The Last Lesson

For as long as I could remember, whenever my sister Bella made a mistake, I was always the one who got punished. My mother used the pain of my punishments to teach her a lesson. When Bella was caught stealing from a store in the territory, my mother made me apologize in front of everyone. She wanted to teach her that she should never touch anything that did not belong to her. When Bella lost the territory's tribal amulet, my mother made me take the whip in her place. She wanted to teach her to be more careful and stop being so careless. Later, Bella became obsessed with drinking cough syrup. My mother was afraid that drinking too much would hurt her health, so she mixed lethal wolfsbane into a bottle of medicine and left it in the most obvious place in my room. I drank it by mistake and writhed on the floor in agony. My father drove me to the royal infirmary that same night. On the way, we ran into a group of guards checking travel permits. My father's permit had clearly passed inspection, but my mother insisted that it was fake. "You wolves these days are absolutely useless. You can't even tell that it's a fake travel permit?" I was in the back seat, too weak to even shift into my wolf form anymore. Yet my mother was still sternly lecturing Bella. "Look carefully. This is what happens when you drink things you're not supposed to." She kept talking, completely unaware that she had blocked the mind link between us. Due to that, she could not feel my wolf spirit weakening little by little. I had given my life for this final lesson. Was she satisfied now? Chapter 1 "You wolves these days are absolutely useless. You can't even tell that it's a fake travel permit? How are we supposed to trust you with the safety of the pack if this keeps up?" When I heard Mother say those words, I was doubled over in agony, my whole body convulsing. I spat a mouthful of black blood onto the leather seat and stared at her in disbelief. The captain of the guard frowned and spoke in a stern voice. "According to wolf pack law, even if you are the Alpha, I'm afraid you'll have to step out of the vehicle and cooperate with an identity check. We can let you through once everything has been verified." Father's expression darkened, and his eyes were red as if they were bleeding. "Are you crazy? Why would I make a fake travel permit? It's real. Don't you know that? This is no time for jokes. Xena isn't going to make it if we delay any longer!" My younger sister, Bella, rushed to our mother's side and grabbed her arm, shaking it desperately. Her voice trembled so badly that the words nearly broke apart. "Mother! Stop saying things like that! Xena's been poisoned. If we wait any longer, her wolf spirit is going to scatter!" Mother finally turned her head and glanced at Bella, sounding almost reproachful. "So, you do know how to be scared. Take a good look. This is what happens when you drink random things you shouldn't." Then she turned back to the captain of the guard, with the faintest smile still playing at the corners of her mouth. "Well? Can you confirm whether this travel permit is real?" At that, the captain's expression became even more serious. He walked to the car door and asked Father to step out for an identity check. I was frantic. Father was the only one who could drive through the Black Forest. Neither Mother nor Bella knew how to drive. If we were delayed any longer, I really would die. I used the last of my strength to push myself upright and begged the captain in a hoarse whisper. "Captain, the permit is real. Mother... She's just talking nonsense. Please, let us through. We need to get to the infirmary as quickly as possible. The wolfsbane has already reached my marrow. I really can't hold on much longer..." Before I could finish, another violent coughing fit tore through me. A huge amount of dark blood surged up my throat and splattered across the seat and car door. The captain's expression changed instantly when he saw me. He was a fighter in the pack. He had seen far too many poisoned wolves and knew exactly what my condition meant. However, the order to inspect travel permits at this section of the road had come without warning today. He was short on manpower and had no spare people or vehicles to prioritize taking me to the royal infirmary. Besides, there was nothing obviously fake about the travel permit. Even the special seal stamped onto it was an exact match. If they carried out a full identity verification, it would take at least an hour. With me in my current condition, we simply could not afford that kind of delay. He stopped and looked sternly at Mother. "Luna, please tell me the truth. Is the travel permit real or not? We've done a preliminary inspection, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. If you're only joking around and the permit is real, you can leave right now. "However, if it's fake, you'll have to cooperate with the identity verification, and