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. I-I 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 self-defense. 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 cold-hearted 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.”