Ethan displayed a cruel smile. “As long as it achieves the goal, I don’t mind killing my dearest father, if that’s what it takes.”
Grace didn’t want to talk to this lunatic. “You can kill me now, but I won’t do anything for you, especially anything that would harm The Blue Moon Pack.”
“Oh?” Ethan leaned closer to her face, under the moonlight his fangs gleamed with a malevolent light, like a poisoned dagger. “You don’t have a choice, my sweet. Do you not want me to turn Marvin into a dog just like those wild dogs in the fence? After staying with them for so long, do you know if they’re wolves with thoughts or just dogs driven by primal desires? Do you want to see the man you once swore to love turned into a dog like that?”
“… Don’t touch Marvin with your filthy claws,” Grace growled angrily.
“I can refrain from touching him.” Ethan coldly grabbed Grace by her long hair, lifting her from the ground. “As for whether or not I’ll harm him, that depends on whether you’re willing to cooperate. Now, take me to the Alpha.”
Grace closed her eyes in despair. “Marvin, forgive my disloyalty… Forget about me. Forget a woman who’s sunk into the darkness, neither alive nor dead.”
In The Blue Moon Pack’s luna-exclusive room, Maggie slept restlessly. In her dreams, she kept seeing Aldrich’s cold gaze at the end.
Could that really be Aldrich?
In his heart, was she more than just a mother to their children? Was she considered a partner, someone with whom he could navigate life’s challenges, as he claimed?
Of course, there was no definite answer. She was human and couldn’t perceive the unique mind link between wolves, nor did she understand what it was like to have one’s own wolf after coming of age. She wished there was a shortcut to understanding Aldrich’s true feelings, but there wasn’t. Emotions couldn’t be rushed; otherwise, they’d backfire.
She had to figure it out gradually on her own.
She sat up in bed, and the discomfort from her morning sickness had gradually faded. Maggie gazed at the bright moon outside. The crescent moon looked like a small boat, carrying the desires and yearnings of those with hearts heavy with concerns on this night. She used to think of the moon simply as a moon, a satellite orbiting around the sun. But since she was drawn into the world of the werewolves, the moon became something more. It was the faith of generations of werewolves, the deity that truly existed for them.
She wanted to check on Alisa. So, she got dressed and left her bed. What surprised her was that Thomas was still guarding the door. She now understood a bit about the power dynamics among the werewolves. If it wasn’t something very important, Thomas wouldn’t be here at this hour.
Maggie hesitated and asked, “Why are you still here at this late hour?”
Thomas didn’t answer directly but threw the question back at her, “And what about Miss Maggie? Why are you here at this time, not sleeping?”
Maggie answered honestly, “My morning sickness has subsided, and I can’t sleep. So I wanted to come and see how Alisa is doing. How is she? When will she get better?”
It appeared that their luna was truly concerned about this woman. But Thomas thought of Alpha’s instructions. Alisa was a big obstacle for the Alpha and Miss Maggie. Alisa didn’t trust werewolves, and werewolves didn’t trust humans. Moreover, Alisa was extremely paranoid, and the Alpha was cold and distant. He didn’t expect these two to get along peacefully. The only difficulty was Miss Maggie; she was a dependency for the Alpha and an expectant mother.
“Her condition is not very good right now. We’ve already called the best doctors to do their best to save her,” recalling Alpha and Marvin’s conversation, Thomas decided to sound the alarm to Maggie in advance. “But it’s also possible that she might not be able to recover, unable to get out of bed, unable to speak with you. Even if that’s the case, would you still insist on saving her?”
Maggie’s gaze revealed determination. “I’ve been under her protection since I was a child. I often watched the children at the orphanage being taken away, those rich people holding candy and toys. At first, I envied those kids who were taken away. Until one day, I found out where those children went.”
Thomas watched her quietly.
Where did those children go? They went to secret underground basements in the castles and mansions of the rich. It was pitch dark there, and mice and spiders crawled through the cracks in the walls. They were chained up like dogs, curled on the cold floor. They only had expired milk and moldy biscuits for food every day, and occasionally they were allowed to go above ground.
Back then, they would be changed into new clothes, take a hot bath, and then be presented to another group of wealthy people. Those ugly and obese people would stare at the fresh, tender bodies of the children as if they had seen blood and meat.
“This world is ugly and unbearable, and I knew it when I was very young,” Maggie’s face remained calm. “Alisa protected me from suffering. So, sir, my answer is this: even if she becomes a living corpse, as long as there’s a glimmer of hope left in her brain, as long as her heart can beat weakly, I won’t give up on her.”
“I understand. I will convey what you just said to the Alpha. It’s late, and both you and the baby need rest. I’ll have someone take you back.”
Before Maggie reached the bedroom door, she saw a figure approaching her anxiously. “Maggie! Haven’t I told you not to move around casually?”
Maggie wrapped the blanket around her. It was still a bit chilly at night, and combined with the unease from her dreams, she was somewhat dazed now.
“Sorry,” she instinctively apologized but didn’t know what she was saying. “I couldn’t sleep all of a sudden, and I’ve been feeling restless, so I wanted to check on Alisa and keep her company.”
Seeing her like this, Aldrich couldn’t reprimand her further. “Did you see her?”
Maggie shook her head. “No. Thomas said her condition doesn’t allow it.”
On the surface, Aldrich looked equally regretful as Maggie, but he was relieved inside, grateful for everything Thomas had done. He truly wanted to take care of Alisa, based on Marvin’s request. It would be a straightforward solution. However, much like the motive behind rescuing Alisa from Marvin’s clutches, Alisa was Maggie’s last remaining family.
Before Maggie gave birth safely, he had to ensure that everything went smoothly. He wanted both children to be safe, and he wanted Maggie to return to him unharmed from the delivery room.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Would you like to go for a ride?” Aldrich offered his hand to Maggie with exceptional tenderness. “You can ride my wolf in the meadow, and it might even be beneficial for your health.”
Maggie liked the silver wolf’s soft fur. It felt like a giant fur sofa, and the most expensive soft fur sofa on the market probably couldn’t be more comfortable than the silver wolf’s back.
“All right.”
So, Aldrich handed himself over to the silver wolf and let it carry Maggie through the moonlit night, allowing her to freely enjoy the ride.