have never been to. Let me show you around. Francis stared at

    their back and let out a long, frustrated sigh.

    The way that the boy rolled his eyes looked just like Daran when Daran was young

    People might actually believe that these two were father and son.

    <hr>J and Elder Medline used their fake identities and sessfully got into the city of Blood

    Moon Pack.

    The streets were jammed by people, who were all gathered here to see the Alphas from different

    packs and¨Cmost importantly the King.

    ¡°Look!¡± somebody cried, ¡°It is King Daran¡¯s car!¡±

    A cheer went up from the crowd as a shiny silver car drove down the street.

    Blended within the crowd, J stood on tiptoes with the others and looked.

    Her heart was thumping wildly against her ribs.

    Daran.

    It had been 8 years already.

    Yet even today, she could still remember his face vividly, and how he stared at her with a look of

    pain and hatred when theyst met.

    That memory made her heart ache every time she thought about it.

    There were a couple of girls by J¡¯s side, and they were all giggling stupidly.

    ¡°Do you think I can get King Daran¡¯s attention this year?¡± one girl smirked, ¡°I heard that he was still

    not married vet.¡±

    ¡°Drop it, slut. I bet the King haspanies.¡±

    ¡°No, I swear it, he doesn¡¯t! He has been single since¡­you know¡­his skunky ex ran off with another

    man.¡±

    J bit her lips listening to those girls gossip.

    So Daran still hadn¡¯t married?

    Was it possible that¡­he was still waiting for her toe back?

    No.

    Impossible.

    He made it clear that he hoped that the two of them never met again; and if they did, he would see

    her as his enemy.

    That was how much he hated her.

    And it was why she had to keep her return aplete secret. She didn¡¯t want to see the hate in his

    eyes again.

    ¡°The King¡¯s car is here!¡± a girl cried excitedly.

    The silver car drove close.

    The back window was lowered a couple of inches, so the crowd could catch a glimpse

    of the inside.

    Yet they didn¡¯t see the King.

    Instead, there was a tiny figure leaning against the window, staring curiously at the enthusiastic

    crowd.

    J rounded her eyes in shock. She almost screamed out-

    That was her son, Aspen!

    Shit. What the hell?!

    What was Aspen doing with Daran?

    Did he know that Daran was his father? Did Daran know?!

    The car drove past them in a few quick seconds and then it was gone, leaving the crowd in wonder.

    ¡°Have you seen that boy? Who is he?¡± someone gasped.

    ¡°The King¡¯s son? No, wait, that can¡¯t be right. The King doesn¡¯t have a son. Maybe his rtive¡¯s

    child?¡±

    Everyone was busy discussing that mysterious child as J stood on her spot, shocked and

    frozen.

    Medline tugged her sleeve and whispered urgently into her ears, ¡°What the hell? Why does that

    werewolf King have Prince Aspen?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡± J shook her head in a daze.

    ¡°I bet he knows that Aspen is the Lycan¡¯s heir and has taken Aspen hostage to threaten us!¡±

    Medline snapped, ¡°Fucking, despicable werewolves¡­¡±

    ¡°Lower your voice! We are in the werewolf¡¯s city right now. Don¡¯t cause any trouble! buffed

    trouble!¡± J huffed.

    She was also worried about another pressing matter

    Nobody in the Lycan¡¯s Kingdom knew that Aspen wasn¡¯t Westin¡¯s child.

    It was a secret that she must keep in order to protect Aspen.

    Yet Aspen was taken by Daran now, his birth father.

    J had never been this worried that the secret might get exposed with the two of them being in

    the same room.

    ¡°Then what should we do now?¡± Medline asked her, ¡°We need to get Prince Aspen back fast. God,

    if King Westines back and finds out that his kid is gone, just imagine how pissed he is going to

    be.¡±

    J let out a frustrated sigh, ¡°I know¡­OK. Let¡¯s sneak into those meetings. See if we can

    approach Aspen without causing any attention.¡±

    If she could talk to her boy and persuade him toe home with her, all problems. would be

    solved.

    Yet she had a feeling that things would not go as nned.

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258

    There were a lot of panels happening in the pack house.

    J and Medline managed to get a speaker¡¯s list from one of the staff and found out the panel that

    Daran would be at.

    If Daran was at this panel, it was possible that Aspen was there too.

    J and Medline waited for the discussion session to be over before sneaking into the room.

    There were still a lot of people in the room, mingling and talking.

    J stood in the corner alone and quietly observed the room.

    She spotted Daran in the near distance, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd.

    This was the first time she saw his face in 8 long years.

    A mixture of pain and longingness shot through her body like a sharp knife.

    ¡­She could hardly recognize him anymore.

    It was not like that his facial features had changed that much¨Che still looked dazzling handsome as

    usual.

    It was his aura that changed.

    The youthful part of him was dead,pletely.

    Now all that was left in him was a cold, ruthless soul.

    His deep¨Cset, smokey¨Cgrey eyes now held a haunted gaze that spoke volumes of the grief he

    carried.

    The sparkle that once danced in those eyes had dimmed, reced by weariness. His dark hair,

    once carefully groomed, now hung behind his shoulders and was

    slightly dishe

    J also noticed a scar on his face, which traversed his left cheek, d Jabb

    from the ear to the neck.

    She wondered how he got that scar.

    Probably on the battlefield.

    Probably during a brutal assassination.

    Nevertheless, she was absent from those 8 years of his life.

    And she would never have the chance to figure out what happened to him in that period of time.

    J took in a deep breath fought back the tears in his eyes and looked away from

    Daran.

    She had to quit those sentimental thoughts.

    She needed to focus on finding her son.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see Prince Aspen here,¡± Medline whispered into her ears.

    from Daran. Must b

    ¡°He can¡¯t be too far away here somewhere,¡± said J with a frown.

    This wasn¡¯t Riverside Pack.

    Daran didn¡¯t have anyone that he could trust Aspen with.

    He would very much likely keep Aspen close to his side.

    Yet the only problem was¡­.where?

    J told Medline to do a thorough search in the crowd. And she would go into the VIP lounge to

    see if Aspen was there.

    She was heading towards the lounge when a voice came behind her back:

    ¡°Excuse me¡­Miss?¡±

    J jerked around and found a young man staring at her with a frown.

    Shit.

    It was Daran¡¯s Beta, Francis.

    They knew each other back at the Riverside pack.

    She panicked for a brief moment and then remembered that she was wearing a mask.

    So there was no way that Francis could recognize her.

    ¡°Yes Sir?¡± she forced out a smile underneath her mask.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Francis looked at her with a nk look, ¡°I am sorry¡­But you look really familiar to me.¡®

    J¡¯s heart rate quickened.

    But she didn¡¯t let her nervousness show, ¡°I think you mistook me for someone else.

    Or is that a really old pickup line?!!

    On is that a really old pickup line

    Francis scratched his head, still looking skeptical, ¡°No believe me. I wasn¡¯t frying to hit on you it is

    just that when I saw your back earlier, I almost thought that t saw a very old friend¡±

    ¡°Oh is that so? Sorry that I am not her,¡± replied J in a calm voice.

    She curtseved to Francis and was about to leave

    Francis took a hasty step forward and blocked her way again.

    ¡°What is your name, Miss?¡± he asked eagerly.

    ¡°¡­Kurt.¡±

    ¡°Lord Kurt from the ck Water Pack. He is your

    ¡°That is my father,¡± she replied with a nod.

    ¡°It is very nice to meet you, Lady Kurt.¡± Francis came even closer to her, ¡°Listen. Do you want to

    come to an exclusive partyter? I can even introduce you to the King if you like¡­¡±

    J frowned in frustration.

    Thest person she wanted to be introduced to was Daran!

    ¡°I appreciate that sir. But I don¡¯t think I have the time-¡±

    ¡°Ohe on. 99% of the girls here want to get to know the King. I bet that you are no different.

    What do you say?¡±

    J was losing her patience.

    Why was Francis still pestering her?

    She had to find her son. ASAP.

    If Daran took Aspen away, she would lose the chance to talk to her son again.

    She was thinking of ways to get rid of Francis when a cold voice came from their backs:

    ¡°Francis, what are you doing there?¡±

    J froze on her spot.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    It was Daran¡¯s voice.

    Her heart was racing, her palms sweating, her mind a total nk.

    She didn¡¯t dare to turn around.

    She was afraid to face him..

    ¡°Oh! My King!¡± Francis said briskly, ¡°Come here. I want to introduce you to Lady Kurt, from ck

    Water Pack.¡±

    ¡­Please don¡¯t!

    J begged internally.

    Luckily, she heard Daran¡¯s nonchnt voice the next second, ¡°I need to talk to you. Come.¡±

    ¡°Oh. OK.

    Francis sounded disappointed, ¡°Well then, maybe another time, Lady Kurt.¡± He walked away with

    Daran.

    J stood there and waited for their footsteps to disappear into the distance, before slowly letting

    out a sigh of relief.

    That was close.

    The impact that Daran still had on her was unbelievable.

    The moment she heard his voice, she even forgot how to walk or talk.

    She better find her son and get out of this ce as quickly as possible.

    So she kept on heading towards the VIP lounge prepared for the speakers.

    All the speakers were still at the panels, so there weren¡¯t many people in the lounge right now.

    J pushed the door open for a crack and peeked inside.

    She saw a maid and a boy in the room.

    Aspen!

    Found him!

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I go to the panel? I am so bored here,¡± she heard Aspen ask the maid.

