Chapter 2

Everyone froze where they stood. The entire scene fell silent.

Bella was shaking with anger.

"Mother, what are you trying to do? Mr. Freeman is here to save Xena. Please, just move out of the way."

Mother stared hard at Bruce for a long moment. Suddenly, she screamed, "Why should I trust you? Letting my cub get into your car? What if you're a bad person?"

The moment she said that, everyone was stunned.

"Luna, what are you talking about? It's me, Bruce. I've worked alongside the Alpha in the pack for years. You know that. We even saw each other at the pack banquet last month."

Bruce patiently tried to explain, but Father rushed forward and grabbed Mother by the arm. His face was filled with shock and anger.

"Caroline, have you lost your mind? How could you not recognize Bruce? He's been working by my side all this time. You see him all the time!"

Mother violently shook off his hand. "I don't know him! There are plenty of people who look alike. What if he's an impostor? If something happens to my cub, which one of you is going to take responsibility?"

Father had finally had enough. He pointed at the unmistakable pack mark tattooed on Bruce's neck.

"His mark is right there in plain sight. There's no way to fake that. Besides, I work with Bruce every single day. Do you really think I wouldn't recognize him? Xena needs help now. Move!"

The captain of the guard immediately joined in.

"Exactly. I saw Bruce at the council hall just this morning. He hasn't even changed clothes since then. How could he possibly be an impostor?"

However, Mother still refused to move. Instead, she screamed again, "So what? If someone wants to fake something, they can fake anything. Bad people don't walk around telling people that they're bad.

"She's my cub. I'm protecting her. When she grows up, she'll thank me for being cautious."

Protecting me?

The thought was so absurd that I almost laughed. Instead, a mouthful of blood suddenly surged up my throat, and I vomited it all over the ground.

Bella stared at the pool of blood, her eyes turning bright red.

"Mother, is this what you call protecting her?"

Her normally sweet voice was hoarse now, as if every word had to be forced out of her throat.

"Look at her! Xena is coughing up blood! She can't even shift anymore! If you keep stopping them, she's really going to die!"

People around us began whispering among themselves, their eyes shifting toward Mother. She immediately turned around and shouted at them.

"I'm the Luna! What right do you have to judge me? This is our family matter. Stay out of it and move along!"

The person at the front of the crowd was a young woman who apparently was not part of our pack. Maybe that was why she was not afraid of Mother at all. She stepped forward and confronted her.

"You're worried about whether we're going to talk about you? Take a look at your own cub first. She's practically dying! Even a complete stranger would be more desperate to save her than you are, and you're her own Mother!"

"What do you know?" Mother was instantly furious. "I'm her Mother. I know her condition better than anyone. She takes after her father. She was born with an exceptionally strong constitution, and she's been powerful since she was little.

"I was the one who gave her the wolfsbane. It was only a tiny amount. Just a little. It won't kill her."

She said it with complete confidence, as if she could not see me writhing in agony before her. As if the blood pouring from my mouth were nothing more than an act, a performance I was putting on just to play along with her lesson.

Bella looked at how weak I had become and finally broke down. She dropped to her knees at Mother's feet.

"Mother, please. I'm begging you. Save Xena. If we wait any longer, it'll really be too late. Mr. Freeman isn't a bad person. He won't hurt us."