Trusting her would do me no good!
A disdainful sneer came to her lips. “As long as I’m alive, you’ll only be a fatherless bastard for the rest of your life!”
Rufus’s POV
Edwin and I rushed to the stage in the middle of the hall. As soon as we reached the dead body, we heard the door shut behind us.
That was when I realized that Sylvia had not followed us in. I was worried about her and wanted to bring her in, but Edwin was so overcome with sadness that he suddenly fainted.
The men around us flew into a panic as they supported him, so I had no choice but to check on Edwin first.
However, Edwin regained consciousness very soon. He was only out for about ten seconds.
I heaved a sigh of relief and wanted to help him get closer to Leonard’s body.
Before I could do that, he threw himself in front of Leonard’s bed and sobbed sorrowfully. “Damn it! How can you leave me behind like this?”
His body shook violently as he reached his trembling hand out to see if Leonard had really stopped breathing. His own breaths were harsh and shallow, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Everyone’s eyes turned red at this emotional display.
With a howl, Edwin collapsed to the ground.
I hurried to comfort him and asked the forensic experts to check the body.
Edwin was engulfed in immense anguish and self-reproach. “I shouldn’t have left! He had just had a relapse at that time. Even if he was furious with me, I shouldn’t have left him alone! He would have still been alive if I had stayed. He must have been in so much pain with such a gaping hole in his chest!”
Edwin held his head and kept murmuring like a helpless child, tears welling up in his eyes.
This was the first time I had witnessed such a stoic and noble male werewolf lose control without caring for his image. His sad cries got stuck in his dry throat. His mouth was opened wide, and the blue protruding veins on his forehead seemed to be the evidence of his silent pain. Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes and splashed on the cold tiles.
My heart was heavy with grief. I took a deep breath and tried to rein in my emotions. It was my job to stay calm while everyone else fell apart around me. Leonard’s death was odd. I had to find the murderer responsible and exact revenge.
At this time, we heard a flurry of footsteps. The door was thrown open with a loud bang.
In a state of agitation, Owen barged in. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were stained with blood. He seemed to have come directly from the military camp.
His face was a mask of confusion as he asked, “Who is dead?”
No one dared to answer his question. Everyone present just lowered their heads.
His eyes widened when they fell on the corpse in the center of the room. He shook his head in disbelief. “No, it’s impossible. How could he die? He said he wanted to meet Warren’s child. How could he die?”
Edwin wiped his tears and approached Owen, enduring his pain. “Go and see him.”
Owen stumbled to the bed, kept silent for a few seconds, and then let out a cry of agony.
I couldn’t bear to see it anymore. When I turned my head away, I spotted a forensic expert walking toward me. He removed his gloves and said, “According to the preliminary examination, the only injury Alpha Leonard has is the stab wound in his heart. He died about two hours ago. A visual inspection of the wound tells us that the murder weapon is indeed the dagger. We will need to go back for further investigation.”
After hesitating for a few seconds, the forensic expert asked, “Do you want to conduct an autopsy to confirm the cause of death?”
I wavered for a moment and eyed Edwin and Owen.
Edwin was in no state to make a decision. Owen on the other hand, was immersed in his sorrow and was paying no heed to his surroundings.
At this moment, Alina came in and vehemently opposed the autopsy request.
“You want to cut open my father? Over my dead body! I will never let my father lose his dignity even after his death!”
Rufus’ POV
Edwin was about to say something but stopped after reconsidering. Finally, he simply sighed and turned his back to Alina.
I felt a little helpless. Alina was Leonard’s only immediate family member. If she didn’t give us permission, we could not conduct the autopsy by force.
“Have you seen enough of my father’s body? If you have had your fill, you can leave. Don’t disturb his peace.” Alina frostily directed us to leave.
Upon hearing that, Owen stopped crying. He got his emotions under control and turned to look at Alina.
“Child, Leonard is not just your father. He is also the leader of the whole pack. He is dead now. You can’t send everyone away so overbearingly and not let anyone mourn him.”
It seemed that Alina was ready to drop her pretense. Her usual obedience and impassivity disappeared without a trace. She gave Owen a sarcastic smile. “Do you think that’s what my father needs? Where were you when he was murdered? In order to save a lowly she-wolf, you didn’t leave behind a single guard to protect my father! Have you seen the hole in his chest? How painful do you think his death was? I think you all should be held accountable for his death. So, don’t shed crocodile tears.”
After hearing her outburst, Edwin collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by guilt. “You’re right. We’re all responsible for Leonard’s death.”
He fainted as soon as he said this.
Owen was alarmed. “Call the doctor!”
I requested the doctor to take Edwin to the hospital immediately.
Owen was also distressed by this sudden turn of events. One of his friends was dead, and another one was unconscious.
Like a hard rock, Alina refused to be persuaded. She wouldn’t let Leonard’s body undergo a postmortem.
Owen had a disappointed expression on his face. He looked at her sorrowfully and commented, “I think I can now understand why your father wanted to get you married into another pack.”
Owen had ruffled Alina’s feathers and she instantly exploded. “What was that supposed to mean?”
He shook his head and just sighed helplessly. Without adding anything else, he left with his men.
I didn’t linger around and left with him.
As soon as I stepped out of the palace, I spotted Sylvia crouched under a tree, looking dazed. People milled around, but no one dared to approach her. She looked as lonely as an abandoned child. I felt very sorry for her.
“Sylvia.” I approached her and called her name softly.
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