    ¡°It is only for adults, young master. You will get bored there as well.¡±

    Aspen pouted, looking very disappointed, ¡°Then can I at least get some cake? I am starving.¡±

    The maid hesitated.

    She didn¡¯t want to leave the young master here alone, yet she also didn¡¯t want to starve the boy that

    King Daran asked her to take care of.

    After a small pause, the maid said, ¡°OK. Let me get you some cake. But you promise to stay here,

    young master?¡±

    Aspen nodded absent¨Cmindedly.

    The maid stood up and left the lounge.

    J waited for her to walk away and hastily dashed into the room.

    ¡°¡­Aspen!¡± she cried in a hushed voice.

    The boy snapped his head up, his eyes round with shock.

    ¡°Mom!¡± he gasped, ¡°What are you doing here?!¡±

    ¡°To find you! Oh my god, Aspen¡­Do you know how worried I was?!¡±

    She sped him to her and almost choked.

    She couldn¡¯t imagine losing her boy¡­Anxiety almost killed her.

    Aspen wrapped his tiny arms around J¡¯s neck and rubbed his forehead against hers, ¡°I am

    sorry Mom¡­I miss you too.¡±

    What happen

    Aspen pouted, reluctant to say.

    As desperate as J was to hear her son¡¯s reason, this was not a ce to talk.

    ¡°Never mind. We will have a serious discussion when we get home. Now let us go.¡±

    She tried to pull her son up.

    ¡°No!¡± Aspen cried, breaking from her grip. ¡°NO! I don¡¯t want to go home!¡±

    ¡°What? Why? What is wrong with home?¡±

    ¡°¡­Those people. They are horrible to me!¡±

    Aspen cried with tears welling up in his eyes, ¡°My ssmates, those elders. Theyughed at me all

    the time because I didn¡¯t have a wolf. And I heard people calling me¡­a bastard. What does bastard

    mean, Mom? Does that mean that I am not daddy¡¯s boy?¡±

    J felt her heart ache for her little boy.

    Because Aspen was a werewolf, he wouldn¡¯t be able to shift till he came of age.

    Yet that was not the case for the Lycans, who were born with wolves.

    Due to that very reason, Aspen had be the scoff of the town.

    J and Westin tried to rationalize this by telling people that Aspen was a hybrid so

    his wolf would appearter.

    Yet that didn¡¯t kill all the rumors.

    ¡°Aspen. Listen to me.

    J crouched down meeting her son¡¯s eye level and held his tiny hands,

    ¡°Remember what I said? That you are a boy of wonder? You are different from them, in a good way.

    So don¡¯t let other people¡¯sughter get to you.¡±

    Aspen held his head down in silence.

    ¡°I will make those people apologize when we get home,¡± J promised. ¡°But now. We REALLY

    need to go.¡±

    ¡°NO, MOM! I don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°Aspen

    J tried to pick up the boy by force.

    Just then, she heard the sound of a te breaking from the door, followed by a sharp

    Cry:

    ¡°HELP! Someone is trying to steal the young master!¡±

    The maid went to get Aspen¡¯s cake. She was back!

    J spooned Aspen up and quickly assessed the situation.

    If it was just one maid, she could probably escape the scene without getting stopped-

    Yet a tall figure appeared by the door the next second.

    Daran blocked the entrance and gazed at J with cold, dangerous eves.

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259

    J froze on her spot when Daran¡¯s gaze fixed upon her.

    A horrible dread surged up in her chest¡­Would he recognize her?

    No.

    He wouldn¡¯t. She was wearing a mask.

    Daran stared at the woman in front of him with a frown.

    He couldn¡¯t see her face with that mask.

    Yet for some unknown reasons, he found her very familiar.

    Had he met her before somewhere?

    ¡°Put the boy down.¡±

    He took a step forward and growled, ¡°Or I will toss you into prison and skin you alive!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Aspen let out a sharp cry, horrified. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t do this to my-¡±

    J mped the boy¡¯s mouth as quickly as she could.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say I am your mom,¡± she whispered into the boy¡¯s ears.

    The boy blinked and tears streamed down his puffy cheeks.

    Seeing the boy cry, Daran gave a sudden sh of anger.

    He had a special connection with this boy.

    Anyone who made the boy sad should be prepared to face his rage.

    He didn¡¯t know why this woman was trying to steal Aspen.

    Maybe she heard rumors saying that Aspen was his child and decided to abduct the kid to get a

    large ransom.

    ¡°What is it that you want? Huh? Is it money?¡± he red at J. ¡°Put the boy down and we can still

    talk. Or you won¡¯t make it out of this house alive.¡±

    J let out a small, trembling breath.

    She deepened her voice and talked in a faked, rasped voice, ¡°¡­No, My King, I wasn¡¯t trying to steal

    the boy. I saw him alone in this lounge and came in here to y with him. I didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±

    ¡°Alone?¡± Daran gave a freezing look at the maid.

    The maid dropped to her knees instantly, shivering from head to toe, ¡°F¨CForgive me, My King, I

    didn¡¯t mean to leave the young master here alone¡­he wanted cake so

    I¡­¡±

    You ced your young master¡¯s safety at stake,¡± said Daran ruthlessly. ¡°You will be punished.¡±

    The maid sobbed, looking very afraid.

    The maid sobbed, looking very afraid.

    J stared at Datan with a veryplicated feeling at heart. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    He wasn¡¯t this harsh and cold at 8 years old.

    Yet now, his simply standing there could make people fear him from the bottom of their hearts.

    ¡®No! Don¡¯t punish her!¡± Aspen cried.

    He struggled off from J¡¯s arms and ran to Daran, holding his hand, ¡°I asked her to get cakes for

    me. It is not her fault. And¡­¡±

    The boy nced at J and shook Daran¡¯s hand, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to punish this¡­this beautiful

    Lady either. I like her.¡±

    Daran¡¯s cold eyes became soft when he looked at the boy, ¡°Beautiful? How can you tell? Her face is

    covered by a mask.¡±

    Aspen grinned sheepishly, ¡°I can feel it¡­She is the prettiest woman on earth.¡±

    ¡°You have ttered me, young master,¡± J curtseyed.

    She was relieved that the smart little boy didn¡¯t expose her identity.

    Daran directed his gaze at J and let out a snort, ¡°So you are a guest? What is your name?¡±

    Kurt, My King, from the ck Water Pack.

    ¡°Can someone prove your identity?¡±

    J paused, reluctantly.

    She didn¡¯t have any identification documents. And her identity was faked.

    Just then, another person came rushing into the lounge.

    It was Medline.

    She saw Aspen and let out a small sigh of relief.

    Then she turned to face Daran and said, ¡°I can prove mydy¡¯s identity. I am her nanny.¡±

    ¡°Nanny?¡± Daran directed a skeptical look upon Medline.

    A nanny should at least bow or curtsey to the King.

    Yet Medline despised werewolves, so she remained standing upright with a distant look on her face,

    ¡°Yes, nanny. Actually, I am very good with kids. Why don¡¯t you give

    the young master to me and let me calm him down in the next room?¡±

    She stretched out her hands to Aspen.

    J instantly knew what she was trying to do: Medline wanted to take Aspen out of Daran¡¯s sight

    and snuck the kid out of there!

    Yet Aspen suddenly started crying, ¡°NO! I don¡¯t want her! I hate her!¡±

    Medline looked mad and embarrassed, ¡°What are you talking about-¡± She tried to grab the boy¡¯s

    cor.

    Pah

    Aspen spat on her face

    Medline rounded her eyes in shock and shrieked, ¡°Oh Oh my god! You filthy

    little

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Daran narrowed his eyes dangerously.

    Aspen jumped into Daran¡¯s arms and buried his face onto his shoulders, ¡°I don¡¯t want this ugly old

    woman. She is scary. She makes my stomach turn.¡±

    J almostughed.

    Aspen never liked Medline.

    The boy once saw Medline scolding her and decided that Medline was the number one person he

    hated on this,

    Seeing that Aspen just spat Medline, J couldn¡¯t help but feel a sweet sense of triumph.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let her take you away,¡± Daran patted the boy¡¯s back gently. Then he turned to

    J with a cold face, ¡°Don¡¯t ever try to approach the kid without my permission¡­Oh and keep

    your obnoxious nanny out of everyone¡¯s sight.¡±

    He carried Aspen in his arms and marched out of the room.

    ¡°¡­Shit!¡±

    Medline wiped the spat on her face, looking infuriated, ¡°That boy has absolutely no manner! Just

    like you!¡±

    J gave her an icy look, ¡°He simply says what he thinks.¡±

    ¡°Now what should we do? That condescending King just forbade us to go near Aspen. How can we

    take the boy away?¡±

    J frowned.

    Looked like that taking Aspen by force was a no¨Cgo.

    She needed another n.

    The good thing was that Daran didn¡¯t seem to know that Aspen was his child.

    Yet God knew how long she could keep that secret from him.

    She needed to act. Fast.

    <hr>Daran took Aspen to Casper¡¯s room.

    He liked this boy very much. Yet he didn¡¯t know how to take care of children. He needed the help of

    someone with experience.

    Balvina and Casper were having dinner with their daughter Jasmine when Daran walked in.

    Casper noticed the boy in Daran¡¯s arms immediately, ¡°Who is this? Your bastard child?¡®

    Aspen hated that word very much.

    ¡°I am not a bastard!¡± he cried to Casper, clenching his little fists angrily.

    Casperughed, ¡°A tough little pup. But seriously, who is he? I have never seen you been with a

    child before.¡±

    ¡°He is my Dad,¡± Aspen replied proudly.

