Grace couldn’t understand how her existence, which was always a source of misfortune to those around her, had managed to survive until now. According to common sense, she should have died in some corner without sunlight or air, waiting for her bones to decay with the passage of years. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. In that arena-like enclosure, she should have died there, not thinking about escaping. That way, she wouldn’t have lingered in this world, but the Grand Elder died in her place.
Now, the murderer dared to approach her, buzzing around her ears like an annoying bee.
Ethan never cared about her extremely bad attitude; otherwise, he would have killed her the first time Grace defied him, not leaving it until now.
He stroked Grace’s hair. “My little wolf has quite a temper now.”
“Get away, Ethan. Your scent makes me want to vomit.”
Ethan didn’t argue.
“I know I’m terrible.”
“If you know, then get away from me. Don’t lean on me.”
Ethan didn’t move; he just bent his legs, leaning against Grace in the darkness.
But Grace had never hated her own powerlessness as much as she did now. The killer of her teacher was less than a meter away, but she could only be bound by iron chains, worse than a dog. If she were a bit closer, just a bit closer, she could bite the bastard’s throat off.
“I know you hate me, but I don’t have a choice.”
Normally, Grace might respond sarcastically, asking if fate assigned him to become a villain. Now, Grace couldn’t be bothered to waste words. “I said you don’t need to tell me about your hardships. I don’t need to know, and I don’t want to hear.”
But Ethan wanted to talk. At this moment, he needed someone to confide in, someone to quietly listen to the conflicts in his heart, and only Grace could do that.
“I really want to see my mother. Not through a photo, but standing in front of her, saying I miss you. I want her to hug me, kiss me, and tell me she loves me. How can anyone endure losing their mother? It’s been too many years; I’ve endured days without love or a mother for too long. I can’t take it anymore, Grace. How can you understand the obsession of a child without a mother?”
Listening to this, Grace finally couldn’t take it. Sitting up abruptly from her side-lying position, she said, “Of course, I can’t understand because I became an orphan early. Marvin and Aldrich’s father raised me, treating me as if I were his own. Later, the Blue Moon Pack sent me to the side of the Grand Elder to learn, and he treated me as his daughter as well. I haven’t had parents for a long time, and I will never have the chance to see them again. Even the thought has been taken away from me.”
“And what have you done? You killed my elders who treated me like a daughter. Yet you dare to come in front of me and hypocritically talk about missing your mother? What right do you have to say these things to me? A scum who hurts others to achieve their own goals, on what grounds do you think your pain is the only pain!”
Ethan couldn’t defend himself; he was originally a villain.
“I just want to repent. I regret everything I did in the past.”
“Repentance? The executioner won’t gain absolution for countless lost souls through repentance. Justifying evil deeds is futile because the truth is, your repentance has no connection whatsoever with the irreversible actions you regret. So, are you going to stop, or do you want redemption? You’re neither. You want to continue; otherwise, it means you’ve completely failed. So, why should I care about your useless prayers? They can’t console the dead or persuade the living; they only make me detest you even more.”
Watching her, Ethan knew why a lingering gloom persisted in his chest after returning to the palace. He was gradually tired of his pursuit of power, wealth, and various desires that blinded him to the ultimate goal of slaughter. He chased the position of the Wolf King, but as Grace pointed out, he had never learned how to govern a country. Voters could sense a candidate’s weakness, and they wouldn’t choose him.
He kept doing things he neither liked nor wanted, just to live up to Alexander’s expectations. Eager for the elusive fatherly love, he repeatedly approached the abyss. He had reached a point of no return.
Ethan picked up the meal in front of him. “Even if you truly want to kill me, you’ll have to wait until you regain your strength.” He unlocked the iron chain binding Grace. “Eat something.”
Before he could finish speaking, a shadow quickly pounced on him. Grace clutched his neck, attempting to kill him. But she couldn’t transform into a wolf; excessive grief and hunger had drained her energy. The hands choking Ethan’s neck were weak and powerless.
He could have easily thrown her away with a gentle shake, but he didn’t. He just stared at her with the eyes that still emitted a glow in the darkness. A prolonged silence.
Grace abandoned the idea of killing him. She knew she couldn’t do it in her current state.
“Hand me the food.”
Surprisingly, Ethan really handed her the meal and pushed the water toward her.
“If I can, I hope the one who eventually kills me will be you. Not Marvin, Aldrich, or anyone else.”
After eating a bit, the rage in Grace’s heart subsided a little. At least, the strength to confront someone returned. She coldly snorted, “Believe me, I will fulfill your wish.”
“Do you want freedom? I can let you go, choose to return to the Blue Moon Pack or go wherever you want. You can leave this place you despise at any time.”
Grace didn’t stop eating, but her internal turmoil was intense. Is he crazy? He wants to set her free. Or does he have some other conspiracy waiting for her?
Right now, she didn’t need freedom; she needed revenge. She wanted to witness Ethan’s failure, downfall, and see the Frost Moon Pack turn into a pariah in each failed coup, only then could she find some solace.
So she decisively refused, “I have nowhere to go, freedom is worthless to me. My only expectation now is to see the day you die. I’ll burn your body to ashes, scatter it in any corner of the cemetery, and dance on it. You should feel happy, right? After all, someone truly cares about your death.”
Ethan grinned, “If my death can bring you joy, and you get to dance on my ashes, it seems my death might have some value after all. Will you wear a pretty little dress?”
“No.” Despite being angry, Frost Moon Pack’s food unexpectedly suited her taste. She finished the last bite of meat in the bowl, “I’ll make Marvin wear a dress and dance on your ashes.”