you'll be responsible for whatever consequences follow." I cried and begged Mother. "Mother, please. Just tell them the truth... I really can't hold on much longer. As long as you agree and save my life, you can punish me or yell at me however you want afterward. I'll take it all." The wolves waiting in line nearby could not stand watching anymore. One after another, they started pleading with her. "That's right, Luna. The cub is already in that condition. Saving her life should come first!" "Exactly. What could possibly be more important than a life?" Bella joined in, desperately begging, "Mother, I'll never drink cough syrup again. I swear I won't!" At that, Mother's voice finally softened a little. She gently stroked the top of Bella's head. "Good. At least you know to be afraid. "Your wolf spirit has always been weak. Have you forgotten how you nearly lost your soul the first time you shifted? That cough syrup may be medicine, but drinking too much is bad for your body, and it can become addictive. You absolutely cannot drink it anymore." She finally sighed and waved dismissively at the captain. "All right, all right. It's not a big deal. I was just joking around and trying to lighten the mood." The weight crushing down on my heart finally lifted. The moment I relaxed, my body went limp. However, just as the captain ordered the guards to clear the road and Father prepared to start the engine, Mother suddenly let out a soft laugh, as if she had just remembered something amusing. Then she started laughing harder. "Hahaha! You people really are too trusting. The Alpha deliberately made a fake permit to test how well you guards are doing your jobs. And you couldn't even tell it was fake! If this gets investigated later, don't blame me for not warning you." The captain turned livid. "If that's the case, then, Alpha, please hand me the travel permit. We'll conduct a detailed examination to determine whether it's genuine. You'll also need to step out and cooperate with the identity verification." I could not catch my breath. The agony of the lethal wolfsbane burning through my organs twisted together with the suffocating pressure in my chest. My vision went black, and I nearly passed out. The lethal wolfsbane had already taken away my ability to shift. My hands curled into tight claws as my entire body began to convulse uncontrollably. Bella could not take it anymore. "Mother! Are you insane? Can't you see that Xena is dying?" Mother calmly turned her head toward Bella. She even reached out and patted the top of her head. "What are you yelling about? Look carefully. Today, I'm going to use your sister's pain to teach you a lesson. I want you to remember this forever. You can't just mess around with medicines when you don't know where they came from. "And you certainly can't spend every day drinking bottle after bottle of cough syrup! Your sister was born with a strong constitution, and even she ended up like this. "Now think about yourself. You've always been weak. If you drink something like that, something terrible could happen." I stared at her in disbelief, my eyes widening. At a moment when my life was hanging by a thread, Mother was actually using my life to teach Bella a lesson. Father was shaking with rage. Even his voice had changed. "Xena is already like this! And you still... You still..." Mother interrupted him without a hint of concern, "What are you so afraid of? I only put a tiny amount of lethal wolfsbane in it. I diluted it with three times as much Moon Spring water. It isn't nearly as poisonous as you think. "Besides, Xena is the strongest wolf in the family. Her constitution is incredibly strong. What are you all panicking about? She can still talk, can't she?" She turned to Bella, and her voice became even sharper. "And you. Your cough was already gone, but you kept begging for cough syrup every single day. I've been sick of watching it for a long time. "Today, I'm going to make sure you remember this lesson! Your sister took this lesson for you, so you'd better remember it!" I curled up in the back seat as the burning pain from the wolfsbane eating through me spread from my marrow all the way to my fingertips. My healing ability had already been pushed past its limit by the wolfsbane. Those few sentences had used up almost every bit of strength I had left. Now, I could not even force out a complete sentence. However, Mother would never know. She could not feel my pain. A few months ago, Bella had secretly slipped out to have some fun. To keep our family from finding out, she had quietly blocked the mind link between herself and the rest of us. On her way home, she ran into a giant beast. She panicked and completely forgot to restore the mind link and call for help. If the guard patrol had not happened to be passing by that night, she probably would have lost her life. Mother had been terrified. She stayed by Bella's side for several days afterward. She even blocked