My Alpha Mate Regretted it After I Died

Today marked exactly two weeks of cold war between my mate, the Alpha of the Red Moon pack, and me. He didn’t seem to be too bothered with our fight. I found out exactly why when I saw a young woman in our house, Violet Murphy.

He treated her like a treasure, completely indulged in every way. She radiated a healthy glow, like sunshine; heartwarming and beautiful. The complete opposite of the current me.

Ryan must have loved her so much that he let her crush the bracelet that my late brother gave me, murder the wolf that was my best friend, and dig out my brother’s remains.

Every time he acquiesced to her cruel actions, my heart died little by little. I decided that I should do him a favor and told him to break the mate bond between us. I would readily accept it.

I felt like I didn’t know him anymore. Was everything just a game for him now that he felt bored after he achieved everything? Even as I became his plaything… that thought crossed my mind as Ryan bit my lip.

Frustration etched in his tone, and in his eyes, were a myriad of emotions. He growled as his wolf threatened to take over. “When are you going to stop your little game, Scarlett?”

However, it wasn’t a game. It’s just a last wish, as I am currently dying…

I rushed home as soon as I could, still reeling in shock upon the diagnosis of my condition. I longed to seek Ryan’s comfort, because none in this world could calm me down the way my other half would.

“Ryan…” I let out a little sob as soon as I stepped into the house, my voice cracking a bit.

I was pregnant and I couldn’t be happier that we would finally have our own pup. However, that hope came crashing down when the doctor said that I only had a little less than a month to live.

My wolf's spirit was dying, and if she died, I would too.

At the thought of this, I decided that I wanted to spend my remaining days with him and ended our cold war. I just want to succumb to his warm embrace once again and forgive what he had done two weeks ago.

I didn’t find him as soon as I stepped into the house, so I went to our bedroom.

My body rooted to the ground as soon as I saw someone emerging from there. It was a woman, and she was wearing Ryan’s shirt, along with my trousers.

The same woman that had been the cause of our fight, Violet. She looked small and delicate, and Ryan’s oversized shirt showed her neckline. She didn’t look awkward, as if she had done this a lot of time.

My hand flew to cover my mouth. I couldn’t believe that Ryan had allowed someone else to live in the house that was reserved for the ruler of the pack, the Alpha and Luna only. Worse, he had let her in our bedroom.

I suddenly felt upset. Ryan had told me that he wouldn’t let any other female use his clothes, even if it was unused. He didn’t even let them touch his clothes.

Once, a female werewolf had returned a shirt that he had accidentally left after he returned from hunting. Upon arriving home, he ordered the shirt to be burned. Now, someone else has this privilege.

The vanilla scent that only female werewolves have, clung strongly to the shirt. It was evident that she had used it more than once.

He even let her use my things. Was he so eager to find my replacement as soon as possible even before I die?

“Scarlett?” She called out to me, cautiously. However, I didn’t miss the flash of malice in her eyes.

She bit her nails. Her voice shook slightly, “I see that you have come back. Sorry…”

I narrowed my eyes. The fight between me and Ryan started because he had kissed this woman. He claimed that he only intended to help her get out of tricky situations. Someone was claiming to be her mate when he apparently wasn’t.

Ryan had to pretend to be her mate so that the person would back off. After returning from our business trip, I decided to ignore him. After two weeks, surprisingly he still didn’t contact me.

As it turned out, there was someone accompanying him already. My eyes flashed with pain at the thought.

“Why are you wearing my trousers, and Ryan’ shirt…?”

Violet gasped. “It’s your trousers? I am sorry, I guess I wasn’t looking properly. I just underwent a cataract operation and my eyes are currently a bit blurry and it’s straining me to look for too long. So, I must have picked the wrong clothes from the pile of them.”

There was hesitation in her voice. “Ryan was worried that I could not take care of myself because of my eyesight, and he suggested that I live here temporarily. I hope that you don’t mind.”

“You can go change your clothes then.” I said in a stern voice.

Violet widened her eyes at my words, but then she entered the bedroom again. This time, I followed to make sure that she wouldn’t make any trick.

“Go to the bathroom in the next room.” I told her sternly. After all, I was still the Luna of the pack.

She looked indignant, but she still followed my instructions. Surely, this woman had a hidden intention.

I looked around after Violet left to change her clothes. Inadvertently, my eyes spotted some girl underwear on the bed. Those weren’t mine.

“Ryan, whose are those?” I asked Ryan with a flat tone as soon as I saw Ryan come out of the bathroom.

He froze.

There was a look of surprise on his face when he saw the girl’s underwear on the bed, but he didn’t seem to think much of it.

“It’s Violet. You know her…” he paused briefly, his eyes studying my face. “She is Violet Murphy.”

“She was the one you kissed, right?” I asked him bluntly.

“I didn’t kiss her, Scarlett. Don’t make a big deal out of it. I have explained it to you about it, haven’t I? I am your mate, and it’s natural that we should trust each other. Why are you acting like this?” he pursed his lips in annoyance, and I went silent.

“Those things are also hers, right?” I continue to ask.

He frowned as he glanced at the things that were strewn all over the bed. There was not only underwear but also a pile of clothes.

