The events of that night spread quickly among the pack servants. They had witnessed Violette being cast out of the Alpha's chambers while Hans escorted Irene inside and closed the heavy oak doors behind them.
Every wolf in the Blackthorn estate could read the message clearly enough. Hans had shown the entire household exactly how much Irene mattered to him. Violette lost face in her own den and became the subject of whispered ridicule among wolves who should have bowed their heads when she passed.
Hans did not attempt to remedy the situation or apologize to Violette.
A mind-link message came through from the Ashwood Pack, as if the news had already crossed territories. Her mother, Anna, wasted no time.
"Vio, how could you let another woman treat you like that? Where is your pride as a daughter of the Ashwood bloodline?"
"Mom, what happened was..."
"Forget it. Don't get into a conflict with Hans over some turned wolf. After all, you are still the Luna of the Blackthorn Pack. You have to maintain that status."
"Mom, your daughter was humiliated like this, how can you say that to me?" Violette said in disbelief, her grip tightening on the mind-link stone.
"Violette, how old are you now? You are a mated wolf who has been bonded for fifteen years but have yet to produce an heir for the Blackthorn line. Don't make Hans unhappy and cause him to fight with you because of a mistress. If you sever the bond with Hans, the Ashwood Pack will not accept you anymore."
Violette did not answer. Her hands clenched tightly as she listened to her mother's indifferent words. She understood that she was useless in the eyes of her family because she had not given the Blackthorn Pack any pups.
"Vio, are you listening to me? There's no need to fight with Hans over a mistress. He will get bored eventually and you will remain Luna. It's better to think about how you can conceive an heir."
Violette's heart was so tired that she didn't argue with her mother.
"I understand, Mom." She ended the mind-link.
Her family's attitude made Violette even more determined to keep her bond-severance a secret, and she would not return to the Ashwood Pack.
Hans came home early that day and found Violette in the Alpha's chambers, packing some of her belongings into boxes.
"What did you tell your family?" His expression looked unhappy.
"Nothing," Violette replied briefly and wearily, continuing to fold her clothes into a box.
"Then why did your father contact me and bring up Irene?"
"I don't know, but my mother reached out to me today. She also talked about Irene. It seems they heard the news from last night through a servant. You know, in a pack like ours, there are always wolves with divided loyalties. Spies everywhere."
Hans paused for a moment and then exhaled. "Don't worry too much about what happened last night. Irene wasn't raised like us, growing up in a powerful pack. She was very frightened by the intruder last night."
"Yes. I know." Violette bowed her head, busy packing her belongings into boxes.
"Why are you packing so many things? You don't need to pack so much. Once Irene calms down, you can come back to this room."
"It's okay. She can stay in this chamber as long as she wants. And these things are for me to donate to the pack orphanage."
Hans stared at her for a moment, his brow furrowed. He felt that Violette was indifferent and was even giving up their chambers just like that. She was not the type of person who would give away her belongings to anyone, and she was stubborn.
Hans looked at the items packed in the boxes. They were valuable to Violette because they were gifts from him. The carved wooden wolves were gifts Hans had given Violette from the ages of ten to eighteen, along with a few other keepsakes.
"Those things… don't you really like them? Do you really need to throw them away?"
"Oh, I feel like I'm too old to keep these things. There must be lots of pups in the orphanage who would love these." Violette smiled gently at Hans.
Hans didn't think about it any further. He placed an invitation and a gift box on Violette's lap.
"An invitation to the Blackthorn Pack gathering tomorrow night. We both have to attend and show everyone that we're doing well."
"Okay." Violette stroked the gift box Hans had given her.
When she opened it, the contents were stunning: a delicate silk dress threaded with silver moonstone beading and the latest diamonds from a renowned jeweler.
Despite their recent argument, Hans still knew her taste and her preferences. Her heart wavered for a moment. At least Hans still respected her.
"Wear that dress tomorrow night."
Violette looked up and nodded, smiling.
---
The next day at seven in the evening, Violette went to check the dress she had asked a pack servant to wash and press. However, she found Irene standing over the ironing board. The iron was emitting steam, and there was a burning smell that cut through the faint sweetness of jasmine and honey still clinging to the chamber. Next to her, Damien was busy on the floor, snapping apart Violette's jewelry set piece by piece, his small fingers working with deliberate focus.
"Irene, what are you doing?!" Violette rushed to save her dress and pushed Irene aside.
The dress was beyond saving. There were burn marks and a gaping hole scorched through the middle of the fabric, the moonstone beading melted and blackened.
"Oops, sorry Violette... I accidentally burned your dress. You're not going to blame me, right?" Irene said with a cynical smile on her lips, not attempting to hide that it was intentional.