her mind link with me so she could focus entirely on taking care of Bella. Father had been worried that something might happen to me too, but Mother had shut him down with a single sentence. "Don't you know how strong Xena is? Nothing can hurt her. Besides, she's the best-behaved child in the family. She always listens and never does anything reckless. Instead of worrying about her, you should focus on Bella. She's at that age where she's always getting into trouble. "Once some time has passed and Bella grows a little more sensible, we can restore our mind links again, can't we?" Father had thought about it and decided she had a point, so he went along with her wishes. Now, when I was actually in danger, they could not feel a thing. Voices swirled together around me, but I could barely make out what anyone was saying anymore. My consciousness was fading when a rugged vehicle bearing the Silver Moon insignia suddenly pulled up. Through my blurred vision, I vaguely saw a middle-aged wolf hurry toward us. It was Bruce Freeman, the Beta who had been at Father's side since I was little and one of the most renowned fighters in the wolf clan. He had obviously seen me coughing up blood. Without asking a single question, he shouted to the captain of the guard. "Captain! The permit I have was issued by you just today. There's no way there's a problem with it. I'll take the child to the royal infirmary! You can continue your inspection according to procedure. Just don't delay her treatment!" The captain clearly knew him. After taking one look at Bruce's travel permit, he visibly relaxed. He immediately nodded and called over his men to open the checkpoint and let us through. Bella held my increasingly cold body in her arms, her eyes red from crying. She could do nothing but thank Bruce over and over. Father also turned to Bruce, his voice breaking as he promised that our entire clan would do everything in its power to repay him afterward. Mother stood beside the car, frowning slightly, but she said nothing. She simply lowered her head and softly reassured the frantic Bella. "All right. Your sister will be fine. Just remember what you learned today." I curled up in Bella's arms. Her thin arms wrapped tightly around me as she kept calling my name and encouraging me to hold on. My vision had gone completely black. The pain tearing through my organs felt as if it were shredding me into pieces, yet I finally let out a breath of relief. Bruce was reliable. If he took me to the royal infirmary, they could purge the wolfsbane from my body and save my life. I would survive. However, just as Bruce was about to carry me into the vehicle, Mother suddenly rushed over and grabbed the car door with both hands. No matter what, she refused to let me get in. Chapter 2 Everyone froze where they stood. The entire scene fell silent. Bella was shaking with anger. "Mother, what are you trying to do? Mr. Freeman is here to save Xena. Please, just move out of the way." Mother stared hard at Bruce for a long moment. Suddenly, she screamed, "Why should I trust you? Letting my cub get into your car? What if you're a bad person?" The moment she said that, everyone was stunned. "Luna, what are you talking about? It's me, Bruce. I've worked alongside the Alpha in the pack for years. You know that. We even saw each other at the pack banquet last month." Bruce patiently tried to explain, but Father rushed forward and grabbed Mother by the arm. His face was filled with shock and anger. "Caroline, have you lost your mind? How could you not recognize Bruce? He's been working by my side all this time. You see him all the time!" Mother violently shook off his hand. "I don't know him! There are plenty of people who look alike. What if he's an impostor? If something happens to my cub, which one of you is going to take responsibility?" Father had finally had enough. He pointed at the unmistakable pack mark tattooed on Bruce's neck. "His mark is right there in plain sight. There's no way to fake that. Besides, I work with Bruce every single day. Do you really think I wouldn't recognize him? Xena needs help now. Move!" The captain of the guard immediately joined in. "Exactly. I saw Bruce at the council hall just this morning. He hasn't even changed clothes since then. How could he possibly be an impostor?" However, Mother still refused to move. Instead, she screamed again, "So what? If someone wants to fake something, they can fake anything. Bad people don't walk around telling people that they're bad. "She's my cub. I'm protecting her. When she grows up, she'll thank me for being cautious." Protecting me? The thought was so absurd that I almost laughed. Instead, a mouthful of blood suddenly surged up my throat, and I vomited it all over the ground. Bella stared at the pool of blood, her eyes turning bright red. "Mother, is this what you call protecting her?" Her normally sweet voice was hoarse now, as if every word had to be forced