“Don’t exaggerate it. She might have just opened her suitcase and tried to find something. So she ended up bringing them all out.” Ryan explained to me.

“She was wearing our clothes.” I insisted.

“You are making it too much of a big deal, Scarlett. She also already told you that her eyesight isn’t good, right? Besides, she is already changing her clothes, just like you requested.” He was looking at me like I was acting so childish for bringing this up.

I bit my lip and didn’t argue anymore. Suddenly, the urge to tell him about my pregnancy just vanished like that. If I were to tell him about my disease, I wonder how he would react. Would he be happy that I would soon be gone from his life?

I traced the bracelet on my wrist and was slightly comforted. It gave me the feeling as if my brother was here with me and it gave me strength.

After our minor argument, Ryan went out to do his duties. He only came back when it was dinner time. Usually, we always talk about a lot of things during dinner; it was the time that I have waited the most. However, now there was an additional person on the table.

I sat beside Ryan while Violet sat across from us.

We were still picking up foods to our plate when Violet stayed silent. There was confusion on her face and she kept on rubbing her eyes.

She took a spoon of something and then stopped. The action made Ryan ask her, “You don’t like the food, Violet?”

Violet acted as if she was surprised and then shook her head. “Sorry if it takes me a while to pick the food. I still can’t see clearly. Please don’t wait for me, you two can eat first.”

Suddenly, Ryan moved from the seat beside mine. He brought his plate along, and then he sat beside Violet. “What kind of food do you like? You can tell me and I will pick it up for you.”

I shot him a look. He seemed to understand that his actions made my mood plummet. Through mindlink, he explained, “It will be convenient to help her pick the food if I am here. I believe that you will understand. The more she eats, the sooner she will get better. She will take care of herself then.”

“Fine,” I said flatly.

Throughout the dinner, I witnessed them being so close to each other. Every food that Violet requested, Ryan would get it for her.

He even went as far as asking the cook to make the dishes if they were not available on the table yet. I only took a few bites and lost my appetite; not sure whether it was because of my illness or because of them.

I excused myself to return to the bedroom early and took a bath.

There were a lot of Luna duties that I had done earlier. They piled up because of my absence. As I let my mind wander, I finished cleaning myself in no time.

I exited the bathroom and was surprised to see Violet sitting on the bed. She said something about packing her stuff out of the room and I just gave a quick glance.

“Why did you go to this room in the first place, anyway?” I raised my eyebrow, sarcasm apparent in my tone.

“I didn’t look clearly…” she explained with a low voice. “I believe I already explained my condition to you.”

I only shook my head, and no longer pursued the matter further. However, seeing that innocent look on her face still made me uncomfortable. She was obviously not an innocent person.

Memories of her and Ryan being so close with each other flashed in my mind. I hurriedly shook the image away, not willing for negative thoughts to enter my mind.

I was looking for distraction when my thoughts were disturbed. I suddenly heard something breaking. My head snapped toward Violet, who had stepped away and was looking down confusedly.

I almost stopped breathing upon seeing what it was. The bracelet that my brother had given me was shattered, the pieces all over the floor. I had taken it off and put it on the bedside.

“II am sorry, I didn’t mean it.” Even so, there was no apologetic tone or expression in her eyes. She did it on purpose.

Rage consumed me and blinded all my rationality away. I took a quick stride and slapped her.

At the same time, a sound thundered inside the bedroom. “Scarlett? What are you doing?”

It was Ryan, who had just returned from the kitchen.

Violet let out silent sobs, and when she looked up, her eyes were glistening with tears. “II am sorry that I disturbed both of you. I didn’t mean it. I just want a place to stay.”

Her hand clutched her right cheek where I had slapped her.

I ignored her and started picking up the scattered bracelets all over the floor. The materials were a bit sharp and some of them cut into my skin, but I didn’t care.

It was nothing compared to the pain I felt when I heard Ryan speak to defend Violet. “You can stay, Violet. Don’t mind Scarlett.”

He turned to me. “Scarlett, what’s the meaning of this? She just wants a place to stay temporarily. When she is officially a member of our pack, she will get her own residence. Besides, she has helped our pack tremendously and is a savior to our pack.”

“When did I agree with it, Ryan? She can get the hell out of here.” I said coldly.

I held back the sob that was threatening to burst out of my chest. My wolf's spirit stirred and I also could feel her pain that our mate didn’t love us anymore.

“Why did you become so coldhearted, Scarlett? Your temper has gotten worse. You weren’t like this before. We are just letting her stay temporarily because she just underwent eye surgery.” Ryan said in a disapproving tone, and his eyes were brimming with disappointment.

I looked at him in disbelief. What did he just call me? Am I a coldhearted woman? In order to defend Violet, he could even say such hurtful words to me.

We have been mates ever since we were very young back then, when we were adolescent. I could feel it in my bones that he was the one destined for me. None could imagine how ecstatic I felt when I found out on my eighteenth birthday that we were actually mates.

He promised that he would love me deeply and forever. Seeing him favor another woman over me like this made me almost breathless. My wolf's spirit stirred further and excruciating pain spread all over my body.

“I am also sick, Ryan.” I muttered under my breath. Why couldn’t he feel it through our mate bond that I was sick, really sick, that I had less than a month left to live?

