Chapter 3

The next morning, I went to see the witch, Megan Wysteria.

When Mom passed away, a corner of the moonstone amulet that she'd been wearing had been knocked off, and Megan had helped me repair it. The silver repair lines crossed through the blue stone like a scar that would never heal.

I put the amulet away in a velvet box and returned home.

The moment I opened the door, a familiar scent of pheromones hit me in the face at once. Freya was seated on the couch in the living room, scrolling on her phone.

I held my coat in one hand and the velvet box in the other. After walking in through the door, I turned sideways and closed it with my elbow, temporarily placing the velvet box on the low table at the entrance. I was planning to take my coat and put it on the coat rack in the room.

But in the few seconds it took me to take off my coat and turn back around, I saw that the velvet box had already been opened, and Freya was brazenly wearing Mom's moonstone amulet around her neck.

My mind went blank for a moment. In the next second, I sprinted over to her at once.

"Who gave you permission to touch it?"

I grabbed the chain with my fingers and forcefully tore it off her neck. The thin chain dug into her skin, leaving a red mark.

She screamed and stepped back in shock, catching her heels on the leg of the coffee table. Then, she fell backward, and her elbow knocked off the crystal mug on the edge of the table.

Broken crystal shards fell across the floor, and her palm happened to land on a piece of the broken mug. Blood poured out from the wound at once.

"Ariel Whiteclaw! What the hell do you think you're doing!"

Kalev's loud roar came from the door as he stormed in. His Alpha aura suppressed me at once as he grabbed me by my shoulders and shoved me away.

I stumbled backward and hit my lower back hard against the corner of the oak cabinet. The pain was so sharp that it made my vision go completely black for a moment.

However, Kalev didn't even bother looking at me. He crouched over on the ground and carefully cradled Freya's bleeding hand in his.

"Does it hurt, Freya? Don't move, I'll take you to a healer right away!"

Freya cried pitifully and kept shaking her head.

"It's okay, Kai, it doesn't hurt that much… Please don't blame this on Ari. I saw the box on the table and thought that it was a gift that you bought for me, so I just put it on without thinking much…"

Kalev immediately turned his head around to glare darkly at me.

"It's just a stupid broken stone! Would it kill you to lend it to her for a moment? How dare you push her against the broken glass on the floor, Ariel? When did you become so evil and vicious?"

I clutched the amulet tightly in my hands, my nails digging into my palms.

"Does this belong to her? It was the only thing my mom left for me!"

The anger on Kalev's face froze for a moment. But Freya gasped lightly in his arms as she continued sobbing, and Kalev immediately took her side once more.

"I already told you that I would accompany you to see your mother another day! I've also contacted the best healer in the pack, so why the hell are you still spinning lies like that just to catch my attention? If your mother knew that you were lying about her being dead like this, she'd never forgive you!

"All Freya wanted to do was try on the necklace because she was curious about it, and you were vicious enough to try and kill her? It's not like it's worth anything anyway! Just leave it be! Will you only be happy after driving your own pack member to death over a lifeless thing?"

Even now, Kalev still thought that I was lying to him and using it to create even more excuses for myself. I was so exhausted that I didn't even have any energy left to defend myself anymore.

I slowly stood upright while bracing myself against the oak cabinet. I then looked at him, my heart as still as a pool of stagnant water.

Whatever. He could think whatever he wanted to think. I didn't care anymore.

"You're right. The living are more important than the dead."

Kalev thought that I was finally admitting my mistake and relaxed his brow just a little. His tone became condescending as he said, "It's good that you know you were in the wrong. I'm taking Freya to the healing center. You will stay home and reflect on your behavior today."

Then, he picked her up bridal-style, pausing only for a second when he reached the door.

"Clean up all the mess on the floor. I'll bring home your favorite barbecue tonight."

Then, the door slammed with a bang behind him, leaving behind broken pieces of the crystal mug and Freya's blood on the floor.

I slid to the floor with my back against the wall, finally opening my palms and looking at the amulet inside. The moonstone hadn't been damaged again, and that was more than enough for me.

I took out my phone and called Randy. I said, "I will hand over everything right on time at 8:00 am tomorrow, and all transfer procedures will be completed at the same time."

After hanging up, I stood up again while holding on to the wall before looking at the mess in the room.

Tomorrow, I was going to personally bury them all behind me, along with the past five ridiculous years I'd spent with Kalev.