Chapter 4

My voice tore out of my throat. "No!"

A sharp crack echoed in the air as the urn shattered against the cold stone. My pup's ashes were swept up by the wind and scattered everywhere.

I lay on the ground alone, scrambling desperately to gather them.

My pup had been so small. There had only been a tiny handful of ashes to begin with, and once the wind caught them, they scattered in every direction.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't save any of them.

Something inside me collapsed completely. Even my wolf grew weak and faint.

By the time the grave had been sealed again, Ethan and Lylia finally arrived.

A hint of satisfaction flickered across Lylia's face. Nevertheless, she rushed forward and slapped one of the wolves, pretending to be furious.

"What are you doing? I told you Elena hadn't agreed. I told you not to come! My grandmother's ashes can stay in the countryside. How could you take it upon yourselves to dig up the grave?"

The wolves lowered their heads immediately. "W-We misunderstood. We thought your grandmother's burial was urgent. We're sorry, Ethan."

Ethan looked at the ruined grave, then at me, who was covered in dirt and tears.

I was clutching a broken stick in my hand, but not even a trace of ashes remained.

The anger on his face faded almost instantly. He crouched beside me and reached out, as though he meant to comfort me.

"Elena, what's done is done. Why don't we just let it go? They know they messed up. We can go to the chapel, light a candle for the pup, and ask the Moon Goddess for forgiveness and grace.”

I shot to my feet and grabbed his collar, screaming like someone who had completely lost her mind, "They did it on purpose! Ethan, this has to be repaid in kind. I'm going to smash Lylia's grandmother's urn and scatter her ashes. Only then will this be over!"

Lylia's eyes reddened immediately. She clutched Ethan's arm and began to cry.

"Elena, my grandmother was already so old. Please don't humiliate her like this. Besides, those wolves are distant relatives of mine. They just have a quick temper, but they're not bad guys. They would never intentionally destroy your pup's urn."

So, was my pup supposed to endure that humiliation? Who would Ethan choose to believe?

He hesitated for a moment. Then, his body shifted slightly, placing himself in front of Lylia and blocking my view of her.

I stared at him in disbelief.

This was how he treated his own pup. For the sake of a Beta she-wolf, he couldn't care less about his pup's ashes.

"You're willing to go this far for Lylia?" I asked.

Ethan frowned, impatience creeping into his voice. "I just don't want things to get more complicated. If this ends up in front of the Elders' Council, it's not going to end well for anybody. What's done is done. Let's leave it at that. Consider it even for the threats you sent to Lylia."

I bit down so hard that the inside of my mouth tore, and the taste of blood spread across my tongue.

I shoved him away and spoke slowly, "I told you already. I didn't send any threats to her. Nobody gets to pin a crime on me that I didn't commit, and nobody gets to touch my pup's grave!"

Then, without even looking at his expression, I smashed the window of his SUV. I got into my own car and drove away without turning back.

…

Three days later, a guilt-ridden Ethan spent two full days studying every road around the territory. He even drew a detailed map.

He planned to show me this as a "surprise".

But when he returned home, the wooden cabin stood empty. All of my belongings were gone, and not even the faintest trace of my scent remained.

Lylia's voice suddenly crackled through the communication device, trembling with sobs, "Ethan, the cemetery caretaker said I don't have permission to bury my grandmother in the plot she's currently in.

"What's going on? Did Elena sell the pup's grave? The Pack Enforcers showed up and started digging without saying a word…

"Hey! Those are my grandmother's ashes! How could you scatter them?"