Chapter 4
Hope's POV
After Nova's pregnancy announcement spread, I had been waiting for the next development. But I hadn't expected the truth to surface in such a way.
Two days later at dusk, I went to the elder council hall looking for some ancient healing texts. Just as I reached the door, I heard weak coughing from inside.
I pushed open the door to see several elders sitting around the round table, but their condition shocked me. Elder Marcus, usually spirited, was pale with trembling hands; Elder Garrett's eyes had grown cloudy, and he looked ten years older than a week ago.
"Elders?" I walked in. "Are you alright?"
"Hope..." Marcus barely lifted his head. "I've been feeling unwell lately, no energy."
My healing gift immediately went on alert. This wasn't ordinary aging or fatigue, but something more dangerous.
"Let me examine you." I walked to Marcus's side, gently touching his arm.
Warm healing energy flowed into his body, but soon I sensed a cold, dark force—POISON! And it was an extremely cunning chronic toxin.
My wolf howled angrily in my consciousness, sensing my inner shock.
"This is... poison," I said quietly.
"What?" Elder Garrett trembled as he stood. "Who would dare poison SteelMoon Pack?"
My heart sank. Few people could access the elders' daily meals, and someone capable of concocting such sophisticated poison...
Douglas's figure flashed through my mind.
"Elders, have you been taking any special medications recently?" I asked, suppressing my anger.
"Yes," Marcus said weakly. "Douglas said we're getting old and need some nourishing herbal teas. He brings them personally every day."
My fists clenched. Just as I suspected.
"From now on, don't drink those teas anymore," I said seriously. "I'll find a way to detoxify you, but I need time."
I didn't tell them more, turning to leave the council hall.
The moment I stepped outside, memories from my past life flooded back like a tide. I finally understood! Why Douglas had been able to seize control of the entire pack so easily after Axel's exile in my past life—he had been systematically poisoning the elders from the beginning, weakening their judgment and ability to resist.
Back then, I thought he had truly won everyone's trust through wisdom and medical skills, never knowing it was all built on such sinister foundations.
I needed to find evidence.
Late at night, I quietly snuck into the medical room. Moonlight streamed through the windows, bathing the entire room in silver light. I carefully searched, hoping to find evidence of Douglas making poison tea.
Finally, in the deepest part of the storage cabinet, I discovered an exquisite small porcelain bottle. Shaking it gently, the dark green liquid inside gave off a faint herbal fragrance, but my healing gift immediately sensed the deadly toxicity hidden within.
This was IT!
Just as I was about to pocket the bottle as evidence, soft footsteps sounded behind me.
"Looking for something, sister?"
I spun around to see Nova standing in the doorway, wearing a cold smile. She was dressed in a silk nightgown, looking particularly pale in the moonlight.
"Nova? What are you doing here?" I gripped the bottle tightly.
"I could ask you the same question." She slowly walked in, her gaze locking onto the bottle in my hand. "What are you doing in Douglas's medical room in the middle of the night?"
"Seeking the truth," I stared directly at her. "The truth about the elders being poisoned."
Nova's expression showed no surprise whatsoever, instead revealing a mocking smile. "Oh? And what did you find?"
"This." I held up the bottle. "The poison Douglas uses to harm our elders. Now I have proof."
"Proof?" Nova chuckled, suddenly lunging toward me.
Caught off guard, the bottle fell to the floor during our struggle, shattering with a crisp sound. The dark green liquid instantly spilled across the floor, seeping into the wooden floorboard cracks, and the precious evidence was completely destroyed.
"You're INSANE!" I stared at her angrily. "Do you know what you're doing?"
"Of course I know." Nova dusted off her hands, her expression cold. "I'm protecting my husband."
"Protecting?" I looked at her incredulously. "Nova, he's poisoning our elders! These people watched us grow up, dedicated their lives to the pack!"
"So what?" Nova shrugged. "They're old, time to step down. Douglas is just... accelerating the process."
I was completely stunned. The Nova before me was nothing like the sister I remembered, who though selfish, still had some moral boundaries.
"How can you say that?" My voice trembled. "They're innocent!"
"Innocent?" Nova sneered. "Hope, you're too naive. There are no innocent people in this world, only useful people and useless people. Those old men are useless now, so their time is over."
"You... what kind of MONSTER have you become?" I stepped back.
"Monster?" Madness flashed in Nova's eyes. "I call it SMART! Douglas will become the new Alpha, and I'll be Luna. This is MY rightful position!"
"Based on what? On helping him poison our people?" I demanded angrily.
"Based on being smarter than YOU!" Nova said shrilly. "Hope, you'll NEVER understand. In this world, only the strong deserve everything. I choose to stand with the winner—what's wrong with that?"
Looking at Nova before me, sadness welled up in my heart. She had been completely blinded by power and jealousy.
"Nova, do you think Douglas truly loves you?" I suddenly asked.
Her expression froze for a moment, but quickly returned to arrogance. "Of course! He chose me, and we even have a child!"
"Really?" I sneered. "Have you noticed he never initiates kisses? Never shows you real passion when no one's around?"
"What are you babbling about!" Nova's voice was shaking.
"I'm not babbling." I stepped closer. "Nova, Douglas doesn't love you AT ALL. No—to be precise, he could NEVER love any woman."