    Balvina let out a gasp of shock. Even Casper rounded his eyes with surprise.

    Daran put the boy down and gave him a little nudge, ¡°This is Jasmine. Do you want to go y with

    her?¡±

    Aspen never had a friend of his own age.

    He looked to Jasmine with a strained look on his face.

    Jasmine approached him first, ¡°What is your name.¡±

    ¡°¡­Aspen,¡± said the boy warily.

    The girl took his hand and asked with a grin, ¡°Do you want to see my dolls?¡± ¡°Only girls y dolls.¡±

    He said that but still led Jasmine to take him to the next room to y those dolls. The three adults

    could finally talk.

    ¡°That is really your child? He does have your eyes,¡± Balvina said.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Daran rubbed his forehead¨Che couldn¡¯t lie to Casper and Balvina.

    ¡°That is just a boy that I met on the street. He ran away from home and didn¡¯t have anywhere else

    to go. So I am keeping him by my side for now. But I am telling everyone else that he is my child to

    keep him safe.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know who his parents are?¡±

    ¡°No. The boy won¡¯t tell me. And I don¡¯t want to force him.¡±

    Casper frowned.

    These two were really not rted?

    But the boy looked so familiar¡­

    ¡°Can you look after the child? I have no idea of how to tuck him in and stuff like that,¡± Daran said.

    ¡°If you want to be the boy¡¯s daddy, better learn about this stuff soon,¡± Balvina. joked.

    She promised Daran that they would take very good care of the boy.

    After Daran left, the couple called the two kids over and began dinner.

    ¡°Aspen, we don¡¯t know what your favorite food is. How are you with roasted chicken?¡± Casper

    asked and offered the boy a slice of chicken breast.

    Aspen replied in a very elegant manner, ¡°Thank you, sir. Everything all looks very tasty.¡±

    Casper and Balvina exchanged a look of astonishment.

    .This boy looked like a little gentleman. He must be raised by a realdy.

    Aspen picked up his silvers.

    Before he dug in, he first took a little sniff of the chicken on his te.

    It looked like a subconscious move, a smail quirk of him.

    It was that very move that caught Casper¡¯s attention..

    ¡°Aspen!¡± Casper held his breath and looked at the boy attentively, ¡°Why did your sniff the food.¡±

    Aspen blinked innocently, ¡°My mom always does this.¡±

    Casper¡¯s heart started racing.

    ¡­J had the same quirk, just like this boy.

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260

    ¡°What is your mom¡¯s name?¡± asked Casper eagerly.

    The boy lowered his head, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    He clearly didn¡¯t want to tell them.

    Balvina gave him a look asking him to be patient and turned to the boy with a gentle. smile, ¡°Your

    eyes are gorgeous, Aspen. Does your mom have grey eyes as well?¡±

    The boy bit the bait and raised his head back up, ¡°No! Mom has brown eyes like amber. They are

    also very pretty.¡±

    Casper¡¯s heart almost jumped out of his throat¨CJ had brown eyes!

    ¡°I bet your mom is a very attractivedy,¡± Balvina smiled. ¡°I bet she has curvy long hair?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Very long hair. All the way to her waist! But not very curvy, more like straight!¡± Aspen looked

    very excited showing off his beautiful mommy to the others, ¡°And she has a heart¨Cshaped face and

    the body of a female warrior. She is the most beautiful woman I know!¡±

    The ss slipped from Casper¡¯s grip and fell to the floor, making a breaking sound.

    He was shaking as his mind screamed-

    ¡­That was J!

    The boy¡¯s mother was J!

    Aspen was startled by that breaking ss and cried, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±

    Casper tried everything he could to keep up with a calm expression and said to the boy, ¡°Your aunt

    Balvina and I need to have a word alone. You and Jasmine just go ahead and dig in. Balvina?¡±

    He gestured for Balvina to follow him and marched towards the next room.

    As soon as the door closed behind their back, Balvina let out a small gasp, ¡°Holy fuck¡­that boy¡¯s

    mom-¡±

    ¡°That is J¡¯s child!¡± Casper snapped, clenching his fists.

    Tuck that boy¡¯s mom-¡±

    ¡°That is J¡¯s child!¡± Casper snapped, clenching his fists.

    ¡°No. Wait Let us calm down for a second.¡±

    Balvina covered her forehead with one hand and paced back and forth in the room, ¡°A lot of women

    have brown eyes and heart¨Cshaped faces that doesn¡¯t mean anything-¡±

    ¡°But that sniffing thing?¡± Casper said in a trembling voice, ¡°J always sniffed her. food before

    eating! To make sure that her food is safe and clean. That is a quirk she got when she was staying

    with the Diaz. I have never seen anybody else do that!¡±

    The couple exchanged a shocking look.

    Crap.

    This boy was really J¡¯s child.

    But what was he doing here?

    And if he was here, where was J?

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Balvina raised a hand, ¡°If this is J¡¯s child, then his father is¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­That Lycan King,¡± Casper gritted.

    J had been with Westin for years.

    It only made sense that Westin was the father.

    Balvina took a sharp inhale of breath and shook her head, ¡°God. Imagine if Daran finds out about

    this¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh he will lose it and bes a total nutcase,¡± Casper gritted. ¡°The child of his ex and his life rival

    He might strangle the child in a heartbeat. No. We can¡¯t let him find out about this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You are right,¡± Balvina sighed. ¡°OK. Let¡¯s get back in there. And keep it together, Casper.

    Don¡¯t frighten the child.¡±

    They went back to the dining table.

    The two kids were sharing a te of pumpkin pie.

    ¡°What did you talk about, Mom and Dad?¡± Jasmine asked with her mouth stuffed. with pie.

    ¡°Nothing. Eat your pie,¡± Balvina rubbed her daughter¡¯s hair.

    Casper fixed his gaze upon Aspen. The more he looked, the more traces of J he found on this

    kid¡¯s face.

    ¡°Anything wrong, sir?¡± Aspen noticed his gaze and asked.

    ¡°No¡­Nothing,¡± Casper¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°And don¡¯t call me sir. Call me¡­Uncle Casper.¡±

    This was his niece.

    His beloved sister¡¯s child.

    J, where are you? Have youe back home already?

    Why haven¡¯t youe and see me?

    <hr>Aspen slept in Casper and Balvina¡¯s suite that night.

    The next day, when all the adults went to meetings, Jasmine generously invited Aspen to y

    hide¨Cand¨Cseek with her friends.

    ¡°But¡­I have never yed hide¨Cand¨Cseek before,¡± said Aspen nkly.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t?¡± Jasmine gasped, ¡°Then what do you do back home?¡±

    Aspen thought about this for a while, ¡°Studying. Reading books with my mom. And training.

    He trained very hard.

    He didn¡¯t want the others to look down on him because he didn¡¯t have a wolf.

    ¡°That is all you do all day? That is crazy!¡± Jasmine cried, ¡°No, you have to y hide¨Cand¨Cseek with

    us today. I will teach you the rules.¡±

    The group of kids went to the garden.

    Jasmine was the seeker for the first round.

    She covered her eyes and started counting as the other kids¨Cincluding Aspen¨Cscattered, looking for

    ces to hide.

    This was the first time that Aspen yed this time.

    He was very excited and really wanted to win.

    He ran all the way down to theke and spotted a tree by the water¨Cthis tree had a dense canopy,

    which was a great ce to hide himself.

    So he climbed up and crouched down on a thick breach behind the leaves.

    There were children screaming and giggling¡¯s in the distance.

    It sounded like Jasmine had caught a couple of hiders.

    Aspen held his breath and waited nervously.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    After what felt like a couple of minutes, he carefully leaned forward and gazed into the distance.

    He wanted to see if Jasmine was getting close to him.

    It was when the branch beneath him gave a dangerous wobble.

    CRACK!

    The branch snapped in half and Aspen fell directly into theke!

    Water engulfed him immediately.

    Aspen opened his mouth to scream and ended up choking a mouthful of water.

    He moved his little arms and legs struggling to the surface. Yet the surface grew further and further

    away from him.

    He didn¡¯t know how to swim!

    The boy started to panic. He opened his mouth and bubbles came out of it-

    He was going to drown!

    Just then, he felt a pair of strong hands grab him by his shoulder and pull him up

    dragging him to the shore.

    Aspen crushed down to the solid ground and coughed nonstop.

    He looked up, breathing hard, and found that the person who rescued him was no one else but

    Daran.

    ¡°Maids!¡± Daran snapped.

    Maids rushed over and saw both the King and the young mater drenched in water and al! panicked.

    One maid hastily ran to get them a towel.

    Daran wrapped the towel around the boy¡¯s trembling shoulder, his face looking very cold.

    ¡°Who is supposed to keep an eye on the kids?!¡± he snarled, ring at the frightened servants.

    ¡°What if I didn¡¯t walk past by and pull him up just in time? If anything happens to him, you are all

    going to hell!¡±

    All the servants winced in fear.

    Not one had the guts to meet the King¡¯s furious eyes.

    Aspen tugged at Daran¡¯s sleeves, ¡°Don¡¯t me them¡­daddy. I was ying hide¨Cand¨Cseek with

    the girls. I lik

    that game.¡±

    Even though he identally fell into theke, he still found that the best game he ever yed.

    Daran frowned with frustration.

    This got him thinking¡­Maybe Aspen needed a nanny.

