Chapter 162: The Moonstone Pendant
Chapter 162: The Moonstone Pendant
(Evelyn’s POV)
The morning sunlight streamed through the window of my hospital room, casting a warm glow across the sterile white sheets. For the first time in days, I felt surprisingly well. My wolf, usually restless and uncomfortable during my illness, seemed content beneath my skin, almost purring with satisfaction.
Dr. Harrison Fletcher had just finished his morning examination, his experienced hands gentle as he checked my vitals.
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“Your readings are looking better today, Mother Winters,” he said with a pleased smile. “The medication seems to be working well.”
I nodded, returning his smile. “I feel stronger today, Doctor.”
–
After he left, a young nurse brought in my breakfast tray – a bowl of warm oatmeal with honey and fresh berries, along with my morning medication. I ate slowly, savoring each bite. Hospital food was rarely appetizing, but today even this simple meal tasted wonderful.
As I finished the last of my tea, Sarah Jenkins appeared in the doorway. The young medical assistant’s kind face brightened when she saw me sitting up in bed.
“You’re looking well this morning, Mother Winters,” she said, approaching my bedside. “Would you like to get some fresh air? It’s beautiful outside today.”
My wolf perked up at the suggestion, eager for sunshine after days confined to the sterile medical ward. “That sounds lovely, dear.”
Sarah helped me into a comfortable robe and slippers, then guided me to a wheelchair. “Just a precaution,” she explained when I frowned at the chair. “Dr. Fletcher would have my hide if I let you overexert yourself.”
We made our way down to the Silvercrest Medical Garden, a peaceful oasis nestled behind the medical den. Fragrant moonflowers bloomed alongside healing herbs, creating a tranquil atmosphere that immediately soothed my
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wolf.
Sarah found a quiet spot near a small pond, positioning my chair where I could enjoy the
sunshine without being overwhelmed by it. Just as I was settling in, her phone chimed with an urgent message.
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Looking at her screen, Sarah’s face crumpled with concern. “Mother Winters,” she said apologetically, “my daughter has arrived early to see me. She’s waiting at the medical den
entrance…”
I waved away her concern, understanding the pull of maternal instinct. “Go to her,” I insisted, my eyes kind despite my frail condition. “Don’t keep your pup waiting.”
“Are you sure?” Sarah bit her lip, clearly torn between her duty and her daughter.
“Absolutely. I’m perfectly comfortable here,” I assured her. “The fresh air is doing me good.”
Sarah thanked me profusely before hurrying toward the entrance, promising to return quickly. I settled myself more comfortably on the bench she’d helped me move to, facing away from the
direct sunlight.
I pulled out my Hospital Reading Tome, a thick novel my daughter Olivia had brought during her last visit. The garden area was peaceful, perfect for enjoying the warmth while waiting for
Sarah’s return.
I had just read a few lines when voices drifted to me from behind a nearby hedge. The speakers, clearly unaware of my presence, were gossiping loudly.
“Did you know? That Winters she–wolf on the eighth floor of the VIP ward? Her daughter is a homewrecker,” a woman said, her voice dripping with malicious glee.
My ears perked up at the mention of my daughter, my wolf instantly alert beneath my skin. I recognized the speaker’s voice – Brenda Ellis, a Beta she–wolf notorious for spreading vicious
rumors throughout the pack.
“That Luna stole Alpha Stone from his childhood sweetheart,” Brenda continued, emboldened by her audience’s attention. “She deliberately seduced him during a full moon, got herself
pupped, and forced him to mark her as his mate.”
My hands tightened around my book, anger rising within me. How dare they speak of my
Olivia this way?
“And her poor pup died because of her scheming,” another woman chimed in, her voice laced with fake sympathy. “The Moon Goddess has her ways of delivering justice.”
That was the final straw. My wolf snarled with protective rage, giving me strength I didn’t know I still possessed. I turned toward the gossiping wolves, my eyes flashing dangerously despite
my weakened state.
“Have you been drinking from contaminated streams?” I snapped, my maternal instincts
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< Chapter 162 The Moonstone
overriding my usual gentle demeanor. “Your mouths are fouler than a rogue’s den!”
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The three women turned to me in surprise, their expressions quickly shifting from shock to disdain. Brenda Ellis stepped forward, her wolf bristling beneath her skin.
“Well, if it isn’t. Mama Winters,” she sneered. “Defending your scheming daughter?”
“My daughter is not a schemer,” I growled, rising shakily to my feet. “You know nothing about
her!”
The woman who had mentioned Lily’s death smirked unrepentantly. “Everyone knows the
truth. Your daughter trapped Alpha Stone with a pregnancy.”