He looked at me, and his gaze became hard. He berated me. “You are already an adult, Scarlett. Act like one and don’t be childish that you always want to compete with others.”

His words pierced my heart and for a split second, I wondered if I had mistaken him for my mate when he actually wasn’t. Was I too smitten with him that I recognized the wrong person?

However, I knew that it was only my doubts speaking. The tattoo on our body was similar, and he was certainly my mate.

I didn’t know whether he felt the intense emotions swirling in my heart right now. There was a flash of what seemed like concern in his eyes before they disappeared, replaced by the sternness of the leader of a pack.

“You are a Luna, Scarlett. You should be generous with your pack members. Violet is going to be one of us soon.” After he said that, he left me alone to escort Violet out of the room.

I looked down. The pieces of sharp objects from the shattered bracelet had unknowingly embedded themselves into my palm. In my anger, I must have clenched my fists too hard.

Without caring for the pain, I continued to pick up the pieces, which felt like picking up the pieces of my heart.

This bracelet was a gift from my brother. Before I turned eighteen, I was attacked by a group of rogues and got so sick that no doctor could help me. My wolf became dormant and because of that, I also fell into a coma. My twin brother, Austin, heard about a temple that could grant people’s wishes.

He climbed that temple which was located at the top of a mountain. For two days and two nights, he relentlessly climbed alone. He prayed there for my health. Austin had sat for five days straight without food or water until someone there gave him this bracelet. After he returned, he put the bracelet on me. Miraculously, I woke up.

I wondered if this broken pieces of bracelet could be a sign. I had woken up because of it, and now that it was broken, it meant that my life would end soon, right?

Bitter laugh escaped from my mouth.

Suddenly, I heard someone clearing his throat. I already knew who it was, so I didn’t look up.

“She destroyed my bracelet, don’t you know?” I muttered coldly, sending him a brief glare before resuming my action.

Ryan clutched both my hands, stopping me from picking up the sharp pieces any longer. He said softly, “Let’s go to the infirmary.”

“She destroyed my bracelet, don’t you know?” I repeated, my voice rising a bit.

There was a brief silence before he spoke. “It’s just a bracelet, Scarlett. I can get you a lot more with whatever materials you want. Gold or diamonds, you can name it.”

I closed my eyes. Didn’t he know how much this bracelet meant to me? Two weeks after Austin gave it to me, he died in order to save someone from rogue werewolves. With that, he also buried his dream of becoming a warrior in a pack. He was gone before he could join any pack.

And the person he saved was none other than Violet.

My throat felt dry, and I pulled my hands from his grasp. The pain jerked me into slight tears, but I forcefully held back. After my wolf's spirit began dying, which I didn’t know exactly when, my regenerative ability also slowed down a lot.

Instead, my skin was more fragile that a light pinch could bruise it for days. I had hidden this condition from Ryan. I thought that I did well in hiding it, but seeing his reaction today, I had doubts. Maybe he just didn’t care.

“Get her out of here or I will be the one getting out of here.” I growled at him.

“Scarlett! Stop being childish. She didn’t do it on purpose. Can’t you see that her eyesight is still not good? Maybe it fell to the floor, and she didn’t see it, thus she accidentally stepped on the bracelet.” Ryan’s voice was tinged with annoyance. His lips pulled into a thin line, and I could see that his patience was dwindling down.

I stayed silent, my eyes telling him that I was still angry and not convinced.

He took a deep breath and then continued, “I already explained to you that I did it to save her from those people. Once someone claims that they are mates with her, even I cannot save her.”

Yes, I already knew that there was such a rule between the werewolf community. However, has it to be him who kissed her? I suddenly had the urge to throw up.

“She is also a savior of our pack. She told us beforehand about the rogue attack so that we could be prepared. Without her, our losses would have been greater, with many pack members dead. Don’t you feel sad for them?” he continued, seeing that my breathing wasn’t as erratic as before. He probably thought that I had calmed down.

Inwardly, I smiled bitterly. I stood up and turned around, then told him. “Then I will be the one getting out of here, Ryan.”

He growled in frustration. Anger evident in his voice as he told me arrogantly. “You can try it. Go out and I will cut the funds to Miracle Shelter.”

I stopped, turned my body around to face him. My face painted with shock and disbelief. Did I hear it, right?

He actually used the Miracle Shelter to threaten me, his own mate, for the sake of Violet!

Because of frequent rogue attacks, my brother and I lost our parents early. We grew up in Miracle Shelter, where the werewolves, who had nowhere to go, stayed. There were a lot of kids and elderly there.

The place became a haven for werewolves who had no pack. They formed a close relationship with each other, like a family that the bond managed to keep us sane. We were not like rogue werewolves, where they succumbed to their wolf's side and acted primarily on instinct.

Although I joined Ryan to regain his place as the rightful heir of the Red Moon pack’s Alpha and later became his Luna, it was still my dream to see those kids and elderly get their stomach full and always warm during the winter. So, we also worked hard in order to make our business successful along with handling the pack.

I never guessed that out of anyone, Ryan would be the one dared to actually use this to threaten me.

My own mate, who was supposed to be the one protecting me, was making me feel threatened instead.