    He had meetings and business to attend to and couldn¡¯t stay by Aspen¡¯s side all the time. Casper

    and Balvina were all too busy to do the job.

    He needed a certain person whom he could trust Aspen to.

    ¡°I will find you a nanny tomorrow,¡± he told the boy. ¡°Until then, stay where I can see you.¡±

    A nanny.

    Aspen¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°Then can I have thedy that we met yesterday?¡± he grabbed Daran¡¯s hand and asked eagerly.

    ¡°Not the old and ugly woman¡­the young and pretty one.¡±

    He missed his mom very much.

    It would be great if his mom could be his nanny.

    ¡°Lady Kurt?¡± Daran raised an eyebrow in surprise, thinking about that woman wearing a mask. ¡°You

    want her?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Can I?¡±

    Daran would give this boy anything that he wanted in this world.

    Yet first, he needed to vet this woman, personally, to make sure that she was qualified.

    ¡°OK. But first I need to give Lady Kurt a quick interview,¡± he smiled.

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261

    Aspen was beyond excited to have J as his nanny.

    He liked hanging out with Daran. But he also missed his mom very much.

    If he could have J and Datan by his side at the same time, there was nothing else that he

    wanted on this.

    ¡°Great!¡± Aspen stared at Daran with eagerness gleaming in his big eyes. ¡°When are you going to

    interview her? Like now? Shall we go find her right away?¡±

    Daran couldn¡¯t help but let out a small chuckle, ¡°You really like Lady Kurt, don¡¯t you? But I can¡¯t give

    her that interview right away. I have meetings to attend to.¡±

    ¡°When can Ie to your meetings?¡± asked the boy excitedly.

    Now it was Daran¡¯s turn to be surprised, ¡°You want toe? It is just going to be a bunch of adults

    talking for several hours. It might be tiresome.¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t find meetings tiresome. Actually, my dad let me sit in on his meetings all the time. I like

    seeing him scold other people when they did something wrong.¡±

    It was true.

    Westin often included Aspen in his meetings. The boy grew up by the meeting table in the council

    chamber, listening to the king and the elders discussing how to manage the kingdom.

    Daran was once again amused by the boy¡¯s honest answer, ¡°Your father scolded people a lot, huh?

    Is he like a boss or a CEO?¡±

    Aspen shook his head with a very serious look on his face, ¡°No. I told you. He is a king.¡±

    Yet Daran didn¡¯t know that the boy was telling the truth.

    He still believed that this was just a little boy¡¯s fantasy.

    ¡°Of course, he is,¡± Daran said in an offhand kind of tone and rubbed the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Well, if you¡¯d

    rathere with me than y hide¨Cand¨Cseek with your friends, you are more than wee.¡±

    Aspen let out a cry of joy and ran off to Jasmine, telling her that he would be going with Daran to the

    meetings.

    Jasmine and the other girls found that very hard to believe.

    ¡°Are you crazy? Volunteering to be in a room full of adults and listening to their yammers¡­that is

    like suicide!¡± Jasmine cried.

    Another girl echoed with her, ¡°Indeed. y with us in the garden. It is so beautiful out here. Why

    waste your time indoors?¡±

    Yet Aspen shook his head firmly, ¡°No thank you. I have had enough fun for one day already. Now it

    is time for me to learn. I will hang out with you another day perhaps.¡±

    He bowed to the girls like a little gentleman and hastily ran back to Daran.

    ¡°Let us go,¡± said the boy as he offered his little hand to Daran.

    Daran held his hand and double¨Cchecked with him again, ¡°Are you sure that you want to be there?

    You can barely reach the meeting table.¡±

    ¡°I can sit on yourp, or a stool by your side. Now enough talking. Let¡¯s go ruling,¡± said the boy

    seriously.

    Daran burst outughing, ¡°Well, as you wish, my little prince.¡±

    He picked up the boy hoiding the boy in his arms and headed over to the meeting

    room.

    The meeting room was packed with people, alphas from all over the world, and elders in Riverside

    Packs.

    Everyone stood up to greet the King when he stepped into the room.

    And naturally, they noticed the little boy in the King¡¯s arms.

    Aspen handled those gazes with a calm demeanor beyond his years. He had been to tons of big

    asions. A crowd like this would not interrogate him.

    So he returned those gazes, puffed out his little chest, and held a confident smile on his face.

    Daran walked to the end of the table and took his seat.

    He did not ask the servants to bring an extra stool for the boy but instead kept the boy on hisp.

    ¡°Sit,¡± he said to the room in a deep and majestic voice.

    Everyone sat down. Their eyes were still on the boy.

    ¡°My King, may I ask whom this is?¡± asked an elder sitting at the table.

    ¡°My child,¡± Daran answered briefly.

    A round of astonished gasps could be heard in the room.

    One of the Alphas cried, ¡°Your child? But forgive me, my king, howe none of us knew about

    this before¡­¡±

    Daran gave him a freezing look, ¡°Are you saying that I need to keep you updated with every detail

    of my personal life?¡±

    The Alpha shivered in fear, ¡°No¡­of course not¡­¡®

    ||

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get back to the real business,¡± said Daran icily. ¡°What is on the top of today¡¯s agenda?¡±

    After a short silence, everyone swallowed down their questions and looked back to their notebooks

    and files.

    They were still curious about the boy. But none had the gut to poke the bear. Sitting on Daran¡¯sp,

    the boy lifted the corner of his mouth into a small smirk. ¡­His fake daddy was even more

    intimidating than his real father.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    It was so fun to see him scold other people.

    The meetingsted for more than 2 hours.

    Daran worked with the Alphas and elders and cleared items on the agenda.

    Daran thought the boy would fall asleep out of boredom. Yet to his surprise, Aspen sat through the

    whole meeting without showing any signs of annoyance.

    in on bic bands looking interested in any

    He listened attentively, resting his little chin on his hands, looking interested in any subjects that

    they talked about.

    ¡­Maybe the boy was a natural ruler.

    That thought flickered across Daran¡¯s mind.

    After they were done discussing thest unresolved matter, Daran closed the file and

    looked around the room:

    ¡°Are we done for today?¡±

    The Alphas and elders shared a reluctant look as though there was something on their minds still.

    Daran noticed their hesitation, ¡°What is it? Is there something that we didn¡¯t get to?¡±

    ¡°The thing is¡­¡±

    An elder from Riverside Pack cleared his throat.

    ¡°There is indeed something that we would like to discuss with you, my king.¡±

    Daran frowned and tapped his finger on the table impatiently, ¡°Then hurry and say it.¡±

    He wanted to wrap up this meeting soon and got back to interview Aspen¡¯s nanny.

    That woman named Lady Kurt.

    For some weird and unknown reason, he was eager to meet with her again.

    ¡°We would like you to choose a Luna, my King,¡± the elder said.

    There was a moment of deathly silence.

    Daran narrowed his eyes, in which there was a terrible storm building.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± he gritted.

    Some people shifted in their seats uneasily.

    They had all sensed the king¡¯s rage.

    Yet since the topic was out there already, they had no choice but to carry it through.

    ¡°You need a Luna. The werewolf kingdom needs an heir. This isn¡¯t the first time that we have

    brought up this to you¡­¡±

    ¡°Then you should have known my stand on this. Crystal clear!¡± Daran snapped. Everyone looked

    intimidated.

    Yet one Alpha gathered up the courage and said:

    ¡°But forgive me, my king, this matter is getting more urgent than ever. You are now at the prime of

    your year indeed. But what if¨CGod forbids¨Csomething tragic and unexpected happens to you? Who

    wille out and rule thisrge kingdom?¡±

    11

    ¡°That is right. And it takes years to groom an heir,¡± said another elder. ¡°It will really put the people¡¯s

    mind at ease if you get married now and give birth to an heir soon.. That way you will have plenty of

    time to impart your wisdom to our future king.¡®

    Daran sat in his chair, motionlessly.

    Daran sat in his chair, motionlessly.

    There was a terrible expression on his face. None of the people dared to make eye contact with

    him.

    After a long pause, he let out an icy chuckle, ¡°So you have alle aboard before this meeting¡­to

    strongarm me today.¡±

    The room answered him with an awkward silence.

    Then one of the elders said carefully, ¡°You can have any woman that you like, my king. And of

    course, if you like to marry the birth mother of this child, that is also a way to go¡­

    ¡®Daran frowned in frustration, ¡°No. That is not an option.¡±

    For a quick second, he regretted that Aspen was not his real child.

    Because that way, all problems would be solved.

    ¡°Well¡­in that case¡­¡±

    The elder took out a piece of paper and slid it across the table to Daran. ¡°Here is a list of all the

    qualifieddies in this kingdom. We have narrowed them down to the best 10. And they have all

    come to their fathers to the annual alpha¡¯s meeting, ready to meet with you. We hope you can pick

    out a Luna before this year meeting ends.¡±

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262

    Daran was in a horrible mood when he left the meeting room.

    The list that the elder handed to him was threaded into pieces and discarded into the trash.

    Aspen sat in his arms quietly, his chubby arms wrapped around Daran¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Are you going to get married?¡± asked the boy as they marched down the hallway. The furrow

    between Daran¡¯s brows grew deeper, ¡°No¡­I don¡¯t know¡­Maybe.¡±

    The elders were right about one thing.

    This kingdom indeed needs a Luna and an heir.

    ¡°If you are to get married, why did you yell at those people?¡± the boy asked. ¡°Are you in love with a

    certaindy that the elders forbid you to marry?¡±

    Daran¡¯s heart ached for a quick moment.

