Chapter 68

Because of my fragile state, I couldn’t join Rowan and his Betas on the hunt for the necklace. I was so weak that I couldn’t get out of bed.
Eating or drinking water was a struggle because my throat kept closing up at intervals. I couldn’t sleep either because whenever I tried to, I had terrifying nightmares.
On Rowan’s instruction, Tarik had sent out another announcement, calling for a Moon Pack seer to come to the palace as soon as possible. It was as if all the Moon Pack members had disappeared into thin air.
“What’s this wild goose chase you have sent Rowan on?” Ria asked when she came into my room. She’d been staying in the palace since my health issues began on my birthday.
“The necklace,” I managed to moan. I felt so uncomfortable but I could tell exactly what was wrong with me.
“What stupid necklace?” She snapped. “Ever since you came into this palace, my son has not had a moment of peace in his life.”
“That’s not true,” I protested weakly.
“Isn’t it? If it is not one of your angry lovers showing up in the palace, then it’s your child falling sick with a mysterious illness. Now here you are, vomiting blood and blaming a worthless necklace. Are you cursed?”
“No, it’s not me.”
“Oh, wait. Let me guess, it’s the necklace,” she replied sarcastically. “Leave my son alone!”
“I love him.”
“And that’s exactly why you should leave him alone and let him have some peace in his life. Are you happy with the way he keeps running helter-skelter for your sake?”
“No,” I whispered.
“Can’t you see what your problems are doing to him? He no longer pays attention to the affairs of the pack, all because of you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Fix the problem.”
“How?”
She looked toward the door to make sure that there was nobody there to overhear her before she spoke again. “Die.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“You heard me, Jade. If you truly love Rowan, you will leave him alone and let him have a shot at real happiness.”
I couldn’t believe this woman. This was the mother of the man I loved with all of my heart and soul, and she was my daughter’s grandmother. But here she was, telling me to die and leave the love of my life alone in this cold world.
“Why would you say that to me?”
“Why not? Look at yourself. Look at how miserable you are. You stink. You’re not worthy to be the Luna of this pack. Step aside and let the one who deserves this position take it.”
“Who?”
She smiled smugly. “Oh, don’t you worry about that. As soon as you’re out of the way, I will present Rowan with his new mate. I have everything planned out already.”
I was shocked. I wasn’t even dead yet and this horrid woman had already found a replacement for me. How cruel!
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Ria, but I am not going to die. When Rowan returns with the necklace and it is destroyed, I will regain my health and resume my rightful position beside him.”
“You wish you would,” she hissed and grabbed the pillow under my head. “Die, you evil bitch!”
She pressed the pillow on my face with all of her strength, suffocating me. I tried to fight her off but I was no match for her energy.
Fear gripped me. If Ria succeeded in killing me now, then all of Rowan’s efforts would have been in vain. The necklace would win again and another cycle of grief and sorrow will begin in another she-wolf’s life.
I tried to hang on as long as I could but I could feel my soul slipping away from me underneath the pillow.
“Mother!”
The pressure on my face stopped and the pillow was removed suddenly. I coughed and gasped for air. My eyes stung and my lungs ached.
“What were you trying to do just now?” Rowan asked her with a fierce frown. He was sweaty and holding a sword in one hand.
Ria stepped away from my bedside with her arms raised in denial. “Nothing. I wasn’t doing anything.”
“Don’t make me cut you to pieces right here,” he threatened her. “Why were you trying to suffocate my mate?”
“No, I was adjusting her pillow,” she lied lamely. “That was all it was.”
Rowan stepped forward with his sword lifted above his head. I knew what he was about to do but I couldn’t let it happen.
With all of my strength, I sat up in bed and dragged the back of Ria’s dress. She fell on top of me as the sharp sword narrowly missed her neck.
She screamed in terror and cowered beside me on the bed. “Rowan, no!”
“You tried to kill my mate,” he growled, coming after her again.
“Rowan, please. Don’t!” I begged him.
“It’s either her or you, Jade, and I choose you.”
“No!” I screamed as loud as I could manage. Blood gushed out of my mouth, spilling on Ria’s dress but she didn’t mind. She was more concerned about escaping her son’s sword.
Rowan had lifted his weapon up again, but when he saw what was happening to me, he dropped it on the floor and rushed to my side.
He dragged his mother off of me and flung her away like a piece of rag. He quickly grabbed one side of the bedsheet to mop my bloody lips.
“I’m so sorry, my love,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Step away from her,” said Ria.
Both Rowan and I turned to look at her and we were equally shocked to see her holding the sword and pointing it at us.
“What are you doing?” He asked her irritably.
“Step away from her, Rowan,” she repeated calmly. “I know you lover or so you think, but she’s been nothing but trouble since she came here. She needs to go.”
“Go where?” He asked with a frown. I could feel his growing anger with every deep breath he took.
“To the afterlife. She has to die for you to be happy, Rowan. All I want is for you to be happy. Jade has to die!”
“You first,” he said and leapt from the bed like a spring. His movement was so fast that it looked like a blur to me.
He landed behind her and wrangled the sword from her. The moment she turned around to face him, he stabbed her so hard that the other end of the sword poked out from her back.
“No,” I whimpered.
“Now, I will finally have peace,” he said to her as she collapsed to the floor.
“What have you done?” I whispered fearfully.
“What needed to be done,” he replied plainly. “I’ve had enough of her nonsense. Now, she won’t bother us anymore.”
“What will you tell everyone?”
“Let me worry about that,” he said and came back to join me on the bed.
“This isn’t good. Everyone is going to blame me for this. They will say I put you up to it.”
“I’d like to hear them say it. They’ll join her one by one.”
“You can’t kill everybody for my sake. That’s not right.”
“What’s not right is me being without you. I can’t let that happen.”
I sighed. “Where’s the necklace? Did you find it?”
He took my hand in his and squeezed it gently. “I have some bad news to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“We didn’t find the necklace.”
I stared at him in shock.
“We combed the whole area but we couldn’t find it,” he continued. “It looked as if someone had been there before us.”
“No,” I whispered. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. We saw Dominic’s bones in the grave but the necklace wasn’t there with them. It looked as if someone had ransacked the grave because the surface wasn’t properly covered the way we left it.”
My heart broke. It was all over. The necklace had won after all.
“You killed your mother for nothing,” I said sadly. “I’m still going to die and the necklace will continue to exist and destroy more innocent lives. This is all so hopeless!”
“No, it’s not hopeless. None of what you’ve said is going to happen,” he assured me confidently. “I will find the necklace, I promise.”
“How?”
“I will announce a huge reward for anyone who brings the necklace within the next seven days. Trust me, it’s going to turn up.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I am going to make them an offer that they can’t refuse.”