I closed my eyes in silent agony. For the sake of those kids and elderly, I could only compromise with him. I stayed silent, and he seemed to take it as an acquiescence that I no longer objected to Violet living here.

When I opened my eyes again, his pair of blue eyes had become calmer. His anger dissipated at my compliance.

Until his phone rang, and without looking back at me, Ryan exited the room. He went to Violet, who was complaining that her eyesight had gotten worse after I slapped her. With my hearing, I could still hear a bit of their conversation.

After he was gone, a familiar furry figure in his majestic black night color walked in. It was Lupin, my wolf companion whom I had raised since he was a pup.

“Lupin.” I trudged toward him, cradling his head, and he licked my face affectionately.

Lupin was a normal wolf, but he possessed intelligence better than his peers. However, no matter how smart he was, Lupin was still ultimately an ordinary wolf. It has been thirteen years since we took care of him.

He was already old and wasn’t as strong as before. Worse, his left front paw was injured when he tried to save us and that left him disabled ever since. Still, my love for him didn’t change.

When I had a fight with Ryan and spent my days outside, the staff had taken care of him. He was a docile wolf and a lot of people liked him.

Lupin seemed to sense my misery. He nudged me with his snout, as if telling me that he was here for me. I nearly burst into tears. A lot of things here hadn’t changed, only him…

I stroked Lupin’s black, silky fur and whispered in anguish. “Lupin, do you know? He had changed. Now, I don’t know if he is still the same person at all.”

He nudged me again, rubbing his head against my cheek. I took a deep breath and finally couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. They burst out like waterfalls.

After I felt a bit calmer, I guided him back to his room. Tonight was a sleepless night for me, and when I fell asleep, I sunk into a nightmare.

It happened when I was still a teenager. Ryan, who grew up without parents, found his mother again. However, she didn’t seem sane and only instinct had taken over.

Since he was yet an adult, Ryan couldn’t hold back the full force of an adult werewolf. Worse, it was a rogue werewolf who had gone feral. Panicking upon the situation, I jumped in front of him, taking the claw that embedded itself in my stomach.

I coughed a lot of blood at that time, thinking that I was going to die. It was also the first time that he looked so desperate. “You are not allowed to die! What does life mean without you? If you die, I will join you. Do you hear me, Scarlett?”

I jolted awake, feeling like a thousand needles pierced my nerves. I took a deep breath to control the dizziness, then I got up. The dream really bothered me that I was no longer interested in sleeping.

I got out of the room and at the same time chanced upon Violet, who was in her wolf form and tearing at Lupin. She hurled him into the air and I panicked.

I managed to catch Lupin on time, thankfully. He jumped into my arms, his body shivered. The hands that I used to catch him were instantly bruised, and I winced, hiding my pain.

“Violet!” I growled at her.

“II didn’t mean it, Scarlett. I saw that Lupin was playing by himself, so I came over to greet him. I didn’t expect him to jump like that.” Violet looked like she was about to break down into tears. “Thankfully, he is fine now.”

“That’s too early to say.” I rolled my eyes. Then, I looked worriedly at Lupin. He seemed to be in a slight shock and everything else was fine, but I still couldn’t rest assured.

I hugged Lupin’s gigantic body and brought him outside, heading toward the pack’s infirmary. The doctor should check all Lupin’s condition thoroughly, just to make sure that he wasn’t sick again.

Lupin looked a bit listless after the shock he went through, and I could also feel his restlessness. He licked my finger that was tracing his snout and then became quiet.

“Why are you following me?” My body spun to face Violet.

She gave me a harmless but fake smile and then pointed to Lupin. “I feel bad because Lupin almost got hurt because of me, so please let me follow you. I also want to make sure that he is alright.”

“You don’t need to do that,” I muttered coldly.

“But I want to, please let me.”

I narrowed my eyes and turned around again, ignoring her. There was a small wish that she would just stop and not bother me anymore, but until we arrived at the infirmary, she still followed me.

Jack greeted me as soon as I stepped into the infirmary. “Luna Scarlett.”

He was the pack doctor that joined after Ryan took over the pack. The man was quite obsessed about improving the pack’s strength, so he always provided excellent health service.

I nodded at him, and as soon as he saw Lupin; he looked worried. “Lupin is sick again?”

I set Lupin down. My finger rubbed Lupin’s silky fur, and he rubbed his head against mine. I gave a quick glance at Violet before I answered his question. “He fell down earlier, so I am a bit worried if he got sick again.”

Jack had a look of understanding and he nodded. “I see. Let me check him.”

After a while, only then did he realize there was someone following his Luna from behind. He looked at her and gave me a questioning look. “Luna, this is…?”

Before I could respond, Violet had opened her mouth first. “I am going to join the pack soon. So, let me introduce myself. I am Violet Murphy, and I know a little about medicine.”

I frowned while Jack gave a surprised look. “Well, welcome to the pack, Violet. Maybe we can learn medicine together in the future.”

Jack was being polite, but Violet seemed enthusiastic. Indeed, she didn’t have the look of someone who would understand medicine, and Jack wasn’t someone who was easily impressed or convinced by just anyone, especially in the field that he was proud of.

“Lupin is fine.” Jack said after half an hour of an examination, “But you need to pay more attention to his diet. I can also prescribe some medicine to help him…”

The anxieties in my heart were eased a little after I heard that. Jack scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to me.

I thanked him, and I was intending to leave before Violet spoke again. “Are you very proficient in medicine, Dr. Jack? I heard that there are some pills that can enhance werewolves’ strength.”

Unexpectedly, Jack’s interest was piqued. I narrowed my eyes at Violet and then looked away, deep in thought. This woman seemed to have something up her sleeve, and even she ‘accidentally’ managed to grasp the topic that would interest Jack the most.

Honestly, I still despise her for breaking my bracelet. I wanted to know what trick she would do, so I went to Lupin’s side and sat down on a chair.

“Yeah, I managed to make some of such pills…” Violet stopped and she carefully studied Jack’s expression before she continued, “I can show you the pills if you want, Dr. Jack.”

“Well, show me. I am interested.” He looked at her expectantly.

Violet took a small bottle from her pocket and handed it to Jack. There were some beautiful green colored pills there and when Jack opened the lid, a refreshing smell wafted in.

I scrunch my face, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. The smell made me somewhat breathless.

“I have heard of such pills before…” Jack murmured. “This looks exactly how it is described. Refreshing smell, enchanting green color.”

He seemed to have a renewed impression of Violet when he turned to her again. I did notice that Violet was sending me a discreet look; her face smug.

“Have you tried it on werewolves?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course.” Violet said. She looked proud as she said, “My brother has tried it. His strength is better than ordinary werewolves now.”

“Why? Luna Scarlett wants to try it?” She glanced at me.

I shook my head. “No need.”

Her motive for coming here was revealed now. She wanted to gain a foothold here by assuming the identity of an apothecary. Was Ryan attracted to her because of this, too? I had once also studied medicine and had a small knowledge of it.

Ryan had a bit of an obsession about healthcare, after all. After he took over as an Alpha of this pack, he made sure that everyone would receive the healthcare they deserved.

“We can try that on Lupin.” Violet suddenly said.

My eyes widened, and she appeared beside me after she said that.

“No need.” I told her, clutching her hand.

However, as if she had anticipated that, she used her other hand to shove the pill into Lupin’s mouth. I was enraged that she dared to use Lupin as an experiment.

“How dare–” my voice was cut off when suddenly Lupin’s body convulsed. His eyes were wide, like he was in extreme pain.

I smacked her hand and pushed her away, panicking. “What the hell did you do to Lupin, Violet? Are you trying to kill him?!”

Violet was taken aback at Lupin’s reaction. She bit her nails and said, “I didn’t expect that his reaction would be like that… this pill is supposed to be a tonic for werewolves and wolves alike.”

She got up from the floor with a look of anxiety, but her face was void of remorse. There was even a look of anticipation that frustrated me more.

Jack came to us and immediately pinched some places in Lupin’s body. I watched with trepidation, shooting daggers at Violet. What made her so confident? Ryan’s backing? If anything were to happen to Lupin, I would never let her go.

After a few minutes passed. Jack heaved a sigh of relief and reassured me. “Lupin is going to be fine. You just need to look after his diet more. He is not allowed to eat things that are hard to digest.”

His convulsion had subsided, and his eyes seemed to be calmer. I also heaved a sigh of relief and patted him softly. I thanked Jack, bringing Lupin to my arms, and then exited the door without looking back.

“Look, Lupin is fine, Scarlett.” A voice came from behind and I ignored her.

The process of getting Violet as a member of our pack was quick. The next day, Ryan held a small party to welcome her.

He was quite impatient, wasn’t he? Usually it took more than half a month to administer a new member in our pack. Now, for Violet’s sake, he was very quick.

A lot of pack members came to the party, especially after news spread that Violet was proficient in medicine. Jack wasn’t always available because he sometimes went on a trip. So, more often, the werewolves in the pack had to go to a big city. There was a hospital jointly built by werewolves from various packs there.

Violet’s appearance, who also knew about medicine, definitely was a good sign. People didn’t suspect at all the reason Ryan pushed them to get the administration done quickly. They thought that it was because of her ability, and not that he fell in love with her.

I lowered my eyes. So, that was how they were going to play?

Ryan stood beside Violet, who looked nervous as she fiddled with her hands, but she acted like she was forcing herself to come out of her shy self and introduce herself to the crowd.

“Luna Scarlett?” Someone looked at me with confusion.

I just nodded at the person and didn’t say anything further.

Just like the crease on my skin that gradually made them turn a few shades darker, I slowly faded into obscurity in my pack.

“You don’t look well, Luna. Are you sick?” A child who looked to be seven years old came to me and I couldn’t help but crouch down. I touched his silky black hair, a touch of affection appeared in my heart.

I wonder if I had more time to live. Probably I would have a son or daughter as smart as this little one, right?

However, when I looked at the two people at the center of the crowd, Ryan and Violet, I shook my head. That was a stupid thought. Would Ryan even care about the child that he had with me once he made Violet his new mate?

I rubbed my belly slowly and closed my eyes. Yes, it was better for this child not to suffer like that, anyway. The child would go with me.

“I am fine, child. Where are your friends?” I asked him.

“They are watching the new member of the pack healing people…” he scratched his head and then peeked at me sheepishly.

