Chapter 4
Ivy held the crystal plaque in her hands, her gaze flickering with a hesitant, almost pleading expression. But the innocence on her face didn’t match the cunning gleam in her eyes as she addressed Marissa.
“Marissa,” she began, her voice low and soft, almost pitiful. “Alpha Nathan asked me to bring you this reward. It’s incredibly precious… you‘ ve earned something so special. You‘ re… amazing.”
Marissa met her words with a raised eyebrow, sensing that Ivy was only just warming up to her real request. The air between them grew tense, electric, as Ivy bit her lip and took a shaky breath.
“I know this award isn’t mine,” she continued, glancing up through her lashes. “But could I… well, borrow it? Just for a few days?”
Marissa felt her wolf stirring, the fierce
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protector within her bristling at the audacity of Ivy’s request. Borrow her reward? The reward Marissa had worked tirelessly to earn after years of service and sacrifice? The very idea was insulting, as if Ivy had no understanding of what it meant to honor hard work, commitment, and loyalty.
A dangerous smile crept onto Marissa’s lips, a smirk that was all teeth, and none of them gentle. “Wow, you really are shameless, aren’t you?” she replied coldly, her voice sharp. “If you‘ re so desperate for a crystal plaque, why don’t you go work for it? Talk to the intelligence division, Ivy. Maybe, after years of dedication, you’ll earn one too.”
She reached for the crystal plaque, expecting Ivy to hand it over with at least a hint of respect. But Ivy clutched the box
tighter, her face twisting into an expression of shock and wounded pride.
“Why are you being so mean?” she
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whispered, her voice laced with false hurt. “I’m not trying to take it from you. I just… I just wanted to keep it with me for encouragement. To remind myself of what‘ s possible.”
But Marissa’s patience had worn thin. She extended her hand, her fingers curling as she demanded, “Hand it over, Ivy. Now.”
But Ivy’s grip only tightened, her arms wrapping around the box as if her very life depended on it. Marissa felt her temper rise, the anger rolling through her like an incoming storm. Just then, as they struggled, the box slipped from Ivy‘ s hands, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
The delicate crystal plaque shattered, its pieces scattering across the floor like shards of ice. A chill silence fell between them, the soft glow of the crystal plaque now gone, replaced by fractured bits.
In the midst of the stunned silence, a shadow stirred at the door. Marissa looked up, only to see Hunter and Caleb entering,
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their expressions morphing from confusion to horror as they took in the scene. Ivy, ever the master of theatrics, let out a small gasp of pain, clutching her leg where a thin line of blood trickled down, courtesy of a jagged crystal plaque shard.
Hunter’s eyes darkened, his gaze shifting from Ivy’s wound to Marissa, accusation heavy in his eyes. Without a second‘ s
hesitation, he knelt by Ivy‘ s side, lifting her skirt just slightly to inspect the cut on her calf. The sight of blood made his eyes narrow with worry, and he shot Marissa a look of reproach as he stood.
“Are you hurt?” Caleb murmured to Ivy, barely sparing Marissa a glance. They leaned closer to Ivy, their focus solely on her and her slight wound.
Hunter, not waiting for Ivy‘ s response, scooped her into his arms, his protective instinct overshadowing all else. “I’ll take you to the healer,” he said firmly, ignoring Ivy’s feeble protests as he carried her
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away, leaving Marissa standing in a stunned silence.
Caleb turned to Marissa, his face clouded with disappointment and anger. “Marissa, how could you?” He said, his voice low but sharp. “You have everything–the respect, the power, the title–and yet you try to rob Ivy of this small comfort?”
Marissa blinked, caught off guard by his words. Rob? Ivy had been the one holding onto her crystal plaque, clinging to it as if it was her own. She felt the simmering anger within her start to bubble over, her wolf‘ s presence flaring in her mind, howling at the injustice.
“This is my reward, Caleb,” she replied, her voice laced with a calm anger. “It‘ s the result of my years of sacrifice and work. Yet, she clung to it with that innocent. little look, and you think I’m robbing her?”
Her tone grew sharper, her wolf s anger bleeding into her words as she pointed at
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the fragments on the floor, shards that glinted in the moonlight like accusing eyes. “She’s the one who held on, she’s the one who refused to let go, and she’s the one who broke it. If anyone should be apologizing, it‘ s Ivy. I want her to own up to what she did.”
But Caleb’s face only grew darker, and he lifted his voice, anger flashing in his eyes. “It’s just a reward, Marissa,” he shot back. “No matter how much you earned it, it’s nothing compared to Ivy’s wellbeing. You‘ re the one who caused her to get hurt, and instead of acting cold, you should be the one apologizing to her.”
Without another word, Caleb turned on his heel and stormed after Hunter, leaving Marissa standing alone, her wolf‘ s outrage resonating deep within her. Her pulse thundered in her ears, and she stared down at the ruined crystal plaque, the last remnants of her reward scattered in pieces on the floor.
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Caleb expected her to apologize? To the one who’d taken what was rightfully hers and destroyed it?
Marissa clenched her fists, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. Her chest ached, and she only then noticed the sharp, searing pain in her own leg. She looked down to find that her own calf was bleeding, far more than Ivy‘ s shallow cut. The shattered crystal plaque‘ s shards had pierced her leg deeply, cutting through muscle and leaving the skin raw and bleeding.
Her lycan blood, although strong, was very unstable, and it wasn’t enough to seal wounds. Unlike Ivy‘ s cut, which would heal in a few minutes, her wound would fester. Gritting her teeth, Marissa bent down, carefully picking up the fragments, each shard sharper and colder than the last. She‘ d take care of the mess herself- she didn’t need anyone‘ s pity or misguided protection.
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As dusk settled into night, Marissa cleaned the wound as best she could and bandaged it with steady hands, refusing to let herself wince from the pain. Just as she finished, her phone buzzed, and her mother‘ s name flashed on the screen.
She answered, her voice softening as she greeted her mother. “Hi, Mom.”
Her mother’s warm tone washed over her like a balm. “Marissa, I’ve sent over some Mateship Ceremony dress options. Tell me which ones you like, darling. We don’t want anything less than perfect for you.”
Marissa’s heart ached at her mother‘ s excitement, at the love so evident in her voice. She scrolled through the photos, each dress more beautiful than the last, her mother’s enthusiasm bringing a lump to her throat.
“Mom…” she started, her voice barely a whisper, betraying her fatigue.
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Her mother picked up on it instantly.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she asked gently. “Are you alright?”
Marissa swallowed hard, biting back the
bitterness and the resentment that
simmered within her. Instead of
answering, she redirected the
conversation. “I’ll be ready soon, Mom. Just another week, and then it’ll all be settled. How are the preparations on your end?”
Her mother’s voice grew lighter, her excitement palpable. “Everything is coming along wonderfully. Soon enough, you’ll have a new life waiting for you.”
“About the Mateship Ceremony-”
Just then, Marissa heard the familiar sound of Hunter and Caleb entering the house. Their footsteps echoed down the hallway, and she felt her wolf stir uneasily within her, the instinct to protect herself flaring up as they neared.
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The two of them paused as they caught the last word of her conversation.
“Mateship Ceremony?” They asked in unison, their voices laced with shock.
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