2. A Close Call

'That old she-wolf is obsessed with replacing her son's Luna.' Leora's voice seethed with anger. 'Aren't you the least bit upset about this, Cathay?'

'Upset? What right do I have to be upset? Besides, it's not worth getting worked up and hurting myself over.

We're about to dissolve the bond anyway; the Silverspring Pack will have nothing to do with us after that.'

Catherine's eyes flashed with mockery. If this had been in the past, she would have been distressed. But now, she just wanted to leave the Silverspring Pack and live the life she wanted.

The beautiful woman gave Catherine a triumphant smile. She had received news from an informant wolf the day before that Hansen was about to dissolve the bond with his Luna. So she had created a fake photo to deceive Catherine.

She was confident that Catherine wouldn't be able to distinguish between the authenticity of the photo, and it didn't matter if Catherine told Hansen about it either, for the message she sent was embedded with a computer virus and would disappear after a few hours.

Caitlin Liddell was elated. She didn't even acknowledge Catherine as she toured the living room before instructing the butler, "The curtains are wrong, the couch is wrong, and the bed in the bedroom needs to be replaced with my preferred brand."

Catherine stood aside with her arms crossed, watching the beautiful woman before her.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Caitlin Liddell, the future mistress of this estate. So naturally, the decor of this estate will be decided by me."

"Caitlin Liddell?" A bitter smile appeared on Catherine's face. Alpha must really like this woman, or she wouldn't be able to come here and decide on the interior design.

"I see you've heard of me. Hurry up and get lost. You've occupied the Luna position for two years; it's time to return it to its rightful owner."

"You speak so sentimentally,"

Catherine retorted plainly. "Why did you refuse to be his Luna when Hansen was poisoned with wolfsbane and lost his wolf?"

When Hansen was attacked by an enemy pack and poisoned with wolfsbane, he lost his wolf and fell into a deep sleep. William was worried that Hansen might die and wanted to find a girl to carry on the family line.

However, the girls from major packs avoided him.

Catherine was still serving the elderly Alpha as his maid at the time. He treated her well a ven lent her money to pay off aepts, and she, unwilling to see his lineage come to an end, agreed to become Hansen's mate and the Luna of the Silverspring Pack.

Everyone thought Hansen's wolf would never return, and the Silverspring Pack would have to select a new Alpha. But William stubbornly refused to choose another Alpha, believing his grandson would survive and regain his wolf. Eventually, Hansen did awaken, and his wolf returned even stronger than before.

Since then, Catherine's position in the Silverspring Pack had become awkward. After all, the fact that Northbrook's most formidable pack had a former maid as their Luna was bound to attract ridicule from the other major packs. As a result, her identity as the Luna was kept secret; only a handful of Silverspring Pack members knew.

Caitlin's face stiffened. "That's because my brothers locked me up at home to keep me from coming, making me miss the chance to become Hansen's Luna and letting you, a mere maid, take my place. I warn you, I'm the princess of Southport's Bloodstone Pack. My brothers are very powerful. If you dare to challenge me, get ready to say goodbye to your family!"

Catherine's face grew cold, her gray eyes flashing with a hint of crimson. "If you dare to harm my family, I won't let you off."

Of course, Caitlin wasn't afraid of her. A mere maid's wolf could only be so powerful. She sneered, "If you want your family to stay safe, leave the Silverspring Pack."

Suppressing her inner turmoil, Catherine replied calmly, "I won't be staying for long."

"Good, you're wise," Caitlin said and took out a check from her designer bag. "Here's a million dollars, a small token from me."

Catherine's eyes showed a trace of disdain as she took the check unreservedly. Looking at the number, she muttered, "One million? Huh!"

Seeing Catherine's scornful expression, Caitlin frowned with disgust. "What? Is it not enough for you? Given your wage as a maid in the Silverspring Pack, this is your ten years' salary. Take this money and don't bother us anymore. Hansen and I are better matched. You're just a mere maid with little strength to speak of and no contribution to the Silverspring Pack. We, with our combat skills and wealth, belong to a completely different world."

Catherine's heart ached again. Holding the one million dollars, she went upstairs to her master bedroom sheepishly. Even i itlin hadn't shown up right then, she had intended to leave. Since the bond dissolution was inevitable, she had no reason to stay.

While packing her things, she realized how little she had. Her belongings barely filled a suitcase; the past two years felt like a dream.

Then, she noticed the pregnancy test result on the bedside table. It's time to end this, she thought.

Just then, Caitlin strode into the master bedroom as if she were the lady of the house, inspecting the bedroom's decor. "Are you done packing?" she asked and then spotted a piece of paper on the bedside table.

Noticing the word "pregnant," she became suspicious and sniffed Catherine's scent.

Catherine quickly grabbed the test result and crumpled it. Caitlin moved closer, continually sniffing Catherine's scent. 

Catherine squinted. She knew that some werewolves had heightened senses and could detect a pregnant woman's hormones. She wasn't sure if Caitlin had this ability, but the next moment, Caitlin's eyes darkened with a dangerous glint. She spoke like a specter, "Zyla, you're pregnant?!"