A warrior pushed open the wooden doors of the council chamber, carrying a small box wrapped in plain cloth.
“Captain Stormwolf,” he said cautiously, “your mate sent something again…”
At the mention of my name, Aldric’s expression instantly turned cold, his wolf stirring with irritation.
“From now on,” he said, voice laced with disgust, “throw away anything she sends.”
Daxon frowned slightly, sensing the tension. He stepped closer and patted Aldric’s shoulder. “It’s been moons already,” he said quietly. “What happened to your father… wasn’t Nymera’s fault. She lost her wolf that night too. She’s a victim as well.”
Before Aldric could stop him, Daxon untied the cloth and opened the box.
Inside sat a transparent crystal jar.
The moment everyone saw what floated within it, a collective gasp filled the chamber.
Aldric’s hand trembled.
The jar slipped from his grasp and shattered against the stone floor.
Inside…
A perfectly formed wolf pup fetus, preserved in clear liquid.
Its tiny features were fully developed.
But what made everyone’s blood run cold… was the faint, eerie smile stretched across its small face.
Even after hitting the ground, the tiny body bounced slightly, then lay still.
An elder healer reacted quickly, kneeling down and carefully gathering the fragile form into a clean cloth.
After one glance, he frowned.
“This is not real,” he said gravely. “It’s crafted… not born.”
Aldric’s face darkened with fury.
“Another one of her tricks,” he growled. “She’s trying to get my attention again.”
But I never sent that.
The warriors exchanged uneasy glances, disturbed by the gruesome display. Some looked uncomfortable, others quietly agreed — perhaps thinking it was a cruel prank gone too far.
Daxon sighed again. “Nymera doesn’t seem like someone who would do this,” he said carefully. “You’ve been away from the pack house for weeks. Maybe you should return and talk—”
Aldric scoffed harshly.
“What’s there to talk about?” he sneered. “This is a threat. She’s warning me… threatening to abort my heir.”
His eyes filled with cold contempt.
“She’s a liar. She’ll fabricate anything to escape blame — even using pups.”
His voice turned colder.
“Even if she is pregnant, I will never let her keep it. Someone like her… doesn’t deserve to carry my child.”
A sharp pain tore through my chest.
“I feel sick every time I see her face,” he continued. “Right now, we focus on the victim. Find her identity. Close this case. As soon as possible.”
I hovered silently beside him, my soul trembling as tears slid endlessly down my face.
So… in his eyes…
I wasn’t even worthy of carrying his pup.
Then who was?
His perfect, lost love?
Aldric seemed to recall something. He kicked the crafted fetus aside into the trash basket without another glance.
Then he reached for the mindlink stone at his wrist, removing my name from the block he had placed on our mate bond.
His voice turned icy as he spoke through the link.
“Now you’re sending fake pups to threaten me? You’re becoming a monster in my eyes, Nymera.”
His words pierced deeper than any blade.
“Stop acting like a mad liar. Even if you die… you won’t get my attention.”
But I was already dead.
And I never lied.
The mutilated body they were investigating…
Was me.