I was a bit stunned, then I snapped my head in Violet’s direction. She was indeed in the process of healing someone who had gotten a bruise. She smeared something on the person’s bruise.

That smell again. It was quite suffocating. However, I could see that the person’s bruise gradually healed faster.

Even Ryan looked astonished. The way he looked at Violet, it was as if there were sparks in his eyes. Violet also seemed to realize that, and she embarrassedly looked away.

Everyone was too busy to be amazed to notice that their Alpha, who already has a mate, was flirting with another female right under their noses.

“I will be going.” I told Ms Brown, who would relay my words to Ryan. Seeing my pale face, she looked worried, but didn’t ask anything.

I went back to the house. The air felt more refreshed here compared to the party. I could breathe normally again, and since there was nothing I could do, I decided to go to the study room.

“Give me all the urgent documents I need to check.”

The staff looked stunned, and she avoided my eyes for a moment. She went to fetch some documents and came back not long after. There was a hesitant look on her face.

I took the documents she handed over. A familiar smell of vanilla wafted over my nose.

Violet.

How come these documents smell of her?

“Has anyone touched these documents before?” I asked her and she nodded after a while.

“Miss Violet…”

“Did she have Ryan’s permission?” I frowned.

“She was helping Alpha Ryan to check the documents, Luna…” she trailed off and then lowered her eyes.

My heart felt a stab right through it, but I forced a nonchalant expression. “Then, give me the other documents. I will finish the rest.”

The image of Violet and Ryan sitting next to each other, doing the documents together like a couple, appeared in my mind. Before this, it was me and Ryan who always did that, and now there was a replacement.

I shook the thoughts off my mind and focused on the other documents. Probably it was also my fault that I left my post as Luna irresponsibly. So, I was determined to finish them until the morning came.

There were still a lot of documents left, even after I spent a lot of time. I decided to take a rest, as the sun had risen.

Suddenly, I also wanted to check how Lupin was doing. I hoped that the staff taking care of him didn’t forget what I had told them about his diet.

With a renewed energy that I would meet my companion, I jogged to his room. However, I was met by a sight that nearly made my heart jump.

It was Violet again, and she was hurling Lupin toward the ceiling.

I took a dash. As fast as I could, that blurry eyesight was all I could see. My ears were ringing and there was a temporary stillness. It took me a few seconds to regain my senses, and I was suddenly afraid of the outcome.

When I opened my eyes, I heaved a sigh of relief when I sensed the familiar silky fur of Lupin. He was in my arms, safe and sound.

Heartbeats still drummed wildly in my chest, and I collapsed to the ground. Pain coursed through my body as the aftermath of using the power of my wolf's spirit forcefully.

“Scarlett?”

I heard Lupin’s growl and snapped my head toward the approaching Violet. I narrowed my eyes and glared at her.

Lupin was quite restless in my arms. He tried to get out of my embrace, but I held him tighter. I was afraid if he got close to Violet and she hurt him again.

“Violet, what’s the meaning of this?!” I raised my voice at her.

She tried to touch Lupin, and I would never forgive her for this. Lupin wasn’t just an ordinary wolf to me, but also a family. Probably the last family member that I have left in this world.

He was already old, but I have been taking care of him and making sure that he was healthy. After he lived with us werewolves for a long time, I think our werewolves counterpart had affected him somehow. Besides his intelligence, he was also stronger than normal wolves.

It was just that his condition worried me a bit lately. He had gotten sick a few times. Luckily, before I left the house because I was angry at Ryan, he had already recovered from his recent sickness.

Ryan also treasured Lupin greatly. That was why I was relieved to leave him at the house with him.

“It attacked me, Scarlett…” she trailed off, and bit her lips. “I think he has rabies because he suddenly became aggressive with me.”

“Watch your mouth, Violet.” I berated her angrily.

However, she suddenly came close to both of us. “Be careful, Scarlett!”

Her scream seemed to have triggered something in Lupin. He jumped out of my embrace and swiped his paw at Violet aggressively.

I was stunned. Lupin slipped out of me easily because I had lost any strength to hold him back.

“Lupin, calm down. Good boy, calm down. I am here!” I also yelled at Lupin to stop. Violet had evaded his sudden attack, and now he was growling at her. From his stance, he was ready to lunge at her again any moment.

I noticed that there was something wrong with Lupin. His eyes were red and the fur in his body stood up. He acted as if he didn’t hear me at all. The Lupin I knew would instantly come to me if I ever called him. Even if he was unwilling, he would still come.

My pupils constricted. He acted as if he didn’t know me at all, and all of this happened in just a few hours after he had just previously comforted me.

“Get out of here, Violet!” I was frustrated that Violet looked like she didn’t want to leave.

This time, she couldn’t evade fully as Lupin lunged toward her. His paw scratched her left arm.

A look of annoyance crossed her face, and she immediately shifted. I was in trepidation as the two wolves fought. Or it was more like Violet in her wolf form playing and teasing Lupin instead, which angered him further.

The fight got worse as Lupin became more aggressive, and I watched in horror as Violet slammed Lupin against the wall.

I instantly stood up. An awful premonition loomed over as Violet lunged toward the fallen body of Lupin.