out of her throat. "Look at her! Xena is coughing up blood! She can't even shift anymore! If you keep stopping them, she's really going to die!" People around us began whispering among themselves, their eyes shifting toward Mother. She immediately turned around and shouted at them. "I'm the Luna! What right do you have to judge me? This is our family matter. Stay out of it and move along!" The person at the front of the crowd was a young woman who apparently was not part of our pack. Maybe that was why she was not afraid of Mother at all. She stepped forward and confronted her. "You're worried about whether we're going to talk about you? Take a look at your own cub first. She's practically dying! Even a complete stranger would be more desperate to save her than you are, and you're her own Mother!" "What do you know?" Mother was instantly furious. "I'm her Mother. I know her condition better than anyone. She takes after her father. She was born with an exceptionally strong constitution, and she's been powerful since she was little. "I was the one who gave her the wolfsbane. It was only a tiny amount. Just a little. It won't kill her." She said it with complete confidence, as if she could not see me writhing in agony before her. As if the blood pouring from my mouth were nothing more than an act, a performance I was putting on just to play along with her lesson. Bella looked at how weak I had become and finally broke down. She dropped to her knees at Mother's feet. "Mother, please. I'm begging you. Save Xena. If we wait any longer, it'll really be too late. Mr. Freeman isn't a bad person. He won't hurt us." Chapter 3 Mother still did not budge. She frowned, and a trace of impatience crept into her voice. "Bella, get up. You're not in good health. How could you let your feet touch that cold ground?" Her words hit me like a slap across the face. Bella could not let her feet touch the cold ground. Yet when Bella had been caught stealing from a store in our territory, Mother had forced me to kneel outside the store and apologize on Bella's behalf. Even now, when I was coughing up blood like that, all Mother cared about was Bella's health. She did not care about me at all. Father covered his chest, trembling with anger. "How long are you going to keep this up? What exactly do you want before you'll be satisfied?" "What do you mean, satisfied?" Mother suddenly raised her voice. "This is all your fault!" Father stared at her in confusion. Under the bewildered eyes of everyone around us, Mother finally revealed the truth. "Last week was the 20th anniversary of the day we met. I asked you half a month in advance to spend the day with me, but you said you were too busy with pack business. Then you completely forgot about it. You didn't even wish me a happy anniversary! "You said you were busy! You said you had a terrible memory! So now, I'm going to make you understand exactly what your careless attitude can lead to!" Father looked like he was about to lose his mind. "Not another anniversary! Caroline, can you please be reasonable for once? How many anniversaries do we need to celebrate in a single year? "Our anniversary for the day we met, our anniversary for when we started dating, our bonding ceremony anniversary, even the anniversary of our first date. You want to celebrate every single one of them! "When have I ever refused to go along with you? The pack has been incredibly busy lately. Do you have any idea how much I have to deal with every single day? "And besides, when I forgot because I was busy, didn't I apologize to you immediately? Didn't I even make up for it by giving you a gift? So why are you bringing it up again?" Mother became even more upset when Father argued back. "How dare you yell at me? If you do something wrong, you have to admit it. Just because I accepted your gift doesn't mean I forgave you! When we first got together, you said you loved how romantic I was, so why are you suddenly acting like it's a burden now?" Father opened his mouth, but he was so furious that he could not get a single word out. The mighty Alpha had been driven to that state by his own mate. He had never imagined that the price of forgetting a single anniversary would end up being paid with my life. