He Said Kill Me Then Killed Himself

It had been so long since I’d truly rested.

I slept deeply, and forgotten memories slowly surfaced.

Easton's sister, Barber, and I had known each other even before I became a priestess.

We weren't just best friends; we were closer than sisters.

But she bore a bloodline curse, her life force gradually fading.

To save her, I began to research ancient rituals, searching for a way to break the curse.

She was so lively and cheerful; I couldn't bear to see her become so silent as her vitality waned.

So I always stayed by her side, trying every way I could to make her laugh.

It was also during this time that I met Easton.

At first, he was very guarded around me.

No matter how I tried to talk to him, he was dismissive. His only focus was on taking care of Barber.

He saw the long nights I spent poring over ancient texts and the way I blamed myself after each failure. He knew my kindness wasn't an act.

He knew I genuinely wanted to save Barber.

From that moment on, our fated mate bond began to stir.

He no longer smiled only at Barber; he started talking to me like a friend.

He would even remember the foods I casually mentioned I liked and always brought them for me the next time we met.

He was gradually opening his heart to me.

Barber loved to play matchmaker. "He's never been this nice to any she-wolf, Calista," she'd tease. "He's completely smitten with you."

Although I would pretend to be annoyed and tell her to stop, my blushing face had already betrayed me.

I could no longer look Easton straight in the eye.

I wasn't sure if Easton had feelings for me, but I was certain that I had fallen in love with him.

When I officially became a Moon Priestess, Easton promised me that as soon as Barber's curse was lifted, we would hold our bonding ceremony.

Barber was my best friend, the person who had always been there for me in my darkest times. I couldn't bear the pain of losing her.

Not just for Easton's sake, I worked even harder to find a way to heal her.

With the help of a pack elder, I finally gathered all the Moonlight Petals needed for the ritual.

I couldn't wait to tell Easton the news. He was overjoyed, pulling me into a tearful embrace and kissing my forehead. "Calista, once Barber is well, we'll have our bonding ceremony."

I gazed into his gentle eyes and nodded, my heart soaring.

However, the ritual failed.

The Moonlight Petals had been swapped with deadly wolfsbane.

Not only did the ritual fail to lift Barber's curse, it siphoned away what little life she had left.

Barber died on the spot.

Even though four years have passed, I still remember the look in Easton's eyes.

They were filled with hatred and despair, without a single trace of tenderness.

He grabbed my shoulders tightly, like an enraged beast, and roared, "Tell me! Why did you switch the petals?"

How could I possibly have switched the petals!

I desperately explained that I didn't do it, that I didn't know what had happened.

But he no longer believed me.

In his despair, he cursed me with the most vicious words: "Calista, you're the one who should be dead. You'll go to hell!"

His words have haunted me for four years.

No matter how hard I try to forget them, they always echo in my mind, leaving me in tears.

I thought that after hearing even worse things from Easton, I had become numb to those words.

But every time I jerked awake in the middle of the night, I would still find my pillow soaked with tears.

I wanted to call Barber's name again, but only broken sobs escaped.

With tears still wet on my face, I subconsciously touched my flat stomach.

The chilling emptiness there sent a fresh wave of grief washing over me, and new tears streamed down my face.

Seeing my movement, the healer who came to change my dressings said apologetically, "Luna Calista, I'm sorry, we didn't know you were pregnant... By the time we found out, it was too late to save the pup."

She glanced at my stomach, barely able to bring herself to say the words.

My womb and my inner wolf had been too severely damaged by the silver poisoning, so I could never get pregnant again.

Tears blurred my vision.

Just as I struggled to get up, the healer stopped me. She said with concern, "You're covered in injuries right now. You must rest properly to recover. Don't move, or your wounds might reopen."

Feeling her kindness, I wiped my tears and nodded gently.

However, before I could even lie back down, Easton burst in, furious.

His eyes blazed with resentment as he glared at me. "Calista, how could you be so vicious? Even if you hate me and didn't want my pup, you shouldn't have staged your own kidnapping!"