26 So Weak
Over the course of the 14-day period, they held Cyrus' funeral. As she watched him being cremated, she felt like her heart was breaking all over again. This time, she held it in. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry again, not until she had fulfilled what she set out to do. She made several plans to accomplish what she needed, as well as how to deal with that rank bastard. She knew well that at the end of this period, if she didn't go willingly, he would kill her parents and her mother-in-law and still capture her. He didn't care about her willingness at all. Only that he possessed her. To him, she was nothing more than a prize, a trophy to show off that he "always got what he wanted" and that even someone with a genuine mate was no different.
When she told her parents and Daneigha that she was going to go with them, they protested vehemently, but what could they do but give in in the face of her stubbornness? For Daneigha, she wasn't against it simply because of what he did to her son. She was against it because she knew how deeply Salana loved her son. So much so that even though she stopped crying, she could still see the pain in her eyes and smell the stress and suffering she exuded. How could she willingly allow her precious daughter to torture herself just to avenge her son? If they weren't being watched constantly, she'd have knocked her out and they'd all run. However, that was impossible now. They might even worsen her pain if they tried and ended up dying. She'd only blame herself more and still wouldn't be able to escape. They all knew that. As much as they didn't want to, all they could do was accept the situation.
For Salana, she was simply grateful that they all understood and didn't try to do something as foolish as knocking her unconscious. She was already prepared for that and was ready to put them to sleep just in case. Her parents went home to retrieve the things that she wanted to take with her and the things she still had that belonged to Cyrus and were gifts from him. The most precious thing she had received from him was a necklace with a special type of Jade Dew mana stone. It had belonged to his grandfather and required a blood contract just to use it. It was a stone that contained the space element. It could be used to store things and was adjustable to how the wearer wanted it to be worn.
She was aware that any necklace he saw would grab his attention, so she changed it to an anklet and stored all of Cyrus' things in there, along with money, the few Jade Dew stones that her father had originally given her as part of her dowry, and other medicinal supplies and things necessary for her to use over the years. Over the past few days, she had planned meticulously for it. All the methods she would employ and the items required for them were all contained within the anklet. It solved her problem of her purchases looking suspicious, and it allowed for complete privacy. The thing that made her most confident, however, was the ability she gained when she reached Silver [1]. It was her trump card. Best of all, if need be, she could affect up to 15 kilometers around her. Once it was used on a person for more than three consecutive months, it wouldn't be dispersed until she removed it herself. She was finally ready.
On the fifteenth day, Owen appeared like a yin ghost at a cemetery full of people with grievances, a completely expected appearance with no surprise and just as much disgust.
"May I come in?" He asked, smiling.
"No, you may not," Daneigha replied.
His face froze. He opened and closed his mouth, gulping like a fish, before he finally said, "Then may I speak with Salana?"
"We don't want you to do that either."
Owen had no idea what to do with this situation. He had planned the conversation out in his head many times over the two-week period, but the script wasn't even able to get started.
"It's alright, Daneigha. We don't need to let a yin spirit in because who knows what bad juju he'll leave behind," Salana explained as she approached the door. "But I can go meet him."
Owen wasn't sure whether to be happy that she was willing to at least come out to meet him or hurt that they compared him to a yin spirit. Those were the worst kinds. They caused irreparable damage and killed others. If anyone heard his thoughts, they'd definitely tell him that he just described himself, so their description clearly wasn't that off base.
"Owen: Oh, sorry, second elder. Oh, my apologies again. ACTING Alpha, please say what I'm sure you prepared extensively for over the past two weeks to convince me, "she said.
Owen's eyebrows and mouth twitched. This girl. Was it necessary for her to say things that way? Was that venomous mouth a trait of people who lived or visited here?
"Oh, Daneigha, his face keeps twitching. Do you think it's a disease? " Salana turned to ask her mother.
"Possibly. His face looks pallid, his eyebrows are crooked, and his eyes seem a bit unfocused. That must be it. Either that or he's possessed," Daneigha replied, looking at him thoughtfully.
"It's a good thing we didn't let him into the house then. It would be like inviting a plague or an evil spirit into the house. Either one would be terrible news. Tell mom to get the mana infused water, some oil, and some incense. Quickly. "
Daneigha ran off to get the items while Salana turned to Owen, whose entire face twitched like he was being struck by lightning.
"Don't mind it, ACTING Alpha. We were just discussing what we planned to make for lunch today."
Owen put his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the sky. Heavens. Did this girl think he was deaf? She didn't even try to whisper it. Not to mention that she cursed him twice with illness and being possessed; she even lied about it! And Daneigha was throwing the water all over the doorstep and burning incense as she spoke.
Even if she wanted to lie, shouldn't it be a bit more convincing? Shouldn't lightning strike her for how blatant she was being about it?
Ahem! Ahem! He cleared his throat, preparing to start again when he was once AGAIN interrupted.
"I know what you're going to say. My mate died, so there's nothing holding me back now from marrying the Alpha, which would greatly benefit our small pack, and I should think of the greater good. If I still don't want to, then you won't be able to guarantee my parents' safety. Am I right? " Salana asked, smirking.
Well then. It seemed like there was nothing left to say, so he simply nodded. After she told him earlier to say his prepared speech. Was she mocking him then?
"Do I need to leave today?"
He looked at her, surprised.
"My parents will die if I don't go, right? So what other choice do I have? "
Well, she was right. Since he didn't have to do all the extra convincing, he'd give her the rest of the day. "You'll be picked up tomorrow morning, early," he said, turning away and walking quickly. He was absolutely certain that the longer he stayed, the more he'd suffer. He was sure about that. Just as he was sure that the Alpha would suffer.
In truth, he felt it was a true pity that she ended up attracting someone like that Alpha. It ruined her life. Even for someone like him, who had no issues killing others to get what he wanted, he felt like there was a line you shouldn't cross, and the Moon Lake Alpha didn't cross it. He hopped, skipped, and skiddedaddled over it.
He really hoped that she would manage to pay him back for what he did to her.
Salana watched him walk away as though hounds were after him. Tsk. He couldn't even deal with a little playful sarcastic humor. So weak.
[1]The entire concept of the levels spoken about, how they are increased, what attributes they have, and how they affect the story will be explained in a few chapters. There wasn't any room to put it into the story before this, or it would have been a true information dump. Instead, I managed to work it into the story.