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. The pain did not seem quite as bad anymore. My body was slowly stopping its violent trembling. However, I knew that was not a good thing. My wolf spirit was growing weaker. When Bella saw my eyes close, she panicked and frantically patted my cheeks. "Xena! Xena! Don't go to sleep! Wake up! Wake up!" Father knew there was no point arguing with Mother anymore. When he saw that I was already losing consciousness, he shoved Mother aside and carried me into Bruce's vehicle. "Quick, Bruce! Save Xena first. She's been poisoned, and she's in serious danger. Take her to the royal infirmary. I'll stay here and cooperate with the identity check. I'll meet up with you afterward." Bruce nodded and hurried into the vehicle. Only then were we finally able to speed through the gates of the royal infirmary. I thought that once we reached the infirmary, I would finally have a chance to survive. However, Mother was about to cause trouble again. Chapter 4 The moment they lifted me onto the hospital bed, the door to the royal infirmary room was slammed open. Mother rushed inside and reached for my arm. "What kind of royal infirmary are you people? You're all reputation and no substance. Why does my mate's blood have to be used for the treatment? What a rip-off! She only drank a little lethal wolfsbane diluted with Moon Spring water. How serious could it possibly be? Are you people planning to use his blood for something shady?" Bella's eyes were red with panic. She could only grab Mother's hand and hold her back with all her strength. "Mom, stop it! Saving Xena is what matters right now!" "What do you know?" Mother shoved her away. Bella stumbled backward and slammed her lower back into a medical cart. The herb bottles on the silver tray crashed to the floor with a loud clatter. "I'm protecting your father! He's the Alpha. How can we just let him give his blood to anyone? And this royal infirmary doesn't seem all that great to me either. They're just trying to scare us. Xena isn't nearly as bad as they say." As she spoke, she reached for me where I lay on the bed. "She's my own cub. How could I possibly hurt her? I only used a tiny amount of lethal wolfsbane. It can't possibly kill her. "You're all making a huge fuss over nothing. You insisted on bringing her to the royal infirmary, but honestly, I think an ordinary infirmary would be fine. I even know the healers there. I'd trust them much more." Several healers hurried over and blocked her path. "The patient cannot be transferred right now! The wolfsbane has already seeped into her bone marrow. Her condition is extremely serious!" "Move! She's my cub. I have the right to decide whether she gets treated or not!" The doorway instantly descended into chaos. They remained locked in a standoff until Father finally finished his identity verification and rushed back. The moment he saw what was happening, he completely lost it. He charged forward and pulled Mother away from me. "Caroline! If you cause one more scene, we're going straight to the courthouse and dissolving our mate bond! I'll raise both cubs myself. For the rest of your life, you won't see either of them again!" The words 'dissolve our mate bond' immediately made Mother panic. Only then did she finally stop interfering. Father and Bella both let out a huge sigh of relief. They thought Mother had finally backed down and decided to let them save me first. However, neither of them expected what happened next. Mother suddenly grabbed Father and pulled him toward the door. Bella realized what was happening and chased after them like crazy. Their arguing voices grew fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared completely. Inside the room, only a few helpless healers remained with me. The wolfsbane had already burned through my internal organs. Deep inside my bone marrow, my wolf spirit was breaking apart piece by piece. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Without the assistance of Alpha blood, the healers could only treat me with basic specialized herbs combined with my wolf's natural healing ability. However, my consciousness was still slipping away. My body felt lighter and lighter. Everything in front of me became increasingly blurry. Finally, I could not hold on anymore. My eyes closed completely. The healers' movements gradually slowed. I do not know how much time passed. Eventually, the head healer looked up at the clock on the wall. His voice was heavy. "Record the time of death. Her wolf spirit has dissipated. No vital signs." When I opened my eyes again, I was floating beneath the ceiling. On the operating bed below me lay my lifeless body. At that moment, Father and Bella finally came rushing back to the doorway, dragging Mother with them. Father was trembling with rage. "Caroline! Xena is practically dead! And you still insisted on dragging me away to lecture everyone about blood safety! We wasted all that time going back and forth. Do you have any idea that those few minutes could have cost her her life?" Mother rolled her eyes. "You're the Alpha. These things need to be taken seriously. Who knows whether those healers were even telling the truth? "What if they were lying? What if they used your blood for something bad instead of using it to assist with her treatment? We needed to find a healer we knew and make sure everything was legitimate before giving them your blood. "Today, I was simply using this opportunity to teach all of you to be more careful. From now on, you need to think twice before doing anything. You can't just believe everything other people tell you." With that, she pushed open the door.