Chapter 3

“I’m not going,” Kattie refused. But Viktor said domineeringly:

“You don’t go; you have to go; you don’t have a choice.”

She also didn’t know why he had been so stubborn with her all those years. He said he loved her, but she never felt that love. Kattie thought that he wanted revenge on her father—taking revenge on the people Jasper loved. He imprisoned her and tormented her because he knew she loved Jasper, and Jasper loved her; he would not spare her until she died.

“You also know where my illness comes from. Stop trying to waste one’s breath; I won’t be cured.”

“Ignore you? I told you—you don’t have a choice.”

After saying that, Viktor left angrily. Following his back, Kattie closed her eyes wearily.

***

That afternoon, when Kattie was sitting by the window looking at the view, suddenly Haysa—one of her maids—came in and said:

“Lady Kattie, Beta Alexander is looking for you.”

Hearing that name, Kattie’s shoulders trembled slightly, and the gaze zooming away also lost its point of view.

“Your father is visiting you. Are you going to see him?” her wolf whispered, voice reserved and sad.

Dad…

The hand on her knee curled slightly; she wanted to say no but couldn’t open her mouth.

Finally, Kattie lowered her head, let out a sigh, and said:

“Let him in.”

“Yes.”

Haysa left, leaving Kattie still sitting by the window. Not long after, the door opened again, and then the familiar footsteps approaching Kattie stopped.

But Kattie kept looking out the window, not turning her head.

“He looks like he’s lost a lot of weight, Kattie.”

My wolf spoke up, but I was determined not to look back at him.

I didn’t want to face the person who betrayed me.

“Kattie, are you any better? I heard that Viktor will take you to the West for treatment in two days, so I wanted to visit you.”

“I am fine.”

Kattie replied coldly, her hand on her knee still digging into her clothes.

“You still can’t… forgive me?”

At this mention, Kattie’s breathing suddenly became more rapid; her eyes became blood red, and she turned and said in anger:

“So you ask if Jasper, Alpha Silco, and Luna Sandra will forgive you?”

Yes, there was a painful truth that Kattie had been chewing on herself over the years: her father had colluded with Viktor to kill Jasper’s family and help him take the throne.

That day, Kattie had been so desperate she wished her father could get justice for Jasper and his parents, but to her surprise, he had ultimately sided with Viktor and helped him punish those people who protested.

The massacre that year had been indescribable brutality.

And now that she thought about it, tears still fell from Kattie’s eyes.

Beta Alexander saw Kattie crying and hurriedly took a step forward, but she subconsciously avoided him, like a person with leprosy.

“Kattie, I wanted to give you and your mother a better, more fulfilling life.”

“Isn’t your patriarch, Alpha Silco, the leader, not high enough? And even if Jasper succeeded his father, would he mistreat us? You were so greedy. What did Viktor give you to make you sell your best friend like that!?”

Beta Alexander lowered his head and did not answer. It was the same unanswered question between her and her father for years.

She didn’t know why he wouldn’t say it; his betrayal was already a betrayal—there was nothing to hide.

If he refused to talk, there would be no more ordinary topics between her and him. Kattie said:

“You go home; your presence makes me sicker.”

Beta Alexander bowed, then said:

“Yes, so you take care of your health. I’m going.”

After saying that, he left.

***

Two days later, Kattie was forced to accompany Viktor to the land of the West.

Since early morning, two carriages had been waiting in front of the palace gate—one for Kattie and Viktor, and one for the attendants.

It was winter now, and the weather was freezing outside; the snow was forming in thick layers like God had just torn a giant pillow, causing its cotton wool to fall. Or maybe, that was also the fashion of heaven and earth—a big white robe.

Like the current Kattie.

She was huddled in a thick fur coat, with a hat on her head, looking very heavy on her thin body.

Viktor, next to her, was also wearing a gray fur coat; he looked like a leader wolf.

Although she didn’t want to, Viktor still dragged Kattie into the car, and then the whole group departed.

Behind them was also a team of knights following.

“I don’t know what he wants to do. Don’t know how good the witch is; how does she plan to cure you? Erase your memories?” Kattie’s wolf spoke up. Erase memories? If Kattie had no memories, she wouldn’t live; either way, she would die. Humans couldn’t be born at twenty-eight and have the earliest memories at that age. Just like an idiot—a puppet who let others program her mind.

Kattie leaned against the car window, looking at the snowy sky outside.

Looking at this scene, Kattie couldn’t help but recall the winter years and Jasper; he would take her skiing and make snowmen, even though her parents were always afraid of her getting sick, always scared of her hands getting cold. Still, he didn’t; he always wanted her to have more contact with the outside world.

At this moment, Viktor suddenly asked her:

“Are you cold?”

“Yes. If I stayed home, I would be warm.”

