Chapter 19: Diana's Death

The beta’s house was shrouded with an ominous atmosphere for three days now. Aside from Beta Mason Ritchell going in and out of the desolate house, no one had seen Lorrainne Ritchell ever since the dreaded news was delivered and confirmed by the intel sent by Alpha Nathan Crescent.

For every pack member of the Crescent Pack, they could only shake their heads. The moment the beta’s daughter was taken as the tribute for the Blood Claws Pack, somehow, in their hearts, they could tell that Diana Ritchell would end up dead in that cruel environment. Everyone knew in the Crescent Pack how the beta couple pampered their only daughter.

And now, with her death, it was even shocking that the gentle-looking beta was not lashing out. Beta Mason continued his days as if his only child did not perish. He did not even talk about retrieving Diana’s corpse – though it would still be futile since retrieving a corpse from the bottom of the Blood Claws Pack was difficult. The Crescent Pack’s beta did not also talk about settling scores with the Blood Claws Pack – though it would be close to impossible as long as the Crescent Pack would not ally with the other packs to attack the most ruthless and most powerful pack in the continent.

Few pack members, especially the gossipmongers, lingered around the backyard of the beta family’s house. They were hoping to gather some gossip. Among these pack members who lingered around the house was Anastasia. She was standing at the back of the aunties and because she had a petite body, her presence was downplayed.

“Say, Mrs. Ning, why can’t we hear any hysterical sobbing noise from inside the house? Did the beta female, Lorrainne, faint from devastation?” A plump middle-aged woman, who was covering her mouth as she spoke to her neighbor, said.

“That woman? She’s a beta female for a reason!” Mrs. Ning snorted. Disdain dripped from her tone which she did not hide. Everyone knew her animosity toward Lorrainne whom Mrs. Ning believed to be a foxy woman who seduced her first love, the beta. “Maybe she is secretly plotting to attack the Blood Claws Pack and retrieve her daughter’s body.”

A middle-aged drunkard sobered from Mrs. Ning’s instigations. Unlike Mrs. Ning’s group, he was here waiting for Beta Mason. He was willing to join the crew that would retrieve the beta’s daughter's body from the bottom of the cliff. After all, his life was saved by the beta many years ago. It was time to repay the favor.

The middle-aged man growled at the group of women. “Talking about breaking the treaty, you sure have guts!”

The group of women clamped their lips shut. “Y-You! What do you know? You are just a drunkard who knows how to drink all day!”

The man sneered. With every step he took toward Mrs. Ning’s group, Mrs. Ning and her lackeys would also take a step backward. “If I report this to the nearest officer, will you and the three generations of your Ning Family withstand the crime of harboring rebellious thoughts? You know the rules of the treaty and the rules of our pack, Mrs. Ning.”

Mrs. Ning’s face turned white followed by her lackeys. Shivers ran down their spines when they remembered the rules of their pack about instigations about harboring thoughts of rebellion. Though they pointed out the beta family, slander was also a capital crime. 

Unwilling to continue such a topic, Mrs. Ning spoke. “Stop talking smart, drunkard! We are only here to express our condolences to the Ritchell Family! Don’t slander us!” She signaled her neighbors through the mind link. “Let’s go!”

Mrs. Ning’s group dispersed leaving a quarter of the number that were lingering around the beta family’s house.

Seeing that no troublemakers were around anymore, the middle-aged man finally went back to his spot and waited for lunchtime. It was a known fact that Beta Mason only ate his lunch during normal days in his home where his wife was waiting.

The middle-aged man noticed a gaze. He looked in that direction and was met by a complicated gaze from Anastasia.

The complicated gaze immediately vanished as if there was none in the first place. He thought, ‘There is no way that a girl with such an innocent smile could have that sinister gaze. I must be hallucinating for missing my jug of beer.’

‘Why didn’t Aunt Lorrainne call me? I should be inside that house comforting her! This event should have bridged the gap between us as I console them after losing Diana! What went wrong? I just keep feeling that something is wrong here… what is it? What is it?’

“Ana? What are you doing here?”

A familiar gentle voice cut Anastasia’s train of thought. “Uncle Mason!”

All of Anastasia’s worries that were weighing her down a few seconds ago vanished upon seeing the amiable smile of Mason Ritchell. ‘This is it! This is my chance for my first step in taking all of what Diana owned!’

Hiding the sparkle of greed from her eyes, Anastasia stepped forward and pushed the waterworks to the extreme. After all, tears were women’s most powerful weapon. And as someone who had lost his child, Anastasia reckoned that he would be nostalgic by seeing her. This would make her the beta family’s link to their dead daughter!

Anastasia could not help but chuckle inwardly.

“Why are you out here?”

Seemingly hesitating, she bit her lips as tears started to trickle down her chin just like a pure white lotus in the midst of blooming. “I… I am worried about Aunt Lorrainne so I–”

“Ana, you see…” Mason sighed and patted her head. “My wife needs time to accept things. I think she should stay away from people or things that will remind her of Diana. You understand where I’m coming from, right?”

Anastasia felt as if she was struck by a lightning bolt. The downpour of her tears seemed to freeze as she stare at Beta Mason in a daze, seemingly not believing what she was hearing.