“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.

“I-I 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.