    The woman that he was in love with¡­Well, the elders didn¡¯t stop them from being together, the fate

    did.

    His heart died the moment that they parted.

    He would never fall in love with another woman, ever again.

    So maybe he should listen to the elders and choose a Luna. He didn¡¯t need to love her. As long as

    she was a Luna material, that was all that mattered.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t you worry?¡±

    Daran rubbed the boy¡¯s bushy hair and smiled, ¡°Even if I do get married, you can still call me daddy

    and hang out with me. Nothing will change. Now, let us go interview your new nanny.

    He took the boy back to his chamber and asked the servant to summon Lady Kurt. About half an

    hourter, the servant reported back to them, saying that Lady Kurt was there.

    Daran raised his head. His eyes flickered to the door as that woman stepped in.

    A strange feeling surged up in his chest at that moment.

    She was wearing a ck long dress that covered up her entire body, looking very much like a

    pr¨¨de. And her face was still covered by that mask.

    There was nothing about her that could stand out or catch a man¡¯s attention.

    Yet strangely¡­he could not take his eyes off him.

    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    She walked closer and curtseyed to them.

    ¡°My King, young master, good day.¡±

    Daran pressed down the strange feelings at heart and nodded, ¡°Lady Kurt, do you know why I called

    you in here today?¡±

    J was so nervous that she could hardly breathe.

    She and Medline were working on ways to approach Aspen again when the servants from the court

    came to knock on their door and said that the King wanted to see her.

    She tried asking the servant what this was about. But the servants would not say. Medline tried to

    come with them. But she got stopped by the servants.

    Her heart was filled with worry and anxiety on her way to the packhouse.

    Why did Daran suddenly want to see her?

    Did he find out about who she was?

    Or even worse¡­did he find out who Aspen was?

    ¡°No¡­My King. I don¡¯t know why I am here¡­¡± she answered in a light voice, holding her head down.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±

    Before Daran could answer, Aspen jumped off his chair and rushed to J, crying, ¡°You are going

    to be my new nanny! Are you happy? You can stay in the packhouse with me all day long from

    now!¡±

    ¡­What?

    J snapped her head up, looking astonished.

    Daran wanted her to babysit Aspen.

    That was why he summoned her?

    Aspen shook her hand eagerly, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be my new nanny? Come on, just say yes, will

    you?¡±

    J looked at the boy and gave him a soft smile.

    Of course, she wanted to stay close to her child. It almost killed her to be kept apart from Aspen.

    If she was his nanny in this packhouse, she would have an authorized identity to stay with Aspen.

    And more importantly, it would be easier to sneak Aspen out of the packhouse this

    way.

    Of course, she would have to face the danger of her identity getting exposed, but that was a risk that

    she was willing to take.

    ¡°It would be my honor,¡± she answered firmly without hesitation.

    Aspen let out a cry of joy immediately.

    Yet Daran spoke up at this moment in an icy voice, ¡°Not so fast. You have not passed my interview

    yet.

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat as Daran stood up from his chair and walked up to her. He stood in

    front of her, staring down at her face with a searching gaze.

    ¡°What is your full name?¡± he asked.

    ¡°J¡­Janine Kurt.¡±

    She made up a fake name urgently.

    ¡°Are you married?¡± he pursued.

    J bit her bottom lips nervously¡­Why did he ask that?

    ~1 life ¡± Daran let

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Lady Kurt. I am not interested in your personal life.¡± Daran let out a snort, ¡°I

    am just wondering if a singledy who has zero experience with children can take care of the young

    master.¡±

    J took a deep breath.

    She wanted to say that she was single. But Aspen was staring at her right now. She didn¡¯t want to

    give the child the impression that she was having trouble with his father

    ¡°I¨CI am married with a child, My King.¡± She answered in a low voice eventually. Daran felt a fleeting

    pain and anger.

    ¡­She was married? With another man?

    He didn¡¯t understand where those strange emotions came from¨Cthe truth was that they just met and

    he barely knew this woman.

    Yet the moment he heard her say those words, the me of jealousy started burning in his chest.

    How weird.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Daran ignored the angry beast inside of him and said in a cold voice, ¡°Then you know how to care

    for a child.¡±

    ¡°I do, your majesty, you can trust the young master to me.¡±

    ¡°Be very careful, Lady Kurt, you don¡¯t want to make any mistake with this job.¡±

    He warned her ruthlessly, ¡°The only reason I chose you as the nanny is because the young master

    likes you very much. So if I find any signs of misconduct or sloppiness¡­you will be punished. And

    nobody can save you.

    J gave a small flinch.

    He was serious about those punishments.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263

    He didn¡¯t use to be this cold and ruthless, which scared her a bit.

    Aspen tugged at Daran¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Don¡¯t scare Lady Kurt. I promise I will be very good with her.¡±

    The cold expression on Daran¡¯s face was reced by a faint smile. He patted the boy¡¯s back and

    said, ¡°I know you will. So while I am in the meetings during the day, you just stay close to her, OK?¡±

    ¡°But can Ie to the screening?¡± asked the boy eagerly.

    ¡°What screening?¡± Daran didn¡¯t get it at first.

    ¡°You know¡­the screening of your Luna! The elders asked you to make a decision soon, right? Can

    Ie and meet with those women and offer my advice?¡±

    J widened her eyes abruptly.

    What did Aspen just say?

    Daran¡­was he getting married??

    She and Medline were working on ways to approach Aspen again when the servants from the court

    came to knock on their door and said that the King wanted to see her She tried asking the servant

    what this was about. But the servants would not say.

    Medline tried toe with them. But she got stopped by the servants,

    Her heart was filled with worry and anxiety on her way to the packhouse,

    Why did Daran suddenly want to see her?

    Did he find out about who she was?

    Or even worse¡­did he find out who Aspen was?

    ¡°No¡­My King, I don¡¯t know why I am here¡­¡± she answered in a light voice, holding her head down.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±

    Before Daran could answer, Aspen jumped off his chair and rushed to J, crying, ¡°You are going

    to be my new nanny! Are you happy? You can stay in the packhouse with me all day long from

    now!¡±

    ¡­What?

    J snapped her head up, looking astonished.

    Daran wanted her to babysit Aspen.

    That was why he summoned her?

    Aspen shook her hand eagerly, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be my new nanny? Come on, say yes, will you?¡±

    J looked at the boy and gave him a soft smile.

    just

    Of course, she wanted to stay close to her child. It almost killed her to be kept apart from Aspen.

    If she was his nanny in this packhouse, she would have an authorized identity to stay with Aspen.

    And more importantly, it would be easier to sneak Aspen out of the packhouse this

    way.

    Of course, she would have to face the danger of her identity getting exposed, but that was a risk that

    she was willing to take.

    ¡°It would be my honor,¡± she answered firmly without hesitation.

    Aspen let out a cry of joy immediately.

    Yet Daran spoke up at this moment in an icy voice, ¡°Not so fast. You have not passed

    my interview yet.¡±

    J¡¯s heart skipped a beat as Daran stood up from his chair and walked up to her.

    He stood in front of her, staring down at her face with a searching gaze.

    ¡°What is your full name?¡± he asked.

    ¡°J¡­Janine Kurt.¡±

    She made up a fake name urgently.

    J held her breath nervously.

    ¡­Casper and vina!

    Her brother and old¨Ctime best friend were there. She missed them so much!

    But she was not ready to face them yet.

    Would they recognize her?

    Probably not, since she was wearing a mask. But still¡­

    Before she could think of a reason to excuse herself, she heard footsteps behind her back. Casper

    and Balvina hade into the room.

    ¡°Daran, who is this?¡± she heard Casper¡¯s voice asking.

    Daran introduced them, ¡°This is Aspen¡¯s new nanny, Janine Kurt. Janine, meet Alpha

    Casper and Luna Balvina.¡±

    J was left with no choice but to turn around and face them.

    She broke out in a cold, mmy sweat as she slowly raised her head and met Casper¡¯s gaze.

    Casper rounded his eyes abruptly.

    And J instantly knew that her brother recognized her.

    She was wearing a mask.

    But he still knew that it was her.

    There was a special connection between them despite all disguises.

    ¡°¡­Janine Kurt?¡± Casper repeated in a strained voice.

    ¡°Yes. She is from ck Water Pack. Daughter of Lord Kurt,¡± Daran said.

    Then he noticed the strange expression on Casper¡¯s face and asked with a frown, ¡°What is the

    matter, Casper? Do you know her?¡±

    J quickly shot her brother a pleading look.

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    Casper cleared his throat and did his best to hide his shock, ¡°I¡­I simply find Lady Kurt a bit familiar.

    Probably because I have met her father before and she looks like her father¡­¡±

    ¡°How can you tell that she looks like her father since she is wearing a mask?¡± Daran raised an

    eyebrow, ¡°Oh, and speaking of which, Lady Kurt, can you lose your mask? I still don¡¯t know what

    you look like.¡±

    J clenched her skirt nervously.

    No. She couldn¡¯t take off her mask. Or he would recognize her!

    ¡°I¨CI¡¯d better not, my king. I have a hideous burn scar on my face and I am afraid that it might scare

    you and the young master¡­¡±

    ¡°You think I will get scared by a scar?¡± Daran snorted.

    He fixed his sharp gaze upon her face as suspicion built inside of him.

    Why wouldn¡¯t she take off that mask?

    Was it really because she had a hideous scar?

    Or did she have something else to hide?

