Chapter 7
Erevan’s breath hitched, and he suddenly realized something.
He took a step forward, his voice dripping with mockery.
“Is it him the dead man?”
I shot him a cold glance. “You shouldn’t refer to him like that.”
Erevan had never seen me look at him this way. He froze for a moment, then gave a mocking laugh.
“What? Was he your old lover? Did your ex–boyfriend die?”
My gaze flashed slightly, and my eyes instantly welled up.
The truth was Elian and I were never in a relationship. He died the day I just turned eighteen.
He’d promised to buy me a cake to celebrate my coming–of–age, but that day, there was chaos in the red–light district, and Elian had to go on a mission.
Those were the most turbulent years, filled with smugglers and illegal dealings.
Gang conflicts were frequent.
The first time I met Elian was just like that–amidst the smoke of gunfire, he picked me up from the hail of bullets and gave m
a warm home.
But this time, he didn’t come.
All I could hear was the buzzing in my ears, my eyes burned by the blast from a grenade.
When I opened my eyes again, they told me Elian was dead.
His last wish was for me and his only brother to live well.
His corneas were donated to me.
Then they handed me a broken cake and a university application form.
The bottom of the recommendation letter was stained with his blood.
This was supposed to be the birthday gift Elian gave me when I came of age.
But now, it had become the path he paved for me before he died.
Without me speaking, Erevan thought he understood everything.
“Boom!”
He slammed his hand down hard, muttering, “Liora, you’re something else,” before turning to leave.
Back at the hotel, Erevan, his face dark, had someone change the flight to the earliest one back to Blackvale.
The Beta saw him like this and cowardly asked, “Alpha Erevan, aren’t we going to investigate The Hollow of Honor today?”
Erevan’s gaze was sharp.
“Investigate what? It’s just the other man who was dead man. Investigation against him is just wasting time.”
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He went back to Blackvale very soon, threw himself into work at the Rosenoir Pack, trying to numb himself to calm the turmoil
in his heart.
Even when Virelle brought him coffee into the office, he harshly ordered her out.
“Get out.”
Virelle’s hand shook, and she burned herself with the coffee.
Had it been before, Erevan would have rushed over, concerned, and taken her to the hospital.
But now, he simply frowned, disgusted.
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“You can’t even do something this simple. You’re so useless.”
Virelle was aggrieved.
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“Erevan, we’re bonded now, but you spend even less time with me than before. You don’t even come home.”
Seeing the redness in her eyes, Erevan unexpectedly thought of my sorrowful eyes that day.
He remembered me leaning down to kiss the gravestone, handling it carefully, as if it were something precious.
So, there had always been another man in her heart.
What am I, then? Am I a substitute for when she is lonely and empty?
How laughable.
Erevan slammed the papers on the desk hard, losing all interest in work.
Back home, he discovered that the room I used to stay in had already been cleared out.
He coldly questioned Virelle, “Did you do this?”
Virelle tried to act cute. “Erevan, I’m your mate. I’ll get jealous if you leave another woman’s things in the house.”
No matter how much she acted out in the past, Erevan always found her childish behavior cute. He liked her vibrant, sunny personality and was willing to spoil and tolerate her.
But suddenly, he seemed a little tired of it.
Erevan grabbed her neck and growled with intensity.
“Don’t forget, we never marked each other.”
“Virelle, you’re the one who wanted this Mate Bonding Ceremony. I’ve indulged you with the ritual, and let you pretend to be the Luna in front of others, but now you’ve crossed the line!”
Virelle coughed and struggled, her face red as she pleaded, “Sorry, I was wrong, Erevan. I won’t do it again…”
Erevan released her and turned to walk away when, by accident, he noticed something under the bed.
He picked it up and saw it was a bottle of painkillers and anti–depressant magical potions.
Why are there so many empty bottles?
Have I been taking these all these years?
Chapter 7
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Erevan froze.
Virelle hadn’t expected him to find something else. She felt guilty and hurriedly defended herself, her voice shaky.
“This must have been left by Liora on purpose. She tried to play the poor, pitiful victim. Erevan, don’t believe her!”
“Shut up!”
Erevan was about to say something when the Beta suddenly called, urgency in his tone.
“Alpha Erevan, there’s news about the other thing you asked me to investigate!”
“It’s about your missing twin brother…”