Something snapped inside me. Before I could think, I had crossed the short distance between
us and struck her across the face with surprising strength.
“Listen carefully,” I growled, my wolf’s fury evident in my voice. “My daughter is not a homewrecker! Spread these lies again, and I’ll tear your tongues out myself!”
The women’s expressions darkened as they surrounded me, their wolves bristling beneath
their skin. I suddenly realized how vulnerable I was – an elderly, ill she–wolf confronting three healthy Betas.
“Everyone in the pack knows the truth,” one sneered, pushing me backward. “Your daughter
drugged Alpha Stone with moonberry wine during a pack celebration, got herself pupped, and forced his true mate Victoria Frost to step aside.”
“That’s not what happened!” I tried desperately to explain. “Olivia was a victim too! She never
intended to come between mates!”
But the women refused to listen, their minds poisoned by years of pack gossip. One of them shoved me roughly, sending me stumbling backward.
“Your daughter is nothing but an opportunist,” Brenda Ellis hissed. “She saw a chance to
become Luna and took it, regardless of who got hurt.”
“You don’t understand,” I pleaded, my strength waning. “Victoria Frost is not what she seems.
She’s manipulated everyone, including Alpha Stone!”
This only enraged them further. Overwhelmed by both anger and grief, my wolf surged forward defensively. I lashed out physically, but outnumbered and weakened by my illness, I couldn’t match their strength.
One of the women shoved me roughly, sending me sprawling to the ground. I clutched at my chest, a sharp pain radiating through my body as my wolf whimpered in distress.
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“Look what you’ve done to yourself, old woman,” Brenda Ellis said coldly. “Maybe you should worry less about defending your daughter’s reputation and more about your own health.”
The pain intensified, spreading through my chest like wildfire. My vision blurred as I struggled to breathe, my wolf retreating in fear and pain.
The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was their retreating footsteps and mocking laughter.
(Victoria’s POV)
I observed the scene from my Raven–Trimmed Wheelchair positioned discreetly behind a stand of tall moonflowers, feeling no remorse as I watched Evelyn Winters collapse. My wolf
purred with satisfaction beneath my skin.
This encounter had been carefully orchestrated. I had deliberately chosen this secluded area of the Silvercrest Medical Garden and planted these rumors with Brenda Ellis, knowing the
notorious gossip would spread them effectively.
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I had paid Brenda and her friends handsomely to provoke Evelyn, hoping the stress would
worsen her heart condition and decrease her chances of surviving her upcoming surgery.
Seeing the elderly she–wolf fall to the ground, clutching her chest in obvious distress, filled me
with cold satisfaction.
As Brenda and her companions hurried away, I quietly wheeled myself in the opposite
direction, pleased with the outcome of my scheme. One more obstacle in my path to securing
Ethan’s complete devotion was being eliminated.
I reached up to touch Ethan’s Ahcestral Moonstone Amulet that I always wore around my neck
the token he had given to “Little Orange” all those years ago. My fingers met bare skin.
–
Panic surged through me as my wolf whined anxiously. The amulet was missing! I frantically searched the collar of my blouse, hoping it had simply slipped inside my clothing.
Nothing.
Cold dread washed over me. That amulet was irreplaceable – the ancestral stone that Ethan
had worn since childhood. There was only one such amulet in the whole world.
If Evelyn really died today and someone found this amulet near her body, Ethan would
definitely suspect me. The reason I had spread rumors and paid others to provoke Evelyn
instead of doing it myself was precisely to avoid Ethan’s suspicion.
Although Ethan had told me it was over between us, as long as I remained “Little Orange” in
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his heart, I knew he would come back to me one day. I couldn’t risk losing that connection.
I urgently spun my wheelchair back toward the garden, retracing my path. The amulet must
have fallen when I was watching the confrontation.
When I returned to the scene, I was shocked to see that Evelyn Winters, who had been
unconscious moments before, had somehow regained consciousness and was shakily getting
to her feet. The elderly she–wolf stumbled forward, her gaze fixed on something on the ground.
My heart stopped. The amulet!
I quickly pushed my wheelchair toward where I believed it had fallen. But Evelyn reached the
spot first.
(Evelyn’s POV)
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–
I don’t know how long I was unconscious – perhaps only seconds. When I came to, my chest
still ached, but the sharp, stabbing pain had subsided to a dull throb.
As I struggled to sit up, something caught my eye – a glint of moonstone in the grass nearby. I shakily got to my feet, drawn to the object despite my weakness.
–
When I reached it, my breath caught in my throat. There on the ground lay a moonstone
amulet with intricate wolf carvings one that looked remarkably similar to the one Ethan had
given to Olivia years ago, the one my daughter had mysteriously lost.
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