    ¡°Lose the mask.¡±

    He deepened his voice and took a step forward, staring at her intensely, ¡°And let me see your face.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me¡­¡± she pled in a trembling voice.

    Yet there was no sign of mercy in his cold eyes, ¡°Then you lose the nanny job. I can¡¯t trust Aspen to

    a woman who doesn¡¯t dare to show her face.¡®

    There was a strained silence in the room,

    J held her head down, her palms sweating.

    No.

    She couldn¡¯t do that.

    She couldn¡¯t let him find out that it was her.

    They left each other on such a horrible note. He hated her and said that he wished they never met

    again.

    He would be so enraged to find out that she faked her identity and came near him again¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is necessary, my king.¡±

    Balvina broke the awkward silence, ¡°I believe that what happened to Lady Kurt¡¯s face is very tragic.

    Why open up the old wound?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Daran. Try to be more sensitive about it, will you?¡± Casper nodded in agreement with his

    wife, ¡°Don¡¯t make it hard for her.¡±

    ¡°It is for the safety of Aspen,¡± Daran frowned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that she wears a mask!¡± Aspen cried at once.

    He could tell that her mommy was in a difficult spot.

    Nobody could embarrass his dear mommy, not even Daran whom he liked very much.

    Balvina added. ¡°And I will talk to Lady Kurt personally, to make sure that she qualifies as a nanny.

    Will that ease up your mind?¡±

    Daran let out a frustrated sigh.

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±

    He gritted eventually:

    ¡°If that damn mask means so much to you, you can keep it on.¡±

    J cutseyed to him briefly and whispered, ¡°Thank you, my king.¡±

    ¡°I have got other meetings. I need to go.¡± Daran checked the time and said, ¡°Luna < Balvina, so you

    will talk to her?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You can trust me with it.

    ||

    Daran nodded and hastily left the room.

    As soon as he was gone, the three adults let out a sigh of relief instantly.

    ¡°J!¡±

    J rushed to hug her brother and best friend with tears in her eyes, ¡°Oh my god¡­Casper and

    Balvina¡­I miss you so much!¡±

    The 3 of them hugged tightly. Their eyes were all misty.

    It had been 8 years.

    They didn¡¯t even get a chance to say goodbye when she was taken away.

    Aspen looked at them curiously, ¡°Why are you hugging? And why does your voice sound so

    strange?¡±

    J quickly wiped her eyes and turned to the boy, ¡°Aspen, can you go y over there? I need to

    talk to your Uncle Casper and Aunt Balvina.¡±

    Aspen nodded and went to y with his blocks.

    ¡°¡­That is Westin¡¯s child, isn¡¯t it?¡± Casper stared at the boy and asked in a low, strained voice.

    ¡°Did Westin abduct you? And force you to have his kid? Is that what happened 8 years ago?¡±

    Bavlina asked urgently.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    J opened her mouth but no words came out of it.

    Shit. That damn vow.

    She swore that she wouldn¡¯t tell the truth to another living soul.

    And now she couldn¡¯t even tell her brother that Aspen was actually Daran¡¯s kid.

    After a long pause, she let out a sigh and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Casper took her silence as a yes, ¡°That fucking son of a bitch Westin! I am going to kill him!¡±

    ¡°Do you need our help, J? Is it why you are back?¡± Balvina held J¡¯s hands and asked

    eagerly, ¡°You won¡¯t leave us again, will you?¡±

    Under their expectant gaze, J slowly shook her head:

    ¡°No. This was an ident. I still need to take Aspen back to the Lycan¡¯s world.¡± Casper cried

    angrily, ¡°What? Why? You are my sister and Aspen is my niece¡ª¡± ¡°Because Aspen needs his

    father!¡±

    J snapped with tears welling up in her eyes, ¡°At least Aspen is a legal heir in the Lycan¡¯s world.

    And who is he here? A bastard? Whose father is the archenemy of the Werewolf King? It won¡¯t

    work!¡±

    She was prevented by the vow that she made to speak out the truth.

    As long as everyone was still convinced that Aspen was Westin¡¯s kid, the Lycan¡¯snd was the only

    ce/that Aspen belonged to.

    She hated it.

    But there was no alternative way.

    ¡°¡­oh J¡­¡± Balvina sobbed.

    Casper looked furious. But there was nothing he could do.

    ¡°Just¡­do a little favor for me, will you?¡± J said in a pleading voice, ¡°Don¡¯t let Daran find out

    about me and Aspen. When Aspen has his fun here, we will leave quietly.¡±

    Daran would lose it if he found out that she was back with Westin¡¯s child.

    He would hurt her¡­and probably even Aspen.

    She was not ready to face his rage.

    ¡°OK,¡± Balvina nodded.

    ¡°If you think it is the best. Then yeah, little sis,¡± Casper said quietly.

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264

    The next day, Aspen told J that he needed to be at Daran¡¯s Luna screening. Yet thest thing

    that J wanted to do was to go to this thing and see Daran pick

    his future wife.

    ¡°Aspen, you have grown out of control!¡±

    She straightened her face and tried to talk to the boy in a serious voice, ¡°You made a lot of people

    worried with your recent behavior. Do you know how mad your father will be when he finds out

    about this? So no, you won¡¯t be going to that screening. And you wille home with me and Lady

    Medline now!¡±

    The boy pouted.

    He fluttered into J¡¯s arms and begged her in the cutest voice possible, ¡°Please Mom¡­don¡¯t be

    mad at me. I just want to hang out here for a bit longer. I promise! I will go back with you soon!¡±

    J looked at his big innocent eyes and felt tempted to agree to anything that he wanted.

    This boy was so hard to say no to.

    ¡°How long do you want to stay here?¡± she took a step back and asked, ¡°There is gotta be a date.

    And we need to stick to it.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± the boy blinked, ¡°How about we stay till daddy picks out his new Luna?¡±

    J was astonished, ¡°Daddy?!¡±

    ¡°King Daran,¡± the boy grimaced sticking his tongue out. ¡°He said that I could call him daddy.¡±

    J took in a deep breath, ¡°Aspen Lockhart, you do not call another man your daddy! How will

    Westin feel about this? It will break his heart!¡±

    ¡°It is just for fun! Please, Mommy, don¡¯t tell Father. I swear I won¡¯t do it again!¡±

    J didn¡¯t know how she should react to this.

    Aspen had never shown this much affection to another man besides Westin. Daran was the only

    exception.

    Was this the ties of blood?

    ¡°Mom?¡± the bov called her again. ¡°What do you say? Can we stay till King Daran

    picks out his Luna?¡±

    J pondered for a while and then sighed, ¡°OK.¡±

    This was probably thest time that Aspen got to spend with his biological father.

    After they went back to the Lycan¡¯snd, they would never meet again.

    She couldn¡¯t take thisst chance away from her son.

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Aspen looked so happy, ¡°Then can we go now? I asked a maid, and she told me that the

    screening is in the great hall downstairs.¡±

    J took his hand and reminded him once again, ¡°When we are with someone else,

    you need to act like I am only your nanny, Janine Kurt. The others can¡¯t find out about who I really

    am and that we are Lycans.¡±

    ¡°I understand, mommy.¡±

    So they went downstairs to the great hall.

    The doors were closed by the time they got there. The soldiers guarding the door told them that the

    screening had already begun.

    ¡°I will inform the King that you are here,¡± said the soldier.

    He went into the great hall and came back out momentster.

    ¡°You are free to go in now.¡±

    J thanked him and took Aspen going into the hall.

    Facing the entrance was a throne and Daran was sitting in it. He was talking to a man standing in

    front of him when J and Aspen came in.

    ¡°Good day, my King.¡±

    J curtseyed to him, holding her head down, ¡°I have brought the young master here.¡±

    Daran raised his head. A strange look flickered across his face when he looked at J.

    ¡°Lady Kurt.¡±

    He raised his lips into a strange little smile, ¡°You are just on time. Come. And meet your father.¡±

    ¡­What?

    J¡¯s mind went totally nk.

    Her father? What was Daran talking about?

    In her trance, the man standing in front of Daran turned around to face her. He was in histe 50s,

    with a pale/thin face and soft brown eyes.

    He didn¡¯t look familiar to J at all.

    And he was also checking J up with a shocked expression.

    In a split of a second, J suddenly knew who this man was.

    This man must be Lord Kurt, from ck Water Pack.

    Supposedly the father of this fake identity that she made up.

    J almost had a mental breakdown right on the spot. How the fuck did this happen?!

    Medline told her that this cover¨Cup was perfectly safe!

    And the Kurts rarely left their own pack, so there would be no one to expose her fake identity.

    But here Lord Kurt was, staring at her, with Daran watching them in the back.

    She would be caught right in her lies if she didn¡¯t do something!

    ¡°What is the matter?¡± Daran asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Did you forget what your father looks

    like?¡±

    J pinched her own arm. The pain helped her to calm down.

    Then she strode up to Lord Kurt and curtseyed, ¡°Father, it is so nice to see you here.¡®

    Lord Kurt stared at her with an odd expression on his face.

    J raised her head looking back at him and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me know that you have

    arrived? We should find a time and catch up sometimes.¡±

    She gave Lord Kurt a pleading look, hoping that he would y along with her act. It was a long shot

    but¡­

    As long as this man didn¡¯t expose her in front of Daran, she would find a chance to straighten things

    up with himter.

    She couldn¡¯t have Daran became suspicious of her.

    ¡°Father? It is me. Janine.¡±

    She blinked at the man, praying in her heart that he woulde around.

