Luna Livia frowned, "How can that be possible?"
Her tears slipped on her cheeks and she elegantly wiped them with a handkerchief, "I thought that was what he meant when he asked Markkus to go check on his mate. She turned out to be very powerful," gloom filled her eyes as she said that.
Even though Miranda didn't believe that Evelyn was powerful, she had to play along.
Luna Livia held her hands and squeezed them gently, "I don't care how powerful she might turn out to be. Mira, you're going to be my son's Luna. I will never allow a mere omega, who murdered my sister's son in cold blood to take the position of the Luna of the Blackmoon pack. Over my dead body!"
Miranda nodded, then a soft smile graced her lips, "Thank you, Aunt."
"No need for thanks. You're going to be the Luna after me. I expect that you know how to take care of that slut," her eyes flashed with a malevolent light.
"Wh– what?" Miranda stuttered and lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, as if she was nervous. "Aunt, I really don't know anything," she shook her head.
Luna Livia sighed and clicked her tongue, "When my friend arrives today, I'll give her an earful for not impacting you with necessary skills to deal with women like that worthless servants."
Miranda bit her lip gently and her shoulders sagged a little. "I didn't think I'd ever have to fight for what's mine."
Seeing her pitiful state, Luna Livia felt sorry for her. "In life, not everything will be handed to you. Sometimes, you must do the unthinkable to protect yourself and your position."
Miranda nodded, still fidgeting with her fingers, her eyes cast downward in a submissive gesture. "Yes, Aunt. I'll try to do better."
Luna Livia's expression softened slightly. Gently patting her hand, she said, "Let's see how well you take care of her." Standing up, she pulled Miranda along, "Now, let's go and prepare for our guests. We must make a good impression."
Unbeknownst to her, Miranda's lips curled at an angle. 'Take care of her, right? I shall fulfill your wish, Luna,' she thought with a vicious smile on her lips.
Meanwhile, Maria said nothing all this time, but when she saw that smile on Miranda's lips, a chill ran down her spine.
Things are about to get messy, she thought.
…
Markkus was flabbergasted when he heard what Evelyn said.
"What did you say?" He asked again.
"Na– Napua is gone," she said amidst hiccups. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. And she looked pale and unwell.
"How?!" Markkus didn't know how to react. He was stunned, feeling as if he'd been punched in the gut. "What do you mean Napua is gone?" he asked again, his voice shaking slightly as he tried to process the information.
He looked at Evelyn, then the healer, who nodded calmly at him. A wave of panic washed over him. How could her wolf be dead?
Suddenly, he sniffed Evelyn's neck and to his dismay, her scent was gone too!
His eyes widened in horror as he instinctively pushed her away from him and stumbled backward.
Dazed, Evelyn stopped crying and watched her mate with bewilderment. "M– Mark?"
"You –" Markkus clenched his fist and shut his eyes, trying very hard to suppress his fury. "Your scent is gone…you're...you're a mere human now?" his voice trembled with disbelief, rage, and shock.
He looked at Evelyn as if she was a stranger, his eyes filled with disgust and coldness that he only gave to his enemies.
Evelyn's face crumpled at how Markkus looked at her. Her already broken heart clenched, threatening to tear her apart. She swung her legs down from the bed and almost fell, but she persisted, even at her weak state.
Eyes clouded with tears, she reached out her hands to Markkus, "Please Mark," he was her only hope now, her only reason for not killing herself yet.
But he recoiled from her, his expression twisted in revulsion. "Don't touch me!" he snarled, turned and stormed out.
Evelyn's tears dropped in torrents again as she realized that Markkus was rejecting her, that he didn't want her anymore now that she was no longer a shifter.
Evelyn dropped to her knees, her fists punching the floor as she cried bitterly. What was the point of living now?
Evelyn didn't remember what happened last night, otherwise she might not be begging him like this, especially after what Kael told her.
…
"My Lord, how did her beast die?" Barak questioned. He was standing before Vlad's desk, watching the man who seemed to be disinterested in everything, as he turned a page of the book he was reading.
Something told him that the lycan was not innocent.
"Why is that an issue?" Vlad asked languidly without lifting his head.
Barak swallowed, "If the beast is dead, how are you going to be mated with her?"
Vlad finally lifted his head and looked at his beta. After a long while, he clicked his tongue and shook his head slightly, as if to say that his beta still hasn't learnt anything after those years.
"What time is the mating ceremony?"
Barak was speechless. He didn't know what this man was thinking. He's never been able to get a handle on this man's thoughts, even though he had been his beta from birth.
"In two hours."
"Go spread a rumor that Evelyn is the intruder's accomplice."
"What?!" Barak was baffled. "She'll be killed!"
"And?" Vlad casually asked before he stood up and walked away.
Vlad knew what Barak didn't know. Vlad suspected that by now, Alpha Logan would have guessed Napua's true identity, which means he would want to protect Evelyn.
But if the whole pack goes against him, demanding he execute Evelyn, Alpha Logan would have no choice but to do what the people want.
Also, Vlad wanted Evelyn to know what kind of person her mate was.
…
While everyone was heading to the hall for the mating ceremony, Ryker entered the infirmary and dragged Evelyn away.