Chapter 4

I slowly fed things from the house into the fire. The flames grew bigger and bigger as I coughed and kept adding more.

Thick smoke poured into my nose, making it hard to breathe. I felt like I was about to join Asher. "Asher, don't be afraid. Mommy's coming."

As I spoke, my consciousness began to fade away.

Slap! The moment I regained awareness, Matthew's hand struck across my face. I realized I had been rescued. "Your methods are getting more and more despicable."

I slowly opened my eyes and realized I was in my room. Asher's body was still in the pup's crib.

Matthew gripped my wrist. "Why have you gotten so thin? Stop playing these tricks. It's not like no one's been bringing you food. Don't try this hunger strike nonsense - I'm not falling for it."

But no one had brought me food for three days. Besides, Asher's death had left me unable to eat anything.

Cassandra walked in covering her nose. "What's that smell? Why does it stink so much?"

She deliberately looked at me as she spoke.

Of course it stank - Asher's body had been in this room for three days.

Cassandra made a show of sniffing around, walking in circles around the room, but her eyes stayed locked on my pup's crib.

"What is this thing? It's so dark. Sister, are you practicing some kind of dark magic?"

Matthew immediately went to look. He clearly didn't recognize his own son - after all, he hadn't looked at the pup once in three months.

When Asher was three months old and Cassandra gave birth to her child, Matthew never looked at him properly again.

Pups change the fastest in their first year. You might not recognize them after just a few days.

Especially now, with the skin showing death spots and the egg still in his mouth, he looked nothing like my Asher.

Matthew picked up the pup with a tense expression. I thought he had recognized our child.

But then he opened the window and threw Asher's body down from the second floor!

I quickly got out of bed and ran downstairs. When I got outside, my feet hurt from stepping on dead branches. Only then did I realize I wasn't wearing shoes. "Matthew! Are you crazy? That's Asher!"

Matthew and the others came downstairs too. "Don't think you can fool me just by using Asher's blanket. What kind of evil thing is this?"

Cassandra acted coy beside him. "That's right. Just looking at that thing makes me feel sick and panicked. My pup has been crying non-stop too."

I held Asher and crouched in the grass. Mom would be here in half an hour. I just needed to ignore them.

But Matthew wouldn't let it go. "Take whatever the Luna is holding and send it to the Howling Crags. Feed it to Gravemaw."

Gravemaw was a monstrous wild wolf that Matthew kept. It was extremely fierce. If they took Asher to the Howling Crags, there would be nothing left of him! "No! Matthew, that's your son's body!"

Matthew sneered. "Look at him - how does he look anything like our Asher? Hurry up and take it away."

Asher was forcibly taken from me and thrown into the car like an object. Seeing them about to drive away, I ran to block the car.

Matthew pulled me back. "Are you insane, Olivia?"

But the car sped away. I grabbed Matthew's car keys and drove after them.

I raced all the way, chasing them to the Howling Crags. My feet were already torn and bleeding.

"No! I'm holding the pup." I snatched Asher back just before they threw him into the beast's cage.

Matthew got out of his car right behind me. "Let Gravemaw out! Let's see if she can still protect it!"

Gravemaw smelled the meat and lunged forward.

"Tear open that blanket! I want to see what's really inside!"

But Cassandra panicked. "Let's not look, Matthew. It'll make me sick."

As Ronan and I struggled, he pulled at the blanket. When I pulled back, Asher rolled away.

"Release Gravemaw! Let it eat this filthy thing!" Matthew shouted.

Gravemaw was slowly released from its cage. I was pinned to the ground by Ronan, unable to move.

Matthew saw the red cord on Asher's ankle. "Don't think you can fool me by tying Asher's sacred cord on this dirty thing."

That was the cord Matthew had tied when Asher was born. "Our Asher must be safe and sound," he had said. But now he had forgotten.

Gravemaw slowly approached. The sound of a great eagle came from overhead.

Just as the beast was about to devour my son, I struggled desperately on the ground. "No!"

Matthew looked at the red cord tied to that dark, unrecognizable body. His heart skipped a beat.

His body reacted faster than his mind. Matthew rushed over and kicked Gravemaw. The beast suddenly changed direction and bit Matthew's leg instead.

The great eagle's cry drew their attention. It landed slowly about a kilometer away from us. I broke free from Ronan, wrapped Asher in his blanket, and climbed onto the great eagle.

Once Gravemaw bites something, it won't let go. Cassandra stood two meters away from Matthew. "Matthew."

Just as the beast was about to bite through Matthew's leg, someone shouted, "Get the silver prod!"

Gravemaw was shocked unconscious and finally released its grip. Matthew also passed out.