Chapter 7
Ryan remained in this pitiful state for many weeks, until he began leaving the house frequently, returning only after several
hours.
My spectral form had weakened so much that I could no longer withstand direct sunlight. During daylight hours, I couldn’t follow him. So I waited until one night when he woke from a nightmare and slipped out.
He made his way to Shadow Ridge Pack’s cemetery.
One tombstone bore my name, with an inscription that read, “Tiana Ravenwood, Luna of Shadow Ridge Pack’s Alpha, Leo, rests here in peace.”
So this was what Ryan had been searching for. The result wasn’t what he wanted. His rage peaked, while I felt only bitterness.
Leo and I had never truly been mates. We both knew we couldn’t be together, so we had carefully guarded our feelings.
Then I met Ryan, and whatever affection I held for Leo completely faded.
If I had wronged anyone in my life, it was Leo. He had always treated me with unconditional kindness, yet I had never returned it equally.
Standing before my grave, I finally felt a sense of peace and acceptance.
But then, Ryan pushed over my tombstone and began digging into my grave with his transformed claws.
What was he doing? Someone needed to stop him!
I was furious and anxious. He had never let me rest when I was alive, and even in death, he wouldn’t leave me in peace.
He should have been the one to give me a home, a safe place to belong. But it was Leo who had given me a tombstone, and now Ryan wanted to destroy even that.
He was a monster! I hated him!
I lunged forward, trying to stop him, but my hands passed through his body without even stirring the air.
Of course. When I was alive, I had no power against his cruelty. Now that I was dead, I had even less.
As I circled him helplessly, a roar erupted behind me, “Stop! You bastard, Ryan!”
Leo charged forward, slashing at Ryan’s head with his claws.
His appearance was haggard–stubble covered his face, and dark circles shadowed his eyes. He clearly hadn’t been sleeping well. Ryan coughed blood from the blow but refused to admit wrongdoing.
“Get out of my way, Leo! You conniving thief, always coveting what belongs to others! Tiana was my Luna! How dare you claim her as yours?”
+20 Bonus
Leo’s voice dripped with disgust. “You think you deserve to call yourself her Alpha? You’re the one who drove her to death, you
murderer!”
They fought with blows that carried years of hatred.
I didn’t bother watching. Instead, I drifted away, gazing into the distance.
I liked the cemetery’s location. It overlooked a glittering lake–the same one where I used to stare at my reflection as a pup. Only
Leo would think to bury me somewhere I would have loved.
By the time they were too exhausted to continue fighting, they both lay on the ground, wounded, staring up at the moon.
Leo bared his teeth at Ryan, panting heavily as if he wanted nothing more than to tear out his throat.
“How dare you come to Tiana’s grave?” he growled. “She just wanted to rest in peace, not be your possession even in death!”
Ryan glared back with equal hatred. “She was my Luna! Even in death, she should be buried with me! You have no right to think of
her as yours!”
“Think of her as mine?” Leo sneered. “We weren’t blood relatives, but we were the closest people in each other’s lives.
“You’re the filthy one who betrayed her with Vivian. Don’t you dare insult Tiana with your hypocrisy! She can hear you!”
I wanted to tell Leo to save his breath. Ryan was rotten to the core, and there was no point in wasting anger on him. It wasn’t
worth it.
The wounds from their fight hadn’t fazed Ryan, but Leo’s words struck deep.
Tears slipped from his eyes as he muttered, “Can Tiana really hear me? Does that mean she can hear my repentance? I would rather be the one in the ground if it meant she could live again.”
Leo’s voice turned ice–cold. “Then why isn’t it you?”
He had pack matters to attend to in the morning and didn’t want to waste more time on Ryan. He rose to leave.
Before departing, he warned Ryan to restore my grave immediately, or Shadow Ridge would declare war on Silver Moon Pack
without hesitation.
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