Chapter 100
“I want to see all of your emotions,” he replied, his voice a blend of possessiveness and longing. “I don’t want you hiding them, even the ugly ones, from me.”
A faint blush crept up my cheeks. “If I treated you like that every day, you’d run for the hills.”
He shook his head, his voice firm, resolute. “No. No matter who you become, I’ll be there. I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to leave.”
A pang of emotion hit me, an echo of the pain from my previous life.
I remembered him, Lirian, digging through the frozen ground to find my lifeless body, his arms wrapped around me, holding my decayed form with a fierce love that defied death itself.
I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. “I believe you,” I whispered. “From now on, my tears are only for you.”
He wrapped his arms around me, his voice low, a vow in his words. “I won’t let you shed tears.”
The car arrived at Moonshadow, and as I stepped out, I turned back, brushing his hand gently. Goodnight, Lirian.”
Inside, the house felt quieter than usual. I noticed Ethan wasn’t home, but the silence was disturbed by the presence of an unwelcome guest, seated casually at the dinner table.
I felt my brow furrow as I locked eyes
at school with Linda?”
with Arman. “Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be
Arman raised an eyebrow, leaning back with a smug smile. “Is that how you greet your brother?” he scoffed. “Linda had an unexpected audition. Besides, I needed to talk to you.”
“Fine,” I said curtly. “Get on with it. I have other things to do.”
Arman’s smirk faltered slightly. “Busy, are you?” He tried to mask the irritation in his voice. “I heard you’ve been managing all the pack
affairs while I was away. Now that I’m back, it’s time to hand it
over.”
Tcrossed my arms, leveling Arman with a look that conveyed every ounce of disdain I felt.
“You left all your responsibilities behind to chase after a woman, sneaking around like some lovesick Egy, and now you have the nerve to return here and demand respect?” I sneered.
med 100
Do you have any idea how many problems have cropped up in the pack while you were gone? You should be taking a hard look in the mirror, reflecting on the consequences of your behavior.”
Arman’s face flushed, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for a response.
For a moment, he choked on his own words,
“Oh, so you think you can speak to me like that just because you’ve cozied up to the heir of the Iron Claw Pack?” His voice rose as he tried to reassert control, his gaze hardening.
“Let me remind you, Sophia, that I’m an elder here, and you would do well to remember your place. And don’t forget,” he added, his voice slipping into a patronizing tone, “you’re a woman with a boyfriend. It’s not right for you to be getting so close to Lirian.”
I met his gaze, icy and unyielding. “And on what grounds, exactly, do you think you can tell me who I should be close to?”
Arman’s tone softened, feigning concern as he switched tactics.
“Sophia, I’m only looking out for your best interests. Why complicate things? Things seem to be going well with your boyfriend, that Ryan fellow, right? I don’t see why you’d want to jeopardize a relationship with someone who’s finally come back to you.”
nside, I scoffed. So that was it. He wasn’t here out of concern for me–he wanted me to keep Ryan around because it suited his agenda.
I kept my face neutral, refusing to let him see how little his manipulations affected me.
“Listen to your older brother’s advice,” he continued, voice dripping with false sincerity. “Find a e continued, voice dripping with false sincerity. “Find a simple, secure match, someone you can settle down with. You’re getting older, Sophia, and the Mobn Goddess hasn’t paired you with anyone yet. Maybe it’s time to accept that, focus on family.
You have Ethan and the support of Moonshadow; you don’t need to chase after power or alliances. Think of how it looks, Sophia. Think of how people see you and our Lunar Shadow Pack when you cling to the Iron Claw Pack like this.”
I narrowed my eyes, allowing a mocking smile to curl at the edge of my lips.
“Oh, I see. What you’re really afraid of is that if 1 marry Lirian, I’ll become even stronger, and then you’ll lose any chance you have of positioning yourself for leadership. Isn’t that what’s really going
on here, Arman?”
Arman’s body went rigid, and his eyes widened, betraying the flash of anger and panic he tried to
mask.
Chapter 1001
“What are you talking about?” he shot back, his voice rising in an indignant bark. “I would never-