Kattie still used a cold and emotionless tone to respond to him. At that moment, Viktor suddenly grabbed her hand with his, making Kattie jump and subconsciously pull it back.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

“You said it’s cold; I’ll make you warmer. Kattie, you should learn to accept reality. If it’s cold outside, think of ways to warm yourself up instead of thinking of ways to go home.”

“Fuck off.” Kattie was also afraid to argue with him.

The car kept running on the road; it had been long since she had gone that far—or rather, she had not gone out at all. That’s why she felt extremely sore and tired after sitting for a while.

Viktor noticed her expression, so he said:

“Are you tired?”

“Yes. That’s why we should go home.”

Her stubbornness made him angry; he gritted his teeth:

“I told you, we’re not going home at any cost. Don’t be stubborn anymore.”

Kattie didn’t glance at Viktor; she continued to stare out the window, ignoring him and her anger. If he could get angry enough to beat her to death, that would be great.

Not long after, Kattie heard Viktor say to the driver:

“When you reach the town ahead, stop and rest for a while.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kattie still didn’t respond; she curled up in her fur coat as if she wanted to turn it into a bed.

About an hour later, the car finally pulled into a town, and Kattie craned her neck and saw the town’s name on the dingy gate—Poireauter.

A cool name.

But when the car went inside, Kattie discovered that this place was not as beautiful as its name—it was the slave trade. The wolves that were said to be the lowest, the cheapest, were shackled with an iron collar around their necks; that iron cuff was connected to a piece of chain, and that chain went down, bound their hands and feet, and then, in the end, the person who took control of that chain was a merchant.

Countless groups of enslaved people were sold as such goods on either side of the road. It was freezing now, but they were only dressed in rags and thin clothes, most of them shivering, trying to snuggle up close to each other or huddle against the wall. Some people were even starving.

Seeing that scene, Kattie couldn’t stand it and said:

“This evil… is it still…”

“I don’t care; they’re in another pack.” Viktor coldly replied, and now Kattie had a thought—he could pretend he didn’t hear.

“Stop right here,” Kattie said.

“It’s filthy here; there are many infectious pathogens. Let’s go to the town ahead and stop not far from here.”

“But I’m hungry,” Kattie said.

This was probably the first time she had cried out for hunger in front of Viktor, so he was surprised—but it also unconsciously made him happy like a child.

“There are some cakes and milk in the car; the food is here…” But it still seemed difficult for Viktor to comply with her wishes.

However, Kattie didn’t give up easily.

“But I want to eat dumplings at the counter over there. If people can eat them, why can’t I?”

Right in front of a dumpling shop, Kattie jumped at the opportunity. In Viktor’s heart right now, he was still afraid that the food here was not clean—it might cause Kattie to have stomach pain or be poisoned because she was also unhealthy.

But as she insisted, he complied with her will.

“Stop the car.”

Two cars and their entourage pulled up to the side of the road. Their grandeur when coming here attracted the attention of many people.

Kattie got out of the car, and Haysa also rushed to cover her with an umbrella from the car behind.

Kattie’s white robes and snow-white skin seemed to contrast her with this place—with their faces covered with black mud, their soot-covered paintings, and black-faced people with iron chains.

“I’ll go buy it myself.”

Seeing that Viktor was about to follow her, Kattie stopped him. She didn’t understand why he listened to her strangely today and didn’t follow her.

Kattie went to the dumpling counter, and the salesman saw this and was happy:

“Señorita, would you like to buy some dumplings?”

“I’ll buy all of these.”

The shopkeeper and Haysa were surprised to hear that. Even the wolf inside her couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Hey, Kattie, are you sure you can finish it?”

But Kattie didn’t notice.

“Señorita, are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Señorita, you look so slim, but you are so healthy.”

He laughed, then immediately wrapped the dumplings for Kattie. That number of dumplings was extremely large; she couldn’t hold it alone—she had to let Haysa keep it.

“Lady, why are you buying so much? Do you want dumplings?”

Haysa knew that Kattie hadn’t bought them to eat.

“Follow me, please.”

After saying that, Kattie took the dumplings to the enslaved people and began distributing them.

At first, when Kattie’s white arm and dumpling reached out, many people were hesitant, but then, unable to overcome their hunger, they finally accepted.

Kattie continued giving them out when they were finally running out. The merchants looked at her with disapproval, but seeing how she was dressed and her entourage following her, they didn’t dare do anything.

At that moment, Kattie was gliding through an alley and was about to move forward when she suddenly saw something. She turned around and saw an enslaved person crouched in that alley.

Seeing that, Kattie took out a dumpling:

“Hey!” she called.

She thought that the person was asleep—or worse, dead or fainted—but there was no response. But when Kattie was about to go inside to see the situation, he suddenly raised his head and turned to face Kattie.

Immediately, the dumpling in her hand fell to the ground.

That face…

Jasper!

No matter how dirty his face was now or how many scratches there were, she remembered it as Jasper. Kattie was shocked—staggered to the point of being unsteady—and Haysa was now in a hurry to catch her.