Chapter 3

"Rex——!!" I screamed in anguish, crawling toward him on my hands and knees, pulling his still-warm body against my chest. His eyes remained open, as if reluctant to leave, as if taking one final look at me. No matter how I called to him, no matter how I shook him, he didn't respond. My dearest childhood companion, my brother's battlefield comrade, our pack's hero—he had died trying to save me, murdered by these vicious creatures.

My tears mixed with the blood on my face, dripping onto Rex's lifeless fur.

Celeste still wasn't satisfied. She walked over and deliberately stepped on Rex's corpse with her blood-stained shoe, sneering coldly: "Stupid mutt should have known better!"

Just then, my phone on the floor began ringing.

The banquet must be starting soon.

My brother was calling to have me bring Rex to meet the Alpha Council elders.

Seeing the contact name on my phone, Celeste snorted: "Ha, 'Brother'? How sweet! You little whore, you really think you're something special, don't you?"

One of the Deltas spoke up quietly: "Assistant Celeste, the banquet is about to begin."

"You should head over. Don't keep the Alpha and the others waiting."

"I heard some important figures from the Alpha Council came today. The Alpha specifically requested your attendance. This is a rare opportunity."

"You can't afford to miss this."

Celeste looked down at me with contempt and snorted: "You hear that? I'm the one the Alpha values most! I'm the only one who could ever be his mate!"

"If you know what's good for you, disappear on your own! Otherwise, next time won't be as simple as a few broken bones!"

Her voice dripped with menace.

Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Take care of her!"

The Delta interrupted again: "Ma'am, the banquet is time-sensitive. You should go ahead!"

"Today would be perfect for you to make connections with the Alpha Council elders."

"Perhaps the Alpha is preparing to announce you as Luna."

Celeste frowned impatiently, clearly enticed by words like "Alpha Council," "elders," and "make an impression." After a moment's consideration, she commanded: "Drag this thief to the courtyard and tie her to a tree! Let everyone see what happens to thieves! As for this dead dog..." Her gaze swept over Rex's body, then she looked at her own bloodstained hands. Suddenly, her lips curved into a chilling smile. "Actually, I have a brilliant idea. I'll give the Alpha and the elders the perfect 'gift'! Quickly, do as I say!"

I was roughly dragged by the Deltas through the hallway and thrown into the courtyard in front of the mansion. The blood streaming from my body left a gruesome trail across the ground.

In the courtyard, several gardeners and maids were working—all unfamiliar faces. Clearly, much of the household staff had been replaced during my absence. When they saw my blood-soaked, half-dead condition, they all stopped working in shock.

"Assistant... Assistant Celeste... what happened here?" an older maid asked tremulously, summoning her courage.

Celeste strolled out casually, arms crossed with the arrogance of a conqueror: "What else could it be? This new assistant the Alpha hired is a thief. She dared to steal the Alpha's treasured necklace! I caught her in the act! I'm teaching her a lesson she won't forget!"

I had already been tortured to the point of barely clinging to life.

Hearing her accusations, I realized the "stolen item" she referred to must be the crystal necklace.

This necklace was our mother's legacy, her family heirloom.

She had told my brother to save it for me to wear when I came of age.

Since I was still studying with another pack and didn't want to draw attention to myself, my brother had displayed this precious necklace in a glass case like a museum piece.

Today when I returned to the pack, he had personally placed it around my neck.

The staff might have seen me briefly this morning, but none of them knew my true identity. Now hearing Celeste's lies, they looked at me with contempt and disgust, mistaking me for my brother's newly hired assistant.

"My God, she actually stole from the Alpha!"

"Poor Alpha works so hard. With a pack this large, he can't watch everything."

"We've had several assistants before who couldn't handle the job and quit."

"But this one is really brazen! She actually dared to steal from the Alpha's own home!"

"Celeste did the right thing! People like this need to be taught a harsh lesson!"