“No, no, no!” I forced my body to move despite the excruciating pain, but as soon as I arrived, it was too late.

Violet had delivered a fatal blow to Lupin’s stomach and head. Blood was pouring out like waterfalls. I couldn’t process what was happening for a while until I panicked and crouched down to cradle Lupin’s body.

His eyes were a bit unfocused, like he was sick. However, as I watched life gradually slipping away from him, his eyes cleared up a bit. He licked my hand as if to comfort me, and I sobbed.

Violet was really ruthless with her blow; she was clearly delivering a death blow, intending to kill. Tears poured from my eyes and I couldn’t breathe.

After a while, Lupin’s body turned cold. He died, leaving me alone.

“I am sorry… I didn’t mean it. II was just…”

That was when I also snapped. As if I just received a burst of energy, I shifted to my wolf form and lunged toward her.

The force threw her body far to the other side of the room. I trotted toward her in a menacing stance, and she finally screamed loudly, “Ryan, help me! Scarlet is going to kill me!”

She was screaming at her phone. Ryan arrived in just seconds, in his wolf form. He didn’t confirm what was happening at first, but he instantly smashed his bigger body against me. I didn’t expect his action, and my body fell near Lupin’s.

“Scarlett…” He shifted and was about to come to me. Guilt swirled in his eyes. However, Violet hurriedly snaked her arms around his, sobbing quietly.

I felt a bit numb as my body couldn’t sustain the wolf form anymore. Slowly, I crawled toward Lupin, a hollowness occupied my heart.

“What’s happening here?” Ryan finally demanded.

I turned toward him. Something sparked slightly inside of me. He would care about Lupin, right?

“She killed Lupin, Ryan, she killed Lupin!” I choked as I screamed and pointed toward Violet.

There was a look of disbelief that crossed his face. He seemed to just realize what I was holding, Lupin, who was coated in a pool of blood. It dyed my clothes red, but I didn’t care.

There was redness in my eyes as I sent a hopeful look at him. The guilt he felt earlier increased my hope. He must still care about me even though it was just a little, right?

His head snapped toward Violet. He frowned and asked her in a stern voice. “Is that true?”

Violet stopped sobbing, and she was stunned that Ryan’s tone was no longer as soft. Instead, he had an accusing look in his eyes.

I could also see and sense the grief that passed through his eyes. It was brief and genuine.

Violet stuttered, “It’s not like that…”

“It’s exactly like that. You killed Lupin!” I said coldly. “You can smell this entire room. There were only the three of us. Lupin is my companion, and I would never hurt him.”

Ryan’s frown deepened. Violet looked like she panicked after seeing him so cold, and she instantly explained herself. “Ryan, you have to believe me. Lupin was attacking me and I was just defending myself. When I came out of my room, I sensed that something was pouncing on me.”

She took a deep breath and her words became more eloquent. “You know that my eyesight isn’t fully recovered. I had to defend myself and it was later that I found out it was Lupin—”

“After that, Lupin still continued to attack me. I think that he has rabies.” Violet showed him her arms that had a laceration on it, the sleeve was shredded into two parts.

I waited for him to speak, but then the words that left his mouth stunned me.

“Since it was Lupin that started it first, it means that Violet did it out of selfdefense. She didn’t mean to do it. Scarlett, can you forgive her?” He said to me, gesturing toward Violet with a softened look in his eyes.

I froze, too shocked to react to his coldhearted words. So, not only me, he also has replaced Lupin, huh?

For a moment, I wondered if my mate had been replaced by someone else. However, seeing that pair of blue eyes that I used to love so much, I knew that it was still him.

Suddenly, I felt that his eyes became sickening for me. The way he looked at Violet… it was the same way he used to look at me. With those eyes, too.

I didn’t react to him, hugging Lupin’s body tighter. Violet was whining something about her whole body hurts and I heard the door click, then it was closed.

A sob escaped my lips. In the room, there was only me and Lupin’s cold body now. I gathered my strength and dragged his body outside.

Behind this house, there was also a cemetery where my brother’s bones were buried. After we moved in here, we put his body near us, in our pack, where he had always wanted to belong.

I used my hands to dig a hole beside my brother’s grave. Some staff of the house who are also the pack members saw me, and they offered to help.

“Let me do it myself.” I told them. Probably I looked like a ghost right now, coated in a dry blood and digging the ground for my wolf’s grave.

They looked at each other, and when I said the same thing for the second time, they finally relented. After they left, I looked at the body of Lupin for the last time and buried him beside Austin.

“Brother…” I sobbed after I finished. Rain washed over, as if listening to my pain. “Lupin misses you, right? That’s why he went first?”

“Why did you two leave me alone??” I choked on the water that entered my throat. My tears merged with the rain water, and I sat there for a while.

Through my blurry eyesight, I looked at the two mounds. A thought crossed my mind, and it was as if everything became clearer. I whispered to them, “I will be reunited with the two of you, at least.”

My wolf's spirit was getting weaker each day and I could feel it now. Originally, I didn’t feel it much because after I became Luna; I didn’t need to fight so much anymore. The pack has a lot of warriors that could fight the rogue werewolves, and I didn’t need to do it myself.

Only in the past few months have I begun noticing it. I thought that it was because I hadn’t trained much because of Luna’s work. When I went to the doctor to check, I realized that everything was too late. Now, my body’s condition deteriorated faster.