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    Lord Kurt cleared his throat before finally speaking up:

    ¡°Right. Janine. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you with¡­with this new dress that you are wearing.¡±

    Great!

    He went with her act!

    J let out a long sigh of relief internally.

    She didn¡¯t know why this man didn¡¯t choose to expose her¡­But she survived this crisis. She would

    thank him and exin everythingter.

    ¡°So this is really your daughter?¡± Daran asked, his chin resting on his face.

    ¡°Yes, My King. This is my¡­youngest daughter,¡± Lord Kurt said. ¡°As I was saying,

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    other daughters won¡¯t be able to attend this screening. But since Janine is here, she can take her

    sister¡¯s ce and join the Luna screening.¡±

    my

    WHAT THE HELL???/

    J¡¯s jaw dropped.

    She couldn¡¯t hide the shock on her face.

    J¡¯s jaw dropped.

    She couldn¡¯t hide the shock on her face.

    What were these two talking about now?!

    ¡°Oh, Lady Kurt, looks like that you didn¡¯t know about this?¡±

    The smile on Daran¡¯s lips grew wider as he said:

    ¡°Your sister¡¯s name was on the list that the elders submitted to me. And since your sisters are

    unable to attend, I guess you will be my Luna candidate.¡±

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265

    J froze on her spot.

    She didn¡¯t know what to say or how to react.

    She did get Lord Kurt to y along with her act¡­but looked like that got her into bigger trouble.

    ¡°Yet this reminded me of another issue.¡±

    Daran changed to a more rxed posture and looked at J intently, ¡°Your

    youngest daughter told me that she is already married with kids. How can a married woman be my

    Luna?¡±

    Lord Kurt looked nervous.

    He mopped at his brow with the back of his hand and said, ¡°I¨CI believe that there is some

    misunderstanding¡­May I have a word alone with my daughter? If your majesty approves¡­?¡±

    ¡°You may,¡± said Daran coldly. ¡°But let me remind you that lying to the King is a serious crime. Kurt

    promised to send a daughter to the Luna screening. So you better keep up with that promise. You

    don¡¯t want to live with the consequence of disappointing me.¡®

    ¡°I¡ªI understand.¡± Lord Kurt stuttered, ¡°Janine,e with me!¡±

    He shot J a warning look before heading to the door.

    J bent to Aspen and asked him to stay with the maids before following Lord Kurt

    outside.

    As soon as they were alone in the hallway, Lord Kurt turned to her and snapped: ¡°-You are going to

    that screening!¡±

    J couldn¡¯t believe this guy, ¡°Wow let¡¯s slow down for a second. Are you crazy? I am not even

    your real daughter!¡±

    Lord Kurt sneered, ¡°Precisely. And let me guess. You are a gold¨Cdigger who stole my family name

    and snuck into the meetings, hoping tond a rich guy somehow. At some other time, I would

    expose you to the King in a heartbeat. Yet today, you are in luck. I happen to need a daughter to

    attend the screening.¡±

    ¡°What happens to your other daughters? It is their name on that damn list, right?¡°¨C J growled.

    ¡°If they are willing toe, why do I need you?¡± Lord Kurt waved his hand impatiently, ¡°Now spill it.

    Quick. Are you willing to make this deal with me or not?

    Go to the screening and spare me from the King¡¯s rage. And I will keep my mouth shut about a

    certain identity thief.¡±

    J was gradually getting a sense of what was happening.

    Lord Kurt¡¯s daughter¡¯s name was on the list of Luna candidates.

    Yet his real daughters couldn¡¯t attend for whatever reasons it might be.

    Just when Lord Kurt was confronting this to the King, she walked in.

    ¡­Wasn¡¯t this convenient?

    J rubbed her forehead in frustration.

    She couldn¡¯t join that Luna screening. Hell, she couldn¡¯t avoid Daran enough!

    But if she didn¡¯t, her identity will get exposed.

    And Daran would start asking questions.

    It was bad news either way.

    ¡°Quick. The clock is ticking!¡± Lord Kurt urged, ¡°Do we have a deal or not?¡±

    J let out a long sigh.

    ¡­She med Medline, who swore to her that this identity was safe.

    Safe her ass.

    ¡°Fine!¡± she gritted eventually, ¡°I will go to this thing. But you need to keep your side of the promise

    as well. Not a word about who I am!¡±

    A grin appeared on Lord Kurt¡¯s lips, ¡°You bet. But did you already say to the King that you are

    married with kids?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. I will simply let him know that I am divorced already,¡± said J irritably.

    Here was what she thought:

    There would be tons of great women at the screening. A divorced woman who would not show her

    face wouldn¡¯t catch too much attention.

    She would simply keep a low profile and get this thing over with.

    When Daran chose his destined one, she and Aspen would be on their way as well.

    They worked out the n and headed back to the great hall.

    ¡°My King.¡±

    Lord Kurt bowed to Daran with a ttering smile:

    ¡°Janine is willing to take her sister¡¯s ce and run for your Luna. It is her great honor.¡±

    Daran raised an eyebrow, ¡°Is that so? Then what about her current husband?¡±

    J stared at her own feet and said in a whisper, ¡°¡­I am divorced already.¡±

    Daran let out a snort.

    There was no way to tell whether he was happy or mad from that snort.

    ¡°Fine. Then ask the elders to bring the other candidates here and we will have the

    first screening right now,¡± said Daran nonchntly.

    Right now?

    J was caught off guard.

    It was happening a lot faster than she expected.

    But since she was aiming to win, she didn¡¯t need any preparation either.

    Momen¡¯ster, the door opened up and a group ofdies stepped inside.

    They all dressed up in fancy gowns and wore gorgeous jewelry that gleamed morously under the

    light.

    Their presence made J look like a lowly maid.

    An elder came with thedies. He stood in front of Daran and presented this lovely crowd to the

    King:

    ¡°My King, may I present to you¡ªthe Luna candidates.¡±

    All the girls stood in a line and curtseyed to Daran, smiling sheepishly.

    They were all very young and attractive and gorgeous.

    J couldn¡¯t even pick out a top one among them. They all looked perfect.

    Yet Daran looked bored.

    He didn¡¯t even take a single nce at the woman who might be his future

    Luna.

    His eyes flickered to J instead and called out her name abruptly:

    ¡°Janine Kurt.¡±

    J gave a shudder and quickly turned to him, ¡°Yes, my king.¡±

    ¡°Go stand with the other candidates. Or do you need time to get ready?¡± he said in a sarcastic sort

    of way.

    J gulped and hastily walked to stand with the other girls, who were all staring at her in shock.

    Apparently, they found it hard to believe that a shabby¨Cdressing woman like her was

    also running for Luna.

    J took her spot at the end of the line.

    She could feel herself stand out¡­and not in a good way.

    Just then, Aspen broke free from the maids and ran over to her, crying, ¡°Lady Kurt! What are you

    doing with thesedies?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± J hesitated for a second and said, ¡°I am ying a little game with them.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you call a win?¡± asked the boy innocently.

    ¡°For the first round, we are simply looking at posture, figure, and appearance.¡± The elder said, ¡°So in

    short, the prettiest candidate wins.¡±

    Aspen widened his eyes as a bright smile came across his face.

    ¡°Then we have a winner already!¡± he announced proudly and raised J¡¯s hand,

    ¡°Lady Kurt is the most beautiful woman here!¡±

    All the candidates gasped simultaneously.

    What the hell was this boy talking about?

    This Lady Kurt was by far the least attractive woman present!

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Just look at her ck dress, tight¨Cup hair, and that mask! There was no way to tell what she looked

    like!

    Everyone looked to Daran, waiting for his judgment.

    Yet the King said nothing.

    He sat on his throne with his chin resting in his hand and a mysterious smile on his lips.

    ¡°What do you know, you little boy?¡± one of the candidates scolded Aspen, ¡°She has her face

    covered. Maybe she did it because she looks hideous.¡±

    ¡°No¡­NO!¡±

    Aspen cried, his little face quickly growing red in anger, ¡°Lady Kurt is not hideous. She is beautiful!

    She is way prettier than you!¡±

    ¡°Aspen!¡± J hissed.

    She tried to contain her son, but he would not listen.

    He was in a hurry to defend her.

    ¡°You apologize to her!¡± the boy cried, ¡°My¡­my nanny is not hideous! You can¡¯t talk to her like that!¡±

    That candidate rolled her eyes and let out a snort.

    ¡°Shut your mouth, silly boy. The adults are talking,¡± said her in disgust.

    Daran suddenly straightened his back.

    He pointed at that candidate and beckoned her over, ¡°You. Approach me.¡±

    A ttered smile appeared on her face as she quickly stepped out of the line and curtseyed, ¡°Yes,

    my king?¡±

    Daran stared down at her, ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°My name is Fiona, Your Majesty. I am so happy to be here,¡± she said, batting her eyshes at

    him.

    She thought she had caught the King¡¯s attention.

    The other candidates were all eyeing her enviously.

    ¡°Fiona.¡±

    Daran¡¯s face turned cold as he announced in a ruthless voice:

    ¡°You are out of here.¡±

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266

    Fiona¡¯s mouth dropped open.

    Fiona¡¯s mouth dropped open.

    She couldn¡¯t believe what he just said and stuttered, ¡°W¨CWhy¡­What have I done wrong? Your

    majesty¡­I¨CI don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    Daran¡¯s gaze was cold as ice, ¡°Nobody disrespects the young master and certainly can¡¯t call him

    ¡®silly boy.¡® You should feel lucky that I am in a good mood today and decide to spare your life.¡±

    Fiona stood on her spot frozen, mortified.

