“Only then will you prove you’re truly remorseful for your actions toward your stepmother!”

       As Beta Peregrine spouted his pompous, self-righteous words, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. The absurdity of the situation hit me like a slap, but at the same time, everything fell into place with frightening clarity.

       It was clear now: Beta Peregrine and Odessa had conspired against me. They didn’t just want me gone; they were after my year-end bonus, my property—everything I’d worked for!

       The pieces of the puzzle finally clicked together. It explained why Beta Peregrine, who had barely paid me any attention before, had suddenly become obsessed with me, relentlessly pursuing me right after Odessa, my stepmother, had bonded with my father as his Mate. In just a few days.

       At first, I had wondered what had changed. Why had our humble Ellington Pack suddenly become the most desirable matchmaking market in the region? Now, I understood.

       Realization hit like a bolt of lightning. I wasn’t going to let them get away with it. Without a second thought, I leaned forward and spat directly in Beta Peregrine’s face.

       “Pfft! She just lost her pup, and now you think you can take my money and my property? What kind of audacity do you have?”

       Both Beta Peregrine and Odessa stood frozen for a moment, but soon their shock turned to fury, their eyes burning with anger.

       Odessa broke into exaggerated sobs. “Peregrine, stop talking. Tempest has never seen me as her mother. She’ll never listen!”

       “Forget it,” she wailed dramatically, clutching her chest. “I’m hated wherever I go. Outsiders despise me, and now even my own family wants to destroy me. If I had known this was coming, I’d have preferred to never have been born!”

       Seeing her make a spectacle of running toward a tree to bang her head, Beta Peregrine quickly stepped forward, pulling her back gently and whispering soothing words, “Auntie, don’t cry. I’ve already called Uncle Thomas—your mate, the lead warrior. He’ll fix everything.”

       “Everything Uncle Thomas says is law. Tempest will have no choice but to obey him,” Beta Peregrine added, his voice full of mock sympathy.

       The neighbors, who had gathered outside, nodded in agreement. They abandoned their chores, set out stools, and waited for my father to arrive.

       “Thomas needs to teach that girl a lesson. She’s gotten too bold, even daring to defy her elders.”

       “Didn’t you hear? She called Odessa’s pup a bastard!” one of them muttered.

       “That’s downright disgraceful! Having such a wicked daughter is punishment enough!”

       Odessa’s eyes flickered with satisfaction as she overheard their condemnation. She threw me a smug, triumphant look, sure that she had me cornered.

       But I wasn’t phased. Meeting her gaze, I only curled my lips into a cold, mocking smile, not bothering to engage.

       She was about to be very disappointed.

       She never expected that the person most desperate for my father’s return wasn’t her—it was me.

       It didn’t take long. My father had only stepped out to grab cigarettes, but he quickly returned, his cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. Seeing the large crowd gathered in front of our house, he paused, confusion flashing across his face. But before he could ask a single question, Odessa was already rushing toward him, pressing herself against him like some delicate, fragile woman caught in a storm.

       Tears welled in her eyes, her face crumpling with sorrow. “Thomas, you have to stand up for me! Tempest killed our pup! The Pack doctor said… it was a boy. He would’ve been a strong little pup!”

       My father’s expression immediately darkened, his body rigid with anger. He turned to me, his voice booming with authority, “Tempest, get over here! What’s going on?”

       Before I could speak, Beta Peregrine stepped between us, blocking my path as he fanned the flames of fury. “Uncle Thomas, it’s all Tempest’s fault! You need to seek justice for Aunt Odessa!”

       “That’s right, Thomas!” Odessa cried, clinging to my father’s arm. “You need to punish Tempest, to avenge our pup!”

       She wailed dramatically, “This morning, Tempest insisted on dragging me to the supermarket for discount eggs. I told her I was pregnant, that I wasn’t feeling well, but she insisted. When we got there, it was packed. She wouldn’t go in herself, so she shoved me into the crowd.”

       “There were so many people… someone knocked me down, and then the crowd kept pushing me… and I lost our pup.”

       Odessa’s sobs grew louder, her voice a broken wail. “Wu wu! Thomas, our precious pup! He never even had the chance to be born, and Tempest took his life!”

       She continued crying, completely unaware that my father’s face was growing darker by the second, his expression a storm of anger, confusion, and disbelief. His face looked like a canvas of red, black, and green—an angry storm on full display.

       But Odessa was oblivious, too wrapped up in her theatrical demands for sympathy and compensation for her “loss.”

       “Thomas, you’ve spoiled Tempest too much! That’s why she disrespects her elders and even harms her own brother! You should beat her… punish her severely!”

       “And while you’re at it, take her year-end bonus and her house! What does a girl need so much money for, anyway? If she’s obedient, she should have saved at least a few tens of thousands!” Odessa ranted, her voice growing louder, more frantic with each word.

       But as her rant continued, she slowly realized something was wrong. The entire courtyard had fallen silent. Even the neighbors who had been watching this drama like it was a soap opera were now staring at her, their eyes wide with tension.

       Odessa stopped, her breath catching in her throat. She turned slowly toward my father, only to meet his furious, murderous gaze.

       Her words faltered. “Thomas, why aren’t you saying anything?”

       My father clenched his teeth, his jaw tight as he glared at her. “So, let me get this straight. Early this morning, Tempest dragged you out for discount eggs, and that’s when you lost the pup?”