“Scarlett?” I vaguely heard a voice, and I almost thought it was a hallucination if only his figure didn’t come closer.

“What are you doing here in the rain? Let’s go back. You will be sick!” Ryan’s angry voices grew clearer in my ears.

He closed the gap between us and was about to scoop down to embrace my figure, but I evaded him. I didn’t want to be touched by the hands that had touched Lupin’s murderer.

“Scar?” He froze.

“Don’t touch me.” I crawled away from him, using every bit of the strength left in me.

He looked stunned. His movement paused before he closed the gap between us again, his hand gripping mine tightly.

“What did you say, Scarlett? I am your mate!”

I closed my eyes. The chilly rain was starting to penetrate my bones, and I was shivering.

“Stop this nonsense at once. Let’s go back and stop throwing a tantrum.” He barked at me.

I struggled to free my hands from his. As soon as I heard his words, something in me snapped. Does he think that grieving over the death of a family member is called throwing a tantrum now?

“Ryan,” I gritted my teeth and then closed my eyes. “Let’s break our mate bond. Reject me.”

“Scarlett, stop being so unreasonable.” His chest heaved up and down, and I could feel his grip tightening on me. It hurt, but then the cold numbed my pain.

I let out a bitter laugh, and he frowned at me.

“Let’s find some place to talk first.” He muttered as he dragged me toward the small gazebo near her.

“Why are you so pale?” He tried to reach for my face, but I turned away. His outstretched hand turned to a fist, and a flicker of rage crossed his countenance.

“You don’t need to care, Ryan. I am going to die soon, anyway.” I said nonchalantly.

He clutched my face roughly and forced me to look at him. “Scarlett, why are you like this? Don’t curse yourself like that because you are angry.”

The way he uttered that was really hilarious. But I didn’t like it that he was pretending to care about me when he actually didn’t. Was he doing it out of pity? Or maybe it was just his conscience. He could tell himself that he had done his best to take care of me.

So that after he discarded me, he wouldn’t feel guilty. The condition of my body was deteriorating, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

I heard that some werewolves got lucky that they found a second chance mate after their first one died. This might be the case for Ryan. Perhaps Violett was his second chance mate.

Our mate bond was weakening because I and my wolf's spirit were dying and it made their bond become stronger instead? My brain made up a scenario I couldn’t get out of my mind.

“You don’t believe it?” I tilted my head, then snorted. “You don’t need to believe it, anyway.”

When he was surprised, I pulled my hands out of his grip. The warmth that he provided was instantly gone, replaced by extreme coldness. However, I wouldn’t protest. This was better than his words of sweet nothings that were now woven in a tapestry of lies.

I stood up and turned around, ready to go through the rain, anywhere away from this man.

“Scarlett, enough of it.” He pulled me roughly, his arms snaked around me in an embrace.

I froze, and my mind instantly relieved that the scenario where Ryan’s body was tangled with Violet, their lips dangerously close until they were only less than an inch apart from touching each other.

My stomach churned, and I had the urge to throw up whatever contents inside. It was sickening; he was incredibly sickening. If I used to yearn for his touch, now I just couldn’t wait to get away from him.

He turned my body around and his face went closer to mine. When he was about to kiss me, I turned my face away. That action seemed to provoke him, that he froze and then clutched my face to look at him.

“Maybe I should remind you that we are mates. You seem to have forgotten.” His eyes were like an endless abyss, staring at me.

Oh, so according to him, I was the one who had forgotten that I have a mate? It was he who had forgotten, entangled in another female werewolf while I was still alive.

His face became closer again, and I could smell the familiar scent of Violet from him. I turned my head away again and pulled myself from his embrace.

I went to the edge of the gazebo and vomited all the contents inside my stomach. Ah, I also forgot the fact that I was pregnant. Suddenly, I felt incredibly sorry for this baby that would never be born.

“Is my touch that repulsive to you?” Ryan glared at me as I wiped my mouth. I didn’t eat anything last night; unexpectedly some blood was mixed between, and I had hurriedly wiped any traces of it before Ryan could see.

The rain washed it away. Ryan walked closer to me and then he sniffed.

My pupils constricted. After losing my heightened senses as a werewolf, I forgot that they could easily identify blood from its smell.

A flash of concern passed through his eyes, and it was quickly gone. “Are you feeling unwell?”

He reached his hands toward me, but I snarled at him and said persistently. “I said, don’t touch me.”

“But you are sick, Scarlett.” He insisted. “Let me take a look at you.”

I couldn’t stand his pretense anymore. Why bother pretending like he cares when he doesn’t? He didn’t even ask about Lupin after I was done burying him.

It was until I couldn’t control my hand, and a resounding slap echoed through the gazebo, muffled by the rain. He looked at me with a face full of disbelief and anger.

“You are dirty, so don’t touch me.” I glared at him. “It’s not because I am sick that I vomited, it’s because you are sickening me.”

“Fine. Don’t regret it.” He growled at me, then marched toward the rain. His figure was quickly gone from the sight, swallowed by the heavy rain.

I collapsed to the floor, vomiting again whatever was left inside my stomach, which was mostly blood.