    She didn¡¯t know that this boy was this important to the King.

    If she had known this, she would have never said things like that!

    But it was all toote now.

    Her family had high hopes for her. Yet her journey ended before it even started. ¡°What are you still

    doing here?¡± Daran narrowed his eyes dangerously, ¡°You¡¯d rather be dragged out by guards?¡±

    Fiona gave a shudder.

    She was left with no choice but to turn on her heels and slowly head towards the doors.

    She could feel the other candidates¡® taunting gazes, which made her want to cry.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Daran¡¯s voice came from her back.

    Fiona jerked around abruptly. Her eyes were once again bright with hope.

    Did the King change his mind about her?

    ¡°Go apologize to the young master,¡± Daran demanded icily.

    Fiona clenched her skirt and slowly walked up to the boy.

    ¡°¡­Sorry,¡± she whispered.

    The boy pouted unpleasantly, ¡°You were a lot louder when you yelled at me.¡±

    Fiona took in a deep breath. Her tears were on the verge of falling.

    ¡°I¨CI am sorry!¡± she said once again in a loud, trembling voice.

    Aspen held J¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You need to apologize to my nanny as well. And say that she is

    the prettiest woman you know!¡±

    Fiona rounded her eyes in shock.

    So not only did she have to apologize to this brat, but she also needed to grovel to this woman.

    Aspen was the King¡¯s child. But who the hell was this woman? She was nothing but a lowly nanny!

    Fiona was about to refuse when she heard the King¡¯s sullen voice from her back again:

    ||Van haard the young macter

    ¡±

    ¡°You heard the young master.¡±

    Fiona clenched her fists with humiliation.

    Lady Kurt, I shouldn¡¯t call you hideous. And¡­and you are the most beautiful woman I know,¡± said

    she in a voice that was full of shame and anger.

    J cleared her throat, ¡°Apology epted.¡±

    After that, Fiona fled the great hall like a rat in bright daylight.

    Daran turned to the elder and said to him in a chilly voice, ¡°You didn¡¯t do a very good job with that

    list. A rash and uncourteous woman like that shouldn¡¯t be brought to my face, and certainly is not

    qualified to be my Luna.¡±

    The elders could sense the King¡¯s unpleasantness.

    He gulped nervously and bowed, ¡°My deepest apology, my king¡­But the rest of the candidates are

    all virtuousdies. Shall we let them introduce themselves?¡±

    Daranid back on his throne.

    He didn¡¯t seem interested.

    Yet he also didn¡¯t say no.

    The elder quickly turned around and gave thedies a look, gesturing them to go around and

    introduce themselves.

    There were 9 women left in the room, including J.

    3 women caught J¡¯s attention with their self¨Cintroductions.

    The first one was a girl named Ellington.

    She came from a very noble family in Riverside Pack. If Daran took her as Luna, her family power

    could certainly help Daran secure his crown.

    The second woman was nca.

    She graduated from a very prestigious school and was the only one who had several years of

    experience working in the government sector. She could certainly help Daran rule this kingdom.

    And atst, there was this woman named Gabriel.

    Unlike Ellington and nca, she didn¡¯te from a good family nor was she very smart or talented

    in particr.

    She was just so, so beautiful.

    Her beauty wasparable to Agnes.

    J doubted any men could take their eyes off her.

    Daran¡¯s Luna must be one of these 3 women.

    When everyone else was done with their introduction, finally it was J¡¯s turn. J took a small

    step forward, keeping her eyes on the ground, and said: ¡°My name is Janine Kurt, from ck Water

    Pack. And¡­I am 28 years old.¡±

    She briefly finished it and stepped back into the line.

    The elder frowned at her hewildered

    The elder frowned at her, bewildered.

    ¡­That was all that she had got to say about herself.

    The otherdies couldn¡¯t shut up about their family, their specialties, and their hobbies.

    Lady Gabriel even got up to the throne and invited the King to appreciate her diamond hairpin, so

    that the King could see her gorgeous face more clearly.

    They were all working their butts off to impress the King.

    Yet this Lady Kurt¡­she was not even trying.

    The elder decided to give her a second chance and asked, ¡°What do you normally do for leisure?

    Do you like reading? Painting? Or perhaps gardening?¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°I just sit around and do nothing.¡±

    ¡°Which school did you graduate from?¡±

    ¡°I dropped out of school early. Not a learning material.¡±

    The elder¡¯s frown grew even tighter, ¡°Then what are you specialized in? Can you y any musical

    instruments? Can you cook?¡±

    ¡°No. Music makes me want to sleep. And I always burn down the kitchen when I cook,¡± said J

    calmly.

    Light jeering could be heard from the crowd.

    All thedies were looking at J disdainfully.

    They didn¡¯t understand how this mediocre woman got up onto the list in the first ce.

    She was so not qualified, in every sense.

    A lord¡¯s son would be out of her league, let alone the King for Christ¡¯s sake.

    Yet J didn¡¯t mind those scornful gazes andughter.

    She didn¡¯t want to win this stupid thing in the first ce.

    The less other people thought of her, the better

    The elder let out a long, desperate sigh.

    He gave up on J and turned back to Daran, ¡°My King, are there anydies whom you would like

    to get to know better?¡±

    Daran didn¡¯t say anything in the past 15 minutes.

    All thedies straightened their backs and looked at him eagerly, hoping that the King could call out

    their own names.

    ¡°Yes. There is one.¡± Daran said with a faint smile.

    ¡°Oh, which one?¡±

    All thedies held their breaths in nervousness.

    Lady Ellington even leaned her upper body forward, ready to rush forward the second that she

    heard her name.

    ¡°Lady Kurt.¡±

    ¡°Lady Kurt.¡±

    J blinked nkly.

    Did he just call her name?

    Under the other¡¯s envious gazes, she slowly moved forward, ¡°Yes, my king.¡±

    ¡°You said very little about yourself.¡±

    ¡°That is because I am a boring woman with not much to tell, my king.¡±

    A sarcastic smile appeared on his lips, ¡°I hardly think so. Perhaps you can start by telling me a little

    bit more about your ex¨Chusband.¡±

    The otherdies gasped lowly in shock while J stood on her spot, frozen.

    She was certain that Daran was just giving her a hard time.

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think that is relevant.¡±

    Daran narrowed his eyes, ¡°It is relevant. Because I want to know.¡±

    Aspen suddenly gave a tug at her sleeves and raised his head, looking at her, ¡°Are they asking

    about your husband? Why don¡¯t you tell them how wonderful he is?¡±

    The boy¡¯s face was shining with anticipation.

    He adored his father Westin.

    Naturally, he wanted to hear his mother say nice things about his father in front of other people.

    J didn¡¯t want to talk about Westin.

    But she also didn¡¯t want to disappoint Aspen.

    ||

    So she said with a sigh, ¡­Yes. My husband¡­is a wonderful guy.¡±

    Daran¡¯s face grew dark.

    ¡°Wonderful how?¡± he asked sullenly through gritted teeth.

    ¡°He is wise¡­and caring¡­and brave. He is good with the kids. And is a great listener¡­¡±

    Anger built up in Daran¡¯s chest as J went on.

    He didn¡¯t know where that anger came from.

    The thought of her being with another man and in love with another man made his inner beast roar.

    He hadn¡¯t had a feeling like that in ages.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    He shot up from his throne and red at J, ¡°If he is so great, why did you divorce him?¡±

    ¡°My name is Janine Kurt, from ck Water Pack. And¡­I am 28 years old.¡±

    She briefly finished it and stepped back into the line.

    The elder frowned at her, bewildered.

    That was all that she had got to cau about barcelf

    The elder frowned at her, bewildered.

    ..That was all that she had got to say about herself.

    The otherdies couldn¡¯t shut up about their family, their specialties, and their hobbies.

    Lady Gabriel even got up to the throne and invited the King to appreciate her diamond hairpin, so

    that the King could see her gorgeous face more clearly.

    They were all working their butts off to impress the King.

    Yet this Lady Kurt¡­she was not even trying.

    The elder decided to give her a second chance and asked, ¡°What do you normally do for leisure?

    Do you like reading? Painting? Or perhaps gardening?¡±

    J shook her head, ¡°I just sit around and do nothing.¡±

    ¡°Which school did you graduate from?¡±

    ¡°I dropped out of school early. Not a learning material.¡±

    The elder¡¯s frown grew even tighter, ¡°Then what are you specialized in? Can you y any musical

    instruments? Can you cook?¡±

    ¡°No. Music makes me want to sleep. And I always burn down the kitchen when I cook,¡± said J

    calmly.

    Light jeering could be heard from the crowd.

    All thedies were looking at J disdainfully.

    They didn¡¯t understand how this mediocre woman got up onto the list in the first ce.

    She was so not qualified, in every sense.

    A lord¡¯s son would be out of her league, let alone the King for Christ¡¯s sake.

    Yet J didn¡¯t mind those scornful gazes andughter.

    She didn¡¯t want to win this stupid thing in the first ce.

    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    The less other people thought of her, the better

    The elder let out a long, desperate sigh.

    He gave up on J and turned back to Daran, ¡°My King, are there anydies whom you would like

    to get to know better?¡±

    Daran didn¡¯t say anything in the past 15 minutes.

    All thedies straightened their backs and looked at him eagerly, hoping that the King could call out

    their own names.

    ¡°Yes. There is one.¡± Daran said with a faint smile.

    ¡°Oh, which one?¡±

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