“Wait!”
Rufus grasped my hand, gently adjusted the black veil on my head, and said, “Remember to always stay by my side during the service.”
“Okay.” I pasted a smile on my face.
The mourning hall was only a short distance from our living quarters. Numerous ministers and aristocrats had gathered. Everyone was dressed in black, and their faces were solemn and grim.
Leonard’s death was undoubtedly one of the greatest losses of the werewolf empire. The death of the God of War meant that an era had come to an end.
Perhaps everyone’s sadness was not limited to the death itself, but to something we had lost by extension.
There was always a limit to what one could remember. Leonard’s memory would fade away one day.
I couldn’t help the sorrow that filled me when I thought about how one day his name would only be a symbol, a specimen of a strong man, and a good example in a textbook.
I didn’t really believe in souls and spirits. But as I stood in front of the mourning hall and listened to the priest praying for Leonard and reading the scripture with others, I realized that it was probably something really exist. It could be very heavy, and far beyond the essence of life.
Grief was visible on everyone’s faces. A solemn silence reigned over the hall, only broken by the priest’s sermon.
Leonard’s death had been so sudden. Ethan was in immense pain and couldn’t make it here in person, so he had written the eulogy himself.
As the priest read out this eulogy after the sermon, a wail echoed through the crowd. It had originated from Warren.
Sylvia’s POV
Warren wailed miserably. I had never seen him break down like this. Even when he had fallen off the cliff in the forbidden forest and was severely injured, he hadn’t shed a single tear.
He looked awful and had lost a lot of weight in just a few days.
Fortunately, Flora was with him, which would give him some comfort.
Owen and Edwin were also in the same state. Edwin seemed to suddenly have aged ten years, with grey hair sprouting all over his head. He stood behind Owen, not speaking a word. He just stared blankly out the window, as if his soul had already departed with Leonard.
Standing next to me, Rufus gently held me in his arms, his face lined with worry. Perhaps he was afraid that I would lose control of my emotions as well.
I shook my head subtly, indicating that I was fine. My throat felt sore and my eyes were dry. I knew I had no more tears left to shed.
In the second half of the service, the priest asked everyone to bring flowers to Leonard’s coffin in turn to pay our respects.
In the middle of this process, Owen approached Rufus, wanting to discuss something about the burial.
Rufus said a few words to me and left.
I held my flowers and continued to wait in line for my turn.
Soon, it came. Leonard’s body was surrounded by flowers. I gently placed the ones I was holding on his chest. As I did this, I noticed that the walking cane I had put beside his hand last night was missing.
I shot her a cold glare. Icy disdain dripped from my voice as I said, “I used to want to tolerate you, but I don’t have the patience anymore. So watch yourself, Alina. Don’t mess with me again, because I won’t show you mercy anymore.”
“Great, even I’d like to see what you’ll do to me. Now that my father has passed away, you don’t want to pretend anymore. You all are trying to intimidate me, aren’t you?” Her eyes widened in anger, as if she was not going to drop this matter easily.
I gave her a pitiful look. I genuinely felt that all the noble etiquette she had learned over the past decade had been a waste.
She was so obstinate that she had to pick a fight with people all over the world. If she continued in this manner, sooner or later she would suffer because of her own actions.
I smiled and said, “When Leonard was alive, he’d told me that if he died one day, he wanted me to take care of you. He said that you were his biggest cause of worry. If you were to encounter any difficulties one day, I should help you for his sake…”
“Shut up!”
Alina interrupted me before I could finish speaking. Her eyes were bloodshot and her emotions made her bristle like a cornered hedgehog.
“Don’t be so self-righteous, Sylvia! Are you trying to be my elder sister now? I’m telling you right now; I will never admit that you are my sister! I won’t do it for the rest of my life. Just give up!”
Sylvia’s POV
“I don’t need it!” I retorted without hesitation.
From the beginning, I never thought of Alina as my sister. After all, she and I were polar opposites. There was no way we could get along.
Alina rolled her eyes upon hearing my retort. “That’s good, then. I just hope you won’t shamelessly come back to me one day.”
Alina’s arrogant expression irritated me. Who did she even think she was?
“Don’t worry; it’s not like I want to recognize you as my sister either. I know you worked with Noreen so she could kidnap me. What kind of sister would do that, huh? And if it weren’t for the kidnap, Leonard wouldn’t have ordered to dispatch almost all the guards of the pack just to save me. He was left alone at that time, and that gave Noreen a chance,” I coldly replied.
Alina’s cheeks flushed bright red upon hearing what I said. She looked flustered for some reason. “But didn’t Chet kill my father? What does his death have to do with Noreen?”
I sneered. “Do you really think Leonard would have been killed if it weren’t for your own selfishness? I never believed you were innocent. You’re the person that I hate the most. I feel sick just by looking at you.”
“W-What do you mean?” Alina nervously asked. She seemed afraid that I would tell the others that she had conspired with Noreen.
I felt disgusted. Leonard’s death must have had something to do with Alina, but I knew I had to hold myself back, at least until I could figure out what really happened.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. For Leonard’s sake, I won’t steal your position. I just hope you won’t cause any trouble for me again. And put the walking cane back to its original position,” I flatly stated. I wasn’t in the mood to say anything more.
I figured I should make that clear, especially now that Alina was afraid that I would take away what originally belonged to her.
If she was smart enough, she would be able to understand what I meant.
Alina went silent for a moment as she pressed her lips into a thin line. “I can promise that I won’t cause any trouble for you, but I want you to leave the pack as soon as possible. I don’t want to see you anymore.”
I looked at her. “Remember to put the walking cane back to where you took it.”
“I already threw it in the trash can. It’s gone now,” Alina replied. She looked embarrassed-almost as if she was unwilling to put the walking cane back.
I clenched my fists as I shouted, “There’s no way in hell that’s gone! Go ahead and find it! Otherwise, your secret will no longer be safe!”
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply